Chapter 28
Brotherhoods
A/N: There is some graphic violence in this chapter. It's not extremely bad, this is just a heads up to let you know. Not a shocker I'm sure since this is an SOA story ; )
PART 6 of 7
There are lessons to be learned here. I do this mostly so you can know me. Lately as I write these. I realize these are as much for me as they are for you. This is the one place I can be completely open. The pen and paper has no judgement, no vote. It simply receives my truth then allows me to turn the page.
Today, this is my truth. I am terrified a great deal of the time. I'm afraid of what I've done, what I'm doing and what I might have to do. It's not a crippling fear. In fact, it's just the opposite. I thrive on it, I crave it. I need that rush of terror to get me out of bed in the morning. It's in my DNA.
I have tremendous remorse for the acts of violence I've committed. Both planned and spontaneous. But I think what brings me the most sorrow is I've learned to justify this behavior. I always find a reason, a cause, a need that allows me the karmic lubrication to stuff this guilt into a savage compartment. With it, I've become like the one I hate the most.
With that awareness come periods of days sometimes weeks. I have to avoid looking into a mirror. My self hate is so deep, so palpable, I fear I will lunge at my own image. Shatter the glass and cut myself with shards of broken reflection.
Since my best friend was killed I lost my center. Op was always my pull back to true north. Now my sense of doubts and fraudulent front I put on barks so loudly in my head most of the time I can't hear anything else.
Love, comradery, freedom all the things I want from this life are lost in the den. Forgive my indulgence sons. Today maybe a day we both remember. A defining day. I want you to look back at this entry and know at the very least your father was completely honest. You know I speak the truth as you are the most important thing to me. I will never hurt you, never abandon you.
I love you Abel. I love you Thomas. More than anything or anyone. I always will. Everything I do is for my sons.
When I went to get water for coffee. I found a small notepad in the pocket of Jax's sweatshirt. It made me sad and weary after I read the last page he wrote and that's all I read. "Everything I do is for my sons too, Jax."
It distracted me and I didn't know I wasn't alone. It freighted me when I felt two hands slide down my sides to my hips from behind. "Good morning, honey."
"Shit. You scared me, Thomas." I quickly closed it up and shoved it back in Jax's sweatshirt pocket. Then moved the hell away from him.
"There is just something about you, Tara. Most women can't resist me. The fact you do, only turns me on more."
"Well, you know. I am married and all. Regardless of what you may think about me. I am not a trashy woman. Who will take up with just anyone."
"I like my women a little on the trashy side. The kind who ties me up with their pantyhose until I spent all my paycheck sort of trashy. Excites me with…Ouch. Let go." Thomas didn't get to finish what he was saying. As he felt the tight grip on the back of his neck by Kyle.
"Back off Romeo and let her through."
"Morning, Kyle. I am just talking to Tara."
"Uh huh."
"I'm going to get that kiss from you yet honey. You will come to me for it too."
"No, I won't." I left them both there and headed back. Thomas was crazy if he thought I would ever let him touch me. But my mind went to someone else when I put my hand in Jax's sweatshirt pocket.
You would have expected me to seen the writing on the wall a long time ago. But love did truly make you blind. The walk back didn't help to clear my head much either. Jax was still asleep. I gently laid his sweatshirt over him. While I watched the restful state he seemed to be in. But yet, I knew it was a tortured one. He lived with it every day of his life. Nothing brought him any true peace in this world.
"When did things go so wrong?" It wasn't just a question for him, it was a question for myself too. You were on top of the world one day. Then seconds later buried six feet deep in it.
It startled me as I was deep in thought when I felt arms going around my waist. "Good morning." Jax pulled me down to the ground with him and gave me a kiss.
"Good morning. Do you want some coffee?"
"Yeah. Thank you." Jax set up and stretched his body around to work out the stiffness of the night. The ground was a hard bed. Almost as hard as the road still in front of us. He lit up a smoke as I made us an instant cup of coffee to start the day. The way his cell continuously rang, it was had already begun for him.
"Are you sure? Why would they want to hurt my kid? Thanks, I owe you one." Jax took his cup of coffee to go with him as soon as he hung up. He crossed over the line to the enemy's side without a second thought. "Kyle." Jax motioned his head to come for a private conversation between them.
Since they didn't seem hostile towards each other at the moment. Nero just stayed casually back to see where it went. I was getting good at guessing what they were doing. As much as they did it.
Then came another shocker of the morning. Tig and Nicole came back from somewhere strolling hand in hand. Tig was holding her hand while they just causally walked and talked. I've never seen him be affectionate with any woman past getting them to suck his dick. Once they did he was done with them and tossed them aside afterwards. Whatever he had going on with Nicole, it was different. He was completely different around her too.
When you've never witnessed someone being truly happy and in a normal life or relationship they never experienced before. You couldn't help but to be happy for them. Except, when I saw David's face from it. He wasn't happy at all. "Love is a fickle bitch."
"Nicole will be a real asset to the club."
"You are just not giving up are you, Gemma? They are leaving Charming."
"I don't ever give up, sweetheart. It's not in my nature."
"Sure." I gave her back one of her famous words and left it at that.
The morning truly was full of surprises. Nicole had joined us on our log. But she wasn't the only one who came over with something snappy to say.
The dark haired, blue eyed, totally buffed boy came over to greet us. He flicked open his lighter lid and lit up Gemma's smoke before he fired up one of his own. "Good morning ladies. How are you on this beautiful day?" Once we told Thomas we were fine. It still didn't end there though. The conversation escalated to a whole new level. How it got there? I hadn't a clue.
"Thomas, you really need to behave."
"I always behave; just not necessary well. I'm serious, Tara. I have your name tattooed on my cock."
"No you don't."
"Yes I do. Do you want to see it?" He slowly was pulling down his zipper. He was directly standing in front me, at my face level, how in the hell could I miss it. "I'll show you for a kiss, honey."
"No thanks."
"I want to see it." Nicole piped up. I somehow didn't find it a newsflash she wanted to either. As she did the same on our night out with every dick around.
"I gotta roll with Nicole on this one. I wanna see it too. If it's really there, I will give you a kiss Thomas. Tongue and all, sweetheart."
Thomas did in fact have a tattoo on his dick. It read in cursive; your name. So when he said it to any female technically it was the truth he spoke. Now, it came time to pay off. Only I couldn't let it happen. I knocked over my coffee cup on the ground to get up and in between them.
