Nearly a week had passed since Jax was released. The club was working hard to find Tara's killer, but Jax's silence about the subject gave me the impression there was nothing to report. My brother was not going to rest until the man who murdered his wife was caught.
Abel started preschool today, which freed up all his caretaker's schedules. Happy to have some time to myself, I headed over to Diosa Norte for a much deserved massage.
Kiki led me into one of the back rooms of the establishment, telling me to get comfortable and that someone would be with me shortly. I nodded my head in reply, setting my bag down on the hardwood floor, leaning it against the brick wall.
The escort vacated the room. I closed the door behind her and proceeded to undress. My clothes set aside in a neat pile, I picked up one of the numerous white towels and wrapped it around my bare body.
The door opened, revealing Jenny—a pretty redhead who was a single mother to twin girls.
"Hey, Teddy." she greeted me with a smile, closing and locking the door behind her.
I smiled back, already feeling the tension in my shoulders begin to dissolve.
__________
The sixty minute massage did wonders for my tired bones and tight muscles, making me more relaxed than I've been in weeks. The last time I felt so relaxed was in New York, far away from the club and the trouble it always brought with it.
Jenny excused herself from the room, leaving me alone to dress. Sitting up on the table, I stretched my arms above my head.
"Mmm... I should make this a regular thing. My body would be thankful." I said to myself, carefully getting off the table. Putting the towel in the hamper, I began dressing myself.
My movements were slow and relaxed, my mind at ease with the thoughts of my warm and comfortable bed. Stifling a yawn, I picked up my phone and checked my notifications.
Several missed calls from Jax and Nero?
My phone buzzed in my hand as Nero's name flashed across my screen. Swiping right on the call, I brought the phone to my ear.
A deafening roar of automatic gunfire filled my ears, making me drop the phone. Ducking behind the table, I threw myself at the ground.
The shots vibrated throughout the building, sending my heart into overdrive. Placing my hand over the vertical open heart surgery scar, I worked hard to control my breathing.
My phone was between the table and the door. If I made a dash for it and the shooter opened the door, I would be dead.
Heart racing, I crawled towards my bag and reached inside. My trembling fingers wrapped around the barrel of my 9mm and I pulled it out.
Sitting up, I pressed my back against the wall and ejected the magazine, checking how many rounds I had.
Nineteen. Full clip.
I slipped the magazine back inside and reloaded the gun.
The rapid gunfire ceased at several different intervals, alerting me there were at least three shooters. Three? Four? Five? Doesn't matter how many. I'm dead once they find me.
All I can do is hide behind the table and hold on for as long as I can. Nero heard the shots over the phone, with me never disconnecting the call.
But Nero doesn't know where I am.
My heart sank.
Heavy footsteps approached the door, making me release a quiet whimper. Gripping the gun in my right hand, I quietly crept alongside the length of the table, coming closer to the door. I remained out of sight, hiding behind the edge of the table, my gun pointed down at the ground.
The door was abruptly kicked open, sending wooden splinters across the room. A single set of footsteps entered, the wooden floor creaking under their weight. I lowered myself to press my cheek against the floor, peeking under the table. The black leather boots approached my discarded phone and kicked it aside—their owner ejecting the empty clip and inserting a new one.
So much for staying hidden.
Inhaling, I pushed myself off of the ground. I stood up, emerging from beneath the cover of the table. Pointing the gun at the man, I unloaded several rounds at him.
Most of my shots missed him, except for two.
He dropped his automatic rifle onto the ground, reaching up to clutch his chest.
I raced over to the shooter, hitting him over the back of the head with the butt of my gun. He fell onto the floor, guttural gasps being the only indicators he was still alive.
Tossing my gun aside, I picked up the rifle and pointed it at the door. Several others ran inside, guns raised, immediately stopping when they saw me pointing one of their own guns at them. I recognized one of the men on the spot—one of Henry Lin's men.
Seeing the look of glee on his face, he recognized me too.
"Set the gun down, Teller. We won't kill you if you do."
"And you'll kill me if I won't?" I asked, backing away from the door. The man took a step towards me.
I pulled the trigger.
Click.
