Chapter 18
The next morning, everyone gathered at the Sons’ clubhouse, geared up and ready to go. The group taking out the drug house would be comprised of Preacher and his guys with Chance and half the Black Horsemen. They would divide those men between four vehicles. Two of those vehicles would take one route to Taos and the other group would take a different route. The first group would be leaving in fifteen minutes. The group led by Race and designated to take out the clubhouse and the building Darren was held in would leave in two hours. They would all meet up for one last run down of the plan at a motel one town over from Taos.
Their plan would be put into action at the time the cartel showed up with its next shipment. If the PFMC pattern held true, and they had no reason to believe it wouldn’t, they were going in under the cover of darkness. Preacher, ever the resourceful one, managed to get his hands on several pairs of night vision goggles that he passed out among the two teams. When asked how he’d managed to get his hands on them, he’d only smiled and said someone owed him a favor. The man’s connections were mind boggling.
Darren and Tuck had spent the night loving on Kylie. The first time had been the usual hard and fast with lots of foreplay. The second time had been slow and sweet, the two of them trying to show her how much they loved her with the way they used their bodies. Although she knew what they were going to do was necessary to ensure the safety of the Sons and their families, she still worried. Considering Tuck had been shot and Darren had been kidnapped and drugged, he could understand her worry.
They’d arrived at the clubhouse an hour before the first group was due to leave. Most of the brothers and their families were already here. The women and children would be staying at the Sons’ clubhouse until they returned just to be on the safe side. As far as they knew, the Phantoms had no idea what was about to rain down on them, but they weren’t taking any chances.
The old ladies had set up a breakfast buffet of sorts consisting of breakfast sandwiches, doughnuts, cereal, coffee, juice and milk for everyone.
Darren watched as the younger kids, now all hyped up on sugary doughnuts, ran around playing what looked like tag amongst the tables and people standing around. The adults carried on conversations amongst themselves, but kept a watchful eye on the kids. Race’s oldest daughter and one of Dagger’s was trying to round them up to take them to the rec building so the grown ups could talk before they had to leave. Dads got quick hugs and kisses from their kids, then waved goodbye as Liza herded them down the hall and out the back. Miles and one of the Black Horsemen would go along to keep an eye on things, while Cutter, a Horsemen and two of Preacher’s men, would stay in the main clubhouse.
They were sitting at a table with Kylie sitting sideways on his lap and Tuck sitting next to the two of them. He had an arm wrapped around her back and a hand resting on her belly. He sucked in a sharp breath and smiled when he felt the baby kick. Hard to believe that the three of them would have a little one at their house in a few months.
“That was a strong one,” he told her like she couldn’t feel it.
“Yes. It was a strong one.” She reached over and grabbed Tuck’s hand so he could feel it, too. His smile was beaming. He was so excited to be a dad he could hardly wait for the baby to get here. If it had been up to the Phantoms, Tuck would have missed out on this and for that alone they all had to die. What they did to Darren just added more fuel on the fire for his need for revenge.
Tuck leaned down to talk to Kylie’s belly. “Emmaline, this is daddy. You be good to your mama. Don’t dance on her bladder so much.”
Kylie laughed at his silliness, then accepted his kiss.
Across the room, Darren spotted Race heading toward the back, hopefully to his office. Now was as good as time as any to talk to him.
“Hey, babe. I need to get up for a minute.” He lifted her from his lap and transferred her to Tuck’s. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss before she could ask anything.
“Everything okay?” Tuck asked.
“Yeah. Just need to talk to Race for a sec. Be back in a minute.”
He shouldered his way through the crowd, catching up with Race as he stood outside his office with his key out. Perfect.
“Hey, Race. Got a minute?”
“Sure. Come inside.” Race led the way, taking a seat behind his desk. His brows dipped as he watched Darren lock the door behind him. “What’s up?”
Darren eased down into a chair in front of the desk. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and took a deep breath.
“Are you worried about maybe needing Kylie while we’re gone?” Race asked when he took too long to spit it out.
“Oh. No. Yeah. Maybe. I’m hoping staying busy will keep my mind occupied and my dick will take a backseat for a change. If not, Bacon’s coming by anytime to give me a couple sleeping pills to knock my ass out.”
“Why didn’t he give them to you sooner and avoid all the shit that went down after you got home?”
