Jackson POV

"Alright everyone," I spoke out as more members had come to the divebar. I fixed my new jacket and stood on top of the wooden counter as I looked at everyone. "We're all ready to get these clowns?" I asked.

"Yeah!" They all screamed, holding bats, knives, guns, and fists in the air.

"I have one thing that's precious to me that I'm looking for," I started, "his name is Marti, he has brown eyes, black hair, and he's around 5'6. He's to be protected at all costs."

"Understood?" I asked. They all nodded their heads.

"Lets head out, don't die on me," I ordered as I stepped down.

Ian came up to me and patted my back, "you're the best, Boss," he whispered to me.

"Only if we get Marti out of there safely, if not, I'm quitting for good," I said as I walked out the back.

This is all for Marti.

I hope he's still alive.

I know for a fact that Trevor is probably torturing him or has finished by now.

Ian hopped onto his motorcycle and I got in my truck. I watched as everyone got into their vehicles and on their bikes. I drove out first with everyone following me after.

When we got to the Clowns neighborhood, there was no one in sight. I parked my truck on the outside of the neighborhood and hopped out as bikes drove past me and blocked the roads.

"Wait a minute," I said to myself as I saw a black truck parked at the end of the neighborhood. "Is that Trevor?" I asked myself as I started walking down the street. I looked at all the garages, they were open, and empty.

What the fuck is going on.

I jumped at hearing a boom to the side of me. I looked up and saw one of the houses was engulfed in flames.

"Everyone get out of here now!" I shouted as I ran back to my truck, feeling the hot flames on my skin as I ran away.

I hopped in my truck and pulled the PA to my mouth, "everyone get the fuck out of here now! That psycho's planted bombs in the houses!" I yelled.

The bikes turned immediately and rode back, whizzing past me one by one. I backed up my truck, turned, and started driving away as more explosions went off. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw Trevor's truck speeding off onto the highway.

God damn it!

The fires are too hot to drive through right now.

I'll have to figure out where he's headed next.

Considering what he did at the hotel he's probably leaving the city for good.

Killing one cop, let alone five, puts you on a permanent hit list in this city.

Even after you're dead, if you have a gravestone people will smash it, vandalize it, and even shit on it.

I called up Ian and he answered with his Bluetooth helmet. "What's the next plan?" He asked.

"We regroup and figure out where they've headed off to," I said.

"Jackson," he started.

"What?" I asked.

"I think I see Damien and Ellie's SUV, I'm pretty sure they're with Trevor," he explained. I looked ahead and saw him pointing at an SUV, with a clown face decal on the back, ahead of all of us.

Way to be obvious about being with the Clowns you morons.

"Connect all the bluetooth's together," I ordered. I heard some beeping sounds and I looked at the screen on the dashboard, slowly seeing everyone's names popping up.

"What's up boss?" A few of them asked.

"Everyone, follow that SUV with the clown decal on the back, Ian has a feeling that it's Damien and Ellie who are with Trevor," I explained.

"Got it," some of them said back.

"I can't wait to tear those clowns apart," another said.

"Same here," I said as we followed the SUV.

We drove for a few minutes before the SUV stopped at a gas station nearby, I saw Damien step out first, then Ellie. "Crowd them," I said as everyone swarmed their SUV with their bikes. Everyone else at the gas station left quickly, burning the pavement with their tires as they sped off.

Ellie tried to get back in the SUV but Drake grabbed her and wrapped his arm around her throat. She was screaming by the time I pulled up and hopped out of my truck.

I slowly walked up to Damien who had guns pointed at him, his back against his SUV, his hands were up and he looked at me as I caught up.

"Jackson," he said blankly.

"Damien," I started and smiled at him, "we'd like to speak with you."

———

I had Damien and Ellie tied up in my truck in the back seat as I rolled up to our new hide out. I parked the truck in the parking lot and hopped out. Ian and Drake rolled up next to me.

"Will they actually speak?" Ian asked.

