Disclaimer: I am in no way a part of or in ownership of anything related to the Sons of Anarchy or the Characters. I am not trying to make money now or in the future.
If foul language or explicit sexual content bothers you don't read any further.
Thanks to my awesome beta Cat.
Sapphires and Whiskey
Part 21 "Black Cloud"
Kate woke to an annoying beeping noise. She opened her eyes and suddenly remembered where she was. It happened this way almost every morning. Every night for the last three weeks she'd had nightmares. She'd wake herself up screaming, then toss and turn until the wee hours of the morning, when she would finally drift off to get a few hours of decent sleep.
It was slowly tearing her apart. Her dreams always included Alex, and always ended up the same with him lying in a pool of blood. She could never reach him, something held her back. Then she would hear Max's taunting voice "You have nothing now." The dreams had gotten worse, until many nights she fought off sleep in hope of avoiding the recurring nightmare.
She rolled out of the mess of covers and headed to the shower. She had a big day today, and wanted to play her part convincingly. She searched her closet for the right outfit and chose a black pant suit and paired it with a revealing white low cut shirt.
Before she dressed she took a pair of scissors and cut a small slit into the bottom of her lined bra. She took the flash drive she'd been hiding information on and slid it into the bra. It settled nicely under her breast, the padded bra hiding the lump of the flash drive. 'You never know what will happen.' Kate wanted to make sure it was safe.
She picked out jewelry to match her moonstone necklace, she never took it off. Her hand held it tight as she drew strength from her memories of Anna. She added high heel black mules to finish off the look. She was taking one last look in the mirror as a knock on her door announced it was time to leave.
She met Max in the foyer. He looked every inch the Russian Mob boss. He wore a silk black suit with a black dress shirt underneath. The top three buttons were undone showing part of his dragon tattoo off. Kate hated to admit, he was a very handsome man. His strength and virility poured off him in waves. Max knew it too. He had given her the same assessing look, and then smiled, "Katra."
He approached her pulling her into a long sultry kiss. He whispered into her ear. "If we didn't have pressing business I'd take you back upstairs right now." He accented the point by pushing his erection into her pelvis.
Kate played her part, her body a willing participant, her mind screaming traitor! She rubbed her hands across his chest and ran her fingers over his tattoo. "We should go. I can't be late for the appointment." She turned and walked away towards the door.
"You are fired up this morning, no?" He laughed a slow rumble escaping him as he enjoyed watching her walk away.
Max threw his arms around Kirill's shoulder, walking with him towards the door. His mood was exuberant; he was looking forward to seeing how Kate handled herself today at the Warf and in the meet later with the Germans and the Chinese. He felt confident she was truly becoming committed to him and this life. "Come Kirill. Today will be Katra's chance to prove herself. Watch her closely but give her some freedom. I want to see how she will handle it."
"You sure she is ready for this Max?" Kirill hated the woman and how she made Max weak. He'd rather she messed up and was locked into the cell for the rest of her life. He didn't trust her, she'd come around to fast. Max was blinded by his lust.
"Da, she will be fine. You will see." Max cuffed him playfully on the back of his head. They reached the limo and Max opened the door for Kate, ushering her in.
As they rode, Kate discussed the finer points of the shipment. She explained why she had to be there for the off load, and initial check by the port authorities. She was actually excited; it was the first time she'd been allowed to leave the mansion. Boredom and being closed in was getting old. This was another opportunity to let Max believe he had won.
Tig woke up in the same position he'd fallen asleep in. He heard a loud banging noise and realized that was what had woke him up. He heard the door handle rattle, and realized he'd locked his door last night.
"Shit, a 'right I'm awake!" He bellowed at the door.
An angry Clay bellowed right back. "Tigger! Get your ass up! Chapel, now!"
Tig threw an empty plastic beer bottle at the door. Clay answered with a final thump of his fist. Tig smiled, it felt good to be back and irritating Clay. He groaned as he rolled off the bed, and carefully put weight on his leg. He decided Chapel could wait, he needed a shower. He took a swallow of whiskey to kill some of the pain and got himself moving.
