Chapter 18
Lockdown
It was almost midnight when we arrived back at TM. Tacoma had arrived, and were a show of force, ensuring the Garage and clubhouse were secure. We pulled our bikes up outside, cutting the engines.
"I'm going to check in with Gemma," I said to Happy. "See how everyone is doing."
"We're heading back out," Happy said.
"We?" I asked, as Rat joined us.
"Belfast sent us some addresses, places the IRA likes to hang," Happy said. "We're going to split up, see if there's anything there. Tacoma boys will keep an eye on things here. Need you to help Gemma, keep everyone calm."
"You sure you don't need me?" I asked, worried about them going back out again.
He shook his head. "We don't even know if there's anything there. They could have left already, could be somewhere else. We'll stake them out, see if anything turns up. Don't worry," he said, seeing my face. "It could turn out to be nothing, but we're hoping we get a lead to Galen or Conner."
"Alright then, be safe," I said, kissing him. "Call me if you find anything. I'll catch up with you in the morning."
They split up, climbing into 3 seperate vehicles. Rat went with Chibs in one van, Juice with Tig in another and Happy climbed into the SUV beside Jax. I waved as the drove out through the gate, the Tacoma boys closing it behind them.
I turned back to the clubhouse, wrapping my jacket tighter around me. Because of the lockdown, families were camped out for the night, the bar looking more like a teenager's slumber party. People had bunked on couches and whatever else they could find.
Gemma and Lyla were checking on everyone, handing out blankets to those who needed them.
"How's things here?" I asked Gemma, as she headed back to the kitchen.
She grabbed a cup of coffee, and handed one to me. "No major issues," she said, taking a sip. "Looks like everyone is settled in for the night. Tara's with the boys in the back room. I've just checked on them."
I nodded. "Tacoma boys have got it locked down outside. Nothing's getting in here tonight. You should get some sleep, Gem. It's going to be another big day tomorrow."
I kissed her cheek and headed back outside with my coffee. I sat on the picnic tables, watching the Tacoma boys as they patrolled the lot. A few minutes later, someone wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. I looked up, and smiled at Lyla.
"Thank you."
"No worries," she said. "I'm off to bed. Kids are all out cold. You need anything?"
"I'm fine," I insisted. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Try and get some sleep," she said, as she headed back inside.
I leaned back on the seat, tucking the blanket around myself. One by one, lights in the clubhouse turned off, until it seemed everyone was asleep.
I woke the next morning as the sun was rising. I was laying on the bench of the picnic table. Someone had a folded a jacket and put it under my head, and tucked the blanket around me. I sat up, looking around. A few of the Tacoma boys were still around, and I went and spoke to them.
"Anything out of the ordinary?" I asked Lee, the President of the Tacoma charter.
He shook his head. "Nice and quiet."
"Thanks again for coming down," I said. "I know Jax really appreciates it." I nodded to the guys who were standing around. "I'll get the boys some coffee - they look like they could use it."
I turned back around, grabbing the jacket before heading inside. People were just starting to wake up. I found Chucky in the kitchen, and handed him the jacket.
"I believe this is yours. Thanks for the loan."
He shrugged. "You didn't look very comfortable," he said, turning back to the food he was preparing. "You hungry? I'm just getting some breakfast started before everyone gets up."
I shook my head. "No thanks Chucky, not really hungry" I said. "I was after some coffee though. The Tacoma boys have had a big night..."
He pointed at the bench to the side. "Two pots ready to go. Another ones brewing now."
"Champion," I said, kissing him on the cheek. I grabbed some foam cups and a pot and headed back outside. I put them in the table, and they swarmed like flies. I laughed and stepped back.
"They're just getting some breakfast organised now," I told Lee. "Make sure your boys eat something too."
There was a murmur of agreement, as they drank their coffee. I walked up to the empty garage, reaching under the desk for a bag of clothes I kept in case of emergency.
I headed back down to the clubhouse, grabbing the empty coffee pot as I walked past. Everyone was up now, the smell of food drifting from the kitchen. Tara was sitting at one of the tables with the boys, and I kissed Abel's head as I walked past. I put the pot back in the machine, ready to fill.