"You don't want to kiss Gemma. With, you know, tongue and all."
"Aw, are you jealous, Tara? Do you want to kiss me instead?"
"Not really." Thomas was a very strong boy. Larger than Kyle, in the muscle department anyway. I kept pushing my arm towards him to have distance between us. I was practically halfway to the ground to stay away from him. My hand even covered his mouth. Let's face it, who knew where those lips had been. All I could think of was on crazy trashy bitches that's where they've been.
"Get the fuck away from her." Jax blindside Thomas. Of course he didn't back down from a fight either.
"Thomas, stop it. We need to get the boys. There isn't time for this shit." It was the poor referee who got the blunt end of their pushing and scraping match. Kyle wiped the blood away from his mouth on the back of his hand. While he tried to contain their fight from progressing to out of control. A blow from Jax connected with his face. Intentional or not, it still angered Kyle. "I'm going hurt you now."
While they were going at it. Thomas seemed aggravated. "Damn it, Kyle. I wanted to hit Jax."
"Jesus Christ, I can't tell who is fight against who anymore." Nero, Chibs and Thomas broke it up.
After everyone calmed down a bit. The plan had changed from yesterday. Imagine that shit. They wouldn't tell me anything even if I asked. So, I didn't and I rolled with the flow of it.
According to the phone call. There was some backstabbing going on, again imagine that shit. In Mexico, Sandoval was the beginning and the end of all illegal business transactions. They did nothing he didn't get a piece of the pie from their end of it. The cost of survival around here. The information was bogus we got yesterday. It was where Jax started at.
"You're good at running your mouth. How good are you at handling business?"
"I can handle my shit biker boy. Just take care of your end of it."
Thomas and Jax were already butting heads with each other and we hadn't even made it inside the bar yet. He sought Thomas out this time to go along with us. Why? I wasn't really sure why Jax would. While the others went to complete the tasks they were given.
Of course, Jax gave us girls the same instructions as yesterday. Be seen and not heard. Sit quietly and don't speak to anyone. It felt very familiar to the normal life I led at home too.
As soon as the guy Jax paid off seen us walk in. The guy took a seat at a table. But not his cronies, his crew, was ready to fight and defend their leader.
"You don't come up in my crib without an appointment."
"I told you what I would do if you were lying. You being tight with Alverez don't mean shit to me. Where the fuck is my kid?"
There were still parts of this kind of behavior and life I would never understand. One, why everything always had to escalate to a violent level before an agreement could be reached. Two, why Kyle took a chair and let them settle it. Perhaps, he listened to what Nero had to say last night.
"Do wanna help out here?"
"There is only three of them. Thomas doesn't need our help. He can fight better than any of us. Just wait for it, Jax."
The three bad guys had Thomas in the center of them, he was completely surrounded. They thought with it being three on one, it would be an easy fight. He would be put down and out for the count quickly. They were even telling him how they were going to beat him down.
"Why don't you come and fuck my shit up then?"
Kyle was right. Thomas didn't seem to need any help with them. He was big, mean and fucked them up all on his own. A beer bottle went across the face of one of them. While a boot to the head brought another to his knees. He fought well with his fist but better with his body and he used every part of it too. His last move was with a cue ball off the pool table. It was a weapon he used to literally beat their faces in with. Until Kyle made Thomas stop.
The bartender even got involved in the action. He brought a sawed off shotgun out from behind the bar. Jax put a stop to it because he already had pulled his weapon too. "Put it down and you go home tonight alive. If you don't, its gonna get messy." He made the correct choice when he set it down on top of the bar instead of pushing Jax.
Thomas was going to need some help now with more of them coming to join in. "You should have never come back here, Teller. This is my town and we play by my rules. If your boy can take on my best soldier and live through it. I will think about letting you walk out of here alive."
"If he puts your solider down. We have another sit down between us."
"Fine, but he won't."
In came a man with coal black hair in a braid down to waist. Scars on his face and a tattooed body visual from across the room. He made even Meat look on the small side. He also made Thomas look sane when he started head butting the bar mirror. Until the skin on his forehead was cut open and blood flowing down his face. From his upper lip he tasted his own blood with a crazy smile.
"That is one big ugly mother fucker. Good luck on that man. We're about to find out just how good you really are." Jax smacked Thomas on the back. Lit up a smoke and moved away to let the fight begin.
"Time out here." Thomas made the football sign to officially call one too. Don't think that didn't confuse the guy he was about ready to fight when it stopped his lunge towards Thomas in midstream. "I just want to make sure I am understanding the rules correctly. I put him down on the floor and we get the information about the kids."
"That is correct. But you will not put him down."
"Alrighty then." Thomas was as fast on the draw as Jax and Kyle were. As the gun came out of his boot. A bullet to the head only brought the big man to his knees. At close point range, Thomas fired several more rounds into him. He finally fell face first to the old dirty wooden floor of the bar. "He's down and done."
"Jesus Christ."
"And then some, Gemma."
We girls were scurrying to get on the floor of the booth trying to hide under the table. But not Thomas, Jax and Kyle. The three of them were in the center of the room with weapons drawn and used them accordingly because now they had no other options left. It was kill all those around them or be killed.
"I was thinking beat down, Thomas. But, I guess that works too." Then Jax focused his attention on the one we came to see. "Where is my kid?" Jax got nothing out of him about the boys. They took him out the back door to alleyway. It was actually about as clean as the bar was inside.
"I'm only gonna ask one more time. Where is my kid?" Jax had him pinned up against the building. He wasn't going to turn loose until he got the answer of where our son was.
"I am telling you truth. It is where they are keeping the children."
"If you're lying to me. I will shoot you. If you are double crossing them, they shoot you. I want the address of where I can find his crew at. Until we get shit straight, you're coming with me." Back talking Jax was never wise. I've seen what he had done in the past. The guy learned his lesson about it the hard way. "Shut up." Across the guy's face went the butt end of Jax's gun. He had no more to say while they stuffed him in the truck of the car.
"Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. They'll never stay home and they are always alone even with someone they love…" Thomas was merrily singing his song as he calmly took his time to walk down the street. While he finished off the Corona beer he stole from the bar. He tossed the bottle and it shattered when it hit the side of the building.
