here, but it didn’t matter. I’ve got men in most of them now. My crew killed him in there, and it didn’t taste good enough. I realized the only way I could do it was with my own bare hands.
“The more you dig in this town, the more you realize how parasitic it is. There’s a ring right under our noses, filled with these powerful people who abuse children, who traffic women, who put out hits on anyone close enough to find out. It’s bigger than Blackwater. We’re just a chain link in a fence that stretches far as the eye can see.”
“Dave,” Thames uttered, trying to compose himself, “why is he hiding?”
Reid answered. “Our contact list comprised of people who needed rebadged vehicles. Sometimes they’d bring cars around for us to dispose of or rip apart. We usually never asked questions, didn’t want to know who used to own them. We figured they were just boosted vehicles, until my old man came across an ID of a woman who’d gone missing in the city. It didn’t sit right for him. He started to dig around, turned to Locke who’d had the resources to sniff around for us. Found out these sick fucks liked to come to us to dispose of the evidence. Locke made points of contact to all chop shops after that, gave them a good kick for information of any kind dealing with particular customers. A lot of them were part of the ring Locke was just telling you about. My dad got too close, too involved to a case, and it got dangerous for him.”
“They’re wise choosing their victims,” Locke said. “They know to find the people who don’t have a support system, who can disappear from the system without raising a brow. Blackwater may be just a pitstop in this web of depravity, but it has a chance to be more than that. It can be cleansed of these monsters. If we have the nerve to bring children into this world, it’s our responsibility to ensure they’re safe and thriving. Turning the other cheek makes us no better than the monsters who take them.”
Thames said nothing. He looked across the room and at Charlotte. She was staring back at him with tear filled eyes. So this was the secret then. This was why she supported Locke unwaveringly, and it all made sense. Because Thames would have supported him, too.
Jem was still quiet, still staring at the counter like all he wanted to do was run the other way.
And Holden.
Thames looked back down at him. Holden was quaking beneath him, his eyes laser focused on Locke. When Locke caught the look, Holden went rigid with terror.
“Your orders were to protect Conor,” Locke said quietly. “They were explicit, given to you by number two. They were your only orders. Why didn’t you do it?”
Holden was red and sweating. “I don’t know,” he lied. “I must have gotten the orders wrong.”
“No,” Thames murmured now, shaking his head. “You thought I wouldn’t make it. There were so many opportunities I could have died. Even after I was inked, trouble found me. I couldn’t turn my back on anybody. That’s what you wanted, Holden.”
Holden was breathing heavy. “I’m sorry, alright? I’m real sorry about that, Thames. I was probably just a little jealous and young. This was how many years ago, man?”
“You followed me to Blackwater. You came to my home and threatened me –”
“It wasn’t my idea.” Holden desperately looked at Locke. “And we never ripped the crew off. It wasn’t our intention. I sniffed around a bit, I was curious about Thames, and then I found out about the chop shop and figured we could cook something quick on the side just for us, separate from the crew.”
“You started a fucking fire at one of my shops, you little cunt,” Reid fumed. “You had me thinking the only person with enough cheek to do that to me was Locke –”
“I’ve been a good member,” Holden dismissed, still staring at Locke. “I did a lot for the crew, you can’t deny that. I’ve done everything in my power to try and meet you, man. It’s all I ever wanted. You’ve been an enigma, a fucking legend or something. Sometimes we don’t even think Number One’s real.”
Locke wasn’t looking at him anymore. He appeared bored now, grabbing at his watch. “You’re lucky the trunk of my car is already full, Holden. If I were you, I’d get up right now