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“The Mute Girl Wrote ‘He’s Not My Dad’ — Then the Biker Locked Every Door” — Transcript

by Motor Mafia · 7,955 words · 1,076 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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  1. 0:00And they say the loudest screams are the
  2. 0:02ones you can't hear. We spend our lives
  3. 0:04on the road listening to the roar of
  4. 0:06engines, the breaking of glass, and and
  5. 0:09the thunder of storms. We are used to
  6. 0:11noise. We are used to chaos. But in my
  7. 0:1430 years with the motor mafia, the thing
  8. 0:16that haunts me the most isn't a sound.
  9. 0:18And it's a silence. It's the look in a
  10. 0:20child's eyes when they have given up
  11. 0:22hope. Most people drive past that look.
  12. 0:24They see a car in the lane next to them
  13. 0:26and a child in the back seat pressing
  14. 0:28their hand against the glass and they
  15. 0:30just keep driving. They tell themselves
  16. 0:33it's none of their business. And they
  17. 0:35tell themselves it's just a family
  18. 0:36argument. But we aren't most people. We
  19. 0:39don't look away. And when a little girl
  20. 0:41who couldn't speak a single word and
  21. 0:43handed me a crumpled napkin in a
  22. 0:44roadside diner, I didn't just rid it. I
  23. 0:47felt the weight of it. That small piece
  24. 0:49of paper started a war. It started a
  25. 0:51night of blood, fire, and injustice
  26. 0:53because the man sitting across from her
  27. 0:55thought he was untouchable. He thought
  28. 0:57nobody would listen to a mute girl. He
  29. 0:59forgot one thing and he was sitting
  30. 1:01three tables away from Big Mac. And when
  31. 1:03the motor mafia hears a cry for help, we
  32. 1:06don't call the police. We answer it
  33. 1:08ourselves. It was a Tuesday and or maybe
  34. 1:10a Wednesday. The days blur together when
  35. 1:12you're riding cross country. We were
  36. 1:14stuck in a little town called Oak Haven
  37. 1:17and waiting out a storm that was turning
  38. 1:19the highway into a river. The rain was
  39. 1:21hammering against the metal roof of
  40. 1:23Sal's diner like bullets. There were six
  41. 1:25of us that night and me, Big Mac, Viper
  42. 1:28Tank, and a couple of prospects. The
  43. 1:30diner was warm, smelling of old coffee
  44. 1:32and frying bacon. It was the kind of
  45. 1:34place where time stood still, and the
  46. 1:36neon sign outside was buzzing,
  47. 1:38flickering between red and darkness. Big
  48. 1:40Mac was sitting in his usual corner
  49. 1:42booth, nursing a black coffee. He looked
  50. 1:44tired, and the road had been rough
  51. 1:46lately. We had just finished a run down
  52. 1:48south, and we were all looking forward
  53. 1:50to getting back to the clubhouse. Past
  54. 1:52the sugar jacks, Mac grunted and staring
  55. 1:55out the window at the rain. I slid the
  56. 1:58shaker across the table, asking if he
  57. 2:00thought the rain would let up. Mac shook
  58. 2:02his head, saying, "The sky was angry
  59. 2:04tonight." And the bell above the diner
  60. 2:06door jingled. A gust of cold, wet wind
  61. 2:08blew in, making the napkins on the
  62. 2:10counter flutter. We all looked up. It's
  63. 2:12a habit. And when you live the outlaw
  64. 2:14life, you check every person who walks
  65. 2:16through the door. A man stepped in. He
  66. 2:18was tall and wearing a generic gray
  67. 2:20raincoat and expensive leather shoes
  68. 2:22that were ruined by the mud. He looked
  69. 2:24normal, too normal. He had a clean
  70. 2:26shave, a polite smile, and glasses. And
  71. 2:29he looked like an accountant or a school
  72. 2:31teacher. But he wasn't alone. Gripping
  73. 2:33his hand tightly too tightly was a
  74. 2:35little girl. and she couldn't have been
  75. 2:37more than 7 years old. She was wearing a
  76. 2:39yellow raincoat that was two sizes too
  77. 2:42big for her. Her hair was wet and matted
  78. 2:44against her forehead and and she was
  79. 2:46terrified. I've seen scared kids before.
  80. 2:49Kids who are scared of the dark, scared
  81. 2:51of dogs, scared of thunder. This wasn't
  82. 2:53that. And this was the kind of fear that
  83. 2:55makes you disappear inside yourself. She
  84. 2:57walked stiffly like a robot, keeping her
  85. 2:59eyes glued to the floor. Table for two,
  86. 3:02please. And the man said to Sarah, the
  87. 3:04waitress. His voice was smooth, calm.
  88. 3:07Sarah led them to a booth near the
  89. 3:08window, directly across from us. I
  90. 3:10watched them sit down, and the man took
  91. 3:12off his coat, revealing a sharp suit
  92. 3:14underneath. He didn't help the girl with
  93. 3:16hers. She struggled to pull her arms out
  94. 3:19of the wet sleeves and her small hands
  95. 3:21shaking. Viper nudged my boot under the
  96. 3:23table and whispered for me to look at
  97. 3:25her wrist. I squinted. As the girl
  98. 3:27pulled off her coat, her sleeve rode up
  99. 3:29and there on her pale, thin wrist was a
  100. 3:32bruise. Dark purple, the shape of a
  101. 3:34handprint. My stomach tightened. A
  102. 3:36bruise like that doesn't come from
  103. 3:38falling off a bicycle, and that comes
  104. 3:40from being grabbed hard. Tank muttered
  105. 3:42that maybe she fell, always trying to
  106. 3:44keep the peace. I said, "Maybe, but I
  107. 3:46didn't take my eyes off them." And the
  108. 3:48man ordered for both of them without
  109. 3:49asking her what she wanted. Burger for
  110. 3:52him and just water for her. He said she
  111. 3:54wasn't hungry. And the girl looked up at
  112. 3:56the mention of food. Her eyes went to
  113. 3:58the pie display on the counter. She
  114. 4:00looked starving, but she didn't make a
  115. 4:02sound. She didn't complain, and she just
  116. 4:04shrank back into the vinyl seat. 10
  117. 4:06minutes passed. The tension in our booth
  118. 4:08was thick enough to cut with a knife.
  119. 4:10Big Mac hadn't taken a sip of his
  120. 4:12coffee, and he was watching the man's
  121. 4:14reflection in the window. Mac has an
  122. 4:16instinct for predators. He can smell a
  123. 4:18wolf in sheep's clothing a mile away.
  124. 4:21Something ain't right, and Mac rumbled,
  125. 4:23his voice low. Viper asked if he should
  126. 4:25go ask some questions, cracking his
  127. 4:27knuckles, Mac told him to sit down. We
  128. 4:30don't start trouble unless we know for
  129. 4:31sure, and he told us to watch the girl.
