Chapter 1: The Cycle
The Brotherhood Born in Blood

 

Rivergreen that's the name for the small town in King County Washington just a few miles south of Seattle and North of Tacoma. The town itself is relatively small with only one elementary, middle, and high school and as years go by the population never exceeds six thousand. The name alone give the image of a great place to live, raise a family, and enjoy the small town lifestyle, but that's not the case for this town. Rivergreen is a premium package of pain, heartbreak, and loss. It's a town that turns young men into cold blooded killers before they can grow facial hair, it destroys the hearts of women, and chews up the weak before spitting them out in full display of others.

Rivergreen is like a world within a world...in most places people are defined by their character, morals, and upbringing. While in Rivergreen all of that is thrown out the window because what defines you in Rivergreen is your race, your neighborhood, and the Cycle that made you who you are today.

The Cycle is what makes people in Rivergreen alike because everyone follows a Cycle that is somewhat alike. A Cycles that those before them went through and it always starts with that one mistake.

August 12, 2006: North Valley
The sun was shining bright on this day in Rivergreen but the air was filled with a cold breeze from the coming winter months as the morning routine began for the people in Rivergreen. The routine was the same for a short chubby Samoan American ten year old boy who was lying beside a Chinese-American ten year old boy while five brown wearing Hispanic men struck them with punches and kicks while laughing at the duo.

“North Valley bitches!” yelled one of the teens as he gave a hard kick to the side of the Asian teens head knocking him out before the young Samoan hopped on top of the Asian teen to shield him from blows just as one boy punched him the face successfully knocking him out.

“Vámonos!” said the lead teen before he walked away from the duo as they lay in a pool of their own blood before the young Samoan started to move.

“Damn!” said the kid as he struggled to rise to his feet before grabbing his Chinese friend and helping him up on his shoulder earning a loud groan of pain from the kid as he opened his eyes.

“Save your strength brother.” said the young Samoan as he limped his way down the first of four Cul-De-Sac on Water Street before making his way to a house at the end of street before opening the front door.

“Marcus is that you?” asked an elderly African American woman before she entered the living room and her eyes fell on the two boys.

“What happened!” she asked at the top of her lungs before watching as the Samoan child rested the Chinese kid on the couch.

“Me and Lee got into a little fight with some ese's again.” replied the Samoan as he looked down at the Chinese teen while the woman approached him and noticed a bloody bruise on the boys forehead.

“I'm fine!” he said.

“No let me get the first aid kit.” she said before walking away from the teen and returning with the kit and beginning to wrap bandages around the teens head.

“You're gonna miss the first day of school again.” added the woman earning a chuckle from the Samoan.

“Trust me grandma I'm glad.” he replied before spitting blood from his mouth.

Rivergreen Elementary School: Boys Bathroom
The first day of school was going off to it's usual extend for a Hispanic ten year old as he watched a Caucasian kid with short Auburn hair be slammed against the lockers with enough force to dent the metal by three purple wearing African American teenagers. Before he could intervene in the fight he was blindsided by another purple wearing teen who punched him in the back of the head and knocked him to the ground.

“North Valley Mutts.” yelled one of the teens as he punched the Hispanic teen in the face knocking him to the ground and leaving him face down in a pool of his own blood.

“Damn!” said Caucasian teen just as another boy kicked him in the mouth knocking him to the ground with a bleeding forehead.

Baseball Field
“Zach watch out!” yelled a Caucasian kid with short blonde hair as he watched another Caucasian teen be hit in the back with a baseball bat before a basketball collided against the back of his head with enough force to send him to the ground as four African American teens crowded around the duo and began to assault them.

“The Cycle of Rivergreen doesn't have a start date it just sorta happens, but the one thing that everyone going down that Cycle share is that one act.” As the sun went down the different scenarios began to play out as the Samoan kid had a talk with his grandmother, while the Hispanic kid layed his Caucasian brother down on his bed, and the blonde haired boy wiped blood from his cousins head.

“That one act they commit on that unforgettable day that changes their lives forever and makes them wish they could erase that day and that act from their lives forever, whether it be killing someone, getting jumped into a gang, or even asking the wrong woman to marry you...it's just that simple.” After leaving his cousin the blonde haired boy left him alone before walking outside and grabbing a baseball bat, while the Hispanic kid reached inside of his dresser before pulling out a pair of brass knuckles, and the Samoan teen leapt out of the window in his room with a switch blade in his hands.