He walked into the clubhouse trying to get his sore leg to move more fluidly. It was still stiff and not cooperating this morning. Damned if he would let it show. He grabbed a muffin out of a paper bag, sitting on the bar. It was obvious Bobby had been baking. He washed it down with a beer. 'God that tastes good.'
Chapel was already in session. He dropped his cell phone into the box with everyone else's and opened the door. His took position in his usual seat, pushing his sore leg out in front of him. Clay gave him a thunderous expression, but said nothing.
Bobby was giving the lowdown on club expense accounts. 'Guess I didn't miss much. This is the usual mundane shit.' Tig's mind wandered thinking about how he was going to follow Lin to the meet. He wasn't letting this go; he would get to Kate somehow. If it meant leaving his cut behind, so be it.
Clay finally got to the Chinese and their meet with the Russians. "Lin was pretty closed mouthed about the actual day and time. He would only tell me he would call after the deal, and let me know if the bug worked. He was worried we would crash the party." Clay smiled and looked directly at Tig.
"So whatever it is you thought you were gonna do Tig, your gonna have to hold off. You gotta play this smart. We need more information before we go guns blazing. The club is in this with you brother, you're not going John fucking Wayne on this one." Clay spoke, his hands accentuating each word, ending by pointing at Tig.
"We need to play this smart. The ATF is still following us." Jax threw in his two cents, looking at Tig to make his point clear.
Tig just stared back at Clay and looked around the table at the rest of the guys. Jax was hitting a cigarette, making eye contact. Bobby was looking at him over his glasses, and Juice had his head resting on his arms looking sheepish. Piney was tearing apart a cigarette, smelling it. Opie just looked at Tig, and Chibs was staring at the table. Tig's gut burned, they weren't telling him something.
"A 'right. 'Preciate the support." Tig rubbed the bridge of his nose. What else could he do? He had to trust them, they were his family.
Clay pounded the gavel signifying the meeting was over. They all went out into the clubhouse, no one in a hurry to leave or to get to work. Chibs and Tig both opened new beers and grabbed another muffin.
Clay approached them, giving Tig a long hard look. "I am not happy you disobeyed me on this Tig. You are not ready to be out of the hospital. You just got out of a coma three days ago."
Tig smiled at Clay and took a long swallow of his beer. "I'm fine. I wasn't staying in that hole any longer."
"When I find out who sprang you there will be hell to pay." Clay gave Chibs a glare for good measure.
Chibs shrugged his shoulders and took a swig of his beer. "He wudd'a jus walked oot in that lovely hospital gown, sacarin' all the civis with his back side. Besides, you know Tigger don't listen."
"At least take it easy for a few days will ya?" Clay decided maybe asking instead of ordering would get Tig to listen.
"Ya a 'right." Tig was surprised that Clay had been so easy on him. Besides, he was already getting tired; he knew he had a long way to go to get stronger. It would be easy for him to follow Clay's wishes this time.
Clay turned back towards Tig and handed him a set of keys. "Almost forgot. These are yours, Rosen dropped 'em off a few days ago, he will be by later with the paper work for you to sign, to make it all official. He was able to push the deal through, if you know what I mean. You got that place north of town." Clay paused and lit a cigar. Between puffs he added, "That's some nice land."
Tig stood twirling the keys on his fingers, lost in his thoughts. 'Hell, I figured that deal had fallen through. Gemma must have told Clay about it.' Tig shook his head and dropped the keys in the chest pocket of his cut.
"Thanks." Tig didn't know what else to say, he was still reeling from the surprise.
"You stay out of the shop this week. I want you to heal. Get some rest and eat. You've lost a lot a weight." Clay stuck his finger into Tigs chest, careful not to hit near the wound, to get his point across.
"Yes, mother." Tig fired back sarcastically. He'd do what the hell he wanted anyway. Clay knew that.
Chibs snorted derisively, and shook his head at Tig. He backed up Clay on this one, "ya, know he's right. So suck it up an' behave."
Clay smiled, looking more feral than happy. He slapped Tig on the shoulder and turned to leave. "I got shit to take care of. God Damn paper work! Don't know how Gemma ever kept it all straight."
