Red Rides and Retribution

A/N: It's been a while. I don't want to bore my readers with a sad story about my struggles with depression. I would rather say I'm almost back on an even keel again. Please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter ten

Lisbon scowled at Cho across the dark oak desk. "There is no way in hell I will agree to being your second."

Cho shrugged. "I'm older, with more experience."

Lisbon glared at him. "I've killed more men than any woman you've ever met."

The argument raged on, but Jane was ignoring it. The territory was on lockdown, and had been for the last twelve hours. It was light outside, but you wouldn't think that in this dark, dingy room at the back of a bar. The two gang leaders had been arguing since Cho had arrived in Lisbon's bar four hours earlier.

Jane looked hard at the picture of his wife. "Teresa," he said softly, catching the attention of the two gang leaders. "Did you ever meet Angela?"

Lisbon nodded. "We had often met her in Grace's salon. She knew most of us, even just superficially."

Jane nodded. "So there was no way any of you would have killed her."

Cho frowned. "She was neutral territory. A civilian we all liked. We have no problem killing each other, but we generally don't target the innocent." He glanced at Lisbon. "At least, my men don't. I can't speak for my counterpart."

That counterpart scowled. "Stop baiting me, Kimball." She turned back to Jane. "No, we generally leave the innocent alone. Why?"

Jane picked up the crumpled photograph. "Both of you say you leave innocents alone. Both of you have a tight hold on your gangs, am I correct?" both leaders nodded. "So, who killed my wife?"

Cho and Lisbon both frowned. "What are you getting at, Patrick?" Cho sat down in front of Lisbon's desk and folded his arms.

Jane shrugged. "If any of your men had killed her, you both would have found out. Angela was clearly loved, so you would have dealt with the killer as you guys know how."

Lisbon nodded in agreement. "Both of us would have personally killed him for you."

Jane nodded. "Exactly. And yet, no-one was found. Nobody came forward and admitted the killing. Nobody saw any person who was in a gang shoot my wife. Not even your own informants."

Lisbon sat, and turned to Cho. "He's right, you know. I haven't heard anything in five years."

Cho shook his head. "This can really mean only one thing." He turned to face Jane. "That theory, the outside party, that fits the crime."

Jane nodded. "Angela spent a long time in your territories. The killer must have misread the situation, and assumed she was in a gang. They killed her to start a gang war."

Lisbon abruptly stood up. "And incorrectly assumed we would retaliate against the opposite gang, depending on whose gang she was in. Except," she turned to Cho, "we didn't. She was a neutral, and we looked within our own ranks, but discovered nothing. So life continued."

Jane nodded absently. "The cop told me he had witnesses who could place your people at the scene, and they were trying to narrow down which gang was responsible."

Cho froze. "The cop told you that?"

Jane frowned. "You think he was lying?"

Lisbon shrugged. "We aren't sure. The police aren't exactly jumping to investigate crime in our territories, and as you pointed out, we usually police ourselves in any case."

Jane stood up and paced the length of the dark room. "Exactly. I didn't think anything of it at the time. But now, it's suspicious how eager he was for me to press charges against both gangs for the murder, regardless of the lack of evidence."

Cho looked at Lisbon. "When this territory dispute is ironed out, we will help you find the bastard who killed her."

Lisbon nodded, and Jane smiled.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

The bikes entered the territories at sunset a day later. The men Lisbon and Cho had placed in strategic points in the territories reported a mix of both colours – estimating about forty bikes in total – and said the group split at the park; green bikes went east, black bikes went west. It appeared the showdown was about to begin.

Cho and Lisbon were back in their territories, and waited as the bikes drew closer. It appeared their unknown enemy was targeting their bases; the respective bars in each territory. Lisbon had her men stationed in the houses surrounding the bar, ready to ambush the men who had come to claim her territory. At Jane's advice, Cho had done the same thing.

The gangs were ready.

In Outbacker territory, Lisbon hunkered down in the doorway of her bar. She was ready to face the enemy. Rigger was with her men, ready to ambush and kill. They wanted to keep what was theirs. The black bikes drew to a stop opposite the bar, and the leader leveled a gun at the building behind her. Lisbon ducked down, and heard the windows above her head begin to shatter. The sound of gunfire was persistent, and she smiled.