"We'll make them talk," I said as I opened the back door. Drake opened the other side and yanked Damien out. I pulled Ellie out as she tried screaming but she had tape over her mouth. "Scream as much as you guys want, no one will hear you out here," I said angrily as I pulled her with me inside.

I gotta give Ellie credit, at least she's fighting back, unlike Damien who came with us, seemingly has no problem with the situation.

We sat them down in chairs, I stood in front of them as Drake and Ian wrapped rope around them in the chairs. I looked at Drake and Ian, nodded my head and they both pulled the tape off their mouths.

"Fucking asshole," Ellie spat as she glared at me.

I pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards as I stared at them, lighting a thin cigar. Ellie was huffing in anger as she looked at me. Damien was cool as a cucumber as he glared into my eyes.

"Where is Trevor?" I asked.

They looked between each other and back at me, "piss off," Ellie snarled.

I looked at Drake and he gripped Ellie's hair and pulled her head back and stuck a knife to her throat. She gasped and looked at me then looked at Damien.

"Don't," He said simply and looked back at me.

"Oh?" I questioned as I took a puff.

"What do you promise us if we tell you? I'm pretty sure you know how Trevor is by now," he glared.

"I do," I said, taking another puff.

"So what do you promise us huh?!" Ellie screamed.

She's probably not gonna tell us anything. Damien might though.

I rolled my eyes and looked back at Drake, he put a piece of cloth over her mouth and tied it in the back.

"Fuck you!" She muffled through the cloth.

"I'll promise that I won't kill you," I started, "and you can join Dzhaun as long as you remain loyal to us."

Ian looked at me with wide eyes and shook his head no rapidly behind them. "They're snitches," he mouthed to me. I nodded at him in understanding.

Ellie's eye twitched as she glared at me.

I know for a fact if they're willing to snitch on Trevor Ivanov, of all people, over something as simple as a promise, they can't be trusted in Dzhaun.

Especially since they're making deals without even being tortured.

"So what will it be?" I asked, blowing more smoke out.

"They went to Yarborough city, it's about five hours from here, they're staying at an apartment complex," Damien explained.

"Which one?" I asked.

"The address is in my phone," Damien sighed out.

Wow.

We just threatened them a little bit and he started singing.

"Where is it?" Ian asked.

"In my front pocket," Damien said.

Ian pulled his phone out of Damien's pocket, "code," he demanded.

"5981," Damien said annoyed.

Ian pressed the keyboard and it opened up. "The Halton's Plaza," he said to me.

"What floor is Trevor on?" I asked.

If Trevor is smart, which by now I know he is, they aren't going to be at the same building as him.

They clearly can't be trusted with delicate information.

"The top floor," Damien gulped.

"You idiot," Ellie muffled through the cloth. I snickered as I let the smoke leave my nose.

So she knows.

At least Ellie is smart.

Damien looked at her annoyed, "who's an idiot?"

Clearly you are Damien.

"You!" she muffled.

"Thank you for your answers," I said and stood up, "boys, have fun," I walked out as I heard them both screaming behind me.

"Hey! We had a deal!" Damien yelled at me.

I looked back at him, "I told you, I wouldn't kill you."

"You asshole," Damien snarled as Ian dropped his phone on the ground and stomped on it.

"You think I'd really trust anyone who snitches on Trevor Ivanov of all people?" I asked as I dropped my cigar and stepped on it, grinding it into the ground. "I will say though," I paused as they both glared at me.

"What?" Damien snarled.

"Ellie is smarter than you are, definitely more loyal, it's a shame she's a clown," I chuckled. She rolled her eyes and glared back at Damien.

"You piece of shit! Trevor will come after you if we don't show up!" He yelled at me.

You have too much faith in that man.

"I hope he does."

———

As I walked back into the divebar, some people were already back and slumping in their seats.

"Can't believe we only got two clowns," one of them muttered.

"Don't be too upset," I started as I sat at the bar. "Trevor let a lot of them die back in those explosions."

"You're right, I saw a girl running out of one of the houses with her hair on fire," another said.

