Page 68 of Ghost's Obsession

“This is the thing about small towns,” Siege responded. “Everybody is in everybody else’s business. This time it seems to have worked out in our favor.”

Zen grins. “Looks like your girl sent you a message.”

My heart thumps in my chest. “Heather is so fuckin’ smart to put my phone number on her help message.”

Rigs walks up to the screen and points to what she wrote underneath. “I’m more interested in what she wrote here. It says three men.”

“She’s clearly telling us that there are three men there with her.”

Siege murmurs out loud, “I can’t imagine that he’s going to try to face off with our whole club with just three men. That would be full on stupid, right?”

I sigh before pointing out what I noticed earlier when I’d looked at the schematics of the factory. “If they take up positions on the catwalk which runs along all four walls, they could set up a kill box. Anyone who walks in just gets gunned down from above.”

Rigs chimes in with his two cents’ worth. “I think it’s a mistake to assume that just because he only had two men with him when Heather wrote this message that he doesn’t have more now.”

“Well, either way my woman is doing everything humanly possible to assist us in rescuing her, right down to letting us know how many people are in the warehouse when she wrote this.

Zen tilts his head. “You’re saying that like it surprises you?”

I exhale slowly. “Nothing surprises me about Heather. She’s smart and resourceful, and I would never underestimate her.”

Rider says, “We’ve verified their hideout is North Ridge Confections, the recently closed factory on East Road. I think we should move as soon as possible. Within the hour. Why give them more time to rally reinforcements? Also, every minute she’s with those assholes puts her in more danger.”

Siege agrees immediately, “We gear up immediately. I’ve already called in enough brothers to get the job done. We’ll move in, silent and fast. Using the element of surprise will work to our benefit.”

Rigs speaks up, gazing at the floor plan that Zen just pulled up on the screen. “We need to breach through the back loading bay, not the front.”

I point to it on the floorplan. “The loading bay is the best choice because if they’re on the catwalk, there is an access point we can use to get up there in the back.”

Siege starts thinking out loud. “I want everyone wearing a bulletproof vest. Something about this situation is giving me a bad gut feeling. It’s too easy, which makes me think we’re missing something.”

“What about the guy who flipped?” Tank asks as he strolls into the room.

“Merc rides with us,” Siege says. “In cuffs. If he’s lying, he’ll be the first body they trip over.”

Zen is typing away, already uploading map overlays and tactical notes.

“Ghost,” Rigs says. “Are you going to be able to refrain from shooting this fucker on sight?”

“It depends,” I tell him firmly.

Rigs’ expression darkens, “We need you to control yourself. There are a lot of interested parties that want to get their hooks in Carnage. We’d like him breathing if possible.”

I shoot back hotly, “If that bastard has done anything to hurt her, I’m not making any promises.”

“Fair enough,” Rigs says.

A short silence spins out in the room, as we all think over the gravity of the situation.

Then Siege says, “You know your club brothers are your ride or die.”

“Yeah, let’s ride,” Rigs echoes.

“Ride,” Tex adds, rougher.

I breathe easier, knowing we’re all on the same page. Gearing up with my club brothers draws us together. It takes no time at all for us to pull on our bulletproof vests and then carefully cover them with our leather cut. It’s not a perfect solution but one that works as long the people we pass don’t stare too hard.

We move to the armory, checking the gear crates and securing silencers. Merc stands a few feet off, quiet, eyes darting too fast to hide the fact that he’s not sure we won’t put a bullet in him before this night’s done.

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