Tap'd Out

by Harley Stone

  Once everyone was geared up, three teams of four slipped out of the van, leaving me, Eagle, and Stocks behind. Eagle and his sniper rifle made up our worst-case scenario back-up plan, while Stocks and his night vision binoculars served as the lookout. I, however, was the man of odd jobs.

  The three teams silently crossed the street as one. Wasp and Rabbit went to work on the flimsy wire fence that surrounded the compound, cutting a large enough doorway for us all to slip through. While they were busy with that, I opened the box Morse had given me before we left the fire station and powered up the three small stealth drones within.

  “Morse. You’re up,” I said into my mic.

  “Copy,” he replied. “Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie are online and heading in.”

  In addition to being the nerdiest son-of-a-bitch I’d ever met, Morse was one hell of a drone programmer and pilot. He’d spent ten years in the Air Force learning all he could about drones, and left when they ran out of shit to teach him. He could have stayed on and passed along his knowledge to others, but he decided to join forces with Link and the Dead Presidents instead. He was one crazy motherfucker, but we were lucky to have him.

  As the teams slipped through the cut fence and split up, all three drones rose into the air and headed out, each hovering above the team it was assigned to. The compound had three doors that led into the common area, and we were hitting all of them at once.

  “I’m heading in,” I said into my mic as I tugged on a pair of black gloves and crossed the street. Once I was through the gate, I crept to the back of the building and powered on my flashlight. I turned on the cell phone jammer, then found the electrical meter and unscrewed the glass dial that measured kilowatts of energy. Beneath the dial was a switch. I used my wrench to turn the switch to the off position.

  “Lights are out,” I said into my mic.

  “Copy. We’re opening the doors,” Link replied. A couple of seconds later, he added, “South door’s open.”

  “Copy,” Morse said. “Alpha’s going in.”

  “North door’s open,” Havoc said.

  “West door, too,” Wasp added.

  “Copy,” Morse replied. “Bravo and Charlie are sweeping the area.”

  The drones went in ahead of the teams to make sure there were no surprises.

  “I’ve got eyes on two fuckin’ snakes to the right of the West entrance. Four more are stationary on the sofas in the common area.”

  “Copy. Masks on, sending in gas.” Link said. A few minutes passed, and then he added, “On my mark. Three. Two. One. Go, go, go!”

  I put my gas mask on and rounded the building to the West entrance, listening as the teams moved in, subduing and detaining Serpents as they went. The two ‘fuckin’ snakes’ had literally been fucking and were now passed out, compliments of the canister of sleeping gas Link had chucked into the room. Spade and Frog pulled the naked man and woman apart and dragged them to the banister to handcuff them. Wasp handcuffed two men to each other through the seat of a chair while Havoc and Specks handcuffed two men together in a rather obscene embrace.

  The teams were quick, efficient, and damn near silent as they moved over the compound like locusts of justice. But instead of freshly cleaned bones, we left handcuffed criminals in our wake. Despite what we’d told Sasha, this wasn’t an extraction mission. We were blowing the whole operation wide open and making sure these motherfuckers never had the chance to do this shit again. And we were humiliating them in the process. My brothers didn’t take kindly to men who trafficked little girls.

  “Basement has one sleeping prospect and two cages of girls,” Morse reported in my ear. “Eight girls in one cage, seven in the other.”

  “I’ll get the prospect,” Zombie said.

  We didn’t open the cages since we had other plans for that.

  The girls were safe, which meant I had one other pressing matter to deal with. I hurried upstairs, with Team Alpha, peeling off to find Breaker’s room, the third door to the right on the second floor. I tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. Cracking it open, I rolled a cannister of sleeping gas in, closed the door, and waited.

  After giving the gas enough time to take effect, I opened the door and crept inside. Taser in hand, I cautiously approached the bed only to find it empty. Turning on my flashlight, I swept the room. Nobody was there. Breaker was gone. I did find one of the water bottles full of the blue liquid Sasha had described, so I grabbed it and headed out.

