Over the din, Jase heard one of them yell: "We're made, let's get the f.u.c.k out of here!"

"Trigger go!" said another.

Jase looked up and saw the masked men retreating towards the first van. The second van's sliding door popped and began to open.

"Get down!" yelled Jase to Henry. He pulled his sidearm and started firing off shots at the second van. Someone inside stopped the door halfway and tried to push it closed again, shouting and cursing. Two of the masked men opened fire with their M5s, and sent Jase scrambling off of Drake's beaten body to take cover behind his bike. He saw Henry and Beck hunkered down on the side of the MC's van, guns out, trying to keep the gunmen in the second van from emerging. Jase's instincts had been right. They didn't bring Maggie; they brought a kill squad.

"Get the money, get the money!"

From the side of the rear tire, Jase watched one of the mask men make a desperate sliding run for the bag of money Henry had dropped. Jase wriggled onto his stomach and took a few clean shots at the runner. One round pegged him in the carotid artery and the man dropped, blood gushing out of his neck.

Reloaded, the masked men opened fire again and pressed Jase down hard enough that he couldn't come out from behind the bike. One of them must have grabbed the money bag, because suddenly the rear doors slammed shut and the van's engines roared up. On cue, all three of the Black Dogs came from around their cover and began to open fire on the vans as they spun out in the clearing, trying to escape.

Jase jumped to his feet and fired off the rest of his mag as he followed the van on foot. He heard a few desperate pings against the metal of the second van's body.

A motorcycle revved up behind him, and Jase turned in time to see Henry speed by him, chasing the vans down. He came up hard and fast on the second van, lagging behind almost four car-lengths on the dirt road. Jase heard the pop of Henry's gun over the roaring engines, followed by the unmistakable blast of a tire blowing out. He watched as the van began to fishtail, brakes squealing as someone stomped them with a heavy, panicked foot. It swerved hard left into a shallow embankment on the side of the country road, and then flipped twice side-over-side with a cacophony of crushing metal and shattered gla.s.s. The first van didn't even slow, disappearing beyond the trees towards the highway.

Jase ran over to Beck, already on the phone with the sheriff. "Out the way they came. Money should be on them. We need troopers down here, too." He hung up and looked at Jase. "What the f.u.c.k happened?"

His heart still racing, Jase's voice came out shaking with adrenaline. "Drake. He's working with them."

"Oh Christ," said Beck. He looked around Jase's shoulder to ensure Drake hadn't moved from where Jase left him bloodied in the dirt. "Pick him up and get him in the van before the sheriff comes, we'll deal with him."

"I have to go after Maggie," said Jase. "Will and Ghost are pinned down at those coordinates. That has to be their hideout. I have to get there before..." He didn't finish.

"Go," said Beck with a pat on his shoulder. "We'll be right behind you."

While Jase revved up his bike, Beck moved the MC's van to the site of the crash. He and Henry waited like vultures in case any of them survived it and tried to make a break before the sheriff arrived. Jase slowed his bike down as he approached, but Henry only shook his head wildly and waved for Jase to move on. Jase gave a confirming salute before he lay on the throttle and tore up the dirt road towards the highway.

Jase followed the coordinates Will and Ghost had been checking out and found they led to an old industrial facility in the hills just off the interstate, tucked in a gully with steep faces on three sides. The main building was a monstrous thing of dusty concrete and faded paint. Two relocatable trailers sat on its perimeters, windows broken out, shingles flapping in the breeze. He didn't see a single car or person roaming around outside.

Jase wheeled his bike as close as he dared to one of the relocatable trailers before shutting it down and continuing on foot. His stomach went cold when he realized he didn't hear the sounds of gunfire which had been on the other end of Will's call.

Weapon out, Jase sneaked around the first trailer. He saw no movement. The second trailer was offset and too far over open ground to make a run for safely. Instead Jase crept for a small one-car maintenance garage. As he approached he saw movement within and decided to go in hot.