Tig finished off his beer in a couple of swallows and decided to take a ride. He went outside and found his Dyna parked in the usual spot. His helmet was in its usual position, but no keys were in the ignition. 'Fuck! Who's got my keys?'
Piney had seen Tig walk out to his bike. He knew what Tig wanted and grabbed the keys off a board in the office, then headed outside to give them to Tig.
"You might need these." Piney handed Tig his keys. Since the truth had landed about Donna they had rarely spoken. He'd never forgive Clay and Tig for their actions. He had a hard time looking at Tig without wanting to beat the shit out of him.
Tig looked at Piney, he knew how the old man felt about him. He couldn't blame him. He took the keys and nodded at Piney. "Thanks." He turned and saddled up on his bike. The engine roared to life and he pulled out of the lot and opened it up. It felt good to feel the wind again. He decided then to go check out his new place.
Tig drove down the side road towards his place. He noted with satisfaction there weren't many tire tracks on the dirt lane. Soft tufts of grass grew between the rut marks. He drove past his place and found two other small places about a half mile apart. There was plenty of space between him and his neighbors, good to know.
He turned around and headed back towards his house. Tig pulled into his driveway, shut off his bike and sat staring at the house. 'Well it isn't much but it's a start.' He dug the keys out of his pocket and headed for the front door.
'I smell fresh paint.' Tig walked through his place shocked and amazed. All the rooms had been painted. The bedroom had a king size bed and dresser in it. The bathroom had linens and a shower curtain. His living/dining room had a few assorted pieces of used furniture placed in all the right places. There was even an old TV sitting on a table. The kitchen had a fridge, a microwave and a stove. The cupboards held a small assortment of old plates and cooking pots. A couple of the drawers held utensils.
Out of curiosity Tig opened the fridge and found a 6 pack of Miller Lite, a pack of hot dogs, some buns and condiments. A card was placed inside the 6 pack. Tig reached in grabbed a beer and the card. He twisted off the cap and took a swig of his beer. Then he tore open the envelope and pulled the card out.
His hands shook a little. The front of the card said congratulations. He hesitated opening the card. It been a long time since anyone had done something this nice for him. He'd purposefully pulled back from these kind of things in life. It had become easy keeping things simple. It had hurt him more than he liked to admit, when he'd walked away from his two girls. He'd shied away from that 'normal' slice of life since then. Buying this house had been a huge step for him.
'Just open the fucking card, asshole.' He flipped it open and saw a short note on the blank half and a bunch of signatures on the other side. Tig read the note. 'We all decided to pitch in and get your place set up since you were laid up. You'll notice the furnishings have been used, but we cleaned em up real nice for you. Everyone pitched in and donated odds and ends of things, we hope you feel at home. Enjoy the beer and hot dogs for your first meal at home.
"Well hell, I didn't expect this." He slid the card onto the counter. Deciding that maybe he was hungry he pulled out the fixings for his hot dogs and nuked him a couple. He slapped them into a couple of buns, grabbed a couple of beers and went out the back door to soak up some sunshine. He smiled when he found an pair of old iron outdoor chairs, and a small round matching table, with a fresh coat of yellow paint on them. He sat in one of the chairs, it rocked gently as he settled in. It reminded him of his grandma's chairs she'd had on her front porch, where he'd played as a kid.
He ate, listening to the birds in the woods at the back of his lot. The sun soaked into his sore body, making him lethargic and relaxed. His mind wandered to Kate. He felt guilty, sitting here enjoying a lazy afternoon. He'd meant to be sharing this moment with her. He had some ideas about looking for leads to Kate. He was gonna start with the guy they'd met at that Hollywood party. He probably knew who Max was. Maybe he could get a lead from him. He texted Juice and told him to find the phone number and address for Stan Fields.
Kate walked brusquely up to the unloading dock. Their load had just been dropped. It was several pallets of innocent looking oil barrels. She immediately found the 'marked one' and led the port agent to the barrel. Kirill had joined her. She held out her hand, "let me borrow your knife Kirill." Kirill looked to Max and he shrugged, nodding his permission.
