by Naomi West
I opened up before waiting for him to answer, Cassie following close behind me. I dropped my bag onto his desk, and Cassie did the same.
“What the fuck is this?” he asked. “Gym day already?”
“Open it up,” I said.
Dakota flashed me a curious look before unzipping the bag closest to him.
“Ho-ly …”
He reached in and took out one of the packages of drugs. Dakota looked it over as it were a rare gemstone and he was inspecting the many facets.
“You try it?” he asked.
“Just a taste,” I said. “It’s … worth a shitload, I can tell you that much.”
Dakota tossed the parcel onto the desk where it landed with a thud. He looked away for a long moment, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“You know, there are a few boys in our club who’d be begging me to sell this if they knew I had it. And we could make some damn good money off it, that’s for sure.”
“And what are you thinking?” I asked.
I had to admit, I was a tiny bit nervous at what Dakota was going to say next. Cassie and I had what were basically two giant bags of money with us. There was a fortune there for the taking.
All we’d have to do would be to sell our souls and deal in the hard drugs we’d decided to stay away from.
“It’s money on the table,” he said.
But then, as if coming to his senses, he shook his head and sat up straight.
“We’ve gone long enough without dealing in this shit,” he said. “And we’re not about to start now. Boosting cars and running guns is one thing—we start getting involved in this garbage and we’ll never be the same.”
A small smile formed on my lips. It was the exact answer I had been hoping to hear.
“Then what do you want to do with this shit?” I asked.
“We need to get it back to the Heretics. Whatever they’re pissed at us for, this should go a long way toward smoothing things over. Might even be enough to prevent the war from breaking out.”
Then Dakota flicked his eyes onto me.
“What about you, Ranger?” he asked. “You’re the VP—this isn’t a dictatorship.”
“I’m thinking the same as you, boss,” I said. “We get these drugs back to the Heretics and we can go back to the peace we had before, as uneasy as it was. But …”
Dakota raised his eyebrows.
“But …” he asked.
I glanced over at Cassie. The look in her eyes made it clear that she was still thinking about those casting couch videos, about those girls who’d been reduced to sex slaves for the Heretics.
“I don’t know,” I said. “We give these drugs back to the Heretics and we’ve basically put a million or so dollars, if not more, into their war chest. That means however powerful they are now, they’re only going to grow.”
“True,” said Dakota. “But what other option do we have? We sell it ourselves, and we’re just as bad as them. We toss this shit into a lake, then we’ve lost the only bargaining chip we’ve got to stop a war we can’t win.”
He was right—there was really no good option here.
“Listen,” he said. “Only chance we’ve got is to put a stop to this war now and hopefully consolidate our power.”
“War’s gonna happen eventually,” I said. “You know we’re just delaying the inevitable.”
“You don’t think I already know that?” he asked. “This is trying to make the best of a bad situation, to try to keep our boys alive.”
He was right. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t hate this situation from head to toe.
“Leave these drugs here,” said Dakota. “I’m gonna get in touch with my contact at the Heretics. Once they hear what’s on the table, they’ll probably want to meet with us A-fucking-SAP. Until then, you two stay close. Might need you both for whatever happens next.”
That was all there was to it. I nodded to Cassie, and we both got up to leave. A few minutes later we were in my office, a drink in my hand as I tried to puzzle out how to get out of this bullshit.
“We have to do something,” said Cassie, pacing back and forth in the office. “Those girls …”
“It sucks,” I said. “It’s a load of fucking bullshit, but you heard what Dakota said. We don’t have the manpower to make any demands like that. We’ll be lucky if the Heretics let us off the hook when we give them all that coke.”
“I know, I know,” she said. “But I just wish we could do something. Those girls … I could’ve been one of them.”
The idea of a fate like that happening to Cassie was enough to make my blood boil. That protective instinct, the one that made me feel like I was losing control, came back with a vengeance.
“I’ll see what we can do,” I said. “Maybe they’ll feel charitable.”
It was a ridiculous idea, but I had to say something to put her mind at ease.
Before the conversation could go on any further, my phone buzzed on the desk. It was Dakota.
“Heretics were ready to meet as soon as I told them what we had,” he said.
“What’s the play?” I asked.
“The play is we go to the Heretics HQ. You, me, and a few others guys—that’s it. Oh, and the girl.”
“The girl?” I asked.
Cassie flashed me a concerned expression, understanding that she was who we were talking about.
“The girl,” he said. “They were very, very insistent about that.”
“I don’t like this,” I said.
“I don’t either,” said Dakota. “But they’re the ones setting the terms. Still, make sure you’re locked and loaded—this might get dicey. And we’re shipping out now.”
I hung up and turned to Cassie.
“You heard that?” I asked.
“I got the gist,” she said.
“Then let’s move.”
25
Ranger
The drive to the Heretics HQ was tense—I could feel it in the air. The sun was beginning to set, the sky filled with wild oranges and purples. Cassie held on tight as we made our way down the highway, Dakota, Angela, and a handful of other Angels at our sides.
