It felt like they were standing on the edge of a cliff of which the wall was crumbling down. Again and again someone fell down and there was nothing they could do about it. Turning away from it seemed to be their only option, but that would make the death of his brothers useless. Then they would all go their own way, like cowards.
Kozik had barely processed the shock of Chibs and Gemma's death when the next awful news arrived. Sack had disappeared. A year ago everyone would have shrugged, but they knew better now.
And again they had to wait.
Waiting, that was all they were doing, as if they were hopping from bus stop to bus stop, hoping to catch a glance of a bus that had stopped driving a long time ago.
Kozik didn't say much at the table – no one did. They all wanted to catch that asshole, they just didn't know how. That guy seemed to be everywhere on the same time, as elusive as the wind. One by one he would lure them into the grave. He wouldn't stop until he had found Dana – or until there was no one left to remember her.
"I think there's only one option left." Clay aimed his inscrutable glance at him.
"No." Kozik held his ground, knowing perfectly well what option he meant.
"Should we all sacrifice our lives for her?" the man snapped.
Kozik shrugged his shoulders. "We have sworn to protect her. We will only involve her in a plan when Happy agrees with it."
Clay's glance darkened even more, but he didn't say another word. Deep down he must have known Kozik wouldn't give in and that what he was asking was unacceptable. Kozik however couldn't blame him, the man had just lost his wife. He was willing to disobey every rule if that would lead him to her killer. Kozik understood that too well, but anger and vengeance weren't the most prominent feelings he experienced himself. That was protectiveness and his honor and conviction that he would betray none of his brothers, no matter the price.
"Then tell us what we should do," Clay sighed.
Kozik leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, and pressed his fists together as he thought. "We need those little trackers. If one of us disappears again, we'll at least know where to find him." He kept silent for a while. "And Maddox will make his demands."
"And then what? We got nothing to give him."
Kozik hesitated. A plan crossed his mind, but he knew it would probably lead to Sack's death. However, if they did nothing, the outcome would be the same.
"We have to act like there's a traitor in our midst who gives him Dana's whereabouts. Not the real ones, of course," he continued, even though he intended to memorize Juice's number and delete it after this meeting, just to be sure. Before he put ideas in their heads. "We'll plan an ambush at that so-called meeting point and take him out."
Bobby looked up. "They'll kill Sack."
Kozik heaved a sigh. "Probably."
The secretary shook his head, but he said no word knowing their young brother's fate was sealed anyway.
. . .
They didn't make arrangements yet, instead they decided to let the idea settle as they left Chapel. At the door rumor arose immediately, and a moment later Kozik could see what was going on.
The phones were gone.
The men were yelling and cussing, but the terror hit Kozik much deeper. This theft had nothing to do with wanting to resell phones; it was an attempt to get to Dana. Had Maddox just walked into their clubhouse and took the devices? He looked around. Somebody had been around, right? He turned his head to the couch where they had left Cherry. Where was she? His eye caught Chucky, who was cleaning the bar.
"The phones are stolen," he said. "The hell happened?"
The man looked at him with wide eyes. "When?"
"Well, just a minute ago. Has someone entered the clubhouse? Did Cherry take them?"
Chucky's face showed him the guy didn't know much and Kozik ran outside, crossing the lot and standing still at the middle of the road. He turned his head from left to right, but the girl was nowhere to be seen.
"Fuck," he grunted, followed by a series of ruder curses. Had she been forced to steal the phones to get Sack back? There was no doubt Maddox was crazy enough to demand such a thing. But was Cherry such a good performer? Wouldn't she have been more nervous if she had been willing to double-cross them all? Or had Maddox simply taken her too?
He needed to reach out to Juice, telling him he had to ignore every phone call from now on. Right as he turned around, he realized nobody would be able to contact him. He had been the only one with access to his number.
Sending him an e-mail – he could do that. Doubts however reigned his heart. Wasn't that exactly what Maddox wanted? If he sent Juice an email, would somebody be able to trace the location where the message was opened? He didn't dare to take the risk – he didn't know enough about computers to be sure it was safe. The last thing he wanted, was walking into a trap again.
Should he just lean back and wait how all this would play out? They hadn't spoken to each other since New Year's Eve, that had seemed wiser. Now he wished they had kept their weekly contact; then Juice would have known something was off if he didn't call.
All Kozik could do now, was hoping Juice wouldn't answer the phone if he was called by an unknown number or that he realized in time that something was wrong.