Page 81 of Sinful
Share intelligence, pool resources, hit them simultaneously across multiple territories.
"They took Ivar to send a message," I explain. "Tortured him for weeks. Cut off his hand and sent it to his family. They wanted to prove that Sebastián's Los Coyotes are more brutal than Miguel's ever were."
"So we send a message back."
"That's the plan. Runes and Damon are working on targets. Supply routes, distribution centers, key personnel. We hit them all at once, hard enough they can't recover easily."
"Timeline?"
"Week, maybe two. Need solid intel first. Can't afford to miss."
Phantom's quiet for a moment, thinking. "You think it'll work? Three clubs that don't particularly like each other, coordinating across state lines?"
"I think it has to work. Because if it doesn't, Los Coyotes pick us off one by one until there's nothing left."
"Fair point." Another drag on his cigarette. "And Ivar? How bad?"
"Bad. Lost his left hand, multiple burns and lacerations, severe infection. But he's right-handed, and the doc says he'll live. Recovery's going to take months."
Phantom sighs. "Could've been worse."
"Yeah. It was heading that way."
"How'd you get him out?"
Here's where it gets complicated.
"Raid on a Los Coyotes safehouse near the Georgia border. Eight cartel soldiers. All dead. Ivar was alive, barely. We extracted him and burned the place."
"Eight dead." Phantom whistles low. "That's a lot of bodies for a rescue mission. How many men did you take?"
"Just me and—" I stop. Recalibrate. "Initial breach was just me. Backup arrived during extraction."
"You went in alone? Against eight armed cartel soldiers?" Phantom's voice sharpens. "The fuck were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that waiting might mean Ivar dies. So I didn't wait."
"And you just happened to survive eight-on-one odds."
"I wasn't alone the whole time. Ivar's daughter was there."
Silence.
Phantom laughs, but not in the type of way where you know someone’s finding something amusing. "Let me guess. The one who was the leak three years ago."
"Yeah." The word comes out harder than I intend. "She rode into that safehouse alone trying to trade herself for her father. She fought like she'd been doing it her whole life. She saved his life."
"Uh-huh." Phantom's tone shifts. "And you were there because...?"
"Because I followed her. She was going to get herself killed, and I—" I stop. I don't know how to finish that sentence.
"You what? Decided to play white knight?"
"Decided I couldn't watch someone die when I could stop it."
"Bravos." Phantom's voice is careful now. Probing. "Are you getting involved with this girl?"
"I'm doing my job. Maintaining the alliance. Making sure?—"
