Devon

Me, Doc, Alamo, and FBI agent Kahler, boarded our vessel; a forty-foot Marlin boat, recently retired from the Georgia Fish and Wildlife Service’s fleet. We were all disguised as Fish and Game wardens. We were armed, but the plan was to avoid gunplay at all costs.

As far as the FBI was concerned, this was a clandestine operation, designed to draw as little attention as possible. Agent Kahler was to take point at sea, while agents Moore and his other two guys, including sharpshooter agent Dawson, were positioned back at the harbor with all the Dogs. As far as we knew there were only three guys aboard the boat, but who knows how many would be back at the harbor.

The moment Alamo stepped on the boat, his face drained.

“You gonna be okay?” Doc asked.

“I’m good, just need a minute to get my sea legs is all.”

“You put on one of those anti-nausea patches I gave you?”

“No... I put on both of them,” he said pulling down his collar to reveal the medicated patches on his neck.

“You really are a special kinda stupid, ain’t ya?” Doc retorted, reaching behind Alamo’s ear and ripping one off. “Don’t want you to overdose.”

“Need all the help I could get,” he admitted, just before emptying his stomach contents over the port side of the vessel.

“You guys know the plan. Follow my lead and keep your cool, and we should all manage to get through this without getting ourselves or the captives shot,” agent Kahler said. “Doc, you and Alamo head up to the wheelhouse, and Devon and I will take our positions at the bow. We’ve got a fix on their vessel and we’re ready to head out. Oh, and Alamo, you’ll find a supply of official Georgia Fish and Wildlife sick bags up in the wheelhouse.”

Alamo shot him a pretty decent “fuck you” look considering how he must have been feeling.

We all did as instructed and I replayed the plan in my head for the dozenth time within the past hour. The Russian vessel was currently about twenty-five miles off the coast, which meant it was go time. Our bad gambler turned double agent, Kauffman, was to man his post and play along as if nothing was amiss. We couldn’t risk tipping off anyone at the harbor. This whole thing depended the element of surprise.

“Alright, Captain, let’s shove off,” agent Kahler yelled up to Doc, and he fired up the engine.

Doc safely sailed us out of the harbor and out to sea. Our mission was officially underway, and if everything at sea, and back on land went according to plan, in just a few hours, the girls would be safe, the bad guys would be in FBI custody, and the club would be rid of the biggest threat we’d ever faced. If we failed, we’d all likely end up as fish food.

As we sailed toward our target, I couldn’t help but feel a bit like Chief Brody aboard the Orca. Our sea voyage may not have been as dramatic as chasing down a man-eating twenty-five-foot great white, but we were certainly headed straight for sharks, and they were going to be armed with a lot more than teeth.

I turned to agent Kahler. “What happens if they don’t let us board?”

“I’m not as much worried about that as I am about what happens once they do.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I just wish we knew exactly how many people were on board and exactly what they’re armed with. We could be seriously out-manned and out-gunned. Kauffman says the two guards plus the captain are the only mob guys as far as he knows. The dozen or so crew members should be hired locals from Novorossiysk, and I’m hoping they won’t give us any trouble. Kauffman seems like he’s genuinely in the dark about some of the details, so who knows? Like any FBI operation, we have to move with the information we have.”

“What are our chances of a successful mission?” I asked.

“I’m not an analyst, but I hope you said your prayers before getting on this boat. If not, you’ve still got another ten minutes.”

I chuckled. “We’ve got a genuine preacher’s daughter back home praying for all of us, and if she scares God like she scares me, I think we’ll be alright.”

* * *

Poppy

My head throbbed... as did my right arm where I’d felt a prick earlier. How much earlier, I wasn’t entirely sure. In fact, I had no idea what was going on, where I was, or why I was seeing double of everything.

“It’s all good, babe,” Curly said. “You’ll start to feel normal in about an hour.”

I frowned. “Curly? What’s going on?”

He hunkered down in front of me and smiled. “Payback.”

I lifted my hand to rub my head and discovered I was chained to the wall. “For what?”

“Your daddy and I go way back, baby girl, and he and I have shit to settle.”

My heart raced and fear choked me, but I refused to let him see that. “Can I get some water, please?”

“That’s it? You don’t have any questions?”

“No questions,” I confirmed.

“Huh. Figured I get some hysterics from you.”