  130. 4:34The girl, Ka, was sitting perfectly
  131. 4:36still. She hadn't touched her water. Her
  132. 4:38eyes were darting around the room and
  133. 4:40like a trapped animal looking for an
  134. 4:42exit. Then her eyes met mine. For a
  135. 4:44second, the world stopped in those big
  136. 4:46blue eyes, and I saw a so desperate it
  137. 4:49almost knocked the wind out of me. She
  138. 4:51didn't blink. She just stared at me.
  139. 4:53Then her eyes flicked to the man, then
  140. 4:55back to me, and the man was busy on his
  141. 4:57phone, typing furiously. He looked
  142. 4:59annoyed. I heard him whisper into the
  143. 5:01phone that the package was secure, and
  144. 5:04he said he was just waiting for the
  145. 5:05weather to clear. He said she was quiet
  146. 5:07because he made sure of that, the
  147. 5:09package. That word hit me like a
  148. 5:11physical blow, and you don't call a
  149. 5:13daughter a package. Kaia saw that the
  150. 5:15man was distracted. Slowly, terrifyingly
  151. 5:17slowly, she reached for the napkin
  152. 5:19dispenser and her hand was trembling so
  153. 5:22bad I thought she would knock it over.
  154. 5:24She pulled out a single white napkin.
  155. 5:26Then she reached into her pocket and
  156. 5:28pulled out a small red crayon and it
  157. 5:31must have been from a coloring book she
  158. 5:32had earlier. She hunched over the table,
  159. 5:35shielding the napkin with her arm so the
  160. 5:37man couldn't see. She scribbled
  161. 5:39something fast and rough. Then she
  162. 5:41crumbled the napkin into a ball in her
  163. 5:43fist. The man hung up the phone. He
  164. 5:45looked at her sharply, asking what she
  165. 5:46was doing. Kaia froze and she dropped
  166. 5:49her hands to her lap instantly. She
  167. 5:51shook her head. The man warned her not
  168. 5:53to cause a scene, calling her by a
  169. 5:55generic name and saying she knew what
  170. 5:57happens when she causes a scene. Kaia
  171. 5:59nodded. A single tear rolled down her
  172. 6:01cheek, but she didn't make a sound. A
  173. 6:03few minutes later, the man stood up and
  174. 6:06he said he needed to use the restroom
  175. 6:08and told her to stay right there. He
  176. 6:10told her not to move and not to look at
  177. 6:12anyone. and he glared at her until she
  178. 6:14looked down at the table. Then he walked
  179. 6:16toward the back of the diner. This was
  180. 6:18it. The moment he turned the corner,
  181. 6:20Ka's head snapped up and she looked at
  182. 6:22me. She didn't stand up. She knew that
  183. 6:25would attract attention. Instead, she
  184. 6:26threw the crumbled napkin ball. It was a
  185. 6:29weak throw. It landed in the Isle and
  186. 6:31halfway between her table and ours. My
  187. 6:33heart was pounding in my ears. I didn't
  188. 6:35wait. I slid out of the booth. I walked
  189. 6:38casually like I was just stretching my
  190. 6:40legs and I bent down and picked up the
  191. 6:42trash. I looked at Sarah behind the
  192. 6:44counter. She was watching me confused
  193. 6:46and I turned my back to the restroom so
  194. 6:48the man wouldn't see me if he came out.
  195. 6:50I uncrumpled the napkin. The writing was
  196. 6:52messy written in shaky red wax and but
  197. 6:55the message was clear. Three sentences
  198. 6:57that froze the blood in my veins. He is
  199. 7:00not my dad. I can't speak. Help me. I
  200. 7:02stared at the paper and the red crayon
  201. 7:04looked like blood on the white napkin.
  202. 7:06He is not my dad. I looked at the girl.
  203. 7:08She was watching me and her hands
  204. 7:11gripping the edge of the table so hard
  205. 7:12her knuckles were white. She was waiting
  206. 7:14to see if I was a hero or just another
  207. 7:17person who would throw the napkin away.
  208. 7:19And I didn't smile. I didn't wave. I
  209. 7:21just nodded. Once a promise. I walked
  210. 7:24back to our booth. I placed the napkin
  211. 7:26in the center of the table and smoothing
  212. 7:27it out so everyone could see. Viper read
  213. 7:30it. His face went pale then read with
  214. 7:32rage. Tank cracked the table edge with
  215. 7:34his grip. Big Mac looked at the note and
  216. 7:36then he looked at the empty chair where
  217. 7:38the man had been sitting. Mac stood up.
  218. 7:40He didn't just stand up and he unfolded
  219. 7:43his massive frame like a mountain rising
  220. 7:45from the earth. He put his black leather
  221. 7:47hat on. He adjusted his vest. He called
  222. 7:49my name, his voice deathly quiet, and I
  223. 7:52asked what the order was. Mac told me to
  224. 7:54go lock the front door. I asked about
  225. 7:56the man. Mac pulled out his hunting
  226. 7:58knife and stabbed it into the wooden
  227. 8:00table. And right next to the napkin, he
  228. 8:02growled that nobody leaves this diner
  229. 8:04tonight. He said we were going to teach
  230. 8:06this man a lesson about family. I walked
  231. 8:08to the front door and I flipped the sign
  232. 8:11from OPEN to see Lawid and then I turned
  233. 8:13the deadbolt. The click of the lock
  234. 8:15echoed through the silent diner. From
  235. 8:17the back, the bathroom door opened and
  236. 8:19the man in the gray suit vein walked out
  237. 8:22wiping his hands on a paper towel. He
  238. 8:24looked up. He saw me standing by the
  239. 8:25locked door. He saw Big Mac blocking the
  240. 8:28aisle and he saw 50 years of biker rage
  241. 8:30staring him down. He stopped. The polite
  242. 8:33smile vanished from his face. He asked
  243. 8:35if there was a problem. Max stepped
  244. 8:37forward. Yeah. And Max said, "You forgot
  245. 8:39your receipt." Vain didn't flinch. Most
  246. 8:41men when confronted by a 6'5 biker with
  247. 8:44a knife in the table would stumble. They
  248. 8:46would stutter and but Vain just adjusted
  249. 8:48his glasses. He looked at the knife then
  250. 8:51up at Mac and smiled a smile that didn't
  251. 8:53reach his eyes. He chuckled softly and
  252. 8:55shaking his head as if we were children
  253. 8:57playing a game. He told Mac that he had
  254. 9:00a vivid imagination. He said Ka was his
  255. 9:02daughter and she was having an episode
  256. 9:04and he claimed she was sick, confused,
  257. 9:06and prone to making up stories for
  258. 9:08attention. He reached into his pocket.
  259. 9:11Viper and Tank instantly reached for
  260. 9:12their waistbands and ready to draw, but
  261. 9:15Vain only pulled out a wallet. He threw
  262. 9:17a $100 bill onto the counter. He said
  263. 9:20that should cover the burgers and the
  264. 9:21inconvenience. and he told Kaia to stand
  265. 9:24up because they were leaving. Kaia
  266. 9:26didn't move. She was pressed against the
  267. 9:28window, her breath fogging up the glass.