"Exactly, he's willing to kill his own people just to get away from any prison time, considering how many people he killed just tonight, he's killed way more that the police don't have leads on," I explained.

"What about the Castle City Killer?" Ian asked as he walked in, covered in blood, Drake was behind him, also covered in blood.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"What if it was him the whole time, and the body they found was Trevor's doing as well?" He sat down on the couch and lit a cigarette.

"Could be, but you have to remember when those murders started was over 16 years ago at this point, I'd like to hope Trevor wasn't killing people like that as a child," I said.

"Didn't the body they found, have the same last name as Trevor?" He asked. I froze when he said that and I looked at him.

Not many people in this city have the last name Ivanov.

"He did..." I said and looked at the ground as I thought intensely.

"Maybe a relative?" Another said.

"Maybe... his father?" I said, mostly to myself.

Drake walked up to me with his phone open. I looked over and saw the obituary. My eyes widened when I looked at the description.

Trevor was listed as the surviving son of the Castle City Killer. Holy shit.

Does Trevor not realize this obituary is public and has been visited thousands of times?

Knowing him, he probably thinks everyone feels sorry for him that his father was a serial killer.

I know a lot of people who would take pity on him if they knew that about that.

Especially Marti, he was just the type of person to feel bad for someone and wanted to help someone who's being harmed.

Especially if they're being harmed by their own parents.

Kind of like when he always took pity on me when my dad would act up.

I remember how he'd look at me when I would come over with bruises or scratches, always fixing them up with a first aid kit and telling me how much he cares about me.

How we were going to leave this city one day and do great things.

We're still going to do great things Marti, please hold on a bit longer for me.

"Survived by son... Trevor Ivanov," I gulped. "Holy shit," I stood up and looked it over again.

"Damn, so Trevor killed his own father?" Ian blew out smoke.

"Yeah... I think he's the one who carved all those names into his body as well," I said as I stared in shock at the description still.

"Shit," Drake said as he sat down, I handed him back his phone.

I gulped as I looked around at everyone, "if Marti is still alive, and his name was on the list, that means Trevor could've added more people who are still alive as well."

"Great detective work," a voice spoke out. We all looked at the door and saw a police officer walking in. He closed the door behind him.

My heart started racing quickly as he walked up to me, past Ian and past Drake. The officers eyes were bloodshot tired, dark circles under his eyes.

He looks stressed as hell.

I can imagine with multiple fires, hundreds of corpses, and an obvious serial killer on the loose, he's been up working all night.

I heard the sound of a shot glass sliding on the wood behind me, "here you go Officer Brown," Randy, the bartender said behind me.

"Thank you," Brown said and took the shot, then put it back on the wood upside down.

"You're here to arrest us, aren't you?" I asked as I put my hands in front of me.

I don't want to fight with police.

I'd rather they take me in and leave my men alone.

He put a hand on me, and pushed down my arms, "I'm here to help you," he started and sat down in a chair across from me. I sat down at the bar and cocked my eyebrow. "I knew the Castle City Killer didn't kill my daughter, her name was Lively Brown and she "dated" Trevor for a while." He said with air quotes.

Meaning she was kidnapped by him most likely.

Same as Marti.

"She went missing a few years back and the last time I saw her, she was starved, covered in bruises and cut marks... she was terrified of this guy named Trevor Ivanov, claiming he forced her to get pregnant and that she didn't know how to leave him," he explained. "I knew they weren't really dating, I could tell she had been kidnapped." He closed his eyes and continued, "then the next day, she disappeared, and I never saw her alive again."

Oh shit," Drake said and rubbed his forehead. "So... that's where she went... she was my classmate... everyone wondered where she had been."

"Yeah," Brown said, "on the list was her name but it didn't feel right, her corpse didn't match the usual abuse that his father inflicted on his victims, her eyeball was torn out, her stomach slit open, and her throat was cut. All the organs were still intact as well," he sighed. "His father was a cannibal so I was confused when I didn't see any of the organs mutilated."

A cannibal?!

That's disgusting, they definitely didn't share that on the news.