Jane had been right; there was no way Cho would have fired in such a predictable way. It would have given away the position of his men, making them easy targets. The shooting stopped, and Lisbon stood up, pulling out her gun. She was taking a risk, but she didn't care. Not when these men were after everything she had worked to build.

She began to fire, hitting the leader and knocking him from his bike. The rest of the group turned to where she stood, and pulled out their own weapons.

Another mistake. One should always be armed and ready.

That was the cue for her men to join her. Being blood loyal wasn't just about dying for your comrade; it was killing for them too. The doors on either side of the bar swung open, and bullets began to rain towards the offending men. They had no hope of escape, or even of hitting those who were shooting them. A few of their bullets went wide as the bodies began to fall. Soon, the entire group was down. Lisbon raised her hand, and the gunfire ceased. "Rigger, get my men out of here."

Rigsby nodded, and lead the gang out of the area. They would congregate at a predetermined location and assess damages.

Only Lisbon was left. She walked down the stairs and headed towards the group. Twenty men lay on the street in front of her bar. Some were dead, some weren't. By blind luck, the leader was still living. Lisbon knelt down next to him, and smiled. She recognised the man as one of hers. It appeared she had a traitor after all. Lisbon smiled down at the low level drug dealer. "Showtime, did you really think this would work?"

Kirkland grinned, his teeth red with blood. Lisbon's bullet had punctured his lung, and he was drowning in his own blood. "I never liked working for a woman."

Lisbon shook her head. "Who put you up to this, Bob?"

Kirkland smiled again, but took a bubbling breath. "Why should I… tell you?"

Lisbon kept smiling, and shot his knee. The scream of agony trailed off into ragged sobs and the man reached for his damaged leg. "I can keep you alive for weeks, and you know it."
Kirkland looked less sure, and was trying to clutch his shattered kneecap in bloody hands. "He will kill… me if… I tell you."

Lisbon shrugged. "Why worry? You're dying anyway."

Kirkland thought for a moment, and nodded. "Blood loyal. He knows… we're blood loyal."

Lisbon touched the man's cheek gently. "Who does?"

Kirkland took another shallow gasp, and the blood dripped from his mouth onto Lisbon's hand. "Chief…"

Lisbon froze as the man took his last breath, his body going limp at her feet. The gang leader stood up and shut her eyes. There was only one chief she knew of, and he was a police chief with the South Sacramento Police Department. He was a regular in her territory, always trying to pick her guys up for minor crimes. He had even arrested Rigger for jaywalking. He was persistent in his ideas that Lisbon's men could be arrested and implicated in virtually any crime committed in the area.

Lisbon walked through the rest of the group, seeing who else had been turned, and only recognised three more. The men who were still living met a swift death; Lisbon had no more time for games.

Lisbon strode to her bar and headed around the back. She climbed onto her bike and revved the engine to life. She headed to the meeting location, mulling over the information she had uncovered.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Cho was pinned. He poked his head up, and fired off a few rounds, before ducking under another barrage of gunfire. The attackers had them surrounded, and were trying to take the bar. There was no way in hell Cho would allow that. He waited for the shots to stop, and poked his head up again. He fired off a few more rounds, hitting several people, and ducked back down.

His cell phone rang, and he scowled at the caller ID. "Teresa, this had better be good."

Cho reloaded his gun, and fired again. "Cho, we know who is behind this."

Cho ducked down. "Who?"

"Chief McAllister."

Cho scowled, and took a few more shots at the attacking men. "Useless information right now. We're pinned. They surrounded us and ambushed us."

Lisbon didn't say anything for two beats. "We're on our way."

Cho continued to hold off the men on his side of the bar, but knew they were losing ground. It appeared the men had predicted the ambush, and so had performed what could only be described as a counter-ambush. Cho killed three more men, but knew they were closing in on him.

