Page 51 of Conquering Oz

Oz slowly turned. “They calleduswith information.”

Rogue furrowed his brows and shared a look with Trey. Oz would give them full disclosure after his meeting, but he was going in alone. Rogue and the Killcreek Drifters sharing space never ended well.

Oz walked through the door, glancing over the empty room. “Where are they?”

Nash gestured to the hallway. “Ace, Cross, and Wraith are in the back.”

Oz made his way down the narrow corridor and walked into the office. Ace was in the corner of the room flanked by his VP and Enforcer. The president took no time explaining the situation.

“Got a call about six hours ago from a friend. He’s on the force outside of Killcreek. Gotta hand that kid credit, he was smart. Didn’t go local. Karl’s looking for some type of deal of immunity in exchange for information on the Underground.” Ace grasped the back of his neck. “Sang like a fucking canary, according to my guy.”

This wasn’t the first time they’d dealt with a similar situation. Betrayal was common among criminals. It was par for the course. However, the Underground had a reputation of showing no mercy when it came to going to the authorities. It was enough to scare most people. But not all.

Oz clenched his jaw. “Is it contained?”

Ace gave a sharp nod. “Yeah. The minute Karl mentioned the Underground, my buddy took him into interrogation personally. Most of the force isn’t familiar, so it was an easy transition that didn’t send up any red flags. Small time policing, you know.”

Oz gave a curt nod.

“But they got recordings, Oz. He can make that go away, but it’s gonna cost you. He said Karl implicated himself in enough shit to get minimum twenty years.”

“Did he mention us by name?” Oz asked.

“No. But he talked about Garner. That’s an easy link to you. And the motherfucker named the MC.”

This had to be handled immediately.

“Didyour friendgive you a number?”

“I can get it. Gonna have to give me a couple days.” Ace folded his arms, lifting his chin. “Gotta look out for our own asses. I’m sure you understand. Gonna lay low.” Ace arched his brow. “Suggest you do the same.”

Collectively, they were all part of the Underground but with separate entities. Oz didn’t fault Ace for taking care of his own first. He’d sacrifice everyone else for the sake of his family.

“Call him now.”

Ace blew out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. “Brother, we might need more time.”

“No.” Oz paused. “Do it now, Ace.”

Ace cupped his mouth, sharing a look with his VP. “Alright.”

“Your guy have contact information on Karl? A number or location?”

Ace shook his head. “No. Karl said he’d be in touch tomorrow. The kid is playing it smart, Oz.”

Yes, he is.

With the recordings being available, it was imperative for safety measures that they handled it immediately. Oz walkedback out through the house, meeting with Rogue and Trey on the porch.

“What the fuck happened?” Rogue snapped.

“Garner’s nephew flipped. Gave a statement. Named Garner, Killcreek, and the Underground. It looks like he’s gonna try to parlay our identities for immunity.”

“Why the fuck would he do that?” Rogue growled and put his hands on his hips.

“I may have that answer,” Trey said. He ran his hand over his head, and for the first time in a long time, Oz noticed a small semblance of fear. Trey was a master at hiding it, but Oz knew him better than most.

No one wanted to get caught. But some had more to lose than others. Oz knew Trey’s first thought went to Dahlia. Both of his brothers had a lot at stake, and Oz would see to it they didn’t lose anything. But they had to be careful to protect not only everyone associated with them but the Underground itself. They’d all worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to go down.

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