* * *

Dinner was noisy as per usual and afterwards we sat around laughing and talking with the women while Ty was being his usual asshole self, keeping us all entertained with his antics.

We were just a family having an evening together with the baby being passed around or more like she was making the rounds, getting her hugs and kisses from all her aunts and uncles; fighting sleep. That kid hates bedtime.

Every once in a while my mind would remind me of what laid ahead of us tonight, what it meant, what it signified. Everything we do from here on out is for the old man it goes without saying.

Closing the tunnel the men were using to traffic the women wouldn’t put an end to their evil, but it would be a first step to stemming the flow of that shit in our own town.

We’d all fought for the freedom of others in other countries, I’m fucked if I’m going to see anyone enslaved in mine.

The fact that the waters off our own backyard were probably the last of their homeland these girls and women might see left a bitter taste in my mouth and a burning rage in my gut.

I turned it off and listened to the light banter between my family. Baby Zak and Ty were the stars of the show as usual, and was just what we needed before all hell broke loose in the next coupla days.

I listened with half an ear as the tingles in my gut came back full force as the night wore on. Thankfully I didn’t have time to dwell as it was getting close to crunch time. I wonder what excuses the boys will use this time to get away from the women?

The girls started talking weddings and I knew it wouldn’t be long before the exodus begun. Nothing gets my brothers moving faster these days than the women and their wedding plans.

Lo was getting ready to make the call when his phone rang. We all held our silence as he listened. These days every time the phone rings it’s cause for action.

We were already heading for the door before the call ended. Lo hung up and turned to the rest of us.

“Mancini, the others are here.” Thank fuck, time to rock and roll.

We headed to the gate and watched through the security monitor as a caravan pulled up outside. I’d forgotten how many of them they were.

Lyon and his brood were first in line, followed by the only two men we’d known of this bunch before we were all thrown together.

Law and Creed had their women with them as was expected and then there was Mancini and a coupla unknowns. I listened to the men say hello in their own special way.

Which meant insults from Lyon and the usual ragging you can expect when grown men who had way too much testosterone got together.

The women and children went off to be with the others at Zak’s place and the men fucked around with bullshit until Lo’s phone went off again. He walked away to take the call but this time we knew there was nothing good on the other end of that call when he came back.

“That was our guy on the inside, something’s going down. Quinn what the fuck?”

I’d been watching Logan as he came back toward us and something hit me in the gut.

This time I knew I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I smelt something in the air, don’t know what the fuck it was and since this was the first time I’d been hit by this phenomenon I didn’t have time to investigate. The need to move was strong though, that much I knew.

“We have to go NOW.” Cord said something about securing the women and took off as the others looked at me.

“What is it brother?” I looked at Dev but wasn’t really seeing him.

“I don’t know, something…” I ran flat out towards the beach not knowing why just knowing that something was calling me there.

My senses tingled and I could still scent that strange odor on the sea air. It wasn’t something I could explain, but somehow I knew that I was the only one who could smell that shit.

There was no one on the beach as far as I could tell but the sense of danger was getting stronger. Only this didn’t feel like the usual shit we’d get ourselves into. This shit felt personal. Every sense in my body had come alive and was on full alert.

“What’s up bro?” I hadn’t realized that I’d stopped until Ty asked that question. I still wasn’t sure myself, but something inside me screamed to go into action and I felt my inner beast crouch ready to spring.

What the fuck? I actually envisioned that shit in my head. I shook my head to clear it as my brothers gathered around me. “What are you seeing Quinn?”

I didn’t miss the looks that passed between the others that were not part of our team but now was not the time to be shy about my little anomaly.

“Something’s going on. I’ve felt it since last night. No-no-no.” I rushed to assure Logan when he looked back towards the compound.

“If anyone was in danger I would’ve said something before now. This, whatever this is, it’s about me. I just don’t know how or what.”

“That’s a stupid fucking thing to say. If it’s about you it’s about all of us. We’ll talk about this shit later. Lead the way.”

* * *

* * *

Yep, we’re on the beach. I smelt the water before my feet hit the sand once we cleared the tunnel. The fact that we weren’t blindfolded was worrying; we weren’t meant to come back.

I looked sneakily around for anything that could be of help while trying to keep an eye on the men who were leading us out.

There was no one on the beach at this time of night, but I understood why they hadn’t shackled us again.

It was obvious that there were houses around in the distance and there was a chance some unsuspecting soul might come waltzing by.

The threats they’d made to silence us if we cried out may have scared the others but it was just the chance I was hoping for.

The farther away we walked from the tunnel the more I wanted to turn around and go back to my prison. I knew that whatever was waiting for me at the end of this trip was going to be worse than anything I’d faced so far.

It’s strange, but I’d held it together this long and now all I wanted to do was break. I cried for my mom and dad and the fact that I may never see them again. I felt the loss as I stumbled on the sand causing one of the men to glare back at me in the moonlight.

There were more of them now but I didn’t know how many since we weren’t allowed to look around. I heard the soft whimpering cries of Cara, the Latina girl who’d melted enough to tell me that much earlier.

I tried telling myself that all those self defense classes my dad had taught me could not have been for nothing, that I was going to find a way to get us out of this; all of us.

I was ready to try anything as I glanced along the beach ahead of us one last time, and that’s when I saw them. From this distance I couldn’t make them out but I was sure someone was there.

We were headed in the opposite direction from where the people were coming from and I knew this was my only chance. If we got any deeper into the darkness and with the fog coming in, they’ll never see us.

Without giving myself time to think I kicked out at the man closest to me, and started running towards the silhouettes in the distance. “Help!”

My screams got lost on the wind and I felt tears of fear and finality cloud my vision as one of my captors caught up to me and tried dragging me back.

I dug my heels in the sand, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do and scratched and clawed at him in a bid to escape. I don’t think the others had seen what I’d seen so the good thing was that they stopped their forward progress to watch instead of carrying on with the others in tow.

My legs almost gave out when I heard feet rushing our way but I didn’t stop struggling against his hold. He too had seen the on-comers and I saw him struggle with the decision of whether to leave me and go or try getting me back there kicking and screaming.

My heart was beating too fast for me to think, but there was only one thing on my mind. I’d die here before I let him take me.