Chapter Thirty-Five
A few days passed and Carlos was waiting behind a bar, dressed in his old Azteca gear once more. He played with a gold chain that was hanging around his neck as Peter Bennett drove a black van around the corner. He stepped out of the van and nodded at Carlos who began to walk towards the back of the van. Peter walked back with him and opened up the doors, revealing stacks of sticky bombs ready to go.
"Here's your payment." Carlos said, handing him an envelope filled with cash. Heath pulled up behind the van and got out of the car, helping Carlos load the explosives into their car. Paul helped out as well, not wanting to be on Carlos' bad side after being threatened.
"What is this for anyway?" Peter asked as he put a handful into the trunk of Heath's car.
"Keep it to yourself and you'll stay alive." Carlos said. Peter immediately shut up and continued to help. Once the three were done, Heath got back into the driver's seat, waiting for Carlos.
"Anything else you guys need?" Peter asked nervously.
"No. But I'll keep in touch just in case." Carlos said. Peter nodded and began to get into his van. "Hey Peter."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." Carlos said, smirking a bit. Peter smiled back at him and then proceeded to drive away. Carlos got into the car with Heath and the two began to drive back to Steven's.
"Gangster Carlos has a soft spot." Heath said with a smile.
"Everyday Carlos has a soft spot asshole." Carlos said, punching him on the arm. "It takes too much energy to act so tough." he let out a small laugh and the two continued on their way.
Alex was lying down in the spare bedroom Steven had. His shirt was tossed on the floor as Catherine changed the bandages on his sword wound. She cleaned it and watched him wince. She then put on the clean bandages and saw how he was starting to get a collection of scars on his body.
"I'm sorry I went off on my own." Alex said finally. The two had not spoken about their arguments at all since they had happened. Both wanted to forget it happened but it stayed with them.
"I'm sorry too. We should be on the same page. Not fighting." Catherine said. She laid next to him and the two stared at the ceiling.
"We are on the same page now. I'm following your plan. You're the mastermind here." Alex said, putting an arm around her.
"Thank you. Let's make sure that never happens again." Catherine said, relaxing and smiling.
"Agreed. I will never again use a sword. Always guns from now on." Alex said with a smirk. Catherine slapped him for joking around at a serious moment but she couldn't help but smile as well. The two looked at each other, looking into each other's eyes, before kissing.
Robbie sat in Jiao-Long's office, waiting for his "boss" to appear. He had been called here to discuss recent events, and Robbie knew the exact events Jiao was talking about. The fact that Fang had died but Robbie somehow got out of the situation alive. Even Robbie knew it was highly suspicious. He was trying to think his way out of certain death as Jiao barged through the doors into his office, the sight of Robbie just enough to infuriate him. Ping was right behind him, surprised that he had actually made it out alive as well.
"How is this possible Robbie?" Jiao asked, not exploding with anger right away. He sat down behind his desk and stared at Robbie who looked around the room, hoping an answer will come to him.
"Did you kill Fang's opponent?" Ping asked, standing next to Jiao.
"Opponent? This is no game honey." Robbie said. "Those two were in a fight to a death. Not wrestling in a ring."
"Did you kill him?" Jiao asked, leaning forward.
"Sadly I did not." Robbie said. Jiao's expression changed quickly. His curiosity became anger and he seemed to be done with Robbie right then and there. "But! I secured his trust. After he killed Fang, all by himself might I add, I pleaded for my life. He told me, if I were to spy on you for him, he would keep me alive."
"You plan on selling me out?!" Jiao asked, yelling at him. He stood up in his rage and grabbed a katana that was hung up on the wall above him.
"He tricked him Mr. Fong." Ping said, stopping Jiao from doing anything rash.
"Exactly. Look Jiao, I told him I would give him info, but really I can help you. Since I have his trust, I can learn what his plans are going to be, where he will attack. This way you are always one step ahead." Robbie said. He didn't know if he believed himself. He had no idea who he was going to help, he just wanted to live. So for now, for this moment, he was saying what Jiao wanted, no, needed to hear.
"You will report to me every three days Robbie. If this information is worth nothing then I will kill you myself. Now, I need to go find myself a new enforcer, a new right hand man." Jiao said.
"I could be your right hand man Jiao. No one is more reliable than Robbie." Robbie said with a smile. Jiao just scoffed as he walked past Robbie and out of his office. Robbie stood up but Ping stopped him from leaving.
"Did you really not do anything to Fang?" Ping asked.
"I did not kill Fang if that is what you are asking. Alex kicked him out the window. I did not." Robbie said, which was the truth. He only shot Fang, he didn't kick him out the window. Robbie then left the office, leaving Ping to question what words of his were true.
Smiles stood outside of Steven's house as Alex came outside to meet him. The two gave each other a head nod before walking down the street, creating a distance between themselves and everyone else. Alex had told Smiles that it was something serious, something he couldn't go to anyone else for.
"What is it?" Smiles asked.
"You know how I've been trying to get the cops on my side right? At least the Chief so I can get away with a few things." Alex said.
"Yeah, why?" Smiles answered.
"She wants me to turn over one of the escapees. One of the guys who escaped from prison." Alex told him.
"Carlos and Tank? Aren't you close with them? You can't do that to them." Smiles said as he and Alex stopped walking at the street corner.