I pulled the trigger again.
Nothing.
He smirked. "You didn't reload it."
Grabbing the barrel of the gun, he yanked it out of my hands. Flipping it in his grip, he made a move to strike me.
Then everything went black.
__________
A sharp pain tugged me awake, making me groan. The deep throbbing, which originated in my temple, was making my whole head pulse. I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings.
I was in what resembled a warehouse. The floor was made of cement and the walls were a dingy gray color. What little windows there were, were boarded up.
I was sitting in a wooden chair, my hands tied tightly behind my back. My feet were tied at the ankles to the legs of the air, eliminating any possibility of escape. I had nothing over my mouth, which could only mean one thing—my kidnappers weren't afraid of anyone hearing me scream.
A shuffle in the entryway of the room alerted me to someone's presence. Henry Lin strolled inside the room, a burner in his hand.
"You're awake," he noted, stopping several feet in front of me. "About damn time. I just talked with your brother, assured him you are safe and unharmed. Not something I could say for the man you killed."
"Fuck you." I spat, struggling against my restraints. "Why did you kill all those women? They were innocent! They had families! Some of them had kids!"
"Yeah, a bunch of whores who make a living taking cock up the ass."
My face burned and I looked away from him. Lin came closer, crouching down in front of me. Unable to handle his piercing stare much longer, I looked at him.
"Why are you doing this? There's no beef between you and the Sons. Why are you starting shit?"
"SAMCRO has been hitting all my legal businesses, killing my men, and stealing my heroin."
I ceased to struggle, frowning. "What? No. There must be some mistake. Jax wouldn't-"
Lin delivered a slap to my face. I glared at him, my cheek stinging from the hit. The gangster straightened out.
"Your brother has until the rest of the day to give back the heroin he stole. If not, you're fucking dead."
__________
Pressing my thighs together, I tipped my head back to look at the ceiling. My constant begging to use the bathroom seemed to have no effect on my captors. It being my only chance at escape, I knew I had to step up my game.
Time was running out.
"I am begging you, please." I called, a whiny edge to my voice.
"What?" snapped one of the men, emerging from around the corner.
"Please, I really have to pee. Let me go to the bathroom. You can watch me pee for all I care, just let me pee."
The man seemed to contemplate for a moment, his eyes darting between me and the corridor. Sighing, he looked at me.
"Fine, but no tricks. If you try anything, I'll make sure this will be your last time standing."
I released a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much."
Glaring at me, the man reached down to untie my ankles. Straightening out, he stepped behind me. He grabbed my bound arms and my shoulder, yanking me off of the chair.
I allowed him to lead me down the corridor. We came upon a two way intersection—the right side of the corridor led to a dark dead end, with several closed doors on either side. The left side of the corridor led to a heavily guarded exit door.
The Triad dragged me down the right side of the hallway, away from the exit.
We stopped in front of a wooden, inconspicuous door. The man sliced the rope that bound my wrists together, releasing me. Bringing my hands to my chest, I examined the deep indentations in my skip. I wiggled my fingers, attempting to will some feeling back into them.
Grabbing my shoulder, the man shoved me inside the dark room. Reaching inside, he tugged at a cord coming from the ceiling. A bright, white light illuminated the unfinished bathroom, making me squint my eyes.
"You got three minutes." he told me, closing the door in my face.
Three minutes. I have to work fast.
Rushing over to the cabinet under the dirty sink, I yanked open the small double doors. A musty smell hit my nostrils. Ignoring it, I reaching inside and picked up the different expired cleaning products, reading their labels. A tall, green can in the back corner caught my eye. I stuck my hand farther inside and grasped it, pulling it out of the cabinet. Looking down at the can, I smiled triumphantly.
Raid insect repellent.
A bang on the door startled me, nearly making me drop the spray.
"Hurry up in there." boomed my babysitter.
I quickly closed the cupboard and walked over to the toilet, flushing it to keep up my act. I removed the can's lid and lightly shook the spray.
"I'm done." I called, approaching the door. Leaning back and forth on the balls of my feet, I cracked my neck.