“But to do that one must erase themselves, who they are and what they don't want to be, and that's easier said than done.” As the red and blue flashing lights of police cars illuminated the areas while the three boys found themselves sitting in the back of police cars while the looking at the bodies of three men lying on the ground in pools of blood.

Three Years Later: King County Juvenile Detective Center (G-Unit)
“Let's go Marcus.” yelled a corrections officer earning the attention of a muscular Samoan teen with a short black hair and an amateur tattoo of a dragon on his right arm and the letters NV below it as he sat with four teens each with dragon tattoos on their right arms

“Where to?” asked the Samoan teen.

“Your parole hearing.” the officer answered earning a loud scoff from the teen.

“Be back in a few.” replied Mark earning chuckles from the group of four.

“Don't see why you bothering ain't no way you getting out.” said a Caucasian teen with short black hair and black eyes while he sat beside a Caucasian teen with a shaved head.

“It gets me out of the Gladiator Unit, sounds good enough for me.” replied Mark.

“Good luck then brother.” said a Caucasian teen with short red hair as they watched Mark walk away from the table and followed after the officers.

“Don't see why I gotta do this, they ain't letting me outta here, I've done to much” replied Mark.

“You got that right, but they've noticed that you've been cleaning up your act and someone is hear to speak on your behalf.” added the guard earning a confused look from Mark before the officers led him out of the unit and into the meeting area.

“You should feel happy to leave here Marcus or else you'd still be here alone with nobody else watching your back.” said the officer.

“And why is that?”  asked Mark.

“Your friend Mercy was paroled last week and Zach was paroled two days ago.” said the officer.

“So both of them are on the outside I still have friends here.” replied Mark.

“Not really Tucker, Brynlee, Reid, Ryan, and Chucky are each making eighteen in the few months so they'll be transferred to the state prison, while Task is getting out in a few months.” said the officer just as they arrived a wooden door.

“Good luck in there Marcus.” said the officer as Mark opened the door and noticed three men sitting behind a table while a tall muscular man with brown hair and dressed in a State Troopers uniform sat behind them.

“Have a seat Marcus.” said the lead man as he Mark took a seat across from them with an almost emotionless look on his face.

“Marcus Smith can you tell me why you're here in Juvenile Detective Center?” asked the lead man.

“I came here three years ago charged with Aggravated Assault and sentenced to five years with the possibility for parole in two.” stated Mark earning a nod from the man.

“And since then you have been involved in nine fights, two stabbings, you've tattooed yourself, and at one time struck an officer. Your behavior was so bad that you were denied parole last year and I have to ask what makes you think you're going to get it now even though your behavior has straightened up?” asked the man as Mark took a deep breath.

“About five months ago I got news from Deputy Quin that my grandmother had passed away.” said Mark to the surprise of the three men.

“As you know, both of my parents died when I was young and I moved to Washington with my grandmother when I was five. She was my guardian and I was her reason to wake up every morning.” said Mark.

“I didn't know she was sick and I got the news she passed days after she was buried. Since then I've been blaming myself for her death even tried a number of drugs hoping to kill myself because she was afraid that I'd wind up here or worse and now I feel like I've let her down.” said Mark.

“I know you're not going to parole me honestly I don't want go live in an empty house. All I want to do is see my grandmothers grave and tell her I'm sorry that I let her down.” finished Mark as he looked away from the men while the brown haired State Trooper put his mouth to the ear of the lead man.

“It was his grandmothers dying wish that I'd look after him and I'll do everything in my power to make sure he stays out of here.” said the man.

“I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into.” said the man as he sent looks to the two others.

“Marcus we've decided to grant you parole.” said the man to the surprise of the Samoan teen as he looked up at the trio.

“But you will be under the care of Deputy Chief Christian Quin and if you mess up Marcus he'll bring you back here.” said the man earning a smile from Mark as he faced Quin.

“Thank you... all of you.” said Mark as he shook everyone's hand.

“So when can I leave?” asked Mark.

“Immediately.” said Quin to Mark's surprise as he smiled at the man.

“You can go gather your things and say goodbye to your friends just don't get into any fights on the way out.” said the man earning a nod from Mark as he walked out of the room and noticed the correctional officer standing outside the door.

