Out Of The Shadows (HADES) (Whiskey Bend MC Series, Book #4)

He moved through the woods on silent footsteps. After spending so much of his adult life fighting in wars no one ever won, he learned to move on silent feet. Hades had been a small part of Lucifer’s troops back in the desert in what seemed like a lifetime ago. And while he knew deep down in his heart he was safe here, he still felt the inner battle going on in his soul.

Nightmares of a forgotten war kept him awake in the dark hours. Hiding his affliction from the others was something he wasn’t proud of, but he did it anyway. They were fighting their own battles and didn’t need to know about his.

Hades stopped and leaned up against a tree for a moment. Only here alone in the dark did he feel truly safe. He knew these woods. He’d learned them by walking them each and every night for the last five years. He knew every nook and cranny. He named the squirrels and other rodents that lived here. He would watch them play and they began to trust that he was watching only. Some would even come up to him.

Tonight as he settled against the base of one of the trees, he noticed something in the air. A scent maybe, the scent of fear…it was one scent that once you know it you never forget it. He sniffed the air trying to pinpoint where it was coming from.

For a moment, he flashed back to the war and as he shook it off, he noted the woods had become still, nothing moved. Not even the slight breeze rustled the leaves. He got to his feet and stalked the shadows seeking what hoped it wouldn’t be found.

Making his way east, he found himself coming up to the caves. He’d learned that when this town was born, it was a busy place, a place of commerce, shipping lines sailed here to drop off goods and stores that would last the people in the area through the winter months when the barges and tow boats couldn’t make it through the ice.

Extra provisions were often stored in these caves back then. Nowadays, they were too unstable to hold anything so most people stayed away from them. Hades wasn’t afraid of the caves though, the stone walls protected him when he walked through them on occasion.

He paused and listened to the sounds around him. When he didn’t hear anything, he knew then that something had disturbed the shadows. He moved closer to the walls of granite and listened again. He heard footsteps walking the stone floor of the cave, coming closer to him. Hades slid closer to the hillside and waited. Hiding in the shadows, he became one with his surroundings as he focused the cavern opening.

When he saw the man walking out of the cave he watched as he walked away. The other man didn’t slow down or even try to hide his movements. Hades’ eyes narrowed at this man’s intrusion. He waited until the man was long gone before he entered the cavern to find out what the man was doing here.

Quietly, he moved deeper into the yawning hole in the mountain. He thought the mountain was silent but then he heard a noise. Pausing, he tilted his head and sought out the sound. When he heard it again, he frowned and moved toward it.

Finally, he reached another smaller chamber and paused. His eyes could barely make out anything but this chamber held something. He could hear movement and he could smell the distinct odor of urine.

Carefully, Hades reached inside his pocket and took out a cigarette lighter. Flicking on the flame, he began looking around the room. He paused when he saw something over in the corner. As soon as the light hit the bundle, it moved slightly. Hades drew closer and knelt down beside it. His eyes widened when he saw a pair of scared eyes staring back at him.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he whispered slightly. Lifting the lighter, it shone on the boy’s body.

He was dressed in jeans and a long sleeve shirt but this cave was freezing at this time of day. The boy had no jacket and Hades could see him shivering. Hades frowned when he noted the boy’s hands and feet were tied together and there was duct tape over his mouth.

He eased the tape from his mouth. “Who the hell are you and who left you here to freeze to death?”

The boy shook his head. “I don’t know his name but he’s a very bad man.” He stared at Hades a moment then said, “My name is Ethan Dylan, where is this place? We traveled a very long way to get here.”

Hades frowned. “Where do you live kid? Who are your parents?”

“I’m Ethan Dylan and my mom and dad are Jake and Lori Dylan. We live in Chicago.” He looked around the cave. “Is that bad man coming back?”

Hades shook his head, “Nah, he’s gone for now but I don’t think we should stay here any longer. It’s too cold and you need to get cleaned up.”

Ethan hung his head. “Yeah, that was because I was so scared. The scary man said he was gonna kill me and leave me here in this cave. T-that my mom and dad would never find my body. He said if I was a good boy he’d leave Hope here, so she could haunt this place with me.”

Hades tipped the boy’s head up so he could see his face and found tears rolling down the kid’s face. His heart softened. “Come on kid, I’ll take you to a place where you’ll be safe until we can get a hold of your dad.” He quickly cut the binding on his arms and ankles then helped the kid stand up. Ethan was a little wobbly but gained his balance soon enough.

