Chapter 74

Origins of the Renegades


The diagnosis of cancer was the last thing Raider expected when he went to the doctor. But he was going to fight it. He was going to do every treatment the doctor recommended. He wasn’t going to let cancer take him out. Not yet. He had to live for his son, Ethan. He had yet to meet his daughter. He had to fight to make that happen. He had to fight for his club. And that is what he did. Through chemo, radiation, and countless drugs he fought. Ace and his brothers stepped up to help run the club and businesses. Ace and Anna took care of him when it got rough on his body. They took him to his appointments when his body was too weak to drive and stayed by his side.

Ethan, who they now call Viper, took up the search for Merigold. He had some friends that he knew from basic training that were good with computers so between them and Brick they thought they had a better chance of finding her. That is what kept Raider going. His kids.

It was hard for Ace and Anna to watch Raider go through his treatments and watch this once strong powerful man wasting away. But through it all he smiled and had hope he would see his daughter one day. We all had hoped and prayed he would. Ethan began taking on more rolls at the club. He was already a patched member when Raider got diagnosed. When Raider got too sick to continue to run the club they took a vote as to who would be the next President. Raider wanted it to be Viper and Ace supported that but he wasn’t sure about the rest. He was pleasantly surprised when the vote was unanimous to have Viper take over.

Turns out most of his brothers were ready to step down and let the next generation take over. Raider was in the hospital clinging to life when he got the news he had waited over twenty years to get. Viper came rushing into the room with a huge smile on his face. “ Dad, we found her. We found Merigold.” he said. Viper sat in the chair beside Raider’s bed. “ You found her! Really. My little girl.” Raider asked. “ Yea, dad.” Viper said. The private investigator had gotten some pictures to show Raider. “ Tell me about her. Are you sure it is her?” Raider asked. “ We are pretty sure. Her birthday and age match up.And look.” Viper said, pulling a picture out of a folder and showing it to Raider. Raider smiles when he sees it. “ She has most of my features. She is beautiful.” Raider said.

Viper was happy to see his dad smile like that. He hadn’t seen a genuine smile in a long time. “ The address you had was right. We just missed them. They moved shortly after the letter was sent. She works part time in a tattoo shop and an auto shop in Alabama. McMasters is going to make the first connection.” Viper said. Viper told Raider everything he knew. How Merigold graduated high school and college. How her mom ditched her with the guy that raised her. How the man that raised her ditched her after a blood test revealed he wasn’t her father. But she had some good friends that took her in.

Viper explained to Raider that he was a grandfather to a set of twin boys and showed him the one picture the investigator was able to get. When Raider asked about the boys’ father, Viper explained how the father was Merigold’s high school sweetheart but had been killed in combat before the twins were born. That made Raider sad that his little girl had to deal with all of this on her own. He wished he was able to be there for her but it warmed his heart that she was found. “ Viper, promise me you will do everything you can to bring her home. Give her the life that was taken from her. And most importantly tell her I love her and always have. I love you too, son. Take care of each other.” Raider said. “ I promised, dad. I will take care of her. I love you too, dad.” Viper said. Viper knew in his gut Raider didn’t have much time left. He held on long enough to find his daughter.

Ace and the club had a memorial for Raider in the fashion he requested. Nothing fancy. No crying. Party like hell. Raider was cremated and a plague was hung on the wall.