Page 24 of Gray’s Surrender

“Meg would hurt both of us if she heard that.”

Tank exhales hard. It might be the beginning of a laugh. He goes to the weapons cabinet and takes out a spare magazine. He checks it, sets it beside my holster and picks up my radio.

“Battery was cutting out yesterday,” he says. “I replaced it.”

That’s Tank moving on. It’s enough.

“Thanks.”

“You hurt her, I break more than your mouth.”

“Understood.”

At nine forty Monday night, I wait alone at the old landing.

The river runs black beyond the gravel. Sycamores crowd the tree line, hiding Kingdom Come brothers. Griz blocks the bridge road ahead and Chains holds the south turn. Tank waits somewhere behind Bishop’s approach with the radio’s earpiece in my ear. One headlight appears between the trees. The dark truck rolls into the landing at ten precisely. Bishop sits beside the driver. Three men ride behind them. The truck stops twenty feet away. Bishop climbs out. “Road clear?”

“For you.”

The rear doors open on wooden crates filling the cargo space, with two steel cash boxes strapped near the front. The bearded attacker jumps down first, and the second follows. A red crescent runs along his left cheek. His gaze meets mine and recognition turns his mouth ugly.

“You,” he says.

“Yeah, me.”

Bishop looks between us. “We’re here for the road, nothing else.” Kane’s voice comes through my concealed earpiece.

“Close it.”

Engines start at both ends. Headlights wash through the trees. Kingdom Come bikes block the road behind the truck, and Griz’s pickup moves across the bridge approach. Men step from the tree line with guns level. Bishop reaches beneath his cut.

“Don’t,” I say.

He looks at Kane walking from the dark beside Judge and draws his hand back empty.

“You set us up.”

Kane stops near the front of the truck. “You came through my territory after I closed it. You sent men into my brother’s house. You set yourself up.” Perdition’s crew is disarmed without a shot. Cash takes their guns and their phones. Tank removes the truck keys. Judge opens one crate and finds new rifles packed beneath canvas. I walk toward the man with the crescent cut. He lifts his left hand.

“You hit her with this one?” I ask.

His confidence suddenly fades. I catch the wrist, turn it palm down on the truck’s steel bumper and break the hand with one clean strike. He screams and drops to his knees. The sound doesn’t give me back Meg’s unmarked face. It doesn’t clean my kitchen wall or remove Ruby’s memory of crawling through the fence. It closes one account and I let him fall. The bearded man tries to move but Tank puts him against the truck before he takes a full step.

“You laid your hands on a woman like the fucking coward you are.”

I hit him twice. Once in the stomach, once across the mouth. He folds, and I drive a third blow into his ribs.

“Enough,” Kane says.

I stop, not after one more and not when my anger is satisfied. On his word, because I owe that respect to Kane after my recent lack of judgment. Tank releases the man. Both attackers remain alive, hurt enough to carry the lesson. Kane takes Bishop’s phone and calls Cyrus from the recent list. He puts it on speaker.

“You’ve got my men,” Cyrus says.

“Alive,” Kane answers. “Your guns and cash are mine. This is our territory. The old agreement died with King. Ransom is closed.”

“You think stealing from Perdition ends this?”

“No. I think sending your patched men home breathing gives you one chance to decide whether you really want to go to war.”