I handed him a cigarette, he lit it up and took a few puffs, "I'm sorry Officer Brown," I said.

"Over 10 bodies on the list still haven't been found, it's not like his father to hide them, he usually left them out in the open for us to easily find," he explained.

I gulped, "what the fuck," I whispered.

"It's the way of this city... can't save everyone," he said with somber. "I've been searching for Trevor for years and as soon as we find their hide out, it's burning to ashes."

Trevor must've buried the bodies somewhere.

That's the only logical guess.

The hard part is figuring out where they are buried.

"Trevor blew up his old house, the entire neighborhood they had. We got some intel that they're in Yarborough City now," I explained.

I'm not going to tell him how we got that intel but I imagine he can guess since Ian and Drake are covered in blood.

"We're going to find them, and make Trevor pay for what he did to my daughter," Brown said as he sat back in his chair. "I'll make sure you guys get immunity for helping me out."

Immunity would be really great for all of us, especially since we've already committed so many crimes by trying to find Trevor.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, Trevor and his gang of Clowns killed five of our best officers back at the hotel," he said, "and over 100 innocent lives were lost."

"I saw, I had to run out of there. I was hiding with my best friend Marti when Trevor busted the place up," I explained.

May as well be honest now.

"I saw you on the security camera footage that was still intact, I could tell you didn't plant those bombs. A person in motorcycle gear did," he blew smoke out.

"That was Trevor," I said blankly.

"I guessed it was him," he said as he burned the cigarette on the bottom of his shoe, then dumped it in the ashtray.

Is this real life?

Working with police now just to find Trevor?

I'm willing to do it if it helps me get Marti back.

He stood up and pulled a card out, then handed it to me, "call me with more information when you get it, I'll be on standby."

"Will do," I said as he walked out, closing the door behind him. I looked back at everyone, "looks like we're in the clear."

"Hell yeah we are," Drake said shocked as he downed a shot.

"Lets get ready to head to Yarborough, it's a long drive from here so let's make sure we have everything we need before heading out," I said as I stood up.

"Where are you going?" Ian asked.

"Back to my place, I'm going to look up hotels around Yarborough, when I find one, we'll set up there and go looking for Trevor and end this," I said as I walked out.

I'm coming for you Marti.

I'm going to save you.

I'm going to slaughter Trevor for what he's done.

He's caused so much pain in this city for no reason other than insanity.

———

I arrived back at my apartment and walked to the door, I got inside and grabbed a tote bag and set it on the couch. I opened up my phone and looked at hotels in Yarborough.

I know this might take a while but I have enough money to use a hotel room for a few months.

I'm sure it'll be enough time to get Marti back.

I grabbed ammunition boxes from under the bed and stuffed them in the tote bag. Then grabbed a few pistols and tossed them in as well. Then grabbed the stacks of cash from my safe and shoved them in. I picked up my AR15 and slung it on my back. I holstered a pistol on my hip and slid knives into my boots, then into my pockets. I packed a backpack with clothes and looked back at my apartment as I put the back pack on my shoulder and picked up the tote bag.

"Time for all hell to break loose," I whispered to myself as I walked out. Locked the door behind me and got into my truck. I placed the bags in the back seat and placed my AR15 in the front passenger seat.

I pulled the card out of my pocket and looked at the number. I dialed it and it rang a few times before it was picked up.

"Hello?" Brown said.

"We're going to Yarborough City tonight, do you want to come with us?" I asked.

"I'll wait back here in Castle, I'll need to be there when you guys find out exactly where Trevor is so we can call the Yarborough city police and let them know what's going on, I've already called their dispatcher and let them know to look out for Trevor," he explained.

"Do you remember my friend Marti I told you about?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Make sure he's safe, Trevor kidnapped him," I said as I turned on my truck.

"Got it, I'll let them know," he said.

"Thank you, I'll let you know as soon as we're in the city and what we gather intel wise."

"Understood, be safe," he said with a slight sigh.

"We will be, you be safe too," I said and hung up.