  268. 9:30She looked at Vain and then she looked
  269. 9:32at Mac. She shook her head. It was a
  270. 9:34small movement, barely an inch to the
  271. 9:36left and right. But in that diner, it
  272. 9:38screamed louder than a saun and she was
  273. 9:40terrified of him. Vain's jaw tightened.
  274. 9:43The polite mask slipped for a second,
  275. 9:45revealing something reptilian
  276. 9:46underneath. He stepped toward the booth
  277. 9:48and his hand reaching out to grab her
  278. 9:50arm. That was his mistake. You don't
  279. 9:53touch a child in front of the motor
  280. 9:54mafia. Before Vain's fingers could graze
  281. 9:57her yellow raincoat, and Mac's hand shot
  282. 9:59out, he grabbed Vain by the throat. It
  283. 10:01wasn't a choke. It was a stop. Mac held
  284. 10:03him there, suspended in the aisle, and
  285. 10:05his thumb pressing against Vain's
  286. 10:07windpipe just enough to remind him that
  287. 10:09breathing was a privilege, not a right.
  288. 10:11Mack leaned in close. He smelled of
  289. 10:14diesel and tobacco. And he told Vain
  290. 10:16that money doesn't buy silence here. He
  291. 10:18said that in our world, a child's fear
  292. 10:20is the only evidence we need. He asked
  293. 10:22Vain one simple question and he asked
  294. 10:24him to tell us Kaya's birthday. Vains
  295. 10:27eyes widened. He gagged, clawing at
  296. 10:29Mac's wrist. He couldn't answer. He
  297. 10:31didn't know. And a father knows the day
  298. 10:32his child entered the world. A kidnapper
  299. 10:35only knows the price she is worth. Mac
  300. 10:37threw him backward. Vain crashed into
  301. 10:39the counter and knocking over a rack of
  302. 10:41postcards. He landed hard, gasping for
  303. 10:44air, clutching his throat. The diner
  304. 10:46went silent, save for the sound of the
  305. 10:48rain hammering the roof. And if you
  306. 10:50believe that every child deserves a
  307. 10:52protector, hit that like button right
  308. 10:54now. We need to know who stands with us
  309. 10:56because what happened next wasn't just a
  310. 10:58fight. And it was a war for an innocent
  311. 11:01soul. If you are part of this family,
  312. 11:03subscribe and show the world that we
  313. 11:05don't back down. Vain stood up slowly
  314. 11:07and he wasn't looking at Mac anymore. He
  315. 11:09was looking at his watch. He wiped a
  316. 11:11streak of blood from his lip and side.
  317. 11:14He said we had made a grave error in
  318. 11:16judgment. And he said we were
  319. 11:17interfering with federal business. He
  320. 11:19reached inside his jacket again. This
  321. 11:21time it wasn't a wallet. It was a
  322. 11:23pistol. A sleek black suppressed handgun
  323. 11:26and professional grade. He didn't aim it
  324. 11:28at Mac. He didn't aim it at me. He
  325. 11:30didn't. Directly at Kaa. Everyone froze.
  326. 11:32Even Mac. A gun pointed at a biker is a
  327. 11:34challenge. And a gun pointed at a child
  328. 11:36is a checkmate. Vain smiled, his teeth
  329. 11:39stained red. He told us to back away. He
  330. 11:41said if anyone moved a muscle, the girl
  331. 11:43would pay the price. And he walked
  332. 11:45slowly toward the booth, keeping the gun
  333. 11:47leveled at Kaia's head. She was sobbing
  334. 11:49silently now, her body shaking so hard
  335. 11:52the table vibrated. And Vain grabbed her
  336. 11:54by the hair, yanking her out of the
  337. 11:56booth. She cried out, a soundless gasp
  338. 11:59of pain, stumbling as he dragged her
  339. 12:01toward the kitchen door. And he knew he
  340. 12:02couldn't go out the front past me. He
  341. 12:04was going for the back exit. He dragged
  342. 12:06her past Viper. Viper's hand was
  343. 12:08hovering over his own gun and his eyes
  344. 12:10burning with a rage so hot it could melt
  345. 12:12steel, but he couldn't shoot. The angle
  346. 12:15was bad. Vain was using Ka as a human
  347. 12:17shield. And Vain whispered to us that we
  348. 12:19were just trash on wheels. He said, "We
  349. 12:22had no idea who we were dealing with."
  350. 12:24He kicked the kitchen door open and
  351. 12:26dragging Ka into the darkness of the
  352. 12:28back alley. The moment the door swung
  353. 12:30shut, the spell broke. Mac roared. It
  354. 12:32was a primal sound, a command to unleash
  355. 12:34hell and get her back. Mac screamed. We
  356. 12:37surged forward. Tank hit the kitchen
  357. 12:39door so it flew off its hinges. We
  358. 12:41spilled into the alleyway. The rain hit
  359. 12:43us instantly and cold and stinging. It
  360. 12:46was pitch black. The storm drowning out
  361. 12:48the street lights. We saw a black sedan
  362. 12:50idling at the end of the alley, its
  363. 12:52taillights glowing like evil eyes, and
  364. 12:54Vain was shoving Kaa into the back seat.
  365. 12:56She was fighting him, kicking her small
  366. 12:58yellow boots, clawing at his face. But
  367. 13:01she was tiny and he was strong. And he
  368. 13:03threw her in and slammed the door. He
  369. 13:05jumped into the driver's seat. I ran. I
  370. 13:08ran faster than I have ever run in my
  371. 13:09life. My boots splashed through the
  372. 13:11puddles and mud flying. I reached for my
  373. 13:14gun, but I couldn't fire. The car was
  374. 13:16moving, tires screeching on the wet
  375. 13:18pavement. If I missed, I could hit Ka,
  376. 13:20and I watched helplessly as the car sped
  377. 13:22away, disappearing into the curtain of
  378. 13:24rain. I fell to my knees in the mud, the
  379. 13:26engine noise fading away. I failed, and
  380. 13:29I had looked her in the eye and promised
  381. 13:31her safety, and now she was gone. But
  382. 13:33then I felt a hand on my shoulder. It
  383. 13:36was Mac. He wasn't looking at the empty
  384. 13:38street and he was looking at the ground
  385. 13:40where the car had been parked. In the
  386. 13:42mud, there was something shiny. I
  387. 13:44reached down and picked it up. It was a
  388. 13:46phone and Vain must have dropped it in
  389. 13:48the struggle. The screen was cracked,
  390. 13:49but it was still on. And on the screen
  391. 13:51was a GPS map, a destination, and a
  392. 13:54warehouse on the outskirts of the city
  393. 13:5620 m east. The Grim Reaper headed. Mac
  394. 13:59looked at the phone then at me. He
  395. 14:01didn't say a word. He didn't have to.
