Survivor's Remorse: Brothers of Ink and Steel

This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons--living or dead--is entirely coincidental.

Survivor’s Remorse: Brothers of Ink and Steel copyright @ 2015 by Kathryn Thomas. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Book 1 of the
Lima Six
trilogy

PROLOGUE

Lionel “Leo” Graves crouched in the scrub brush as he absentmindedly brushed a finger along his right eyebrow, wiping away the droplet of sweat before it could roll down into his eye, his shirt already plastered to him like a second skin from his sweat. He had been living in the hot Texas sun for three years, but having grown up in Montana, he didn’t think he would ever adjust to the heat.
Unlike that asshole, Tuck,
Leo thought as he glanced to the man on his right.

Charles Tucker, his best friend, was crouched in the brush with him with not a drop of sweat visible. Leo was of the opinion that Tuck, an Arizona native, could walk on the surface of the sun without breaking a sweat. He envied Tuck’s cool.
Of course, when Tuck is freezing his ass off in fifty degree weather, I’m still walking around in short sleeves
.
Unfortunately, Vallecito saw a lot more ninety degree days than it did fifty, so…

Leo was pulled back from his private bitching when his earbud squawked. “We got a box van on the way,” Copper’s voice came over the radio. Leo looked around and watched the other six men on his team become deadly serious. They had all heard the same report.

A moment later, a late model Ford box van, driving far too fast down the rough and washboarded dirt road, swung around the corner on the edge of control. The driver must have known he was in bandit country… and he was about to meet the bandits.

A jacked up Chevy pickup lunged across the road, blocking the truck’s path. They had picked this section of road for their ambush because the blind corner hid their presence until the last moment and the deep ditches prevented the truck from driving past their roadblock. As the van shuddered to a stop, another truck surged across the road behind, pinning their quarry in.

Leo and the other six men on foot came out of the brush on each side of the road in a fast-moving combat crouch, their deadly-looking semi-automatic rifles pointed at the driver and passenger. Their truck drivers joined them a moment later.

Tomas “Two-Tone” Marro yanked open the door of the box van and hauled the driver out and shoved him to his knees while Tuck did the same with the passenger on the other side. With two high-powered rifles pointed at the driver’s head, Two-Tone spoke to him in rapid Spanish. Leo let Two-Tone handle it since he couldn’t speak a word of Spanish unless it involved getting drunk or getting laid.

Sure they had the situation under control up front; Leo motioned four of the guys with him to the back of the truck. The men took up station, two to each side of the rollup door with weapons at the ready, as Leo counted down from five on his fingers. When he gripped his hand in a fist, he quickly unlocked the door and threw it up before ducking to avoid a potential hail of bullets.

When no one fired, Leo stood up and looked into the back of the truck. Inside were twenty or more Mexicans crowded at the front of the truck, hunched over the children, all their eyes wide with fear. Leo had to grit his teeth to avoid gagging from the stench of human waste pouring from the truck.

“Fuck…” Leo muttered as his lips curled in disgust. “Somebody get Two-Tone back here.

Leo lowered his weapon so it dangled nonthreateningly from his shoulder.
“Tómalo con calma . No vamos a hacerte daño,”
he said while making calming motions with his hands. He hoped he got it close enough that they understood they weren’t going to be hurt. Judging by the fact they still cowered at the front of the truck, he assumed he hadn’t.

Two-Tone appeared at the back of the truck. “Fuck… I hate this shit,” he snarled as he took in the situation.

“Yeah. Me too. See if you can get them calmed down. Some of them look like they have been beaten. Find out if any of them are hurt and I’ll get them some water. It must be a hundred and fifty degrees in there,” Leo instructed. He then turned to the other men. “You know what to do.”

One of the men made a motion across his neck, then two gunshots echoed through the surrounding canyons, making the illegals in the truck whimper in fear. 

With a grimace and a shake of his head, Leo walked to the Chevy and returned with a dozen cold waters. He and his men would have to go thirsty, but it wasn’t the first time they had given up their water... and it probably wouldn’t be their last.

