by KJ Dahlen
“Honey...” Harry groaned. “That’s not how we do things around here.”
“I know,” Annie admitted. “But I had to do something to protect Becky.” She looked over at Gunner her head raising up. “I know you say that’s your job now and I can accept that. I really can but how many of your men do you want to have to bury? I can’t think of one that wouldn’t be missed.”
“Still not your call to make, young lady.” Gunner glared at her.
Annie nodded. “I know but there’s something you may not know about this group. Something not many people know or are privy to, but I know it. Ghoster works with two other men and they help people. Is it dangerous contacting these people? Yes, to most it is. Will they help us? I have no clue. Is Becky’s life worth contacting them?” Annie nodded with confidence. “You better believe it buster. She’s been my sister all her life and I would do it again.” She gave him a determined glare.
Just then, as a different tension grew in the room Annie’s text box pinged with a message from someone unknown. ‘Incoming. Duck and cover.’
Annie looked up at Gunner and the others. “Incoming,” she raised her voice. “Duck and cover!”
Gypsy and a couple of others ran for the weapons room and then thundered up the steps to the roof. Gypsy was first one out then Jett and Thor slipped out below the wall perimeter. They each took a direction and began scanning the trees for intruders.
A shot rang out.
Someone inside the club screamed as a second shot echoed the first and then in slow motion, they all watched as first... a rifle fell and bounced to the ground...next, a body fell as dust billowed up when it landed.
A few minutes later, the front door of the clubhouse opened and everyone watched as Gunner, Boone and Cobra walked outside with their hands held high in the air.
“Don’t shoot!” Gunner called out as he turned around full circle, walking far enough out to be noticed.
“Tell your men on the roof to put their guns down and we’ll come down!” A man’s voice called back. “The real threat is dead about thirty yards to the left of the Club.”
Gunner looked high up on the roof and called out to those up top, “Guns down men.” Then he swiveled his gaze back over. “There should be two of you left then in the trees. Come on down and we’ll parley.”
The voice called back, “Be down momentarily,” then he yelled out, “Damen, follow my lead.”
There was a long pause as Gunner, Boone and Cobra looked around.
”I’m coming down,” another voice finally called back.
Gunner nodded as he met Cobra’s gaze. “Now, we’ll see who the players are.”
Chapter Fourteen
When Damen and James got to the ground, they walked over to confront Gunner, Boone and Cobra, both men carried their weapons loosely.
The five men faced each other carefully.
Finally, James broke the uneasy silence, “Sorry about the shooting but I couldn’t just let him shoot up your MC. I also had to wait until he made the first move.” He looked over at the clubhouse. “Is everyone all right?”
Gunner nodded. “No one got hit if that’s what’s worrying you. Thanks for the warning. It was just in time.”
James nodded.
Gunner turned his head and glanced at the body lying about thirty feet from his feet. “Do I want to know who that was?”
“His name was Jase Brunner and he worked for the SANG group,” Damen told them. “He was hunting down Levi Silvers’ daughter.”
“So were you bucko.” Cobra growled as he stared at Damen.
Damen shook his head. “My mission was to collect her and take her back to her father. It was never my intention to hurt her. Jase came to kill her and me, then take our bodies back to Levi Silvers and he would have blamed either me alone, or you guys as her killers.”
“Why?” Boone asked. “Why would he do that? What purpose would that serve?”
Damen snorted. “No real purpose at all, other than Jase hated Levi and he knew somehow that Levi needed something only his daughter could give him.”
“Her own fucking blood,” Gunner stated.
Damen cocked his head at Gunner. “You know about that?”
Gunner nodded. “We know about that.”
Cobra glared at James and asked, “So where do you fit into this picture?”
“I was invited here by Annie.”
“You’re Ghoster?” Gunner raised an eyebrow.
James nodded. “That among other things.”
“Do we want to know about those things?” Boone asked.
“Probably not,” James admitted. “But this is where I should tell you the other two men I work with are on their way here.”
“To do what?” Gunner asked.
