DAX
Walking into my closet with a towel wrapped around my hair I pulled all the clothes in the very back to the side showing my gun safe.
Swiftly I unlocked it and took stock of what I had available to me even though I knew every single item in here like the back of my hand.
Pulling out my favorite pair of Smith & Wesson handguns I pulled the slide back double checking there was one in the chamber.
Setting them aside I pulled on my black jeans and a simple black t-shirt.
Slipping on the shoulder holster I made sure it was adjusted so it wouldn’t flop around under my jacket.
Then I put on my thigh holster that would hold my second gun and two knives.
Grabbing two extra clips for each gun I packed those into the pouch on the small of my back.
Finishing off I slipped on fingerless gloves that had metal reinforcements on the knuckles.
Snatching up my steel toed combat boots I glared down at the monitor on my ankle cursing its existence. Reaching into my nightstand I pulled out my inner ear piece that Weston would be able to connect to with his phone. I hit his speed dial and it took three rings for him to answer.
“I need you to pull up the tracker on Harper and tell me where she is. Then I need you to look up everything you know about the drug dealer Little Finger and if he has ties to the De Leon cartel or the Mad Dog’s,” I instructed as I shrugged on my leather jacket.
“Care to give me a hint on what’s got you in Terminator mode?” Wes asked as I could hear him typing.
“Seems that we have a leak in the boat and someone came up with the bright idea to go after Harper to get to me. Oh and tell Eagle that the deal is on. Now that the De Léon cartel and Mastiff have joined forces against Tricks we are gonna need all the help we can get,” I answered, hurrying down the stairs. “Got a location for me yet?”
“Yeah looks like she’s at home, I’m checking her security real quick to make sure she doesn’t have any unwanted company,” Wes said.
I knew this day would come and in preparation I made sure that I had eyes and ears on Harper at all times.
Under the gauze of needing a person to practice piercing I put a tracker in the jewelry I used.
Thankfully your conch wasn’t something you changed the stud on often.
Wes also talked her into letting him set up her home security so we could set it up with two systems one for us and the other that she could use like normal.
Harper was far too pure and trusting to land in this darkness and I would be damned if anyone fucked that up for her.
“I got six guys at the house, it looks like Harper is tied to a chair in her kitchen. With the state of the house she didn’t go down without a fight.
Those self defense classes you gave her might be the only reason they didn’t get a chance to take her from the house yet,” Wes relayed.
“Two are talking to her in the kitchen while the others are guarding the front and back doors. When you hit the house be ready for a real fight on your hands because these guys look professional.”
“Got it. I’m sending you the address for the location they were supposed to bring her once caught. I’ll check back in once I’ve got Harper,” I said hanging up and hitting the button for the garage door.
Seeing Picasso already there leaning against his bike I raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t really think I was going to let you go on your own to deal with this did you?” He challenged me.
Grabbing my helmet off the shelf I tucked it under my arm as I walked over to him. “After the display down in the basement I wasn’t sure you would even still be here if I’m being honest. Thought I might have pushed you too far out of your rose colored world.”
“Dax I’m not blind I just choose not to let the evil in this world get its claws deeper into my life then I have to. Respecting life shouldn’t be seen as a weakness,” Picasso said with a shrug.
“If you're going to play in my world, it is. So either find your balls and get the fuck on the band wagon or go home. I can’t worry about keeping you alive when Harper is my priority,” I snapped pulling on my helmet ending the discussion.
Seconds later I was flying full throttle though the city streets of LA weaving around cars, ignoring stop lights, and praying that I wouldn’t be too late.
My hope was that they would see her value in drawing me out and not trying to get information out of her.
I still had the element of surprise on my side, they had no clue about her added security that was strictly known between Wes and I.
Picasso was right on my heels leaving me impressed that he had the guts to pull the reckless shit I did.
What normally was a thirty min drive was cut down to fifteen after disregarding all traffic laws.
As we got to her neighborhood I made sure to park two streets over killing the engine as we coasted closer.
Thankfully she lived off a busier street so hearing traffic at this time of night wasn’t as noticeable.
