Quintin gave us the green light. Johnny and I had the pleasure of planning and executing the first strike. I was finally back in my comfort zone. Strategy was my biggest strength, probably because I needed it to survive my teen years, but also because I was a cop playing a double game for quite some time.
I called a meeting with Quintin, of course, and some guys me and Johnny had hand picked for the job.
-Alright.-I said. Johnny filled everyone's glass with Whiskey.- Tonight we set the pace for the next few months. If we are successful, it won't be long until this is all over and your girls are back home. Tonight we're gonna hit them everywhere, cripple them so much they won't be able to fight back.-Johnny started giving out radio comms, with team names. There were 4 teams, which with 5 guys.-Quintin, Johnny and I will be team alpha. Quintin will be radio operator. He will orchestrate this, keep us on track from here. Johnny and I will have our own mission outside. Bravo Team, you're responsible for their guns.-I pulled out my map and pointed to the place where I knew they stored their shit.-You'll be taking vans. I want you to salvage as much as you can and then blow that shit up. Make sure whatever's left isn't salvageable. Johnny.-I called. He pulled some TNT explosive devices. There was a clock on it, with a minute on it.-All you gotta do is push the button and you got 1 minute to get the fuck out of the way.-I smiled. The boys were pretty excited.- Bring those guns back to our warehouses. Charlie Team, you're going down to the docks.-I pointed at it in the map.-Make sure no boat can stop there in the next months. You'll be carrying the same devices.-I pulled out a sketch I had made of the docks.-You'll take this with you and place the bombs on the spots marked with an X. You'll be planting 3 each. Now, the tricky part. The bombs are only activated when you activate them. So make sure you distribute the places accordingly.-I handed them the drawing.- Delta Team. Warehouses.-I pointed at them in the map.-Each one of you will be riding solo. Burn everything. I don't care what's inside. Burn it all to the ground. After tonight, they will have no means to fight back. We'll put out a clear message. Don't fuck with us!
The boys cheered happily, excited. Quintin was the only one who sat calmly in his chair.
-What about you?-Quintin asked.-What are you going to do?
-Well, Johnny and I are gonna stir the pot. We'll be burning down their clubhouse. After that, we'll be paying Martinez a visit and present him with the terms of his surrender.
-Which are?-Quintin insisted.
-Trust me. It's all to our advantage, boss.
-Yeah, I seem to miss the point of all this...
-The point is to regain the respect we deserve! We're not a bunch of wannabe thugs. It's time they stop treating us like we are. We are The Dirty Angels and we run the fucking show!
-HURRAH!-The boys cheered.
-Go get some!-I told them and we all got up.
For a moment there, it was chaos. There were over 20 people inside Quintin's office, all trying to organize their gear. Eventually, everything was sorted out. We checked the comms. Everything was working perfectly. We put on our vest and left. All of us rode out, and headed to our missions. It was 3am.
It was perfect. One by one, I heard the explosions in the distance and the boys on the radio calling it.
Johnny and I waited until the Mexicans were lured by the confusion. When their clubhouse was empty, we walked right in. I put a gun to the bartender's head. Johnny emptied the cashier and Martinez vault. I knocked out the poor girl and left her outside, away from the clubhouse, as Johnny spilled gasoline everywhere. I lighted up a smoke as he finished and then threw my lit lighter to the gasoline trail as we left. It burnt to the ground.