“Did you get it?” he asked earning a nod from Mark as the man quickly patted his shoulders.

“I'm happy for you now go home and do the right thing with your life.” said the man earning a nod from Mark as he and the man began to make their way to back to the unit.

“I bet your thinking that's the end of the cycle, well your wrong because there's no light at the end of the tunnel only a pause... then the cycle resumes itself.”

 “If you're already started the cycle there is no escaping it no matter what you do or who you promise. Once you begin that cycle the world around you begins to bombard you with things you have no control over such as someone being hit by a bus or a healthy person dying of a heart attack.”

“The point of the matter is you can say something today but tomorrow is a different day with different problems and different struggles that you can't see, prevent, or prepare for.”

Seven Months Later
 The front door opened with a booming thud as Mark walked into his home with blood stains covering his white t-shirt just as a caramel skinned girl with long brown hair approached him with a worried look on her face.

“Tobias didn't make it did he?” she asked.

“No...the bullet did too much damage to his insides.” he replied causing the girl to close her eyes and look away from him with a sad look on her face.

“Are you okay.” she asked.

“No I'm sick of this shit.” said Mark as he walked away from the girl before taking off his blood stained shirt and revealing his tattooed along with bruises and stab wounds on his torso.

“We just gotta deal with it for a few more years.” she stated.

“Who's to say any of us have a few more years Aniyah. Tobias was just a year older than me and he was shot just because some asshole got a new gun and wanted to try it out on someone.” said Mark with anger in his eyes.

“I'm thirteen you're fourteen we've already buried eighteen of our neighborhood friends and Tobias will make nineteen.” said Mark causing the girl to look away.

“A few years is easy to say for someone who lives in Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane but not for us in Rivergreen.” finished Mark as he turned his back to the girl before feeling her wrap her arms around him.

“Shouldn't you be at school?” asked Mark.

“I was waiting on you to come home first.” said Aniyah.

“Well I'm here and I'm about to take a shower and get dressed for school.” said Mark to Aniyah's surprise.

“I think you should stay home today.” she said.

“Why because I already missed the bus and I'll have to walk there alone?” asked Mark.

“I'm worried.” replied Aniyah.

“Well I gotta go.” said Mark.

“Why?” asked Aniyah.

“The blonde kid that moved in Maya's old house is gonna need someone to school him on things here.” said Mark earning a nod from Aniyah.

“Well can you at least text me when you get there?” she asked.

“Yeah and I'll take the back streets to get there and get home I promise.” he replied with a smile.

“Okay and I'm gonna be a little late when I get home dads taking me somewhere after school.” she said earning a nod from Mark.

“Alright I'll text you when I get home.” said Mark with a smile.

“I better get going.” said Aniyah as she grabbed her backpack before facing Mark.

“Yeah, I'll see you later tonight and tell Quin I said hey.” said Mark as he and Aniyah shared a quick kiss before the girl walked out of his home.

“Happiness, sorrow,  fear, empathy, sympathy, morality, and guilt are just a small handful of a huge bucket of terms used to describe the way people feel. People in Rivergreen feel the same way...at first. Then as they go through the cycle a lot of those feelings do a full one eighty.”

One Hour Later
The walk to Rivergreen Middle School wasn't long for Mark as he entered the building before making his classroom and opening the door as the lights that filled the room blinded him before first thing he noticed was that all of the students in the classroom were staring at him with wide eyes before the usual majority started to laugh at him with their fingers pointed.

“What a fucking loser!” laughed one teen as Mark quickly made his way over to his desk on the other side of the classroom that began to be known as the “Reject or North Valley section.”

“Alright then Marcus it's good to see you again.” said the teacher earning a nod from the young Samoan who ignored the chuckles from some of his fellow classmates.

 After the laughing stopped Mark then looked around at kids on his side of the room noticing a familiar Chinese kid that stood about his height with short black hair, a Hispanic muscular kid with short black hair and a dragon tattoo on his right arm, a Caucasian teen with short auburn hair underneath a dirty black baseball cap, a Caucasian kid with long blonde hair blue eyes and a dragon tattoo on his right arm, a shorter blonde haired Caucasian kid with blue eyes, a raven haired Caucasian girl with a gap tooth, an Asian girl with long black hair, and a girl with long red hair.

