“Who’s Big Bertha?”

“A big fuckin’ boy’s toy. These guys will be maggot food by lunchtime.”

The monitor fought back the tears as she reached for the phone. Investigators from OCTF had cautioned her to listen carefully for any mention of Big Bertha. Intelligence reports indicated it was the nickname of a 50-calibre machine gun that the gang was attempting to get. She also knew Jay’s real identity.

Connie was sitting with Sammy in a pickup truck parked down the road from the rented farm house going over last-minute details when she received a call from the monitor, telling her about Big Bertha and the plan to murder Jack, Laura, and Sy.

“That fucking whore! Who is she?” demanded Connie.

“We don’t know,” replied the monitor. “It was an incoming call from a cellphone.”

“Damn it, find out! If Jack and Laura get killed, she is going down for conspiracy. I’ll call Jack. Better hope we’re not too late!”

“Let me call him,” said Sammy, who had his ear pressed close to Connie’s phone. “If Sy hears it’s me he won’t be so suspicious.”

“That’s if anyone is left alive to hear,” said Connie, winding down the window for a sudden need of fresh air while Sammy dialled.

Back at the clearing, Fateh hesitated when he recognized Hamburger. Jack looked at Laura and said, “Stay cool. See what happens, but on the first shot, bail out the door, stay low, and head for the bushes. Try to keep the engine block of our van between us and that gun.”

“It’s too far. We’ll never make it,” said Laura.

“I know.”

“You know? Then don’t you have a better idea?”

Fateh spoke to the other men in the van with him and gestured toward the bikers. It was obvious he hadn’t expected Satans Wrath to be present.

As if reading his mind, Hamburger barked out an order. Both the other prospects took their windbreakers off to reveal they were wearing club colours. They only had the bottom rocker, but it was enough to show they were prospects for Satans Wrath.

Fateh waved his arm at Hamburger and shouted, “You three better take off. I got business with these others!”

Jack saw Hamburger nod.

“Jack, the bikers are going to leave,” said Laura. “We’ll be massacred!”

Jack jumped from the van and approached Hamburger and took him aside, under the watchful aim of Fateh.

Hope you’re good at making friends fast, thought Laura.

After a terse and whispered conversation, she saw Jack hand his BlackBerry to Hamburger who threw it to the far side of the clearing, before shoving Jack back toward the van.

Oh, man …

Hamburger shouted, “Hey! You! The broad in the van! Get the fuck out here!”

Laura quickly got out and stood with her back to the side of the van next to Jack and Sy. She watched as Hamburger sent a text message on his BlackBerry.

Laura felt her BlackBerry vibrate and quickly shut it off. She expected it would also be thrown, but Hamburger simply glanced at her and said, “Smart move.”

A full two minutes ticked past before Hamburger received a reply, during which time Fateh manned the gun with both hands, staring at Jack and Sy with murderous intent.

Hamburger looked at the text message, subconsciously nodding his head as he did so. When he finished, he told Jack and Sy to remain where they were while he and his two associates stepped back to talk in private.

“What’s going on?” shouted Fateh from the van.

“Shut the fuck up and watch,” replied Hamburger, while walking back and standing in front of Sy.

“You are a stupid fuck, do you know that?” roared Hamburger as he punched Sy in the gut. Sy slumped and two more punches saw him fall to the ground where Hamburger started kicking him. Sy curled into a fetal postion and cried out in pain while loud cheers emitted from Fateh’s van.

After delivering a stomp to Sy’s kidneys, Hamburger spun around and punched Jack in the mouth. Jack fell back against the van, stumbling to the ground on one knee before slowly getting up. He knew better than to fight back and was relieved when Hamburger stepped away.

The other two prospects, with pistols drawn, searched Jack, Sy, and Laura. Jack’s rented van was searched next. The only weapon they found and took was a pistol they removed from Sy’s ankle holster.

Fateh smiled as he took one hand off the machine gun and gave the bikers the thumbs-up sign.

Hamburger smiled back as he and his two associates walked over to talk with Fateh.

“Think we should try to run for it?” cried Sy. “Fateh is looking at Hamburger … the bikers are between us. Maybe —”

“Wait,” mumbled Jack, with one hand checking his bloody teeth.

Seconds later, Fateh’s smile was replaced with a look of panic as Hamburger reached in with one meaty hand and grabbed him by the shirt and hurled him out onto the ground.

Hamburger then beat and kicked Fateh while the other two prospects held Fateh’s other four gang members at gunpoint. Moments later, they were searched and the bikers found five more handguns. After this, Fateh and his gang members were beaten and pistol-whipped with their own weapons.

After the beating, Hamburger ordered Fateh and his crew to get to their feet. Fateh stood, looking dumbstruck as one of the prospects drove away with Big Bertha.

“You really think you can get away with driving in here and pointing that fuckin’ cannon at us?” snarled Hamburger.

“We didn’t know you guys were here,” pleaded Fateh.

“Shut the fuck up! The cannon is ours. Consider it payment for fucking with us like that. Now fuck off! All of you!”

Fateh didn’t have to be told twice.

Hamburger and the remaining prospects returned to where Jack, Laura, and Sy were standing. Hamburger gestured to Jack’s bloody mouth and said, “That was to let you know we don’t like being used … although, under the circumstances, you made a pretty cool move.”

Jack held his jaw with his hand. Four of his teeth were loose, but he was glad they were still in place. He had seen the punch coming and jerked his head back to minimize the impact. He smiled wryly as he saw Fateh and his followers looking back over their shoulders while limping off down the lane.

“And you!” Hamburger yelled at Sy. “How the fuck did they know about this place? Who the fuck did you tell?”

“I … I … I —” Sy repeated and stopped. He was too afraid to think clearly.

“We’ll talk about it some other time,” said Hamburger. He gestured with his thumb to the van and said, “We got shit to unload, but I tell ya, any more fuck-ups like this and I’ll personally cut your head off and kick it up your ass.”

As soon as the chemicals and numerous boxes of glassware were loaded, Jack, Laura, and Sy stood at the back of their van and watched the bikers drive away.

Jack looked at Laura in silence.

“I’m okay,” she said. “How’s your mouth?”

“Bleeding a bit. I’m sure it looks worse than it is. I didn’t swallow any teeth.”

“So what the fuck did you whisper to Hamburger?” asked Sy. His voice had reached a higher pitch and he was trembling.

“I told him that I had already called my people and said it looked like Satans Wrath had declared war on us and had lured us into a trap. He denied it and said they would never put themselves in the middle like that. I told him it wouldn’t look that way and he should talk it over with his boss. Guess the boss agreed with me.”

“Fuck! How did you know the biker boss would think that?”

“I didn’t.”

“Man, we’re lucky. You saved my life again.”

“Ditto for me,” said Laura.

“Saved mine, too,” replied Jack. “But the question remains. How did Fateh know we were here? Who did you tell?”