  396. 14:03and he turned around and walked back
  397. 14:04toward the diner, toward our bikes. The
  398. 14:07engines were cold, but our blood was
  399. 14:09boiling. Vain thought he had escaped,
  400. 14:11and he thought the rain would wash away
  401. 14:13his tracks. He didn't know that he had
  402. 14:15just left a breadcrumb trail for the
  403. 14:17most dangerous pack of wolves on the
  404. 14:19highway. And we weren't just going to
  405. 14:21get Ka back. We were going to make sure
  406. 14:23Vain never touched a child again. Wheels
  407. 14:25up. The hunt begins now. The rain didn't
  408. 14:28let up, if anything. and it got harder,
  409. 14:30turning the highway into a slick black
  410. 14:32mirror reflecting the red glow of our
  411. 14:34taillights. We rode in a tight formation
  412. 14:37and a phalance of chrome and leather
  413. 14:39cutting through the storm. I couldn't
  414. 14:41feel the cold. I couldn't feel the water
  415. 14:43soaking through my boots and all I could
  416. 14:45feel was the burning shame of watching
  417. 14:47that car drive away. We don't lose. That
  418. 14:50is the unwritten rule of the motor
  419. 14:52mafia. We might bleed. We might break
  420. 14:54bones and but we do not lose the
  421. 14:56innocent. M was at the front, his bike
  422. 14:59tearing through the wind like a
  423. 15:00battering ram. He had Vayain's phone
  424. 15:02strapped to his handlebars and the blue
  425. 15:04light of the GPS map guiding us into the
  426. 15:06belly of the beast. We weren't riding to
  427. 15:09a house in the suburbs. We were heading
  428. 15:11deep into the industrial district and
  429. 15:13the part of the city where street lights
  430. 15:15don't work and the police don't patrol,
  431. 15:17the rust belt. 20 minutes later, Mac
  432. 15:20killed his lights. We all did the same
  433. 15:22and rolling to a silent stop under the
  434. 15:24shadow of a crumbling overpass. The GPS
  435. 15:26point was 500 yardds ahead. A massive
  436. 15:29and corrugated metal warehouse
  437. 15:31surrounded by a chain link fence topped
  438. 15:33with razor wire. Flood lights swept the
  439. 15:35perimeter, cutting through the rain. It
  440. 15:37looked like a fortress and but to us it
  441. 15:40just looked like a target. Max signaled
  442. 15:42for us to dismount. We left the bikes
  443. 15:44hidden in the brush. We moved on foot
  444. 15:46and slipping through the darkness like
  445. 15:47ghosts. Tank carried a pair of bolt
  446. 15:50cutters the size of his arm. Viper had
  447. 15:52his knife drawn and I gripped a tire
  448. 15:54iron I had pulled from my saddle bag. We
  449. 15:56didn't know how many men were inside and
  450. 15:58we didn't care. We reached the perimeter
  451. 16:00fence. Tank went to work and his massive
  452. 16:03muscles straining as he snapped the
  453. 16:05thick steel links. A snap, he peeled
  454. 16:07back the fence, creating a hole just big
  455. 16:10enough for us to crawl through. And we
  456. 16:12were in the warehouse yard was filled
  457. 16:14with shipping containers stacked three
  458. 16:16high, creating a maze of rusted steel.
  459. 16:18We moved through the alleys, checking
  460. 16:20every corner, and ahead, two guards were
  461. 16:22standing by a side door, smoking
  462. 16:24cigarettes under a small awning. They
  463. 16:26were laughing. They had assault rifles
  464. 16:28slung over their shoulders. And these
  465. 16:30weren't common thugs. They were
  466. 16:32mercenaries. Vain wasn't just a
  467. 16:34kidnapper. He was part of something much
  468. 16:36bigger, much darker. Mac held up a fist.
  469. 16:38Halt. And he pointed at Viper, then at
  470. 16:40the guard on the left. He pointed at me,
  471. 16:42then the guard on the right. We
  472. 16:44understood. No guns, no noise. Viper
  473. 16:47moved first and sliding through the
  474. 16:48shadows with terrifying speed, he came
  475. 16:51up behind the first guard and clamping a
  476. 16:53hand over his mouth and dragging him
  477. 16:55into the darkness before the man could
  478. 16:57even drop his cigarette. The second
  479. 16:59guard turned confused by the sudden
  480. 17:01movement and that was my window. I
  481. 17:04stepped out from behind a container and
  482. 17:05swung the tire iron. It connected with
  483. 17:08the side of his helmet with a sickening
  484. 17:10crunch and he dropped like a sack of
  485. 17:12cement. We dragged the bodies out of
  486. 17:14sight. Mac checked the door. locked.
  487. 17:16Tank stepped up. He didn't bother with a
  488. 17:18lockpick and he jammed a crowbar into
  489. 17:20the frame and heaved. The metal groaned,
  490. 17:22popped, and the door swung open. We
  491. 17:24slipped inside. The smell hit us first.
  492. 17:26It smelled of stale air and bleach and
  493. 17:29something else, something metallic. Fear
  494. 17:31the warehouse was dimly lit by hanging
  495. 17:33bulbs. It was vast, filled with crates
  496. 17:36and more shipping containers. And but
  497. 17:38along the far wall, there was a row of
  498. 17:39makeshift rooms built out of plywood,
  499. 17:42offices, or cells. We moved down the
  500. 17:44central aisle. our boots silent on the
  501. 17:46concrete. And we heard voices coming
  502. 17:48from the room at the end of the hall.
  503. 17:50Vain's voice and another man's voice
  504. 17:52deeper, rougher. She's too loud, Vain
  505. 17:55was saying. And even without a voice,
  506. 17:57she fights too much. The buyer wants
  507. 17:59compliant merchandise. Then sedate her
  508. 18:01again. The other voice growled. The
  509. 18:03plane leaves in an hour. And if she's
  510. 18:05not on it, it's your head. My grip on
  511. 18:07the tire iron tightened until my
  512. 18:09knuckles turned white. They were selling
  513. 18:11her. And they were going to put Kaa on a
  514. 18:14plane and ship her off to god knows
  515. 18:15where to never be seen again. This
  516. 18:18wasn't just a kidnapping. It was a
  517. 18:20trafficking ring. And if you have a
  518. 18:22daughter, a niece, or a little sister,
  519. 18:24you know the rage that is burning in my
  520. 18:26chest right now. And we are about to
  521. 18:28walk into that room and unleash judgment
  522. 18:30on these monsters. If you believe that
  523. 18:32people who hurt children deserve no
  524. 18:34mercy, smash that like button and stand
  525. 18:36with us as we kick down the door. Max
  526. 18:38signaled. 3 2 1. Tank kicked the door.
  527. 18:41The wood splintered and exploded inward.
  528. 18:43We stormed the room and Vain was
  529. 18:45standing by a desk counting a stack of
  530. 18:47cash. Another man, a giant with a scar
  531. 18:50across his face, was standing over a cot
  532. 18:52in the corner. On the cot laya, and she
  533. 18:54was curled into a ball, still wearing
  534. 18:56her yellow raincoat, shaking. When the
  535. 18:59door exploded, Vain dropped the money.