  Desperate to find the motherfucker, I hurried back out into the hall. The teams were silently moving from room to room, gassing and handcuffing occupants like there was a prize for it. I went around them and headed downstairs, still searching for Breaker, but unless he was sleeping in someone else’s room, he wasn’t at the compound.

  Stepping outside, I called Morse.

  “I’m a little busy here, Tap,” he said.

  “Breaker’s not here,” I replied.

  “Shit. Give me a minute. I’ll find him.”

  My favorite thing about Morse was that he didn’t waste words and he usually knew what was needed before anyone even asked him.

  A minute or two passed, and then Morse laughed in my ear. “Fuckin’ idiot has his social media location on. I don’t even need his cell number. Alright, I’m sending you the address.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  I disconnected just as Morse’s text came over.

  Breaker was exactly where I feared he’d be.

  Sasha

  I WAS A nervous wreck. Tap had only been gone for forty-two minutes, and I was already pacing his living room, staring at my phone, and ready to pull out my hair. I was wound so tight that when the doorbell rang, I practically jumped out of my skin. Sucking down a deep breath and forcing myself to chill the fuck out, I checked the peep hole to find Julia, Emily, Naomi, and Jayson on Tap’s front porch.

  “Hey! We figured you could use some company,” Julia said as they entered with a couple of stoic prospects in tow.

  “Hell yeah, I can.” I was so happy to see the crew, I could cry. Hugging each in turn, I said, “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but thank you so much for coming. I’m surprised Link let you out of the fire station.”

  “That’s because you’ve never seen our girl Emily here in action,” Jayson replied. “There’s a reason prosecution attorneys fear her.”

  Emily removed her coat. “I love Link, but I swear, he thinks I’m helpless. It’s gotten even worse now that I’m pregnant. He pounds his chest and roars, but it’s ridiculous. There is no reason we can’t be here. It’s a safe location, we have two prospects with us, you’re a cop, and the three of us are packing heat.”

  Wondering which three of the four she was talking about, I looked them over.

  “Not me,” Jayson said, throwing his hands in the air. “I’m far too cute for violence.”

  I took their coats and invited everyone to find a seat in the living room. “So…” I said as I joined them. “I’m new to this whole thing. What do you all usually do when the men are out risking their necks and despite your police training, you’re forced to stay behind because the career you’ve put all your hopes and dreams in is corrupt as fuck and your boss has framed you and turned you into a wanted criminal?”

  “Oh-kay,” Jayson said, crossing his legs. “Someone needs a drink.”

  “It’s barely after 3 a.m. and I doubt Tap keeps alcohol here since he doesn’t drink,” Naomi said. Turning to me, she added. “And that’s never happened to the rest of us. I’m currently benched because, despite being a capable helicopter pilot who’s rescued hundreds of injured soldiers from combat situations, I have a womb that is currently occupied. And apparently pregnancy makes me incapable of doing anything other than eating, sleeping, breathing, and peeing every ten minutes.”

  “Same,” Emily said. “Well, except for the whole combat medic part.” She broke into a smile. “I do have a role to play in today’s raid, though, and I’m kind of excited to tell you a
ll about it.”

  Naomi stared at her. “Have you been holding out on us?”

  “I just found out about it last night. You’ll know soon enough.”

  “Interesting,” Julia said. “Those sneaky bastards have me doing something, too.”

  “Oh?” Emily perked up.

  “We gossip,” Jayson said, folding his hands in his lap. “That’s what we do when the guys are gone.”

  “We do not gossip,” Emily said, giving him the stink-eye. “We solve all the problems that require more than brute strength and external plumbing.”

  “Oh, honey, everything requires muscles and dicks,” Jayson replied. “Can’t we just talk about people? Sasha, tell us how you managed to snag your very own personal dark man of mystery.”

  “I just want to know how you got him to tell you the truth about anything,” Naomi said.

  Deciding I could share a little of our history without breaking Tap’s trust, I said, “Well, funny story. I accidentally got jumped into a gang, and Tap basically kidnapped me against my will.”