Darren rubbed the back of his neck. “He said he couldn’t give it to me right after because I had such a high dose of Euphoria and that other drug in me that he was afraid he’d make things worse or kill me.”
“And now?”
“And now I told him either he gives me something he thinks might be okay or I was going to someone else to get it. He said he’d give it to me.”
Race nodded.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about what’s going down tonight. After we get to the Phantom Furies’ clubhouse, I want Crockett and RIP taken alive. I want to take them to the safe house in Gunnison. I want to give them a taste of their own medicine before they die.”
A slow smile spread across Race’s face as he nodded in agreement. “We can do that.”
All of that was earlier and now they were in position and ready to make their move. Before they’d loaded up, Race had announced to their group that Crockett and RIP were to be taken alive because Darren wanted his justice. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
Race’s team was now poised to infiltrate. Someone would take out the guard at the gate then open it. Race, Maverick, Jackson, Trick, Tulsa and Lance would arrive in one SUV and five of the BHMC would follow. The plan was to enter as quickly and quietly as possible so as not to alert the Phantoms of their presence.
At the rear of the property, Dagger would be leading Darren, Tuck, Jed, Chris and four more BHMC. His team would enter behind the building he was held captive in before the agreed upon time in order to clear it. They didn’t want to descend on the clubhouse only to have men come up behind them and take them out. Once it was cleared and they were in position, they’d text Race and wait for the appointed time to enter the clubhouse from both the front and the back. At the same time, Preacher and his teams would raid the drug house. It had to go off without a hitch so neither place could get word to the other about what was going down.
Dagger and Jed led them to the rear building and entered first. They quickly made it to the back of the room with their guns up and ready. At the door near the back wall, one of the Horsemen reached for the door knob and mouthed 1, 2, 3 before yanking it open. Dagger and Jed whipped around the door frame, guns pointed at whoever might be standing behind the door. No one there, Dagger led the way down the stairs. Darren was third in line and was relieved to see there were no prisoners in the cells. He stopped in front of the cell where he’d been held captive, his shoulders tensing. Tuck bumped him from the side, his brows up in question.
“I’m good.”
“Darren!” Jed yelled from the head of the hallway.
“Yeah?” Darren took off in his direction.
“Come see this.” Jed nodded toward something to his right.
Darren and Tuck hurried to see what their friend was wanting to show them. He froze in the doorway. Dagger, Jed and Chris were standing around a couple of large computer monitors. On the screens they had clear views of each of the cells. A muscle in his jaw ticked. This was how Kylie had gotten the video of him and Sadie having sex. They’d been watching every person being held captive, toying with them. Pushing them until they couldn’t take anymore.
“Motherfuckers,” he growled. He started to reach for the monitors, intending to swipe them all to the ground when something else caught his eye. On the ground next to the desk was a baggie. He picked it up and found several white round pills. It must have gotten knocked off at some point.
“Is that that EZ Lay shit?” Dagger asked.
“Only one way to find out.” He opened the bag and took one out. He touched it to his tongue and immediately remembered the taste from when he’d been forced to swallow one to keep Joe from having to do it. The kid had been at the end of his rope and Darren wouldn’t be responsible for him letting go.
“You sure that was a good idea?” Tuck asked.
“It was a fucking stupid idea, but I needed to know if it was EZ Lay or something else.” He zipped the baggie and shoved it in his front pocket.
“Darren?” Tuck frowned.
“It’s for Crockett and RIP.”
“Ahh. Good idea.” Tuck smiled and bumped fists with him.
Dagger checked the time. “Let’s go, boys. We got some Phantoms to take out.” He turned and left the room first, leading the way up the stairs.
The Horsemen’s VP, Deacon, and one of his brothers waited for them to exit before slamming a padlock on the door. If, by chance, one of the Phantoms gave them the slip, this building was no longer available as a hiding place.
The building cleared and secured, they started moving toward the clubhouse. They kept to the tree line as they moved alongside the dirt road. According to the satellite images they’d seen there should be a tall chainlink fence with a gate up ahead. At the edge of the woods they spotted the fence and did a quick scan to make sure no one was standing outside at the back of the building that could sound an alert if they saw them. They would be at their most vulnerable as they left the cover of the woods, slipped through the gate and crossed the open area to get to the back of the building. If even one of those fuckers came outside to take a leak or have a smoke, they’d be caught and their element of surprise would be gone. Seeing that everything was clear, Chris swiftly crossed to the gate and rolled it open enough to allow them to pass through, then reclosed it when everyone was on the other side. They all took off in a half crouched position, keeping to the shadows until they made it to the back door.
