Page 84 of Best Laid Plans

“Still looking,” Ferris replies.

“Let’s get Nevaeh up to the clinic with the others,” Havoc calls out just as I hear footsteps behind me. I turn as Midas does, but lower my gun when I see it’s Kruger, Theo, and Con. Theo looks spooked, but he’s sandwiched between Kruger and Con in much the same way we have done with Tink.

“Theo, with Tink,” Kruger orders as he and Con step up to expand our protective circle.

Theo towers over Tink now, so when he steps in front of her, I’m not surprised. The kid has a protective streak that could give Con a run for his money.

“Where’s Blade and Conan?”

“Blade was here, but he went with some of the others to track this motherfucker down. Conan’s with the women,” Snoopy tells Havoc, who nods.

“Alright, well, find him. Any casualties?”

The guy shakes his head, and Havoc sighs in relief. If I hadn’t stolen Scooter from the gate on the way to Midas, it might be a very different story.

We move slowly but methodically, checking every space we pass in case this fucker is hiding out, waiting to make his move. As we make our way up the slope, I hear voices and indicate for us to move to the alleyway between the apartments for cover. We hold our collective breaths, guns at the ready, until I recognize Blade’s voice.

Havoc signals for everyone to stand down. “Blade, it’s Havoc. We’re coming out,” he announces, so we don’t get shot in the damn heads. Havoc steps out first, then signals for the rest to follow.

“You guys see anything?” Blade asks, his eyes darting around, Smoke and Mime beside him doing the same.

“Nothing. Fucker must be hiding.”

“I don’t know. I got G to tap into the camera feed, and so far, he can’t find him. A couple of cameras are down, thanks to the explosion, but the rest are working.” Blade grunts.

“Either he slipped in when the explosion happened, and he’s lying in wait somewhere, or he used the explosion as a distraction,” Mime says.

“Well, this fucker has proved he can get in and out regardless of cameras. He only gets caught if he wants to get caught,” Havoc growls.

“And as for distractions, I thought this was the distraction. Get everyone away from the clubhouse so it’s easier to grab Lil. She definitely made it inside the clinic, right?” I ask Blade. No matter what he says, I still feel like I’m about to crawl out of my skin.

“I confirmed with G myself. Lil, Delphi, Legs, and the kids went in first with Conan Rose and Tina. Hannibal’s prospect went in next, carrying Glory on my order,” Blade says, running his fingers through his hair.

“This prospect—he on the level? After Pig’s ties to James, I’m not taking any chances,” Havoc states.

“He came around for years as a hangaround. Sound guy. We tried to convince him to join for a while, but he was grieving the family he lost in a car accident. He was the only survivor, having lost his wife, son, and baby daughter. He wouldn’t put anyone through that,” Snoopy says, folding his arms, daring us to argue.

“Turns out the main reason he wouldn’t join was that he hated Khan and Driller. He had no problem prospecting under Hannibal,” Ferris adds.

“What’s his name again?”

“Tilt. But he was hanging around when you were there and went by Ash at the time.”

I nod, remembering the guy who sat at the bar in the clubhouse on party night, more interested in the beer than the club women. He had those haunted kinda eyes that had me assuming he’d served time overseas. It was a look I saw in my team as well as myself. The echo of something burned into your retinas that you couldn’t unsee, no matter the atrocities that came afterward. There was always something that etched itself into your soul—a penance you must carry for strapping on a loaded gun, perhaps.

“Yeah, I remember him, and I don’t see him having anything to do with James either, especially if he has nothing left to lose. James wouldn’t have an angle to work with him.”

“You’re forgetting Hannibal would never send him here if he didn’t trust him one hundred percent. He cared for Lil, too, in his own messed-up way, of course,” Tink states.

Ferris and Snoopy grin at that as Blade and Havoc seem to have a silent conversation nobody else can understand.

“Everyone into the warehouse. Now,” Havoc orders, making Tink frown. None of us argue, hearing the urgency in his voice. Nobody asks questions until we’re inside.

“What’s wrong?” Tink asks.

Havoc covers her mouth with his hand. “I’m wondering if we’re playing into his hands because we’re acting like Lil’s his target.”

“Lil is his target,” I state.