Benz

It was an easy run. I’d sit back and let two scumbag drug dealers think they were making a big sale here in Port Az.

And they would.

After that, we’d track the shipment after they made their sale.

We’d see where it went and we’d see where they went with the cash.

We’d also take a fair amount off the streets with the help of the Port Az PD.

We were all the dark that Port Az needed. And we were plenty. The kind of traffic that the Devil’s Hawks and other crews wanted to bring in would usher in more nights like the double murder last week. We’d seen it in other towns.

Drugs, money, addicts, traffickers; it was a mess. It also brought the law down on every other thing that we were into. We kept it quiet here and it was good for everyone. We’d shed blood getting Port Az on its feet. No Saint was going to let it fall again if they could help it.

I parked far enough away from the warehouse to be unseen, but close enough to be sure I could watch the door. Kade had the other exit.

The word was that two out of town traffickers would be coming into the warehouse with enough New Jack Swint to supply a local dealer for a week.

The local would sell out and want more, that’s when we would be able to trace up the food chain.

Kade and I were there to keep it safe for the local dealer.

That’s where Bo came in.

He was Dark Saint through and through, but he’d been laying low lately. Bear traps took a long time to spring. And keeping Bo low profile over the last few months had been by design. Bo had become mysterious by virtue of barely being seen during daylight hours for the last few months.

Bo had left his cut at home. He looked the part of a drug supplier and the traffickers would have no reason to think there was anything fucked up with the deal.

I was at the rear of the building, hidden outside, but ready.

My phone vibrated: “They’re walking in the front.” Kade had texted Bo and me.

“Got it,” Bo replied.

No need for me to add to it. We were all good. It was time to be text and phone silent while this went down.

It shouldn’t take long; Bo was going to offer them street value, no haggling. And they weren’t there to drive a bargain. They were there to get into Port Az.

That’s when the eminent cloud of a shit storm swirled into view.

I spotted a marked Port Az PD cruiser drive up.

“What the fuck?” I said under my breath.

I texted Kade as fast as I could: “PAPD going in the back entrance. He doesn’t see me.”

All kinds of awful could happen if the two traffickers were spooked.

If Bo was in the way of that or in the way of some idiot cop…

I ran as fast as I could toward the warehouse. If something was going to go bad, I needed to have Bo’s back.

I heard shouting coming from inside the warehouse and realized the shit storm was in Category Five mode.

“Get down, I SAID, GET DOWN!”

“Listen, calm down. This isn’t what– ” That was Bo, trying to reason with a cop. That wasn’t good.

“RIGHT NOW!” The local law had a gun on the two traffickers and on Bo. Bo’s hands were in the air. For now, the cop didn’t see me; he had no idea. I was in the back, ready to do something, though I wasn’t sure what.

Bo decided to run for it. He wasn’t about to get busted. Okay, he’d improvised to accommodate the new situation. I’d probably have done the same.

He was running in my direction. The cop either had to give up the two on the ground or give up Bo. He couldn’t have all three.

Bo headed my way. He was out of sight of Peck when out of nowhere he went flying.

Someone had his legs. Jesus Christ!

“It’s okay, Peck! I got him! You keep on your two. Ooh.”

Shit. Jen? It was Jen.

She had Bo by the ankles and he was trying to shake her off.

I headed to Jen and Bo, while the Peck tried to call for back up with one hand and keep his weapons trained on the two traffickers.

It was a melee.

This was going so far south it was in the Gulf of Mexico by now. I had no idea who to help or stop, so I went with Bo and Jen.

I grabbed Jen from behind and pulled her off Bo, who didn’t want to kick a woman in the face, but was about one second from doing it. I could not blame him.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Jen cried.

“You know this bitch?” Bo said and struggled to get up from the cement.

“Yeah.”

I felt Jen starting to work up to a yell and I slapped a hand over her mouth.

“Keep quiet. You’ve already done enough. You tell him you’re okay.”

Jen looked at me with hate in her eyes. What the hell was going on? Who was she? Really?

Bo walked over and repeated my instruction.

“You tell Officer Barney Fife that you’re chasing me and to keep on those two. Or I snap that pretty little neck.” Bo was fucking dangerous. Jen’s eyes got big. I hoped she believed Bo. He was more dangerous in some ways than I was. I didn’t want to have to fight him to stop him from hurting Jen. If that was her name. Fuck, what was going on here?

“Do it,” I growled into her ear and made it very clear she had no choice. I knew I sounded scary. I hoped she was scared. It might keep her alive.

She nodded. And I slowly lifted my hand off her mouth.

“Peck! The other one ran out the back. I’m going to chase him. You wait for your backup.”

“Got it!” Okay, that seemed to work. That was something.

I put my hand over her mouth again. I wasn’t going to take a chance that she’d have second thoughts on what the right course of action to save her life actually was.

I stole a glance over the boxes that obstructed the view to the warehouse. Peck had cuffed both of the traffickers and I could see another cop car pull up. Peck’s backup had arrived.

The three of us stayed hunkered down. I had a vice grip on Jen. She couldn’t move or talk.

I recognized the detective that showed up. That was at least good news.

He was clearly livid. Also good news, I hoped.

“Whatever made you do a fucking fool thing like come out here on your own, Peck? This is about the stupidest mother fucking idea I’ve ever seen a rookie try to execute.”

“I just wanted to check out her tip. It was good, see? Good.”

A third officer was escorting the two traffickers out of the warehouse. The place was about to be crawling with cops and I had a serious concern about getting the fuck out.

“It was good. Yes. You made quite the collar.”

“So, I’ll get full credit. That’s gotta look good on my record.”

“What’s going to also be on your record is that you recklessly endangered your life by ignoring procedure and coming out here on your own.” Detective Janning’s face was red and I could see from our hiding place that he was seriously pissed.

It was true. This could have been a worst case scenario for everyone involved.

“Get ‘em booked. We’ll talk later. I’m going to get a camera on the scene. And you’re going to do every single thing from this second on by the book.” Peck walked out looking chastised and confused and a little proud all at the same time.

He’d collared two suspected drug traffickers and had his ass chewed in the space of fifteen minutes.

We stayed put. Detective Janning looked around, but not too closely. If he saw us, he didn’t let on. But then, into the air, he gave us a clear message:

“This was not how it was supposed to go down. I expect a call.”

That was all he said and he was right.

And Bear would be calling.

Sorting this out was going to be an ugly bit of business.

Detective Janning left the scene without taking photos or, as far as I could see, any additional evidence. He had two traffickers to book and Peck to school.

He had a good idea we were there and he had given us a window to get out.

And then there was Jen.

“Let’s go out the back,” I said to Bo and he followed me. I kept a tight grip on Jen.

“You’re going to need to stay quiet. I’m going to do everything I can for you, but don’t make it harder for me to do that,” I whispered into her ear. I had no idea how I was going to do it either.

We got around back and Kade was there.

“Bear is going to be pissed. SO pissed. Hey, isn’t this the– ” Kade had recognized Jen from the first day I met her.

“Yeah, the librarian,” I answered and put her on the back of my bike. “Hang on. We’re going for a ride.” I spit the words out. I was so pissed at her. She could have gotten herself killed. She could have gotten my brothers killed.

I dreaded the meeting we were about to have.

I’d brought this on us and I really wasn’t sure how it had all happened. I hadn’t the slightest clue that Jen was waiting to sell me out. I had missed it completely.

I was going to get nothing but shit for this. And I deserved it.

Kade, Bo, and I rode to the MC. Jen held on behind me.

The damn woman still affected me.

I wanted to protect her from what was about to happen, and at the same time, I wanted to wring her neck.