Jase plunged into the garage with his weapon raised and found two similar 9mms pointed in his own face. Behind them were Will and Ghost, eyes wild, but alive.

"Jase!" said Will and lowered his gun with a deep exhale. "f.u.c.k, I was hoping it was one of you when that bike came up the canyon."

"Things have gone to s.h.i.t real fast," said Jase.

"We wouldn't know anything about that," said Ghost with a sardonic laugh. The pale, bald-headed rookie showed a lot of promise for the MC-mostly due to his skilled applications of violence. Will accepted but didn't enjoy battle; Ghost couldn't stop smiling. "You have any extra ammo on you?"

He handed them both two mags from the six he had brought from his saddle bag. "Did you both just threaten me with empty guns?" said Jase.

Ghost just chuckled to himself and reloaded.

"Are you the only one coming?" said Will.

"Calvary's on the way. The drop went bad after your call. One van is down, the other was making a run for it. They didn't have Maggie with them. She has to be here," said Jase. "Have you had eyes on her?"

"No, but there is only one working entrance to that big building, and thank Christ for that. It's the only reason we didn't get flanked," said Will. "We rode up and there was nothing-no cars, no guards. We thought we had the wrong place, or maybe they had moved shop. We got inside about a hundred feet and someone saw our cuts and called out for Drake."

Jase's teeth ground in anger. "They were waiting for that little p.r.i.c.k to come back. No wonder they've had the drop on us at every turn. Drake has known where to find Maggie since she got here."

"Bet our little wheeler and dealer was going to get a sweet cut of that ransom," said Ghost.

"Well, the dude who spotted us inside was just as shocked as we were-at least enough that we got off a few shots and made it out of the building. Then s.h.i.t just... got crazy." Will shook his head and reloaded his gun.

"Had us pinned for a bit behind some dumpsters by that other trailer," said Ghost with a point. "Dudes only ever came out of that door, so it left us room to retreat. They holed up back inside after."

"How many?"

"I only counted four that came out after us," said Ghost.

"By now they might know the drop is f.u.c.ked and try to leave. If the first van lost the cops, though, they would be on their way here with more gunmen," said Jase. "We should go in now while there's a chance we can overtake them. We have to get Maggie out of there."

"Waiting only gives them time to plan for us," said Ghost. "I'm in, let's do this."

Will nodded, determined. "On your lead, Jase."

Thirty seconds later, Jase directed them out of the maintenance garage and off to different positions behind cover to make a staggered move on the factory door. The last twenty feet, with no structures to hide behind, had to be sprinted in the open.

Once all three of them gathered up at the door, Will said, "The pathways around the machinery are narrow and straight. At ten o'clock high there's a foreman's office that overlooks the floor, someone on the stairs there spotted us."

"We didn't get to scout right, but there's some kind of storage rooms back there. Gunmen definitely came from that direction, so something's back there," said Ghost.

On an instinct, Jase said, "Let's go right. Stay together." He tested the doork.n.o.b with a turn and a shoulder shove. Something blocked the door's movement, but Jase was not to be stopped. With Will's help, they pushed until the sound of metal screeching echoed into the big factory. All three hurried in and found cover, waiting to be rushed. Instead they heard distant yelling bouncing off the walls.

With silent hand signals, Jase led them low between the rows of huge stationary machines. The far end of the building split into concrete hallways filled with square-doored rooms. They could hear clearly the makings of an argument between men now.

"If they aren't f.u.c.king answering, it's probably not for a good reason, you idiot! We have to get the f.u.c.k out of here before the cops show up!"

"I'm not going anywhere until I get the money I was promised for this s.h.i.t!"

"Suit your G.o.dd.a.m.n self. I've already been f.u.c.king shot. I ain't staying here to get hauled off for all this so I can die in prison."

Jase arranged Ghost and Will on either side of the room where the men argued unawares. He took point and entered the room boldly, unchallenged. He fired two shots and killed the man on the left side of the dirty storage room, the one who had been ready to stay and wait for his money.

