Jaded Warriors book 2 (Jade Series)

Chapter 38

Chapter 38


Mateo’s overpowering dark shadow took a step forward and instinctively I took a step back. He hesitated and stopped where he was.


“Where’s the trust, Jade? I have to say, I’m a little disappointed in you,” Mateo said as he eyed me with caution.


“Why?” An over exaggerated sigh escaped me as I tried to calm my racing heart.


“This is the second time you’ve opened the door without your rifle in hand.”


“I wasn’t expecting you. I didn't think you’d ever come back after last time with Kane.”


“It’s not me you need to be worried about, it’s when you least expect it that trouble will find you. You need to always be ready for anything,” Mateo paused briefly, as he shifted his weight and leaned against the doorframe. “I thought about what you said.”


I took another step back and opened the door as I invited him inside. In spite of my restlessness that never failed to surface, I found myself slightly relieved. My worry earlier probably stemmed from Mateo and I wondered if he had loitered around my home and caused my unease.


“Come in, Mateo.”


“Are you sure?”


I smiled slightly, entertained by the way his words rolled off his tongue, his beautiful accent, rich with substance, amazed me how he could tone it down and thicken it up again when he wanted to. 


“Yeah…” I sounded anything but confident and we both knew he made me nervous and uncomfortable. The disquiet continued to burn at my chest as I shut the door behind him.


"You've changed the color of your hair," he said, as he eyed me cautiously through the dark slits of his eyes. "You are up to something, what is it?"


  I ignored his question, unsure if I wanted to share my newly discovered information with him as I wondered what he wanted and asked him a question of my own. “Why are you here?”


“Twice now,” he paused as he held up two fingers, “twice Kane has left me hanging.”


“Do you have weapons?”


“I do.”


“And you need food?”


“I can square up with him later… I'm more concerned with why he didn't show.”


“Kane’s in trouble,” I said, disheartened and worried for my brother. I moved over to the chair by the fire as he followed and sat on the couch.


“Tell me.”


“I know who the traitors are,” I sighed, my exhaustion evident as I pulled my feet underneath me and sank back into the plush lazy boy.


“Who?” He asked, his eyes narrowed and his jaw twitched. The reflection of the flickering light from the fire danced in his eyes and seemed to fuel his anger as he grew more serious. A chill ran up my spine at the sight of him and I sank further into the cushions. I would never want to be his enemy.


“Dr. Walstrom is one,” I paused, I felt angry at myself for not suspecting him earlier, both of them. “The other is… Darby… Do you know them?”


“Kane’s mentioned Darby,” he replied, a look of acknowledgement passed in his eyes. “Said he didn’t trust him.”


“They were along the path in the trees talking, so I listened to them… They never saw me.”


Mateo sat more upright as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.


“Gage left with Casey over a week ago after Dr. Walstrom came by the night of my birthday and said Kane needed them on the Colorado border… but Kane isn’t there, it was a trap.”


“Where is he?”


“Darby said he was up north. Kane had requested help from Arizona and New Mexico but the messenger never arrived, they had him killed before he got there,” I paused, I shuttered at what that meant. Kane would take it hard when he found out they lost one of their greatest assets. “Dr. Walstrom has led Kane to think they are coming, but they aren’t. Morrison is trying to spread them out thin enough to weaken them, pull them farther away from the city, and without the troops from down south, Kane doesn’t stand a chance. Neither does Gage. After the Militia gets through with them, they will be coming back here.”


“Have faith in your brother,” he said. “They’ve been outnumbered and undersupplied since this started and look at what they’ve accomplished so far.”


I paused to think as my shoulders slumped. I believed in Kane, and I believed he was in more trouble than he could get himself out of.


“Was Kane supposed to meet you himself?” I asked as an afterthought.


“No... Someone else,” Mateo said, my heart sank as I dreaded to tell him what came next.


“Mike Thornton was the messenger that never made it to Arizona,” I hesitated as my words registered in alarm on his face. It suddenly made sense, Mike was supposed to take the message and make the trade happen with Mateo. Neither happened.


“Mike?”


“Yeah. I heard them say it with my own ears… Mike’s dead,” I said. I watched Mateo stiffen with the news. My suspicions were confirmed, Mike was supposed to make the trade.