I sighed. “Hysterics aren’t going to make you be less of a dick, so why waste my energy?”

I needed to figure out what the hell was going on... and once Hatch knew I was missing (not to mention Devon), they’d rain hell down upon this man unlike anything he’d ever seen, so right now, I didn’t have time for hysterics... I needed to find a way out of here.

“You might have a point,” he said, handing me a bottled water.

“What did you shoot me up with?” I asked, after taking a swig of water.

“Sedative. Totally safe, don’t worry...you’ll just feel a little dizzy for a while.”

I continued to swig the water as my head ached and my stomach roiled.

* * *

Willow

“Where the hell’s Poppy?” Gator growled as he stalked into the kitchen.

“She went somewhere with Curly,” I said.

“Fuck!”

I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer as he pulled out his phone and fired off a text to someone.

“Gator,” I pressed.

He jabbed his finger at me. “You go nowhere unless I say, hear me?”

I nodded. “Yes, I hear you. What’s wrong?”

“Curly’s a fucking rat.”

“What?” I breathed out, my stomach dropping.

“He’s working with those Dixie Hillbilly motherfuckers!” he snapped. “You’re locked down, got it?”

I didn’t mention that I was well aware of the fact I was locked down, considering I was missing a day of school, but he looked ready to kill someone, so I nodded and he stalked off. I sighed, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

“Hey, baby,” Dash answered immediately.

“Hi.”

“What’s wrong?”

The way my man could tell my moods just by the tone of my voice was still kind of amazing to me. “Something’s happened to Poppy. Gator’s really worried.”

“Tell me exactly what he said.”

I relayed our conversation, leaving out the swearing bits and Dash sighed. “Fuck.”

I bit my lip. “This is really bad, isn’t it?”

“You do not leave that compound—”

“Unless Gator tells me to,” I said. “I know, honey. I won’t.”

“I hate being in this fuckin’ hospital bed,” he hissed.

“I don’t particularly like it either,” I said.

“Tomorrow, baby. I’m out.”

“Dash,” I admonished. “You can’t leave tomorrow. You just had surgery.”

He sighed.

“Dash. Promise me. If I’m locked down here, you’re locked down there.”

“Yeah, baby, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“Correct answer,” I said. “Am I allowed to come to you tonight?”

“If Gator okays it.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Fine.”

“Baby, this is serious. We’ve been dealin’ with a mole for a little while, but I don’t think anyone expected it to be Curly.”

“What?” I whispered. “I didn’t know there was a mole.”

“I know, baby.”

“This is where I start to get frustrated, Dash.”

“I get it, Willow, but you’ll just need to stow it for a little bit. Once Hatch figures out someone has Poppy, shit’s gonna hit the fan.”

“Or Devon,” I countered.

“Huh-uh. I mean, I know Devon’s gonna lose his shit, but Hatch will rage, and Curly’s gonna fuckin’ regret this move... if he lives, that is.”

I gasped. “He wouldn’t kill someone, would he?”

“No, Willow, he wouldn’t kill someone,” he deadpanned.

“Don’t use that tone,” I ground out. “It wasn’t a stupid question.”

“Never said it was a stupid question, baby... just tryin’ to make you feel better. I’m aware that murder is frowned upon in those Ten Commandments of yours, and if you think Hatch is capable of murder, it might change your opinion of the man.”

I sighed. “I’m a little concerned you know me well enough to lie the right way.”

He chuckled. “No, you’re not.”

“I’m coming to the hospital later, honey. I am not spending a night without you.”

“Let me check in with Gator first.”

“It’s not really open for discussion, Dash. I’m coming.” I busied myself by making a large urn of coffee. I was never very good at sticking to one task... I always felt I needed to multitask.

“Yeah, I hear you. I’ll figure it out.”

“You do that.”

“Bossy little thing, huh?”

“That’s on you, bub. You released my inner vixen.”

Dash laughed and I couldn’t help but smile. “Fuck, I love you, Willow.”

“Love you, too.”

“I’ll talk to Gator and we’ll figure somethin’ out, okay?”

“Okay, honey,” I said as I set the coffee to brew. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“’Bye, baby.”

He hung up and I went looking for some answers. I was on call to make lunch for everyone, but right now, I needed to know what was going on with Poppy... and find out just how much danger she was in.