  536. 19:01He reached for the pistol on the desk,
  537. 19:03and he wasn't fast enough. Viper threw
  538. 19:05his knife. It wasn't a lethal throw. It
  539. 19:08was a message. The blade slammed into
  540. 19:09the back of Vain's hand, pinning it to
  541. 19:11the mahogany desk, and Vain screamed, a
  542. 19:14high-pitched whale that echoed through
  543. 19:16the warehouse. The scarred giant turned
  544. 19:18to fight. He was big, bigger than me,
  545. 19:20maybe even bigger than Tank, and he
  546. 19:22roared and charged, swinging a massive
  547. 19:24fist. Tank didn't flinch. He caught the
  548. 19:26fist in his open palm. The sound of the
  549. 19:28impact was like a gunshot. Tank smiled,
  550. 19:31a cold and dangerous smile. Then he
  551. 19:33headbutted the giant. The man stumbled
  552. 19:35back dazed and Tank followed up with a
  553. 19:37right hook that lifted the giant off his
  554. 19:39feet and sent him crashing into a filing
  555. 19:41cabinet. He didn't get up. Mac walked
  556. 19:44over to Vain and who was sobbing,
  557. 19:46staring at the knife in his hand. Mac
  558. 19:48ripped the knife out. Vain howled,
  559. 19:50clutching his bleeding hand to his
  560. 19:52chest, and Mac grabbed him by the labels
  561. 19:54of his expensive suit and slammed him
  562. 19:56against the wall. "Where is the plane?"
  563. 19:58Mac barked. "Go to hell!" veins spat and
  564. 20:01blood dripping from his mouth. Mac
  565. 20:03didn't ask again. He slammed Vayain's
  566. 20:04head against the wall. Plaster cracked.
  567. 20:06"The plane," Max said, his voice
  568. 20:08dropping to a whisper. "And tell me, and
  569. 20:11I might let you live long enough to see
  570. 20:12a jail cell. It's It's at the private
  571. 20:15airfield," Vain stammered, his eyes wide
  572. 20:17with terror. "North of the city and
  573. 20:19flight 709, but you're too late. The
  574. 20:22pilot is already prepping. You'll never
  575. 20:23get there in time." I ran to the cot.
  576. 20:26Ka, I whispered. She looked up and her
  577. 20:28eyes were swollen. When she saw me, the
  578. 20:30biker from the diner who had caught her
  579. 20:32note, she didn't shrink away. She
  580. 20:34launched herself at me and she buried
  581. 20:36her face in my leather vest, her small
  582. 20:38arms wrapping around my neck in a death
  583. 20:40grip. She was sobbing silently, her
  584. 20:42whole body heaving, and I wrapped my
  585. 20:44arms around her, shielding her from the
  586. 20:46sight of the blood and the violence. "I
  587. 20:48got you." I whispered into her hair. "I
  588. 20:51got you. You're safe." And Mac looked at
  589. 20:53me holding the girl. Then he looked at
  590. 20:55Vain, "Te him up." Mac ordered, "Tank,
  591. 20:57leave him for the cops. We have a plane
  592. 20:59to catch. What? Vain gasped. And you
  593. 21:02can't leave me here. My men will find
  594. 21:04me.
  595. 21:04>> Your men are sleeping outside, Viper
  596. 21:06said, wiping his blade on Vain's jacket.
  597. 21:09And and the cops are going to find a lot
  598. 21:11more than just you in this warehouse. We
  599. 21:13walked out of that room. Kaya in my
  600. 21:15arms. She wouldn't let go. She wouldn't
  601. 21:18walk. And I carried her through the
  602. 21:19warehouse, past the unconscious guards,
  603. 21:21back out into the rain. But as we
  604. 21:23reached the fence, I heard a sound that
  605. 21:25made my blood freeze. Sirens. And no
  606. 21:28engines, not car engines, aircraft
  607. 21:31engines. We looked north. Through the
  608. 21:33storm, we could see the strobe lights of
  609. 21:34a plane ascending into the dark clouds.
  610. 21:37And the airfield is 5 mi away, Max said,
  611. 21:40watching the lights. That's not the
  612. 21:41plane Vain was talking about. Then who
  613. 21:43is on that one? I asked. And Ka pulled
  614. 21:46back from my chest. She looked at the
  615. 21:48plane in the sky. She frantically made a
  616. 21:50motion with her hands. She pointed to
  617. 21:52herself, then held up two fingers, and
  618. 21:54then three. My heart stopped. She wasn't
  619. 21:57pointing at herself. She was she pointed
  620. 21:59at the warehouse then held up five
  621. 22:01fingers. Five? I asked. Five what? And
  622. 22:04she pointed to herself again. Five kids?
  623. 22:06I asked. Ka nodded vigorously, tears
  624. 22:09streaming down her face again. She
  625. 22:11pointed at the plane disappearing into
  626. 22:12the clouds. And Vain had lied. The
  627. 22:15shipment wasn't leaving in an hour. It
  628. 22:17had just left. And Ka wasn't the only
  629. 22:19package. She was just the one who got
  630. 22:21left behind because she fought back. And
  631. 22:23there were others. Mac looked at the
  632. 22:25sky. He looked at the fleeing plane. The
  633. 22:27rage on his face was replaced by a cold
  634. 22:29tactical focus. Tank, Max said. And get
  635. 22:32Vain back out here. Now why? Tank asked.
  636. 22:35Because he's not going to jail, Max
  637. 22:37said, climbing onto his bike. He's going
  638. 22:39to tell us where that plane is landing.
  639. 22:41And and then we are going to hunt it
  640. 22:43down. We thought the night was over. We
  641. 22:45thought we had won, but we had only
  642. 22:47saved one. The war wasn't ending, and it
  643. 22:49was just moving to a new battlefield. I
  644. 22:51looked at Kaa, shivering in the rain. I
  645. 22:54took off my leather vest and wrapped it
  646. 22:56around her. It swallowed her small
  647. 22:58frame. And don't worry, I told her.
  648. 23:00We're going to get your friends. We
  649. 23:02weren't just bikers anymore. We were the
  650. 23:04only hope those kids had. Wheels up and
  651. 23:06we ride until the tank runs dry. Tank
  652. 23:09dragged Vain out of the warehouse by his
  653. 23:11collar. His expensive suit now ruined by
  654. 23:13grease and blood. And he threw him into
  655. 23:15the mud next to the bikes. The rain was
  656. 23:18washing away the blood on Vain's face,
  657. 23:20but it couldn't wash away the fear in
  658. 23:22his eyes. He looked up at Mac and who
  659. 23:24was towering over him like a grim reaper
  660. 23:26in wet leather. Mac didn't yell. He
  661. 23:28didn't scream. He just racked the slide
  662. 23:30of his pistol. The sound was sharp and
  663. 23:32cutting through the thunder. He pointed
  664. 23:34the barrel right between Vain's eyes. He
  665. 23:37asked one question. Where is the plane
  666. 23:39landing? Vain stammered, shaking his
  667. 23:41head, and he said he couldn't tell. He
  668. 23:43said the buyer would kill him. Mac
  669. 23:45leaned down the barrel, pressing into
  670. 23:47Vain's forehead. He whispered that the
  671. 23:49buyer wasn't here and but the motor
  672. 23:51mafia was. He told Vain to choose his
  673. 23:53executioner, Vain broke, he sobbed,
  674. 23:55pointing north. He said it was a
  675. 23:57refueling stop and an old smuggler's run
  676. 23:59called Blackwood Ridge. It was an
  677. 24:01abandoned airirstrip in the mountains
  678. 24:03about 80 mi north. And he said they had
  679. 24:05to swap planes before crossing the
  680. 24:07border. They had an hour, maybe less,
  681. 24:10before the second plane took off for
  682. 24:12international waters. And once they
  683. 24:14crossed the border, those kids were gone
  684. 24:16forever. Mac looked at his watch. 80 m
  685. 24:19in an hour on slick winding mountain
  686. 24:21roads in a storm. And it was impossible
  687. 24:23for a car, but for us, it was just
  688. 24:25another Tuesday. Mac holstered his gun.