“Mike’s dead?”


“Yeah.”


He forced a sigh through a clenched jaw. His fists tightened into a ball as he stood and started to pace. The wooden floor creaked under foot, muffled by the designer throw rug.


“I do have faith in my brother, Mateo,” I hesitated as I watched him.


“But…” He asked, then he stopped and stood in the center of the room. His mind churned and his hands seemed restless but subdued as he clamped them together behind his head.


“But… There’s more and I don’t know if he can get blindsided like he’s going to… and still win this one,” I sighed. The disheartened look on his face dashed any hopes I had for reassurance that the men could come through this without a little help and I hadn’t told him the worst part yet.  “There is a train coming from California with more weapons, ammunition, and about a thousand more Militia members to come in from behind.  Someone named Bingham is heading it.”


“You heard this from Darby and Walstrom?”


“Yeah… It will stop forty miles up north to pick up some of the remaining Militia and Morrison supporters in Mountain Pass, but mostly women to do cooking and laundry for them and…” I paused for a moment, unsure if I should tell him or not, then continued in a hushed tone, as if the walls had ears. “…and I plan on boarding it and reaching Kane to warn him. I can’t reach Gage but if I get to Kane soon enough…maybe… maybe, he can figure out how to help Gage…” My voice trailed off as Mateo eyed me with more questions.


“Jade, I…”


“I know it’s not safe,” I said, barely above a whisper with a wariness in my voice that confirmed my own self-doubt, my own reservations of my own plan. I couldn’t think of anything else to do. What? Tell the guards across the street? By the time they passed on the information and it made it past all of the political bumps in the road, it would be too late.  Something had to be done, now, tonight. “And I know what they will do if they catch me…”


“All the more reason why you shouldn’t go,” he said. His brows scrunched with concern, written in the creases on his forehead. “You know Kane wouldn’t want you anywhere near there.”


“Damian is already here, Mateo... I am at the top of Morrison’s hit list. I saw it myself, it was his handwriting and they know where I am… I will be in no more danger on that train than here.”


I knew by the serious expression on his face that even though he didn’t like the idea, he knew there was nothing else that could be done in time. It takes months to get a man on the inside because the Militia watches for it. But for me, I wouldn’t be expected to be seen anywhere near the other side. I would be the last person they would look for in their arsenal of men. “Mateo… we may never have another opportunity like this again.”


“As soon as you find Kane, you get out… keep yourself unnoticed. Don’t make me regret not stopping you.”


“I’ll be fine. I’m the last person they would expect... They won’t be looking for me.”


“You are probably right about that… Sounds like you have it figured out.”


“Not really, I don’t know what else to do. It’s the only thing I can do. Gage is in trouble too but I can’t reach him, and even if I could…" I paused, and sighed deeply as I felt helpless and full of despair. “I’m hoping once I find Kane, him and Joel will…” My voice trailed off.


“Gage is east?”


“Yeah...”


“I tell you what. I will do what I can to help Gage. I brought more than a few of my homies this time, we’ll take this shipment to him and Casey. The Militia won’t know what hit’em. You warn Kane as you planned and we will head north as soon as we can.”


“Really? How many did you bring?”


“There’s a couple hundred or so and more’s on the way. I made peace with what’s left of my rivals, they’re coming too.”


“You did?” I sat up surprised, unsure of what to say. I knew this man was dangerous at one time. Before the virus he was a ruthless killer, a murderer and spent time in prison for it. Mateo lived to witness the death of his enemies, to put them in the ground, and would die trying to exterminate them. He would kill just about anyone on a dare, or if they wandered in his neighborhood, maybe me, maybe Kane at one time if he was ever given the chance. “Why? Why would you do that? I thought you told Kane this wasn’t you’re fight.”


“You were right… this is too big. We need to come together. I owe Kane a lot, he gave me food and kept my family in fed with nothing more than a hand shake and my word that I would get him his weapons. It took almost a month for them to come through. I consider him one of my bro’s, when a gang member needs help, we go. This is so much bigger than Kane fighting for his territory. If Kane doesn’t succeed, then what? Where will Morrison go next? Maybe Vegas… Arizona. I know I’m not giving up my turf without a fight… might as well join Kane now before Morrison gets too big.”


