Chapter 1 #2
“Yep. Sure does. As in it’s the same person we’ve been waiting to take down.”
“Well, shit. That’s good news, I guess,” Slash said. “Then we can move on to someone else. I’m tired of this slippery bitch getting away with stuff.”
The slippery bitch in question was a truly vile human being.
She trafficked women and children across the globe, treating them as if they were prized animals at her disposal.
Traffickers were fucked up people in general.
But seeing a woman step into the role was an entirely different level of wrong.
Carver had been after her for several months. They’d worked on other missions during that time, each one a time filler as they built up the intel needed to take down Mordecai.
“Do you know why Tank is after her too?”
Trix nodded. “From the looks of it, all this started because they got a client who was connected to The Gilded Ones. We know Mordecai is part of that lot too. Tank and his NightShade guys have been taking out some of the players in TGO. It’s gained attention from inside the cesspool.”
“And now they're going after him and his men, right?” Carver questioned.
“Got it in one!” He got a finger gun confirmation from Trix.
Slayer groaned at the motion, then stepped forward and placed his hands on the island. “Enough with the theatrics. Does this mean we get to go hunting? I haven’t had any fun lately.”
“You’ll get your fun when the boss says you do, asshole. Let’s get back on track. Trix, can you give us an ETA on this stuff? Are we looking at a call next week or next month?”
“Actually, more like…” A ringing cut him off.
“Now,” Carver said as he turned his phone to show the group Tank was calling him.
He picked up his beer, then made his way to the office space he had on the ground floor.
It wasn’t a big area. Just enough for a desk and some bookshelves to hold the club business records.
Carver so rarely spent time in the space that he didn’t feel the need to make it more than a glorified storage room.
“To what do I owe the honor of hearing from you, Tank?” He said as he pushed his door closed.
The others would get an update once he knew the basics of what Tank wanted from them.
It was always best to keep contact with Tank and the others to a minimum.
Carver had no doubt the other man would try to poach his men.
Tank sighed. The sound was filled with enough frustration to clue Carver in to how bad things were. Even though Trix hadn’t given him a ton of detail, it became obvious with the prolonged silence between them how bad things had gotten.
“Butcher,” Tank said, using the nickname he’d earned from those not in the club after several particularly brutal kills. “I need to ask a favor.”
“A favor, huh? What is it you need?”
“One of mine has been taken. We need him back as soon as possible.”
Carver frowned. “One of your guys? How the hell did that happen?”
“Not one of my staff. Archie is married to Takeshi, which makes him one of mine by proxy,” Tank amended.
“Takeshi got married? Didn’t see that coming. What can you tell me about things?”
Tank broke down what they knew, which wasn’t all that much. As he spoke, Carver went over the bit of information he knew about Mordecai from his side of things. His friend didn’t have near the same level of intel, though Carver wasn’t going to tell him such. It would all come out in the end.
“Let me get back to you in just a few. I need to check on one thing before I confirm,” Carver told him once Tank finished his spiel. “Oh, and Tank?”
“Yeah?”
“This is going to be a three-favor deal. Because this isn’t just you I’m helping. It covers Takeshi and his husband too. Three people helped is three favors owed. Deal?”
“Fuuuckkkkk,” Tank groaned.
Carver chuckled at the sound. Everyone who’d ever done a favor for him knew if he called it in, then there would be some serious work ahead. His requests were never simple.
“Deal or no, Tank? I’ve got club business to take care of.”
Only a partial lie. There was always club business to handle. He was merely exaggerating for the sake of getting the man to agree.
With Mordecai having Takeshi's husband in her grasp, they had to work quickly to get him back. Her timeline from acquisition to export was fairly rapid. It wouldn’t be long before she had a buyer and was ready to get him on a ship out of the States.
“Deal. I need an answer today, Butcher. If you can’t handle it, I need to hit up my next contact to track her down.”
Carver scoffed. “I can handle it. Don’t worry about that. I merely want to check one thing first.”
Tank hummed on the line before giving a curt goodbye. Carver immediately dialed Trix’s number. “Get in here,” he told the young man once the line connected.
He hung up and waited. It only took a minute for Trix to come bursting through the door. He dropped down into the empty chair on the other side of the desk.
“What’s up, Boss? Tank finally realized Memphis isn’t the be all end all in tech support?” Trix winked as he said the words even though Carver knew he was joking. Memphis Braxton was damn good with computers. He wouldn’t be with NightShade if he wasn't.
“Tank wants to call in a favor. Takeshi's husband, Archie, has been taken by Mordecai. They don’t have the resources to get him back alone. He’s asking us to handle it.”
“About fucking time! I’m so ready for this one. What do you need from me?”
