by SE Jakes
For David. Because this could’ve been you.
Finally, he stopped ten feet from where he needed to be, and the men walking with him also stopped.
Mercy’s arm went to his back and Linc wanted to turn tail and run. But he took one halting step after another, no one pressuring him until he stood at the spot where David was buried.
He refused to look to the right of the marker. But judging by the tension rolling off the men next to him, they all had.
“Jesus fuck . . . is that . . .?” Tug asked and then Vann’s hand was on his shoulder. And finally, Linc glanced over and stared down at the open grave. The one the Heathens had dug just for him. The one they’d pushed him into, time and time again.
Bram turned away and choked back a sob, and Sweet went to him.
Rush turned his body into Ryker’s and let the big man hold him.
Tug and Boomer and Shaman remained in stony silence, clearly upset.
Vann cursed softly. Linc stood between him and Mercy, who stared down at the grave, basically letting Linc hold him up . . . or hell, maybe Mercy was holding him up. It didn’t matter, because they were both looking into the still open, empty grave and the one next to it, marked with a wooden white supremacist symbol.
Mercy growled and lunged, yanked it out of the ground and then crushed it under his boot. Linc put a hand on his shoulder and Mercy turned into him, bowed his head and cried silently on his shoulder.
“It’s okay, Mercy. We’ll get him out of here,” Linc assured him. “Post is here.”
“We’re covering that other fucking grave,” Mercy told him.
“I’m not arguing with that.”
Vann touched Mercy’s shoulder. “Let me help Post. You don’t need to see him like this. You need to remember him in the good times, Mercy. I know you can do that.”
Mercy glanced at Linc. “I can now.”
Because putting David to rest was like putting an ending to Linc’s captivity. The end of a horrible era . . . and the mission tomorrow was the promise of an entirely new—and better—one.
Over the next week, Linc met with Castle—and Mercy and Sweet and Bram as well, because Castle knew they’d be backing him up and helping with the op. It made the most sense, and kept Linc the safest, because Havoc’s involvement would be seen as normal. If Havoc stood down, PX would know something was off.
But Linc was still the one taking the biggest risk, and he was okay with that. Because he’d been feeling better these last days. The nightmares were fading. Things between him and Mercy continued to get better—and while Linc knew he wasn’t completely healed, he was well on his way.
And things on the dock had moved forward during this time as well. Linc resumed his role of Johnny O. and the cartel had done a few checks with his old Boston contacts and were satisfied that Johnny O.’s disappearance had been for work.
Castle had DEA and FBI resources ready to help bust the cartel’s trafficking ring, and there was a plan. A timeline.
And then everything changed in a single instant, thanks to a call from Castle.
“Rumor has it that PX grabbed two girls off the street today. A warning to MCs to back off,” Castle explained and a chill went up Linc’s spin. “Is anyone missing?”
Linc checked the time. It was close to dinnertime, and the kids of Havoc knew they were still on lockdown and should be back by now. He’d need help to run bed checks. “I’ll call you back,” he told Castle and then called for Mercy, who came immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think PX took a girl—or girls—from Havoc.”
Mercy kept a hand on Linc’s shoulder and dialed Sweet, then Tug, and then they were in Mercy’s truck as part of a grid search, a check in that went house by house.
“I’ll take this one,” Linc called as Mercy went left. The cabin he approached was a slightly larger version of Mercy’s, which signaled family. Kids.
A woman who Linc had seen around the compound answered, saying, “I told you to take your house key with you,” and Linc’s heart sank. “Oh, sorry. It’s Linc, right? I’m sorry—I thought you were my daughter. She’s due home any minute.”
“Can you call her? She’s past curfew.”
“Okay, sure,” the woman said. “Come in and let me grab my phone. Should I call Daryl too?”
“Call your daughter first. Please,” he said and she did.
“It’s just going straight to voice mail. Is Julie in trouble for missing curfew?”
“Where was she going today?”