The agent was busy trying to figure out how to open this barrel style. Kate just interrupted him by stabbing the top of the barrel with her knife. The agent jumped back, surprised by her sudden action. Kate pulled the knife out and showed him the blade covered in oil. The agent shrugged his shoulders, signed the paperwork and handed it to Kate. He walked away shaking his head.
Kate wiped the blade off with a rag laying on one of the barrels and handed it back to Kirill handle first. Kirill's expression was priceless. Kate gave him a big smile and jumped down off the palette.
Max spoke to his Warehouse crew in Russian. They jumped into action, loading the palettes onto a truck. They would be delivered to the warehouse and opened there.
Kate stood by the limo, trying to calm her pulse down. She'd enjoyed the rush. Knowing she'd just pulled off a huge shipment of AK's through customs was crazy. Max had been unable to buy off the agent; he was new and very clean. He'd needed this to work.
Max was openly pleased with Kate's performance. He walked over to her when he was satisfied his shipment was safely on its way. "Well done Katra, you were magnificent." Max studied her face closely. Her eyes were bright, her skin flushed with excitement. "You enjoyed that, no?"
"Yes, I told you I wanted in, that I could hold up my end of the bargain." Kate held her chin up high and looked Max in the eyes. She heard Kirill snort in derision. Kate threw him a glare.
"Kirill I want you to go to warehouse and make sure the guns are ready for the meeting tonight. We will arrive an hour before the meeting. You know what to do." Max looked at his second with a withering glare.
Kirill shot a parting glance at Kate as he climbed into one of the trucks. She fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She really, really hated that guy. He was seriously creepy. He obviously had an issue with her.
"Come, we will celebrate and discuss the meeting tonight." Max grabbed Kate's elbow and ushered her into the limo. "Ivan, take us to my restaurant. Raise the privacy glass and do not lower it until we reach the restaurant."
Kate's pulse skipped a beat as the dark glass moved up towards the roof of the limo. She knew what was coming. She decided she would take control; it would help her solidify her cause. She slid off her blazer and unpinned her hair letting it fall freely. Max pulled her towards him, leaning in for a long hot kiss.
Kate lowered herself to the floorboard so that kneeling in front of Max. She unbuttoned his silk dress pants and pulled them down along with his underwear when he lifted his hips off the seat. She began teasing him with her tongue and rubbing him with her hands, cupping his balls and squeezing lightly. His hands roughly grabbed the back of her head forcing her to take him fully into her mouth.
She reached up and eased his hands from her head, "easy Max, give me some room to work." She slowly moved up and down his shaft, twirling circles with her tongue on his sensitive tip. His swift intake of breath, along with several Russian words Kate didn't recognize, let her know she was getting to him.
"Enough." Max didn't want to lose control too quickly, his body was in overdrive. He pulled Kate up onto his lap. He pulled her shirt up over her head and grabbed Kate's bra straps pulling them down, releasing her breasts as he played with them. Kate eased out of her pants and underwear, then pulled Max's blazer and shirt off in a flurry of movement and passion.
Kate's body was responding to Max, and the thrill of making him lose control had her blood boiling. Kate pulled up her mental wall and shut off her brain. She lost herself in the sensations, letting her body determine the outcome. She'd have time later to beat herself up for her body's betrayal of Alex.
Max lifted her hips and lowered her onto his erection. Kate placed her hands on the back of the seat above Max's shoulders for better leverage. She began moving up and down on Max's erection in a slow steady motion. He pulled her head down and began kissing her, mimicking the pace she had set with his tongue.
Soon Kate picked up the pace. A fire began spreading through her spiraling out along her limbs. Her legs began to feel weak, as the orgasm continued to build. Max grabbed her hips, arching his back off the seat, pumping his hips furiously.
He groaned as his orgasm built along with Kate's. "Look at me Katra, open your eyes." He held her head in place by gripping her hair at the nape of her neck.
Kate fought opening her eyes. She was afraid to lose her tenuous grip of control. She dipped her head forward letting her hair cover her face. Max yanked it hard backwards.