Stashing my helmet I pulled one of my guns as I waited for Picasso to join me.
I was pleased when I saw he too had a gun in his grip as well.
Maybe there is a chance he can survive this war.
I motioned for him to follow me as we headed for the back of the house.
Harper was lucky enough to get this amazing bungalow with an upper loft that she inherited from her grandparents.
Even better it had a large yard with a bunch of fruit trees on the property to give us coverage.
Once in the trees and as close as we could get I reached up to my ear piece and tapped it twice.
“Go ahead, I cut the motion sensors and the flood light to the backyard. The window sensors say that her bedroom window is open. The guys inside haven’t changed positions,” Wes informed me.
Tapping the ear piece again I turned to Picasso.
“I’m going in through her bedroom window upstairs.
When I get the drop on the guys by the front door that will draw the rest of them so you can sneak in the back door and get Harper the hell out of there.
Take her back to the compound and I’ll catch up with you guys once I deal with these assholes. ”
“Fuck Dax, you can’t take them all on, that suicidal,” Picasso hissed.
“That’s the plan if you don’t like it then leave now but I’m going to save my best friend,” I growled and headed off.
Keeping to the shadows I followed along the trees as far as they would take me.
Thankfully the moon wasn’t very bright and I didn’t have to worry about the floodlights turning on.
Darting to the bushes that edged the house I climbed the ivy covered lattice up to the second floor.
There was a small overhang just under Harper’s bedroom window giving me a perch to stand on as I used my knife to pop out her screen.
Dropping to the floor in her room I stashed the knife and pulled my gun once again.
Crouched low I moved my way across the room until I could peer through the railing of the stairs to see two guys in suits with guns watching the front of the house.
The way the house was set up everything on the first level was a fairly open concept with the kitchen as the central location.
Ever so slowly I stood, took aim and shot the first guy quickly followed by the second, both head shots.
“Fuck someone’s in the house,” one guy called rushing into the living room and I picked him off next.
“Second floor!”
A shot went off and I got clipped on the left thigh from one of them hiding behind the couch.
It wasn’t a great angle which is what saved me from getting shot worse.
Returning fire I got him in the shoulder but he ducked down before I could get off a second shot.
I knew I needed to move now that they knew I was up here.
Sliding down the wall I crouched and hobbled down the stairs as my leg burned with the skin getting pulled around the wound.
When I reached the landing that would put me right out in the open.
I took a few deep breaths and dashed forward vaulting over the railing as two more shots were fired.
I landed and rolled out of the way and behind a large overstuffed armchair that had been knocked over.
Peeking out I saw the guy behind the couch pop his head up and this time I didn’t miss my mark. Four down two to go.
“Dax I presume,” A voice called out from the direction of the back sunroom.
Shifting I darted over to hide behind the love seat that gave me a better angle to see who was talking.
There I found standing with a gun to Harper’s head a large bald man dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and leather vest. The patch on his cut told me he was part of the Mad Dog’s MC confirming what the dead guy in my basement said.
Harper was in her pajamas the oversized shirt falling off one shoulder where it was torn. She had a black eye and a split lip causing my anger to ratchet up to an even higher level. There would be no survivors tonight.
“Come on out now, I’ve traveled so far in the hopes of meeting you Dax. The least you can do is have a chat with me, or do you need more motivation?” The man said jerking his head at someone I couldn’t see.
An equally substantial man with a mullet dragged an unconscious Picasso by the back of his shirt with a large revolver in the other hand. Did the Mad Dog’s only recruit giants? These assholes were ridiculous.
“Still not enough? Alright then, on the count of three I’ll shoot one of them in the head, but I’m not going to tell you which one,” The bald man taunted.
“One…Two…”
Gritting my teeth so hard my jaw started to ache I stood up from behind the love seat gun at the ready.
A smile broke out over the bald man’s face as he took me in. “Pint-sized and deadly just as described. I have to say it’s a real honor to meet you, I’m a huge fan of your work. See I’m an enforcer as well, names Doc.”