Chapter 27
Jack
“Everyone gather round.” Teddy’s voice echoes across Roman’s warehouse. Looking around I can see everyone is tired. We got in late last night and no one got much sleep. Roughing it in a car in a cold warehouse with a bunch of bikers isn’t exactly the best night sleep. “I know you’re all tired. But we have to start getting a plan of action together.”
“Hey, don’t start without me!” A voice shouts across the warehouse and we all turn to see who it is. It’s Roman, he’s carrying a tray of coffee and donuts. “Thought I’d return the favor.” Roman hands out the breakfast goods, referencing the other day when Teddy and Joyce got breakfast for everyone. Everyone helps themselves to food, including myself. There’s a sick feeling in my stomach, it’s the same feeling that always comes before a big mission like this. Gotta eat though, keep my strength up.
“How did your Intel mission go?” Joyce asks between a mouthful of donut.
Roman left early this morning to try and get info on Deacon’s position. I would have gone with him but my face is still a red flag in the city. No way I’m gonna risk getting caught before Deacon is dead.
“It went well. I went and paid a visit to our old friend Sammy the pawn.” Roman looks at me and I nod. I remember the shit bag well. Sammy fences stolen goods through his pawn shop on the west side. Everyone knows Sammy, and Sammy knows everyone. He always knows the latest gossip. “Deacon’s set up a new place on the docks. Outside of the city. It’s remote. Like this place.”
“He say anything else? Who Deacon’s riding with?”
“An amalgamation of people actually. One or two bikers from a lot of different clubs. Salt Dogs, Black Cross, White Skulls, a lot of different clubs. Doesn’t make any damned sense.”
“No.” I shake my head. It really doesn’t. There has to be some underlying theme that connects all these people. Wild hatred for me sure isn’t enough. What else is there?
“Say it’s a pretty nice place you got here Roman.” Cobra says over a mouthful of coffee.
“What this?” Roman looks around the old warehouse that is packed full of boxes and shit he’s stolen over the years. “It’s kind of like a living bank vault. Only me and Jack know about this place. Until I can move something I keep it here. Every time I get a share of a job I bring it here.”
“Fuck Roman.” Summer mutters. “You’ve been busy.”
We all look around the warehouse which is packed to the rafters with towers of wooden boxes and crates. The place is like a maze.
“We used to come here sometimes and get fucked up.” I laugh, remembering. “Remember those creepy ass tunnels underneath here? We used to run around them with paint ball guns.”
“Yeah I remember.” Roman laughs. “Not been down there since. Those tunnels creep me the shit out.”
“Much as I’d like to sit around and reminisce,” Nancy interjects, “Can we get a plan together and take this fucker out already? I’d love to get back down South. It’s fucking freezing up here!”
“Agreed.” Teddy stands up sipping at a cup of coffee. “Roman. What’s our best course of action for storming this dock?”
“According to Sammy, Deacon and his followers are meeting there tonight. So I say we storm them then. Get them all while they’re in one place. We ain’t got much in the way of bang, so we’ll have to sneak in and take them by surprise.”
“Oh, about that.” Cobra stands up this time, and waves for everyone to walk over to his car.
“Me and Nancy brought a little surprise along.” Cobra pops open the trunk and everyone leans forward. Cobra lifts up a blue brick that’s wrapped in plastic and holds it up. “Plastic explosives. Might come in useful at some point.”
Joyce whistles loudly and puts his hands on his head. “Fuck! I knew the Dragons were crazy, but this is something else! We were riding a bomb all the way here?!”
“Relax it’s perfectly safe unless you put a charge through it.” Nancy says.
“Agreed.” Roman laughs. “It might come in handy, but for now let’s stay focused on the guns?”
“Alright.” Cobra places the block back down gently and closes the trunk.
“So. Deacon–” Roman starts to speak again only to be interrupted by a loud crack echoing through the air.
Something heavy smacks into his chest, it knocks him backward and he tumbles to the floor with a grunt.
Gunfire.
Another shot rings out and goes straight through the skull of one of the Dragon’s. Everyone gets their weapons out and starts looking around for the shooter. Then I see him. Deacon.
About halfway up the warehouse interior a series of walkways runs through the air in a grid like pattern. I look up and see bikers dotted about on the walkways all the way through the warehouse. Bastards. They’ve ambushed us.
“Lovely to see you again Jack!” Deacon’s voice echoes across the warehouse. “I must say it’s a nice surprise seeing you back here in the city! I wasn’t looking forward to driving all the way back down to New Orleans just to kill you. You saved me a trip!”
“Deacon!” I yell out, and keep my gun focused on him. Deacon doesn’t have a gun on me, but he doesn’t need to. Everywhere I look there are men on the walkways aiming down at us. All Deacon has to do is say the word and we’re dead. I glance around at our group quickly. Everyone’s aiming up at the guys on the walkway, apart from Roman and the dead Dragon. I look over at Roman quickly. He’s still breathing. He’s not dead yet. “How the fuck did you find us?!”
“Remember our good friend Sammy? He said Roman came and paid him a visit this morning. After Roman left Sammy got someone to follow him. Led him right to you. A few calls later and I brought my whole gang to come and pay you a visit.”
There goes any integrity that Sammy had left. I make a note to myself that if we get out of this alive, Sammy is dead.
“Who the fuck are all these people?” I yell up to Deacon. “Why the fuck are you doing this? Salt Dogs, Black Cross, 5th Street Maniacs. How are all these clubs working together?”
“Well.” Deacon laughs. “It’s our biggest shame I guess. Seeing as you’re all about to die I don’t suppose there’s any harm in telling you. Remember that cop you took down?”
“Yeah. Sick bastard. I’d do it again too if I had the chance.”
Deacon rolls his eyes. “So dramatic. Well let’s just say we’re all part of the same group.”
“You can’t be serious.” I growl. “You’re into that sick shit?”
Deacon shrugs. “Hey, it’s good money.”
“Looks like I just found another reason to kill you.” I can’t believe it. I used to think of this guy as my right hand man. Now it turns out he’s part of some city wide illegal porn ring? Fuckers make me sick.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Teddy growls. “You telling me you’re a fucking sicko pervert like that cop was?”
“Who the fuck are you to judge what I like old man?!” Deacon screams back at Teddy. Clearly the comment got under his skin. Teddy just shakes his head and laughs. “I can believe it. I’d heard rumors in prison but I didn’t think you’d actually be into that. They’re just kids man.”
“Fuck off.” Deacon spits off the walkway. “I didn’t come here to get lectured by a bunch of fucking dull cunts. I came here to kill you Jack. And that’s what I’m going to do. Good bye!”
Deacon looks at his men on the walk way and raises a hand. “Kill them all!”
“Get down!” I scream and fire a couple of shots up at the walkway before diving behind a pile of wooden crates. Deafening gunfire fills the air all around us. Everywhere I look chunks of splintered wood are flying off from boxes. The hail of bullets screams down, we’re surrounded and outnumbered.
“Jack!” Summer screams my name. I look over and see her wedged between two boxes with her gun against her chest. For a second there’s a brief pause in gunfire, I leap across the open space from where I’m hiding and roll in against Summer.
“You’re okay!” She gasps as a chunk of box explodes in front of us.
“I am. But we’re all going to be dead if this goes on much longer.”
I stand up quick and take aim at a White Skull just above us. The bullet sinks into his neck and he stumbles back off the walk way. I dip back down.
“What are we going to do?” Summer cries. “We’re going to die there’s no way out!”
“You’re wrong.” I say. “There’s always a way out, and I’m going to find one.”