"Hey sweetheart," Gemma said, walking in behind me. "You get any sleep?"
"A bit."
"You hungry?" she said, grabbing a plate of pancakes. "There's plenty of food."
I shook my head, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "No, thanks. I feel a little off this morning. Probably the last few days catching up with me. I'm going to have a quick shower since the boys are up."
"There's a whole pile of towels in the top of the cupboard," she said as I walked out.
I grabbed a towel, throwing it on the sink with my bag. I fiddled with the taps, trying to get just the right amount of hot water. It felt so good to wash all the grime off from the day before, my hair no longer smelling of smoke and dirt.
I shut off the water, wringing the excess water out of my hair. I quickly got dressed, pulling on fresh clean clothes.
It was a hive of activity when I returned to the bar. Some of the Tacoma boys were grabbing some food. I wrinkled my nose as I walked past. I definitely wasn't interested in food this morning.
I turned around, heading out the door. Once outside, I made my way up to the garage, calling Happy as I walked. I was just about to hang up when he answered.
"Hey babe."
"Hey," I said, and I could hear him puffing. "Everything ok? You sound... busy?"
"Yeah, just making friends," he said. There was a pause and I could hear noises in the background of something being moved. "We're going up to the Wahewa. Call you back when we get there?"
"Sure," I said, and the line went dead. I sat down at the desk, pulling a job sheet out of the bottom drawer. Before I could straighten up, my stomach lurched and I grabbed the rubbish bin next to me, emptying my already empty stomach.
It was an hour later when my phone rang.
"I though you'd forgotten about me," I said as Happy's name come up on the caller ID.
"Hey, Jax is in his way back to TM with Rat," Happy said. "A couple of the Tacoma boys are coming up here to Wahewa. We've got an address on a place in Lodi. IRA are supposed to be picking Connor up there at 2."
"Supposed to?" I asked.
"Well, they're tied up here, so I think they'll miss their pick up," he explained.
"What about Galen?"
"Ireland. Spineless bastard," Happy sneered. "Anyway, Jax has a thing, so we have to pick him up from Stockton later..." he hesitated. "You wanna come?"
"Come where?" I asked, confused.
"To Lodi? Pick up Connor."
I couldn't believe it. There was no arguing, no ultimatum... I was being invited along?
"So...?" Happy asked when I didn't answer.
"Sorry. Yes, I'll come," I replied, smiling.
"All right. Pick you up from TM before we get Jax. 1:00."
The line disconnected, and I stared at the phone in my hand.
Jax pulled into TM half an hour later. After talking to Gemma and Tara, he took me into the clubhouse, telling me he needed to give me something. He headed into the Chapel, closing the doors behind us. He walked to the back of the room, bending down into the safe. He unlocked it, grabbing something out before turning back to me.
"Here," he said handing me a gun. "If you're going to be out on the street at the moment, you need to be carrying. No serial numbers or anything, so it can't be traced."
I nodded, turning it over in my hand. It was a Glock, what model I couldn't tell. I ejected the magazine. It was full of 10mm rounds. I clipped it back in, and tucked the gun in the back of my jeans.
He closed the safe, locking it again. We walked out of the room, the weight of the gun against my waist a strange feeling. It was like a constant reminder of how serious things were at the moment - I felt both safer and more vulnerable carrying it.
At 5 minutes to 1, I walked out the front of TM to wait for my lift, the Tacoma boys at the gate watching me like a hawk. At 1 on the dot, Happy pulled up in the van, Juice leaning out the passenger window.
"Need a lift?" he asked with a smile, and slid open the back door.
I grinned, climbing in and sliding it shut behind me. We rode in silence most of the trip back to Stockton, Chibs and Tig following in the dark SUV behind us. We pulled up outside a huge house, big elegant fence around the front.
I whistled. "Whose house is this?"
"Colette's," Juice answered.
"Who's Colette?" I asked.
"That's a long story," Happy said. "Just think of it as the other Diosa."
"I see," I said, watching as Jax climbed into the front seat of the SUV. "I guess pussy pays..."
