Page 105 of Griz Rides Tall
“Our action would be swift and decisive and you would not have to be any part of it,” Major Navarro said. “You can keep your moral standards intact.”
And have the cartel commit atrocities in the MC’s name, Griz thought. That would be no better than doing it themselves. Worse, in fact. Letting the cartel wage war on their behalf would be like letting wild dogs off of a leash… anybody could get bitten, not just the enemy.
“We don’t need that,” Griz said.
“Of course not. But the offer is there.”
None of this was feeling right. It was turning into overkill times a thousand, and with all these things this Major Navarro was promising, Griz had to wonder at the price tag.
“In return for what?” he said.
“If we are friends to you,” Major Navarro said, “we would like you to be friends to us.”
There it was. The part that Ripper left out.
“You want us to deal your shit in our territory,” Griz said.
“That is a small matter,” Major Navarro said, waving that off. “This area is not a large market for our products. Such a small population base. So far outside of the city.”
Something clicked into place for Griz, and he finally understood why the cartels were showing such an interest in their territory.
“But it opens up a transport route through the entire state, doesn’t it?” he said. “And further north?”
“You see a lot of things, my tall friend. Yes. An alliance between your organization and mine could be very beneficial to us both. Financially, strategically.”
It was out of the question. It was everything his MC stood against. Razor’s Edge was the force that kept back groups like the cartel, like Death’s Head, kept the dragons and the monsters and the terrible things away from the unaware civilians living in this town.
If he said yes, drugs would flood the streets of his town. Trucks full of the poison would travel through their territory, into other towns like theirs, to poison them as well. Other REMC charters might get pulled into the mess, as well. They would become slaves to the cartel, drug mules in everything but name, all in return for a handful of rifles.
“Forget it,” Griz said. “We’re here to deal guns for money. Nothing more than that.”
“I urge you to reconsider,” Major Navarro said.
“You heard the man,” Pony said. “Guns for money only.”
Major Navarro sighed loudly, and with his sigh, his entire demeanor changed. His face went from friendly to hard, and with his expression, his tone of voice hardened as well.
“A simple gun deal isn’t worth my organization’s time,” the major said. “The only reason I came out to this… shithole… is to secure a trade route for our product.”
“Looks like you’re going to go home unhappy,” Griz said.
“Have you ever heard the phrase, I won’t take no for an answer?” Major Navarro said.
Griz stared him down. “Have you ever heard the phrase, I’ll rip your fucking head off?”
“Careful, biker,” Major Navarro said, returning his stare. “You’re playing with fire.”
“I’m not the only one. You’re in our fucking territory.”
“Your territory,” Major Navarro said with a snort. “The only reason you have a territory is because we haven’t desired it. Yet.”
Griz heard the three cartel soldiers murmuring to each other lowly in Spanish, over their radio headsets, and all three stopped scanning the darkness surrounding them. Instead, they all turned toward Griz and Pony, their rifles held low but ready for instant action.
Griz gritted his teeth. Maybe this was going to get ugly after all, but if it was, then he was going to go out on his feet. There was no way he was backing down to the cartel, not on his turf.
“It’s time for you to leave,” he said.
Major Navarro shook his head in disappointment. “I suspected that you would lack the will to do what was necessary. And your friend was, as well. He was concerned you wouldn’t go through with it.”