Fire and Stardust

Chapter VIII

Evidently, it isn't much of a choice. With the force of his grip and my delicate wrist, I have to get up and follow him. I notice that Ellis is fidgeting in his seat with a rapidly paling face as Asher puts a covert hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. I give them a reassuring nod as I'm led past the velvet curtain.

"This place is crawling with Wolves," he says, sending covert glances around us to watch for prying eyes. "The dealers, the security, and half of the guests are all members while the other half is affiliated somehow."

"Excuse me?" I ask, pulling my hand free and letting it drop to my side--where it's still close enough to reach for the knife in my combat boot if need be. "Who are you?"

"My name is Cain," he whispers, eyes darting to a bouncer just out of earshot. "I'm directly under Jakob and he sent an army here tonight. He wants to make a big show so he can move up because the closer he is to the top, the easier it will be."

"The easier what will be?" I ask, feeling my blood run cold.

"Taking over." At my shocked expression, he continues, "Rumor is that Boss is weak and is barely involved any more. Several in power have come up with plans to overthrow him and the White Wolves are separating into factions. We're looking at a war with unlimited casualties and backlash."

I understand, now, why the Wolf from the Den told me the war was only beginning. I understand the mass chaos that will fall over the continent of North America and I understand the incredible danger me, Ellis, and Asher are in. What I don't understand is--

"Why Ellis?"

"It's about who his parents were in the gang," he says. "Their rank, what they did to try to move up... They made a mess of things and Ellis got stuck right in the middle. Whoever controls him gets the upper hand in the power struggle."

When he stiffens, I glance over my shoulder to see three bouncers rapidly approaching. "There's no time to explain the rest, but just know that in order to keep Boss in power--in order to keep the peace--you have to keep Ellis away from the White Wolves."

He casually moves to the other side of me. I know why; the walls of muscle are approaching and seem to have every intention of forcefully dragging me away. My pulse starts to thrum in my ears and my fingers tingle in anticipation of the coming fight.

"Keep him away from this," he reminds me in a grave voice. "Go now, I'll stall."

Without another word, I turn and flee towards the velvet curtain and the exclusive poker game. I don't have even a single notion of a plan, but I know I need to find the boys and run. As I finally push past the curtain, I can feel the eyes of everyone sitting at the table on me. With the knowledge that all besides two are working for the gang about to dissolve into war, I finally realize how incredibly stupid it was to walk into the belly of the beast.

I'm not exactly sure how I want to play this. Asher and Ellis are on the opposite side of a table from me and there's no way to warn them without alerting everyone else--everyone we need to get away from. But with the sounds of a struggle from just beyond, the dealer eyeing me in suspicion, and the heavy feeling of time drawing in on me, I know I have to act now.

I can feel the seconds ticking by like hot breath on the back of my neck. Making eye contact with the boys, I say, "Run."

The room erupts into a flurry of movement.

Two Wolves lunge at me, another two latching onto each of the boys. Asher is quick to pull his arms free and throw a punch, disappearing into a writhing mass of moving bodies. Ellis feebly struggles, but his blind panic isn't a match for the strength of the Wolves pinning him. For a moment, I lose all rational sense and flail, desperate to reach them--but then I realize exactly how ineffective my frenzied blows are. Recalling my 'prized fighter' days in the Den, I go limp, breaking free as their grips slacken. Spinning around to face them, I plant a foot on the taller one's knee and push as hard as I can. He stumbles, on the floor with my next blow. I finish him off with a kick to the head that renders him unconscious.