The second man yelled as blood splattered his shirt and face. He turned to Jase and immediately raised one of his hands. The other arm dangled limply at his side, already oozing blood from the gunshot Maggie had given him. "Oh f.u.c.k."

"Where's the girl?" said Jase. He pointed the weapon at the man's face.

"I was just in this for the money! I tell you, y-you let me live through this!" begged the man.

Jase lowered and fired a shot into the man's leg. He screamed as he collapsed to the floor.

"Last chance," said Jase.

"End of the hall," said the man. He sobbed and pointed a shaking, b.l.o.o.d.y finger.

The gunshots had attracted attention. Distant shouts echoed. "How many men are in the building?" said Ghost.

"Including me, five... four," he said as he looked over at his dead comrade.

Jase removed the weapons from both the dead and wounded men and pa.s.sed them out. He put a big boot on the man's bleeding leg and leaned until the man screamed like he was on fire. The sound echoed out into the concrete hallways. Will and Ghost flanked Jase with their guns aiming towards the door.

The hollow sound of running footsteps approached. Someone in the hall yelled an unfamiliar name. Jase pressed on the man's leg again and he cried out. The pain was too much for him to make any coherent word of warning; he could only sit helplessly and become the perfect bait.

Two more men rushed down the hallway and into the room to answer his cries. Ghost and Will opened fire on them before they had any chance to comprehend what had happened. Their bodies twisted and contorted and the collapsed in b.l.o.o.d.y heaps. Now the Black Dogs couldn't be outgunned.

"Come with me," said Jase to Will. "Ghost, stay here with our chum." Ghost moved over to the wounded man with a nod and a smile.

Jase tore down the hallway with Will at his back, pa.s.sing storage rooms that were dark and doorless, some with strong foul smells. As the end of the hall approached, he could see a big red metal door closed on the last room on the left, and knew immediately that Maggie was behind it.

Will posted up on the other side of the doorframe and waited for Jase's signal. The door wasn't bolted, but was open just a sliver of an inch, and inside Jase could hear a man talking lowly. He caught Will's eye, gave him a nod, and kicked the door open with his full strength.

Maggie stood before him, crying but alive. From her wrists dangled the remnants of restraints, cut off ragged in a rush from the metal chair in the back of the room. A big hand covered her mouth, while the other held a gun against her head. Behind her, a skinny man with a long brown ponytail glared over her at Jase and Will.

"Put 'em down, boys," he said.

"You must be Evan," said Jase. He kept his pistol aimed at Evan's face.

"And you must be the new guy I've heard so much about. I'm sorry she dragged you into this, but I understand. She is pretty irresistible," said Evan as he nuzzled against her. Maggie's face went red and twisted in disgust, but she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Rage flared through Jase's veins. "You're not getting out of here alive."

"Then neither is Maggie," said Evan. "I know the money is lost, I don't give a f.u.c.k about that. She was never going back to her daddy, anyway. The money was just to pay those thugs." He pressed his face against Maggie's hair again. "I came here for her, and I'm going to leave here with her, or else you can just bury us together. Give us matching deathbeds."

Maggie's crying intensified. Jase felt his heart wrenching, mixing with his anger into some vile, righteous poison that burned through him. He didn't have a clean enough shot.

"Put them down or I shoot her, and then stand here with a grin while you shoot me," said Evan.

Jase couldn't bring himself to lower his gun until he felt Will's hand on his arm with gentle pressure. Both of them dropped their guns to the ground.

"Good. We'll be leaving now, my lady and I," said Evan. He kissed Maggie's curls and made Jase sick.

Jase's mind raced trying to think of a plan. He looked Maggie in the eyes and could feel her fear. He saw her gaze flicker towards Evan's hand as he moved the gun away from her head to point towards Jase and Will as he attempted to switch places with them and access the door.

"Steady," said Evan to them both as they danced in a delicate circle around the loaded magnum.

Jase looked back at Maggie's eyes and saw something suddenly different there. He'd seen that look before. What was she-?

