Jem's POV
My speed didn't drop below 70 as I drove to the attacked warehouse. Thank god it was one of our smaller houses so not much could have been taken and even if there are causalities, there won't be as many as there would have been if they attacked a bigger one.
Still, the entire drive my mind punished me. Every worse case scenario flooded my brain. How many were hurt? How many were dead? Had they stole anything? What was their goal?
My heart was pounding while the familiar pressure and anger in my chest began building up and I didn't bother trying to stop it. I couldn't allow myself to be anxious or show my panic when I got to the warehouse.
Who ever was left there needed be assured that everything was fine and would be handled. They needed to know that I was as confident as ever and that this will be nothing but a sad memory the second I stepped out the car.
But for now, I don't scold myself for the lump in my throat or for the fact that the panic has made my fingertips go numb.
The nearly hour long drive was torture and by the time I was pulling up to the parking lot, it was already well past dark.
I forced myself to take one last breath as I turned the car off. I pushed down the lump in my throat while I wiped the panic from my face, replacing it with a calm yet stoic expression.
I take a quick look in the review mirror to make sure I looked as convincing as I had hoped before opening the car door and heading to the warehouse entrance.
A few other cars littered the parking lot. Light shown brightly from the windows and allowed me to see the bullet casings that were scattered everywhere.
A few drops of blood colored the pavement but it wasn't enough to so much damage. I could only hope it was the blood of one of my guys who came out fine rather than who ever did this getting off so unscathed.
Though I doubted there was any real threat left, my hand rested on the pistol that was wedge in my waistband.
The second I stepped through the door, everyone who was left turned to stare at me, all of their guns raised in my direction until they realized who it was.
The second they understood, their guns fell and the hostile energy left the room- really all energy left the room. Those who weren't dying were exhausted and those who weren't exhausted were too shaken to keep up the strong act for long.
Some were being forced to lie on the ground while others kept pressure on the wounds. Only about 30 people work in this warehouse, 20 of which were on shift due to the shipment, yet only 12 people stood in front of me.
My eyes ran across their faces quickly, taking survey of the ones who made it.
"Kellan," I asked when I didn't see his face among the survivors. Kellan was the head of the warehouse. He has a wife and two kids with a third on the way. He's been with the gang even before I took it over.
When I took over he was expected his first kid and he had left. He wanted his family to be safe from my life. He came to me, scared out of his mind at being jumped out yet he knew he couldn't stay.
I trusted him though. I knew he wouldn't sell us out so a beating would do nothing but make his wife nervous for no reason, putting stress on the child that wasn't even born yet. So I let him leave without the beating.
I helped him get a job, a respectable one at that, but I made him get a job that Jesse Hayes didn't own just to ensure that nothing would happen if it came out who Jesse really was. Turned out, that was a bad idea. The company I got him to work for made budget cuts and he was downsized. His first-born was already 2 at that point and his second child was due in a month.
He came to me all but on his knees again. I had offered to help him get another respectable one but he said it wouldn't pay well enough and pleaded to join us again. I had reluctantly agreed but stuck him on warehouse duty, in the smallest warehouse I owned, where we had never had a problem, and where I thought he would be safe.
"They took him," Jared, a younger member, only 19, supplied as he kept applying pressure to a graze on Ali's side. The poor girl was all but see through and the rag Jared was using was stained deep red.
"We were unloading the shipment when they surrounded the building. No one even noticed it happened until they were barging in. They shot at everyone and found Kellan before he had a chance to give a single order. The higher ups hauled him out and left us to deal with the their lower level thugs while they made an escape. It was only a few minutes later when they left too. The few that were still able to fight went after them to get Kellan back."
I forced myself to hide the small bit of relief.
One missing, five shaken but otherwise fine, seven injured; some worse than others, leaving another seven still alive and well and already fighting for information.
It could have been so much worse.
"Kate take my car," I said as I threw my keys at and older woman. "You take everyone who has lost a lot of blood to the house. Rick, I think I saw your car out front, it's still fine, and all four tires still have air in it. You take everyone who can't fit in my car. It might be a tight fit but that's all we can spare." The second the words left my mouth people began to move.
Kate took Ali from Jared's arms, who looked like he wanted to protest but wisely kept his mouth shut while Rick began picking up two people at once before rushing out to my car.
Soon enough only three of us remained. Jared had gone nearly as pale as the wounded though he was perfectly fine. Silas on the other hand was simply pissed.
He didn't bother hiding the rage that he felt and while I was glad he wasn't as shaken as Jared, it was dangerous. I needed level head and calm minds. Anger is going to be our worst enemy.
"What are we going to do about this? They tried to kill us! Half of Brady's blood is laying back there on the ground!"
"Ali is going to die," Jared whispered, his eyes glued on the blood covering his hand.
"Right now there's nothing we can do," I said calmly even though I don't want to believe it either. "Until Kellan's rescue team reports back, we'd be going in blind and that's worse than waiting around. For now you go home. Ali and Brady are going to be fine. Go check the cars out front and make see if there are any left that are functioning. If there are, go home, you're partners will need you."
Jared didn't need to be told twice. He ran out the door to check cars without second thought, clearly wanting nothing more than to get back to his girlfriend. I wouldn't be surprised if he left without Silas if he didn't get back in enough time.