“She went to pick up her best friend—she lives at Hangmen’s compound. They were going shopping. Let me try Annie’s number.” She dialed from her contacts and shook her head. “Voice mail.”
Just then, Daryl came in. He was a Havoc MC member who worked at the garage on the compound and in town. “Linc? What’s happening? I heard you guys were doing a search.”
“I can’t confirm just yet,” Linc said numbly. “But two girls were taken off the street today by PX members. In retaliation to Havoc.” The woman covered her mouth and Daryl looked stoic. “I need her car’s make and model. License too.”
“Of course.”
“Can you call Boomer with it? He’s out looking for abandoned cars now. It happened by the docks,” Linc said. “I’m sorry. If it is Julie, we’ll get her back. Just like they got me back.”
That seemed to soothe the woman. She reached out and touched Linc’s shoulder. “That’s the most reassuring thing I can hear right now.”
Linc went out onto the porch of the Norse home when Sweet arrived to talk to Julie’s parents. He put a hand on Linc’s shoulder and squeezed as he walked by, and Linc warmed inside at the approval.
Now, he had to call Jethro and break the news to him.
“What’s up? I heard from Castle about the missing girls,” Jethro said. “We didn’t want to freak everyone out since you were already checking things out on your end.”
It had only been twenty minutes since Castle’s phone call. “There’s a girl missing from Havoc,” he told Jethro now. “Julie Norse. She’s friends with Annie Morrison.” And Annie Morrison was the daughter of a Hangmen.
Jethro cursed. “Hold on.” He heard Jethro calling out and voices in the background. “Linc, Annie’s MIA. Where were they?”
“Headed to the mall. Julie was driving, and Boomer’s out looking for her car.”
Jethro paused. “So we’re moving the timeline up?”
“Yes.”
“Clue me in after you talk to Castle. We’ve got backup, but I’m going to try to convince these guys not to make things worse.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.” Because Linc was going to have similar trouble.
Half an hour later, they regrouped in the clubhouse. Jethro was there too.
“Where did Heathens relocate to?” Sweet asked.
“An hour north of the docks,” Mercy confirmed. “There’s an old warehouse district with several deserted buildings that they’ve taken over—with the help of Project X. PX is sniffing around, putting out feelers to the Heathens who are left.”
Sweet considered this. “We can wait and hope they push south . . . or we can go in and try to drive them out.”
“Pagans still on their side?” Tug asked.
“Undetermined. They’re not our friends, but they’re not looking to go to war with us—or Hangmen either.” Mercy was finding it hard to sit still and just talk. He wanted the sun to rise on some Heathen bodies, but he was willing to let Sweet guide Havoc the way he always had.
“Vipers?” Vann broke in.
“At our backs, always,” Sweet confirmed. “Just spoke to Cage last night.”
Linc came in with a knock. Technically, he had no place in church, but Sweet granted him a special dispensation for this.
He went over to where Mercy sat and stood next to him, which made Mercy smile, even if he did try to hide it. “You got news, Linc?”
Linc nodded. “I spoke with Castle. He’
s concerned that retaliation against Project X could trigger the cartel. They don’t want to lose their pipeline, and that’s not a war Havoc wants.”
“So what’s the play then?” Mercy bit out, irritated by the mere mention of Castle’s name.
Linc remained calm. “First, we need to get the girls back. I can do that. I’ll take Vann as my driver, and if that goes well, I can break that open without ruining my cover.”
“And then we blow the fuck out of PX?” Vann asked hopefully. “I’ve got extra C4 I’ve been saving for a special occasion.”
Sweet glanced over at Vann, frowning. Tug was trying not to laugh and Vann looked completely serious. Because, as Mercy knew, he was.
As satisfying as it would be for Linc to watch Vann blow the fuck out of the PX (and maybe even join in to help), that probably wouldn’t help the plan run as smoothly as Castle would like.
“We might not have to,” he said. “If I can pull it off, I should be able to make the cartel think that PX sold them out. The cartel will turn on PX, and I have a feeling the cartel will come out on top.”
