“Yes. To get to the Society, we need to take out their branches. To do that, I need help.”
“And Ascari?”
“He’s the head of the Division. All the trafficking around the world, it’s because of him.”
“Why traffic humans?”
“Because it’s a major cash-cow for the Society. The rich enjoy their fucked-up delights and the money made from trafficking goes straight to the Society to further their agenda. Look, Dylan, I know you worked hard with the Golden Skulls to stop this shit, but your club wasn’t even making a dent. Every branch has arms, tentacles that reach deep into the bowels of hell. Removing one arm did nothing because another would pop up. Trafficking humans is a billion-dollar-a-year industry. That’s free money that goes straight to the Society. They have their hands in everything from Trafficking, drugs, weapons down to the prescriptions mothers pick up for their kids. It’s all connected. Why do you think the price of insulin is so fucking high? Because to cull the population without anyone noticing, the government raised the prices of pharmaceuticals to where the weak can’t afford them, thus killing them off. Every war is another culling. Every pandemic, a cull. Hell man, the fucking vaccines they administered killed thousands every day, but no one said shit because it’s all classified as an adverse reaction. They legalized murder with a warning label on the bottles. Marijuana is a naturally growing plant with medicinal properties, but the Federal Government couldn’t control it, so they classified it a Class-A narcotic making it illegal.”
“Marijuana is legal, asshole.”
“It is now, but for years, the government controlled the money made from marijuana. Every Flu has been cooked up in some lab for the last twenty years. SARS, Bird-Flu, the latest pandemic, every pandemic, it’s all man-made to reduce the world's population.”
“What you’re talking about is genocide.”
“Yes,” Gideon said. “I am.”
“Who is the head of the Society?”
“A man named Alexander Goldman.”
Bingo. Thank you, asshole.
“Hold up,” Ghost interrupted. The look of confusion marring his face was shared with every club member, except Reaper, who showed them nothing, giving nothing away. “You mean to tell me that Bullseye has been on assignment this whole time?”
Reaper calmly responded. “Since I sent him after your brother Malachi over a year and a half ago. When I looked into Malachi’s folder, some things stood out, didn’t make sense. I knew something wasn’t right and asked Dylan to look into things. I needed someone who could blend, someone who everyone wouldn’t think twice if he ever walked away from the club. Someone who believed in something stronger than this club, the brotherhood we have. Dylan fit the bill.”
“But you couldn’t have known what would happen?” Ghost said in disbelief as he looked from me to Reaper.
“You’re right. I had no idea how deep this treachery went. When I asked Dylan to look into things, I had no idea where this club was headed, but I knew if I didn’t do something fast, this club would be eradicated. So, Dylan and I came up with a plan. However, when Kitty was killed, becoming another victim of this mess, I thought I would have to find someone else. Then three months after her death, Dylan sent me a text telling me he had found what we were looking for. I knew then that the game was still in play. One thing none of you truly understood about Dylan is that he is incapable of ever going back on his word. His moral compass puts all of ours to shame. He is the true Golden Skull.”
Mother fucker couldn’t help himself.
Schooling my features, I looked at the big mouth idiot and contemplated stapling his mouth shut. If he kept gabbing like a little bitch, everything we’ve worked for would be for nothing. Some of these boys were fucking smart and then there was Phantom. That woman had ears like a hawk.
“You knew,” Phantom whispered, never looking up from her lap. I knew she wasn’t talking to me. She hardly ever did, only acknowledging me when she had to. “You knew the truth all this time and never said a word. You let me believe, go on thinking my life was on borrowed time, while all this time you were working to ensure my safety. Why?”
See? I fucking knew it. Too damn smart for her own good.
“Because I asked him too.” I clearly said as she stiffened in her seat. Yeah, there was a lot we needed to talk about, but this wasn’t the right place or time. I could see the fire, the anger building deep within her silver-grey eyes. The woman was a hothead on a good day. Now wasn’t the time for her to lose her shit. Not when we needed her head clear and ready to work. This shit was far from over and if we were all going to survive the coming battle, I needed her on her game.
“Phantom, before you start busting our balls, I have more questions. Dylan, what else did you learn?”
“Other than the Guardian, who was batshit crazy, by the way, he and Ascari were trying for a power grab. Both men wanted the coveted head seat of the Society. Now that St. James is dead, that only leaves Ascari to deal with. Ascari believes that if he can deliver Phantom, he will have enough votes to oust Goldman and take over the Society. The problem is, that Ascari is single-minded. He isn’t listening to anyone. He’s gone rogue. As for St. James, everything we need is on his private island. The island is in the Pacific Ocean, two hundred miles south of Hawaii. It’s heavily guarded and fortified. The men there are loyal to only one person and it ain’t you dickhead.” I smirked.
“Don’t start with me, asshole. Are we going to have a problem?”
“No. The Guardian was never good at commanding loyalty. His preferred way was blackmail. When he couldn’t find anything on you, he tried to play the savior, hoping you would take the bait. When you didn’t, he tried another avenue. He went after everyone loyal to Phantom. He believed that if he could get her on that island, not only would he have her as a bargaining chip against Ascari, but he would also have you to manipulate as he pleased. Too bad for him that the team who rescued Phantom was comprised of her family and his friends, not to mention her sister Laura. They, along with Player, Axel and Matrix, have already secured the island. It’s ours. Matrix said he should have all the money transferred within a day or two.”
“Anything else?”
“Just one,” I said, sitting up straighter. This was the part I wasn’t so sure about. Reaper was a bastard on a good day. I had no idea how the fucker was going to take this news. Hell, even I had a hard time with it. I was still trying to wrap my head around it. “Merc and his team found someone when they secured the island.”
“Who?”
“William Doherty.”
Nobody moved. Not even Reaper. He never blinked. Hell, I wasn’t sure he was even breathing. I knew this would be a hard pill to swallow, but it was the truth.