"Look at me!" He voice was hard and cold. "I want you to see me, not him."
Kate cried out in frustration, her body screaming for release as the walls of her resolve crumpled. She snapped her eyes open, seeing Max's cold blue green eyes staring at her. He gave a few more hard thrusts and came, "Who am I Katra? Who is fucking you now?"
The cruel words were like a slap. They took whatever enjoyment her body had been stealing from the encounter. She kept her eyes level on Max's and whispered, "Maximus." Her stomach clenched and dipped as she spoke his name.
As she withdrew from him and gathered her clothes she was lost in her thoughts. She knew she was treading in dangerous water. She had enjoyed the thrill at the Warf. Bringing in the AK's was a dangerous affair; she'd done it with ease. It was becoming increasingly harder to not be drawn to Max physically as well. 'I have to get away from him soon, or I will lose myself.'
Max studied Kate as she dressed. He watched her face noting it was void of any emotion. He knew he had startled her with his demand, but knew it had been a necessary cruelty. He wanted her to get pass any hurdles in her mind before he could completely trust her.
"We will be at the restaurant soon, you can freshen up there." Max pulled himself back together in crisp clean military fashion. He patted the seat next to him, "come, sit with me."
Kate obediently slid into the seat next to Max. He grabbed a bottle of Vodka from the bar and poured each of them a drink. He handed the tumbler to her and she shot it back in one swallow. "Easy Kitten, you will need your head clear later." He was laughing as he said it.
Kate let the burn of the alcohol distract her brain. She settled into Max's side and closed her eyes. 'Just a few more weeks Kate, you can do this.'
They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later. The privacy window lowered and Ivan's eyes made contact with Kate's in the rearview mirror briefly before he looked at Max. "I will pick you up at 4:30, da?"
"Da. Make sure you follow our protocol for a meet. No tails, no mistakes." Max trusted Ivan, but it never hurt to remind his men how important details were. Fewer mistakes were made this way.
Ivan exited the limo and walked around to let Max out. Max reached in and made a show of helping Kate out of the limo. She felt awkward. Sure that Ivan could smell the sex on both of them. His face was blank, no emotions were showing. Kate looked back over her shoulder at Ivan and he gave her a slight nod of encouragement. She wasn't sure why but it helped.
Kate studied the restaurant which was extremely busy. It was elegant, with an old world flavor. Strong deep reds, with white and gold accents dominated the theme. Antique plates with patterns adorned the tables. It felt warm and inviting, a total contrast to the cold that had crept into her bones.
They were led to a very private booth in the back of the room. Max stopped and spoke to several groups at various tables, making small talk. He never released Kate from his grip on her elbow, and introduced her as Katra to everyone in a very formal way. He was making it known she was his.
After they were seated Kate looked at Max and scathingly said. "Why don't you just unzip your pants right here and piss on me. You're just like a dog, marking his territory."
Max laughed and smiled at Kate. The smile didn't reach his cold eyes. "Katra, I told you. You are my woman. Now everyone will take notice. It is necessary. Let's not ruin a nice meal. Be good, no?"
"I need to freshen up." Kate gave a cold smile in return. To anyone watching they looked like a loving couple.
Max motioned to an older woman who was hovering nearby. "Bring us some Borsht to start with and then a few main dishes. You know what I like. Send Gisele to take Kate to the private restrooms."
Kate freshened up and returned to the booth. She picked sparingly at the food. She was feeling out of her element, her curiosity about the meet tonight making her nervous.
Max read her mood, understanding her unease. "Your role tonight will be simple. Watch and learn, follow my lead. You will be handling the money transfers. A computer will be ready for you when we arrive. We will be selling AK's to the Chinese and Germans." He nodded at her.
"You make it sound so simple." Kate pushed her plate away. She sat back and studied Max as he finished eating. He periodically scanned the room, his posture tall and straight with an air of formality. He was obviously at home in this environment. He looked at his watch, pushed his plate away and slit out of the booth.
