Page 13 of Iron Heart
Today, though, there’s something else there. His features are stony, his eyes dark and troubled. Something’s up.
“You heard the latest about Dos Santos?” Rourke asks.
“No.” I watch as the prospect digs out a shot glass and pours me some whiskey to go with my beer. “What’s the story?”
“Chaco’s dead.”
“Holy fuck.” I stop dead in my tracks and stare at both of them.
Chaco Dos Santos is —was— the leader of the Dos Santos Cartel. They’ve been our main supplier of drug shipments from the south. The pipeline we established goes from them, through our chapter of the Lords of Carnage here in Ironwood, up north to our charter club of the Lords in Tanner Springs, and then onward from there.
Dos Santos has had a tough time keeping a grip on their territory lately, under pressure from larger cartels further south from them. A few months ago, Chaco’s men and ours were ambushed at a meetup site outside of Louisville. We managed to survive the shootout, and kill the men who came for us. Chaco’s men identified some of the bodies as belonging to Los Caballeros, another gang who were supposed to be their allies. That’s how we figured out that Los Caballeros had turned on them and are now working with one of the larger cartels to take control of Dos Santos turf and put them out of business.
Chaco Dos Santos got shot in the chest during the ambush. From what we’ve heard, he’s been clinging to life ever since, but recovery has been slow — especially because he wasn’t about to go to a hospital for his care.
Now, looks like his fight is over.
“What happened?” I ask, my eyes flicking from Rourke to Axel. “I thought he was gettin’ better?”
“I’ll explain in church,” Axel says grimly. “Be in the chapel in five.”
“Will do.”
Rourke and Axel grab the bottle of whiskey on the counter and each fill up their shot glasses a final time, slamming them before wandering away toward the chapel. I take a few minutes to drink my beer and chill. A minute later, Matthias and Ranger join me.
“Brother,” Ranger grunts. “Ain’t seen you in a couple days.”
“I’ve had shit goin’ on,” I grunt back.
Matthias looks at me quizzically. “Hey, you got any idea what the fuck Mensa’s doin’ outside with those tires?”
I don’t reply. I just let a slow grin spread over my face. Matthias blinks, and then barks out a sharp laugh.
“You’re a fuckin’ asshole, you know that?” he chuckles.
“Thank you for noticing.”
“Church!” Rourke yells from the door to the chapel. I haul my ass off the stool and file inside with the others. We each take our designated seats around the heavy wooden table, and wait until Axel bangs the gave loudly on the table.
“Church is in session. So, here’s the story,” Axel starts. “We need to talk about the Dos Santos cartel. As you know, they’ve got some turf shit goin’ on. There’s a new development, and it may end up blowin’ back on us.”
“What’s up?” Bear rumbles from the far end of the table.
“As you know, Chaco wasn’t recovered from getting shot in the ambush. He’s been behind armed guards, out of sight while he recovered. Probably to protect him from the cartel’s enemies, but probably also so no one could see what condition he was in. His right-hand man, Indio, was running the cartel in his absence.”
Axel looks around the room, briefly catching my eye.
“Last night, Indio went to where Chaco’s hideout, and found the guards shot to death outside his door. Inside, he found Chaco’s body. He’d been shot in the head.”
Murmurs of anger and disbelief rise up around the table.
“Fuck.” I sit for a second, considering. “So Indio’s the new head of the cartel. And Los Caballeros and whoever’s behind them are ramping up the turf war.”
“Looks like it,” Rourke says drily.
“Do we know for sure that Los Caballeros were behind this?” Matthias frowns. “I mean, shit. We don’t know much about Indio at all. What if Indio himself did it? Maybe he got sick of Chaco bein’ the only thing between himself and risin’ to the leadership of the cartel.”
For a second no one says anything as they consider Matthias’ words. I have to admit, he’s got a point.