When Gunner and Tamara made it up to where the group of men were huddled around, she began to claw and push them out of her way until they’d made a path and she could see Tommy lying on his back in the dirt with blood bubbling up out of a hole in his stomach. “What happened?”

“They were waiting for us across from the gates. They opened fire, but just on Tommy. They weren’t even aiming for the rest of us,” one of the guys told her.

“Well, what the fuck are you idiots doing just standing here? You want to watch him die? Call a fucking ambulance!” She was screaming at them as she pulled off her t-shirt and used it to apply pressure to Tommy’s wound.

“Tammy, if we call an ambulance the law comes with them.”

“So you let my brother lie here in the dirt and die? Are you fucking insane? Gunner, go inside and tell one of the old ladies to call an ambulance and my dad.”

Gunner started toward the clubhouse. 8Ball and another guy with long greasy hair stepped in front of him. He told them, “I don’t think we have time to fuck around right now, boys. Move aside.”

“8Ball, I swear to god if Tommy dies I will kill you myself,” Tamara screamed. He still didn’t move. Gunner pulled back his fist and the guy with the greasy hair landed a punch right in his side where his stitches were. The punch that Gunner landed on the side of 8Ball’s face wasn’t as hard as he’d planned for it to be, but he was pissed and in pain so his adrenaline was beginning to kick in. He grabbed the smaller guy with the greasy hair by the throat with one hand, and at the same time he brought up his knee, hitting 8Ball in the gut while he was still reeling from the punch. A few of the other guys started to move in on him and Tamara screamed again, “He’s dying, you fucks! Leave Gunner alone and help me get him to a hospital!” The doors to the clubhouse swung open then and Billy was looking at Gunner wide-eyed as 8Ball crumpled at his feet and the other guy was still fighting for breath.

“Billy, tell someone to call Randall and an ambulance. Tommy’s been shot.” Billy didn’t hesitate to turn around and go back inside. The other bikers advancing on Gunner had stopped at Tamara’s urging, and one of them had knelt beside her asking what she needed him to do. She had him hold the t-shirt while she checked Tommy’s pulse.

“Shit!” She put her small hands in the center of Tommy’s big chest and started pressing down. Gunner had never seen anyone perform CPR in real life, but it didn’t look to him like she was strong enough to compress her brother’s big chest. He let go of the biker and scrambled down next to her and said:

“Here, let me do it.” She nodded and moved her hands. He put his exactly where hers had been and started doing what he’d seen her do. She was breathing into Tommy’s mouth and the other biker was doing his best to keep the blood from squirting out with every compression. That was the scene Randall rode up on. He jumped off his bike followed by two other men.

“Jesus fuck! What happened?” His words were drowned out by the sounds of approaching sirens. The sound of them seemed to make him forget Tommy for a second and he said, “Who called the fucking cops?”

That was when Tamara looked up at him. There was fire in her eyes. “Are you fucking kidding me? I told them to call an ambulance. Your son is dying.” Gunner kept doing what he was doing until the ambulance drove in and he was pushed out of the way by one of the medics. That was when he looked around and realized all the men that had been standing around were gone except for 8Ball and his sidekick. Gunner hadn’t seen them disburse, but he assumed they had plenty of practice making weapons and other things disappear when the cops were around. So far, the front gates were holding the cops off, but it wouldn’t be long before they got there.

Tamara was still wholly focused on Tommy as the medics worked on him, and Gunner saw Randall standing a few feet away, on the phone, eyes focused on what was happening to Tommy as well. One of the medics was starting an IV, and the other was putting a pressure bandage on his wound. That one was on the phone with the hospital and Gunner heard him say that Tommy had a “weak pulse” and his blood pressure was “bottoming out.” Gunner had no medical knowledge but he knew as bad as that sounded, it meant Tommy was alive, at least for now.

Once they had him somewhat stabilized, they loaded him onto a gurney and into the ambulance. That was when Gunner heard Tamara amping up again. “He’s my brother! My twin!”

“I’m sorry, miss, but it’s policy that no one can ride in the ambulance.”

“I’m going with him!” Her voice was high-pitched and raspy. She sounded like she was on the verge of losing it. Randall ended his call and went over to Tamara. “I’m going with him,” she screamed at her father.

“Come on, Tammy, we’ll follow them,” Randall told her. He snapped out orders to two of the enforcers standing by to follow the ambulance. The other two were already on their bikes waiting for Randall. He gently but firmly pulled Tamara back from the doors so the medic could close them. He let go of her and she stood there frozen for a few seconds before finally turning toward Randall, who was already getting on his bike. Gunner was shocked when Tammy didn’t immediately get on the bike with her father. Instead she ran toward him and threw herself into his chest, sobbing. He cradled her in his arms as Randall started the Harley and gunned the engine impatiently. Gunner finally kissed her on top of her head and said:

“You better go. I’ll find a way to get there, okay? Where are they taking him?”

