by Lake, Rae B.
“Keeley.” Wire calls for his wife one last time. “Please.”
She doesn’t say a word to him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her have so much disgust on her face as she looks at Wire. She simply walks back into church and comes back out a second time with Max trotting by her feet and Lily holding her hand with a pink Minnie Mouse backpack.
“Bye, Daddy. See you later.” Lily turns and, with a huge smile, waves at Wire as she skips next to her momma. Oblivious of the turmoil around her.
He doesn’t move just watches as his wife and child walk out of his life and into the hands of the Croatian Mob.
Once, Vexx and her girls cleaned Riper up off the floor; they filled us in on their findings out on the farms. Clean got the information to Wyatt and his boys up in Maine, and they confirmed pretty much everything Roth said.
He confesses he’s doing this for redemption, but his debt is too high. There will never be enough he can do to make up for everything he let happen.
“How did you get a bunch of Feds as part of your crew?” Siren asks me as we sit on the bed and shovel Chinese food in our mouths.
I shrug and shake my head. I like to think Wyatt and the rest of the Djinn’s boys wouldn’t go against us, but I know they have before. It feels like a bomb has detonated at the very foundation of the club, and now all that’s left are the bits and pieces of what we once were.
I put my plate down and look at her. No one has talked about it in the days since it happened, but everyone knows Keeley leaving Wire is the final nail in the coffin. He hasn’t gone looking for them or spoke to anyone. I can tell he’s a broken man, right to his core.
“What?” She asks.
“You think it was right?”
“Do I think what was right?” Siren pushes her plate aside.
“Keeley.”
“Yes, I do. If I were in her situation, I would have done the same thing. Tell me you would want your kid stuck in a war zone? Wire knew what closing his eyes to the fucked up shit around him could do. Yeah, you guys had friends in high places for a while. Big bullies with itchy trigger fingers and thousands in their pockets, but how long did he think he could sit back, and none of that affects him or his club? I’m surprised she stayed as long as she did. Hell, I’m surprised any of them do.” She goes back to her meal as if she didn’t just admit one of my worst fears.
“You’d leave?” I stand from the bed and walk over to the mirror. The patch on my heart says Wings of Diablo. Wire fucked up. We all did. As a group, we were more concerned with expanding and making money that we forgot who we were, but I’d never abandon them. I’d never just forge the vows I made when they gave me this kutte.
“Mack.” Siren comes up behind me. “You see more than most. I know you do. I see it too. I know this club means everything to you. I know they are your family, but if you see your family leading you toward the point of no return, you better leave too. If they are that far gone, then they aren’t your family anymore. They are just a bunch of fucking dudes on bikes.”
I don’t want to think about that. I don’t want to admit that I’d have to choose between the Wings and my well being one day. They were supposed to be the same.
It feels like a bunch of ghosts has taken root in our club. Wire shut everything down. He no longer knew who or what he could trust. The clubs were closed, and he no longer took in women who needed aid. He even stopped allowing the club bunnies to come to the clubhouse. Everything was shut down.
In every corner was a memory of the many we lost in such a short time. Both the physically dead and the emotionally damaged. Cherry wasn’t coping well with being raped. She always had been in charge of who she gave her body to. She loved sex, and to have someone take that from her was proving to be more than she could handle.
To see the change in such a short period is mind-boggling. We were on top, at least we thought we were. How wrong we were.
Siren did her best to interact with all the women here, and she made a solid connection with Maven. I don’t know if it’s because Maven knows she’s my woman or because Siren offers Maven the strength she needs, but the two of them being close puts me at ease.
I sit back with a beer in my hand and watch as the paltry few members of my club walk around. My phone rings in my pocket, and I pull it out, surprised when I see the name on the caller ID.
I put my hand up and get Ink’s attention. He walks over, “What’s up?”
I shrug and slide my finger across my phone, making sure to put it on speaker. Just to make sure that someone else could hear what I hear.
“Yeah?” I answer.