"What the hell was that back there? You're on me about being a loose cannon. We need to keep Thomas under control."
"I didn't invite Thomas along for this one, Jax. You did. You just had to be the big shit and make a point with him. So, good luck on that." Kyle went and got in the car with Thomas then slammed his door shut. I knew the tone of that slam all too well.
Jax drove us to the outside of the town. You could tell because there were mostly sand and dirt to be found than anything else around. They opened the trunk and Jax took out a gas can. "This should work. You will tell me where I can find them or I will light you up."
Thomas immediately slammed the trunk closed but left the guy inside of it. "This whole gas thing. It doesn't feel very original or threatening enough to me."
"Do you got a better idea?" He only shrugged at Jax's question. "Then shut up."
They didn't get the chance to see if the gas would work or not. Flashing lights were coming at us. Several of them were. "Oh shit."
Thomas was the one who ended up behind the wheel this time. The chase took us around in circles for most of it. With all the dust, dirt and grime the cars kicked up it caked on the windows. It made it hard for us to see where he was going. Probably as hard for the cops to see us too.
When Thomas found an escape route away from them. It became pitch black and the air around us shifted too cooler it seemed. The deeper we drove down in it.
"What the hell is this?"
"Oh shit."
A vibration was felt inside the car. The windows shook and rattled from it. The loud whistle blew hard and streamed the noise as an echo inside the tunnel. Then came the bright blinding white light thrown in our faces.
"Get us the fuck outta here."
He threw the car in reverse and hit the gas but the train kept chugging towards us. Rolling on down the tracks to a plunging death if something didn't happen and soon. When I looked out the back window. I saw the shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. A little hope we would make it out before thousands of pounds of twisted steel took our lives.
When Thomas finally parked the car safely. We were all taking in some cleansing breaths except him of course. "Whew, you did you guys see that shit. It was awesome. Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys…"
"We don't let Thomas drive anymore."
"I agree, Jax." There was a first time for everything. Jax and Kyle finally agreed upon something.
SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA
Once they straightened out why they thought the guy lied. It was simple, he gave Jax the place the drugs were made and distributed from. Were the boys indeed there? No one could positively say yes or no to the question. There were only three other places left to find them at. Or we probably never would see them again.
But the biggest problem was getting those details for free. It was always one hand washes the other. A dirty deed for a dirty deed. The Mexican solider Thomas had killed in the bar was a part of a fight club. A dirty, illegal fight club. Where a high amount of cash was wagered on him already. The one to take his place to fight, didn't stand a prayer in hell to win against the champ for the fight scheduled for tonight.
They met at various places in secret. The current champion was from the United States. He did the same as we did. In the middle of the night, sneaked across the border illegally to avoid the current pending charges against him. He would be facing twenty to life if he ever went back to the states again. His rap sheet was a mile long. His most current crimes were rapping and beating two women almost to death.
"We take him outta the fight and make sure he can't fight against your guy tonight. Then you'll give me the address to these places of where my son is?"
"You got my word Jackson. Although, it is suicide to take on Sandoval. But that is your choice."
Every single person we had available was here to face whatever needed to be done. Tomorrow morning, we would go back to the plan of us girls getting on the inside of the laundry place. While the guys hit the other places. We were running out of time. There were only two days left to find the boys and make it on the plane's pit stop for fuel. If we missed it, we got left behind.
"You're up Kyle."
"What?"
"To take on the champ. He hurts women. I know how much that shit bothers you. Beating on a woman is wrong no matter what side the of the law you're on. You can talk the shit. Now, let see what you got. I do this kinda shit every day and take on whatever I gotta do to survive."
Kyle got duped by Jax into taking on the champ. You couldn't stand for something one day without taking a stand for it the next. He had fought Jax about hurting a woman. None of the others felt Kyle was the right match up for this fight. But, Jax was not going to have it any other way.
"Kyle doesn't belong in the ring with him. That guy is a professional fighter. I'll do it."
"Are you telling me Kyle is all mouth and not the badass he acts like? Are you afraid your boy might lose, Thomas?"
"If anything happens to him. I will make you bleed, Jax."
The manager of the fight tried to get in the way of Kyle. No one got near the champ without his permission. He was the simple one to go down with a couple of punches to get to fight. "My manager was just doing his job. That shit was not cool." The champ only laughed at Kyle wanting to take him on. "Armature hour."
They both stepped inside the high chain link fence they had stretched out around the ring. Kyle kissed his cross on his dog tags before he tucked it inside his t-shirt. The blows he made were hard and swift only they didn't connect or land on the champ anywhere.
But the champ, he landed blow after blow to him. He danced around the ring like the professional fighter he was. Light on his feet while his fist was mighty. "You gotta watch me, solider boy."
The beating Kyle took only got worse as they went on. The champ had him against the fence as he used his fist, feet and legs to hurt him some more. Even chocking was allowed in this no rules fight. When he turned loose of Kyle. He went down and didn't get up this time like he had before. "Get up bitch."
It became the final blow when he kicked Kyle until he had him on the outside of the cage. The champ didn't stop then either.
"Hey Kyle, you might try to hit him with something other than your face." Jax had a smile on his while he watched the fight continue on. The others, not so much. Even most of the club members knew it was wrong. For this to take place and for them to let it happen.
"Jackie, call this shit. Have someone else take the fighter on. He will kill the little prick. Think it through, brother."
"Not yet, Chibs. I need to see what Kyle is really made of."
"Then I will." Nero went to stop it. Throw in the towel so no farther damage would happen to Kyle. But even Nero got overruled by his leader as well. We knew she was his lord and master.
"Not yet, baby. He needs to prove himself to Jackson. I say Kyle can do it."
"Gem, it's a dangerous territory to tread in. Kyle is teetering on the edge of it."
"Kyle listens and looks up to you. You keep him whole, Nero. We gotta know he is worthy. That he is capable of following through on it. Or none of this is gonna turn out well for anyone."
Since they all had lost their minds. I was going to stop it but I got halted first. Boomer had me in a gripped lock around my waist. "You can't do that, Tara. Kyle can take care of himself. He just has to find that part of him and make it alive again."
"And if he doesn't?"
"We all get our ass handed to us at some point. He chose to walk inside the ring and now he needs to see it through."