  689. 24:27He looked at Tank. He told him to zip
  690. 24:29tie Veain to the fence. And he said to
  691. 24:31leave the evidence on his chest. Tank
  692. 24:33grinned. He pulled a heavy plastic zip
  693. 24:35tie from his vest and secured Vain's
  694. 24:38wrists to the chain link fence. And Vain
  695. 24:41screamed that we couldn't leave him
  696. 24:42there, that he would freeze. Tank patted
  697. 24:44his cheek. He told him the police sirens
  698. 24:46were already close and he said Vain
  699. 24:49would be warm in prison. We mounted up.
  700. 24:51The engines roared to life. 50 bikes
  701. 24:53screaming in unison, drowning out Vain's
  702. 24:55please. I looked down at Kaa and she was
  703. 24:58shivering against my chest, her small
  704. 25:00hands gripping my leather vest like it
  705. 25:02was a lifeline. I couldn't take her into
  706. 25:04a firefight. It was suicide. And I
  707. 25:06looked at Viper. He knew what I was
  708. 25:08thinking. He nodded toward an old diner
  709. 25:10about 10 mi up the road, a place called
  710. 25:12the last stop. It was neutral ground and
  711. 25:15the owner owed us a favor. I told Kaia
  712. 25:18we had to make a stop. I told her I had
  713. 25:20to go help her friends, but I couldn't
  714. 25:22do it if I was worried about her and she
  715. 25:23looked at me with those big tearfilled
  716. 25:25eyes. She shook her head frantically,
  717. 25:28burying her face in my jacket. She
  718. 25:30didn't want to be left alone. Not again.
  719. 25:32And I pulled her chin up gently. I
  720. 25:34promised her on my life that I would
  721. 25:36come back for her. I told her that a
  722. 25:38biker never breaks his word. She
  723. 25:39hesitated, then slowly nodded. and she
  724. 25:42reached into her pocket and pulled out
  725. 25:43the red crayon. She grabbed my hand and
  726. 25:46turned it palm up. She scribbled a crude
  727. 25:48drawing on my palm. It was a heart, a
  728. 25:50crooked and red heart. It was her way of
  729. 25:53saying she trusted me. I closed my fist
  730. 25:55around it, protecting it from the rain.
  731. 25:57I zipped my jacket up over her to shield
  732. 25:59her from the wind, and I revved the
  733. 26:01engine. "Hold on tight," I said. We
  734. 26:03peeled out of the industrial yard,
  735. 26:05leaving vain for the cops in the
  736. 26:06warehouse behind us. The chase was on.
  737. 26:09And if you are rooting for us to catch
  738. 26:11that plane, hit that subscribe button
  739. 26:13right now. We are racing against time,
  740. 26:15against the storm, and against pure
  741. 26:17evil. And join the pack and let's bring
  742. 26:19those kids home. We hit the highway
  743. 26:21doing 90. The rain stung like needles,
  744. 26:24but we didn't slow down and we wo
  745. 26:26through the traffic like a single
  746. 26:27organism. Mac leading the spearhead. We
  747. 26:30reached the last stop diner in record
  748. 26:32time. I didn't even kill the engine. I
  749. 26:34jumped off and carrying Ka into the warm
  750. 26:37light of the diner. The owner, an old
  751. 26:39man named Saul, looked up from the
  752. 26:41counter. He saw the look in my eyes and
  753. 26:43he saw the bruised little girl in my
  754. 26:44arms. He didn't ask questions. He just
  755. 26:47opened the gate. I sat Ka down in a
  756. 26:49booth. I gave her my jacket. It
  757. 26:51swallowed her hole. And I told S to lock
  758. 26:53the doors and keep a shotgun under the
  759. 26:55counter. I told him if anyone other than
  760. 26:57me walked through that door, he was to
  761. 26:59shoot first. S nodded and he poured Ka a
  762. 27:02cup of hot cocoa. I looked at her one
  763. 27:04last time. Be brave, I whispered. Then I
  764. 27:07turned and ran back into the storm. We
  765. 27:09hit the mountain roads and this was the
  766. 27:11dangerous part. Blackwood Ridge was
  767. 27:13notorious for sharp turns and zero
  768. 27:15guardrails. One slip on the wet asphalt
  769. 27:18and you were going off a cliff and but
  770. 27:19we didn't use brakes. We leaned into the
  771. 27:22turns, scraping our pegs, sparks flying
  772. 27:24in the rain. We were pushing the
  773. 27:26machines to their limit and Mac was a
  774. 27:28demon on two wheels cutting the lines
  775. 27:30perfectly. We checked the time. 30
  776. 27:32minutes left. We were closing the gap,
  777. 27:34but the mountain was fighting us, and
  778. 27:36the wind howled through the canyons,
  779. 27:38trying to push us off the road. Then we
  780. 27:40saw it, the glow of flood lights against
  781. 27:42the low clouds, the airirstrip, and it
  782. 27:45was carved into the side of the
  783. 27:46mountain, a strip of concrete in the
  784. 27:48middle of nowhere. And there, sitting on
  785. 27:50the tarmac, was the plane, a twin engine
  786. 27:53cargo prop, and it was fueling. We could
  787. 27:55see men loading crates from a truck into
  788. 27:57the belly of the plane and we saw a line
  789. 27:59of small figures being herded up the
  790. 28:01ramp. Children and they were about to
  791. 28:03take off. We were still a mile out. M
  792. 28:06grabbed his radio. He screamed for us to
  793. 28:08cut the lights. We went dark. 50 bikes,
  794. 28:10engines roaring and flying down the
  795. 28:12mountain in pitch blackness. We were the
  796. 28:15storm now. We hit the access road,
  797. 28:17gravel spraying everywhere. And the
  798. 28:19guards at the gate didn't see us until
  799. 28:21we were on top of them. Viper took the
  800. 28:23gate out with a wellplaced kick as he
  801. 28:25rode past the chain snapping like thread
  802. 28:27and we swarmed the tarmac. The pilot saw
  803. 28:30us. He didn't wait for the fuel hose to
  804. 28:32detach. He gunned the engines. The
  805. 28:34propellers spun up with a deafening roar
  806. 28:36and the plane lurched forward, snapping
  807. 28:38the fuel line. A spray of aviation fuel
  808. 28:41coated the tarmac. The pilot was trying
  809. 28:42to take off. He was taxiing down the
  810. 28:44runway and picking up speed. The ramp
  811. 28:47was still half open. The guards on the
  812. 28:49ground opened fire. Bullets pinched off
  813. 28:51our bikes, sparking on the concrete, but
  814. 28:53we didn't stop and we rode straight
  815. 28:55through the gunfire. Mac pointed at the
  816. 28:57plane's landing gear. He wanted us to
  817. 28:59shoot the tires, but it was moving too
  818. 29:01fast and and the children were right
  819. 29:03above the wheels. We couldn't risk it.