"Exactly. The only other escapees I can contact are Robbie and Maddog. I need Robbie, Smiles. He can get us information about Morgan and her plans." Alex said.
"He can also get us close to Jiao." Smiles said. "Does Maddog know you are working with Robbie yet?"
"No. I'm trying to delay that." Alex said.
"Didn't Robbie murder Maddog's friend in prison?" Smiles asked.
"Exactly. Maddog is gonna explode if he finds out I'm talking with Robbie and haven't turned him over to the Families. But, this prisoner situation… She said if I just turn in one of them I'll be fine." Alex said.
"Who are you thinking?" Smiles asked.
"Maddog is a wildcard." Alex said reluctantly. "Elijah would be a better leader for the Families. Heath put the idea in my head after he spent a day there. Maddog has to go."
Smiles nodded his head and pulled out his cellphone. "I'll set up a place where we can meet with him." He dialed a number and began to walk away, starting to speak with Maddog as Alex headed back to Steven's house.
A FEW DAYS EARLIER Sarah watched as Alexa ran into the Maze Bank Tower. Her plan had worked and Sarah knew where to find the others responsible for Mitchell's death. Sarah also knew she wouldn't be able to kill them all by herself. She needed to go back to Carlos, Catherine, Alex, and the others. She smiled to herself as she began to walk towards the desert, not bothering to call a taxi or hitch hike. She planned on walking miles in order to get back to the others. And with that, her next journey began.
PRESENT DAY Carlos and Heath arrived back at Steven's house and called for Sergio and Tank to help them carry the explosives into the house. The four went back and forth until the car was emptied of explosives. However, as they began to set it up around the house the way Catherine wanted it, Carlos and Heath began to realize something. Peter hadn't given them remotes to activate all of it. The explosives would have to be blown up with the person being right next to it since there was no fuse on them. The two made eye contact as they both came to terms with the flaw, but neither said in anything.
Steven watched as the four set up the explosives around his house. He grew sad, realizing he was gonna have to leave his little shack behind. Ever since he got out of the army this is the place he had always lived. Buster was a puppy in this house and grew with Steven. He walked around the house, seeing how the stacks of sticky bombs soon began to take up the hallways. Steven looked at the paintings, the pictures of his family, and the antiques he collected over the time he lived. He looked over at Catherine, who was orchestrating the placement of the sticky bombs. She looked at him and didn't give into the sadness on Steven's face. She continued to tell the four where to place everything.
Buster made a crying noise as he watched his home get filled with strange equipment and Steven patted him on the head.
"It'll be alright buddy. It'll be alright." Steven said, although it seemed he was talking to himself and not Buster.
Colton was out in the backyard, looking at the neighborhood behind Steven's house. Jensen walked out of the house and up next to Colton, staring out at the other houses as well. The two stood their as night began to set over Blaine County. Crickets chirped and lights in the houses began to turn off.
"I'm sorry about how I acted after Sam's death. I was in shock." Colton said. "I didn't think those guys would betray us."
"I understand. No one is more hurt than me." Jensen said. "I lived with them much longer than you did. I thought we were all brothers, like family. Since day one we planned to escape from their together. And when Daniel died, I thought it was going to bring us closer ya know? Help us unite to finally escape. They just shot Sam though. And for what? Cause he heard something he wasn't supposed to? Why not take me?"
"They probably were planning on killing you… if that makes you feel any better." Colton said. "Probably all of us now that I think about it. I just don't know who they are working for. It can't be Connor or Morgan."
"It doesn't matter. All that does matter is that they are brought to justice. Sam was an innocent person who didn't deserve death. He did nothing wrong in life. Being thrown underground and the moment he gets out, shot through the head." Jensen said. He shook his head and turned around, looking inside the house. "Those people in there. They are tough."
"You're telling me? I thought they were weak when I first met them. Didn't think they could kill Paul Madden and here they are planning to trick Morgan Madden's army." Colton said. "I'll give them this, they got heart."
"So do you." Jensen said with a smirk. "You guys are going to make it past all this. Hopefully all of you do."
"Let's hope Tony was the last casualty." Colton said. Jensen hesitated a moment. He looked like he wanted to say something but he let it go. Colton walked back inside and Jensen looked up at the sky.
"Let's hope." Jensen said.
Everyone was sitting in the living room except Tyler who was staying up at the cabin for a night, mourning over his grandfather. Carlos stood in front of everyone, thinking of how he was going to deliver the bad news. Alex sat on a reclining chair with Catherine sitting on him. Heath and Raquel sat on the couch. Next to Heath was Steven who had Buster at his feet. Tank and Leo were sitting on the floor while Colton and Jensen walked into the living room from outside. Sergio was the last to join the group before Carlos began to talk.
"There seems to be a problem with Catherine's plan." Carlos said, speaking up. Everyone who was talking began to quiet down and Heath knew what was coming. "The guy I bought these from left no detonator. And there are no fuses on the sticky bombs either."
"So how will we make them explode?" Leo asked.
"It's going to require someone stays behind. When we all leave here, one person is going to be left behind in order to set off the explosives manually." Carlos said.
"Isn't that suicide?" Colton asked.
"Most likely." Heath said, speaking up. "The chances of someone surviving are very low, and that's if they drop a lighter threw the window. Everything would explode right away."
"One of us is going to have to give their life in order for this plan to work." Carlos said, hating to think one of his friends, or even himself, would have to die so the others could live.