As he looked around Mark's eyes soon fell on the new kid sitting on the reject side of the classroom. He was a short Caucasian kid with short blonde hair, brown eyes, and wearing a newly bought school uniform but what really caught Mark's attention was the look of excitement on the kids face before he turned his gaze back to the black board

After getting through half of the school day the sound of the lunch bell rang loudly through the halls and classrooms as majority of the kids except those on the North Valley side rushed out of the classroom before the North Valley kids slowly stood from their chairs along with the other rejects who slowly made their way towards the cafeteria and stepping into the line with the new kid in the lead.

“Move bitch!” yelled one kid as he pushed the new boy away and into the Chinese kid who caught him with ease.

“Sorry!” said the new kid as the group watched as more kids cut in front of him while he tried to call to them only for his words to go unheard.

“We ain't gonna get any of the good stuff.” said the auburn haired teen.

“When do we ever dude.” said the blonde haired teen as he lowered his head as the last kid finally cut in front of the new kid before he then led the group to the pickup line where they noticed most of the hot meals were gone.

“Sorry kids we're all out but we got plenty of these leftover.” said one of the lunch ladies as she pulled out a tray of old sandwiches before serving them to the North Valley kids who took them without question before making their way out of the line while the new kid was quickly taken aback by the number of kids sitting at circular tables that made up the middle of the cafeteria as Mark and the other North Valley took a seat at the their usual long table in the back of the cafeteria that was reserved for them because of specs of food all over the table.

“What a day.” said Mark earning nods from the group.

“Yeah especially after hearing about Tobias.” said the depressed looking blonde earning a nod from Mark.

“Toby didn't deserve that.” said the Chinese kid.

“I think we're missing someone from our flock.” said Mark as the group turned their heads and watched as the new teen moved across the cafeteria with every table pushing him away and some kids take food off his tray before he finally came over and took a seat at their table..

“This is better.” said the kid as Mark looked at his plate and saw that it was completely empty.

“If you call this better just wait until break period.” the Mark as he set his sandwich on the kids tray.

“Yeah you'll fit in just fine.” said the Chinese teen as everyone handed the blonde something off their tray.

“Thanks my names Jason Kozik by the way.” he said earning a nod from Mark.

“I'm Marcus Smith but you can just call me Mark.” said the Samoan teen.

“Lee Shen.” said the Asian teen.

“Louis Ramirez but call me Mercy and this is my younger brother Anthony Tripplet.” said the tall light skinned teen as he pointed to the auburn haired teen.

“But you can call me Trip.” said the auburn haired teen.

“My name is Lincoln Mackey but everyone calls me Link and this is my cousin Zachary Hacklander.” said the short blonde haired teen as he pointed to the other blonde haired teen.

“Just call me Zach.” replied the larger blonde.

“It's nice to meet guys who aren't at my throat, I don't even know what I did for them to hate me.” said Kozik.

“It's not about what you did it's just about you being you.” said Mark earning a confused look from Kozik.

“I don't get it.” said Kozik as Link eyed the teen

“Where do you live?” asked Link.

“In a Cul-de-sac on Water Street.” said Kozik as Mark started to chuckle.

“Well you're at the right table then because that's where we're from.” said Zach as Kozik grew more confused.

“I'm still confused.” said Kozik.

“Let me explain.” said Mark as Kozik looked at him with wide eyes.

“You live in one of the four Cul-De-Sac's in North Valley, that makes you a North Valley Kid just like us, and North Valley kids are the outcast here.” said Mark

“Why is that?” asked Kozik.

“North Valley is a upper middle class suburban neighborhood surrounded by two other neighborhoods. Royalton Gardens to the North West and Arcadio Hills to the North East. Both neighborhoods have gangs that don't like each other and put us in the middle of their war.” said Mark as Kozik nodded his head.

“They also each claim a piece of North Valley and fight each other over it.” said Zach as Kozik grew more scared.

“So it's not quiet here?” asked Kozik.

“Amongst gangs some time but that doesn't stop them from preying on us just because they can.” said Link as Kozik looked at him with wide eyes.

“The assholes take it upon themselves to pick on us whenever they see us because we don't belong to a gang and they know nothing wrong can happen to them.” said Trip.

“Hell me, Zach, and Mercy here are almost fresh out of Juvie for fighting back that's why we have these dragon tattoos.” said Mark as Kozik took in a deep breath of fear.

