Page 60 of Savage Ends

Pat sat on the backporch of his father’s old cabin.He remembered his parents had this dream of retiring away from civilization, and just going off the grid.They had grown tired of society and wanted no part of it.They would often laugh that they were turning into grumpy old people.Now, his father was just a grumpy old man.

He looked up as his old man stepped out.There was no blood on him, no sign of anything he had just done.

“How is he?”Pat asked.

“Out for the count.I’m going to keep him here for observation, and then we’ll see how it goes.It hadn’t gone too deep.He has to be one of the luckiest sons of bitches I ever met.”

“Yeah, tell that to his balls,” Pat said.

“I won’t be talking to his balls.”

Pat smiled.His dad, at times, was so literal.“Thanks.”

“You know I will still do anything for the club, but the garage being hit—that’s bad news,” Doc said, sitting down.

Pat took a long swig of the coffee.He didn’t know what his dad did to make it taste so good.

“It’s the cartel.”

“Fuck me,” Doc said.“I always said that shit was going to bite him in the ass, and is that still happening?”

“Yeah, it is.You need to watch your back.”

“Son, I don’t ever not watch my back.”He let out a breath.“You should have gotten out.That could have been you on the table.”

“But it wasn’t,” Pat said.

“You want to play the wiseass card now?”Doc asked.

“No, I don’t.I’m just glad Rusty is okay.”

“Look, son, I have let you do what you want to do.The club is everything to you, and I get it.It was everything to me as well, but you got to know when it’s time to call it quits.”

“Dad, I know why you did.After losing Mom, I can’t even imagine what that was like.It’s not like it was before, okay?This shit with the cartel, we’re aiming to end it.”

“And what is this I hear about one of those Ranford assholes?”Doc asked.“You’re working for him?”

“No, we’re not working for him.We’re helping him.”

“That is the problem right there.You think you’re helping that asshole, but men like Ranford take advantage.They see a whole different story that is penning right out in front of them.You become nothing more than his property.”

“Dad, the cartel chopped off his brother’s head while the kid was alive, and sent it to him.He’s trying to find the rest of his brother’s body and take out the cartel.”

Pat looked toward his dad who was silent.

“I was not aware of what happened,” Doc said.“But knowing the cartel the way I do, he’s never going to find the body.The cartel, they are ruthless.So ruthless that even the original Reynolds was terrified of them.Do you think Bull’s father made those negotiations by chance?The man lost his edge, and it cost him his mind.He fucked up big time.”Doc sighed.“None of the fucking club wanted to deal with that kind of shit.None of us.But Reynolds said there was no other way.We didn’t have a chance.”

“You know it is us or them,” Pat said.“It’s the ultimate showdown now.”

“Then you need to be careful.Now more than ever.They hit you where it hurts.They make you feel shit you wish you never had.And if they are the ones that hit the garage, it means they are already in town.”

Pat ran a hand down his face.This is why he didn’t want to come to his dad.He already knew what this shit meant, and it wasn’t good.This was bad.

“You need to come back to the club.”

“I don’t need to do shit.What you boys need to do is be willing to make the sacrifices no one else was willing to make.The cartel doesn’t come to take prisoners, Pat.They come to destroy, piece by fucking piece, and trust me when I say this, they fucking will do that as well.It is what they are known to do.”

Pat looked toward his father and sighed.