“Hang tight, brother.” Jed’s hand landed on Darren’s shoulder as he took up position next to him. “You’re five minutes from getting your revenge.”
Since being rescued there had only been two things constantly on his mind; gaining Kylie’s forgiveness and getting revenge. Even when he was suffering the worst of the pain, it was always Kylie and revenge. He’d gotten her forgiveness and today he would get his revenge. He’d be breathing easier knowing they were gone and would never be a threat to those he loved again.
Darren released a relieved breath as his back hit the wall next to the door. He could hear loud music coming from inside—that would work in their favor, blocking any noise they might create as they entered. Dagger tried the knob and found it unlocked. He nodded at Jed before he pulled the door back toward himself. Jed did a quick peek around the door frame from the other side and nodded it was clear. As they progressed through the clubhouse, Jed and Dagger would stay out front with the rest of them clearing each room as they went.
Gunshots from the front of the building rang out, signaling Race’s team was inside. Show time. At this time of night most brothers should be hanging out in the main room with a few possibly in their rooms fucking. Sure enough. One guy in nothing but his underwear came out of his room, gun in hand. Dagger took him out with one shot. The door next to Darren swung open.
“What the fu—” Darren shot him. He looked inside the room and found two naked women huddled on the bed screaming.
He put his fingers to his lips. “Shut the fuck up and stay put. Got it?”
They both immediately shut up and nodded their heads. He pulled the door closed again. They’d have to open it to get out and he figured one of them would be able to hear it. As it turned out, the door flew open and one of the women, still naked, came running out of the room, coming straight for him. She had a knife held high in the air like she was going to stab him in the back. She never made it. Tuck had yanked her to a stop by her hair, then twisted her neck roughly to the side. He not so gently dropped her to the floor and pulled his gun out from behind his back. He shrugged when Darren looked at him.
“Thanks.” If Tuck had shot at the woman, odds were good he’d have hit Darren or one of the brothers. None of the Sons were crazy about killing a woman, but when left with no choice, they’d do what they had to do to keep each other safe.
They continued down the hall, quickly checking each room and eliminating any threats as they went. By the time they made it to the main room, Race and his team had already taken care of business. Everyone was dead except for the two men kneeling in the middle of the room with their hands behind their backs. Tulsa and Lance stood behind them, guns pointed at the backs of their heads.
“So what now? You’re going to make a big show of killing us last?” Crockett sneered.
“No need for a show. Your boys are all dead.” Race stepped back, allowing Darren to stand in front of them. “I was just saving you for someone else.”
“So you’re going to be the one that kills us as a way to get your revenge?” Crockett asked.
Darren shook his head and grit his teeth. He had to mentally count to ten to calm himself down. If he shot them now, he’d get revenge but he wouldn’t have his justice.
“You gotta be shittin’ me. This is all because you want a little payback for what we did to you?” RIP chuckled. “You should be thanking us. You’ve probably been having the best goddamn orgasms of your life.”
Darren jerked his head to the side, signaling he wanted Tulsa to pull his gun back. When he did, Darren back-handed him hard enough to knock him to the side. “Help him up.”
“You hit like a little bitch,” RIP taunted him.
“You can call me all the names you want. I’m not going to kill you. Yet.” He pulled the baggie of pills from his pocket and took out three pills. “Open up.”
“What? You’re gonna make me take some EZ Lay?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve already had some. It’s good shit.”
“Open your fucking mouth.”
When RIP continued to refuse, Darren nodded at Tulsa. He got him in a headlock and torqued his head back while pinching his nose closed. His mouth automatically fell open and Darren dropped in three pills. He accepted the bottle of tequila someone was holding out and poured some in along with the pills. He handed off the bottle and slammed the man’s mouth shut while Tulsa continued to hold his nose. Left with no alternative, RIP had to swallow. Darren released him and stepped back to turn his attention on Crockett.
“You gonna give me as much trouble as he did?”
“No. What’s the point?” Crockett opened his mouth and tipped his head back, dry swallowing the pills.
“Now, we’re going for a ride.”
Tulsa and Lance hit both men over the back of the head with the butts of their guns. From there they hog tied them and tossed each one into the back of a different SUV.
Race clapped Darren on the shoulder. “Let’s go home, brother.”