“They’re a little roughed up and couple of the women were raped, but nobody is seriously injured. Not physically anyway,” Two-Tone reported when Leo returned.

“Tell them this is all the water we have and they will have to share,” Leo said as he handed up the bottles.

Two-Tone translated and the men nodded and smiled in thanks as they took the water.

“We’re loaded and ready to go,” Tuck said as he stepped around the corner of the van.

“Okay. Let Copper know we’re ready to roll. Tell him we have to make a delivery first and we’ll catch up. Two-Tone, Tuck, you’re with me. The rest can head on back.”

***

Twenty minutes later, Leo stopped the van just inside the Mexican border. “Let’s do this,” he muttered to Two-Tone.

Leo and Tuck dragged the bodies out of the back of the Chevy, letting them thud to the ground like so much meat. Two-Tone hustled the people out of the truck and herded them around the truck so they could see the dead men displayed on the ground, a great gaping wound in each man’s head.

“You see that?” Leo snarled, stomping around the scared men, women, and children as Two-Tone translated. “You see what happens when you cross into Lima 6 territory? You die. You will be gunned down without mercy as these men were. But I’m feeling generous today. You were just cargo, locked in the back of the truck like cattle. So I’m going to let you go. But if I
ever
see you in our territory again, you will end up just like these two men. This is your only warning. Now go.”

When Two-Tone finished speaking and the crowd didn’t move, Leo fired two quick shots into the ground at their feet. That got them moving. As the illegals disappeared into the brush, Leo watched them go, his lips pursed hard together. “This is worse than the drugs,” he muttered.

“Yeah,” Tuck agreed.

“Come on, let’s get the fuck out of here,” Two-Tone said, slapping Leo on the shoulder. “I’ve got better things to do on a Saturday afternoon than stand around and watch the buzzards eat these bastards.”

CHAPTER ONE

Jamie Boyles watched as Leo, Tuck, and Two-Tone joined the rest of the Lima 6 Motorcycle Club members already in her bar.
He’s Not Here,
a local watering hole started by her grandfather back in the forties, was a favored hangout for Lima 6. Judging by their dour faces, they must have run another intercept this afternoon.

While not a member of the club, Jamie heard things... things that most of the people of Vallecito de Grande, Texas liked to pretend wasn’t happening – like the killing of drug mules and Coyotes running illegals. But as far as she was concerned, Lima 6 was the best thing to have happened to the town in years.

Nestled into the “U” between Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park, less than ten miles from the Mexican border, and with a natural shallow in the Rio Grande River, Vallecito had once been a warzone. With the desolation afforded by the parks and surrounding ranchland, Vallecito had been a natural exchange point for the drug and illegal alien traffic flowing into the United States from Mexico.

Then, ten years ago, Lima 6 had moved in and set up shop. They had made a tacit deal with the town. If the town would give them a home, and not hassle them too much, they would work to push the drug and illegals traffic around the town. Lima 6 had lived up to their end of the bargain, and more. As they added new members, their sphere of influence had spread, and they had taken in the surrounding community, providing protection that the police could not.

Later, a group of ranchers had banded together to provide funding and support for what Lima 6 was doing. It was a working relationship that had lasted for ten years to the benefit of all. Officially the police were getting the credit for keeping the town safe, but everyone knew it was Lima 6 doing the heavy lifting. They had a…freer hand…to deal with the problems, and so long as they kept the violence out of the town, the Vallecito police tended to look the other way.

Jamie smiled as she drew up beers for Leo, Tuck, and Two-Tone. Lima 6 could be a little rowdy sometimes, but they were all good guys. Each member of the club was ex-military and having them in her bar made her feel just a little closer to her brother. 

***

Leo sighed as he settled into his chair and stretched out his legs.
He’s Not Here,
or HNH as the locals called it, was the best place in town for something cold and wet. And the food was pretty good, too, with Jamie serving up the best burgers and fries in town. It also didn’t hurt that she was easy on the eyes…
very
easy on the eyes. Leo, Tuck, and Two-Tone placed their orders and watched as Bobi, the waitress, flounced to the bar. Bobi wasn’t exactly hard to look at either.