  Naomi threw up her arms. “God help us, she lies just as much as he does.”

  Shocked, I gaped at her. “That was all true.”

  Jayson’s eyebrows rose. “Not exactly the romantic opening I was expecting, but I suppose it has promise.” He leaned forward. “Now about this kidnapping… were there any handcuffs involved? Whips? Were you naughty? What?”

  Emily smacked him with a throw pillow. “Not everything is sexual, you perv.”

  “Well, it should be,” he replied, rubbing his arm. “And stop abusing me. I bruise easily.”

  “I’m assuming that by being jumped into a gang, you mean the Serpents since that’s what Link told me,” Emily said.

  Naomi’s eyes widened. “You were serious about that?”

  “Havoc had to stitch her up,” Julia replied, sounding proud.

  “Alright. This story is clearly the distraction we need,” Naomi said. “Please, share it and let us live vicariously through your adventure.”

  I couldn’t refuse such a desperate request, so I started with my father’s death and finished with Tap showing me that I was wanted. I left out everything else about Tap—his story wasn’t mine to tell—but I covered all the excitement, corruption, and abuse. When I finished, a thoughtful silence settled over the group.

  “Wow, you’ve really been through it,” Emily said.

  “It’s been a rough past few years, but my future is looking pretty damn bright,” I replied.

  “What are you gonna do for work?” Naomi asked. “Because I gotta tell you, retirement’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I’m sure this little curtain climber will have me running ragged in no time, but I’m slowly losing my mind as I wait for him or her to get here.”

  I’d been so focused on surviving Breaker and freeing the girls that I hadn’t even thought about what to do afterward. Even if my name was cleared and I was able to go back on the force, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a cop anymore. It was all about paperwork and procedures, definitely not the fulfilling career path I’d hoped it would be. “I don’t know. I still want to help people, but I’m underwhelmed with how much actual helping the badge lets me do.”

  “Have you thought about working in a shelter or something?” Julia asked.

  I shook my head. “No, but I’ll look into that. I’m sure I’ll need certification or something.”

  “We should start our own non-profit organization,” Naomi suggested, sounding surprisingly serious.

  I don’t have many female friends because women are competitive bitches who like to stab each other in the back. It’s like we have a flaw in our DNA that’s threatened by the ideas, style, humor, or general existence of other women. Because this was a group of women (and one Jayson), I expected Naomi’s idea to be met with laughter or criticism, but everyone surprised me by thinking it over and seeming genuinely interested.

  “What kind of non-profit do you have in mind?” Emily asked.

  “I don’t know, but the guys have their MC, and what do we have for women? Not a damn thing, that’s what. We need something that empowers women and combines our resources to do something useful. I mean, Julia has a degree in psychology, Emily is a kick-ass attorney, I could teach women self-defense. Sasha, you could give them access to information about shit like shelters and domestic abuse counselors. We wouldn’t have to ride bikes and wear cuts and stuff. We could form our own club to help people our way.”

  Emily eyed Naomi thoughtfully. “It would take a lot of time, planning, and money.”

  Naomi shrugged. “I have an abundance of time right now. So does Sasha if she’s not going back to the PD.”

  “I could make calls and get some sponsors while I’m managing the bookstore,” Julia said. “And I’d be willing to throw some cash into the cause. Using Wesley’s money to finance an organization dedicated to helping women would almost be like kicking dirt on his casket. He’d hate it. I’m in.”

  “Jay?” Naomi asked. “I know you lack lady parts, but we could really use someone well-versed in fashion who’d be willing to help women find power outfits for job interviews.”

  Jayson thumped a hand against his heart. “It’s like you’re speaking right to my cold, dead soul, bringing it back to life in all its business-casual glory. Bitches need to accessorize. Oh, and they need advice, too. I’d be like a smarter, better looking, younger, skinnier, trendier, funnier version of Dr. Phil. With a full head of gorgeous, lush locks, of course.”

