Outlaws’ Property (Property of Outlaw Sons MC #1)

33. Jessica

33

JESSICA

"We need to get everyone the hell outta here," Hellfire's voice is low, meant only for the immediate circle around him. There's something else there too. Sadness? The Outlaw Sons are proud of their clubhouse, and now it sounds like it's going to get blown up, and us with it, if we don't get out of here.

Tex pulls me close. "If there's anything you need out of Bonnie's, better be quick." I rack my brain trying to think if there's even anything here I'd even care about. Maybe some changes of clothes, but I’m mostly considering how many of the pictures of General I should grab. Definitely her old ‘property’ patch.

Hellfire's phone rings. "Hidden number," he grumbles, but he takes it. "Hellfire. This better be fucking important."

The sudden crack of a gunshot cuts through the air. I start to turn, but Tex urges me forwards. "Nothing to look at. We gotta get you outta here." I guess Ghost made good on his promise of making it quick. I've seen more than enough death for one day.

"Tex! Jessica! Back here! Ghost and Riot too," Hellfire calls out, still holding his phone.

We gather around and he puts his phone on speaker. "They're here. Repeat what you said."

The moment I hear the voice that comes through the speaker, a core memory is triggered way back in my mind. It's a voice my body formed a primal connection to from even before I was born. Any doubts about our informant are brushed away with the speed and ease Ghost cleared out the attackers. "Mom," I whisper. Tex pulls me closer. So many emotions run through me that I don’t even know where to start picking them apart.

She speaks in a clipped tone with no time to waste. "I have to keep this quick. I was as good as exposed as soon as I tapped into the phone lines, but this is too important. Kane has a missile aimed at the compound. His yacht is somewhere offshore. I’m not exactly sure where and I don’t have time to track it. It's more than powerful enough to clear not just the compound, but the whole neighborhood around it. He's already got someone ready to spin it as a chain gas explosion."

Oh my God. My stomach drops, knotting into a lump of tension. I knew Victor hated losing, but something like this? I'm just glad Anne and Bonnie aren’t here to worry about. They’ll be okay. I grip Tex's arm tightly, taking all the comfort I can from having him next to me.

"Jesus fuck," he rumbles.

"Is there any way to stop it?" Hellfire growls.

"Yes. It's why I'm risking a call, but you'll have to act fast. And it means breaking into Kane's estate before he realizes what you're up to."

Ghost snorts. "Assaulting what's basically a goddamn fortress doesn't seem realistic in so little time. There’s a reason we attacked him at his beach house."

"I know. And Jessica knows."

I'm so distracted by the sound of her voice that I'm caught off guard when she mentions me. "Me?" While everyone else is suddenly looking at me, I stare at the phone in confusion.

"There's no time to explain all of it, but I designed and coded the guidance system for that missile. It's why Kane came for me. But I put a backdoor in that missile control code. If someone gets close enough to send the right signal, it won't just abort the launch, but the missile will blow up. I was hoping for an opportunity to take out Kane with it. I have a remote in the lab keyed to the right sequence, but without a way to get out of here to get to the yacht, there's nothing I can do."

Mom's smart, I knew that, but this makes it sound like she's some kind of super hacker. No wonder Victor wanted her on his team. I guess it's too much to wish that Dad survived too.

"The lab's at the estate?" Riot asks.

"Kane likes to keep development close. Look, I have to go before they pinpoint my signal."

"We got no time to lose," Hellfire says. "Can you help us get in?"

"I can take out the alarm systems if you make a hole or two in the walls."

Skyhigh grins when she mentions that, like a kid given free reign at a self-serve ice cream shop. "Holes are my specialty. Be right back. Sinner, come help me carry!"

Mom continues, "I hate to say it, but the easiest way into the mansion itself is with Jessica. Her fingerprints should still be good for the scanners, and I can't access the system that controls that. The lab is in the locked down east wing of the mansion. You'll have to find your own way in there, where the remote is. And I am."