“Mack, we need to meet up right now. I don’t have time to wait, so it’s either right now or never.” Shepard says he’s breathing hard, and it sounds like he’s pulling something.
“For water?” I ask. I bite my lip in frustration.
“For what?” Ink asks.
“Who’s that?”
“Ink,” he replies right away.
“You want to kill these fuckers or not? I don’t have time. I have to get out of sight right away. If you want to bullshit, I can’t help you.”
“Ok, we’ll meet you. Where arm you?” I ask, flinging my hand back and forth, trying to get Clean’s attention.
When I catch his eye, he comes over, followed by Devin and Ryder. Wire is still locked in his room.
“Meet me by the tuna cannery. You’re either here in twenty minutes or don’t bother showing up. This is no bullshit; I’ll fucking leave.” Shepard hangs up quickly, and I’m left standing with the phone in my hand.
“What the fuck is that about?” Ryder asks, just coming in on the last end of the conversation.
“Shepard. Wants to meet.” I shrug. I have no idea what it’s about, but it sounds like it’s important.
“Fuck, we should go,” Clean says, and he turns to look at the door of church. He’ll need to get Wire. I have no idea what kind of shape the man is in, but I can’t think it’s good.
“Yeah, we need to move fast,” I state, looking at my phone. According to Shepard, we need to get to the cannery within the next seventeen minutes. It takes a minimum of fifteen minutes to get there.
Clean runs over to get Wire, and almost immediately, he’s out of the back room.
“He say what he wants?” Wire asks me.
“No, just asks if we water to kill those bastards. He sounds like he’s on the moon.”
“On the move?” Ryder verifies.
I nod.
“Maybe he broke off from the Spawns? He could know some shit. Let’s go.”
“No.” Wire put his hands up. “Mack, Devin, and Red will come with me. That’s all.”
“The fuck?” Ink steps in.
“Ink, I don’t trust my own decisions. I don’t trust anyone. We are wide fucking open and vulnerable. Shit, I don’t trust the fucking sun to come up tomorrow. One thing I know for sure is that you will take care of home if something happens. Ryder, Clean, the same for you. I need you here. If it’s just to talk, then it’ll be no problem, but if it’s for a fight, I can’t have you there anyway.” He turns to me, “Mack, I need you there because you know Shepard, and you see shit before others. Devin, the same for you. If shit goes bad, you don’t fucking wait for me. You jump on your bitches, and you high tail it back home. That clear?” Wire asks.
“No way, man, this shit seems like a fucking trap,” Ryder argues.
Wire drags his hands through his hair before he explodes in anger, “For fucks sake, this shit isn’t up for discussion. You’re not fucking coming. This is my fuck up,” he beats a hand against his chest, “My fucking responsibility. I’m not putting anyone else in danger if I don’t have to. It’s not a fucking request. I’m still the goddamn president of this club, and my word is fucking law!” He glares at Ryder.
Though his words and tone are laced with anger, I can see the fear in his eyes. Wire is gone. Our fearless, cold-hearted pain manager has lost his way.
Ryder stares
at him for a moment before stepping back, reluctantly accepting the order he was just given.
Wire, Red, Devin, and I rush out to our bikes and race to the meet point. I hope whatever Shepard has to say will help us find our way back.
* * *
We show up at the cannery, and I don’t see anything. No bikes anywhere. Maybe he left.
“Well? Where the hell is he?” Wire asks.
“He’s here. We made it.” I take a step to the side and see an old dodge. Then I see Shepard and Tex making their way closer to us. Gianna, Sheperd’s woman, is behind them.
“What’s the rust?” I ask.
“The rush is I have to get the fuck out of dodge right the hell now.” Shepard gets a firmer grip on Tex.
“You’re mouth looks soft as fuck. You ever suck toes? I bet that shit feels amazing.” Tex lifts his foot and waves his toes in my direction. Shepard pulls him back hard.
“Shut the fuck up.” He growls at the big man. “Don’t listen to him. He’s not right. I’m going to get him some help. Some real help.”