“That has yet to be determined but mostly to protect Annie’s sister from her dirtbag father.”
“Now that is something I’d very much like to see,” Damen added. “But I doubt you’ll get close enough to Levi Silvers to breathe the same air as he does.”
James stared at him with cold, calculating eyes. “Oh, you have no idea what we can and cannot do.”
“Why don’t we take this little discussion inside and parley?” Gunner suggested as he looked around. “My men can clean up the area before the local cops find his body that way.” He paused then added, “We’ll need your weapons.”
James lifted his rifle slowly and removed the bolt action then slipped it into his pocket. He didn’t want to give up his weapon but he didn’t want to be under armed guard either. His actions were slow and methodical, so as to not cause any ripples within the group.
Damen simply handed over his weapon.
Gunner nodded to them both. “We will take good care of your weapons.”
They all entered the clubhouse.
Annie and Becky watched as the two new men came in.
Becky frowned at the sight of Damen but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t know James at all but she thought she knew the other man.
Gunner walked over to a bigger table and sat down.
Boone and Cobra joined him then James and Damen sat down opposite them.
James had slipped the leather band for his rifle over his shoulder and sat there waiting for Gunner to speak.
It was Boone who broke the silence inside the clubhouse by asking him, “Which branch of the military did you serve?”
“Army, Desert Storm,” James answered his question. “Sniper division.”
Gunner glanced over at his second in command, then back at James. “How did you know he was military?”
“He carries himself a certain way.” Boone shrugged. “And he can handle a weapon like he knows what he’s doing. Just like Jett does. Besides that’s a very specialized weapon he carries, not many would have a rifle like that and not be military.”
“Oh, there are a few more than just me with weapons like this one,” James said dryly. “I can think of at least two more but then we’re very particular about our weapons.”
“Care to tell us just exactly who the hell you and your friends are?” Cobra growled.
James shrugged. “You find out for yourself in a few minutes. My partners are on their way to Jasper.”
“For what purpose?” Gunner wanted to know.
“We’re going to take down the SANG group,” James informed them.
Damen snorted. “Good luck with that my friend. No one knows what really goes on there. They protect themselves for a reason and it isn’t a good reason.”
James nodded. “We’re aware of what they are hiding and we plan to stop them dead in their tracks.” He paused then looked over at Damen. “We’d also like your help to do it.”
“Why do you think I’d help you take down the very people that employ me?” Damen raised a brow at him.
“Because we know more than you know about what goes on behind closed doors,” James informed him.
“What do you think you know about Becky?” Annie dared to ask. Sh
e knew she had no right to butt into club business but this was bigger than the club knew.
James turned to look at the sisters. For a moment, he could only see Becky. His eyes softened at the bewilderment in her eyes. Then he looked over at Annie and his eyes hardened just a bit. “We know Levi Silvers suffers from a rare blood disease. It’s laid dormant for about thirty years now but it’s becoming a very real problem for him and because his blood type is rare he can’t accept any other blood but his own rare type.”
“What exactly is wrong with him?” Annie wanted to know. “Why does he need a marrow transplant?”
James exhaled. “Levi suffers from a rare blood disorder that is turning his blood into a sludge of sorts. It’s clotting now and its shutting down his organs or at least that’s what Levi is worried about. He’s hoping the marrow transplant will straighten out what’s going on but there’s no guarantee it will work for him. From the medical reports I’ve seen, this rarely happens the first transplant.”
Becky gasped. “H-he needs more than one?” she whispered.
James nodded. “One may last for a while but it won’t last forever. He’ll need more and more until they don’t help at all or one of you is dead.”
Becky’s knees gave out and Annie caught her before she landed in a heap on the floor.
Patriot rushed over to her and gathered her in his arms. He snapped his head over to the other man and growled. “Shut your damn mouth. She doesn’t need to know all this shit.”
Becky’s arms curled around the back of his neck. “I do need to know what he’s got planned for me. Now it’s out in the open and I can deal with it.” She slumped against his hard body. “Just give me a few minutes to understand all of this.”
