In addition to guns and ammo, we find several stacks of cash and blank passports. I give them a cursory glance before returning them to the box. We carry the items down the stairs and drop them near the door. We’ll load up the SUV when Levi and Lake return after dropping the women we rescued off at the hospital. When Dixie and I finish cleaning out the room, we go searching for Hex. We find him sitting at a desk in a back room and shuffling through several stacks of paper. His face tells me that what he’s looking at isn’t making him happy.
“What have you got?” Dixie asks.
“Plans. Lots of plans,” Hex says. “These guys have delusions of grandeur. I need to reach out to the other Presidents. This group is coming for us. All of us.”
“What the fuck? How?” Dixie demands.
“They’re setting up shop near every Demon Dawg Chapter. We knew they were here and in Las Vegas, but they’ve sent scouts to other locations. Their organization in Texas is growing fast. Once Levi and Lake return, we need to load up and get back to the clubhouse. I have some calls to make, and we need to get some answers out of these fuckers.”
Lake and Levi drive up a few minutes later. We’ve gone through the house and taken everything that we think might be useful.
“Any trouble?” Hex asks Lake.
“No. The women were great. They figured out a story on the way to the hospital. They promised to tell the cops that they managed to escape on their own and waved down a ride to the hospital. The cops won’t know we’re involved. The women planned to give them a fake location that would keep the cops from this place.”
“Good. The gators can have the two dead guys as an appetizer. They’ll get the rest when we’re done with them,” Hex says.
After we load up the SUV, Hex leads us back home. We’re about twenty minutes out when my phone rings. I answer it to find a distraught Rey on the other end. After she relates their situation, I loop in Hex and the others.
“They’re five minutes ahead of us,” I tell them. “We should be able to catch them up.”
“What do you want to do?” Hex says.
As we increase our speed, Zip and I fine-tune the plan. Dixie is the first to spot our quarry. Jack and Levi pull up behind thecar, keeping us hidden from view. We don’t want the assholes to see us until it is too late.
“Do you see Cicero and Rey?” I ask.
“Five cars up ahead and to the left,” Levi responds. I pull further to the left and see Cicero’s bright car. Good.
I call Rey and patch her into the link with my brothers. “Rey, it’s Abra. Put me on speaker.”
I wait until Rey confirms I’m on speaker before I lay out the plan. “We’re behind them and can see you. Don’t slow down. Keep driving like you’re in a hurry to get to the clubhouse. But don’t go to the clubhouse. I want you to exit the freeway a couple of exits early. Take the county road and maintain your speed. We’ll take care of the rest. Stay on the line until I tell you to end the call.”
Cicero follows my instructions perfectly. Once we’re on the deserted road, Levi guns the engine and passes our quarry before pulling in front of him. Jack pulls forward until he’s bumper-to-bumper. The rest of us split up and closed in from the sides. We’ve drawn our guns and are directing them at the occupants. There are two men in the front, and one is in the back. By the time they realize we’ve boxed them in, they each have two guns pointed directly at their heads. Hex waves his gun to direct the driver to pull over. The driver glances around frantically, but he quickly realizes there is no way out. The next moment is critical.
He could try to plow his way through us, but we’re ready for him. One wrong move and we start shooting. None of them will survive. Dontel is a danger to Rey. I won’t give him a chance to hurt her.
We watch the three occupants argue inside the car. Their hand gestures tell a story. It’s obvious, Dontel is putting up a fight. We can almost hear the shouting over the roar of the motors. Finally, the driver chooses to save his life and pulls over.We give him space, but don’t break formation. We won’t give him a chance to change his mind. Once he’s off the road, he stops the car, turns off the motor, and holds his hands up in surrender. The guy in the back mimics his move. Only Dontel shows signs he’s still ready to fight.
Levi and Jack pull the SUVs over, but remain in their vehicles in case the assholes take off. Hex, Zip, and Dixie pull in front of the car, while the rest of us pull in behind. Pirate, Lake, and I keep our guns at the ready. I’m focused on Dontel.
“Get the fuck out of the car,” Hex says, waving his gun.
The driver’s side door pops open first, then the back door. Only Dontel’s door remains closed. Lake and Pirate slam the driver and passenger against the hood of the car while I circle to where Dontel sits sulking. Using the butt of my gun, I pound on the window.
“Get the fuck out, Dontel,” I say.
He glares at me, but opens the door and slowly climbs out. I slam him against the car to search him, but the sound of a car pulling over draws my attention. Max has pulled up behind Jack. I see Hex jerk his head towards Jack. Jack pulls back onto the road and takes off. We can’t afford for Max to discover the prisoners in the back of the SUV. Thankfully, Max doesn’t exit his vehicle until Jack leaves.
Max glowers at us as he stalks over to me.
“What the fuck is going on?” Max demands.
“What the fuck does it look like?” I shoot back. “Rey called me and said this asshole shot at her and was following her.”
“I know. Rey called me. That’s why I’m here.”
“They’re all yours. We only wanted to stop them from catching Rey and causing her harm.”