CHAPTER 5: The Siege of Booth Seven
Chaos erupted. Gunfire rained against the reinforced walls of the diner. Agents drew their weapons, returning fire into the dark, rain-soaked parking lot. "Status!" Arthur barked, rolling behind the thick oak counter. He didn't look like an old man anymore. He moved with the lethal precision of a veteran commander. "Three black vans," Vance shouted over the gunfire. "Mercenaries. Heavily armed. They jammed our comms. We're on our own!"
Rex was breathing heavily, huddled next to his grandfather. His gang was panicking in the back. They were street toughs. Brawlers. They weren't prepared for a military-grade siege. "They're coming for the patch," Arthur said, clutching the silver hawk. "They know I have the ledger." Arthur looked at Rex. He saw the fear in the boy's eyes. But he also saw something else. He saw David.
"Rex," Arthur said, grabbing the boy's leather vest. "Are you a thug who picks on old men? Or are you a Silver Hawk?" Rex looked at the old man. Then at the terrified faces of his crew. His jaw tightened. "What do we need to do?" Rex asked, his voice suddenly steady.
Arthur smiled grimly. "We need a distraction." Rex whistled. A sharp, piercing sound. His second-in-command, a massive guy named Bear, looked over. "Bear!" Rex yelled. "The bikes! Are the keys in the ignitions?" Bear nodded. Rex looked at Agent Vance. "When my boys blow the doors open and rev those engines, it's going to create a smoke screen and deafen them. You use that window to push."
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Vance looked at the General. Arthur nodded. "Follow the boy's lead." For the first time in his life, Rex felt a true sense of purpose. He crawled to the back, rallying his terrified crew. "We brought this trouble to his door!" Rex yelled to his men. "Now we help him finish it!" The bikers nodded, pulling heavy chains and crowbars from their boots.
"On three!" Rex shouted. "One!" The gunfire outside intensified. "Two!" Arthur drew a customized sidearm from his coat. "Three!"