  “I gotta hear this,” Julia said. “Exactly what kind of advice would you give, Jay?”

  Jayson stood and paced the living room, stopping to fix his hair in the mirror before turning to answer. “They’d be carrying on about the bullshit that happened in their past, and I’d be like, girlfriend, you gotta let that nonsense go. The only reason you should ever look behind you is to check out your ass.” He looked over his shoulder at the mirror. “By the way, mine is high, tight, and ready to ride.”

  I loved Jayson. Everything that came out of his mouth was comedic gold, and I thought his advice was fantastic. I had no desire to hold onto my past. If I could sweep it under a rug, I would.

  “Maybe we can send the ones with low self-esteem issues to you, and you can give them a little of your self-confidence,” Emily suggested.

  “Sasha?” Naomi asked. “You in?”

  I looked at each of their hopeful faces and shrugged. “Sure. I mean, I’ll have to figure out the whole paycheck situation and make sure I can cover my rent and car payment and all of that, but I would love to do something that actually helps people. Also, Doris is a professional makeup artist. I can talk to her and see if she’d be willing to help out as well.”

  “We could really do this,” Naomi said. “Let’s figure this shit out.”

  Emily’s cell phone beeped. “Absolutely, but I have to make a call first.”

  “Me too,” Julia said.

  Then they both stepped out the front door with one of the prospects right behind them.

  Tap

  WE HAD ONE shot at taking down the Serpents and we couldn’t let any of them fall through the cracks. The rest of the team was doing their job, and it was up to me to do mine. I had to go after Breaker.

  Before leaving the compound, I dropped off my headset, gas mask, and tools with Eagle and Stocks.

  “What are you gonna do?” Eagle asked me.

  “Get the son-of-a-bitch,” I replied.

  “Do you need help?” Stocks asked. “They’ve got shit pretty much wrapped up here.”

  “No. Thanks, brother, but I’ve got a plan.” Besides, if this went south, I didn’t want the club taking heat for it.

  Eagle nodded. Of all people, he understood what I had to do, and he wasn’t about to give me some bullshit advice like ‘be careful.’ “Alright. Check in when you’re done.”

  I jogged a few blocks away from the compound and ordered an uber to take me to my office building. I stopped in lo
ng enough to stuff a few supplies into a backpack, then I hit the fourth-floor garage, put my helmet on, and kicked Valkyrie to life. My bike seemed as eager as I was to get to Breaker. I kept having to let off the throttle to keep it five miles over the speed limit. The last thing I needed was to get stopped for a stupid speeding ticket.

  Sasha’s apartment was located within a multi-building complex in the Highline Neighborhood. The manager’s office and recreation room were in the first building. The rest of the buildings were situated down the winding hill behind it. Since it was a little after 4:00 a.m. and the roar of a hog would wake the whole damn complex, I parked Valkyrie in front of the manager’s office, put my gloves back on, hitched my backpack of supplies higher on my shoulder, and set off in a jog down the hill.

  Since I’d run a full background check on Sasha, I knew her address and what kind of car she drove. I found her little blue Kia Forte parked in front of the last building at the bottom of the hill on the left-hand side. Sasha’s apartment was on the third floor, and only accessible by exterior stairs. I headed up and followed the landing around to her somewhat hidden door. The pry marks along the frame were sloppy, but they couldn’t be seen unless someone was standing right where I was.

  I dropped my backpack long enough to pull out two of the items I’d grabbed from my office. A Venom ski mask went over my head to hide my face, and a 9mm Glock 19 went into my hand. Tossing the pack back over my shoulder, I flipped the gun’s safety off and slowly opened the door.

  Sasha’s apartment was dark and quiet. It smelled like the garbage needed to go out, but she hadn’t been home for four days now. Enough early morning light spilled through the windows for me to decipher the layout. Her entryway led into a hallway. A closet was immediately on the left, two closed doors were on the right. Beyond the closet, an archway led to the living room and wrapped around to the kitchen.