Maggie's arm raised and her elbow reared back hard into Evan's solar plexus. He gasped for sudden breath and bent in half. The hand on Maggie's mouth fell away, and magnum in the other went slack. With swiftness she hadn't shown drunk on the ridge, Maggie stepped outside of Evan's stance and flipped him over her leg in a split second. He landed hard on the concrete floor. The magnum smacked against the wall next to the door mid-flip.

Maggie barely had time to get out of the way before Jase barreled towards Evan, who was shocked but already scrambling for a weapon. Will stomped a hard boot on Evan's outstretched wrist, and he howled loudly against the concrete floor.

Will secured the magnum while Jase wrestled Evan onto his back, landing punch after b.l.o.o.d.y punch into Evan's face and kidneys until he stopped resisting Jase and only writhed in pain. Will handed Jase the heavy silver revolver.

Jase stood over Evan and c.o.c.ked the gun. He fired off a single shot into Evan's chest. Every part of Evan fell limp like a dropped stage curtain. Jase let the gun drop heavy onto the body.

"Jase..."

He whirled at the sound of Maggie's voice. Tired and scared, shaking with tears, this was a version of her he had never seen before, and never wanted to see again. She stood tensely against the concrete wall, her eyes flicking from him to the body and back.

Suddenly every part of him ached. He said her name, but it barely came out a whisper against his tight breath. She rushed to his open arms and he felt as though he could collapse on top of her and still not be close enough. She cried into his chest and he wrapped her completely in his arms.

Everything else fell away from Jase's mind in that moment. He laid his head on top of her hair and inhaled her scent. He soaked in every touch. He knew his life would be divided, now; the time before this moment, and the time after.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I failed you the second they laid hands on you."

Maggie shook her head against his chest. She looked up at him with steel in her wet eyes. "You saved me. You saved me, Jase. You always have."

"I always will," he said, pressing his forehead against hers. "I promise."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you too."

Eyes closed, he felt a gentle tapping on his shoulder. "This is beautiful. But we're not secure here," whispered Will. "The drop men could be back any minute."

Jase opened his eyes. Maggie smiled up at him, though it was just a shade of its usual brightness. He kissed her forehead. "Don't leave my side."

"I won't," she said and shook her head.

Maggie on one hand and his gun on the other, Jase led them back down the hall with Will bringing up the back. They found Ghost lazily guarding the wounded man, who cried to himself.

"Do I get to kill him now?" said Ghost. The man erupted into sobs and inaudible begging.

"He can't follow us," said Will. "Let the other Crosses tear him to pieces when they find out he helped a plot against the Black Dogs president."

Ghost seemed a little disappointed, but he only gave the man a kick as he pa.s.sed and followed the group out. Halfway through the factory floor, they heard the rumble of bikes and trucks pulling up outside. The group stopped on instinct and listened.

"That's a lot of vehicles," said Will. "Not just the van from the drop."

"Could be the backup from the Crosses," said Ghost. "Let me scope it out." He pushed ahead of the group on the narrow walkway and lifted his weapon as he swiftly approached the factory door. After a few tense moments, he yelled back, "All clear!" His voice carried across the room.

Henry, Beck, and the sheriff waited for them, along with the secondary riders from the MC outsourced to the police. Everyone was putting away their guns when Jase emerged with Maggie clinging to his side. Henry called out her name and she unlatched from Jase to run to his arms for an embrace. Henry held her tight and spoke to her too quietly for Jase to hear. He waited at a distance, watching, while the cops and Black Dogs swarmed around him and into the building to begin clean-up.

EMS arrived a few minutes after. Henry insisted Maggie get checked out, and Jase followed them to the bus. He stood next to Henry at a distance as they both watched the paramedic a.s.sess her condition.

"Are you alright?" said Henry, putting a hand on Jase's shoulder.

Jase nodded. He crossed his arms and kept his eyes on Maggie as she sat on the edge of the bus. "I am now."

"I'll never be able to repay you for this, Jase. Thank you for saving her."

"Don't thank me," said Jase. "Even if you hadn't already saved my life... she has. I owed her this."