Tee was waiting for them but before they could get to the car, they saw Tee get out and slam his fist into a cop’s face. The cop had come around the corner of the building when the alarm had gone off. Tee sucker punched him and they saw the cop go down.
Luca, Chou and Grace raced over to the car, they all got into the vehicle and Tee took off quickly.
Tee drove them to an undisclosed destination. When they arrived, Luca led the way and Chou followed. When they got inside the building, Chou was stopped in his tracks as he surveyed several people standing there waiting for him. He turned his head to Luca and snarled, “You fucking lied to me. You told me that if I told you his secrets, you would allow me my freedom. Then you bring these bastards here.”
The bastards he was referring to were members of the FBI and state police. One man came forward. “Mr. Chou, my name is Justin Slabby. I work for the FBI and I have some questions for you.”
“I don’t care who you are. I’m not saying a word to anyone about anything.” Chou swore. “I have the right of self-preservation.”
Justin nodded. “Well, you would if you were a citizen of this country, but as you are not a citizen here, you have no rights here. In fact, you are here under a student visa that expired almost twenty years ago.”
Vim Chou sneered at the man. “My papers are completely in order. Otherwise, you would have found out long before now.”
Justin nodded. “Oh, you’re very good at pulling the wool over the eyes of the law but you failed to do a really good job. On the surface, it all looked legit but we looked deeper. We found your forger and your attorney is in jail awaiting charges. But that’s not even the good part.” Justin shook his head. “Your attorney made a deal with the FBI. He’s turning states evidence for a lighter sentence. Oh, he’ll serve two years and lose his license but he’s given us enough on you for a couple of life sentences. Apparently, he knows where the bodies are hidden.”
Vin Chou thought for a moment then nodded. “If you take the death penalty off the table I’ll tell you what you want to know. I’d rather live the rest of my life in jail under protected custody than die to hide another man’s sins.”
“As long as we can prove what you tell us you’ve got a deal.” Justin turned and nodded at the other men waiting.
“Oh, I can prove everything I will tell you.” He held out his wrist and everyone could see a scar about three inches long on his skin. “Under this scar is a surgically implanted capsule. Inside the capsule is a microchip with all my business dealings on it. There is also a file with my dealings with the man you know of as Adam Peterson.”
“But that isn’t his real name is it?” Luca wanted to verify who Adam was. He needed for someone to tell the FBI who Peterson really was.
Chou looked his in the eyes and said, “You know it is not. You also know his real name is Sam Mitchim.”
“Mitchim?” Justin remarked. “Are you sure?”
He glanced over his shoulders at the other men standing there. They all knew that name and it wasn’t in a good way. Justin turned back to Luca and Chou. “Any relation to John Mitchem? The last President of the Los Lobos?”
“His oldest son,” Chou confirmed. “He’s the son that disappeared twenty five years ago.”
“Fuck me,” Justin whispered. He was looking shocked.
Luca didn’t know why. The FBI should have already know this information. Luca frowned then looked at Chou again. Turning to Justin he finally asked, “Why does this surprise you so much? I spoke to your office yesterday about all this?”
He looked at the other men in the room and only one man wouldn’t meet his eyes. Luca’s eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the other man.
Justin noticed and turned to face the other man. “What do you know about this Karter?”
Karter looked up and stared at Justin for a moment. “I know he had a lot of statements we couldn’t verify. They were all about a very political person in this state.”
“Did you warn Peterson?” Luca stomped over to the other man.
Karter shook his head. “No I didn’t but I also didn’t look into the allegations. Doug and I discussed the matter and decided to let it go.”
“Well, you and Doug were wrong weren’t you?” Justin growled.
“That doesn’t matter at the moment,” Grace spoke up. “What does matter is what Mr. Chou has to say about the man that just became our Governor. We have to stop him from taking office.”
For the next few minutes, the questions flew fast and furious. Chou answered them all. The FBI removed the microchip from his arm and verified the information Chou was telling them.
“We’re running out of time,” Grace mentioned to Luca as they watched the questioning.
Luca glanced over at Tee and saw him nod.
“Our boys are almost in place,” Tee warned them. “Bowie just texted me they’re five miles out. So far, no sign of any trouble.”
“Are they coming in front or back?” Luca asked.
“Back way,” Tee said then paused as he heard a ding. Another text was coming in. Tee checked the text and grumbled. Looking up at Luca, he relayed the info from Bowie, “They just found a rack of bikes hidden in the woods behind the property.”
“Fuck, that doesn’t sound good. They must be expecting trouble tonight,” Luca remarked.
“He isn’t leaving anything to chance. We have to hurry and get this on the air,” Tee grumbled.
Luca nodded. “I know, we have to get this out on the wires so our guys have some protection. Otherwise, it’s going to be a shooting gallery when they get to the mansion.” He walked over to the table where the FBI were questioning Vin Chou. “Gentlemen I hate to butt in here but we need to get this on TV. The MC should be arriving any moment and I’d rather not have them picked off one by one.”
