Free One You Never Leave by Lexy Timms

Luke,
    “Please.”
    Luke sighed. His nerves were frayed and his body pumped with too much adrenaline to have this conversation. But after the visit with immigration, he wanted some answers. Maybe Pepper had them. He pointed to a booth and settled into it. Pepper slid in after him. “Did you hear about the little home visit by immigration?” His face was hard with anger. If the DEA had lived up to their promises, he wouldn’t be in this mess.
    Pepper looked surprised. “No; sorry.”
    “Really? You guys knew enough about my life when you needed me.” As sarcastic as that came out, he was even more bitter. His anger curled into a hard knot in his stomach.
    Pepper looked away and Luke saw that the agent had no answers for him.
    “What the hell, Pepper! The DEA promised to clear up my immigration status.”
    “Sorry; I can’t help you. Moyes is in charge of that and we don’t even work together anymore.”
    “Then why did you want to speak to me? Because right now there is precious little I want to hear from or say to you.”
    Pepper pursued his lips. “We hear that Oklahoma Walker is getting out soon.”
    “Really,” said Luke after taking a sip of his beer. “I wouldn’t know.”
    “He hasn’t contacted you?”
    “Okie made a rule when he went in. No contact.”
    “Why did he do that?”
    “Probably because he knows how law enforcement likes to assume his friends are criminals too.”
    Pepper looked away, then back at Luke. “Okay, we deserve that. But we have it on good word that he’s been talking to ‘Lil Ricki in jail.”
    “So? I’m sure there isn’t much else to do in the slammer.” Luke was growing more annoyed with Pepper and this conversation. By the time he was done in here, there wouldn’t be enough beer to settle him down tonight.
    “Word is Walker made a deal with ‘Lil Ricki to hang back while he extracts some revenge on the Hombres.”
    “Revenge?”
    “Yeah, for Frank Gibson’s death.”
    Luke was shocked. Yes, Gibs did get in the middle of the Hombres and the Rojos because of Jack Kinney. And the Hombres did send the men who ended up firing the fatal shot that Gibs caught. But it was craziness to take on a street gang the size of the Hombres. That meant certain death for every Spawn involved, and maybe the ones who weren’t. “I don’t believe it. Okie wouldn’t do anything that crazy.”
    “Long-time friend? Bike brother? What do you think, Luke? Even social clubs go ballistic when one of their own is killed.”
    “What? You specialize in biker gangs?”
    Pepper gave him a look of appeal that begged for Luke’s understanding. “This is part of a broader investigation. And as far as this conversation goes, we never had it.”
    “What aren’t you telling me, Hector?” said Luke.
    “There’s nothing I can tell you, but for your own and Emily’s sake, be careful.” He pushed up from the table and walked out of the bar, as casually as if was strolling on a summer beach.
    Luke had a real what-the-fuck moment watching Hector leave. For the second time in six months, the skinny Hispanic surprised him. The first time was when he found out Hector was a DEA agent. That was a kick to the head. It took restraint on Luke’s part not to kick his ass each day in the shop while they were playing their parts to reel in Jack Kinney. But this? What did “this is part of a broader investigation” mean?
    On the day of the shootout Hector had told him he wanted to get out of the DEA, and asked if Luke would train him in motorcycle repair. But what happened was that Hector got blamed for the cluster-fuck of the shootout and was placed on desk duty. The DEA still signed his paychecks, though it was obvious they didn’t want him there. If that wasn’t a good sign to leave the agency, that, in effect, offered him an invitation to leave, why didn’t he?
    Unless… someone else had asked him to stay for another reason.
    That wasn’t good at all.
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER