by L. Wilder
“I usually go by there around one in the morning when I get off of work.”
“If she usually goes after work, then she’ll need to change clothes,” Riggs suggested.
“Agreed.”
“That gives us just over three hours to get ready.” Shadow looked over at us. “We’ll need to get her something to eat and let her change clothes. Once she’s ready, Riggs, you get her wired, and we’ll need to get the bag of cash ready.”
“Consider it done.”
As we stood up to leave, Shadow glared over at Kate, and with a menacing tone, he said, “There are no second chances with this. You fuck up, even a little, and everything you care about will go up in flames. You got that?”
Completely terrified, she replied, “Yeah. I got it.”
Kenadee
After Kevin and I left the rooftop, we went back downstairs, where he was thrilled to find that Logan had completed his school project and was free to play their video game. As soon as he walked into the playroom and left me alone, my mind started to wander. I started to think back to seeing Sawyer with Kate, and the expression on her face as he led her into the clubhouse. I cursed myself for even thinking about it. I’d already promised myself that I wasn’t going to obsess over every little thing that happened here. It would simply drive me insane. But when I was walking down the hall and spotted Jasmine with Kate’s daughter in her arms, that promise I’d made went flying right out the window.
Trying not to sound suspicious, I asked, “Hey, Jasmine. Who you got there?”
“This is Lacie.” She smiled. “Isn’t she the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”
“Yes. She’s adorable.” Remembering that Kate had brought her into the hospital less than a week ago with RSV, I ran my hand slowly over her precious, little head to see if she showed any signs of a fever. I was relieved when I found her skin to be cool to the touch. Hoping that she might know something, I asked, “Is she yours?”
“No. Gus just asked me to keep an eye on her for a little while.”
“So, you don’t have any idea who she belongs to?”
“He didn’t really have time to give me the kid’s full background information.” She chuckled. “You know?”
“Of course.” I smiled as I ran the tip of my finger across the bottom of Lacie’s little foot. “I’m guessing you don’t have any idea where her mother could be.”
“No. I don’t know that either.” She got a worried look. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Not at all. I just thought I might’ve recognized Lacie, but I’m sure I’ve gotten her mixed up with some other cutie pa-tootie.” I lied. “Anyway, have you seen any of the guys around?”
“No. If you ask me, I’d say they’ve got something going on.”
“How can you tell?”
“Darlin’, I’ve been around long enough that I can almost smell trouble a hundred miles away.” Her expression grew serious as she continued, “Just hold tight, and it’ll all pass before you know it. You’ll see.”
“Okay. I’ll do my best.”
“I’m going to take this little toot for a diaper change and a bottle.”
“Alright. Maybe I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
When I got back to my room, I decided it was time to check in with Robyn, but unfortunately, she was busy at work and couldn’t talk until later. Once I hung up with her, I tried calling my mother, but got no answer. I couldn’t remember the last time I actually picked up the phone to call my mother, and that’s when it hit me. Thinking about work and all the things I was missing out on had made me homesick—really homesick. Hoping it might make me feel better, I checked my missed messages and emails, and after I’d gone through them all, I wasn’t feeling much better. I turned on the TV and was relieved to find that one of my favorite movie series was on. I curled up on the bed and did my best to ignore the sounds of footsteps as they went charging past my door.
By the time I watched the last movie in the series, I could barely keep my eyes open. In hopes of seeing Sawyer, I’d tried my best to stay awake. I’d gone to the kitchen for a bite to eat, talked to Robyn for over an hour, and replied to my mother’s text messages. It was getting late, so I decided to just go on to bed. I’d just pulled the covers over me, when I heard someone knocking. Seconds later, my door eased open and Sawyer stepped inside. “You asleep?”
“No. Not yet,” I told him as I turned on the bedside lamp.
“Gonna be heading out in a bit, and I wanted to stop by to tell you goodnight.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Sorry, wildcat.” He dropped down on the edge of the bed. “I’ve got some things I’ve gotta tend to with the brothers.”
I didn’t try to hide my disappointment, when I replied, “Oh.”
“You doing alright?”
“I’m fine. Just missing you a little.”
“Just a little?” he asked playfully.
“I wouldn’t have to miss you at all if you didn’t have to go running off again, but I know you have things you need to take care of.”
“That I do.” His tone changed as he said, “But before I go, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“What about?”
Like it was no big deal at all, he answered, “When the lockdown is over, I’m thinking that I’ll get some of the guys to help move the stuff from your apartment over to my place.”
“What?” I gasped.
“Well, I didn’t figure you’d want to stay here.”
“You’re right about that,” I retorted in a rather negative tone. “But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to drop everything and move in with you.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “And why not?”
“Seriously, Sawyer. We’ve been on two dates.”
“So?”
“We’re just getting to know each other. We can’t just move in together on some whim.”
“We know each other well enough.” I could hear the aggravation in his voice when he said, “I’ve already told you … you’re the one, Kenadee. I wasn’t just blowing smoke when I said that shit to you.”
