Chapter 7 - The Iron Grip
Vance applied more pressure to his boot, crushing Bear's fingers against the steel edge. Bear let out a low groan, but his grip on the screaming teenager never wavered. "Any last words, federal agent?" Vance mocked, pulling back the hammer of his gun. Before Bear could answer, a deafening gunshot echoed through the massive warehouse. Vance’s eyes went wide as a red stain bloomed violently across his right shoulder. He screamed, dropping his weapon and stumbling backward away from the chute. Bear looked across the room and saw Martha standing firmly, holding Vance's discarded gun. Smoke curled from the barrel as she kept the weapon leveled at the corrupt cops. "Get away from my son!" Martha screamed, her voice echoing with fierce maternal rage. Taking advantage of the distraction, Bear roared and heaved the boy upward. With one massive pull, he threw the teenager safely over the railing onto the solid floor. Bear quickly hauled himself up, rolling away from the deadly machinery. The Iron Hounds did not wait for another invitation to join the fight. Gunfire erupted in every direction as the bikers engaged Sterling's corrupt guards. The warehouse turned into a chaotic warzone of flying lead and flashing muzzle fire. Bear grabbed Vance by his uniform collar and dragged him behind a thick concrete pillar. "Where is the drive?" Bear demanded, slamming Vance against the cold stone. Vance groaned in pain, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "It fell in the grinder, it's gone forever," Vance coughed, spitting blood. Bear peered around the pillar, searching the chaotic floor for the boy's phone. He spotted pieces of shattered plastic near the edge of the roaring machine. The phone had shattered upon impact, but a small, silver USB drive had bounced clear. It was lying precariously close to the spinning blades. "Cover me!" Bear yelled to Skull, who was reloading behind a stack of crates. Skull nodded and laid down a heavy barrage of suppressive fire toward Chief Sterling's desk. Bear sprinted out from cover, sliding across the blood-slicked floor. Bullets chipped the concrete all around him, showering him in sharp dust. He reached out, his thick fingers grasping the small, cold metal drive. "I got it!" Bear shouted, rolling behind a massive steel beam for safety. He held the drive up, the ultimate key to taking down Sterling's entire empire. Chief Sterling saw Bear holding the drive and his face twisted into absolute panic. "Kill him! Kill him now!" Sterling shrieked at his remaining guards. But as the guards pushed forward, a new sound pierced through the gunfire. It was the heavy, rhythmic thumping of helicopter blades vibrating the warehouse roof. Blinding white spotlights punched through the skylights, illuminating the entire bloody scene. "FBI SWAT, drop your weapons!" a booming voice commanded through external speakers. Bear smiled, knowing his backup had finally cracked the code to his location. The corrupt guards immediately dropped their weapons, raising their hands in surrender. Chief Sterling, however, had one final, desperate play. He grabbed Martha from behind, pressing a knife tight against her throat.
