Malverde 5

Book Three

Hondo stared at Hawkins and asked, “How are Cat and Wren doing? Are they okay?”

“It's been quiet for a while now and that’s just fine with us. Cat had twins and everyone is busy helping her take care of them. It is a joy though, so it’s not totally quiet.”

Hondo chuckled. “Babies. I look forward to that. I wish to be a grandpa. I never got to be with Solana when she was growing up.”

“I get it. I missed out on Catarina and I will always regret that.” Hawkins shook his head. “We earned a good retirement, Hondo. If these miscreants would just stay away from our kingdoms, we can then enjoy our families.”

Hondo looked angry. “We stop them cold, mi amigo. Protect what’s ours, like we always have.

.. That’s all.” Hondo’s phone rang. He turned and picked it up.

“Hola, Gusman.” He listened and then scowled.

“What do you mean?” He paused as he listened again.

“You are serious? Who is it?” Gusman spoke again.

“What? Then why would you...” He lowered the phone and stared at it.

“What is it?” Hawkins asked.

“I really don’t know. He said he wasn’t going to get involved in this and we shouldn’t either.”

“Involved?” Boots asked.

“Si, he said some big players are moving into place here soon and we need to stand down.”

Hawkins stood from the table. “The hell?”

Hondo shook his head and gazed up at him. “Not many groups scare Gusman but he warned us to stay home and leave this be.”

“The hell we will.” Hawkins growled.

Hondo slowly shook his head.

Hawkin’s phone rang and he picked it up.

“What is it?” As he listened, his eyes widened.

“Did they hurt anyone?” Listening, he sighed.

“How did they do that?” After a minute, he said, “You guys are not easy to jump. Ok, get back to the compound. We will see what we are up against.” He ended the call.

Hondo stared at him. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. Nash said these men in black balaclavas came out of nowhere and disarmed them?” He scoffed. “Brute and Titan are large men with skills, yet these guys wrestled them down and told them to go home.”

Hondo stared at him. “Cómo? De ninguna manera!” Then his phone rang.

He kept shaking his head as he tapped the screen.

“What?” He listened. “So they already took them? Si, si, get back here. We do not know what is happening now.” Ending the call, he looked up at Hawkins and Boots “When they got to the house where these friends of Wade’s live, the door was wide open and the place looked trashed. The men weren’t there.”

“So someone got to them before we did?” Hawkins asked as he looked perplexed.

Hondo shrugged. “I suppose? I do not know what is happening.”

“Did this friend of yours, this Gusman say who these big players were?” Hawkin asked.

“No, he did not. He seemed spooked and refused to talk any further about it.”

“Well, we don’t know if this supposed group is any better.” Hawkins looked troubled.

“Perhaps we let them have it out and then deal with the winner,” Hondo suggested.

Hawkins looked angry. “Not sure if that is better. Whoever takes this over is stronger than what we were facing. If it was these Grimms, no one would be left alive.”

“Si, that is odd. These men are not harming, they are simply disabling our men.”

When Samuel, Walter and Zed came back, they looked as puzzled as the two older men felt.

“Did you see anyone around?” Hondo asked them.

“No,” Samuel replied. “The cars and trucks those bozos drive were still parked in the driveway, so they didn’t leave like that.”

“It looked like a battle took place,” Zed stated. “Like a struggle at least.”

“We sent Adlyn’s friends home,” Samuel added. “No one is safe until we know what is going on.”

The Men In Black...

The next morning, when Hawkins and Hondo sat with their coffee they got the news about Wade being missing from Samuel.

“How?” Hondo asked.

“The chains were cut and it happened within a ten minute time span,” Samuel explained. “They got him and got out real fast.”

“The hell is going on here?” Hawkins exclaimed.

“I wish I knew.” Hondo shook his head.

“Papa!” Zed called from the other room. “You’d better come see this.”

The men all got up from their chairs and went into the main room.

Zed was in front of his laptop. “Look what I caught on our hunting cameras.”

They all stood and looked at the screen.

At least ten men were moving through the backwoods about a half mile from the Inn. They held guns and rifles in their hands.

“Shit, we’d better get our weapons,” Hawkins said.

“Walter!” Hondo called out.

“Yeah, Papa?” He came into the room.

“Get our rifles, we will need to head these guys off before they—”

“Wait!” Zed called out. “Someone’s behind them.”

Hawkins and Hondo stepped back over to take a look.

Just like Zed had said. Men in black were steadily catching up to the men who planned to attack the Inn. They were soon right up on them. When the men carrying guns finally got wise, they turned to fire. Then men in black easily picked them off, one at a time.