A loud series of bangs had him grinning. Abbott had obviously brought Big Bessie to the fight. The shotgun was loud, and violent. If anything would turn the tide of a fight, it was Big Bessie. The shots continued to go off, and Cho joined in. The enemy was hiding, and Cho suspected they had men working on the inside. That was the only way they would have known so much. He had a mole, and that mole would die. Cho was sure of that.

A second noise filled the spaces between the gunfire; the throaty roar of a motorcycle engine. Not one engine, ten engines. The cavalry had arrived. It appeared Lisbon was holding true to her word after all. The petite woman swung off of her cycle and began to open fire on the men who were attacking Cho and the Blood Guns.

The rest of the group she had brought followed suit. Thirty seconds passed, and the shots ceased. Cho stood up, and headed down the stairs of his shredded bar. He stuck out his hand. "Free passage?"

Lisbon looked up at him, lifted her gun, and fired over his head. Cho ducked, and swung around to face the bar. A body thumped to the asphalt in front of him, and he turned to face Lisbon again. Lisbon stuck out her hand again. "Free passage."

The grasped elbows in the age-old hold of warriors. In this world, loyalty was a rare commodity. And both leaders now had each other's.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon looked down at the men who lay dead around the bar Cho had been defending. "Do you recognise any?"

Cho nodded. "Three, low level. I suspect McAllister turned them with the promise of a higher position in his new gang."

Lisbon nodded. "Now what?"

Cho jerked his head, and his men began to clear the bodies off the street. From behind them came a pale Jane, who averted his gaze from the dead. "If you know who is behind this, I suggest you attack, and soon. He won't be expecting such a swift retaliation."

Lisbon nodded, and the two leaders made a phone call each. It was time to stop the carnage.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Jane was escorted back home by two men, one from each gang. He wanted no further part of the violence that would happen that night. It was time for Cho and Lisbon to sort out their differences. He shut his front door and slid down the wall beside the door. The last few days had been a rollercoaster of emotions and sensations. He had enjoyed the thrill, the excitement, and realised the adrenalin rush was addictive. Now that it was wearing off, he was exhausted.

Jane yawned, and shut his eyes. He would catch a few moments sleep, and then get up and go to bed. Just a few moments…

His eyes fluttered shut, and he rolled onto his side, asleep before his face hit the plush carpet.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Lisbon and Cho both entered the warehouse together, and slit up. Their target was the office at the far end of the huge space. People they had spoken to had indicated the group had originated from this warehouse. It was time to finish this.

They both reached the office, Lisbon having noted a police cruiser parked nearby. McAllister had to be there still, since he wasn't with the men who had been killed by the two gangs. They looked at each other, and then both kicked the door in front of them. The door flew open, and the man inside jerked to his feet. It was the police chief, and he blinked in surprise. "How did you find me?" he blurted.

Lisbon grinned. "You left behind a trail."

McAllister scowled. "Not even my colleagues tracked this back to me."

Cho shrugged. "They were asking the wrong questions."

The police chief shook his head. "I assume my teams failed. That's what happens when you send fools to do a man's work."

Lisbon shook her head. "No, your plan was good. Get the big, bad gangs to take each other out, and then quietly move in and take over their contacts and resources."

Cho nodded. "I agree. It's clever." He pulled out a gun and leveled it on the officer. "Too bad we guessed it before you could kill us both."

McAllister sat back down. "I don't know what you mean."

Lisbon tossed a photo onto the desk. It was the one Jane had given her. "You killed this woman, five years ago."

McAllister picked up the picture, and smiled. "Ah, yes, Angela Jane." He dropped the picture back onto the desk. "Her swindling thief of a husband conned my family out of thousands of dollars. It seemed fitting to return the favour. And if it started the perfect gang war," the man shrugged, an unrepentant grin on his face, "then so be it."

Lisbon knew what Jane had done before insurance; the man had told her himself late one night while drinking with her in her office. McAllister moved to get up, but Lisbon pulled out her own gun. "Stay there."

McAllister continued to grin. "You wouldn't shoot me. Ballistics would match the bullets to you, and you would be arrested anyway."

Lisbon glanced at Cho, who smiled. The chilling smile reminded Lisbon of a shark, and she looked back at McAllister. "Actually, the bullets will match back to the guns of two men you were associated with. Your colleagues would assume you fell out with them, and they killed you."

