The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Seven

It was unusual for Kade to miss one of his NA meetings, which worried Tanjoban. He tried contacting Kade several times throughout the night, but there was no response. Fidgeting in his seat, he feared the worst. 

Leaving the meeting early, Tanjoban went over to Kade's apartment and saw that the door had been forced open, breaking the air-tight seal and allowing precious oxygen to escape.

Not wanting to inadvertently step into the middle of a situation, Tanjoban proceeded with caution. He removed a small blade from his jacket and held it firmly in his hand. With his other hand, he slowly pushed the door open wide enough for him to slip through. He waited for a brief moment in the entryway to listen for any commotion that would signal the intruders were still in his apartment. When he didn't hear anything, he proceeded inside.

As he walked down the hall, he read the digital display in his helmet. There was only one body detected in the vicinity and the oxygen levels were dangerously low. Rounding the corner, he saw Kade lying on the floor with his face bloodied and bruised. He was unconscious and barely breathing.

"Kade!" Tanjoban said, rushing over to his wounded friend.

It was difficult to fully assess the damage since Kade's face was a bloody mess. Tanjoban looked around and saw that the apartment was completely trashed. He wasn't sure if this was a burglary, or payback from Mr. Saigon. Regardless, his friend needed help.

Reaching into his pocket, Tanjoban pulled out an Epipen and jabbed it into Kade's thigh. The injected liquid entered his bloodstream and took affect instantly. Kade's body spasmed as it desperately clung to life.

Kade's eyes slowly peeled open and he began to moan.

"You're okay, buddy?" Tanjoban said. "I got you."

Using the density scanner on his helmet, Tanjoban checked for any broken bones. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any major fractures. For now, Kade was just in a lot of pain, but he would heal.

"Don't try to move," Tanjoban said. "Just relax. Can I get you anything?"

"In the kitchen. Third drawer down. By the fridge."

Before Kade could finish his sentence, Tanjoban was on his feet and dashing toward the kitchen.

"There's a bottle of pain killers. Bring me two please."

"Don't worry, I got you, buddy," Tanjoban said, filling up a glass of water and bringing the medicine to Kade. He knelt down beside his friend. With Tanjoban's help, Kade sat up and swallowed the pills.

"Can you breathe okay?" Tanjoban asked.

"It's a little stuffy in here, but I should be alright for a while."

"Where's your helmet? We should get you some oxygen. It'll help you heal and make you feel better."

"Over there," Kade pointed to a shelf. Sitting on the floor with his back against his couch, he took a deep breath. Within minutes, the oxygen and pain killers kicked in and he felt a lot better.

"What happened?" Tanjoban asked.

"I'll give you one guess?"

"You know what, I'm sick of Saigon, bro. I say we roll up on him and blast that fool."

"As much as I would love to live that dream with you, we can't... he has my mum."

"What!?"

"He said if I ever want to see her again, I have to do exactly what he says."

"I thought you called him and told him you reconsidered his offer?"

"I did. I guess I waited too long."

"So he gets your message, but still lays a beating on you?"

"Pretty much."

"That's messed up, bro."

"Yeah, well... no sense dwelling on it now."

"Man, I hate that guy. One of these days I swear he'll get what's coming to him."

"It gets worse," Kade said.

"You get beat within an inch of your life, your sweet mother gets kidnapped, and you're forced to do a suicide mission to Tri-City. How could it possibly get worse?"

"He got me high on ghost."

Tanjoban stood up and paced back and forth, fuming with rage.

"Yeah, his goon squad held me down and forced that toxin into my system."

"Why the hell would he do that?"

"No clue."

"He's pure evil. One year of sobriety down the drain. Does it still count if you get high against your will?"

"That's the least of my concerns right now. I have to deliver that package in one week. If I don't, my mother is dead."

"Can't you just kill Saigon and get your mother back?"

"It'd be easier to just deliver the package. I need to go talk to Chu, see if he can hook me up with some gear."

"Good thing you've been smart with your finances."

"Actually, I'll need a loan. Saigon and his men robbed me of my entire stash."

Tanjoban put his head down and exhaled. His friend's predicament kept getting worse, and there was nothing he could do about it. "I'm so sorry, brother. I can help you as much as I can, but as you know, I'm not as diligent with my savings as you are. Plus, I haven't been getting as many big jobs lately so I don't have much to offer."

"It's alright, buddy. I'll figure this out on my own."

"So when do you leave?"

"As soon as I can stand. The clock is ticking."