Hades guided him through the cavern and out into the night. They walked through the woods toward the clubhouse and soon they went inside. The main room had very few people in it as it was well after hours. Hades nodded at a few of the brothers then called a prospect over. Whispering in the younger man’s ear, he steered the boy over to a table then left him to go to the kitchen and get him some food.

When he came back, he smiled slightly as he saw the boy Ethan looking around with great interest. He put down a bottle of water and a sandwich then watched as the boy gobbled them both down. A few minutes later, the front door slammed open and three huge men walked in.

Hades looked over.

Lucifer, Aries and Demon walked into the club followed closely by Jessie, Shiloh and Luna.

Ethan’s eyes widened and a look of fear settled into his features. He scrambled to stand and moved behind Hades to watch everyone coming toward him.

Hades didn’t move but instead waited for the group to come to him.

“What the fuck is going on here Hades?” Lucifer demanded. “Why did you get us all out of bed and who the fuck is the kid?”

“His name is Ethan Dylan and he’s here because we have a killer running around our town.”

Jessie came over to Ethan and knelt down beside him. “Are you ok sweetheart?” she asked softly.

Ethan nodded but didn’t say a word.

She looked over at the half eaten sandwich on the table then looked back at him. “How about we get you cleaned up a bit and make you a proper meal, would that be ok?”

Ethan moved closer to Hades but still didn’t say anything.

Jessie smiled. “There’s no one here that would hurt you kiddo.” She leaned forward and whispered, “They may look tough and scary, but they’re harmless.” Struggling to her feet, she held out her hand to him and waited as he looked at Hades.

At his slight nod, Ethan moved forward enough to take her hand.

Jessie, Luna and Shiloh took him into the kitchen and closed the swinging door between them.

Hades watched them go and almost missed the kid, then he turned back to Lucifer and the others. “I found him in one of the caves. The bastard that brought him here left him tied up and freezing. He just left him to go do whatever the hell brought him here in the first place. The kid is from Chicago and the bastard kidnapped him earlier this afternoon. He told me the man was going to come back and kill him then not tell anyone where his body was. He said the guy told him he might bring Hope’s body there too and they could haunt the caves together. That’s all I know at the moment, but I couldn’t just leave the kid there. I had to bring him back with me.”

He stared at the rest of the men standing there waiting for them to say something. “The kid told me his dad Jake Dylan was a cop.” He waited for their reaction, but he didn’t have to wait long.

Lucifer exploded with anger, “What the fuck? What did you get us into here man?” He glanced over at Demon. “You better call your uncle and tell him the kid is here, I’m sure he’s gonna what to know what’s coming.”

Demon nodded and moved away to call Charlie.

Lucifer gazed at Hades again. “Did the kid say anything more?”

Hades shook his head. “No but that kid is scared to death. He’s only six years old and that kind of fear shouldn’t have touched him, not at six, not at sixteen.” He shifted in his seat. “I watched the bastard leave the caves, he had no idea I was there and he didn’t even care. He thought the area was secure, that no one would see him coming or going.”

“And how did you happen to be in the area?” Aries questioned.

Hades turned his eyes to glare at the other man. “When I can’t sleep, I do recon in the woods. It helps me relax. I was doing recon when I felt something there that should be there. I followed a hunch and found the caves, found the kid.”

No one said a word to him. They were all coping from what the military called PTSD. They all found a way to deal with the leftovers of war.

When Demon rejoined them, he looked over at Lucifer. “Charlie knew about the guy already, said he had a cop from Chicago show up earlier today. This all is from an old case five years ago.” Looking over at Hades he said, “The girl Hope or Harper is a teller at the bank here in town and this guy the kid was talking about? He’s the man that tried to kill her back then. But mine wasn’t the only call he’d gotten tonight. He told me the cop and a fed called him earlier. They had come back from Chicago, cuz the kid was snatched’ and they thought the killer might be heading back to Whiskey Bend. Charlie, the cop and the fed are on their way here to collect the boy.”

Lucifer stared at the men around him and shook his head. After a moment he said, “I think the kid is safer right where he is. He’ll be fine enough here with the women watching over him.”

“What about the bastard who brought him here?” Demon asked with a hard glint in his eyes.

Lucifer smiled slowly and an unholy light burned in his eyes. “Well boys, looks like all that training we did for Uncle Sam might just pay off in this situation, don’t it? This bastard brought the fight to us, we didn’t go out looking for it. He invaded our turf not the other way around. He wants a fight? Well, I say we give him one.”

No one said a word. They didn’t have to. Each and every one of them would stand with Lucifer. They would defend their turf and they would rain hell down on anyone who dared to cross them. They were Hells’ Guardian Warriors.