"Get up. You're a goddamn Marine. You get up and fight until you take your last breath in. If you don't do it, Kyle. I'll kick your ass when you're done here." Meat was screaming it at Kyle. You could hear him over the crowd's noise. Meat didn't stop screaming at him either.
The champ had already declared victory. As he held his hands up high as the winner of the match. It took Kyle several attempts to make it back up and on his feet again. He tapped the champ on the shoulder then gave him a right cross. "You gotta watch me." Kyle uttered the words back him from earlier.
Exhaustion had slowed down both of them. But the finally touch was when the champ threw a punch and Kyle threw up his elbow. When he connected his fist to the elbow and humerus bone. It probably shattered every small bone in the champ's hand. I knew for certain what it did when Kyle twisted the champ's middle fingers sideways until you heard them make a cracking sound. "You like hitting women, you piece of shit. You won't hurt another one anytime soon."
Nero made Kyle stop. Or he would have gone on hurting the champ. "Enough. That's enough."
Thomas was on one side of him and Meat on the other. They held Kyle's arms up. "Yeah, that's my boy, right here."
Kyle was favoring his left arm because it was tucked up close to his body. It didn't detour him from one person on his way back to the vehicle. He spit a mouth full of blood on the ground before him. "Fuck you, Jax. Let's see what you got."
"The biker boy has got a beat down coming to him, that's what he's got. Once this is over with the kids. It's just a matter of which one of us is going to deliver it to him." Thomas never stopped following after Kyle but delivered the message loud and clear as he passed by.
"Amen to that, brother." Meat gave Jax a little nod on his way by too in agreeance with Thomas.
Jax totally ignored everything the guys had to say to him. The one he was angry with and glaring at had me really confused because it was Gemma. She strongly held his glare and didn't back down as she made her way through the crowd. "Huh? Looks like there could be a new boss." She putting on her sunglasses and twisted her ass as she went to Nero. Just like she always does. It didn't stop Jax from shooting daggers in her direction until she was out of sight.
"Nothing makes sense to me anymore." It was something I said out loud before I thought. It wasn't like any of them listened to what I had to say anyway. I followed after Jax to make sure he got what he came for.
They got the addresses we needed for our children from the fight. But it still cost a price. I wanted to check Kyle over and he was being difficult about it. "I'm fine. I can move it. Nothing is broken. Stop worrying about me."
Once I got the dried blood cleaned off of his face. His left eye and that side of his face took the worst of it. A few opened lesions, a split lip and a whole lot of swelling. I scrunched the gel up before I broke the cold pack to activate it. "Put this on your eye and I'll give you a couple of pain pills. Extend your arm out." I gave him a number of exercises so I could see how much mobility he had in it. "I'll wrap it in an ace bandage. I really didn't pack anything else to put your arm in. It will help with the swelling in your elbow and forearm as it protects the inflamed tissue around it too. I think your psychical wellbeing is better than your mental one. I've never seen you be so brutal before."
"I told you I would have to do some horrible shit to get the boys back. I warned you to stay away from me, Tara. But you didn't listen and here you are. I did it for Abel and Cody. I would do it again too. I'm not going back to the place I was once at. So, stop worrying about me."
"Do you want one?" He was holding up a bottled beer. They stole cases of it from someone today. The guys and the club had some so I wasn't sure which side actually stole it.
"No thanks, Thomas."
He no more than handed a beer to Kyle when Jax swiped it out of his hands. "Thank, Kyle. I am thirsty." Jax put his arm around me and gave me a devilish grin as we went back to our side. Apparently he felt I had spent enough time tending to the patient. His attention went to his ringing phone. While mine went back to set on my log.
"Are you going to let Jax get away with that shit?" Thomas wasn't soft spoken. His voiced carried and he could be as loud as hell with it.
"It's not about Jax. I do it for her."
"There is pussy whipped and then there is you, Kyle. No woman pulls me around by my Johnson or tells me what to do." Thomas' cell rang. He was franticly trying to redial the number as quickly as he could do it. "Hey baby, sorry I missed your call. Of course, I am thinking about you. What did you say your name is again? Hello?"
Thomas wasn't the only one who was having woman problems. Boomer set on the log with me and didn't have anything to say. He was really down tonight, especially on the subject of love. It became really uncomfortable when Tig joined us while swigging on his beer.
Their direct dialog with each other wasn't exactly nice either. They kept going with comments. They slid closer to me with each one they made. Until I couldn't move out of the way if I wanted to. I was scrunched tight in the middle of their argument.
"You guys realize I'm not Nicole, right? Because you're sort of squishing me."
"Tig, know where you belong." Jax made it clear to Tig. Get the hell back on his own side.
The next astonishing thing to happen was done by Jax. "Nicole, come here darlin." He actually invited her over to their side. She was a little cautious about it and for some damn reason I felt she should be. But he kept calling her over until she went.
The one thing Jax always had and never stopped displaying; was a way with the ladies. His charms worked on most of them and he could talk them into doing things they didn't dream they would ever do.
However, her brother, didn't find anything charming about it. As soon as Jax said her name. Kyle's head sprung up and he was paying attention to every move made. He tossed down the ice pack and he was going where his sister was. He didn't move quickly and you could tell he was aching with every step he took. But it didn't stop him either.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm just following your lead, Kyle. You said I need to be nicer and consider others feelings. I thought Nicole would like to come over here and spend time with Tig."
"Kyle, really Jax was nothing but sweet to me. He said I can be over here with Tig anytime I want."
"What game are you playing, Jax? You better not do anything to Nicole. Or involve her in some bullshit."
"It's looks like your sister may become an old lady to one of my club members. I'm trying to get along with you, Kyle."
SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA~SOA
By simply setting on the log and observing. You could learn a lot of shit going on in front of you. Gemma had doted over Kyle since we got back last night. It was almost to the point of babying him. Her actions worried me more than Jax inviting Nicole over to his side.
Then there was Nero. He wouldn't let Kyle out of his sight for a second. Not even to go to the bathroom. Which, Kyle was certain he was a big boy and could do it by himself.
All the while I watched Jax seethe with jealousy over his mother. He consistently pushed Gemma away and wanted nothing to do with her. Yet, he was upset she was around Kyle.
"Morning, girlfriend."
"Good morning, Nicole."
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, just trying to decided who is fucking over who the worst."
"Huh?"
"Yeah. I am going to go check on your brother."