“I know that, Sawyer.” I placed the palm of my hand on his chest. “I meant what I said to you, too. We’ve got a good thing here. A really good thing, and I don’t want to mess it up by moving too fast.”
“I want you in my house and in my bed. What’s so wrong with that?” he growled.
“For one, it’s not all about you.” His back stiffened, and I could see that he wasn’t really hearing what I was saying. I leaned towards him as I continued, “I’m falling for you Sawyer Mathews. I’m falling hard, and I’m falling fast. And that scares me. This world that you live in is different from anything I’ve ever known. There are things that go on here that I just don’t understand, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all.”
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that Kate Dillion and her baby are here, and I can’t figure out why.”
“How the fuck do you know about that?”
“Because I was up on the roof with Kevin when you and the guys dragged her in here. At first, I thought you were protecting her and she was going to be under lockdown with us, but since I haven’t seen her, I can only assume that she’s here for a different reason … maybe because of her brother, Terry.”
“Fuck,” he grumbled under his breath. “You aren’t going to make this easy, are you?”
“No, I’m probably not, Sawyer. Maybe you should think about that before you start throwing around ideas like moving in together!” I snapped. “I won’t apologize for having questions and worrying about someone I care about. That’s who I am.”
“I don’t have time for this shit,” he grumbled. “I’ve gotta go.”
He stood up and as he started for the door, I called out to him softly, “Sawyer.”
“I need to go, Kenadee.”
I walked over to him. “I know you have to go, but you can’t leave here mad, not when you’re heading ou
t into danger.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Yes, you are.” I smiled as I stepped closer to him. “I have one more thing to say … Just because you have all this crazy stuff going on and just because I don’t want to move in with you right at this very moment doesn’t mean that I don’t want you or that I don’t want a future with you. Cause I do. I really, really do.”
“So, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I just need a little time. That’s all.” I wound my arms around his neck as I added, “It’ll also give Kevin a chance to get used to the idea of us being together, too. It wouldn’t be fair to just throw all this on him.”
“You seriously gonna use my kid against me?”
“You know I’m right.”
His expression softened as he said, “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”
I eased up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his, kissing him softly. His hands slipped around my waist, quickly pulling me closer as he took over the kiss. Just as things were about to get heated, there was a pounding on my door and Riggs shouted, “I got it done. It’s time to roll out, brother.”
Sawyer took a step back, and after kissing me on the forehead, he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” As I watched him walk out of the room, I had to fight the urge to ask him to stay. Needing to see him one more time, I rushed to the doorway and called out to him, “Sawyer?”
He and Riggs turned to look at me as he answered, “Yeah?”
“You two be careful.”
“Always, wildcat. Always.”
Blaze
The plan was in motion. As he was putting on her wire, Shadow had gone over the plan with her one last time, making sure Kate knew exactly what was expected of her when she went inside that mill. While he was busy working with her, Murphy was out in the artillery room with Gus and Moose, checking all our weapons and ammo. Riggs also had them searching for a specific piece of equipment, one that we’d need to put our plan into effect. We left nothing to chance as we each prepared to leave the clubhouse, and after we had everything together, Gus called us back together to go over all the final details, leaving no stone unturned. Once we were set to go, we all headed out to the parking lot to load up. It had already been decided that Murphy would ride with Kate in her car, at least until we got closer to the mill, so he could ensure that she didn’t try anything stupid. They’d just gotten inside and buckled up when Riggs took the duffle-bag of money over to them.
“She’ll need this,” Riggs told him as he offered him the bag.
As he reached for the handle, Murphy raised his eyebrow and asked, “Is everything here?”
“Yep. Everything’s there,” he assured him.
Murphy nodded as he placed the bag in the back seat. “Then, it looks like we’re ready to roll.”
“That we are.”
After checking their security cameras to make sure the Culebras were all in place, Gus gave the signal, and with Kate and Murphy in the lead, we pulled out of the gate. As we started to get closer to Russel Street, Kate pulled her car over to the shoulder, just long enough for Murphy to get out, and then she continued towards the mill. Hoping to get as close as possible without getting noticed, we all started to disperse and approached the building from various intersections. Once we were as close as we could get, Riggs pulled up his laptop. With the cameras and the hidden microphone, we were able to watch as Kate pulled up to the back parking lot and got out of her car. With the duffle-bag in tow, she started towards the back door, and one of the guards motioned her inside. After he patted her down, he reached for the bag, examining it for a minute before he led her through the entrance.
“Looks like we’re in,” Riggs announced proudly.
When he turned up the sound on her microphone, we heard one of the men say, “Eddie’s downstairs. Stay put, and I’ll let him know you’re here.”
“Why do I have to wait? He busy or something?” she asked nervously.
I wanted to reach through the screen and shake her, warning her not to act so fucking suspicious, but there was nothing any of us could do. We could only sit there and watch as the guy answered, “Just do as you’re told, puta.”