“Yeah, he needs it.”
“Yeah, so Wren is at Arrowpoint ledge. He’s going to meet up with Lucky and Topper, and there’s to be an exchange of money. A few of the men who were on the yacht will be there, but not enough that you can’t take them out. If you come up the west side, there should be adequate cover, and they won’t even see you coming-”
“Wait! Wait a fucking minute. Why are you just handing this fucking information over to us? What the hell do you get out of it?” Devin asks while the rest of us stare at Shepard in complete shock. There’s no bargaining. No tit for tat, no cat and mouse. He just turned snitch. I would have never thought him to be a squealer.
“I have killed, I’ve robbed. I’ve done all the fucked up shit there is to be done, but I’ve never gone against my fucking family. Rooster is using my best friend's fucking genius to take over the drug game, not just here but worldwide. He’s throwing all of us to the wolves to do it. He’s double-crossing a lot of evil mother fuckers just to rise the ladder. Those fucks can come after my woman just as easy as they came for yours. I won’t be a fucking sacrifice for some bastard who cares about nothing but himself.” Shepard pulls Tex back again as he blows Wire a kiss.
“Where you off to now?” Wire asks.
“Fuck if I know. I know I can’t stay in town. I think I’m going to have to get off the mainland for a while. Rooster will stop at nothing to find his golden goose.” Shepard gestures in Tex’s direction. You’ll never know by looking at him, but Tex is a certified genius. I guess it’s true what they say about genius’. No great mind has ever existed without a touch of lunacy. Tex has more than a touch of both.
“Try Puerto Rico. Vado and his boys specialize in that shit. Asylum.” Wire speaks up. We received some information from them about Storm and Vale’s whereabouts, and Vado made sure both of them still knew we were hot on their tails. At least at the time, we were. We had them cornered down in Texas, but every time we got close, they fucking disappear again. The boys down in Puerto Rico did their jobs, so we hooked them up with Rooster and his club. Something I was sure we’d regret later.
“Yeah, we‘ve been there already. Rooster found us there. The only reason he let us come back here without killing us in Puerto Rico is because of Tex. He doesn’t care about what happens as long as Tex doesn’t stop supplying. What about up in Maine? The boys of Djinn? You trust them?
Wire looks away, “I wouldn’t trust my word.”
“Look, man, Rooster fucked us all. He is still fucking everyone over. You were just the first to get the shit end of the stick. I’m sorry about that. Truly I am.” Shepard says. “Mack, you fucking take care of your sister and those babies.” They back away a few paces, and then Shepard turns them around, and they run back to the car.
“You believe him?” Devin asks me.
“Yeah, if Shepard has jumped ship, then it’s real.” I nod.
“Then let’s get this shit over with.” Wire hops back on his bike, and we ride out to Arrowpoint ledge.
* * *
Shepard is completely right about everything he told us. We ride up from the west, and no one even turns around when we climb up the back way. Too busy torturing the fuck out of Topper to pay attention to what’s happening around them.
“I don’t have time for games. You’re short.” The large man looks a lot like the leader Siren described.
“I don’t know how that could be. I didn’t take anything. I swear it.” Topper yells, and he kicks his feet trying to get loose from his restraints. They have him hanging from a tree by his arms.
“That’s too bad. Really it is because I already told you that if the drop were even off by an ounce, I’d be upset, yet you chose to show up missing ten kilos of my shit?”
“Oh, shit,” Devin whispers.
Ten kilos! How much of this shit were they moving around if ten kilos was only part of the shipment?
“What? Ten kilos. Wren, that’s bullshit! One of your guys has it. That package hasn’t been opened since I left the fucking clubhouse. It’s one of your fucking guys!” Topper grunts as he tries to get free.
“Nah, sorry, my man, that shit don’t fly. I make sure I know who is in my fucking circle, and I know every single one of these men is loyal to me. My missing product is on your head.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Wren, wait!” Wren takes the cigarette from his mouth and flicks it at Topper, and he goes up in flames instantly. He screams and cries as his body flops wildly against the ties at his wrist. Finally, the branch he’s hanging on breaks, and his body lands awkwardly on the ground.