"How is the patient?"
"He's fine." Gemma set protectively over Kyle since I had been awake this morning. She wouldn't leave him alone with even me when I got him up to check him over. I gave him another ice pack and more pain pills. As he was one giant black and blue bruise in most places. He still favored his left arm so I rewrapped it to make the bandage tighter.
When Kyle went to do his morning business and get a cup of coffee. His shadow, Nero, wasn't far behind him. I wanted to address it with her while we were alone. "What is going on, Gemma?"
"I am just taking care of Kyle. It should make you happy someone cares enough about him to make sure he is alright."
"Somehow, I'm not buying that."
"Not buying what?"
"It's all for the good of Kyle bullshit. I don't think Jax is the only one playing games around here."
"Do you really believe Jackson will allow Kyle to just walk away without paying for his sins or the betrayal my son feels has been done to him? It's not how it works. You got no idea what's coming. Still yet, it's coming."
"Tara." Jax called me over and I didn't get to finish the conversation with Gemma. Oh, but we so would finish it later on.
Jax wanted to go over the plan with me. Make sure I understood exactly what he wanted done. They gave us each three bugs to plant at the laundry place in various spots. So they could tap in and see what was happening on the inside of it.
"Be safe and leave as soon as you get those planted. Call me, I'll have someone come and get you. I love you, babe."
"I love you too."
After the farewells were said and done among us. We went to get in line for the bus with the other workers. They didn't seem to notice any difference in us and hopefully neither did the bad guys.
It came right on schedule too. We took a seat and I tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. One woman insisted on talking to me. I didn't understand a word she was saying. I finally nodded my head. But I had no idea what I was agreeing with. It was enough for her to be quiet as we exited the bus to go in with the other workers.
The sweatshop was terrible on the inside. These women were exploited for their services and in exchange received a few dollars pay a day. They washed mounds of laundry in a hot environment with extremely bad working conditions. While the other workers sewed new clothing in another area and made alterations to customer's requests.
You could feel the steam flowing throughout the building when they would start up the washers and throw the stuff in industrial sized dryers. The doors on them were large enough to walk through. The paint had peeled and cracked on the walls by them just from the amount of moisture they let off from the daily use.
Men walked around just watching what took place. They never stopped to mingle, talk or acknowledged the women. Most definitely they were patrolling the area for something. It made me nervous because I tried to blend in the best I could.
"Tara." Gemma got my attention to follow after her and Nicole. There really weren't places to plant bugs here. Too much traffic flow and everyone touched everything in sight.
Down a dimly lit hallway we followed workers to a door. A light was on above it. They swiped something to get inside. So, it's where we went too.
"The dye room. How fitting it's where we ended up."
Large vats of different colored dyes to make colored t-shirts with. They had carts full of white plain shirts that needed to be done. But there was another door connecting to this room we couldn't get to open up and none of the women seemed to have access to it.
A woman handed Gemma an arm full of t-shirt and spout a length conversation to her. "I don't understand a damn word you just said bitch." Of course it angered the woman when Gemma let the clean shirts fall to the dirty floor.
"I understand English, bitch and you don't work here."
"Oh shit."
"And then some Gemma."
The younger girl spoke our language and knew what we had been talking about since we came in the room with them. It was a Mexican dog pile on the poor little white girls. Until the men entered the room.
They searched us and found the bugs. Now, we were fucked. "Stop pushing me." Gemma didn't give up or stayed quiet for anyone.
The hiding place in here was obvious as we learned not all of those large walk in size dryers were operational. There was one which lead to somewhere else. A massive under the laundry place meth lab.
It extended underground the full length of the building. It was probably the biggest cook lab ever made or kept secret for that fact. Beakers were set up on tables, stainless steel hundreds of gallon drums where they made their product. Entire fifty gallon barrels of different chemicals to use set along the wall readily available.
But there was still no sign of our boys anywhere here to be found. Not one inclination they ever step inside of this lab. Today was a good day to die if I knew for certain it saved my son's life.
"I said stop pushing me asshole." We had a language barrier between them and us. They finally put Gemma in the chair when she didn't set down on her own like Nicole and I did.
But we had bigger problems when he came walking in. The large Mexican man who was strutting about and ordering the others around. He meant something to them. His cunning smile had a gold grill on his front teeth with sparkling diamonds added to it.
"What do we have here?" We were silent and said nothing in return to him. He checked over Gemma first. Her crow tattoo stuck out at the top of the plain long dress she wore. "I'd say you are with the Sons of Anarchy. They have something of mine I want back." When Gemma ignored him she got a back hand across the face. "Answer me."
"Yes." It was all she would say to him.
"Now, we are getting somewhere. Which one of you means something to Jax Teller?" Again all he got was silence. He took an extremely large knife off of his side. "Eeny, menny, miny, moe." Then he pointed the knife to Gemma. "You're too old. So, I don't think it's you." Next came my turn. "You're too prissy. So, I rule you out." It was down to the last one of us, Nicole. "So, I am banking on it being you."
He ripped Nicole up from her chair. Held her by her throat and traced the knife across it. "I will cut you into pieces and send them to him one at a time. Until I get my shit back." The cold steel slid down to in between her breast. She didn't cave and tell him the truth. She only closed her eyes and tried to not see what was coming her way.
"Leave her alone. I am Jax's wife. Not her." There were choices you had to make in life. I couldn't let Nicole suffer for choices I made. I wouldn't let her feel the pain of being associated with the club that was rightfully meant for me.
"Sandoval, Mr. Frien said wait until he gets here before you do anything with them." Well it did save us for the moment and explain who in the hell this crazy fucker was. He was Carlos Sandoval, the one who the SOA took a shipment from.
"When I get outta here. I will cut your heart out."
Sandoval stopped for a moment crushing up the meth with the end of his knife handle. He gave Gemma a smile for what she said then went back to it. A long line of the drug was scooped up on the knife blade from where he sniffed it all. Grabbed his nose hard a couple of times before he approached her.
"You got spunk bitch. I love spunk." Then did another hit of meth from his knife blade. "Whew, that's some good shit."
"Jesus Christ, he is crazier than Gemma."
"And then some, Nicole."
Sandoval went up the stairs to go back up to the top. I was about to shit myself while the other two just looked around.
"How can the two of you remain so calm?"
"Kyle and the guys will come for us. I have no doubts about my brother."