It took half an hour to drive up to Lodi. When we reached the drink warehouse, Juice, Happy and I waited out back, pulling into the street behind the warehouse, while the others pulled around the front to pick up Connor.
Juice's phone rang, and he answered it. I heard Tig's muffled voice through the phone.
"Back is quiet," Juice reported. Tig spoke again, before hanging up.
"They're in position," he told us. "Two guys around front. No sign of Connor yet."
Happy nodded, hands on the wheel, ready to spring into action any moment. It was quiet for a few minutes. As I waited in the silent van, I heard what sounded like yelling.
"Did you heard that?" I asked the others.
Suddenly, there was gunshots and screeching tyres.
"I heard that," Happy said, starting the engine. He sped off around the other side of the warehouse.
"There," I said, pointing to a fenced alley between the two buildings. Connor was running toward the gate, quickly turning around when he saw the van flying toward him. Happy spun hard, crashing through the gate, closing in on Connor as he ran.
"Jax said alive!" Juice warned, as Happy drew closer.
Connor turned, smashing through a nearby window in a desperate effort to escape. Happy slammed on the brakes, and I was out of the van before it had even stopped. Without a thought, I leapt through the broken window, chasing after him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tig and Chibs running down the stairs from the building opposite as Juice and Happy ran after me.
I took off through the warehouse, navigating through a maze of drink crates. I heard yelling behind me, as the boys called out to one another. As I rounded each corner, Connor came in and out of sight. The warehouse opened up in front of me, a large receiving bay. I saw Connor ahead of me, making his way to the loading dock across the room. I pulled the gun out of the back of my jeans, aiming at his leg.
"Wait!"
Just as I was about to shoot, an SUV smashed into the warehouse, knocking piles of crates into Connor. He went flying backwards, bottles shattering around him.
The others caught up to me, Tig and Juice went to pick up Connor out of the rubble. Happy stood next to me, as Jax stepped out of the SUV.
"Nice driving!" Chibs commented.
"Thank you," Jax replied, clearly quite proud of himself.
"Were you really going to shoot him?" Happy asked, as Tig pulled Connor to his feet.
I shrugged, tucking the gun back in my jeans. "Just in the leg."
Jax sent Happy and Juice outside, and they returned with a dead body, one of Connor's guys. They carried him to the back of the warehouse where we found crates of guns that Galen had taken from Wahewa the day before. Jax told us to leave them - a peace offering to the Irish, he'd said.
We tied Connor up and loaded him into the back of the SUV. Happy, Chibs and Jax took him to the reservation with the other Irish, hoping he could connect them to the Kings. I returned to TM with Juice and Tig, with instructions to contact San Bernardino or Rogue River charters for help. Tig had suggested reaching out to Bobby, see if he could get Indian Hills to send some guys, but Jax was stubborn, and shut down the idea.
Everything was quiet when we arrived back at TM. Tig made a few phone calls, San Bernardino had already left, but managed to reach Rouge River and they were coming down from Oregon. I checked in with Lyla, making sure everyone was content, given the circumstances. Gemma, Wayne and Tara had all gone off elsewhere, so she had taken control, making sure that everyone was looked after. Chucky was tidying up around the bar, and I gave him a hand for a while. Lee came into the kitchen while I was making a list with Chucky of things we needed from the store.
"There's a delivery out here," he said. "Did anyone order some kegs?"
I looked at Chucky, and he shrugged. "Gemma must have ordered them. Told her this morning we were getting low on beer. I'll go and see."
I nodded, turning back to Lee. "Hey, reckon you could spare someone to come for a drive? We need some supplies from the supermarket..."
"I'll come for a drive," he offered. "Just come and grab me when you're ready to go."
"Thanks," I said with a smile. "Give me 10 minutes and we'll head off."
After making sure no-one else needed anything, I headed outside, and found Tig over near the garage. Juice was behind him, on the phone.
"Tiggy, I'm off to grab some stuff from the supermarket," I said. "Can I borrow the van?"
"Make sure one of the Tacoma guys goes with you," he said, handing over the keys.
