lauren // tig trager

53. Short Strand

"We've went up and down every street and there's no sign of him" Tara said as she approached Gemma and Tig.

"Called a few of his friends, nothing" Tig spoke.

"How did I just let him drive away?! Jesus, I can't believe I did that. Stupid bitch!" Gemma exclaimed.

"You have her tied up in a basement, you can't exactly expect her to b-" Tara tried to speak but was cut off.

"I'm not talking about her" Gemma grunted as she threw a book towards the glass cabinet in the dining room.
*****
"Gemma! Nate just pulled up!" Tig shouted, stopping Gemma from checking on Tara and the caregiver in the basement.

Tig and Lauren ran from the front door to make sure Gemma knew. Tig reiterated the message to her and she went to meet him in the backyard. Lauren let out a sigh of relief as they had found him.

Tig and Lauren sat together in the living room, enjoying being back together again. When Tig got a phone call he had to go outside for. Lauren sighed as he left but she understood. Walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water she saw the caregiver with a knife to Gemma's throat. Lauren picked up some heavy sculpture and whacked her in the head with it. It didn't knock her out but gave Gemma time to retaliate. Gemma grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, the caregiver let out a weak squeal as her face turned to shock. Gemma backed away, letting her go. Once she fell, there was a knife through her chest.

"Oh my God" Tara said as she came back from the basement. 

Kneeling at her side she felt for a pulse that wasn't there.

"She's dead" she confirmed.

Gemma and Lauren looked at each other and to Tara, panting from the heat of the moment.

"Her plan, not mine" Gemma said.

Lauren went to go get Tig while Gemma assisted Tara with an ice pack. She went outside while he was talking but didn't think twice about interrupted.

"Tig, caretaker, dead, help" she said simple words.

Tigs face dropped and his eyes went wide. He hung up and went back inside to follow Lauren. Seeing the body, he pulled the knife and went to bleach it. Tara sat with an ice pack on her head, Gemma helping her hold it and Lauren sitting across from them.

"I leave you girls alone for ten minutes" Tig sassed the trio.

"Any ideas here?" Gemma asked.

"Jax can't know about this" Tara said in another mindset.

"Yeah, this is the last thing the club needs" Lauren agreed.

"Yeah well then we better make this fast. They're makin a run for the Irish, gonna be up here tomorrow" Tig said.

"Prefect" Tara mumbled.

Tig looked over to the body, zoning out for a second.

"Bachman," he spoke, turning to us "Bachmans based out of Crescent City, he could probably be here in an hour or so"

"The cleaner guy" Gemma asked in disbelief, taking a seat.

"Yeah he's independent. Works for about two or three grand but he is good"

"There's some cash here but not that much, does he take jewelry?"

"I'll call him"

"Alright, just keep my dad busy"

Tig nodded as he left and Gemma turned to Tara.

"We'll take care of this"

"We will?" Tara asked.

"You're the one who decided her fingers needed to breathe. You don't want Jax to find out about this, we take care of it"

Tara ran to the sink, throwing up as Gemma pulled her hair back. Lauren watched in confusion at her late reaction. Vomiting probably made more sense to do after the initial kill, not talking about moving it later.
*****
Night fell and the four sat in the living room in silence, letting Bachman do his work. Tara held the ice pack to her head still. Gemma sat beside her and Lauren on the end, leaning her head back, closing her eyes. Tig had a glass of coke and rum that he'd drink a sip of occasionally and then refilling it.

When he came back, everyone rose to their feet.

"All done" he said.

Tara looked down the hallway behind him.

"Where is she?" She asked.

"Where's who?" Bachman replied and Tara drew back.

"Here's sixteen hundred" Gemma spoke, handing him the money.

"Um, take the rest in goods, anything" Tig finished as he scoped out the room.

Bachman walked right to the sculpture Lauren had hit the caregiver with earlier, a pair of gold praying hands. He grabbed it and left without another word.
*****
Brea heard the clubhouse doors open from her room. The shop had closed a few hours earlier and now she was just relaxing. She left the room and walked to the lounge. Jax and Opie we're sitting together at a table, Juice on his laptop and the rest at the bar.

"Aye, my love" Chibs spoke, his face lifting into a smile.

Brea walked to the bar, leaning over it to kiss Chibs. She sat back onto a stool and Chibs poured her a drink.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Could've been better," he shrugged "and yours?"

"Busy first day back in the office," she sighed "glad you're back"

Then Lyla and her friend, Ima, came to the bar. They each had a drink but Lyla had plans on leaving. Before Opie went to drive her home, Juice grabbed everyone's attention.

"Jax, Clay, you're gonna want to see this," he said, bringing his laptop to the bar as everyone crowded around him "just got an e-mail from the Belfast VP, taken six hours ago"

The picture was Jimmy, dead with a cross in a circle on his forehead in blood. Brea let out a shaky breath at the sight.

"Short Strand, Belfast" Juice stated.

"If Cameron's in Ireland.." Jax trailed off.

"Then where's Abel?" Brea finished.