Page 24 of Soul

An hour later, Warden arrived with Slasher and Dynamo. She eyed the wreath warily.

“Both of you step away,” she ordered, and with a frown, I did.

“Dynamo, I already checked the wreath,” I said.

“For babies?” Dynamo asked, and I paled.

“Really?” I demanded, stepping back.

“You wanna risk it, Soul? Let me check.” Dynamo lifted the wreath with her telekinesis and placed a plastic tarp under it, which she’d brought with her. She carefully lowered the wreath and, wrapped it up, and then shook it violently with her powers. After a minute, she stopped, and we peered at the see-through wrap. To my relief, there weren’t any babies.

“Thank fuck,” Warden muttered. “I wouldn’t want to call in pest control for a scorpion infestation.”

“Because that’s the worry, Prez,” I snapped.

“Show me the jar,” Warden said, ignoring my sarcasm.

I motioned to where it sat on my desk, and Warden eyed the mess inside. “It’s a Deathstalker Scorpion. Pretty obvious who this is from.”

“In retaliation for disturbing their shipment?” Dynamo asked.

“We cost them over two hundred k. I’d say so. And three of their brothers are headed to prison. They lost their pipeline and need to find another way to ship their victims,” Warden said.

Last month, we had got intel that the Bloody Scorpions were shipping women through Maine. We’d hunted down their route and sent the Feds after them with an anonymous tip. The women and children had been freed, four culprits had died, and three Bloody Scorpions and two buyers went to prison without bail.

No doubt they realised we’d shopped for them.

This was their retaliation. The biker I’d seen in the graveyard had been a Bloody Scorpion. He’d been watching to make sure I was here today. Once I had, I guessed he thought his job was done. Fucker, I couldn’t even say I got a good look at him, but I bet the cameras had.

“Better check the CCTV. There was a man waiting for me when I came this morning. He rode off when I arrived,” I explained.

“Dynamo,” Warden said as he dropped into a chair. He looked thoughtful as Dynamo rounded my desk to access the cameras.

“What are you thinking, Prez?”

“This was more than a strike at one of us. They came after our newest member. Bloody Scorpions wanted to show we couldn’t protect you. It failed, luckily, but it could easily have succeeded.”

“Think they thought I was a weak spot?”

“No. Nobody who joins us is weak. They know that. But this was a message. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been with us, you’re tarred with the same brush,” Warden said.

“Are you expecting me to turn and run?” I asked, confused.

“No. Maybe they did, but we need to inform Blue and Priest of this and let them make an informed decision.”

Dynamo and I snorted.

“They ain’t going nowhere,” Dynamo replied and spun my laptop. “It’s Freak.”

There was a clear shot of Freak grinning at a camera. I wasn’t too sure about names and faces and needed to brush up. But I thought Freak was the Bloody Scorpions’ Sergeant-At-Arms.

“Bastard. That fucker has a death count higher than most,” Warden growled.

“Doesn’t care who gets hurt, either. Asshole is vile,” Dynamo hissed.

“You’ve had run-ins with him,” I stated.

“Threw that cunt halfway across a warehouse. Don’t know how he fuckin’ lived,” Dynamo retorted.

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