“San Antonio General,” she said. She took a small step back and looked up at him. Her golden-brown eyes were shining with tears and she had snot running down her face. Gunner wanted to take her back into his arms and keep her there, but the look on Randall’s face told him that might be suicide.

“Go with your dad. I’ll find a way there, I promise.”

“Please,” she said. It was a pitiful plea that tugged at his heart. He’d never had a sibling, so he could only imagine what she was feeling. He wasn’t even sure why he was the one she wanted there with her, but if that was what she wanted, he’d find a way even if he had to hitch a ride with the cops.

“I promise,” he said. “Go.” She hugged him tightly again, then ran over and grabbed the helmet Randall was holding out to her. She climbed on the back of his bike and Randall took off toward the hills even as she was buckling it. Gunner watched them go, not surprised there was a way off the compound that would keep them from going past the cops still up at the gate. He turned around to face 8Ball and his friend then and noticed Billy had stepped back out of the clubhouse with his phone in his hand. He held it up toward Gunner but before he could say anything Gunner said, “I need a ride to San Antonio.”

“Fuck you,” the one with the greasy hair spat out. Gunner looked at his vest. It said “Dogg” on the front of it.

“Do you know who I am, Dogg?”

“A piece of shit that has somehow wormed his way into this club. I don’t know what you’ve got on Randall but I’m finished kissing your Mexican ass.”

Gunner smiled. “Puerto Rican,” he said with a purposeful accent. “I’ll fill you in on why I’m important to Randall and this club. First of all, Dax Marshall, the president of the Southside Skulls, who as I’m sure you know have a strong alliance with this club…he’s my brother. Doc Marshall was my father. Secondly, Randall is indebted to me for saving his daughter’s life.” That part wasn’t exactly true. Randall probably liked him less than the rest of them, but these dickheads didn’t need to know that. “Now, if either of you would like to fuck with Dax or Randall, then by all means go ahead and keep fucking with me. But if I were you, I’d make the smart, easy decision and tell me where I can get a bike and how I can get out of here without going through the front gates.”

8Ball took a step toward him and Gunner stood his ground. Billy cleared his throat and said, “Gunner.”

“In a sec, Bill.”

“Gunner, it’s Dax. He wants to know what’s going on.” 8Ball was still facing Gunner, and the look on his face was priceless when Dax’s voice came over the line. Billy had it on speaker.

“Gunner, are you there? What the fuck is going on?” Gunner looked right at 8Ball as he said:

“Tommy’s been shot. He was taken out in an ambulance to San Antonio. Randall and Tamara went after him.”

“Do they have enforcers with them?”

“Yeah, Randall had two guys with him and two went with Tommy. I’m going to head over there. Tamara wants me there, that is if 8Ball and Dogg are kind enough to lend me a bike.”

“Let me talk to 8Ball,” Dax said.

“He’s right here. He can hear you.”

“Hey, 8, I’d be grateful, if you can’t ride along with my brother, if you can send someone with him.” Dax just glossed over the part about them lending him a bike, assuming they would.

The big ugly man cleared his throat and said, “Yeah…sure, Dax. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll owe you one.”

“No sweat, brother.” 8Ball looked at Dogg and said, “Get one of the prospects’ bikes out of the shop and make sure it’s gassed up.” Dogg glared at Gunner, but he didn’t question 8Ball. Billy ended the call with Dax and said:

“You want me to go with you?”

“Nah, it’s probably going to be a long night. 8Ball’s gonna keep me company on the ride, so I’ll be alright.” He knew that he shouldn’t antagonize the big man, but it was hard not to. 8Ball ignored him and was already gearing up to ride. By the time Dogg brought an older Fat Boy out of the shop for Gunner, 8Ball was ready to go. As soon as Gunner straddled his bike, 8Ball was off and he hauled ass the entire 45 miles to San Antonio, probably hoping he’d lose Gunner along the way. Gunner held his own, and they pulled up at the hospital side by side. At least 8Ball knew his place once they were there. He didn’t even try to follow Gunner into the hospital.

The emergency room was full to capacity but, even in the midst of all those bodies, it only took Gunner a few seconds to locate Randall and Tamara. They were surrounded by the four bikers that had escorted them there. As soon as Tamara saw Gunner she ran over and he wrapped his arms around her. Randall continued to sit with his back to them, but the four enforcers stared at them, hard. Ignoring them Gunner said, “How is he?”

She shook her head into his chest. “I don’t know, they won’t tell us anything.”

“It’s probably just too soon. Come on, let’s sit down. Can I get you anything?”

Gunner sat on a small love seat facing the chair Randall was sitting in. Tamara sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. Randall met Gunner’s eyes over his daughter’s head and held them for several long seconds. He finally leaned forward and put his head in his hands. Gunner pulled Tamara into him tighter and they all waited silently together.