“Baby, you don’t have to understand anything,” Patriot told her. “Whatever plans Levi Silvers had for you are moot anyway. I’ll see him dead before they come about.”
Becky looked up into his sweet face. She saw the expression in his eyes and shook her head. “You’re a doctor and I don’t want his blood on your hands.”
“It won’t be on his hands,” James promised her. “We’ll take care of Levi Silvers and his group.”
“Now why should you have all the fun?” Cobra asked him with an evil grin.
“Because that’s what we do. A couple of years ago, two friends and I joined forces and formed a group we call VIM. We protect the innocents of the world. We have the means and the knowhow to do it and we just go in and do it. We aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty, if you know what I mean.”
“Why would you help me?” Becky asked looking entirely confused.
“Because your sister asked us to and we’d already been looking into the SANG group for some time. And don’t like what we see there.” James was honest about his dealings. He knew at this point if he wasn’t, these men wouldn’t let him do his job. He had researched this group when he came here and he knew that much about them. He also knew their faces and their names. He glanced over at Gunner and Cobra. “We also can’t do what we do if everyone out there knows about us. I’m taking a big chance in telling you about us. My partners wouldn’t be happy about that fact so I hope what I tell you all doesn’t leave this room.”
“Why are you including me in this discussion then?” Damen asked. “I work for SANG. What makes you think I won’t continue to work for them?”
James raised a brow at him. “You should know I’ve been watching you for a number of years now and I think before this is over, you might have a decision to make.”
“What decision would that be?” Damen frowned.
“Do you want to continue working for a group who would throw you to the wolves to save their own miserable asses or would you like to make a real difference in your work?”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Boone asked.
“It means I think he’s ready to change his employer and I want him to work for VIM.”
Damen looked stunned by James’s admission. “You do know what I’ve been doing for the last twenty years right?”
“We know.” James nodded.
Damen just stared at him for a moment then shook his head. He turned to Gunner. “Jase is dead but that won’t stop Levi from coming here himself after the girl. He’s going to bring fire power and just start killing your men. And he won’t care how many he has to take out to get to her.”
Gunner nodded. “We can hold our own.”
“And they will have help,” James assured them.
Damen shook his head. “You all do not know Levi the way I know him.”
“That’s why we need you to work with us, not against us.” James stared at him. “This will be your one and only chance to break ties with SANG. You can be with us or against us but either way... SANG is going down.”
Damen dared to glare at the other man for a moment. “How do you know you can trust me? I might tell you one thing and shoot you in the back when it comes right down to it.”
James nodded. “You might, but I don’t think you will.”
“How can you be so sure?” Damen insisted. “You don’t know me. You don’t know the first thing about me.”
“Are you sure about that?” James asked. “I think I know how you are. You have something inside you that men like Levi Silvers will never have.”
“And what would that be?” Boone injected while looking curious.
“Humanity,” James said softly. “I was watching you from the shadows the night you found Becky’s bunny. You brought it out to Levi and he threw it down to the ground. He smacked your face and screamed at you that he wanted his brat, not a stuffed toy. He said he didn’t fucking care about a rabbit.”
Becky gasped in Patriot’s arms. She held onto him a little tighter at the harsh words. Then she looked over at Damen and asked, “Why did you take the bunny? Out of all the things in that crappy place, why did you take that?”
Damen looked over at her. “It looked well worn, like something you’d held and played with a lot. So, I thought he would want something that belonged to you as a keepsake. But I was wrong. He didn’t care then and he sure as hell doesn’t care now.” He snorted. “I’ve always known that Levi Silvers was a bastard but I never realized until I saw Jase standing a few feet away from me a week back, sent here to kill me that he was this much of a bastard. He didn’t care that Jase would kill me and he never believed that Jase would kill you either. Me, Levi didn’t care about but I know he would have cared about him killing you. He had plans for you. Now we all know what those plans are.” He shrugged. “I thought maybe he would marry you off because no one is supposed to know he’s sick. I didn’t realize till years later that wasn’t it at all. He thought he’d kept that a secret from the world but I guess he didn’t keep it secret enough.”