Justin got to his feet and motioned for someone to come forward. Out of the shadows came a man with a camera on his shoulder. Also behind him came a woman everyone in the room knew. She was Merry Hartwood. Local celebrity, news anchorwoman. Merry nodded at Luca and Grace before she went to stand in front of the table Just and Chou were sitting at.
Two of the state policemen were standing behind them with their arms folded across their chests.
Merry began her spiel about late breaking news.
Tee had turned the TV on in the back of the room. Every word Merry was saying was echoed by the reports flashing across the TV behind her. Everyone in the room was watching the interview as Merry asked the tough questions.
Luca turned to Tee. “You’d better tell our guys to get ready for anything. Tell them not to start anything but not to run from them either. These bastards need to be taught a lesson.”
“You got it brother.” Tee grinned and relayed his message.
Chapter Eighteen
Adam Peterson was sitting at the head table about ready to stand and give his acceptance speech when his brother Gavin rushed over to his seat. Whispering in his brother’s ear his grin dissolved into a frown. “What the fuck?” Adam swore a little too loud.
He got to his feet and without a word left the dining room. he made his way to his study. His other brother Treyson and a few of his men were standing there and they were glued to the TV. On the screen was Merry Hartwood. Behind her were Vin Chou and a man he knew as Justin Slabby. He was just one of the men Adam was looking to replace when he became Governor.
They all watched the screen for a few minutes and Adam watched as everything he worked for over the last twenty five years crumbled. The questions Merry asked were spot on, almost as if she had been coached to dig out his inner most secrets.
And Vin Chou gave them all up. The fact that he was still alive to give them surprised Adam. Chou was supposed to be in jail awaiting his own death.
“Someone is going to die tonight,” Gavin stated.
Treyson’s head came up and he had a look on his face that held their attention.
“What is it?” Adam finally asked.
<
br /> “I hear the whine of a cycle’s engine,” Treyson announced.
Adam, Gavin and several of his men rushed over to the windows and looked out into the darkness. From the distance the sound of cycles came closer and louder.
Adam turned to his brothers. “Get the men together and chase those bastards back to the snake pit they came from.”
Everyone rushed to the front door. More men poured out of the dining hall and from all other areas of the house and grounds. They all ran toward the hidden bikes and as they mounted, they followed the tail lights of the club they were chasing.
The Steel Veins MC were almost back to the compound when the first shot rang out. One of the men in the back flipped off his bike and slid to a stop on the road. He got up and limped off into the shadows but the Lobos didn’t stop to take him out. They continued on to the end of the chase. The clubhouse that once housed their sister chapter.
The gate was closing fast when they roared up to the chain link. Shots rang out and men screamed as they were hit by the volleys of bullets. Then the outside spotlights came on and in the brilliant lights, the invading shooters were lit up. Shots volleying from the darkness more often than not hit their targets. Now men on both sides were hit and killed. Men were ditching their rides and running for cover as more shots rang out.
The chaos went on and on for a long time before big trucks rumbled down the street and stopped in front of the clubhouse. The shooting died down as members of the National Guard flowed out of the vehicles. Each man was armed and ready for action as they lined the outside fence line.
When everything was silent, a dark limo pulled up behind the National Guard truck. Adam Peterson stepped out along with his top three advisors. They marched up to the gates and Adam looked around. He saw many of his club lying dead in the streets.
Then he saw something that enraged him. His brother Gavin was lying in the dirt. He wasn’t moving and he was lying in an ever growing pool of blood. Adam rushed over to him and carefully turned him over. Half of Gavin’s head was missing and his eyes were closed. Adam searched his body for any sign of life but didn’t find it. He looked around for his other brother and found him.
Treyson was sitting against his own bike with a bullet in his chest. His eyes were open and staring into the nothingness of death.
Adam grew enraged. Both his brothers were gone, their lives wasted but he was still there and now he had the power to do something that should have been done years ago. He got to his feet and glared at closed gate he was facing. He looked over at the guardsmen standing there. He found the Captain and walked over to him. “I want those bastards dead. Each and every one of them. Order your men to shoot to kill.”
The National Guard Captain frowned at Adam’s orders. “Sir, that isn’t possible.”
“Just do it!” Adam screamed out.
“Sir they are not resisting at the moment and we do not shoot civilians without cause, Sir.”
Adam gripped the man by the front of his shirt and turned him to face Treyson then he turned him to where Gavin laid. “Those two men were my brothers and now they’re dead. Someone has to pay for that. I want your men to open fire and shoot to kill anything that moves inside that compound. Do you understand me Captain?”
The Guard Captain took a step back and his face was cold when he looked back at Adam. “Sir, I have already explained they are offering no resistance at the moment. We do not shoot people who are not resisting, Sir.”
“I want them dead for what they’ve done Captain!” Adam screamed. “I don’t care if they aren’t resisting, Shoot them all. I’m your governor now and you have to obey my command.”
Just then, another vehicle drove up and three military men stepped out. One was a National Guard General while the other two were MP’s. The General could feel the tension in the air and looked to his Captain for answers. “What’s going on here Captain?”