Before too long we arrived at the Heretics HQ, a huge nightclub downtown known for its drug use and ease of finding … other illicit materials. Or people.
We pulled up in the parking lot and came to a stop, silence filling the air as we cut our engines. The early evening was still and quiet, and the club looked ominous, without any of the activity you’d expect from a place of that sort.
“You ready for this shit?” asked Dakota, Angela at his side.
Most women would let their men walk into the fire like Dakota was about to. Not Angela—she was a girl you could count on to the end. Not too different than the one at my side. I could tell from the look on Cassie’s face that she’d have been here whether she’d been requested or not. She was a special kind of girl, no doubt about that.
Dakota and I took point, approaching the large double doors. A couple other Angels carried the drugs. Tension was in the air.
As we drew closer to the entrance, the doors opened and two hulking men in leather and denim stepped out.
“You the Angels?” asked one of them in a booming voice.
“That’s us,” I said.
“Boss is expecting you,” he said. “Gotta pat you down first.”
Shit—I didn’t like this. Walking into a scene like this without heat wasn’t my idea of smart. But as the thug put his hands on me and took out my Glock, I knew I didn’t have any other option.
Once we were all disarmed and the guards had checked the bags with the drugs, we were let in.
The club was an enormous three-story space. A huge DJ booth was in the center of the club, a recessed dance floor in front of it that looked as though it could accommodate hundreds of dancers. I could easily imagine the place packed full of drugged-up club-goers packed onto the dance floor, neon beams of light cutting through the smoky air as a DJ pump
ed out pulsing beats.
None of that now, however. Instead, there were about ten Heretics gathered in the middle of the space, forming a guard around a man who sat on a large VIP couch up near the DJ booth, two drugged-up but beautiful girls on both sides of him. It reminded me of some strange, futuristic throne room.
“Motherfucking Dakota and Ranger themselves,” said the man seated in the middle of the guards. “Guests of fucking honor.”
The guards led us onto the dance floor where I was able to get a good look at the guy.
No introduction needed—this was Red Flag, the president of the Heretics, a man I’d only known through reputation.
He was a huge, beefy guy with arms covered in tattoos, dressed in rough-looking denim and a kutte packed with patches. Half of his dark hair was shaved, the other swept back behind his ears. His face was all hard angles, and his eyes were a strange combination of focused and wild.
He looked like a man capable of anything.
“You Red Flag?” asked Dakota, not a trace of fear in his voice.
“You fucking guessed it,” he said before snapping his fingers towards a guard who quickly brought him a bottle of some kind of liquor and filled his glass.
He looked us over, as if trying to size us up. Then his attention turned to Cassie.
“And this is the fucking broad who’s been at the center of it all,” he said. “Hot as shit, all right. Wouldn’t mind taking you for a spin, that’s for damn sure.”
“Watch it,” I said.
Dakota shot me a look, one that said “be fucking careful.”
Red Flag only raised his eyebrows in mild surprise and amusement.
“Sticking up for the womenfolk,” he said. “How damned decent of you.”
Red Flag killed the booze in his glass and quickly poured himself another.
“Whatever,” he said. “I want to see what kind of goodies you all brought for me.”
He nodded to the guards, who approached my men and took the duffels of drugs from them. The guards set the duffels on the table and Red Flag was quick to open one of them up and remove one of the packages.
“Oh mama,” he said, a greedy, happy look on his face.
He nodded for the guards to get the duffels out of his face and leave him with the drugs. He eagerly cut open the package and quickly cut himself a huge line, one that he snorted up as fast as he could.
“Oh fuck, yeah!” he said, his eyes even wilder than before.
Then he cut another few lines and gestured impatiently to the girls at his sides.
“You next, ladies,” he said.
A look of hesitation formed on each of the girls’ faces.
“That wasn’t a fucking request,” he said. “I want you both flying high as hell.”
The girls took the silver tube Red Flag had used to sniff the drugs and, one after the other, snorted the lines.
“Yeah,” he said. “Good girls.”
Then he turned his attention back to us.
“This is the shit I’ve been looking for,” he said. “The shit that prick Maxwell swindled from us and said that he was going to sell. Miserable fucker—the quick death we gave him was more than he deserved.”
“And now we’re bringing it back to you,” said Dakota.
“I see that,” said Red Flag. “Damned decent thing of you to do. But something tells me that you didn’t drop this fortune of nose candy at my doorstep out of the kindness of your hearts.”
“One of our men is in the hospital,” said Dakota. “He’s lucky to be alive.”
“And I should care … why?” asked Red Flag.
“Because he was put there by your men,” I said.
“Oh yeah,” said Red Flag. “Think I heard about that. Not my problem, though.”
“It is if you don’t want a war,” I said.
Dakota flashed me a cutting look that made it clear he wanted me to take it down a notch or two.
Red Flag regarded me skeptically for a long moment, as if trying to figure out if I’d actually said what I just had.
Then he broke out in a wild laugh.