Leo watched as Jamie drew their beer with an expert touch. Rumor was she took over HNH less than a year before he arrived, but she moved behind the bar with an easy grace and comfort that spoke of years of experience.

She looked up and caught his eyes as the beer poured down the side of the final mug, rewarding him with a smile that made his cock tingle. There was no arguing that Jamie was sexy as hell, with her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail, but there was something much more than just her good looks. She was smart, witty, tough, and he liked talking with her. She stopped the fill just as the beer reach the top of the mug and set in on the tray, her eyes never leaving his. He snickered to himself as he broke eye contact with an admiring shake of his head.

***

Jamie caught him watching her, and she smiled. She liked all the Lima 6 guys, but Leo was her favorite. Clean cut, quiet, and soft spoken, he was always good for a funny turn of phrase or interesting conversation. She held his eyes with her own, showing off a little by stopping the fill of the mug at just the right moment without looking down. Her smile widened as he chuckled at her showmanship and looked away. He looked so much better when he smiled…and she wished he would do it more often.

Being that it was Saturday, HNH was hopping. The townspeople had mostly accepted Lima 6 into their midst and didn’t mind sharing bar space with them, especially since Leo was elevated to Vice President. He had gone out of his way to give the club a more upstanding image and had been instrumental in getting the club involved in various charity events. He also functioned as the spokesman for Lima 6 and gave a speech each year to the new eighth grade class about the evils of drugs and how the kids should be true to who they are. Riding his bike into the cafeteria and up a ramp onto stage in full Lima 6 regalia, his speeches were the highlight of the school year.

Jamie grinned as she accepted the next order. For a bunch of average guys, the fifty-one members of Lima 6 had done more good for this town than all the politicians in the last twenty-five years. The town was a haven, and growing, as was her business. Her dad wouldn’t even recognize the place now.

***

Leo sat down at the bar. “Draw me another?”

“Tough day?” Jamie asked as she snagged another mug from the freezer and filled it.

“Yeah. Illegals. Looks like some of the women may have been raped.”

Jamie lips tightened in disgust. “But those responsible won’t be doing it again, I assume?”

“That’s a safe assumption.”

“Good.”

“Yeah. Thanks,” he said. As he accepted the mug, his eyes searched the head for answers.

“Leo… you’re doing a good thing here. You know that. It’s not like you go into Mexico, you know? They don’t
have
to come through Lima 6 territory.”

Leo stared into his beer. “Yeah. I know.”

“Look, it’s Saturday. You should be celebrating. I’ll make you a deal. If you can give me a genuine smile, that beer is on the house.”

Leo’s smile formed without conscious thought.

“Enjoy the free beer,” Jamie said with a wink as she moved off to serve another customer. 

***

Leo was about halfway through his second beer when an angry voice captured his attention. “Don’t give my any of that shit! I saw you hanging all over her last week at the chili cook-off! I want to know where Anna is!” a twenty-something shouted while getting into Tuck’s face.

“Whoa there, hot-rod,” Two-Tone said, positioning himself between Tuck and the guy, placing his cue in the kid’s chest like a baton.

“Back off… skunk,” the kid said, sneering at Two-Tone’s black hair with the white streak down the center. “My business is with this asshole!”

Leo slid off the stool to intervene, but he wasn’t fast enough. When Two-Tone started pushing the kid backwards with the cue to get some space between him and Tuck, the kid threw a punch that connected solidly with Two-Tone’s face, causing Two-Tone to stagger back. Before Two-Tone could recover, Tuck’s pool cue came around in a swishing arc that caught the kid across the back, sending him to the floor with his back arched in pain.

The rest of Lima 6 rose from their places to square off on the downed guy’s friends, but before the fight could proceed further, the sound of a shotgun being pumped stilled the entire room.