"In, out and done in a couple hours? Easy fucking peasy," Riot says dryly. "Fuck."

"I didn't say it would be easy. I’ll keep a presence on the security cameras. I should see you coming if I still have access. The faster you come, the more likely that is." Mom draws her breath as if to say more, then pauses. Then, "I have to go before they finish their traces. I'll hold out as long as I can. Jessica?"

"Mom?" My voice cracks.

"I love you. If I don’t make it out of here, I’m sorry."

Oh God. I was tense before, but now my chest goes painfully tight and the corners of my eyes are starting to burn. "Mom…"

The line goes dead as Skyhigh and Sinner return, carrying a couple of backpacks. Skyhigh hefts his happily. He might be the only one looking forward to this.

"Alright, no time to fucking lose!" Hellfire yells while I'm still staring at his phone. "We need volunteers to stick around, pass the word. If they are watching the compound we want it to look like we’ve just barely survived an attack. Ghost, pick your team for the assault on Kane. Everyone else, we want to tiptoe out of here like little church mice before we split up. Ghost’s team storms the estate, and the rest come with me to try and track down the yacht. I don’t know what we can do against a fucking missile, but it’s better than sitting around and waiting to roast marshmallows on what’s left of our side of the city. If we can rescue Cooper and Rebecca, fucking awesome, but the main priority is stopping Kane. Everything else is secondary. Are we clear?"

Ghost nods. "Skyhigh, round up three more guys. You're with me." Then he turns to us. "I don't wanna bring Jessica. It goes against every fiber of my fucking body."

"What?" I shake my head. "No, no, no! You heard her. You’ll need my fingers for the scanners."

"Technically I only need a finger. I'd rather have you ninety-eight percent safe than risk all of you," he growls back.

"Wha—wait. What are you suggesting?" I clench my hands into fists out of pure instinct.

Tex holds a hand up, stopping both of us. “Don’t be a smartass. Nobody’s cutting off fingers. We're bringing Jessica. It's not like she's safe here, if the whole neighborhood is going to be blown to hell."

"Definitely," Riot growls. "She's not gonna be any safer anywhere else than she is with us."

Ghost pauses just long enough to give it a quick consideration, then nods. "Alright. Then let's roll out. We’re burning time here."

There’s a group of about a dozen bikers around Hellfire. The ones volunteering to stay behind. The only one I know the name of is Sinner. They all look nervous but determined.

"Sinner, man, you're just a prospect," growls Hellfire. "No one expects you to play target for the club. Leave the theatrics to the fucking veterans."

Sinner shakes his head. "Nah, I spent way too fucking long in prison, paying for shit I didn't do. I'd started to think my life had no purpose. I’m too new to be useful in the other missions, but stand here and look busy? That I can do. I trust you guys to save the clubhouse." He crosses his arms over his chest. He's either super brave or super stupid, or maybe both. "I'll stay."

Hellfire nods in respect. “Won’t forget it, and I’ll consider it a little extra personal incentive. If you die, Eagle-eye isn’t going to forget it either, and I already owe that old bastard enough.”

With everything else decided, there's no wasting time. The club evacuates slowly, one by one, two by two, grouping up and reforming elsewhere to not draw too much attention to a mass exodus. Hopefully Kane isn't watching at all, but if he is, he'll think the attack squad got in and out and the club is struggling to recover.

"Here, I got space," says Riot and pats behind him on his bike. I’m actually getting pretty good at getting on and off a bike now, and even though we have a lot ahead of us, it still feels good to snuggle right up against his back and enjoy the feel of his strong body between my legs. It makes me feel alive.

Ghost rides at the head of our group, with Riot and me on one side, and Tex on the other. Slowly a group forms behind us, turning into a small army. I don't only have my boys keeping me safe, the whole club is shielding me now. I squeeze Riot harder, drawing on his courage. Ghost puts a hand up, swipes it forwards in the air, and then we're off, winding down the streets like a deadly snake made of leather and chrome.

Hold on, Mom. We're coming.