He held his hand out to Kate, "it is time, come." The exited the restaurant through a back exit, into an alley. Ivan was waiting by the door of the limo. Inside three strange men were seated, each one nodded to Max as he sat. "This is Mikael, Lars and Urnst, they are my men."
They rode in silence to the meeting. Ivan spoke on the phone several times in Russian, so Kate could not follow the conversations. They arrived, pulling into the parking lot of what looked to be an old empty mill.
Max's men exited the limo quickly spreading out and posting guards at the entrance. Max held Kate back for a minute. He opened a hidden compartment next to the bar in the limo and pulled out a glock, and several clips. He checked out the gun with military precision, his movements crisp and experienced. Then he loaded the clip. He tucked the weapon into the back of his dress pants.
Kate grabbed at Max's arm as he went to exit the limo. "I don't want to go in unprotected Max, how about a gun for me?"
He hesitated looking at Kate intently. With a shrug of his shoulders he reached back into the compartment and drew a second glock out along with a clip. He held it out to Kate, "don't make me regret giving you this Katra."
Kate took the gun and clip. She quickly checked the gun mirroring Max's movements from before, and loaded the clip. She slid it into the back of her pants also.
Max grunted in amusement, "You are full of surprises Katra. Obviously you've handled guns before. Come, let's make some money." He exited the limo and helped Kate out.
Max led Kate into the building and headed down a dark corridor towards a blue steel door. Dim lights led the way through into a large room. She saw several wooden crates, tops off, the AK's visible. There were several long wooden tables set up in the middle of the room. A laptop computer sat on one. The only lighting in the room came from two large industrial lights shining down onto the tables.
Kirill walked into the light from the shadows along a far wall. He was smoking a cigarette. He took a long drag looking at Kate with his bright blue eyes. Kate just returned his stare, not letting him intimidate her. She took a deep breath steeling herself for what was to come.
Max pulled Kate off to the side, near a door which led to a small room. He opened the door, nodding in satisfaction. Inside was a small table and several chairs. There was another door on the far side of the room, he walked over and opened it up showing Kate it led to the outside. Their limo sat idling ready if anything went wrong. "Our escape route if things get ugly. If I tell you to leave, you go. No questions. I will not risk losing you. You understand, no?"
Kate nodded yes, not trusting her voice. Her pulse was racing. She felt the tick of her pulse in her neck, the excitement of the unknown heightening her senses. She heard the handle turn on the blue steel door then watched as the Chinese entered, followed by a woman and a man she figured were the Germans.
They were ushered into the middle of the large space near the lit tables. Kate studied the woman closely, something about her was familiar. It was hard to see her features in the dim lighting. The woman walked into the light from the overhead lamp. Kate stepped back into the shadows as her stomach did a hard flip. 'Oh my God! That's Stahl! The ATF agent.'
Max heard Kate's sharp intake of breath, and saw her step back into the shadows. She looked at him with wide luminous eyes. She shook her head slightly in a negative motion. He motioned to her with his hand to stop. She went completely still, not wanting to give any indication that something was wrong.
"Lin, you're guns are in this crate." Max motioned for Lin to approach the crate and check out his merchandise. "As soon as your payment reaches my account you may begin loading. Have your man send the payment now."
Lin motioned for his man who carried a laptop to come forward. He sat it down on the table and began typing furiously.
Max motioned for Kate to step forward and confirm the payment. Several tense minutes passed as they waited for the transfer to complete. Finally Kate saw the deposit hit the account. She nodded yes to Max.
Max motioned for the German's to approach. Kate moved towards Max, "trust me, they are not German buyers. They are ATF agents." She spoke low enough only he could hear her.
His only reaction was to raise an eyebrow. "Kirill, Mikael!" Max's men immediately stepped up behind the German pair. Max had pulled his handgun and leveled it at the man.
"Who the fuck are you?" Max kept his gun pointed at the man.
Kate took in the room in a quick glance. She reached behind her and slid the glock into her right hand, lowering it along her thigh keeping it partially hidden. Lin stood off the too the side in the shadows his men guarding him. He had two of his men loading the guns into duffels. The Germans looked at each other and shifted nervously, looking around the warehouse. Kate saw Ivan slip in from the room behind them, moving to get between Kate and the Chinese.