McAllister went pale, but it was too late. Both gang leaders opened fire, riddling the police chief with bullet holes. The body slumped back into the chair. Cho and Lisbon turned to each other, shook hands, and headed out of the warehouse together.

They wiped the guns, and disposed of them in a nearby dumpster. It was time to mend fences.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

What felt like moments later, Jane's cell phone rang. He sat up and answered it. "Patrick."

"It's Teresa. We got the bastard."

Jane pushed himself to his feet. "Dead?"

Lisbon sighed. "A cop killed her, Patrick. We killed him." There was a pause. "Thank you."

Jane smiled. "Teresa, if you ever need any help, you know where to find me."

Lisbon laughed. "We should be okay for now, Patrick. But if we ever need the help, I will be sure to call in the favour."

Jane grinned as the call ended. The time for justice was over. Now, it was time to mourn the woman he had loved and lost. He could do nothing else.

Epilogue

Three months later

Jane sat at his desk. His mandatory leave was over, and he was back to selling insurance. It had been all over the news, the death of a South Sacramento police chief. It had been assumed he had been killed by two informants who had turned on him. Jane knew the truth, and had thanked Teresa Lisbon and Kimball Cho for their work. Jane had been to Angela's grave, told her tombstone what had happened. He missed his wife, but it was time to move forward.

Lisbon had told Jane she and Cho were combining the territories, and working as joint leaders to run their new land effectively. They were running under a new name; Outback Gunners.

A shadow passed over his desk as he thought about the most dangerous woman he had ever met, and he looked up to see Erica Flynn standing next to him. She held a package, and appeared perplexed. "Patrick, this just came for you."

She placed the package on top of his paperwork, and hovered curiously nearby. Jane cut the tape, and pulled the lid off the box.

Inside were a shiny motorcycle helmet, and a leather jacket. Embroidered on the back was a silver gun, surrounded by a green circle. There was still a bullet hole over the heart, and Jane grinned. That had to be Cho's influence. The man could be stubborn.

There was a note in the bottom of the box. Jane opened it.

'Dear Patrick,
Cho and I would like to extend our greatest invitations to you to become a part of our new business. We figured you were unhappy in insurance, and needed a change.
Besides, your skills would greatly benefit a business that is looking to expand beyond known boundaries.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Teresa.'

Jane stood up and turned to Erica. "Is the person who delivered this still here?"

Erica glanced towards the elevator, and nodded. "She said she was awaiting your answer." Erica leant closer, and rested her hand on his shoulder. "She looks kind of scary, so be careful."

Jane grinned, and unbuttoned his suit jacket. "Tell Minelli I will send in my immediate resignation tomorrow morning."

Erica was speechless as Jane pulled the jacket off and dropped it at her feet. The tie followed, and he pulled on the leather jacket. "Mr Jane! Mr Jane! Patrick!" Erica was running after the man as he strode through the office to the doorway. He didn't look back, and came face to face with Lisbon as she waited patiently in the foyer on their floor.

Lisbon grinned. "Cho said you might say that."

Jane smiled down at the woman in front of him. "It's about time I got out of insurance anyway. Too much competition."

Lisbon raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of competition, that woman is getting close to catching my new security advisor and dragging him away."

Jane glanced over his shoulder at Erica, and shrugged. He then faced Lisbon again. In one move, he bent down and pressed a heated kiss to her lips. Lisbon gasped, but didn't pull away. Jane straightened, picking up the helmet and holding out his hand to Lisbon. "You ready, boss?"

Lisbon nodded and took the proffered hand, her face flushed.

Jane followed the woman from the building. He didn't care that he had left everything he knew behind. He had lived wild before, and would do so again. Whether carnival or biker gang, Jane understood the loyalty. He relished it, and looked forward to the excitement of his life ahead of him. Charlotte was happy to stay in New York with relatives on a permanent basis, and so Jane was free to pursue his new life; a freedom Jane looked forward to with ever fibre in his body.

A/N2: thank you for reading. I look forward to any reviews.

Until next time

SJ