  I hadn’t given Mateo enough credit for being decent, for Mateo’s ability to see past how his life was at one time, to see life had changed drastically around him, and to see that he needed to step forward.


With splayed fingers, he held up his hand so I could see the back of it as he pointed to the skin between his thumb and finger. Three little dots that took the shape of a triangle, one of his many tattoos and I wondered what it meant.


“Mi vida loca,” Mateo said, his Latino accent thick again.


“What does that mean?”


“My crazy life… Injury, incarceration and internment.”


“Oh…”


“You know, I was in prison when the virus hit. For murder… I was on death row, never going to get out… See these tears?” He asked, as he pointed to the four tears just under his eye.


“Yeah.”


“The three are for two of my brothers and for my girl. I killed the ones who killed them.”


“You’ve killed three people?” I asked, but couldn’t judge, I killed as well. Something I wasn’t proud of for myself but he wore the tattoos like a badge of honor.


“I’ve killed more than three… many more. These three were personal, my way of serving justice. The empty tear is for all of my boys who died from the virus while I was in prison. It’s empty ‘cause I haven’t found the one responsible for it yet, but I will.” He paused for a moment. “I have a hit list of my own… and Morrison is at the top.”


A deep sadness surfaced in his dark eyes, barely visible through the callousness that shielded them. His chin rose slightly as he looked at me. “Most gang members are dead or in prison before they are twenty five. I’ve almost outlived my life expectancy. Play hard, die hard. I’ve lived that life every day since I was twelve and each one of those days I knew any one of my family could be gone like that … I know, Jade, what it’s like to love someone and lose them too soon.”


Mateo had felt love, he knew what it was. I don't know why that surprised me, as if the criteria for being a gang member, a killer of other gangs, meant they weren't capable of love. My heart ached inside as I realized he was more human than I allowed myself to believe and less like Damian.


He stood and my eyes followed him as he neared and stopped in front of me, his eyes soft and understanding. "Kane told me what happened to you, why you have a hard time with trust," he paused, as he held out his hand, an offering of peace. My heart pounded with a fierce vibration in my chest. I reached out and took it slowly, hesitant as he gripped my hand with firm resolve. "I understand why he’s so overprotective… You don't need to be afraid of me, you can trust me. I will fight on your side."


I swallowed hard at the knot in my throat as a jittery buzz surged through me with a jolt as if I shook hands with a hot wire. Not out of fear of Mateo, but fear of dropping the wall I'd built to protect myself. "Okay…"


"Do you believe me?"


For some reason, I did. The earnest expression in his eyes, desperate and eager for someone to give him a chance, told me I could. I smiled softly as I fought everything logic told me to believe.


"Yeah, Mateo… I trust you," I said. His shoulders slumped slightly and his gaze softened, as if relieved.


Suddenly, a shattering crash splintered through the silence and I gasped as I shot back against the chair and looked towards the back bedroom where the sound came from. Mateo's eyes shifted instantly, his brows pinned together with sharp vigilance. He whirled around as he brandished a gun from somewhere under his jacket.


He walked swiftly, stealth-like down the hall towards the bedroom door, gun on point, and then twisted the doorknob just before he kicked it open with his foot. It slammed against the wall with a bang and I lost sight of him as he entered the room. The seconds ticked by as I anxiously waited for the sounds of a struggle, nothing came. I crept to the hallway, unsure if I should continue when Mateo peered around the door and caught my terrified stare. He motioned for me to come and I numbly found my way into the bedroom.


My breaths ragged from the rapid beat of my heart, I looked cautiously around the room to see the closet door opened, along with the window with a broken vase shattered on the ground underneath it. I gasped at the sight and stared with disbelief. Panic encroached as I swallowed at the pain centered in my chest and I held onto the doorframe for support.


"It looks like your friend has returned," he said, as he over emphasized friend. I knew he meant the opposite. He walked to the window, closed it and locked the latch. Damian had returned.


"What if he heard us talking? My bags…"


"Your plans haven't changed, Jade. You still need to get to Kane and you will still need to watch your back, nothing's changed. If anything, this will help you stay alert to your surroundings. Don't let your guard down, and keep your gun with you, always."


"Okay…" I said, suddenly unsure.


"And, you need to leave tonight."