“Don't worry as long as you stay in your house you don't have to worry.” said Lee.

“Yeah but I'm really getting sick and tired of this bullshit.” said Mark as he gritted his teeth.

“Remember Mark probation.” said Link as Mark took a deep breath.

“Probation don't stop us.” said Mercy as he and Zach nodded their heads in unison.

“So I guess I'm gonna be fighting a lot here.” said Kozik as Mark went to give him a reassuring remark he was cut off by the sound of the lunch bell ringing.

“Come on we gotta get back to class before someone puts thumb tacks in our chairs again.” said Lee as Kozik watched as the young teens stood from the table and quickly dumped their plates.

“God help me.” thought Kozik as he dumped his plate and followed Mark and the other back to the classroom.

The school day was coming to a slow close as Mark looked at Kozik and noticed that the smile once etched on the boys face had disappeared and turned to a look of uncertainty, nervousness, and fear that radiated off the young man as he watched Kozik tap his foot in nervousness.

“Alright then class remember we have a test next week that you all need to-!” started the teacher before the school bell rang dismissing all the students who rushed out of the room while the North Valley kids slowly rose from their chair and made his way towards Kozik.

“You coming with us?” asked Mark as Kozik looked at him with confused eyes.

“Yeah!” said Kozik as Mark looked over at Link, Lee, and the others who each had a smile on their faces before the young Samoan led the group out of the classroom before heading to the back of the school.

“Wait the buses are in the front of the school why are we heading to the back?” asked Kozik.

“It's not really safe to ride the school bus in the evening.” said Trip.

“Not unless you want a pencil in your ear.” said Zach.

“This is a safer route we take through the schools baseball field after that we'll go through the fields, cross the creek, go through the Cut and we should be home in less than 15 minutes.” said Lee.

“But what about gangs?” asked Kozik.

“Nothing to worry about as long as we stick to the fields and cross the creek we'll be good.” said Link as Kozik nodded his head before following the North Valley kids on their journey home through the fields behind the school before they made it to the small creek that separated them from a wooden fence.

“How do we get a cross?” asked Kozik.

“Like this!” said Mercy as and Zach moved away from the group and went behind a tree to grab a piece of lumber.

“Or just walk through it isn't that deep.” said Zach.

“Says the tall person.” said Mark.

“Whatever ya Samoan Midget!” replied Zach as he and Mercy led the group across the piece of wood as they awaited the slow moving Kozik who finally was able to get across.

“That wasn't so bad.” said Kozik with a smile.

“Yeah but here comes the hard part.” said Trip as the group made their way to the tall wooden fence.

“Now we just got to hop the fence.” said Link.

“Easier said than done.” said Lee as he jumped up and grabbed the top of the fence before throwing himself over while Mercy helped Mark over the fence before turning to Kozik.

“Need help?” asked Mercy.

“No I think I got it.” said Kozik who jumped up and tried to pull himself over the fence while Mercy, Zach, Link, and Trip easily got across before Mark and Lee helped the slow moving Kozik.

“Thanks.” he said before rising to his feet and noticing that he was in a small alleyway with garbage cans and a dumpsters that were bordered by fences.

“What is this place?” asked Kozik.

“We call this place The Cut because it divides the Cul-de-sac's from the fields and the other neighborhood so remember don't pass the cut stick to it.” said Lee.

“If we follow through this alleyway instead of hopping the fence where will it take us?” asked Kozik.

“Other than about an extra ten minutes it'll take us to the park just at the entrance of our Cul-de-sac.” said Mercy.

“Can we go all the way through?” asked Kozik.

“Sure it's still a little early so the gangs may not be there.” said Mark as Kozik nodded his head before following the group as they made their way down the alleyway.

“I know it was your first day at school but how long have you been here?” asked Zach as Kozik rubbed his chin.

“Three days just been afraid to come outside and explore.” said Kozik as Mark nodded his head.

“Well you ain't got to worry, you're one of us and we'll watch your back.” said Mark as a smile formed on Kozik's face as Mark turned his head towards the others kids.

“You know where your house is?” asked Link as Kozik nodded his head.

“Yeah just at the entrance of the street.” said Kozik as Zach nodded his head as the group made their way into park.

“Good hopefully we can get you there without-!” started Mark but just as he was about to finish his sentence he noticed the three kids sitting on one of the benches before catching sight of the group and making their way towards them.

