The bikes of Scarred Angels were lined up in front of the Soul Stealers’ headquarters. The hostages they had taken laid hogtied in the road between the two gangs, uncomfortable, but otherwise unharmed. Members of Scarred Angels were out back, as well, cutting off the Soul Stealers’ escape. Adam and his men were waiting beyond the wall of bikes, hiding behind the light. There was no movement from inside.

 

Adam was handed a megaphone and he weighed it in his hands for a moment before bringing it up and shouting out a warning. “Release your hostages. If they come to us unharmed, we’ll let you leave. But if you don’t, this will be a firefight you can’t win. Any Soul Stealer who values his life will come out now with their hands up, and we will let you leave, unharmed.”

 

They had only waited a minute before the door opened and three men came out, their hands up. They walked over to the other hostages and knelt down, hands still in the air.

 

“It could be a trap,” Bill said, holding Adam back.

 

“Only one way to find out,” Adam responded and he motioned for the men to walk back behind the wall of bikes. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust and in that moment members of Scarred Angels frisked them for weapons and put their hands behind their backs.

 

“We don’t want nothing to do with this, man,” one of them whimpered. “We never touched any of the Kanes, swear it.”

 

“This isn’t about the Kanes,” Adam yelled. “What about Joey?”

 

“I didn’t touch him. He’s a little roughed up, but nothing permanent, man.”

 

“What about the girl?” Bill asked. And Adam wished he could thank his uncle. He was desperate to know about Dakota, but knew he couldn’t ask.

 

“She came with money. Was gonna pay for your guy’s release and wanted the name of the guy who ordered the hit. She was offering big money. Like three million dollars big.”

 

Adam stifled a sob. Dakota had come here, to Echo Lane, by herself to pay for Joey. She thought Scarred Angels had turned against her family and instead of turning against them, she put herself on the line to save one of their own.

 

Dakota was in there, somewhere. This couldn’t turn into a firefight until she and Joey were both out and safe. Only then could they burn this place to the ground.

 

“Boss,” Adam heard from his walkie-talkie, “I got an entrance in the back. I see right in. We got three guys on each window. Not many left, no signs of Joey, over”

 

“I’ll be right there, over,” Adam said, and taking ten men with him, they snuck around to the side of the house. Pushing their way through weeds, short trees, and garbage Adam and his men found their way to the back of the house.

 

One of his boys was standing next to a large piece of plywood propped up against the wall. Motioning for quiet, the man pulled the wood away and Adam could see right into the Soul Stealers’ headquarters. He could see nine men, each holding a shotgun and multiple shells. They were at the windows, sneaking glances out. But Adam knew they couldn’t see past the lights.

 

Where were Dakota and Joey? The large room had two doors and he figured they must be behind one of them. But what should Adam do? If he started a fight, he could get them both killed, but he gained nothing by waiting; there could be reinforcements on the way.

 

“Bill,” Adam said quietly into his walkie after they put the piece of wood back. “Call for the hostages again, tell them you want to talk to their leader, over.”

 

“Roger,” Bill said.

 

“Soul Stealers,” it was Bill’s voice booming from the megaphone. “We have more hostages out here than you have fighting for you. We want the return of our man and the girl. Bring them both out, or bring out your leader to discuss terms.”

 

They moved the plywood, but no one inside moved, neither door opened.

 

“In thirty seconds, we’re going in through the back, then you come in through the front. We have clear eyes on everyone back there, anyone coming through the front door is a Stealer, roger?” Adam said into his walkie.

 

“Roger,” Bill answered.

 

“Mark,” Adam said. He looked at his watch; it had been a gift from his uncle the day he graduated from high school. He watched the seconds tick down as the men around him pulled out their guns and got ready for the fight. Each second felt like an eternity as he watched the large hand tick away and forced himself to not imagine what was happening to Joey and Dakota inside.

 

They’ll be fine, he repeated to himself as the seconds ticked past. When there were ten seconds left, Adam brought up his hand. He whispered the last countdown, “Five, four, three, two, one. Hands up! Nobody move!” Scarred Angels poured in through the hole in the wall, surprising the few Soul Stealers who were still inside. At Adam’s order half of them dropped their guns while the other half began shooting wildly.

 

Adam and his men hid behind whatever they could find as bullets whipped past them. And then there was another yell as more members of Scarred Angels knocked down the front door and raced in, taking out the men who were still shooting. In seconds, it was over.

 

Nine more Soul Stealers were trussed up along with their brothers, their weapons and ammunition taken from them. Adam marched over to the one man who had been shooting and, taking him by the thin collar of his shirt, Adam pushed him against the wall. “Where are the hostages?” he demanded.

 

“Fuck you,” the man responded.

 

Adam released the man’s neck and nodded to two of his men who each took the Soul Stealer by his arms. Adam reared back and slammed his fist into the other man’s stomach and the man coughed and doubled over, but failed to speak. Adam stood up, ready to hit him again, when he heard someone call his name.

 

Bill was standing by the door, his ear against the wood, “In there,” he said with a nod. And then a shot rang out as the door exploded and blood splattered the white door as Bill fell back.

 

“Don’t shoot!” Adam shouted as the men of Scarred Angels erupted and pointed their arsenal at the white door. “Joey and Dakota are in there,” Adam said as he rushed over to his uncle. He was bleeding on the floor, but he was still awake. The bullet had ripped through his thigh, and someone was already making a tourniquet out of a bed sheet they had found.

 

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Bill said through clenched teeth.

 

“You need to get to a hospital,” Adam said.

 

“Not until Joey’s out,” Bill said.

 

Adam had never been this furious in his life. They had kidnapped and beaten his best friend, turned the woman he loved away from him and taken her hostage, and now they had shot his uncle, the man who had raised him. Adam was done with the Soul Stealers, done. He was going to take them out, all of them.