Mav came up to us with a massive apple in his hand. “Gotta keep up my strength.”
“Did you find all of the guys?”
He nodded and took another huge bite of that fucking thing. “Yep.”
Axe scoffed. “Can’t your stomach wait until tonight? I swear, it’s like someone’s got a bullhorn to your fucking face while you eat.”
Mav smirked. “Like I said, gotta keep up my strength.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “You forgot to brush your teeth this morning, didn’t you?”
He shoved my hand off his shoulder as Axe’s head fell back in laughter.
“Hey,” he said curtly, pointing at me, “it’s been fucking chaos around here. Can’t fault a man for skipping a brushing or two.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Just try not to take it with you on the roll-out.”
He paused. “We rollin’ out? What’s happened?”
And still, Axton kept laughing. I swear, I’d never heard him laugh so much in all the years I had known him.
“Guess a good lay does us all some good, yeah?” I asked, nudging him.
He rolled his eyes before clearing his throat. “Dee, did you divert some of our men that are out on patrols toward the hospital?”
I nodded. “I’m still waiting for more footage as the guys tail her, but I’m 90% certain she’s headed to the hospital because of her injury.”
“Serves her right,” Mav murmured before he took another large bite of his apple.
CRUUUUUUNCH!
“Ugh,” Axe groaned.
I ignored the chomping for that moment. “This is a very delicate moment, so we have to play it as best as we can. Right now, she’s fighting for her life. She’s got nothing to lose, and we do. So, we have to be painfully aware of that right now.”
“Yep, yep,” Mav said with his mouth full.
Axe wrinkled his nose. “Chew and swallow like a good boy before talking, yeah?”
Mav shot him a look, but I simply continued. “We know she’s not coming here because she’s not en route. The hospital is in the opposite direction, and that’s where every single street camera is picking her up. She doesn’t have another choice at this point, she needs immediate medical attention, or she dies. And she won’t make it far. Judging by the massive stain on that tourniquet around her waist, she’s lost at least three pints of blood.”
Axe drew in a deep breath through his nose. “Then we make sure we’re ready for her, both here and at the hospital. That way, we’re covered no matter what happ—”
My tablet dinged out and I pulled it back to my face. “Uh, guys?”
“Yep?” Mav asked, hovering over my shoulder.
“What is it?” Axe asked as he stood at my other side.
“I think… maybe all of us should head to the hospital.”
Wolf had sent me another clip, only that time they were sitting in the emergency room parking lot of the only major hospital in town. We all watched as Rachel came into view, clutching her side and stumbling about with a gun waving in her hand. People in the parking lot scattered. She held the gun over her head before two muzzle flashes were seen on screen.
Then, she disappeared through the E.R. doors, pointing her gun at someone in the process.
“Shit,” Axe hissed and pulled away from me, “let’s go. We have to get out of here. Everyone! It’s time to roll!”
His bellow echoed throughout the house as he clapped his hands three times. Men poured from every orifice of the clubhouse, coming up from the basement and rushing their way down the stairs. Mav led the way toward our hidden storage locker at the back of the house, where we stacked ourselves to the brim with weaponry. We strapped pistols to our hips and stuffed grenades in our pockets. All of us grabbed zip ties and knives to hang from our belt loops. Mav cocked his shotgun before stuffing his pockets with ammunition while Dee plucked his scoped rifle off the wooden rack he had carved himself on a whim. I smiled with pride as I reached for Ol’ Bessy, my trusty semi-auto rifle with an extended mag and a genuine leather strap tailored specifically to my body.