“Well if it ain't the North Valley mutts.” said one of the teens as Mark gritted his teeth Kozik felt his heart almost drop as he noticed a metal baseball hat in the hand of one of the older teens.

“This ain't good.” said Lee as the group approached the younger teens.

“Who are they?” asked Kozik.

“Royals.” said Mercy as he gritted his teen

“Who's the new fuck up?” asked Damien as he gripped his bat tighter Kozik instantly knew the teen was talking about him while Mark gave a low growl.

“Oh you want to die like your friend Marcus?” asked another teen with a wicked smile on his face as he stood over Mark.

“We don't want no trouble Damien.” said Link.

“Well you got it asshole.” said Damien as he pushed Link to the ground as Zach quickly approached his cousin to lend aid.

“I suggest you step aside Marcus.” said Ray as Mark gritted his teeth before balling his hands into fist as the teen looked down at Mark's fist.

“Dumb ass!” said Ray as he gave Mark a punch to the side of the head that knocked him to the ground as Kozik looked at the fallen Mark with wide eyes as the other teens jumped on Lee, Link, Mercy, and Trip while Zach put himself in front of Kozik.

“Oh look he's protecting him.” said Ray as he approached Zach and Kozik but as he tried to take another step he was quickly stopped as he looked down and noticed Mark grabbing onto his leg.

“Run Kozik!” said Mark as he clutched the teens leg with both hands and forced a hard spin that took the Ray's leg from under him while Zach and Kozik watched as Mark climbed on top of Ray but he was only able to get in a few punches before another teen tackled him to the ground as Kozik watched with wide eyes as Mercy, Trip, Lee, and Link quickly enter the fight.

“You heard him get going.” said Zach but as Kozik was about to respond Zach charged into the group but was easily made short work of as Damien slammed the baseball bat against his arm as Kozik then felt a sharp feeling of fear rise in his body as he took off running in the opposite direction while a fallen Mark watched the blonde haired teen run.

“Stupid bitch!” yelled Ray as he struck Mark in the back of the head as the young man felt a sharp pain in the back of his head but as unconscious was seconds away from claiming him he heard the loud grunts of pains and thuds as the bodies of Lee and the others crashed against the hard ground and the loud ding as the baseball beat was slammed against their bodies.

“Get the new kid!” said Damien as the group watched the trio chase down Kozik but to their fear the last thing they heard before they slipped out of reality was the sound of gunshots.

One Hour Later
“Mark wake up.” came a familiar voice as Mark's vision started to come back to him as he slowly rose and noticed Link looking over at him.

“Ow my fucking head.” said Mark as he rubbed his head as he looked up and noticed Mercy waking up Zach and Trip helping Zach as Mark turned to Lee who was slowly waking up.

“How long have we been out?” asked Lee.

“Don't know but I do know we're in a dumpster.” said Link as Mark looked around and noticed empty bottles, broken things, and old food lining the dumpster before looking at his wet hands and took a smell of the foul odor that covered them.

“Damn that stinks.” said Mark.

“You're telling me.” said Trip as he found his hat and poured a white substance that looked like old milk.

“Let's get out of here.” said Mercy as he forced himself to stand up before clutching his side.

“They really did a number on me with that bat.” said Mercy as he looked over at Zach as the young teen lifted his shirt revealing a nasty black and blue bruise forming on his side.

“Jesus dude we need to get you to a doctor.” said Link.

“Yeah but first we have to get out of this dumpster.” said Mark as he climbed out of the dumpster along with the others as Trip helped Zach to his feet.

“Damn that hurts.” said Zach.

“Come on I got a first aid kit at my house.” said Lee as Zach nodded his head.

“What if he has broken bones?” asked Trip.

“If any of us had broken bones we wouldn't be able to stand.” said Link.

“Where's Kozik?” asked Mark.

“Hopefully he made it home.” said Lee.

“Hopefully the last thing I remember was Damien going after him then-.” started Mercy before the group remembered the sounds of the gunshots and rushed towards the Cul-De-Sac where they noticed flashing red and blue lights in the distance.

“NO!” yelled Trip as the group quickly made their way down the streets and the lights revealed themselves to be apart of an ambulance and police cars as the sight of yellow tape caused the boys to each tear up as they pushed themselves through the group on the other side of the yellow tape where they noticed a woman standing over the lifeless body of a familiar boy.

