Catching Phoenix: Renegades MC Story

28

For the second time this week, I opened my eyes to a biker sitting beside my bed in my purple winged back chair. Unfortunately this time it was the wrong biker.

"How you feeling Nix?"

I didn't know what to do with this new and improved Axel, sometimes he freaked me out with his softer approach. I knew there were a million details that needed to be attended to before they headed out, but instead he was sitting beside my bed making sure I was alright. Again it kind of freaks me out but it was better than the drunken man whore so I choose to keep my sarcastic comments to myself for once.

"Better. Still sore but I am a fast healer. Everyone ready?" Axel was a smart man. He knew who I was referring to. And as I eased my body up to lean against the mountain of pillows, I watched as he sat back and stared at me.

"Yeah. Mac will meet us at the check point with the rest of the team." See I told you Axel was a smart man. "About last night..."

"Let it go for right now Axel. Albert is doing his thing. The Pentagon is doing theirs. Keep your focus where it needs to be. Get back safe and get those bastards dead. Don't worry about the rest." Besides it would be days before any type of data could be put together. You don't stay dead for years by leaving no trail behind. Albert had his work cut out for him after I gave him all the leads I could.

"Nix...it's you I am worried about. How are you dealing?" Wasn't that the million dollar question? I honestly didn't fucking know. When I glanced at that picture, my old life came tumbling back with such a force that it knocked me on my ass. Truthfully I haven't processed all this shit yet and frankly I didn't want to. To me dead was dead, apparently that was not the circumstance in this situation.

"I'm dealing. That's good enough for now. Look keep your eyes sharp and your fingers quick. This shit isn't textbook and the cartel are not amateurs."

Sighing he ran his hand through his hair, accepting that the brief conversation was over. Again Axel was smart enough not to push or question me. If it were Mac sitting there...it would be an entirely different conversation.

"We got this. I have Timmons's extra men so we have more than enough man power. Sit tight and rest. We should be back in four days, Albert will keep our airways connected. We shouldn't need you for anything other than our eyes in the sky...Look Nix, I won't apologize for what I said yesterday and hopefully Mac will come around. Seeing you like this isn't easy for him, hell it's not easy for me and I barely like you..."

Laughing, I sucked in a deep breath as my ribs pulled. "Funny asshole...I get it, I do. I heard you loud and clear. When you guys return, Mac and I have some things to go over, I don't know if it will change anything but I have to at least try, right?" And I wanted to try, I really did. But wanting to and doing were two totally different things. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to join these men. The last time...that didn't end so well.

I needed to remember that. People around me always ended up dead. I couldn't let that happen again.

And as I glanced at the screen I have been sitting in front of for the last six hours, I watched as the men moved about, one in particular. Albert was able to hack into the warehouses cameras, giving me the advantage of watching as things went down. So far things were going textbook perfect. The outside line of protection was taken down quick and efficiently. Once they breached the main doors I was able to give them locations of the remaining cartel inside the facility. Thirty minutes later the location was secured, the woman released from their prisons and corralled to the main room where medical personnel were attending to them.

From the images I was seeing, most weren't even over the age of fifteen or sixteen. Sick bastards deserved worse than their quick death. Federal agents were scouring the warehouse for any evidence or details that would help them take down the rest of these fuckers.

Sitting back in my chair, I finally released the tension that had been building when the men took their positions. I hated not being there, instead I was secure in my home, resting as Axel insisted. Watching totally sucked and it pained me to not be a part of the action. The team moved in perfect unison and followed my lead every step of the way with no arguments. Axel was right, the brother's had no problem being under my command, and it just took a concussion, three broken ribs and a damaged ego to realize what a fool I have been.

Christ when did I shove my head so far up my own ass that I stopped seeing what was around me? Things were going to change around here. They needed to change. And if I wasn't so hell bent on trying to prove myself to god knows who, I would have figured that out instead of fighting it tooth and nail. It wasn't a shock to know I didn't like failing.

Glancing back up, the satellite image zoomed out as the men began to head out. Another successful outcome. Now if my luck would last just a little bit longer.

To my left, the folder continued to mock me as it rested on the corner of the desk. Denying it wouldn't make the facts change. At this point I could have recited the contents of those documents word for word. But it still didn't change what I knew to be true. He was dead, there was no way he could have survived. But it said right there in black and white that his body was never retrieved. How the fuck was I not informed of that little detail? And what the hell was in the urn that got shipped back to the states?

I closed my eyes as flashes of the night littered my mind. Fuck I wanted a drink, but it probably wasn't the smartest thing to be hitting the Vodka bottle but I needed something that could dim the feelings I had running through my body. Shock and denial being the two main ones. Instead I moved my tenth coffee of the day aside and picked up the folder again.

He was dead. I believed this with every fiber of my being.

I watched his body fall to the ground, his eyes closed.

I heard his screams as they quieted down.

Why now after all these years was he back and what the hell did he hope to accomplish setting off bombs on military bases. He once loved his country, but those papers told me otherwise. Fuck the details of that day were burned into my brain and I don't know how I could have missed the detail of his missing body.

Major...

Albert knocked me out of my mind as the screens in front of me began to change. Dread began to flood my system as I watched different screen shots has they filtered in. The world around me seemed to stop as one after another filled the giant wall of screens.

Before I could stop it, my body heaved forward and the contents of my stomach emptied into the garbage can that was conveniently located next to the desk. Wiping my mouth off with the back of my hand, my body fell to the ground, leaning against the side of the desk. All thoughts, feelings, emotions...were frozen, numb....as I stared up at the images that have haunted me over the years.

This couldn't be happening...not fucking possible...