Blood & Water

Chapter 30

*So sorry for the super super shortie! Love you guys!*

Five weeks. For five long weeks, Angel had been hinting and whispering about the Fed stalking southern Cali's outlaws. Everyone seemed ready for him, prepared for more eyes and ears on them, but Potter had been mysteriously unseen and unheard the entire time. Not even Carrie nor Angel had been contacted. Carrie loved it. She was happy to forget about Potter, the DEA and be able to let the ghost of her dead husband rest.

Angel left that morning like he always did, with a kiss from his fiancée and their son, and moments later Carrie was off with Joey to go to daycare. Midway through her day, Carrie felt an all too familiar pain in her stomach.

"Fuck," she hissed, sitting at her desk, "Looks like I'm taking the rest of the damn day off." From her desk, Carrie called Angel, then EZ, then Angel again and then Felipe. Not one of the Reyes men answered.

"Dicks," she huffed. "Whatever. I can make it."

She did make it a few hours but her contractions were steady and strong and she knew this was probably the real deal. After another round of calls, Carrie grabbed her things and drove slowly to the clubhouse. She steadied herself, not wanting to tell them she was in labor and waddled through the doors.

"Everything ready?" Riz asked Carrie pleasantly making conversation with her as she waited for Angel. He gave her a glass of water and hovered, trying to be kind, but Carrie just wanted to suffer in silence alone.

She nodded. "Uh yeah, pretty much. Any idea when he'll be back?"

Checking the time he shrugged. "I thought they'd be back by now."

"Okay, you know what, I can't wait," Carrie huffed.

"What is it?"

"I'm in labor," she said with embarrassment. "I couldn't make it to the hospital so I came here for him and-"

"Bish, we got a problem," Riz said loudly.

"It's not a problem," she huffed. "I just need a ride."

"What's up?" Bishop asked as he sauntered out from behind the bar.

"She's having that baby," Riz said with a mix of terror and amazement. "Now."

"Not now, soon," she corrected him with annoyance.

"Querida," Bishop said hurriedly, "You should have said that first."

"I didn't want it to be a big deal," she said as he helped her walk out of the clubhouse. "I couldn't get in touch with Felipe and-"

"It is a big deal," Bishop chided. "I'll take you."

"Thank you," she whimpered. "It's really starting to," Carrie stopped and gripped Bishop's arm with all her strength.

"Painful," he said for her, grimacing himself as she ripped out hair from his arm.

Mm-hmm," she whimpered as the contraction passed. "Can you have them find him? Please? He missed Joey's birth, Angel missed so much with him and I don't want him to miss anything else."

Helping her into the pickup, Bishop nodded and looked at her with confidence. "I'll find him for you. I promise."

—

"I can't fucking find him," Bishop hollered. It had been two hours since he dropped Carrie off at the hospital and although they'd gotten through to Felipe, Angel was still missing.

"Him and EZ," Tranq sighed heavily. "They didn't say anything?" He looked at Coco and Gilly.

Coco shook his head. "I haven't even seen him."

"Same," Gilly shrugged.

"This isn't even about Carrie and that baby," Bishop said, "We gotta find them."

They were all in agreement about that. The remaining Mayans split up to talk to people they knew, they're friends and associates. No one would find them though, not on the streets of El Centro or over the border. As Carrie gave birth to Marisol Rose Reyes, a healthy and plump baby girl, Angel and EZ were stuck in a collapsed tunnel with a dead Lincoln Potter.

"We ever gonna get outta here?" EZ asked his older brother, his voice tinged with fear.

Angel shook his head. "I don't know, E. I don't fucking know."