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Chapter Forty-Four
Maceo
Esteban took his full hour to send me the coordinates for the swap. Fucker knows he’s in a tight spot, but the hell if he’s going to send me the information any earlier than an hour. The meetup will take place in Las Coloradas tomorrow. From what Chase picked up from the satellite, the location is in the middle of one of his cash crops.
Figures. The guy needs to have the upper hand in everything.
As long as I get Josephine to safety, I’ll crawl into a pit full of vipers.
One call to Piero and we have a chopper ready to meet us on-site to get my Pixie to safety.
It’s raining again and ball-shrinking cold. May is the start of the cold and wet season here in Las Coloradas, Argentina. Guess we should be happy it’s not snowing. It’s not uncommon to have snow by the first week of May. The cold dampness has a way of sinking deep into your bones, chilling your heart. Fits the mood I’m in—dreary and depressing.
We stopped to rest, having reached the peak of one of the highest ridges in this part of the forest. I glance around at my men and notice their moods match mine. We’re all feeling the heaviness of this mission weighing on us. They fought me on my decision to make the switch with Josephine, but they all knew their efforts were wasted. Trading myself for Josephine’s freedom is a no brainer—I would throw myself down on any sword if it meant she would be freed and safe in the hands of my men.
With my arms folded over my chest, I turn to my best friend, nodding for him to follow me away from the rest of the team. Chase and Punk watch as we walk past. I feel their eyes on my back as I lead Gauge away.
When we’re out of earshot, I give Gauge a stern look. “I want to discuss some things, and I didn’t want to share with everyone. What I’m about to say is upsetting and the men need to keep up their morale.”
“Well, spit it out. Stop keeping me in suspense.”
“When the time comes, I need you to step up as Prez. The crew needs a good leader, and that’s you, brother.”
“I’ll lead ‘till we bring you back home.”
I shake my head. “I’m talking about if I don’t come home, bro.”
Gauge’s face grows dark. “Take that shit back, right now.”
“How many missions have we been on over the past twelve years together?” I ask, ignoring his fury.
“Countless,” he answers.
“And out of the lot, have I ever asked you to step up as Prez if something were to happen to me?”
“Never.”
“Out of all the missions, where would you rank the probability for success on this mission compared to the rest?”
He understands what I’m getting at. We both specialize in strategizing operations. Weighing the odds is part of the job.
Gauge clenches his jaw. “It would rank amongst the lowest.”
“So don’t tell me this conversation isn’t warranted.”
Gauge closes his eyes. “Fuck.”
I put a hand on his shoulder and wait for him to acknowledge me. Need his eyes on me so I can see my words sink in his head. “You will lead them and be a damn good Prez. Make sure the club always watches over my wife and kids. She’ll always have a say since the property is hers, meaning she’ll always be a target.”
Gauge puts his hand on my shoulder, his eyes holding mine. “Jo’s Mercy Ravens’ First Lady. You never have to worry about your wife and kids. We protect our own.”
A tear rolls down my face and I pull my brother into a hug. He squeezes me back just as tight as I give. I hold on a little longer than usual, acknowledging this may be the last time. Gauge has been with me through every battle, but for the rest of this mission, I’ll be going on alone.
“Just promise me one thing, bro.”
“What’s that?”
Gauge pulls back and stares at me, deadpan. “Don’t fucking die. You do whatever the fuck you need to survive, ‘till we get you out. You hear?”
