Out West chapter 7

With everything that had happened, there was no way that the police wouldn't show up. It didn't help that several people had lost their lives, and many more had been wounded.

While Jury dealt with the Sheriff and EMTs tended to all those who were wounded, the clubs were dealing with their losses. A member from every club made sure to retrieve the kuttes of their fallen members. They wouldn't allow them to be tarnished or ruined.

Once the coroners moved the bodies, after making sure Olivia had gotten on the ambulance, and when it was only the clubs present, Tig finally reached out to Clay.

"Brother, it's really bad out here."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Olivia got shot, along with others..." Tig grabbed a bottle of whiskey and took a long pull, "We lost people tonight, Clay."

Tig proceeded to tell Clay what had happened. Rodrigo had saved his daughter's life by jumping on top of her, taking the bullets himself. The Secretary of the Carson City Mayans had died instantly when a bullet struck him in the head. Palma had died instantly as well, in the same manner.

"Fuck. Did Rodrigo have any family?"

Tig looked to the back of the room and answered, "Yeah. His daughter is bawling her eyes out in the back. Coyote's trying to console her."

Tig saw each of the Mayans, Hell Cats and several of his fellow Sons on their phones, and he continued, "I don't know how long we can hold things back, Clay."

"I know. Garcia reached out to me. He probably did the same for the Alvarezes. He told me to hold off."

"For how long?"

"If we don't hear something by sunrise, it's on."

In Sonora, Mexico, Felix Garcia was halfway to Galindo's home when he received a call, "I heard about the attack, Felix."

"If you're calling just to offer condolences, you've wasted your time, Gustavo," growled Felix.

"I've come with Intel. I believe I know who's responsible for these attacks."

"Then let's confirm my suspicions. Meet me at Galindo's. We don't have much time," Felix knew Gus had another motive for coming. The stolen shipment was his problem as well. He couldn't appear weak to Eladio or Bolsa.

Before long, they were at Jose Galindo's home, banging on the door with their bodyguards nearby. Within moments, Galindo answered the door in surprise.

"Felix and Mr. Fring. What brings you here at 2 in the morning?" He grumbled.

"An explanation, Jose, as to why you or someone in your cartel thought to take a shit in my sandbox."

"Jose, que esta pasando?" Dita asked, before catching sight of both Felix Garcia and Gustavo Fring, along with their armed bodyguards.

"Dita, perdonamos por la visita sin noticia. Tienes cafe listo?" Felix asked.

"Yo puedo hacer cafe rapido si quieres."

"Gracias." As Dita went to put on the coffee, Felix's smile disappeared as Jose's wife did. Jose silently invited them in.

"What are you talking about?"

"A short while ago, an attack occurred on my territory, days after a large shipment of mine was stolen. I almost considered it bad luck and coincidence, but," Felix took a deep breath, "You know how I feel about coincidences."

Gustavo stepped forward and said, "A low level motorcycle club who call themselves the Vipers are the ones responsible. There's nothing particularly unique about them. That is why the authorities have not investigated them nor bothered to think about their potential criminal activity."

"What does that have to do with me?"

Before Felix could answer, his phone rang. As he flipped it open, he asked, "Hello?"

"I lost a goddaughter tonight, Felix. It was Palma. She was killed in Indian Hills..." Felix immediately put it on speaker. "Cricket lost her father. And my brother lost a brother from Carson City."

Sabrina's voice was cracked and hoarse, like she had been crying. Felix could only glare daggers at Jose.

"Sabrina, I can't tell you how sorry I am."

"You find the men who did this, Garcia. Find them..."

The line went dead. Felix hung up and continued, "Even the lowest crews know better to cross someone like me. The weapons they had didn't come from robbing a gun store."

"If the bullets from the hijacking match the ones used in Indian Hills, then someone from here or Juarez put those mongrels on their path," finished Gustavo.

"Devante, find out who had contact with the Vipers right now. I want them on their knees, in front of me, before the sun rises.'

Galindo's order left no room for debate, and Cano could only nod silently before he walked away, dialing a number on his phone.

After he left, Garcia shook his head.

"Felix, we've know each other for many years. You know I would never steal from you just to further my own business. It's a tragedy, what happened."

"How do you plan to make this right?"

Before he could answer, Dita and a housemaid came back with a full coffee trolley. And after making sure they each had a cup of fresh brewed espresso, they left.

"I'll pay for the full funeral arrangements and the wake. I'll offer a million to each charter for damages," began Galindo as he outlined his agenda for damage control, "And I'll give the victim's families an additional million."

"That's a good start, Jose," stated Felix as he took a long sip of his coffee, "But I think we all know money will only go so far."

Jose sighed again. Blood for blood. It was the way it had to be.

"What do you think they'll call for?" He needed to hear it from someone other than himself.

"Every member of the Vipers lined up alongside the man who set this in motion," Felix leaned forward, "If I don't have that to offer up by sunrise, all four clubs will scorch the entire West Coast to find them."

"It will be disastrous for all of us," concluded Gustavo, swallowed his coffee in one gulp.

Devante walked back into the room and leaned in to Jose, "Roberto Cadena from Coahuila. He's the man."

