Up In Flames

Chapter 16

Happy came home hours later knowing the Chinese job had gone off without a hitch and excited to spend time with his ladies. When he opened the door, still replaying the explosion and thousands of dollars of heroin baggies shooting into the sky in a ball of flames, he immediately knew something was off. The house was too quiet and whoever had moved Half-Sack left a few blood smears along the baseboards.

"Rory?" He hollered, taking the steps one by one. "Emma?"

Stopping in the baby's room Happy's heart dropped seeing it completely empty. He ran down the hall but what greeted him was far worse than anything he could have imagined. Rory was lying facedown, nude, sprawled out on the blood soaked bed, unconscious and badly beaten but that was far from the worst of it. Her back was sliced to shreds and blood from her wounds stained the sheets, hardwood floors and walls, Putlova wanted a gruesome scene and he delivered.

"Fuck. No." He dropped to his knees beside her. "Rory." He tapped her cheek lightly but she didn't respond. "Goddamn it, baby, come on."

Happy called an ambulance and then Jax, not surprisingly the latter arrived first. He'd covered her with a sheet before kneeling beside her once again holding her hand against his lips. When Jax walked in the bedroom he stopped and retched.

"Jesus, Hap, is she alive?"

"Yeah." He looked over his shoulder at Jax. "But Emma's gone."

"Fuck man. What about Sack?"

"No idea. I didn't look though, I came right up here."

Nodding, Jax left the room and began to search for Half-Sack. It didn't take long, the faux cable guy only pulled him out of plain view in hopes to surprising Happy. "Ahh, fuck, prospect." Jax crouched down and though he found a pulse but it was so weak he really couldn't be sure.

There was nothing Happy could do for Rory and that made it worse. She wasn't actively bleeding any longer and she was still breathing, he had to just sit and stare. It was sickening, even for him, to see her blood splattered around the room.

"I found Sack." Jax mumbled as the paramedics raced into the bedroom. "Shot twice in the chest, someone pulled him into the dining room."

"I need to find Emma, Jax." Happy said desperately as Rory was loaded up onto a gurney. "She's just fucking out there."

"We'll find her brother."

--

The only thing that could tear Happy away from Rory was their daughter. He didn't even know where to look or who had her and under Clay's order he had to give a statement. Cops and paramedics were necessary but the legal interference would be an issue. Unser arrived at the hospital after his deputies had scoured the house.

"I am so sorry, Happy." Unser said with sincerity as he sat beside him in the waiting room. They spent far too much time in hospital waiting rooms. "I'll do everything I can to find her."

"I don't know anything." Happy said, defeated and emotionally broken. "Really, I don't."

Unser nodded. "She didn't have anyone over? No one was coming around?"

"No." He grumbled.

"What about this?" Between his thumb and index finger, Unser held a business card with no name but it was emblazoned with the cable company's logo.

A heavy, hurtful realization hit Happy. "Fuck. He was there last week, something about the wiring? He was fucking there spying on us."

"Alright, alright." Unser stood as Tig did his job and kept Happy from losing it right then and there. "Do you know for sure?"

"I do." He said, a fiery look in his eyes. "Whoever it was sent that prick first. I know it."

Talking to cops was never usually an option but just like with Abel the extra help with finding Emma was appreciated. Unser asked a few more questions before Tara pulled Happy away. She was red eyed and clearly upset.

"She's stable." Happy closed his eyes and nodded. "The worst of it was her back. It wasn't clear to see until we cleaned her up but those cuts weren't meaningless or random. Whoever attacked her carved SAMCRO in massive letters into her back, Happy. We stitched it, it's bad though, it'll scar but I do know a good plastic surgeon."

"Fucking SAMCRO?" Covering his mouth, Happy turned away disgusted and horrified.

"Yeah. It's very clearly what it says. I can take you to see her."

"You gotta tell Jax for me."

"I'm sorry Hap, I am."

When Tara showed him to Rory's room she quickly excused herself to go speak to Jax who was huddled in the corner with Clay. She left Happy alone not realizing he was on the verge of tears.

"I don't know who it was but that sounds like a goddamn message to me." Jax said as he and Tara moved down the hall. "And Half-Sack? Anything change with him?"

"Still critical. I really don't know at this point."

"Goddamn. Alright." Jax said as he glanced over to see Happy so clearly distraught. "Fuck, I don't even know what to do for him. I've never seen him so upset."

"You need to find that little girl, Jax."