As Kate stood there waiting, fidgeting with her fingernails, we could see the men and women working feverishly in the basement. Every station was up and running while guards walked back and forth, monitoring their every move. As each mixed the different chemicals into various containers, it was clear that none of them were new to the game. Like a line of factory workers, they’d all been making this shit long enough to know exactly what they were doing. It was easy to get caught up in the insanity of it all, but my attention was pulled away when I noticed two men talking in the corner of the room. Their hand movements were erratic like they were arguing, and when one of them took a charging step towards the other, I said, “Damn. That doesn’t look good.”
“What the fuck is that all about?”
“No idea, but we need Kate downstairs. Now!” Riggs growled.
“Just give it a minute,” Moose told him. “She hasn’t been waiting up there long.”
Patience had never been any of our strong suits. We were men who lived by the seat of our pants, acted first and asked questions later, and sitting like a duck wasn’t something any of us were very fond of. Just when we were all about to lose it, the guard turned to Kate and said, “He’s ready for you.”
“It’s about fucking time,” she huffed as she turned and started towards the stairs, cursing under her breath all the way down. We watched as she walked over to a short, stubby man at the back of the assembly line. As she handed him the duffle-bag, we heard her say, “Eddie! How ya doing, sweetheart?”
“Where the fuck have you been?”
“I know I’m a little late, but my daughter was in the hospital. It put me a little behind.”
“How many times do you expect me to believe that shit?” Eddie sneered.
“You know I wouldn’t lie to you about something like that. She’s been really sick.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” he snarled, jerking the bag from her hand.
When Eddie started to pull the money out of the bag, we knew it was time to move. Riggs reached for his head lights, flashing them three times to signal the others that it was time to put the second stage of the plan in motion. We waited several minutes and once everyone was in position, Gus gave Riggs the nod, giving him the go ahead to proceed. Riggs took out the detonator, and then looked back at the screen. We watched as Kate stepped closer to Eddie and whispered, “So … has there been any more talk about Satan’s Fury?”
He gave her a suspicious look as he asked, “Why you asking?”
With just those words, she’d secured her daughter’s safety. It was unfortunate that it was too late to do anything about her own. Riggs pressed the button on the detonator, triggering the small IED hidden in the handle of the duffle bag. It was just a small explosive, barely enough to blow up a car, but when its contents ignited with all the other chemicals in the lab, it was a sight to behold. A rush of blue flames skirted across the room, before a second, larger blast sent flames and mortar soaring through the entire building. The discharge was so intense that we felt the truck vibrate a hundred yards away. We needed to ensure that no one was able to exit the building, so as soon as the fire had taken hold, Gus turned to us and ordered, “Let’s move.”
We were about to get out of the SUV when I remembered that Riggs had mentioned killing the power so the fire wouldn’t set off their fire alarms. I wasn’t sure if he remembered, so I turned to him and said, “Don’t forget to kill the power.”
“Already, got it.”
Once he was out of the truck, we rushed to meet up with the others. I could feel the heat of the flames as we inched closer, and the smell nearly choked me as we came up next to Cyrus. Riggs warned, “We need to make this fast. This shit is
toxic.”
Through the haze of smoke,
I noticed some suspicious movement on the second floor. Moments later, glass sprayed out as a chair crashed through the window. With fire blazing behind him, a man started waving his hands as he shouted, “Hey! Over here!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I aimed my gun at the guy’s head and squeezed the trigger, sending him flailing back into the flames before he could make another sound. Cyrus came up behind me and said, “Good catch, brother. Keep an eye on that back door. We had a couple who tried to escape a few minutes ago, but Gauge got to them before they got out.”
“On it.”
When T-Bone came walking up, none of us were surprised when he said, “Damn. I forgot to bring the fucking marshmallows.”
“How are things looking from the back?” Gus asked.
“One made it out, but we put a bullet in him and loaded him up in the back of the truck.”
As we stood there watching, one explosion erupted after the next, making it look like the Fourth of July as the building was consumed with fire and smoke. We continued to monitor every exit, making sure there was no sign of any movement whatsoever. Once we were certain there were no survivors, we headed back to our vehicles and made our getaway just before the police and firemen started to arrive. We left there knowing that we’d gotten our revenge, but our job wasn’t done—not even close. We all knew we’d just won a small battle in a never-ending war, so there would be no grand celebration. No party or hurrah. It was time for us to lick our wounds, mourn our losses, and start rebuilding what had been destroyed.
When we pulled up to the clubhouse, it was nearly three in the morning. We were all exhausted and ready to call it a day. Before we went inside, Gus called us all over to him and said, “You boys did good tonight. I wish Runt and Lowball would’ve been here to see it, but I know they were here in spirit. Tomorrow starts a new day. Lockdown is over, but we’re not out of the woods just yet. Stay alert. I want you to keep your eyes and ears open in case there is blowback from all of this. As of now, we don’t know much about these Culebra motherfuckers, and there could be more of them … lots more.”