“Do we have everything in place to get in there? Last I checked, her place rivaled ours in security. You made it seem like we don’t stand a chance at getting in.”
Trix shook his head. “We can’t get in quietly. If we’re going in guns blazing, then it’s no issue.”
Carver scowled at the man across from him. “Since when do we go in quietly?”
“Since there are hostages? I thought that was protocol.”
“Hostages? She’s got people on site at her place?
I thought you said she kept them all in separate locations,” he inquired, leaning forward onto the desk.
Nerves ran through him at the idea of Mordecai having people so close.
There was no doubt in his mind she’d be torturing them in the most heinous of ways.
Trix nodded slowly. “It’s both. I only recently discovered she has a big group of servants she’s trafficked. My guess is Archie is also at her place since he would be a higher value for her.”
“I’d agree.” Carver stroked his jaw, his mind moving at high speed as he went about developing a plan to take the hostages in.
It was never easy when innocent people were involved. They would need to be relocated to a safe place, ideally with someone equipped to give them a fresh start. He knew who could help him, though he wasn’t sure if they had the time to take the additional load on at the moment.
Picking up his phone, he ignored Trix’s curious gaze as he dialed the other person he needed to get on board if he was going to take on Tank’s mission. The phone rang twice, then a familiar Southern accent coasted over the line.
“Bellport,” they answered.
“Royce, it’s me, Carver.”
“I’m well aware who you are. What do you need?”
They were always straight to the point. It made for sometimes stilted conversation. Trix raised his brows at the abrupt reply from Royce. Carver realized his phone was loud enough to be heard in the small office space.
“You remember when we made that agreement a while back about helping people? I’d agreed to sending anyone your way that needed assistance beyond my scope.”
“I do recall such a conversation. Who and when?” There were clicking noises on the other end of the line. Carver suspected Royce would be making note of everything he said. They were meticulous that way.
“The specific number is unknown. We’re breaking up a trafficking operation. All I can say for now is that there are several survivors in her care.”
“Her?!” It was the first true emotion they’d given on the call. Carver could only imagine the expression they wore.
Fury filled the air despite Royce not being there. Their rage blasted across the phone line, enough that even Trix squirmed.
Carver replied, “Yes, her. A woman is the head of this one. As I said, we need to get the people—”
“To safety. I’m aware of what you need. Give me a few hours to set up a drop off location. I’ll text it to you, along with the pick-up point for the truck you’ll need.”
“You’re quick to agree.”
“Yes, well, I figured it’s what you want. No point in making you drag this out any longer. I have other business to attend to. I’ll be in touch.” With that, they hung up the phone.
Left to wonder what the hell that was all about, Carver decided it was best to move forward.
If Royce said they’d coordinate the transport and relocation of the survivors, then that’s what they’d do.
They had enough connections thanks to their family name that he understood they’d be able avoid a lot of the red tape the Angels of Ruin couldn’t.
It was one of the main reasons he’d called them.
Royce was in the business of taking care of things. Whether it was this or something more on the legal spectrum of things, they’d get it settled.
“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him,” Trix said with a sly grin.
Carver shook his head. “Them. You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting them.”
“Ah, I see. They/them. Got it. Still want to meet them though.”
His wink made Carver roll his eyes. Trix was such a fucking hellion sometimes. If he wasn’t one of Carver’s favorite people, then he’d have sent him away a long time ago.
“You just earned yourself a spot here when it’s time to do the drop off,” Carver told him, his expression stern. “We’re not going to burn bridges because you can’t keep your dick in your pants.”
Trix was an equal opportunity lover. He didn’t care about gender or ethnicity the way some people had preferences. He claimed if the ‘vibe’ was right, then he was down to fuck.
He pressed his hands to his chest as he widened his eyes. “Oh, boss. I’m so offended you think I would interrupt a mission with a booty call. I merely want to see if they’re as good looking as they sound.”
“They’re equally as gorgeous as they are handsome. That’s all you’re getting from me right now. Go tell Slash to grab Silver, Slayer, and Hex. We need to hold a meeting.”
The minute Trix left the room, Carver dialed Tank’s number. He answered on the second ring.
“Yes?”
“We’ll do it. I’ll be in touch when I have an update.”
Tank made a noise of frustration. “An update on what? When is it going down? Do my guys need to meet you?”
“If I needed you, then I’d say so. As of right now, what I need is for you to answer when I call. That’s it.” Having said all that was needed, Carver hung up the phone and left his office.
Church would involve the entire club. While they would absolutely bring everyone in later, he needed to meet with his top men first. It was pivotal they understood what was at stake.
He found the four of them waiting in the chapel. Moving to stand in front of them, he made sure to make eye contact with each man.
“Who’s ready to get in a bit of trouble?”