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Chapter 99 Imminent Death

Jax's phone made the electronic tone it used to notify him he had a text message. Juice's text told him that everyone would be at the clubhouse within a half hour. Jax typed good into his phone and sent the text to Juice. He told him to contact all of SAMCRO except Clay, Chibs and Opie about the meeting. He would contact them. He didn't want Juice to tip off Clay about the emergency meeting. He didn't want Clay to get any kind of advance notice. Well, that turned out to be all for nothing.

The worst of it was this was his fault. If he had read Lowen's message Saturday morning, Clay wouldn't have gotten arrested. He would have stopped it.

Well, there was no use beating himself up over this. It wasn't productive. He focused instead on what he was going to do in the upcoming meeting. This was when he excelled thinking fast on his feet and he felt that rush of adrenaline. The fate of the club was in his hands now.

Chibs and Opie carrying Clay's cut walked into the clubhouse.

"No, Gemma," Opie said.

"OK," Jax said. Opie handed Clay's cut to him. Another historical moment. The president's patch on Clay's cut was on his father's cut first. Now, it would be on his cut. One day, his son would wear the president's patch. It was the first time he had ever thought about having a kid. He wasn't sure if marriage or the emotion of the moment was the cause.

Jax's phone buzzed. He answered surprised by the name of the caller that appeared on his phone's display.

"We need to talk privately."

"I need to take this," Jax said to Chibs and Opie. He left Clay's cut on the table and walked into the Chapel and closing the doors behind him.

"OK, I'm alone," Jax said.

"I've got news that you will want to hear."

"I'm all ears," Jax said.

"I was going to come by your party for a few minutes with Unser Friday night. What happened to you wasn't right and I'm glad you're out."

"Thanks, Hale," Jax said dryly.

"When I went to pick up Unser, he didn't answer the door. I made entry and found him on the floor. He was transported to St. Thomas. He's been losing his cancer battle, but he hasn't been honest with just how badly he'd been losing the battle. He's got a few days at most. I called Gemma this morning to break the news to her. I thought she might want to say good-bye to him before he lapses into a coma."

Jax had no idea that Unser was that close to death. Apparently no one else did either. He didn't have time to feel anything about Unser's imminent death. He was focused on his club.

"Did you tell her that deliberately so she wouldn't be there when you took Clay?"

"The timing just worked out that way. Probably the news about Clay would be better coming from you anyway."

"And why did you bring him in?"

"The murder of Allie Lowen."

"No bail on that?" Jax asked.

Hale chuckled. It was a good joke.

"No. He won't go before a judge until at least Monday."

"You'll take him to county."

"After I finish questioning him," Hale said a little self-importance creeping into his voice.

"At least one of your dreams came true."

"I'm going to be the new police chief. I'm not Unser and I will be looking to bring order to Charming. It isn't going to be business as usual. SAMCRO isn't untouchable anymore."

"Well, almost chief, I guess I'm going to be president. We'll be taking the club back to its original purpose—a bunch of Harley enthusiasts who are all about the brotherhood. Prison had some advantages and while I was locked up I did a lot of thinking. The MC lost its way under Clay."

"If the MC stays on the right side of the law, you have nothing to worry about from me. I will never set up the club or do any of that ATF shit that happened to you. If I bust you, I will do it the right way."

"I respect that. We have the same goal—keeping the town safe. We just have different methods. Enjoy having Clay in custody."

"You want to visit him before he goes to county?"

"I'm busy today. I'll try to swing by county next week. Tell Clay, we'll fill his commissary account up as soon as he's in county."

"Just a friendly heads up."

"Appreciate it chief," Jax said. "I'm sorry about Unser."

"Yeah, me too," Hale said, his voice choking up a little. He may not have respected Unser much, but he'd worked with him for a lot of years and had some affection for him. And he'd learned how from him how not to be a police chief from watching him.

They ended the call. Jax appreciated the heads up from Hale, but he suspected part of the call was a fishing expedition. He wanted to see how much Jax knew about Lowen's murder. He had given nothing away including that the club was in the process of gathering to kick Clay out of the MC. He didn't want that detail getting back to Clay.

Out with the old and in with the new, Jax thought as he left the chapel.

Author's Note: As I was waiting in the fast food drive thru line, I got an idea for a new story. I've done some work on it and have started its first chapter. It's a very different story from this one and Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run because what fun would there be in writing the same story over and over again?

Please read and review it for me so I don't waste my time writing a story that has no audience if readers don't like it. Thanks! I'm posting it February 7.