  820. 29:06We had to board it. I looked at the open
  821. 29:08ramp and it was 5 ft off the ground and
  822. 29:10rising as the plane gained speed. I
  823. 29:12looked at Tank. He nodded. He revved his
  824. 29:14engine and pulled up alongside me and he
  825. 29:17was going to give me a boost. I stood up
  826. 29:19on my foot pegs. The wind was tearing at
  827. 29:21my clothes. The plane was doing 60 70
  828. 29:24knots. We were running out of runway and
  829. 29:26I steered my bike close to Tanks. I
  830. 29:28stepped from my seat onto his
  831. 29:30handlebars. It was a move that should
  832. 29:32have killed me. Tank held the bike
  833. 29:34steady as a rock and I launched myself.
  834. 29:36I flew through the air, grabbing the
  835. 29:38edge of the hydraulic ramp with both
  836. 29:40hands. My legs dangled over the rushing
  837. 29:42asphalt and the metal was slippery with
  838. 29:44rain and fuel. I groaned, my muscles
  839. 29:47screaming as I pulled myself up. I
  840. 29:49rolled onto the metal ramp just as the
  841. 29:51plane's wheels left the ground and we
  842. 29:53were airborne. I scrambled up the
  843. 29:55incline into the cargo hold. The ramp
  844. 29:57was closing behind me. I was inside
  845. 29:59alone with four mercenaries and a dozen
  846. 30:01terrified children and the men turned,
  847. 30:04shock on their faces. They raised their
  848. 30:06rifles. I didn't have my gun drawn. I
  849. 30:08was on my knees, unarmed, trapped in a
  850. 30:10metal tube at 5,000 ft. And I looked at
  851. 30:13the children huddled in the corner. I
  852. 30:15looked at the mercenaries. I slowly
  853. 30:16stood up, cracking my knuckles. I
  854. 30:18smiled. You boys forgot to check your
  855. 30:21baggage. And I said, "The fight that
  856. 30:23followed wasn't a fight. It was a brawl
  857. 30:25in a phone booth. The plane banked hard,
  858. 30:27throwing us all off balance. I tackled
  859. 30:29the nearest guard and driving him into
  860. 30:31the wall. His rifle skittered away. The
  861. 30:33other three rushed me. I fought like a
  862. 30:35cornered animal. I used elbows, knees,
  863. 30:38headbutts, and I took a hit to the ribs
  864. 30:40that knocked the wind out of me. But I
  865. 30:42didn't go down. I couldn't go down. Ka
  866. 30:45was waiting for me. These kids were
  867. 30:46waiting for me. And I grabbed a cargo
  868. 30:48strap and whipped it around a guard's
  869. 30:50neck, using his body as a shield against
  870. 30:52the others. Suddenly, the cockpit door
  871. 30:55opened. The pilot came out and holding a
  872. 30:57flare gun, he pointed it at me. He was
  873. 31:00screaming that he with a whole plane
  874. 31:01down. He was crazy. He pulled the
  875. 31:04trigger and the flare hissed past my ear
  876. 31:06and hit a crate of fuel canisters
  877. 31:07strapped to the wall. Fire. The crate
  878. 31:10ignited instantly. Smoke filled the
  879. 31:12cabin. The children screamed and the
  880. 31:14pilot realized his mistake too late. The
  881. 31:16plane lurched violently. We were going
  882. 31:18down. I looked at the kids. I looked at
  883. 31:21the parachutes strapped to the wall and
  884. 31:23there were only three. 12 kids, three
  885. 31:25chutes, and a burning plane falling out
  886. 31:27of the sky. I grabbed the radio on the
  887. 31:29wall. Mayday, mayday, I screamed. And
  888. 31:31this is flight 709. We are going down in
  889. 31:34the Blackwood Valley. I have children on
  890. 31:36board. Repeat, children on board. The
  891. 31:38radio crackled. It was Max's voice and
  892. 31:40clear and calm. Hang on, Jaxmax said. We
  893. 31:43see you. We are tracking. Put it down in
  894. 31:45the river. It's your only chance. The
  895. 31:47river. I looked out the window below us
  896. 31:49and a ribbon of black water cut through
  897. 31:52the forest. It was suicide, but it was
  898. 31:54better than the trees. I kicked the
  899. 31:56pilot out of the way and grabbed the
  900. 31:58yolk. And I've never flown a plane in my
  901. 32:00life, but I know how to ride. And this
  902. 32:02was just a big machine with an engine. I
  903. 32:04wrestled the stick, fighting the
  904. 32:06gravity, and the trees were rushing up
  905. 32:08to meet us. The fire was hot on my back.
  906. 32:10I aimed for the water, brace for impact,
  907. 32:12I yelled to the kids. The world turned
  908. 32:15white, then black, and the cold was the
  909. 32:17first thing I felt. It wasn't just cold,
  910. 32:19it was a freezing, crushing weight that
  911. 32:21pressed against my chest. My eyes
  912. 32:23snapped open. I was underwater, and the
  913. 32:25cockpit was filling fast. The dark river
  914. 32:27water swirling with oil and debris. I
  915. 32:30couldn't see the pilot. I couldn't see
  916. 32:32the guards. And all I could hear was the
  917. 32:34groaning of metal as the fuselage
  918. 32:35twisted against the reverb. I unbuckled
  919. 32:38my seat belt, my hands numb and clumsy.
  920. 32:40I pushed myself up and gasping for air
  921. 32:43in the small pocket of oxygen left near
  922. 32:45the ceiling of the cabin. The water was
  923. 32:47already at my neck, I turned to look at
  924. 32:49the cargo hold, the children, and they
  925. 32:51were screaming, but the sound was
  926. 32:53muffled by the water and the roar of the
  927. 32:55current outside. The plane had broken in
  928. 32:57two upon impact. The tail section was
  929. 32:59gone, and the main cabin was sinking. I
  930. 33:02waited through the waste, deep water,
  931. 33:04shoving floating crates out of my way.
  932. 33:06The kids were huddled together on top of
  933. 33:08the highest crates and terrifyingly
  934. 33:10silent now, staring at the rising black
  935. 33:12water. I grabbed the emergency exit
  936. 33:15handle. It was jammed. The frame had
  937. 33:17buckled in the crash and I slammed my
  938. 33:19shoulder against it. Pain shot down my
  939. 33:20arm, but I didn't stop. I kicked it
  940. 33:22once, twice. On the third kick, the door
  941. 33:25blew outward and the river rushed in.