“Put him out, and let’s get on with our day.”
“Mack, I only count four men plus Wren. That what you see?” Wire whispers.
I nod. There are only a few of them, and I don’t see Lucky anywhere. Maybe Rooster tipped him off.
“You think you can take them out? Quietly?”
I smile brightly. Finally, my silence can be used for something I’ll enjoy.
I shimmy down the side of the cliff and close in on the side Wren and his men are on. The first one walks by on his way to the car, I assume, and I wait for the second. The second takes a step by me, and I reach out, covering his mouth, and jerk his head to the right. A sickening snap of his neck is the only indication I’ve killed him. I catch him before he falls and place him on the ground.
I use the knife I always carry on the side of my boot and quickly stab the first man in the base of his skull before he even has a chance to turn around and see where his partner is.
Devin is on the other side of the ledge, and when I see one of the other guards mysteriously go down, I know he’s taking care of business.
“What the fuck! Wren, someone is here!”
Shit, we missed one! I jump up from my hiding spot and watch as the big man takes off running while his guard fights Wire. Both Devin and I rush over to Wire to give him some backup.
It’s not needed. Wire shoves his gun in the man’s mouth and blows his brains out. The pink sponge-like organ splattering like moss against the trees around him.
“We can’t let that fuck get away!” Wire roars as we all take off in the direction Wren ran.
We get to the road and see Wren peeling off in a mustang. It’s a great car, but I can hear the engine struggling as he picks up speed. Even with us having to run back to our bikes, it will be easy to catch up to him.
“Fuck!” Devin curses.
Even Wire doesn’t move, thinking we’ve lost our chance.
“Let’s go! We can catch him!” I grab them and start to run back to our bikes. Within moments of getting on the road, I can see Wren’s taillights.
“Look!” I point, and Wire’s eyes follow my finger. He revs his bike and speeds up.
We catch up to Wren just as he’s about to take the turn that will put him on the highway. I slide to that side and get in his way. He swerves to the side, and I know he’s going to swing back
to run me off the road.
I pull my gun from my holster and fire off a few rounds into the side window. He ducks and the car swerves away from the exit. He missed it.
“Keep him alive!” Wire orders through the headset in my ear.
Devin nods once, and I stay on the left side so he can’t drive over. In a panic, he tries to swerve from side to side to knock us out of the way, but we all dodge him.
“Mack, watch out!” Wire yells at me. I nearly swallow my fucking tongue when I see what he’s about to do. He purposely slows directly in front of Wren’s car, and the crazy fuck jumps onto his car. I have to dodge Wire’s bike as the gorgeous machine falls and skids to a stop at the side of the road. At least someone will be able to get it later.
“Shit! Stay close!” Devin screams.
If Wire falls at this speed, he’s dead. There are no other possibilities.
Wren swerves again, but Wire holds on to the hood. He pulls his gun, and with just one shot, blows the windshield out.
Wire slides through the now broken windscreen into the car and fights Wren for control of the car. It doesn’t take Wire long to knock him out and take over the car.
“To the clubhouse!” Wire yells, and he races the car in the direction of home.
“What’s he doing?” Devin asks through the mic.
“Revenge,” I answer and pick up speed, making sure I keep tight on Wire’s tail.
Devin and I pull the man out of the car and tie his hands. We drag him into the clubhouse where all our members and our wives are waiting. When the girls saw who we were dragging through the room, unconscious, most of them jumped back in fear. Clearly, they weren’t expecting us to bring him here. Most likely, they hadn’t been expecting us to catch him at all.
Ink turns around and tries to pull Jazmine back into their room.
“No!” Let her stay out here.” Wire orders, but then he softens his voice, “Wait, I want to talk to them.”
“What for?” Devin whispers over to his leader. “They didn’t lie about anything.”