The guys in the room simply stared as the men in black immediately grabbed the bodies up.

“Look...” Zed pointed at one of the dead men who hung over one of the men’s back. “It’s a Grimm vest he’s wearing.”

The men in black were so fast that they carried the Grimms away, out of camera range within two minutes.

“What the hell was that?” Hawkins asked.

“Our first true confirmation that someone is not in league with the Grimms,” Hondo said.

“All I know is they kept them from the Inn,” Zed said.

“That’s what I don’t like. Not knowing.” Hawkins shook his head.

“Maybe it is some enemy that the Grimms have?” Samuel suggested.

“And they also took anyone dealing with the Grimms,” Walter added.

“That seems to be what has happened.” Hondo nodded “And do we know anything about Sheriff Rizzo?”

“Yeah, I expected him to be back today,” Hawkins said. “Then again, maybe he got his son free?”

“I don’t think so,” Samuel spoke up.

“Why?” Walter asked.

“They would have come back here with guns and a warrant for us by now.”

“Yeah, you gotta point there, kid,” Hawkins agreed.

“We just need to keep alert and see what happens,” Hondo said.

The man behind the Scenes...

“Everyone at the windows!” Hawkins said.

“We may have more to battle here.” Just then, his phone rang.

He tucked his rifle under his arm and answered it, “Now is not a good time. He paused. “What? You’re kidding.” He looked over at Hondo.

“I’ll tell them. Thanks man.” He lowered his phone and stared at Hondo.

“Well, you ain't going to believe this.”

“Dios mío, esto ha sido inexplicable,” None of this is believable. Hondo said. “So, I don’t know about that, my friend. I might after the last few days.”

“Tell us it is good news!” Samuel said.

Hawkins shook his head. “I think it is?”

“You think?” Hondo asked.

“Well, they are just sitting in the SUVs,” Walter said.

“What the hell?” Zed exclaimed as he stared at his laptop screen.

“What’s happening?” Hondo asked him.

“I-I don’t...” Zed shook his head.

“Hello, can you see me?” a voice came from the laptop speaker.

“Uh.. yes?” Zed replied.

“Can I speak to Mr. Hondo Meran, please?”

Zed nodded as he looked up at his father.

Hondo scooted his chair over and peered at the screen.

“Mr. Meran, we are sorry about the interruption. However, I need to ask you to lay down your weapons. The men at your door are not here for you.”

Hondo kept shaking his head.

“We apologize for the undercover work,” the man on the screen said. “Although, we had no choice.”

Hawkins came over and got in front of the screen. “Mr. Jessin told us that you are Bratva?”

“Da, we are.”

“So why are the Bratva in Minnefuckingsota, of all places?” Hawkins asked.

“Minne...” The man on the screen chuckled. “You must be Mr. Hawkins with the Rogues Of Hell MC.”

“Yeah and the Merans are part of my family,” Hawkins added.

“Ahh, I see,” the man replied. “Well, my name is Sergi Constantine. It is nice to meet you.”

Hondo shook his head. “This is an odd way to introduce yourself, Mr....” Hondo suddenly realized the name he’d used. “The leader of the Russian Bratva himself?” He looked stunned.

Sergi nodded. “Da, it is me. We beg pardon for the interference but alas, we have been chasing the Grimms for a month. My men followed them to your area. They then apprehended everyone involved with them. We know those other men in your town were bad just by association.”

“Si, Senor Constantine, they were.” Hondo nodded.

“So, it was your men all along?” Hawkins asked. “We need to be sure as you can understand.”

“My Ghost team got the Grimms behind your Inn,” Sergi explained. “They also picked up Mr. Badlawman Rizzo and his deadbeat deputies.” Sergi snickered. “They are loudmouth men at best. Yet, they have nothing intelligent to say.”

“That’s them alright,” Hawkins snorted.

“Oh and his son, this um, Wade?” Sergi said as he shook his head.

“He too, never shuts up even though he has pneumonia at present. No matter, it is best he acclimates as Siberia will be no picnic. Then we have several others. We only got lucky when we saw the Luca Cartel arrive there. This faction has been laying down drug routes all over the US.”

“Wow, so you have cleaned up, so to speak,” Zed commented.

“Da, we have. See, we do best by being invisible and that is why we did not show ourselves to you. We actually could not do that until the area was... cleaned up as you say. It is my Nomads outside your door presently and they will not bother you.”

“What Nomads?” Cameron asked from the window as he stared out at the now clean driveway. “They’re gone along with all the wreckage.” He looked over at his father and brothers. “Like all of it is gone.”

“Da, it is what they do,” Sergi said.

Parts of book Four- Zed...