pages of handwritten notes. But most damning of all, was a ten page narrative, neatly typed and signed by my father and another man, which described the Hounds illegal activities. All in all, it looked like a packet of information that I imagined a cop would use when building a case to present to the District Attorney.
There was no proof that the Hounds had actually killed my family, but it was clear that my dad was closing the noose around their neck. What I didn’t know was who Thomas H. Kendrell, the other signature on the paper beside my father’s, was. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t figure out how to ask a Hound without tipping my hand that I had something I didn’t want them to see.
I picked up my phone and dial the number from the paper.
“Hello, Alex. Did you get my email?”
“I did. Who is Thomas H. Kendrell?”
“That’s the man that was going to sell out the Hounds.”
“I thought you said your father was selling out the Hounds.”
“No. I said my father was a Hellhound. Kendrell was the man that the Hounds worked through to import the guns.”
“Where did you get this information?”
“My father got it from Kendrell.”
“How?”
“By doing what he was told. My dad was just a junior member of the club at the time. He had been a member for only a year or so when the club found out they were under investigation. He and two other members of the club killed Kendrell, and your father, to stop the investigation.”
“I asked Thad about my parents. He said the Hounds didn’t do it. Nothing in this packet shows that they did either.”
“Come on, Alex! Open your eyes! Your dad was a whisper away from shutting them down! Do you think that the Hounds wouldn’t kill to protect their turf?”
I knew they would. They were planning how to do that very thing in the other room right now. “No, I know they would. Why are you telling me this? There has to be more than just revenge. Why not go to the cops?”
“Because, Alex, despite what the Hellhounds may have told you, the Bulls don’t rat. But when we found out that you were mixed up with your parents’ killers, I thought you deserved to know the truth. And if it hurts the Hounds, so much the better.”
“So what do you want from me?”
“Nothing. I want you to leave. I want you to hurt Cain by leaving and, by extension, hurt the club when he finds out why you left.”
“What if Cain leaves with me?”
“Even better. Without Cain, the Hounds won’t have such a lock on the gun business.”
“And you want to take that over.”
“We are going take that over. We have a new supplier that supplies better arms at lower prices.”
I almost smarted off that the Hounds were onto them, but held my tongue. I trusted Cain to not hurt me, but I wasn’t ready to give the rest of the Hounds a pass on that if I were to truly fuck them.
“So you told me all of this so I would leave, and maybe take Cain with me?”
“Yes. It makes our job that much easier. Now, if you wanted to tell me what the Hounds are up to, I can make it worth your time.”
“How?”
“We can help you with your…condition. You need money, right? Would, say, twenty-five thousand dollars be useful right now?”
“You would give me twenty-five grand to tell you what I know about the Hounds?”
“If the information were worth it. This is a high-stakes game, worth a lot of money. It is worth the twenty-five if you can help us cut the Hounds out.”
“If you have this all sewn up, why do you need me?”
“Never underestimate your enemy, Alex. The Hounds aren’t going to go quietly. We know they are working against us. Our customer has delayed the pickup of his next shipment. We don’t know why, but we suspect it is the Hounds. If you could tell us what they are planning, we can be ready for it.”
“What if I don’t want to get
There was no proof that the Hounds had actually killed my family, but it was clear that my dad was closing the noose around their neck. What I didn’t know was who Thomas H. Kendrell, the other signature on the paper beside my father’s, was. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t figure out how to ask a Hound without tipping my hand that I had something I didn’t want them to see.
I picked up my phone and dial the number from the paper.
“Hello, Alex. Did you get my email?”
“I did. Who is Thomas H. Kendrell?”
“That’s the man that was going to sell out the Hounds.”
“I thought you said your father was selling out the Hounds.”
“No. I said my father was a Hellhound. Kendrell was the man that the Hounds worked through to import the guns.”
“Where did you get this information?”
“My father got it from Kendrell.”
“How?”
“By doing what he was told. My dad was just a junior member of the club at the time. He had been a member for only a year or so when the club found out they were under investigation. He and two other members of the club killed Kendrell, and your father, to stop the investigation.”
“I asked Thad about my parents. He said the Hounds didn’t do it. Nothing in this packet shows that they did either.”
“Come on, Alex! Open your eyes! Your dad was a whisper away from shutting them down! Do you think that the Hounds wouldn’t kill to protect their turf?”
I knew they would. They were planning how to do that very thing in the other room right now. “No, I know they would. Why are you telling me this? There has to be more than just revenge. Why not go to the cops?”
“Because, Alex, despite what the Hellhounds may have told you, the Bulls don’t rat. But when we found out that you were mixed up with your parents’ killers, I thought you deserved to know the truth. And if it hurts the Hounds, so much the better.”
“So what do you want from me?”
“Nothing. I want you to leave. I want you to hurt Cain by leaving and, by extension, hurt the club when he finds out why you left.”
“What if Cain leaves with me?”
“Even better. Without Cain, the Hounds won’t have such a lock on the gun business.”
“And you want to take that over.”
“We are going take that over. We have a new supplier that supplies better arms at lower prices.”
I almost smarted off that the Hounds were onto them, but held my tongue. I trusted Cain to not hurt me, but I wasn’t ready to give the rest of the Hounds a pass on that if I were to truly fuck them.
“So you told me all of this so I would leave, and maybe take Cain with me?”
“Yes. It makes our job that much easier. Now, if you wanted to tell me what the Hounds are up to, I can make it worth your time.”
“How?”
“We can help you with your…condition. You need money, right? Would, say, twenty-five thousand dollars be useful right now?”
“You would give me twenty-five grand to tell you what I know about the Hounds?”
“If the information were worth it. This is a high-stakes game, worth a lot of money. It is worth the twenty-five if you can help us cut the Hounds out.”
“If you have this all sewn up, why do you need me?”
“Never underestimate your enemy, Alex. The Hounds aren’t going to go quietly. We know they are working against us. Our customer has delayed the pickup of his next shipment. We don’t know why, but we suspect it is the Hounds. If you could tell us what they are planning, we can be ready for it.”
“What if I don’t want to get
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