"Jackson and the club will kill any shit that gets in their way. My son never knows when to stop. He gets it from me."
They did remain calm until we seen what happened next. Sandoval wasn't exact the only boss for the cartel. Mr. Frien was his. The shot caller, the all mighty, the one who decided all the players really were and determined who lived and died in the end.
He was dressed in a three piece business suit. His appearance was neat and tidy. The lettering on his jacket was; Los Lobos Chicken. Not only did he own this place but all the chicken franchises in Mexico too. Which, when he spoke I didn't believe he was Mexican either. He could speak their tongue, a different language to some of the others. But also perfect English as well. He wasn't a common street thug, he was well educated and articulate.
"You brought them to my establishment and still did not get the shipment returned. Now they know all about our operation and have seen our faces. You fool. I've spent a lifetime building my empire in secret."
"I didn't bring them here. They showed up with the other workers this morning."
"Then you led them straight to me. We need to deal with this problem immediately."
Sandoval was directing his men when Mr. Frien overruled him. "No. Not them. You will do it yourself, Carlos. Your hands will be as bloody as mine are in all of this when we are through."
Now we were all sort of in a panic as Mr. Frien took off his jacket and hung it up on the back of a chair. We saw him go to the back where they had a wash station and hazmat suits for making their drugs.
One button at a time he took off his long sleeved pressed shirt and hung it up with a hanger so it wouldn't get wrinkled. Tossed his tie over his shirt when he was done. Untied his nice dress shoes and put them aside as he grabbed a yellow slick rain type suit to dress in now. He completed it with a pair of high top rubber boots. Then stood patiently and waited for Sandoval to finish dressing in the same attire.
A black velvet case was rolled out on the table with a lot of huge shiny knives inside it. Mr. Frien study a couple of them in his hand before he chose the one he wanted. Sandoval kept the first one he picked up in his hand.
"I can call my son. Jackson Teller is my son and I can get him to bring your drugs. You don't have to hurt us to get them back." Mr. Frien never spoke a word or changed his facial expression as he walked towards Gemma. "Don't do this." She kept pleading with them the closer they stepped with knives in hand.
Mr. Frien did use the knife of choice. Only he used it on Sandoval. From behind he grabbed Carlos and slit his throat from ear to ear. His blood sprayed us all as Mr. Frien held the gash open in Carlos' neck until he was finished with his kill. "I do not tolerate insubordination. Or a junkie more interested in using my product than protecting it." It was all he said before he let Carlos' lifeless body fall to our feet.
He made slashing motions with the knife while screaming something the three of us didn't understand. The rest of them did though. As they moved out of Mr. Frien's way when he passed by them. Some even dropped their heads as a gesture of respect when he talked. Then came the bloody knife stabbed down in the table where the others still laid.
While they dragged Carlos' body away. Mr. Frien removed his glasses from his face and washed the blood away in the sink. Some had the ability to wash it away and the stain of it never touched their souls.
Once he washed himself clean, he got dressed and discarded the bloody clothing. He checked his tie in the mirror to make sure it was perfectly straight. "You will call your son now. Bring them." He conversed with the men in the room in their language. Only they didn't mean all of us were going.
"Not you." I was pushed back down in the chair. They only wanted Gemma and Nicole.
"I'm not leaving without Tara."
"Neither am I."
Gemma put up the best fight but she still lost. She kicked and tried to bite to get her way. But it didn't work. They took her and Nicole away while I was left behind.
For over an hour I set and stared at the clock on the wall. Wondering what would happen now. The four they left to watch me went on to clean up the mess that Mr. Frien had made with Carlos.
It made me nervous Mr. Frien was coming back to finish the job he started when I heard footsteps echoing up from the top of the staircase where the elevator was. Only it wasn't Mr. Frien at all.
"Holy shit."
"Do I even want to ask who the guy is they are chopping up and putting in a barrel?"
"Sandoval. Where is Gemma and Nicole?"
Since Jax couldn't come across with the drugs when Mr. Frien had Gemma call him. It was a stall tactic of the bait and switch. Jax was given one hour to produce the drugs or they killed their first hostage. Which, was me, Jax Teller's old lady.
Then if another hour went by, the killed the second one, Kyle. He had taken Gemma and Nicole's place because Mr. Frien believed he was someone important in the club.
"Honestly, Jax offered himself in exchange for you three without even thinking twice about it. They wouldn't make the deal. You are the insurance policy he will come back with their drugs. They think I am the president of another charter of the club because they knew who the rest of the members are. It's the only reason they would exchange me for Nicole and Gemma. I couldn't let them get hurt. I am the one who brought my sister into this mess."
"There are no drugs to exchange. So, what happens now?" It came out at barley a whisper. The reality of the cold hard facts was before my face and in my heart I already knew the answer.
"Jax will come back for you, Tara. One way or the other. They have a plan if they can execute it in an hour."
"And if they can't?"
"If we're lucky, they will kill us without torturing us first."
Time really wasn't on our side. If Jax and the club failed to return Kyle and I were dead. If they did return on time, we were all probably dead including them.
To take my mind off the situation we were staring at and was on the losing end of and totally flipping the fuck out. We talked about the club and some of the things they did. One subject of the club members did seem to interest Kyle.
"You mean to tell me. I could have been going down on you the entire time and it's completely acceptable. But you waited until now to mention it. Great, girl. Your timing is impeccable."
"I didn't say I found it acceptable. I said the club finds it's acceptable. It's not like we can do anything about it right now anyway."
"I don't have anything better to do at the moment if you don't. At least I'll die with a smile on my face and you might too, girl."
Needless to say. It just didn't happen. But he was right about nothing to do except kill time. We talked about so many like we always do.
"What happened to Julia?"
"She was on her way home from work. A tire blew out and her car collided with a semi. They pronounced her dead at the scene."
"John Teller collided with a semi too. How old were you Kyle?"
"I was nine years old when she died."
"Jesus Christ, so was Ellie. She was nine when Donna died. It was shortly after Abel was born. Abel and Cody would have been in the hospital during that time frame."
"Oh shit."
"Yeah, oh shit and then some, Kyle. What was Thomas talking about when he said I saved the both of you?"
"He totally blew it out of proportion. It doesn't mean anything."