“Alex!” Jamie shouted, calling the one person she recognized by name. “Y’all stop this shit right now before I fill you full of birdshot!” When nobody moved, Jamie continued in a calmer voice. “Pick him up and take him home before I call Chief Council and tell him you boys are in here starting fights. Now get!” 

As the three pick up their downed man and help him out, Leo moved to Two-Tone. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’ve had women slap me harder than that. He just caught me by surprise, that’s all.”

“From the look of that eye, you must have been slapped by a hell of a woman, then,” Tuck teased.

“You okay?” Jamie asked as she walked up, the shotgun still in her hand.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry about that. I didn’t intend to start a fight.”

“Not your fault. At least you didn’t break the furniture this time. Let me buy you a beer?”

Two-Tone chuckled. “Sure. Thanks.”

Tuck slapped Two-Tone on the back. “If I let Leo punch me in the face, do I get a free beer too?” Tuck asked Jamie with a grin.

Jamie grinned. “No, sorry. I don’t want to be responsible for Leo breaking his hand on your hard head.”

Leo snickered as the rest of the Lima 6 crew roared their approval over Jamie’s remark. As Jamie escorted Two-Tone to the bar for his free beer, Leo leaned in close to Tuck. “Thanks for holding back on that kid and not breaking the cue over his head.”

Tuck grinned. “I’ve had enough of that for one day. Besides, he was just in here trying to prove how big his dick is.”

“I guess he found out, didn’t he?”

Tuck spun the cue like a staff and laid it on the table. “Yeah, I guess he did.”

“Do you know this Anna?”

“Fuck no! I don’t know what the kid was talking about.” Tuck paused before he gave Leo a sly smile. “But you know me. I have so many women throwing themselves at me all the time, who can keep them all straight.”

Leo snickered again and steered Tuck toward the bar by the shoulder. “Because I don’t feel like dressing up for your funeral, I won’t tell Maggie you said that.”

“You doing okay?” Tuck asked as he sat down next to Leo later that evening.

“Yeah, why?”

“Because you look like you could use a friend. I just wanted to make sure you are okay before I leave. Mags is at home... and I’m in the mood for some comforting of the female persuasion.”

Leo chuckled. If he had Maggie waiting for him at home, he would be in the mood for some comforting, as well.

“Go. I’m good. I’m going to finish this beer and head out myself.”

Tuck looked at Leo a moment and then stood up. “All right, brother. But if you need anything tonight, you call.”

“Thanks, Tuck. But I’m fine. It just bums me out to see people treated like…animals.”

“Is that all it is?”

“That’s it, man. I’m good. Really.”

“Alright, then. You take care tonight.”

“Thanks, bro. I will.”

***

Two-Tone was the only Lima 6 left in HNH, besides himself, when Leo finished his beer. Two-Tone was busy talking up a sweet thing and looked like he would be a while.

“Thanks, Jamie,” Leo said as he rose and tossed a pair of twenties on the bar. The two bills were far more than required to cover his tab.

Jamie nodded at his generosity while she prepared another order. “Thanks, Leo.”

Leo gave her a wave and a wan smile as he walked toward the door. Outside he breathed deep, taking in the cooling night air. He debated going for a ride to clear his head, but decided that with four beers in him, it would be best to just go home. No point looking for trouble. He mounted up and thumbed his Fat Boy to life. Pulling out of the parking lot of
He’s Not Here,
Leo dropped the hammer on the bike and bellowed away into the night.

***

“All done!” Bobi crowed hours later, sticking her head into the kitchen.

“Thanks, Bobi… you can go ahead and leave if you want,” Jamie said as she loaded the glassware into the giant washer.

“Thanks, Jamie. I’ll see you Tuesday.”

Jamie nodded as Bobi whipped off her money pouch and picked up her things. The kitchen closed two hours before the bar so the kitchen staff had time to clean up and get out at a reasonable hour. With Bobi cleaning tables and sweeping up, and Jamie wiping down and oiling the bar, unloading the dishes and reloading the washer with the remaining glasses, it only took thirty or forty minutes to whip HNH into shape for the next day.