"You know we are the buyers for the Germans! Why are we being treated like this?" The man spoke quickly, his fear evident in his voice.
The woman, who Kate knew was agent Stahl, spoke up. Her voice was smooth and calm, with a derisive tone. "We have the money ready for transfer, and you know our buyers are interested in more than just the AK's. So why don't you lower your weapons and call off your dogs Max? We can talk about whatever is bothering you. Let's work it out."
Kate's mind whirled. She saw flashes of memories from her days in New York, of how she had approached her about bringing Max down, making promises and saying all the right things. Somehow Kate had known Stahl was never going to make good on those promises. Her memories went back over everything Alex had told her about Donna's death, and how Stahl had orchestrated it, and later how Stahl had set up Gemma for the death of Zobelle's daughter and the IRA agent's son. She recalled that Stahl had been responsible for Abel's kidnapping and her reserve broke. "Fuck this!" Her anger boiled over. "You're a lying bitch!" Kate strode quickly towards Stahl, raising her gun until she held it up to her temple.
Max motioned to his men to hold. He wasn't sure what Kate knew. He was curious, so he let her go for the moment.
Stahl stood frozen, staring straight ahead at Max. "Don't have much control over your people do you? Tell her to get that gun out of my face. Your losing this deal, we are walking."
"Move and I blow your brains out." Kate was surprised how steady her voice was. She was cold and empty inside. "You don't remember me do you Stahl?"
Stahl flinched and turned slowly towards Kate. Her eyes dawning recognition, a slow smile spread across her features.
Kate remembered that look and white hot resentment exploded in her. She stuck the gun against Stahl's forehead, "get down on your knees. Now!" Kate walked around behind her and put her gun against the back of her head.
Kate looked at Max. "This is the same ATF agent that approached me in New York. She wanted me to testify against you and your family. She was the reason I went to your father and set up my fake death. I wouldn't rat on you. I was scared and confused. You'd lied to me about who you were, but I still loved you. I did what I had to, to save you."
Max lowered his gun, looking at Kate. He finally understood why she had betrayed him. He knew now that he had handled it badly. He'd underestimated Kate and her strength. He snapped his mind shut. They would deal with this later. He had two ATF agents to kill.
Kate felt strangely disconnected from herself. It was as if she was floating above herself, watching herself act against Stahl. She felt nothing. No emotion. No hesitation. She broke eye contact with Max staring down at Stahl. "You have ruined so many people's lives. You think because you carry that badge you're above the law. You've manipulated and lied to people. You've set people up to kill for you, to do your dirty work. Hell, you've even used your badge to kill. You shot Eddie, and probably Polly too, making it seem like Gemma Teller did it." Kate didn't realize she was crying. Tears were silently tracking down her face.
"You're crazy, I am not who you think I am." Stahl was trying to buy time. Her team would hear they were compromised and should be moving in. She just had to remain calm and keep control of the situation. She remembered the girl from New York. She could still be useful if Stahl could turn the situation around.
"Yes you are. You've been stalking the Son's. You set up Opie, making him look like a rat. You're the reason Donna was killed." Kate thought of Tig, and finally felt something, the same hurt she'd felt the night he'd confessed the crime to her. The dam broke, her feelings and fears all rose to the surface at once. She was no longer watching from above, but seemed to snap back to herself. She shook with the force of the memories and hatred she'd held for everything that had separated her from Alex.
'I'm so sorry Alex. You died because of me.' Kate silently apologized to his memory. She knew this was the time she had been waiting for. She was ready to die, after selling her body and soul to Max to get her revenge there was nothing left inside. Kate stared at the gun against the back of Stahl's head and pulled the trigger. Stahl's body jerked and fell forward as the bullet tore through her skull spattering any one close in blood and gore.
The shock of Kate's actions bought her a few precious seconds. She turned and fired a round into Max's chest. She saw the look of pain and confusion on his face as he went to his knees. "This is for Alex! For Soup! For everything you've done to me.!" Kate screamed as she shot him, until the gun was out of bullets. Kate stood transfixed watching Max die. Her hands shook from squeezing the gun. Her finger kept pumping the trigger making it click over and over.
