Irritated with their childish exchange, I looked over to them and asked, “Do you motherfuckers have an off button?”
“Come on, ’Gun,” Country mocked. “You’re too serious. You need to lighten up a bit.”
“I tell you what. I’ll lighten you up. How ‘bout that?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Country replied as he took a step back, fearing I might follow through with my threat. “Why don’t I go grab that other bag?”
“Yeah, why don’t you do that? That sounds like a good idea.”
He skirted off to collect the last duffle bag of weapons. I thought that would be the end of it, but I was wrong. Rafe and his smartass strolled over and gave me a brotherly slap on the back as he said, “I was thinking about something.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“You got a thing for shotguns, and your road name is Shotgun. Now you got a woman whose name is Remington.” A mischievous smirk crossed his face as he said, “That’s pretty fucking cool if you ask me.”
“Well, I didn’t ask ya, so get your ass in the truck, and let’s get ready to roll out.”
Rafe’s smile never left his face as he nodded, then turned to get in the SUV with Axel, Copper, and Hawk. Viper was already waiting in his SUV with Country, Menace, and Lynch while Ransom and Cletus were waiting for me in mine. Knowing they were eager to get moving, I sent Widow a message, letting him know we were heading out. As soon as he replied, I got in my truck and started the engine. With my brothers following close behind, I sped through the gate. Hell, it seemed I couldn’t get there fast enough. I was ready to get this shit done so we could put an end to this whole thing and move on with our lives.
Menace had already searched the blueprints of the building and the entire surrounding area. Following his suggestion, we parked behind another abandoned building next door to the Tyson plant where the Punishers were set to have their meet. By the time we got out of our SUVs, it was well after dark, and a light misting rain was starting to settle over the parking lot. I looked across the alley at the abandoned Tyson building and was pleased to see that several of the Punishers’ cars were parked around back. We each got out and gathered around, listening intently as Viper ordered, “We do this just like we discussed. Shotgun will be the first one in with Hawk and me following behind him. Rafe and Country will cover us. Menace will use the security feed to keep an eye on all the entrances and exits, and Axel and Ransom will be there to secure the perimeter in case someone tries to slip through.”
We’d already gone through every detail of the plan during church, but Viper wanted to make sure no stone had been left unturned. I couldn’t blame him. Wars like these were messy and chaotic. They never went as planned, which made them almost impossible to prepare for. I didn’t mind. I liked the thrill of the hunt, and after what these motherfuckers had done, I was feeling like a predator ready to seek out its prey. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me as I listened to Viper continue, “Lynch and Country will go around back with Cletus and Copper. You’ll head in the back so we’ll have them covered on all bases.”
“Understood,” Hawk replied.
With that, we all gathered our weapons and dispersed to our assigned locations. I could feel the tension crackling around us as I led Viper and Hawk towards the west end of the building. Country and Rafe stayed a few steps behind, covering as I searched for the entry door that Menace had told us about. With the misty haze, it was difficult to see, but as we got closer, I finally spotted our way in. I looked back at my brothers, checking to make sure they were ready for what laid ahead. Like me, they had a thirst for revenge and were eager to get inside.
After Viper gave me the nod, I kicked the door down and stormed inside. I aimed my shotgun ahead, preparing to take my first shot as Viper and Hawk came up behind me. With Country and Rafe covering them from behind, we continued forward, and it wasn’t long before we found the Punishers congregating in the main foyer. Three large thugs were sitting behind a long table, and from the looks of it, they were the ones in charge. There were stacks of cash and dope piled in front of them, and they were dishing out orders as they held their handguns in the air, using the weapons to threaten their cohorts and maintain some level of control of the mayhem. It was a sad state to see. It turned out Alfonzo was right about them. There was no respect, no code among them.