"Lee's already coming," I said, pointing across the lot to where Lee was putting on his helmet, obviously seeing me ready to go. "You need anything?"
"Beer."
I smiled. "Gemma's already got that ready. Delivery van's out front."
I saw Jax and Chibs drive in through the gate, and pull up next to us. I gave them a wave as I climbed into the van. I reversed out, checking that Lee was following. I drove past the delivery van on my way out, giving a quick wave at Chucky as I passed.
It was 6:30 when Happy finally arrived back at TM. By then, the drinks were well and truly flowing. Rouge River had arrived, and with three charters there, the bar was full, and it looked more like a kegger then a lockdown.
Happy and I sat together on one of the couches, beer in hand. I had my head on his chest, enjoying being close to him. Chibs waved at us from the bar, where he was talking to Juice and Tig. Happy grabbed my hand, and we followed them outside. Chibs sat down at one on the tables, out of earshot of anyone who might overhear.
"Need to fill you all in on a few things," Chibs explained once we were all there. "Jax spoke to the Kings this morning, tried to make peace by offering them Marks as a partner to distribute guns." He shook his head, looking pissed. "Clay told Gemma the Kings reached out to him in Stockton, and they want him to run point on distribution."
"So the Kings rejected the offer from Jax?" Tig asked.
"Looks that way," Chibs said. "But Roarke said they would discuss it, and give us an answer at 8:00."
"I guess we see what happens at 8," Juice said.
"Aye," Chibs agreed. "Anyway, that's as much as we know. Church at 8 sharp - full table for the vote."
As 8:00 drew closer, the mood among the members shifted. Although the atmosphere around them was still joyful, the weight of the pending phone call and the seriousness of what was coming was becoming apparent. Jax had locked himself in the Chapel, while the rest of us sat quietly at the bar.
Chibs came out after talking to Jax, coming to stand with us at the bar. I reached past Wayne, who was busy with a crossword, and handed Chibs a beer. Tara walked back down the hallway from the bedroom, carrying Thomas who was crying.
"You want me to take him?" I offered.
"Thanks, but I've got him," she said with a smile. "Abel's sleeping and didn't want to wake him."
I nodded, and glanced up at the security monitors above the bar. Nero's car pulled up in front of the garage. As I watched Gemma and Nero talking next to his car, two police cars pulled in through the front gates, rolling to a stop behind Nero.
"What the hell is Sheriff Remus doing here?" Tig asked, as Jax walked out behind us.
"Oh, shit," he said, watching the monitors.
"Hey, I'll go see," Wayne offered, putting down his crossword.
"Thank you," Jax said, as he left. He turned to Juice. "What time is it?"
"Two minutes to 8:00," Juice replied.
Knowing that it was nearly time for the boys to go to Church, I quietly slipped away, down the hallway and into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Abel lay asleep on the bed, and I crept past him into the bathroom. Locking the door behind me, I pulled the thin packet from my pocket. It wasn't until I was at the supermarket today did I think about the unopened packet of tampons I had bought when I first came to Charming. One month ago.
I sighed, placing the pregnancy test on the sink, leaning against the bathroom door while I waited for the result.
Outside the room, I heard yelling and people moving. I unlocked the door, popping my head around to check on Abel. Just as I did, Jax came flying into the room.
"Jax, what -"
"Get out. Now," he yelled, scooping Abel into his arms, holding him tight to his chest. I followed Jax out the door, running through the hallway as I heard Chibs calling from the bar. He looked shocked when he saw me, pushing me out the doorway ahead of him. We ran out the back door, Jax a few steps ahead as we sprinting across the lot towards the garage where everyone else was waiting. Happy saw me, panic sweeping across his face as he started running towards us. The building suddenly exploded behind us, a large fireball engulfing the clubhouse, sending debris everywhere. I ducked as the heat from the explosion reached me, and I felt strong hands grab me, pulling me away from the blast. I looked up at Happy, who was bent over me, his face full of concern. He reached down, brushing the hair out of my face, before pulling me tightly against him.
I looked around at the others over Happy's shoulder. Jax was holding Abel, Tara had Thomas - it seemed like everyone made it out. We had been lucky. This time.