"Then tell me." It took some coaxing on my end. I put my hand on his. "You know you can't keep things from me for very long." Kyle just shook his head and was having trouble either with how to put it. Or was fighting me all the way on it. But, finally came across with the information.
"Thomas and I meet up once a year at the same time and same place unless he is deployed. Only, I canceled on him at the last minute. It was the weekend we spent at my house after the Collette problem. I stayed to be with you. He was pissed off at me because we had already planned it for months and booked everything. Since I didn't go, neither did he. Then he called me the next day. The plane crashed and there were no survivors. If we had been on it, we would have both died. So, he feels you saved our lives; Kyle's angel. Thomas wasn't kidding about your name."
"How do you feel about it?"
"You saved me in a lot of ways, Tara. I was at a real low point in my life when I met you. I didn't feel much of anything then. You were so kind and sweet to me when you didn't have to be. The best part is you did just it because you are you. It's how you are. There wasn't an ulterior motive to it. The plane thing…it doesn't mean shit. It was only a coincidence."
"I have something to tell you, Kyle. I need you to keep an open mind when I do and promise me you won't just disappear."
"The last time you said this to me. You told me John is my father. So, I do not want to hear it."
"Kyle…"
It didn't end up mattering if he did or didn't want to hear it. They came to get us and there wasn't enough time to tell him anyway. The exchange had been set in motion. We were escorted up to the top by four men holding guns on us. The sunlight was bright when we went through the double doors to the parking lot.
Jax and the club was waiting for us with the large wooden crate in the back of the flatbed truck. With the transportation truck they stole parked beside it with the large door open in the back for inspection. Only I knew there weren't really any drugs in the crate for them. Five more bad guys joined us to go meet them. They checked and patted down Jax and the club members for weapons.
"Open the crate." They wanted to check for their merchandise before they killed us. It was exactly what we overheard them talking about when we set below and waited. Once they had the drugs, we would all be killed.
Jax gave Kyle a slight nod and looked off to right. Kyle gave him one back and stepped in front of me.
Before they pried off the top of the crate. Two of the bad guys had already hit the ground. It was a silent muted shot to the head. Which, only meant Thomas was hidden nearby somewhere and made the long range shot that made them fall.
The bad guys also got another surprise with what was waiting for them in the crate. Four of the guys sprang up with guns blasting everything around us. Weapons were being distributed from the crate as quickly as the guys could grab them. It wasn't only the club members here; it almost was all of them waiting to ambush the bad guys.
"Bobby, get Tara outta here. We burn this shit to the ground. Then we go get the kids."
It was exactly what they done too. While Bobby and I waited in the truck parked down the street. They came out and Jax lit up a smoke for the bonfire they started. The explosion of it could be seen for miles around and would only bring more chaos to the surface. Only the bad guy reinforcement had already shown up.
The truck was riddled with bullet holes as they fired upon us. "Bobby." He slumped over in the seat because his was the side they came in at. The blood was gushing from his body everywhere because he took several bullets. He had shielded me from it and sacrificed himself. "No. I'm so sorry."
"Tara." Jax was screaming my name. They were firing at the bad guys now. The men who took on this mission of finding our children; Jax and the club with Kyle and the guys. Were all so brave. They didn't run for shelter when they faced the bad guys, they took them head on. Let the shit fall where it may and none of them were afraid to die for the cause.
Which took their attention away me long enough to try to get away. I crawled out of the truck to my hands and knees. I seemed to spend a lot of time on them in this position lately.
"Run." It was all he said to me as he pulled me up by the waist. He grabbed Bobby's gun and knife before we took off. They didn't stop following us though or shooting at us either as we went down the street. He laid down a blanket of fire back at them just so we had a chance to make it a little farther.
We ducted into the Worship Center because no other doors were unlocked. It didn't stop them from entering behind us or leaving a trail of spilled blood behind as they went. I even said a quick prayer for Bobby to make it home safely to the promise land.
The large cross in the front drew me in, captured me when I saw it. It shined as a beacon of light and hope. The vision of him nailed to it to pay for our sins played over and over in my mind. How would I end up paying for all of mine?
"Get down." In between the pews we dived. Splinters came from the wooden chairs where people set and prayed. They were reflecting off everything and laying around us on the floor. They continued to keep the bullets flying our way relentlessly. Over the top of them he raised up and shot back at them. It was a futile attempt though.
More than once on this trip I had been down on my knees crawling like a child instead of standing like a strong woman would. In here, I felt I should be on them saying my prayers and begging for forgiveness of the things I had done. The place we were at was an omen my time had drawn nearer. Or maybe I should have worked at keeping a stronger faith and lived a clean life while I still could.
We literally did the low crawl and weaved our way to the back. There was no exit or way out of it. The only shelter we found was a large wooden column to hide behind. It was the thing that stood between us and them. The only safe haven I had left.
"I'm out of ammo." He threw the hand gun and it smacked the wall in the back of the holy room. "Fuck."
"Jax and the guys will come for us."
"No, they won't. Jax went to get the boys or he better be by now. Or Cody and Abel won't make it out either."
"We're screwed and this is the end, isn't it? How fitting we die in a church."
"It's not looking good." Kyle held on to the knife tightly in his grip. "This is all I've got left. One of us has to live to tell this story. There is only one way out and it's the same door we came through at the side of the room. They will gun us down before we make it there. I will distract them and you run."
"I'm not leaving you, Kyle."
"There isn't time to argue about it. Abel, Thomas, Kenny and Ellie needs you." His lips crushed mine for only brief seconds. "I love you. If there really is an afterlife. I will probably still love you then too. I gotta do this and you gotta run. We do it on the count of three."
He spoke those three little, giant damn words to me. Then counted off as he was gone from my side. As I got up to run something pushed me down to the floor. The glass was shattering around me. The sharp shards of it were bouncing off my head. I covered it up because I couldn't move from the spot I was in. A crippling weight was crushing me.
The bullets continued to whiz by. The loud screams were buzzing in my head until I realized I was the one doing the screaming. A hand tried to capture me but I fought it away. "Tara, it's me. Look at me. I'm not going to hurt you." Boomer had my face held by his hands until I stopped struggling to get away from him. I grabbed on to him and held on tightly.
They had come down through the skylights in the ceiling and a couple of them through the large stained glass windows in the front. The holy place became a killing field. In the house of god souls entered hell from here.
