Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(95)

“If you have the case, then why don’t you f*cking charge us straight up?”

“Because you can be useful. Santaveria needs to be neutralized. Other attempts have failed. He has been a very cautious man. But he’s developed an obsession with you. I swear, it’s like a crush. You make him reckless, and the consequences are beginning to spread. I can use that.”

“I am so motherf*ckin’ tired of being useful. Somebody’s always got their hand up my ass, tryin’ to make me dance. I have had it. God DAMMIT.” Isaac slammed his fists on the table.

Vega didn’t flinch. “Isaac, I am offering you a chance to kill Julio Santaveria and live to tell the tale. You know it’s a one-way trip if you go for him on your own—and that is assuming you could even get to him.

This way, you will get back to your family some day.”

After three deep, slow, audible breaths, Isaac said, “Here’s the only deal for my men. They go free.

Immunity. You leave them the f*ck alone. They have hurt over the Perros all they will. You can have me. I’ll go down for Halyard. You want me to be useful, that’s the deal. Me.”

The other Horde jumped up, reacting all at once.

Show roared, “Dammit, Isaac!”

Len yelled, “Fuck that!”

Badger shouted, “Boss, no!”

Isaac didn’t even turn around. “That’s the deal, Vega. Me.”

Show stepped forward and put his hand on Isaac’s shoulder. “No, Isaac. Think about this.”

Isaac shrugged him off. “Take me or leave me, Special Agent.”

Vega stared at him for a long time. Then he held his hand out. “Deal.”

Isaac looked at that hand. Instead of shaking it, he said, “One thing. Are you the Fed exchanging coded messages in nasty jokes with our fine Sheriff?”

Vega dropped his hand, letting it fall to the table with a thunk. “Huh. That surprises me. Yes. Why?”

“That about us? Haven’t been able to break the naming code.”

“Mostly. The Sheriff is obsessed with you, too. Not sure what your mystique is.”

“Guess I’m just a fascinating guy. You know he’s the one arranged the fire at our little bed and breakfast in town, killed one of our people, hurt a few others—one badly. Badger’s old lady. Burned her.”

Vega’s eyebrows went up. “Proof of that?”

“No. But we know it’s true. I want him off the Horde’s back. Permanently. I want him out of office.”

Vega laughed. “You ask a lot.”

“All that talking you two do, I bet you know something that could get him to resign quietly.”

Leaning back in his chair, Vega crossed his arms over his chest. “Say I do. What do I get for that?”

“Me.” Badger turned his head so quickly at Show’s voice, the room spun a little.

Isaac turned around. He moved stiffly; the beating he’d taken earlier had hurt him. “No, brother.

Absolutely not. You have Shannon and the twins. And I need you to take care of my family. And the club.

You stay.”

Before Show could say more, Len interrupted him. “It should be me. You can’t go in alone, boss. If it’s known you put down the Perro king, you won’t make it to the first mess line on your own.”

“I’ll be okay. I bet there’ll be as many willing to offer their protection as want me dead.”

“Not on your own, Isaac. Please. If you’re gonna do this, be smart. Let me get your back. That’s my damn job.”

“What about Tasha?”

“She’s got club in her blood. She’ll understand. And we don’t have kids.”

Isaac considered Len, then turned to Badger. “You got any notions of speaking folly, too, you end them now. Keep your trap shut, little brother. We need you on the outside. You’re the future of the club. I’m the past.”

Badger had been too stunned and confused by the developments of this surreal day to have thought to speak up. And now his throat was clenching at Isaac’s words. So he nodded and continued to shut up.

Isaac turned back to Vega. “For Seaver, you get Len, same time or shorter. We’re together, medium security, tops. Close to home.”

“It must be a federal facility.”

“Marion, then. Six-to-twelve bid. No more.”

Vega held out his hand. “Will you shake on it now?”

Isaac stared at that hand, and Vega held it steady. Finally, Isaac shook, his hand dwarfing Vega’s, then yanked away in evident disgust. “You gutted our brother in front of us.”

“It’s on my conscience.”

“I can’t believe we’re letting you walk away from that.”

“Santaveria is your goal, right?”

Isaac nodded, his head rising and falling slowly.

“Okay. It will take a couple of days to process what I need to process to make our handshake official. I assume you have a lawyer on retainer—he should look over the paperwork. The rest of it is off the books.”

He handed Isaac a card. “I wrote a secure number. I’ll call from that, or you can call me at it. We will work out the logistics of the rest of this plan. I’ll get your bikes released and your effects, and you’ll be free to go tonight.”