AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“They had to go,” Bishop said. “I’m taking notes for them.” He winked at her and chuckled at the way she flustered. No matter how old she was, she’d be a young, bashful girl at heart. He loved that about her.
“Now it ain’t a secret how much family means to me,” she said, passing her gaze around. “The Twelve are just as much my sons as any, but I don’t rest good when there’s friction in the bonds. Specially with a war on our heads. It’s time to let by-gones be by-gones. We can’t have muck in the cracks with the good Lord at our backs,” she admonished. “It ain’t no secret these hoodlums never wanted a part of The Twelve but, things are changing and, well, I think I may have talked them into a partnership of sorts.”
MonDieu,thiswoman.
“If it’s all the same,” Bart interjected kindly, “I’d like to present the offer?”
She set her phone down with a happy smile and nod. “That would bemuchpreferred.”
Bart jumped right in with, “Well, I wanna open a PI Hatch.” He slid his folder across the table toward Bishop. “The particulars are all in there. Nothing complex. I want a small team that handles the non-technical side of intel. Old-fashioned boots in the mud kind of runners and doers.” Bishop opened the folder, flipping through the small stack of pages, his smile tugging.
“I broke down the operation into sections as you can see.”
“I can,” he said maybe more impressed with how happy it made him than anything. “I like this. A lot.” He looked at him. “Whatever you need, Mon frère de sang, I will provide it.”
“We,” Bart said, nodding at the papers. “Jek, August and Zep are part of my team.”
Histeam. He regarded his other three brothers.
“We’re his underlings,” Jek said with a wink and threatening grin.
He eyed Zep, getting a nod and solemn, “At your swampy service.”
Mah-Mah snickered. “Swampy service.” She let out a happy sigh. “I think this is the best day of my life.”
Bishop eyed August digging at the collar of his dress shirt. “Mon friere, the Bishop attire suits you, oui?”
His scowl brought Bishop’s laugh. “Like silk suits a gator,” he grumbled.
When had his voice gotten so deep? Fuck, he missed his brothers. “Whatever all of you need, I’m happy to help. As is the rest of the Twelve?”
Bishop measured the round of agreeable responses, happy to hear they were genuine. He suddenly wished Samuel was there to witness it. He’d often lamented the fissure between the Twelve and his Blood. “That body and spirit must become one.”
“So, what do you have for us?” he asked Bart.
His brother turned to August who opened his coat pocket and pulled out a notepad, plopping it on the table. “We got vital intel from the Booyies regarding the Cartel.” He eyed Bishop, his baby blues stern and serious. “Now, these fuckers got people in odd places. Wildlife and Fisheries inspections, postal plants, even the national fucking parks. You got firearms with the fish, and methamphetamines with the mail.”
“How the hell are they using national parks?” Bishop wondered.
“Moving illegal arms,” August said. “But ever since they had a bust, they’ve been watching.”
“Hence their need for a new route that can’t be watched,” Hurricane muttered.
“What else?” Bishop asked, a little stunned with all the intel they were dumping.
“Lots more,” Bart said, sounding and looking disturbed. “The 5 Runes even have people inmorgues.”
“Wait till you hear this shit,” Zep said.
“Morgues,” Patches said, guarded.
“Yes, morgues,” Bart went on. “They supply them with dead bodies for a fucked up underground theater where victims are forced to put on sexual puppet shows for their elite.”
“All videoed and sold on the black market for outrageous sums of money,” Jek added.
“Then,” Bart said, “the living get dead by sacrifice and the already dead get shipped to another sick venture where the bodies are turned into jewelry—also a high-tag black market item. But hold on to your marbles. They’re then shipped around the country through the United States Postal Service right alongside letters to gramma.”
“These sick fucks are embedded everywhere,” Jek said. He looked at Zep. “Tell ‘em what you found on the Noctambule and Co.”