Silas however was still glaring at me. He and Brady had been together for years now. Silas has always been a hot head but Brady seemed to mellow him out. They make a good pair and I wasn't looking forward to dealing with Silas until Brady was back on his feet again.
"I'm not just going to sit in some recovery room until you figure this out," he spat out.
"I'm not saying you have to. I'm just asking for some time. Let Kellan's team report back and we'll see where we're at."
"How much time?"
"Give me a day. I promise I'll have something figured out by then and you'll be one of the first ones to know about it."
"I want on the raid team when you figure out what you're going to do," he demanded.
"Silas won't approve," I point out with a sigh.
"I stay out of your love life, you stay out of mine. I'm not taking relationship advice from a cop kisser." He didn't say another word as he walked past me but he allowed his shoulder to connect with my harshly as he went.
I didn't move from my place until I heard their car leave the parking lot.
I took in the scene for the first time since I walked in now that I didn't have anyone to look after.
Bullet holes pierced every crate we had but everything, even the new shipments, was accounted for. This wasn't meant as a raid, it was a clear this was meant as a kidnapping.
What would someone want with Kellan anyway? If they were trying to get answers for something, they wouldn't get it from him. He doesn't know anything of importance, they would be harder to catch but who ever did this would have had better luck taking Dev or Barrett or even Ramsey if it were information they were after.
If they were looking for a hostage they could have taken anyone but Jared made it seem like they took Kellan on purpose. Besides, no one in this warehouse would have been a good hostage. They were all low level. Most gangs wouldn't even go through the trouble of getting them back; either they got out on their own or they were put to death. Dev or Barrett, while they would still be harder to catch, would make much better hostages.
I searched for anything the raiders would have left behind but there was nothing. Not a gun, not a torn piece of clothing, no muddy shoe prints, and no ransom note dropped half hazardly on the ground.
I sighed to myself. I wished I didn't have to kill Ash Dunham. He could have been helpful but oh no, he just had to put his nose where it didn't belong.
Now I stood here, alone, not knowing what I was going to do about this. If Kellan's team didn't check in soon, we would hit a dead end.
The sound of my phone ringing in my back pocket echoed through the warehouse. I knew without having to look that I wouldn't like what the call would entail but I forced my jaw to clench as a glare worked onto my face though I knew who ever was on the other side of the line wouldn't be able to see me.
"This is Jem, speak quickly," I ordered but the man on the other line didn't seem impressed with the hate in my voice.
"You really want to take that tone with me? It seems I hold all the cards at the moment. One might want to use a more polite tone."
The voice was unfamiliar but he sounded young. He couldn't be older than 20. I find myself asking how he got my personal phone number but I force the thought away and focus on playing my cards right.
"You hold nothing. Give me my man back before I take him from you. I don't know who you are but I promise I can out man you any day. Save your men's lives before this gets worse than it has to."
"Oh I planned to," he dismissed, his voice too joyful considering the conversation we were having. "I just ask for one thing in return."
"Well if it's this simple I don't know why you went through the trouble."
"I've been told I have a flare for the dramatic but no matter. But if you want your man back all you have to do is surrender yourself plus that cop boyfriend of yours and the therapist. It will be a fair trade. No weapons allowed and the deal made on neutral ground."
"Three men for one is hardly a fair trade," I scoffed but have to admit that if Andrew and Patrick were out of the equation, I would go through with it.
"Maybe not but prices are rarely fair or honest. Besides, I took down you warehouse in minutes, you think I can't do it again?"
"You took down the smallest warehouse I have; you had one good night. I dare you to try and take another. You won't be in the door for five seconds before you have a bullet through your head."
"I'm willing to take that bet," he said smugly. "But I know you might not be as eager to test my strength. I know you tend to be more caring about your men, to the point where even a random man, in a random warehouse would be enough to get your attention. If you're getting so worked up over one man imagine how you would react if in the next attack I wasn't so generous. I hear that Ramsey fellow is one of your favorites. Maybe I'll take him next time. And if that doesn't work I'm not above taking one of your friends."
"I don't care who you are, I don't care how much main power you have, and I don't care about the threats you have planned. If you so much as lay eyes on Devon or Barrett, I'll kill you myself and I promise, it won't be a quick death."
"I've heard about your ways of torture. It hasn't been confirmed but a lot of people are speculating Joseph Crain got to experience the wonderful feeling of your knife in his chest. Did you torture him too before he died?"
"What does it matter to you? Was he one of yours?"
"You could say that. He was more of a freelance assassin who was a little too bad at his job."
"Elijah?" I asked, praying the information Crain had let out was accurate and I had something to work with.
"So you got something out of him after all? I'm proud. Your interrogation skills must be better than they say."
"What do you want with Patrick and Andrew?"
"Now what's the fun in just telling you that? Besides, I have a feeling you're just trying to waste time, struggling to piece together any sort of plan before I cut the line so let's wrap this up. Meet me tomorrow at Dolly's bar say 9? No games, no tricks, you had over yourself and the other two, I'll hand Kellan over to who ever you bring with you. And please, let his wife know he won't be home tonight, I'd hate to upset her this close to the due date."
He didn't say another word before the line went dead.
I sighed to myself, my mind already speeding up and my body slowed down.
9:00 tomorrow. That gives me a little over 24 hours to make a plan and convince Dev to go through with it.
It was going to be difficult, but I had done worse things before.
Last updated March 3, 2022