“Are you kidding?” he asked. “You’re coming onto my turf and threatening me with a war? You’ve got some stones, buddy—I’ll give you that.”
“He’s right,” said Dakota. “We’re not going to stand by while you ambush my men.”
“You know, this is some pretty disrespectful bullshit you’re throwing at me at my own place,” said Red Flag as he lined up another hit. “Maybe I ought to just kill you right now; solve this war problem in my own way.”
“You do that,” I said. “And see how long it takes before every crew in the state gets word that you killed unarmed leaders during negotiations. They won’t like that, and might start thinking that you’re a problem that needs to be taken of. Your crew’s tough, but can you take on every club in the region at once?”
Red Flag took his hit and looked away in thought. For a moment, I worried that the drugs were getting him so high in the sky that he might be delusional enough to do it.
“Just talking,” he said. “Calm the fuck down.”
He sat back and stretched out his arms behind his girls.
“Nah,” he said. “This is a nice little good-faith gesture. Thinking it might be enough to call this all square for now.”
Dakota nodded, and I could tell he was relieved.
“No need to put any of our boys in the grave if we can help it,” he said. “It’s the smart play.”
“What can I say?” asked Red Flag. “I’m a wise fucking leader.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Cassie. I could see that she was watching the two drugged-up girls at Red Flag’s sides. The girls were pretty, and not in the trashy way that I’d expect from a man like Red Flag. They looked like they had been good, wholesome girls at one point, before they’d met him.
I could tell what Cassie was thinking, that the fate of the girls there had been supposed to be hers, too.
I cleared my throat and spoke.
“One more thing.”
“One more thing?” asked Red Flag. “Damn, you’ve got some balls considering I just gave you both a stay of execution. But I’m curious as shit—what is it?”
“That piece of shit Maxwell wasn’t just peddling in drugs—he was selling girls, too.”
A brief flash of awareness lit up the eyes of the girls, as if they knew they were being talked about through their drug-induced haze.
“He was getting girls hooked on drugs and selling them to the highest bidder. And I’m guessing your men were some of the buyers.”
“Get to the fucking point,” said Red Flag.
“Point is I want those girls back. They were tricked, hooked, and turned out. They didn’t ask to be here, and I think they need some time to get clean and put their lives back on track.”
Red Flag let out a dismissive snort.
“You’re full of shit, you know that?” he asked. “No one put a gun to those girls’ heads and told them to snort. They were adults making their own fucking choices. And if some of those choices were giving up certain, ah, rights, then that was their call to make.”
“You want the drugs, then the girls come with us. That’s the deal.”
I glanced over to Dakota, who gave me a nod. The boss was a good man—he had my back all the way.
Red Flag tapped on the desk, and I could tell he was considering the deal.
“Fine,” he said after a time. “You want the whores, you can have ’em. But I want a bitch in return.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Red Flag took the knife that he’d used to cut the drugs and raised it in the direction of Cassie.
“That girl,” he said. “Right there. I want her all for myself.”
He turned his hard eyes back to me.
“No girl, no deal.”
26
Ranger
“Are you kidding me?” I asked.
“Does it look
like I’m fucking kidding you?” Red Flag said. “No, this isn’t a fucking joke. All this shit started because of that girl, and we’re gonna need her to end it.”
“I’m not going to talk!” shot out Cassie, fear in her voice. “I haven’t said anything, and I won’t!”
Red Flag shook his head.
“Not good enough,” he said. “You walked in on a murder, and this prick beat the shit out of three of my men getting you out after you did it. Not some shit I’m gonna let stand.”
I flexed my hands into fists, knowing that some shit was about to go down.
“If you think I’m going to hand her over to you knowing you’re gonna take her out back and put a bullet in her head, you’ve got another fucking thing coming.”
“Nah,” said Red Flag. “Might not have to kill her. Might just keep her so out of her mind on drugs that she can’t hold a thought in her head. Haven’t decided yet.”
It took all the restraint I had not to rush over to Red Flag and rip that ugly fucking head off his body. There was no way I was going to do it; no way I was going to give Cassie over.
I stomped over to Dakota and brought him into a huddle.
“Can’t do it, boss,” I said. “Can’t give her to him.”
Dakota’s jaw worked under his cheeks. For a moment I worried that he’d tell me it was out of my hands, that if one girl could stop a war, then that was what we were going to do.
“It’s your call to make,” said Dakota. “Whatever you decide, me and the rest of the Angels are with you to the end.”
He got it. He knew that there was no getting out of a war, and if this was the thing to do it, then so be it. I glanced back at Angela, who stood nearby. She nodded, letting me know she was behind me just as much as her man was.
I was ready. With long, powerful strides, I took my place in front of Red Flag’s table and spoke.
“No fucking chance,” I said.
Red Flag, in the process of cutting some new lines, looked up and me and raised his eyebrows.
“Wow,” he said. “Thought you fuckers were smarter than this.”
I glanced back over my shoulder and nodded to Cassie, indicating for her to get safe. She rushed over to a place in the middle of the rest of the Angels.