  942. 33:27And get out, I yelled. Swim. I grabbed
  943. 33:30the nearest child, a boy with wide,
  944. 33:32terrified eyes, and pushed him toward
  945. 33:34the opening. The current outside was
  946. 33:35strong and it tried to sweep him away,
  947. 33:37but a hand reached out from the darkness
  948. 33:39and grabbed him. Then another hand, then
  949. 33:42another. I looked out and the river bank
  950. 33:44was lit up by 50 headlights. The motor
  951. 33:47mafia had arrived. They were standing in
  952. 33:49the freezing river and forming a human
  953. 33:51chain that stretched from the plane to
  954. 33:52the muddy bank. Tank was at the front,
  955. 33:55chest deep in the icy water, acting as
  956. 33:57an anchor. And he grabbed the boy and
  957. 33:59passed him to Viper. Viper passed him to
  958. 34:02the next man. They were pulling the
  959. 34:03children out of the wreck one by one. I
  960. 34:06went back for the others and the water
  961. 34:08was rising faster now. It was at my
  962. 34:10chin. I found a girl trapped under a
  963. 34:12fallen seat. She was unconscious. I took
  964. 34:14a deep breath and dove under the holy
  965. 34:16water and I fumbled with the metal
  966. 34:18latch, my lungs burning. It wouldn't
  967. 34:20budge. I pulled out my knife and slashed
  968. 34:22the seat belt. She floated free. I
  969. 34:24dragged her to the surface and gasping
  970. 34:26for air and hauled her toward the door.
  971. 34:29Mac was there now. He reached inside the
  972. 34:31broken fuselage and grabbed her from my
  973. 34:33arms. He looked at me and his face was
  974. 34:35bleeding from a cut on his forehead, but
  975. 34:37his eyes were steady. Get out, Jax, he
  976. 34:40roared over the sound of the river. The
  977. 34:42plane is rolling. I did a final sweep
  978. 34:44and the mercenaries were gone, washed
  979. 34:46away or dead on impact. The pilot was
  980. 34:48slumped over the yolk, lifeless. The
  981. 34:50cabin was empty of children, and I
  982. 34:52scrambled toward the exit just as the
  983. 34:54plane shifted. The metal groaned and the
  984. 34:56fuselage rolled onto its side, sinking
  985. 34:59into the deep channel. I jumped and I
  986. 35:01hit the freezing water and swam with
  987. 35:03everything I had left. The current
  988. 35:05slammed me against a rock, but I clawed
  989. 35:07my way into the mud and Tank's massive
  990. 35:09hand grabbed the back of my vest and
  991. 35:11hauled me up onto the grass. I lay there
  992. 35:13coughing up river water, looking at the
  993. 35:15scene. 12 children, wet and shivering,
  994. 35:18crying, but alive, all of them. We
  995. 35:20stripped off our cuts and jackets,
  996. 35:22wrapping the kids in dry leather, and we
  997. 35:24loaded them onto the support trucks that
  998. 35:26had followed us. The sirens were close
  999. 35:28now, real police, state troopers,
  1000. 35:30ambulances. We didn't run, we waited,
  1001. 35:33and when the sheriff pulled up, he saw
  1002. 35:3550 bikers standing guard over 12
  1003. 35:37freezing children. He saw the planes
  1004. 35:39sinking in the river, and he saw veins
  1005. 35:41still zip tied to the fence miles back.
  1006. 35:43He didn't arrest us. He just nodded. He
  1007. 35:46knew who the real heroes were that
  1008. 35:47night. and we rode back to the last stop
  1009. 35:50diner as the sun began to break over the
  1010. 35:52mountains. The storm had passed. The sky
  1011. 35:55was a bruised purple, clearing up for a
  1012. 35:57new day. And I walked into the diner, my
  1013. 35:59clothes still wet, my body aching. S was
  1014. 36:02standing by the door with his shotgun,
  1015. 36:03looking relieved. And there and in the
  1016. 36:05booth where I had left her, was Ka. She
  1017. 36:08was asleep, curled up in my jacket. But
  1018. 36:10the moment the bell jingled, she woke
  1019. 36:12up. She saw me. She didn't run this
  1020. 36:14time. And she walked slowly. She stopped
  1021. 36:17in front of me, looking at the mud on my
  1022. 36:18boots, the blood on my hands. She
  1023. 36:20reached out and touched my face. She
  1024. 36:23looked past me and out the window and
  1025. 36:25saw the ambulances taking her friends to
  1026. 36:27the hospital. She saw that they were
  1027. 36:29safe. She looked back at me. She opened
  1028. 36:31her mouth and she tried to make a sound,
  1029. 36:33her throat working, fighting the silence
  1030. 36:35that had held her prisoner for so long.
  1031. 36:37D. She rasped, a broken, quiet sound. D,
  1032. 36:40Dad. And it wasn't a question this time.
  1033. 36:42It was a statement. I fell to my knees
  1034. 36:44and hovered her. I'm not a father. I'm
  1035. 36:47an outlaw. I've lived my life on the
  1036. 36:49wrong side of the law. And but in that
  1037. 36:51moment, holding that little girl in a
  1038. 36:52roadside diner while the son came up, I
  1039. 36:55knew that I had finally done something
  1040. 36:57right. And vain and his buyers went to
  1041. 37:00prison for life. The evidence on the
  1042. 37:02hard drives and the testimony of the
  1043. 37:03children made sure they would never see
  1044. 37:05the son again. And the kids were placed
  1045. 37:07in foster homes, good ones this time,
  1046. 37:10watched over by the state, and quietly
  1047. 37:12watched over by us. We made sure they
  1048. 37:14were safe. As for Kaa, and she didn't go
  1049. 37:16into the system. It took a lot of
  1050. 37:18lawyers, a lot of threats, and a lot of
  1051. 37:20money, but Mac made it happen. S adopted
  1052. 37:23her. She lives at the diner now, and she
  1053. 37:25goes to school. She draws pictures that
  1054. 37:27aren't sad anymore. And every Tuesday
  1055. 37:29when the motor mafia rolls through town,
  1056. 37:32and she is waiting at the door with a
  1057. 37:34pot of fresh coffee and a smile, she
  1058. 37:36speaks. Now, not a lot, but enough to
  1059. 37:38say the things that matter. People ask
  1060. 37:40me why we do it and why we risk our
  1061. 37:42lives for strangers, why we fight wars
  1062. 37:44that aren't ours. I tell them to look at
  1063. 37:46the drawing on my wall in the clubhouse.
  1064. 37:49It's a framed white napkin and wrinkled
  1065. 37:51and stained with coffee. On it in red
  1066. 37:53crayon is a crooked heart. That napkin
  1067. 37:55reminds me that the world is full of
  1068. 37:57monsters. And but as long as we have
  1069. 37:59wheels and a full tank of gas, those
  1070. 38:02monsters have something to be afraid of.
  1071. 38:04We are the motor mafia. We don't ask for
  1072. 38:06permission and we don't ask for
  1073. 38:08forgiveness. We just ride. And if you
  1074. 38:10ever hear a silence that sounds like a
  1075. 38:12scream, don't worry. We hear it too. And
  1076. 38:14we are coming. This is Jax.

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