Jose looked at his watch.

"We have three and a half hours before the sun rises. For all of our sakes, you'd do well to bring him here immediately."

"Consider it done."

As the clubs gathered at the hospitals, Clay Morrow had come to the SAMVEN clubhouse, and met with Marcus and Sabrina Alvarez, Rollie Thurman from SAMVEN, Jury, and Tomas Valdez from Carson City.

"Has Garcia called any of you yet?" asked Clay as he lit his cigar.

"Not yet," Marcus replied, lighting his own, "I saw your Nomads on the way here."

"I've got Quinn looking into it," He replied, taking a long puff and sighed, "This can't go unanswered."

"We have to do right by our own," Sabrina said. Clay didn't comment on her bloodshot eyes. They all had them.

"Even with the Sheriff on the take, we have to play this smart. The Feds aren't going to ignore this," said Jury.

"I know what we're dealing with," Marcus said grimly, "Sicarios."

"Two people come to mind," Tomas leaned forward, "Either Eladio Vuente did it to ruin Garcia's credibility, or Jose Galindo wanted to take advantage of the chaos and confusion."

Clay would have said something, had not all of their cell phones started ringing. As they answered, they all got the same message.

"The man responsible has been identified, and will be in Felix Garcia's custody soon. Concentrate on funeral arrangements and damage control for now, and await further instructions. Expenses won't be an issue."

In the morgue, Coyote was giving Cricket and her sisters distance as they stood by the bodies of Rodrigo and Palma.

Coyote's hand went for his Berreta when he heard the door open. It was Opie.

"Clay sent me and Bobby. How are you holding up?"

"It's as bad as you think. We're all hurting." Coyote said as he glanced at his girlfriend. "Her father was the only blood relative she had left on her family tree."

Opie took a deep breath and said, "Clay's waiting for word from a distant friend. They're looking for the men responsible."

"Are we doing anything?" Coyote asked.

"Clay has Quinn looking into it too." Opie said before looking at the three Hell Cats in bereavement. Chayo and Mariposa flanked Cricket's sides, their heads against each other's.

"They want blood for blood," Coyote remarked, "And there's nothing I can do to stop them."

"This means war, Coyote. If we don't do this, they'll come back and kill all of us. Rodrigo was your VP. His death can not be allowed to pass by unanswered."

The whole time Opie was talking, Coyote was looking right into the burning cat's head on the back of Cricket's kutte. There was truth in everything Opie said; war had come to them and they would have to fight.

"When we go after them, I want in." Coyote said firmly before turning his full attention to Opie.

At that moment, the three women turned and approached the Sons. Cricket said nothing as she buried her face in Coyote's chest. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close.

"Carolina is taking us down to Vegas," Chayo said objectively, "Bakersfield is coming to collect the body in the morning."

"Cricket's going to stay with you for a while. Rodrigo was the only family she had left," Mariposa said. Coyote silently nodded in agreement. As tough as things would get in hunting down the Vipers MC, it would pale in comparison to what they would have to deal with later.

Opie gave a silent nod that the girls returned before the two Hell Cats left the morgue.

Looking up at her boyfriend, Cricket said, "Take me home. I can't be here anymore."

"A Prospect has a van from the shop outside, Coyote." Opie said.

Coyote smiled in appreciation before taking his girlfriend out of the morgue.

Felix and Gustavo didn't waste any time with small talk as they questioned Roberto Cadena, who was duct taped to a chair. Fists flews, as did feet. They had already retrieved the location of the Cocaine. All they needed now was information on the Vipers.

"How did you find the Vipers MC?" asked Gustavo in between the man's screams.

"They're mercenaries! They work for Galindo sometimes!"

"Liar," Felix said, as he drove an ice pick into his thigh, making him cry out in pain, "Mercenaries know better to cross any cartel. Try again."

After moments of screaming, he yelled, "Sicarios!"

"El gatillo de un sicario es más afilada y rapido de su mente," Gustavo remarked.

After more questioning, they had gotten the locations of the Vipers out of him.

Felix dialed a number on his phone. After a minute, he relayed the message to his men. "Send the word out to the clubs. When I return to the States, I have some information that would make them very happy."

After hanging up, Felix turned to Jose and said, "After I confirm this information, he's all yours."

Coyote let Cricket walk into the apartment first, and closed the door behind them. After that, he made sure the blinds were closed. The sun would rise soon, and they were both exhausted.

A lot of the SAMVEN members had given their condolences and support to Rodrigo's only daughter. Chayo and Mariposa had hugged her tightly before going back to Bakersfield with Carolina. There was a lot to do.

"La Madrina is going to have to hold Shelby back from going off on a rampage." Palma was Shelby's Prospect years ago and the two were close. Cricket could only imagine how many of the Hell Cats it would have taken to talk Shelby down.

"You're already going in the same direction, right?" Coyote asked as if he didn't already know the answer.

"You aren't?" she asked as she put a hand on his kutte.

"Your father was my VP," Coyote sighed, "We don't have a choice."

"No. We don't."

A lot was unsaid for a few moments. It was clear they were both green. But that wouldn't be for long.

"Come on. Let's get some sleep." Cricket said, leading Coyote to bed.