Chapter 6 - The Grinder
The teenager dangled dangerously above the massive steel blades, screaming in terror. His phone, the one he used to record the diner standoff, was clutched in the guard's hand. "Nobody moves!" Chief Sterling yelled, quickly hiding behind his desk. Bear immediately lowered his shotgun, raising his free hand to signal the Iron Hounds. "Hold your fire!" Bear commanded, his eyes locked on the terrified boy. Skull cursed under his breath, lowering his rifle but keeping his finger near the trigger. Vance, realizing they had leverage, stepped out from the shadows with a cruel smirk. "Looks like your biker friends are out of their depth," Vance taunted. Martha grabbed Bear's arm, her face pale as she looked up at the deadly machinery. "You have to save him, Jax, he has the evidence," she whispered frantically. Bear looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant. "The drive with your father's ledgers, I hid it inside his phone case," Martha revealed. Bear's eyes widened as the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Martha had slipped the drive to the innocent fry cook to keep it out of Sterling's hands. The guard on the catwalk pushed a bright green button on the control panel. The meat grinder roared to life, the steel blades spinning with deafening, terrifying force. "Bring me the drive, and I'll pull him up!" Sterling shouted over the noise. Bear knew Sterling was lying; he would kill the boy the second he got the evidence. Bear locked eyes with Skull, delivering a silent, desperate message. Skull nodded imperceptibly, shifting his weight just a fraction of an inch. "Okay, Sterling, you win!" Bear shouted, placing his shotgun on the ground. He kicked the weapon away, showing his empty hands. Vance laughed, walking toward Bear to pat him down. As Vance stepped forward, Bear suddenly dropped to one knee. Skull pulled a throwing knife from his vest and hurled it with terrifying speed. The blade flew over Bear's head and buried itself deep into the catwalk guard's shoulder. The guard screamed, dropping the teenager's phone into the churning grinder below. In his panic, the guard released the winch holding the heavy chain. The boy plummeted downward, screaming as he fell toward the spinning blades. Bear pushed off the floor with explosive power, sprinting toward the machine. He launched himself over the safety railing, diving straight into the metal chute. Martha screamed her son's name in sheer, unadulterated terror. Bear grabbed the boy's jacket with his left hand, his boots skidding wildly on the slick metal. His right hand slammed into the edge of the chute, desperately seeking a grip. They dangled just inches above the roaring, razor-sharp blades. Bear strained, pulling the boy upward with every ounce of his massive strength. Suddenly, a heavy boot slammed down onto Bear's right hand. Bear looked up, fighting through the agonizing pain. Sergeant Vance looked down at him, aiming his pistol directly between Bear's eyes.