Kate heard a grunt next to her and saw the male agent fly backwards grabbing at his chest. She knew she was a target, but she just couldn't make herself move. Something inside of her had snapped, leaving her lost in the moment. Then Kate felt something hit her hip, the pain dropped her to her knees as she doubled over. It felt like her side was on fire. She pulled her hand away and saw the blood all over her hand. A wave of dizziness hit her. "Oh shit." Kate thought she heard someone yell her name. She slowly turned her head and looked around her for the first time.
Max lay a few feet from her in a pool of blood. Agent Stahl and the other ATF agent were both dead. Kirill and Mikeal had been shot, she wasn't sure how that had happened. She saw Ivan walking towards her from the shadows. She knew he was talking to her but nothing was making any sense, she could see his lips move but couldn't hear him.
When Kate had shot Max, Ivan had reacted instantly. He shot Kirill first. Then he took down Mikeal. He screamed at the Chinese to run, get out. He knew they had precious little time before the ATF would get to the mill.
Ivan had turned in time to see Urnst come out of the shadows and put Kate in his sights. He'd quickly taken aim and shot at him. Urnst had gotten off a shot as he went down. Ivan had looked frantically towards Kate, and had found her on her knees clutching her side.
He had moved quickly towards Kate, yelling her name trying to warn her. He realized it had been too late when he'd seen her on her knees. He'd known time was short, they had to get out quickly, the authorities would be moving in quickly.
He reached Kate, kneeling in front of her trying to see how badly she'd been hit. He pulled the gun out of Kate's grip, shoving it into his pocket. He couldn't tell how much blood she had lost, she was covered in it. "Kate, I'm taking you with me. I am going to help you."
"No, just leave me. I don't want to go with you." She just wanted to be in control of her own fate. Her voice sounded funny to her. A wave of dizziness made her sway. Then everything went black.
"Sorry, you will have to trust me." Ivan grabbed her as she passed out.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her out the back way to the waiting limo. He sat her in the passenger seat in the front so he could keep an eye on her and sped away from the mill using an old service road that led to a dirt road. Ivan thanked the Gods that he had planned this escape route before the meeting just in case.
Ivan drove thinking about what he could do to help Kate. She couldn't go to the hospital. A gunshot wound would tip off the authorities and likely bring the ATF down on her. His cover was blown. The Russian syndicate would realize he was with the Russian Intelligence if he appeared within their ranks after Max's death.
He pulled into a parking garage taking the limo down to the lowest level. They had planned on switching out the limo after the meeting, it was how they lost any tails, and kept their privacy. He smiled grimly, thinking it was a god send today.
He pulled in next to the black Mustang. He walked over to the mustang opening the passenger door and laid the seat back. Then he went over to the limo and opened the passenger door, and gently lifted Kate out carrying her to the mustang. She cried out as he carried her, trying to push him away. "Easy, I am taking you someplace safe."
Ivan took his coat off covering Kate, trying to keep her warm. He didn't think she was losing a lot of blood, only a small amount had been on the limo seat. Most of the blood she wore was from other victims. Ivan decided he would take her to Teller/Morrow, he knew the Son's had their club house there. They would take her in and help her, without involving the police. After all she had been involved with Trager. That would leave him free to contact Russian Intelligence and to go home, back to Russia.
As Ivan drove he considered how fast the deal had gone bad. He would have never thought Kate would have had the tenacity to shoot the ATF agent, then turn her gun on Max. 'I guess Max underestimated her and how badly she wanted revenge.' It had been difficult for him to watch how she had been treated. He wished now he had found a way to tell her who he really was, maybe she would have not gone that far.
He reached Teller-Morrow around a half hour later and pulled into their lot around 10:00 p.m. There were quite a few bikes parked in the lot and a few cars. Ivan wasn't exactly sure how he would be received, so he walked around to the passenger door and reached in to carry Kate to the club house. He figured when they saw her they wouldn't shoot him on site.