Flaws

Chapter 27 - What's It Worth?

"Strong convictions precede great actions." - James Freeman Clarke

Even without Trevor's constant intrusion, Chibs would have been teetering on the edge but with it, he was far from composed. Tig was fielding the calls, little to no information coming from Trevor's side of things, as Chibs knocked on Nate's new front door.

"Jesus," he chuckled pulling cash from his pocket. "I called like ten minutes ago. How's you, oh shit," he finally looked up and was face to face with Chibs. "What the fuck do you assholes want?"

"I need to find Anna," he said curtly. "That tweaker Hazel's been helpin'."

"You gonna kill her like you killed Job?" He asked darkly with a surprising amount of confidence.

Chibs growled and got right in Nate's face. "I was trying to protect Hazel. Now, where is she?"

"What are you gonna do with her?" Nate asked with his nose in the air. "Does Hazel know you're here? She could find her easily unless she won't so you don't try to hurt her."

Gritting his teeth, Chibs glared at Nate. "That's why I need her. I'm trying to keep her alive and get some information out of her."

"You need Anna," his eyebrows furrowed as he thought about Chibs' words. "Because you can't find Hazel."

"Because I want to have a chat with a tweaker," Chibs flashed an annoyed and exaggerated smile.

"Well I don't know where she is," Nate shrugged.

"We're not going to hurt her," Tig said calmly. He had no issue with Nate, not personally, so he could speak to the man with less venom. "We're tryin' to keep her from catching a bullet."

"Why should I trust you?" He asked, his eyes on Tig rather than Chibs. "You and Scarface over here manipulated the girls into flipping their whole lives for you."

Tig scoffed, his eyes rolling back dramatically, and gently jabbed Chibs with his elbow. "This shit again."

"Why does everyone think we tricked em'?" Chibs asked, trying desperately to be as comical yet intimidating as Tig was but struggling.

"I do this thing with my tongue," Tig smirked, reaching for Nate with his tongue out, "It's how I win the ladies' hearts."

"Not my lady," Chibs added stepping aside to allow Tig passed him. Looking down the hall randomly he saw Anna. "Hey," he grabbed Tig's cut. "That's her."

The raced down the hall after Anna while Nate watched from the doorway. She'd been in the laundry room for almost an hour washing, drying and folding, but picked the worst time to finish. The laundry tumbled out of the basket as she screamed and bolted toward the fire escape.

"Jesus," Nate hissed as he slammed the door and sped down the steps to the lobby. By the time his feet hit the tile by the massive row of mailboxes Tig and Chibs were outside trying to downplay the situation.

"It's alright," Chibs said softly as he grabbed Anna. "I don't think you want the cops to show up." With his gloves fingers he tapped the track marks in her arm.

"We're not gonna hurt her," Tig said to Nate quietly. "You don't believe us, ask that needle dick Trevor. He's looking for her too."
"Then why didn't he come?" Nate asked suspiciously.

Chibs led Anna toward his bike and slowly the few concerned passersby scattered. "Because he's got connections we can't work. You, you're easy, we didn't need an in."

Nate glared at Chibs, offended by the truth in his words, and watched as they took off with Anna.

--

"You're not bringing her?" Trevor snapped in Chibs face as they met up at the clubhouse before the meet with Pope. "What's the point?! She is what he wants, taking Hazel is just incentive!"

Jax stood back, watching closely, and although he wanted to put Trevor inline with a good beatdown, he let Chibs handle it.

"I'm not gonna throw some girl to that psycho," Chibs growled.

"She killed someone, almost killed Hazel," Trevor pushed Chibs back. "Where is she? I'll take care of this since you're too pussy to do anything."

"This is our show," Chibs came right back at Trevor. "You don't like it, go the fuck home."

"Trevor," Violet interrupted. "Pope is gonna kill Anna."

"You don't want to know what he'll do to Hazel," Trevor was suddenly soft spoken. "This is that crackhead's fault."

"Who are you?" Violet was horrified. "None of what Anna did was malicious."

"Get out," Clay bellowed at Trevor, having seen it go on far too long. "This isn't your problem."

"You're gonna fuck this up," Trevor growled but did as Clay ordered. There were far too many Sons for him to pop off at the mouth. "Whatever happens to Hazel is on you."

--

Not long after the confrontation with Trevor, Chibs, Jax and Clay stood in front of Damon Pope, Niners and Sons dutifully backing up their leaders. 

"Where is she?" Pope asked, his hands in his pockets, refusing to shake hands or exchange pleasantries.

"We found her," Clay said calmly. "And we don't give a shit about her, we just want Hazel back."

"She said she wanted to save them," Pope chuckled darkly as he turned his gaze on Chibs. "Who did you want to save?"

Silent but raging on the inside, Chibs simply glared at Pope. Clay stretched his hand out between them and interrupted. "We'll take care of her for you, the girl that shot your daughter, consider it our way of showing condolences."

"You?" Pope laughed heartily. "I want to squeeze the life out of that druggie bitch myself."

It was not unexpected, they hems elves would want their own revenge, but they had hoped Pope would simply accept that.

"We can pick her up," Jax offered. "We got someone watching her now. Didn't want to spook her yet," he said by way of explanation.

"It's time to spook her," Pope said as he snapped his fingers behind his back. The car door opened and a dazed Hazel stumbled out, seemingly unharmed but looking disheveled to say the least.

"Filip," she smiled sadly but refused to look at him. "I wanna come home."

"Aye love," he swallowed hard struggling to keep calm. "We're working on it."

She nodded, teetering on her feet, her eyes so glassy that Chibs knew there was much more going on than Pope had shared.

"We really handing this girl over?" Jax mumbled to Clay. "There's gotta be something we can do."

Clay rolled his jaw, caring less than the others for Anna but understanding it was wrong and sent a terrible message to other clubs. They had morals, a few at least, and if other clubs saw how easily they crumbled, all their families would be at risk and they would look less than trustworthy.    

"When?" Clay asked sharply.

From the car Chibs and Jax heard a mumbled voice and Hazel quickly returned to the backseat with little hesitation. It was unsettling to see the ease with which she rejoined them. The window rolled a few inches down and she peeked out, tears in her eyes, to look at Chibs for one last second before they sped off.

Pope looked at his watch. "Twelve hours."