𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲

war

Lukas

I swerve up to the warehouse and jet out of my car faster than I ever had before. Vehicles were packed tightly in the underground parking garage, something unusual for this warehouse location. I weaved myself quickly through the cars and motorcycles, a tactic that I had grown familiar with over the years by evading the police. This emergency was different then all of the others. I could feel it.

My father had been worried when he called. I believe that I could hear something that sounded like fear in his voice. I moved faster through the empty spaces between the vehicles, remembering how urgent his voice sounded in contrast with his usual controlled tone. Once I got to the gate I pounded the code into the keypad and pushed my way into the warehouse.

The warehouse was crazed. The men had our large bullet proof chests and safes scattered around the huge space. Most of the lowest ranked men were throwing in weapons in one chest and packaging the drugs and money into safes, grunting with every gun packed into the chests.

The higher ranked men stood in a circle of white shredded sheets around them scattered on the ground. The men were shredding documents and then dumped them on the asphalt ground to burn. I strode over to the group of men that were burning the documents and snatched one of the sheets from the stack that they were taking from. 

As I read over the document I noticed that the documents listed the transactions from Ultimatum's records. I could remember that it was one of the same Ultimatum tax records that clued in Bailey about the money laundering we were doing at Nonna's hotel.

My stomach dropped and almost folded in on itself. "Oh shit." I hope this didn't mean what I thought it meant. Usually, anger consumed me first, but this time, it was my nerves. I grabbed onto one of the men's shoulder's, "What the fuck is going on here?" The lower rank didn't respond, and I shook his shoulder hard, "You fucking hear me! I asked you what the fuck is going on!"

The associate points behind him towards the warehouse office. "Order from Lincoln is that we don't talk. All the information should come directly from Lincoln or the high ranks."

I shove the man hard, knocking him to the floor. "Lincoln is not the boss anymore. I am." I glare at him, my jaw tightening. I had to gain respect in the Outfit. If I didn't take these small acts of disrespect seriously, the men would run me over.

"When I tell you to give me the information that I need, you fucking do as I order." The low rank gulps and I move closer. "Do you understand me?" I position my fists, getting ready to strike.

"Yes sir." the low rank answered and bowed his head. I moved back then at the submission, and stared at the others that stopped to watch. Fucking nosy bastards. "Get back to work!" I yelled and marched towards the direction that the low rank pointed.

I didn't always want to do that, but it is what I have to do to maintain the image of a strong leader. Men don't respect a man that can't hold his own.

The men instantly resume the clatter behind me, and the sound of packing ensue once again. My heart pounds with every step I take towards the direction of the warehouse office.

I never had the fear that we would get caught. Ultimatum had thrown the cops off of the Outfit's trail for many years now. They never had suspected us in the years before, but what could have made that change?

My mind darts to Bailey, my teeth grinding together in my mouth at the thought. Bailey was the only person that had recently found out about the Outfit. Still, there is something about the way that Bailey looked at me the night that she found out that makes me believe that she would never be capable of doing this to me. To us.