The man began opening the door. I threw myself shoulder-first at the door, pushing it against him. Having been caught off-guard, the man's back hit the opposite wall. I quickly put the spray in front of his face, unloading the insecticide into his eyes.
My victim screamed, dropping the gun he just retrieved from his holster. I rammed the bottom of the can into his face for a good measure. Leaning down, I picked up his gun and rushed down the corridor.
His screaming had alerted the other Triads.
Rounding a corner, I pointed my gun at the two men guarding the main door of the warehouse. They raised their guns at me, but did not fire.
"Open the door and no one dies!" I yelled, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
A shower of bullets penetrated the door from the outside, mowing down the Triad guards. The ruined door was kicked open, revealing SAMCRO.
Someone grabbed me from behind, holding me to their chest as they reached for the gun. I slammed my heel down on their foot, eliciting a gasp from them. Grabbing their extended arm, I sharply elbowed their side. This made them loosen their grip on me, which allowed me to wriggle out of their grasp.
Another man charged at me, shoving my back against the wall. He wrestled for my gun, which I was not planning to give up without a fight. I struggled to get the gun out of his hands, which was now dangerously close to my head. Delivering my knee to his groin, I made his hand slip.
A sharp bang rang out to the left of my head, the deafening sound ricocheting throughout my whole skull. My hands released the weapon and I slid down the wall. My vision was blurry and unfocused. I couldn't hear or feel anything, my senses temporarily impaired due to my close proximity to the misfired gun.
Bringing my heavy hand up to the left side of my skull, I felt around for any damage. Hot, sticky substance ran over my trembling fingers. I carefully touched my left ear, which felt coated in blood.
Happy crouched down in front of me, his eyes wide and his lips moving fast. I blinked slowly, bringing his face into focus.
"What?" I asked, barely hearing the word. I repeated myself, this time louder. The sound was clearer, but it seemed to register only in my right ear.
"We gotta go!" spoke Happy, his voice rough as he examined the left side of my head. "Can you stand?"
I shook my head, the only thing I was able to comprehend being the fact that I couldn't hear anything out of my left ear. Happy shoved his gun into my unfeeling hands, scooping me up in his arms. Straightening out, he held me to his chest.
My eyes swept over all the dead Triads as the Sergeant at Arms carried me through the building. My brain registered several SAMCRO members, although my brother and Scottish uncle were not among them.
Tig appeared in front of us, a frown on his face as he took in my disheveled state.
"She's got damage to her ear, we gotta take her to St. Thomas." said Happy, passing me to Tig.
The man's grip on me was tight as he carried me out of the building. The blinding sunlight made me turn my head away, pressing my forehead against the leather of his kutte.
"We got you, baby. We got you..." he cooed. His fast gait rocking me into a fictitious sense of calmness. I closed my eyes, still holding onto the gun Happy had put in my hands.
The collective energy of its sins burned to the touch.
__________
I held my hand in front of my left ear, snapping my fingers several times. Nothing.
Lightly swatting at my ear, I felt the small vibrations of the hits.
But no sound.
"Doc said you've got to give it some time. Just give it time, mija. Let it heal." said Nero, watching me. There was a steaming cup of tea in his hands, meant for me. He took a seat beside me. I brought my feet up and put them on the coffee table, sinking into the couch cushions.
"I know..." I whispered, reaching for the mug. Nero passed it to me without a word, his eyes holding pity as he gazed at me.
I looked away from him, my eyes scanning the production floor of Red Woody.
The lockdown—which had been put into effect after the slaughter at Diosa and my kidnapping—was still in effect. Logan, who had been at my side ever since my release from the hospital earlier today, was now asleep next to me. His hand was intertwined with mine, his head leaning against my shoulder.
Jax had checked in with me. He and the club left some time ago, to attend a meeting with the Mayans, Niners, and August Marks. My brother came clean to me about what happened with the Triads, revealing they were responsible for Tara's death.
I leaned my head against Nero's shoulder, allowing myself to relax. The Byz-Lat reached up to gently brush my hair away from my damaged ear.
"You should come down to Norco with me, Wendy, and the boys." he offered.
"And Gemma?"
His silence answered my question better than any words could.
Gemma will die before leaving Charming.