Cover of King of Ashes: A Novel

King of Ashes: A Novel

by S. A. Cosby


Genre
Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery
Year
2025
Pages
316
Contents

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Overview

Torrent interrogates and executes two survivors of Khalil's gun-shipment hijacking, then brutally murders fifteen-year-old Eddie Munsta for laughing at the wrong moment. Roman cremates the bodies and subtly nudges a guilt-ridden D-Train toward dissent against Torrent. Meanwhile, Dante is revealed to be hiding out in a remote motel with a mysterious woman, signaling deeper trouble.

Summary

At Trout's, Torrent arrives with Tranquil and D-Train to interrogate Wiz and Cali, two surviving members of a hijacked gun shipment, who had been frozen in the walk-in freezer with frostbitten flesh. Wiz and Cali describe how their convoy on Route 794 was ambushed: cars exploded, and masked white men in 'Rare Breed' MC vests dragged them from the van. Roman silently admires Khalil's thoroughness in disguising the hit. Torrent demands to know who they tipped off; when neither can answer satisfactorily, Tranquil executes both men.

While the crew prepares to wrap the bodies, fifteen-year-old Eddie Munsta giggles when Torrent slips on Cali's blood. Enraged, Torrent grabs a butcher knife and stabs Eddie repeatedly to death, ordering him wrapped up with the others. The room is left stunned.

Loading the three bodies into Roman's cremation van, D-Train confides Eddie's tragic backstory and expresses guilt and disillusionment over the senseless killing. Roman subtly plants a seed of dissent, quoting a business professor about leaders not pushing followers off cliffs, then privately recalls his father Keith's adage that the man wearing the crown isn't always meant to be king.

Back at the crematory, Roman cremates the bodies and is struck by a devastating epiphany: Eddie was only fifteen, a year younger than Roman was when his mother disappeared, and is now reduced to ashes hidden in the storeroom. Roman feels spiritually dead himself. He texts Dante to lie low, worried Eddie's death would push him over the edge.

The chapter shifts to Dante, hiding in a cheap motel in Aruna, fifty miles from Jefferson Run. He reads Roman's text, lies in bed reflecting on his constant mistakes, and turns to embrace an unnamed woman as rain falls outside, obscuring a Honda with a large spoiler in the parking lot.

Who Appears

  • Roman Carruthers
    Cremates the three bodies; quietly plants doubts in D-Train; reflects on Eddie's death and his own deadened soul.
  • Torrent Vandyne
    Interrogates the gun-shipment survivors and orders their executions; impulsively stabs Eddie Munsta to death for laughing.
  • Tranquil Vandyne
    Torrent's brother; executes Wiz and Cali on command, shooting them in the kitchen.
  • D-Train
    BBB enforcer who knew Eddie's family; visibly shaken and guilt-ridden by the killing, receptive to Roman's subtle prodding.
  • Eddie Munsta
    Fifteen-year-old BBB runner murdered by Torrent for laughing; orphaned, recruited young into the gang.
  • Wiz
    Driver of the hijacked gun van; describes the Rare Breed ambush before Tranquil shoots him dead.
  • Cali
    Aspiring rapper and hijack survivor; provides details on the masked attackers before being shot.
  • The Bang Bang Twins (Lucius and Lavon)
    BBB enforcers who pull the prisoners from the freezer and wrap the corpses in plastic.
  • Tank
    BBB associate present at the killings who helps clean blood from the kitchen.
  • Dante Carruthers
    Hides out at a cheap motel in Aruna with an unnamed woman; receives Roman's warning text and broods over his mistakes.
  • Khalil
    Mentioned only; orchestrated the hijacking using Rare Breed MC disguises, impressing Roman with his spec ops thoroughness.
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