Page 60 of Loki’s Spellbinder (Hunters Creek Archangel’s Warriors MC #14)

The house we were taken to by the Brutal Rebels was like countless others we’d been to over the years.

Some were ones we’d lured or taken our enemies to in order to dispose of them.

The five of us were on high alert. I prayed our five ghosts were able to track us.

We were now outnumbered. When we got here, five more Rebels were waiting. Bull expressed his displeasure.

“What’s the fucking meaning of this, Zombie? We came here to discuss a partnership, and you pull this? If you kill us, know that my club won’t surrender anything to you. And if you think holding us as hostages will make them, you’re wrong. Haven’t you noticed anything?” Bull sneered.

“Noticed what?” Dago asked.

“Where’s my VP? Treasurer? Secretary? No offense to my brothers with me, but the only one who’s an officer is Payne. And there’s another back home who can take his place. As for the charter presidency, my son-in-law will step in to do that. You haven’t seen anything until you see Terror in action.”

“Don’t forget Harley,” Demon interjected, causing us to grin and chuckle. Bull’s daughter was hell on wheels.

“Everyone, settle. No one is here to kill or hold anyone hostage. I asked these men to be here since many are key to our production lines. If you take this deal, you’ll work closely with them. Let’s go inside where it’s warm and finish our talk,” Zombie proposed.

Nearby, I spotted a large firepit area. Knowing that none of us wanted to be inside without eyes on us, I dared to make a suggestion.

“Why don’t we sit out here? It’s not so enclosed, and there’s wood in that pit. We can stay warm that way.”

“I agree with Loki. Outside suits us more. If it’s not acceptable, then we should go, Pres,” Payne told Bull.

“I like that idea. What’s it to be, Zombie?” Bull asked. The demand in our president’s voice made it clear this was the only way we’d talk, and if we left, there would be no partnership.

Watching their body language and expressions, I saw the apprehension among them. As far as they knew, they had the upper hand. Were they that eager to work with us? If so, why?

Zombie gave a head nod. Relief filled me as we got to work building the fire.

As the fire started, more items were brought to be used as seats, and since there weren’t enough to go around, that meant pieces of unused stumps.

We helped them gather them. It was a ploy that allowed us to study our surroundings more.

If things went to hell, we wanted to find cover.

After we were seated, one of the new guys went inside and came out carrying a cooler.

I wondered if they had more men hidden in the house. There was no way to know.

“Pres, before we get started, I need to check out the house,” Payne said abruptly.

“Check for what?” Nutcase asked.

“That there aren’t more of you hiding in there. I don’t care if it pisses you off. I’m responsible for the safety of my president and brothers.”

They were both standing. Nutcase moved closer and got in Payne’s face.

If he thought that would intimidate our enforcer, he was wrong.

Nutcase might have an inch or two on Payne and twenty extra pounds, but I’d bet on our man every time.

Payne had been a D-boy, Delta team special forces in the Army.

He didn’t need a weapon to kill someone.

“You’re not fucking going through the house. You come here and then call us liars,” Nutcase hissed.

“Yep, I am. You just proved it,” Payne calmly replied.

“There’s no need to fight,” Zombie protested.

“There is if you want us to stay, and won’t let me clear the house. What’re you hiding?” Payne asked.

A subtle chin tilt from Bull had the rest of us rising. I saw the panic come over Zombie’s face.

“Wait! Don’t leave. Payne, you can check the house.

But before you do, let me make the introductions.

This is Pike, Reno, Tusk, Junkyard, and Nasty.

This is Bull, their president, Payne, their enforcer, and then we have Demon, Loki, and Nelson’s son, Iceman.

Reno, why don’t you take Payne for a tour?

He’s right. We did get them here and didn’t warn them that there were more of you.

Go, but make it quick. We have a lot of business to discuss,” Zombie reminded his guy.

Reno was the one who brought out the cooler. Payne walked off with him, not sparing Nutcase a glance. I knew what Payne was doing. He was riling the other enforcer to focus on him so if shit went south, he’d attack Payne first. Hopefully, it would allow Bull to get to safety.