But there was one soul I couldn't any longer see. I made my way up from the floor and walked around the large wooden column we set behind. He was holding on to his arm trying to catch his breath.
"I almost didn't shoot them to see where in the hell you were going with this. You and knife against three submachine guns. What were you planning on; them falling down laughing themselves to death because of it?" Even in a life threatening situation. Meat had a quality of humor he brought along with him to ease some of the tension.
"I had it under control."
"The fuck you did, Kyle. It's why we came back. We never leave anyone behind."
With my arms extended I circled them around him. Lost in the feeling of calmness and serenity. Caught up in the fact we lived through it one more time. The noise in the room had all stopped. It was peaceful once again. "You were willing to die for me and you said you love me."
"Are you sure I said it, Tara? There was a lot of confusion and noise you may have misunderstood what I actually said. I'm not recalling it like that."
"It's the exact way I recall it. You said it."
"Fine, I said it. I didn't exactly plan on living long enough for us to discuss it. I needed to tell you. I know you don't feel the same way. It's okay you don't. I would rather love someone I can never have. Than have someone I can never love."
"Kyle, that's some real beautiful shit man. But we got people to kill and kids to save. Let's go already." Meat lead the way out the door for them. He was certainly a silly fucker but one hell of a fighting machine.
While we were dealing with all of that. The rest of them had located the boys. They were kept at the mansion of Mr. Frien. It was a fortress with guards everywhere protecting his life. With what they had just done at the laundry place, he had to of known by now they were coming for him and our children.
Most of the club and the guys were on their way there if they hadn't made it by now. Jax went to our son as soon as he found out. They would penetrate Frien's castle, kill all the shit around them and save our children. Or they would die trying to.
"Do not let Gemma, Nicole or Tara out of your sight. Where is Jax?"
"He went in through the gate with the others."
Boomer handed our little computer geek the detonator. "Give us ten minutes so I can get them planted. Then you blow it up. Whoever makes it out by then, makes it out alive."
The three of us girls waited with bated breath. We had no idea which one of them were doing the shooting that rang out so loudly as we watched from a distance. Or if any of them had been shot to death by it already.
"Five minutes and counting down." He gave them their notice of exactly how much time they had left to make it out over the radios.
"Three minutes' left guys. Hurry up and get the hell out of there."
"You're not detonating shit. The club, Nero, Kyle, Jackson and the boys are still inside." Gemma had a gun at his temple.
"Lady, you are fucking crazy. But I still will do exactly that. Those are my orders and I carry through on them until death. They knew the risk going into it. If I don't do it, we all die. The cartel will come out with their guns blazing."
"Then we all die because I will shoot you."
He flipped up the plastic cover and hoovered his thumb over the red button. "Sixty seconds and counting." The countdown was sent to all of them over their radios once again. With him looking straight into Gemma's eyes while he did it.
"Blow the shit. We have the boys." It was the response heard by all over the radio. Several of them had come running out of the high black iron gate already. I could tell who some of them were even from here. Gemma lowered the gun down finally.
"You were bluffing."
"Sure." It was her only response to him. But, she wasn't bluffing. I had seen that crazy look in her eyes many times before.
One would have thought it a simple process from here forward and we would be celebrating the return of our children. However, it wasn't going to be as easy as that now. It was when they cast a shadow down from the sky on the hot sand where I stood. I knew what was coming next. A complete circle was rotating around me as they flew above. "No, not now." I could see the swirl of black on the surface of the sand they caused before I looked up to see the crows. They were here with us. They were living it through us.
A blinding white light reflected from the sun in my eyes when I looked up. They didn't make a sound this time. The complete silence was the sequence of what would come next just like in my dream. They were waiting it out and never broke their flight from the same circle the four of them made repeatedly. When I shut my eyes so I could get the spots to go away to see again. Everything went completely grey around me. "Please, no."
The dark cloud had come down. It moved above my head as the crows did. It was about to rain brimstone on us all. For the sand turned to a rotating grey circle now. If the legend held true; the fourth crow was here to take a soul to the promise land. Take them home with them. It was just matter of who they were actually after. "No." I screamed it over and over. Once again, following what I had done in my dream. Never breaking free from the same path of fate. No matter how many opportunities we had been given to.
All I could see was fire before me. He detonated it just like he said he was going to do. The explosion was life blowing up in my face. Heat was rising from the ground to feel just how hot hell was going to be when I got there.
This was the dream I continuously had but never came to the end of it. Was this meant to be the ending I could never see before now? Was it what Kyle had told me he seen earlier? Were they who I had been dreaming of the entire time? Was this the chain of events that happened in the first place? Did all of our actions lead us to the damnation I was about to witness before me?
With it involving Abel, was he destined to be the good or bad brother of the future. Because we never changed the course of fate; was it now changing itself to destroy the web and unravel the evil with our children?
John may have interfered to bring it all to a halt. To shut down the club once and for all. What he couldn't accomplish while he was still alive and it's why his soul couldn't rest yet. To stop the evil completely from existence of the past, present and future; Kyle, Jax and Abel. I didn't want to believe John would do such a cruel heinous thing by using his sons and grandson to do it with though. There had to be some reason he actually brought Jax and Kyle together in one spot other than more death and chaos. The same horrible things John experienced in his life here.
Those questions went unanswered as I seen them. Side by side Jax and Kyle in the haze of the lingering black smoke carrying two blonde haired little boys out of it. It brought me to my knees. They had our children. They all survived it. They had no soul to carry with them today. The crows were wrong.
We couldn't get to them fast enough. Gemma, Nicole and I went to them. We didn't not care about the danger of it or of the consequences we may have to suffer for it either. But, it wasn't the full blessing I had hoped for.
"What is wrong with them?"
"I don't know. We found them like this."
Abel and Cody were not at all responsive. In just the short period of time they were separated from us; our healthy, happy normal boys weren't the same anymore. Their color was pail white with no reminisce left of the rosy cheeks they once had. They lost weight as they appeared so thin and frail. It felt like they were burning up with a fever when I touched each one of them.
Their bodies were soaked in sweat. Gemma, Nicole and mine quickly became soaked in tears. Cody's heart rate was low at best. It was hard to find Abel's pulse. His little heart was barley even beating now.
I hope you enjoyed reading me!
Are still with me on the story lovelies? One more part of brotherhood before we move on.
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