“Sir.” The Captain saluted the General and then replied, “Mr. Peterson wants us to shoot the men behind the fence. They are offering no resistance at this time Sir.”
The General stepped over to Adam Peterson and addressed him, “Is this true Mr. Peterson?”
“Yes General, it is. The men behind the fence slaughtered the men on this side of the fence and I want them taken out,” Peterson ordered.
“Well sir,” the General stated as he looked around the area. Guns and spent bullets were everywhere. “I think they were only defending themselves. It would seem your men were firing on them.”
“I don’t fuckin care!” Adam yelled at the military man. “They came to my home and disrupted the party celebrating my being voted in Governor. My men gave chase and this is the result. My men are dead and I want them dragged out here and shot.”
“We do not allow that behavior,” the General stated.
Adam felt the rage inside him explode. He grabbed the gun at the General’s side and when he pulled it from the holster, the MP’s rushed toward him. The Captain tackled Adam from behind and dragged him to the dirt.
The MP’s wrestled the weapon away from Peterson and then they drew his hands behind his back and handcuffed them together. Then they hauled him to his feet.
“How dare you?” He screamed. “I’m the next governor of this state. First, you disobey my order then you handcuff me? What next, are you going to arrest me too?”
“Yes sir, I am taking you into custody.” The General nodded. “Earlier this evening, I received a call from my commander and he told me to watch you. It seems some reports are flooding into the news about your behavior and that is troubling to us. I have been ordered to escort you and your men to the nearest military base until it can all be worked out.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you General.” Adam growled. “My men need medical attention and I need to take care of business here. I need to see every one of the bastards on the other side of that gate dead, even if I have to kill them myself.”
The General shook his head and turned to address the Captain, “Captain, get your men together and assist with the wounded. I’ll have another truck sent over to help in getting all these men over to the base where they will be quartered until their mission in known. You shouldn’t have been ordered to come here. It’s obvious this man is not in command.”
Adam tried to break away but the MP’s had a hold on him that he couldn’t break.
It took a long time to gather the men, load them into trucks and haul them away.
Only when there was no longer anyone on the streets did the members of the Steel Veins MC come out of the clubhouse. They were still armed but no one offered resistance to them as they began gathering their own wounded and dead.
It was then a vehicle drove up to the front gate and when the horn honked the gates were opened from inside. The vehicle drove through the gates and the gates were closed again. Luca, Grace and Tee exited the car and looked around.
“What happened here?’ Luca finally asked.
“The National Freakin Guard that’s what happened.” Bowie chuckled. “They took Adam and his men into custody and hauled his ass away with them.” He laughed out loud. “Peterson thought all he had to do was give the order to shoot us and they would do it.”
Luca grinned. “But they didn’t did they?”
“Nope.” Bowie nodded. “We weren’t shooting back, no engaging in this fight anymore. So they didn’t feel the need to protect anyone.” He paused then added, “The General told Peterson there were some reports hitting the higher up’s desks and until they were proven or disproven he was under arrest. They would be taken to the nearest military bases and housed there until the charges were finished.”
Luca’s smile grew and he grabbed Grace around the waist and swung her around and around. “We did it pretty lady. We beat that fucker at his own game.”
A cheer went up all around them. Luca bent down and kissed Grace. The kiss was growing hot and heavy before Luca broke the contact. He stared at Grace with need and want in his ey
es…. until Bowie cleared his throat.
Luca turned and looked at his President. “We lost some men but I think Peterson lost a few more than we did. Both his brothers fell, and that really pissed him off. We’re going to need to watch our backs until this is finally over.”
“Are your families safe?” Grace asked from Luca’s arms. Now that it was over, she was worried about Bella and the others.
“Our families are fine thanks to you and Luca and Tee.” Bowie nodded. “We can rebuild once we bury our dead and fix up the others. The people in this town might just survive now, as we will. It’s going to take time and understanding but we might just be ok.”
“Remy will be happy to hear that,” Tee announced. “He said he always knew this chapter was strong, and that this is our vindication.”
Another cheer broke the night air and Luca felt Grace’s arms tighten around him. In a moment of quiet, he heard a little girl call out to him, “Daddy.”
They both turned and there was Bella standing in the doorway, waiting for him. Right next to her was Luca’s brother Aiden. He looked a little beat up yet but now he was standing on his own two feet. He had his hand on Bella’s shoulder but when she wiggled her should he lifted his hand.
Luca started walking toward her and Bella started running toward him. They met halfway and as Luca swept her into his arms and hugged her close, Bella leaned toward his ear, “I love you Daddy,” she whispered in his ears. “I love you.”
“Oh Bella baby, I love you too. So very much.” Luca hugged her tiny body to his and looked over his shoulder at his brother.
Aiden met his eyes straight on, as if he had nothing to hide.
Luca had been in touch with the MC’s doctor the whole time his brother was recovering and the doc told him Aiden was making a sincere effort to kick his habit. This made Luca feel as if he were finally getting his brother back.
Damn, this homecoming felt good, damn good.
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