It was an uneasy silence as we waited. Ten minutes later, Payne and Reno returned.

“It’s clear,” Payne said as he sat beside Bull. Demon was on the other side of our president. Iceman and I were sitting opposite them, but next to each other.

“We’re all ears. Tell us what you want to move through our territories,” Bull demanded.

“You must realize that this information must remain confidential if we tell you and you refuse to partner with us. We’ll have to take drastic steps if anyone is caught telling others about it. However, Nelson assured us that your club was very discreet,” Zombie cautioned.

“We know the consequences. Spill,” Bull insisted.

“We have come across an unusual yet very profitable revenue stream. It came to the attention of our president, Atilla, while in prison. Until then, we’d never thought of it or that something of that nature could earn us the type of money we’re getting,” Zombie started.

His remarks about unusual and profitable made me think of the amount of human trafficking we’d stumbled into over the past few years. Was he about to suggest we help move people along a pipeline? If so, he’d be in for a rude awakening.

“We know you deal in drugs, small arms, and light weapons, among other things. I’m not sure what you consider unusual,” Bull said.

“What do you know about organs?” Zombie asked.

“Organs? As in the musical instrument or human ones?” slipped out of my mouth.

“The human ones,” Nutcase sneered. I smiled like it was a joke.

“We know that most of them we can’t live without. There are thousands of people every year, all over the world, who need organ transplants,” Iceman stated.

“And a lot of them don’t find a match in time. Or they’re lower on the transplant registry list and die before they get a turn,” Demon added. He would know, being married to a doctor.

“That’s all correct. It seems that parts of the world have people eager to give up organs for cash. In the United States, tens of thousands get transplants yearly, which doesn’t count the hundred thousand left waiting for one. And more get added every year. People are dying,” Dago said.

“So, who’s giving up those organs and who’s buying them?” Payne asked.

“Countries like Brazil, Turkey, India, China, the Philippines, Egypt, and Peru are some of the top suppliers. They live in poverty and barely survive. Those buying are no surprise. The US, Australia, Japan, Italy, and Canada,” Dago added.

“So you’re what, killing people to save the lives of those able to pay for illegal organs and need our help to move them through the South?” Bull asked.

“Not exactly. It’s not as common as you might think to have someone’s organs harvested without their consent.

I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, because it does.

However, the majority are willingly given and sold on the black market.

If you need a heart, lungs, kidneys, or a liver and have the money, you can get them regardless of whether you’re next on a waiting list. The need keeps exceeding the supply and continues to grow every year.

More illegal transplants are happening than anyone realizes,” Zombie stated.

“And the ones transporting those organs make a killing. A piece of a good kidney can get you over a hundred thousand dollars. Worldwide, this business earns about half a billion to over one billion dollars a year,” Demon said softly.

“How do you know that?” Nasty asked suspiciously.

“Because my old lady is a doctor and she talks about stuff like this. And don’t get any ideas about involving her. She’s not a surgeon,” Demon warned.

“I didn’t mean to imply we’d expect her to help. I was just surprised you knew that,” Nasty said.

“Okay, so let me get this straight. You’ve gotten in on this line of business.

You transport the organs from wherever they’re harvested to the endpoint.

What about getting them from willing donors?

Who does that? On the other end, you must have doctors who know that these aren’t ethically received organs, yet they transplant them.

It’s delicate work removing or transplanting organs.

It needs to be done by experts,” Demon clarified.

“We’re not the ones who have the responsibility of harvesting or transplanting them, or those involved in doing it.

Our part of the process is to ensure those organs get to where they’re needed without delay or someone snooping and demanding to see the paperwork.

We not only have to worry about the law, but there are others in this business, and it can be cutthroat.

It’s why our main partner wants to use bikers like us.

We can handle shit when it goes south, and we’re willing to do whatever is needed to get our payday.

With the main interstates that flow through Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and even into Florida, you can help us tremendously.

If we have to take circular routes, we lose time,” Zombie concluded.

We sat there, not saying anything. I knew we needed to absorb it. It was completely different from anything we’d imagined. The entire club tried to guess what it was they were into. None of us had guessed this.