“Love to get rid of both, but one problem at a time.” Sweet nodded at Linc. “Time’s of the essence, no?”
“Definitely. I’m ready to move out in a couple of hours. Castle’s put out feelers and I should be able to broker a deal for the container that they’re holding the girls in.”
“So they’re not hurt?” Boomer asked.
“Not yet,” Linc said. “But we can’t let that container leave the docks. The missing girls are in there.”
“You think they’d be that stupid?”
“There’s no place else for them to keep them—they need to get rid of the evidence. There’s no better way for them to do that than to ship them out of the country, never to be seen again,” Linc reasoned and Tug blanched.
“Those fuckers,” he muttered. “I’d like to kill them.”
“One thing at a time,” Sweet told him. “First, the girls. Then we take our revenge. And we’ll have plenty of help.”
Through it all, Mercy was quiet, watching Linc carefully. But he didn’t look concerned. No, he looked . . . proud. And it made Linc warm inside, the amount of trust Mercy was placing on him.
He’d make sure he didn’t let Mercy—or Havoc—down.
Several hours later, the takedown was put in motion. Castle had okayed the resources, and even if he hadn’t, Linc would’ve just gone ahead. Time was critical.
Linc had been inside himself most of the day, going over the plan silently, thinking of all the different scenarios that could happen. Preparing for them. Mercy had stayed close, letting him run scenarios by him, helping him map out locations, and just listening to him.
Finally, he grabbed Mercy’s hand. “Is this hard for you?”
“Helping you? No. Getting you ready for battle? Yes. Doesn’t matter that you’re trained. I’m always going to wish I could step in and protect you. I imagine you feel the same about me.”
“You know I do, Mercy.” He looked into Mercy’s eyes. “We’ve come a long way.”
Mercy smiled. “Not always easy, but worth it.”
“Very.” He leaned forward and kissed Mercy, a slow kiss that warmed immediately. He brushed more kisses along Mercy’s jaw, letting the rough stubble scratch him. “I love you, Mercy. I think I have for longer than I realized.”
Mercy pulled back then to stare into his eyes. “I love you too, baby. And I’m there with you, tonight. Backing you up, however you need me to. Now go. I think Vann’s waiting for you.”
Linc glanced over his shoulder only once at Mercy, who sat with Sweet, Bram, and Ryker. They were all geared up, had weapons, and they’d follow far enough behind Linc and Vann so they wouldn’t be seen. Rush and Noah were at Bertha’s, getting the back room cleared out as a triage for the rescued girls. Tug, Boomer, and some of the other men were already heading to the docks from Bertha’s. Hangmen were at the ready, as were Vipers, waiting with the Hangmen at their compound. For now, the roll out would be small, but everyone was on alert, in case anything bigger was necessary.
Linc just prayed his cover as Johnny O. continued to hold up at the docks. So far, he’d met with the man representing the cartel twice this week, assuring him that customs inspections wouldn’t be an issue. The shipment was due to leave the docks that day, and Johnny O. needed to be there to ensure things went smoothly.
He had weapons. Men in place. It all came down to timing, and praying that no one got suspicious.
Castle had texted him twenty minutes ago, assuring him that the heavily guarded container was still at the docks. If they’d tried to move it earlier, that would’ve necessitated a shoot-out that could’ve endangered the girls inside the container. And Linc was relatively sure that the two MC girls weren’t the only victims inside.
Now, they were ten minutes out. Vann was driving Linc, posing as Linc’s bodyguard-slash-driver, his muscle, as it were, since very few people knew Vann at all. He’d done that for the first two meetings, so the cartel wouldn’t be suspicious at seeing him now.
“You ready?” Linc asked from where he sat behind the darkly tinted windows of Vann’s imposing ride. “And if you say that you were born ready . . .”
“But I was,” Vann told him seriously.
Linc snorted. “Remember—”
“You’re Johnny. I’m Vance.” Vann knew his shit. He’d almost morphed into a different person by the time they reached the docks, the way he’d done the last two times.