James glanced down at his smart watch and announced, “My partners have arrived.” Looking up at Gunner, he asked. “Will you meet with them?”
Gunner looked over at Boone and saw his slight nod then he gazed over at Cobra and saw him agree as well. Looking back to James he said, “Tell them to come in.”
James typed a message into his phone.
They all waited for Bastian and Bane to join them.
The door to the clubhouse opened and two men walked inside. Both were dressed in suits, both had an air of richness, and deadliness about them that these men hadn’t seen before.
Gunner got to his feet, as did Boone and Cobra.
The pair walked over to the table then stood for a moment and sized up the others.
“James, why don’t you do the introductions?” Bane asked.
James got to his feet. Turning to Gunner he said, “Gentlemen I’d like to introduce you to Bane Jessip and Sebastian Castle. My name is James Branken.”
Cobra gasped and stared at the two men. Just like everyone else in the room, he knew at least one of those names.
Bane Jessip was a legend in his field. The underground still echoed his name in whispers and awe.
“T
he Priest?” Annie whispered as she raised her hand to her mouth in shock.
Cobra snapped his head around to stare at her. “What the fuck did you say?”
“He’s the man they called the Priest,” she whispered.
Everyone’s eyes went to Bastian.
He smiled slowly. “I have been known to answer to that name, yes.”
Gunner recovered his wits first and reached out his hand to them. “I’m Sawyer West, this is my MC. Everyone here calls me Gunner. This is my VP Boone and this is Cobra.”
Cobra remained silent for once as he simply stared at the pair.
“Gentlemen.” Bastian shook hands with them, as did Bane.
Bane nodded at the bikers then at Damen. “We know who all of you are.”
Annie scoffed but with a little shock in her face and voice as she said, “Oh, I bet you three even know what color underwear we all wear.”
Gunner turned to look at her.
Harry stifled a chuckle at her comment. “She’s well aware of these men and who they are.”
Damen stared at them in some shock as well. “She’s not the only one.
“Can we sit down and talk?” Bane asked in a low, firm tone.
Chapter Fifteen
Becky turned and studied the three men at the table. “Can I ask you a question?”
James, Bane and Bastian turned to look at her.
“What makes you think the three of you can take down something as big as the SANG group?
“Fair question,” Bane admitted. “We don’t work within the law. Now I’m not saying we break the law but as you know, most men are bound by rules and regulations. We have known violence and we’ve taken the law into our own hands in the past. And we will more than likely, do it again.”
“Does that make you killers like the men you are so willing to take down?” she wanted to know.
Annie gasped and everyone looked uncomfortable at her question.
“Anyone who knows our names know what we used to do to earn a dollar.” Bane gave her a nod. “Every man has a choice to make at some point in their lives. It’s easy just to continue on with what they are doing or do something they feel strong enough about to change and go in another direction completely.” He paused and looked around at the people listening. “I admit I was a stone colder killer until I found my niece. A young woman raised in violence by my cold blooded daughter in fact. Tortured and haunted by her for her entire childhood. But she had this light inside her and thought about or others before herself. It was at first, disconcerting to me. As no one could be that pure. In my world, there was only avarice and greed. But she proved herself to be selfless and kind over and over. Then a day came when I looked into the eyes of death. I mean a good look. It is true when they say it flashes before your eyes.” He shifted in his seat and looked over at Bastian. “Then I was offered a choice. I could get a do over if I wanted it. A chance to redo my life. I had finally learned to forgive the biggest injustice that had been done to me and I found I wanted something more. I took that do over and began using what I’d learned while being a hitman to do the work for the people oppressed by organizations like SANG group. Evil is out there in many shapes and forms. And take it from me, some of those shapes and forms may surprise you just before it takes your life. Bastian, James and I have learned how to find the real evil. Together, we work to fight this evil. If we say we can take out the SANG group, you should believe we can take it out. The world would be a better place without them in it.”