Then again, so had Linc. “I want to know about you and Jethro.”
“Is now really the time to ask that?”
“Yes.”
Vann stared straight ahead. “I tried to kill him once.”
“Like, seriously? Or in a bar fight?”
Vann shrugged. “Like, seriously. Not in a bar fight. He’s got a scar from it.”
“Vann?”
“What? I don’t regret it—he deserved it. And he tried to kill me back. And I’ve got a scar,” Vann added the last part like that excused all of it.
“So you guys were flirting.”
“Fuck you, Linc,” Vann grumbled and Linc snorted. He felt looser. More ready to take this on. He needed that break in the kill thoughts running through his mind.
Now, as they pulled into the dock area, he got a text that their men were in position near the container. They would be responsible for freeing whoever was inside, quietly, with help from customs.
Once the cartel happened on the empty container? Well, Linc just hoped the plan worked without any innocent bloodshed.
“Explosives are in place,” Vann said before he got out. “You’ve got this.”
Linc nodded and let himself out, walked toward the two customs agents waiting, who were really undercover agents and Castle’s operatives. He let the cartel watch him, looking at their manifests, talking with them, pointing over to the container and Rios, the man in charge.
Finally, one of the undercover agents walked toward the cartel guards. “Your container’s cleared. You guys have to back away so we can get it loaded.”
“We need to stay with it. Part of the deal.”
“The deal was not having it checked. Count your goddamned blessings. I’m in charge from here on out,” Linc-as-Johnny O. told them.
Rios narrowed his eyes. “This was not explained.”
“It was. To you and your boss. Unless you want to call this whole deal off, but I have to maintain relationships here.” Linc stood firm on that. To back down now and show weakness would not work at all.
Finally, after a phone call, Rios relented. “My men will go. But you and I will remain with the container.”
“Fair enough.” Linc nodded at the agent, who grumbled about rules but ultimately waved to the other man, as if to say “all good.”
“Are you going to need help on the return trip?” Linc asked Rios when the agent walked away.
“Possibly. But if this goes well, we have another container ready t
o go out of the country in two days.”
Shit. Two days, another container. How many victims were they collecting? He’d have to find the warehouse after this. And how would that work?
Put this container on the ship. Empty. And then get the next container moving faster. It was the only way. It would take two days for them to realize the container was empty.
They’d have to empty the container on the ship. He glanced at Vann, who gave him the barest of nods. He knew too. Somehow, he’d signal Sweet and Mercy and the agents as well.
For now, Linc forced himself to stand there and watch the container get loaded.
Mercy got a text from Vann. Unload on the ship. No other way. More vics.
“Shit,” he muttered.
“We need a distraction,” Sweet said. “Keep Rios and the others from seeing us unload.”
“We’ll take care of that.” Jethro pointed between himself and Bram, then texted Linc and Vann, When you hear the boom, get them running.
From where he, Sweet,and Ryker were hiding, they could easily get onto the ship without being seen. They walked through the already unloaded containers and found the one they needed. One of the undercover agents helped them open it up and Mercy stared inside, unable to move.
The girls they’d been looking for were there, along with maybe twenty others. All of them were chained to the walls of the containers. They were filthy. Crying.
Alive.
“Jesus Christ,” Sweet muttered as Mercy moved forward, reassuring the girls that they were okay. The MC girls were amazingly resilient, assuring the others that they knew them, that they would help them to safety.
“C’mon, honey,” Mercy urged one of the girls, but she looked bad. Dehydrated for sure and unable to walk.
“We’re lined up and ready to go,” Ryker told him.
Mercy leaned down and picked her up. “I’ve got you. We’re going to get you out of here.”
“Boomer’s got a van—we’ll put them in there for now and sort it out at Bertha’s.”
“Going to need Misha,” Mercy said quietly.
Several tense moments later, the boom they’d been waiting for happened along the west sides of the dock. “Let’s roll,” he barked, and said a silent prayer that this was going to go in their favor.