“Oh God!” said Zach as he and the other teens noticed drops of blood on the concrete ground and the sight of a bullet hole in the back of the teens head.

“NO!” yelled Mark as they eyed the lifeless body of their friend as Lee, Mercy, and Trip stood beside him with their heads lowered as they tried to fight the tears from falling from their eyes.

“Come on we can't stay here.” said Lee as the group followed him to his home before he led the group inside where everyone took a seat in his living room

“Stay here while I get the kit.” said Lee as he walked into the back of the house Mark kept his eyes to the floor as the thoughts of Kozik ran through his head and sent the feeling of rage into his body.

“Alright then I got bandages, peroxide, some pain killers, and some other stuff.” said Lee as he set the med kit on the living room table before handing each teen a pain killer as they started wrapping up each others injuries.

“Hey Mark you okay?” asked Lee breaking Mark from his concentration as he turned to the Asian teen.

“Thinking.” said Mark.

“You aren't the only one.” Lee nodded his head.

“I have got half a mind to go after those assholes.” said Mercy.

“Yeah and give them a taste of what they deserve.” said Zach while Link wrapped a bandage around his bruised waist.

“What's stopping us?” asked Mark getting the attention of everyone in the room.

“What do you mean?” asked Trip as he clutched his sore side.

“I'm saying that I'm tried of getting my ass kicked and I think it's time we start doing the ass kicking.” said Mark as Mercy, Zach, and Trip looked at him with wide eyes.

“Kozik was another innocent kid that was killed just for living in the wrong neighborhood and none of us deserve this shit. We fought back once what's stopping us from doing it again.” said Mark earning nods from almost every teen in the room with the exception of Link.

“Come on Mark we should just let the cops handle this.” said Link.

“The cops when was the last time the cops arrested any of those assholes. If you're forgetting Link me, Zach, and Mercy were locked up for fighting back while the guys who kicked our asses everyday walked free.” said Mark.

“When we were in Juvie we learned things. We learned that one man is useless but a group is stronger, and we need a plan for everything and I got one cooked up.” said Mark.

“I don't know Mark this could bring more problems to us and everyone in North Valley.” said Link.

“Come on Link if we don't do this more of our friends will die unless we do something about it and fight back not just for ourselves but for our neighborhood.” said Mark.

“So you mean we should form a gang?” asked Zach.

“No not a gang but a brotherhood of guys who are tired of getting their asses kicked and will fight back against anyone that steps to them. A brotherhood that intimidates the intimidators.” said Mark.

“And what will we call this Brotherhood my Samoan friend?” asked Trip..

“We're Brothers why not just call us Brothers.” said Mark as Mercy, Lee, and Zach nodded their heads.

“Yeah Brothers.” said Lee with a smile as the group of guys put their handles in a circle.

“What do you say Link?” asked Mark as he looked at short blonde haired teen as he looked down at the hands before giving a low sigh.

“Brothers!” said Link as he put his hand in with the others.

“Remember we're doing this for Kozik, Tobias, and everyone else who's sitting in jail or resting in a coffin for standing up for themselves.” said Mark earning a nod from Mark.

“Agreed!” said Lee.

“How do we pull this off?” asked Link as Mark rose from the couch and turned to Lee.

“You got a black jacket?” asked Mark as Lee nodded his head.

“Around and around and around...that's the directions of a cycle and some eggheads believe there are ways to break a cycle but in truth there is no way of breaking a cycle without breaking yourself.”

“And only when you break yourself by destroying your morals, losing your religion, destroying your sense of compassion, and right from wrong can you survive that cycle.” 

“But once you break yourself you've opened a door in your life that nobody will close.”

Two Hours Later
“Mark are you in here.” said Aniyah as she entered Mark's home and noticed that all the lights were off before making her way into the kitchen.

“Mark.” she repeated before turning her head and coming face to face with the Samoan teen.

“Oh you scared me.” said Aniyah as she gave the North Valley teen a hug before slowly pulling away after feeling something wet on the side of her face as she then looked at Mark's t-shirt and noticed blood stains on his shirt.

“Clean yourself up Mark.” said Aniyah as she looked into the Samoan's eyes and noticed an emotionless look painted on his face before he began to make his way to the bathroom and pulling a bloody pocket knife out of his pocket as the memories of himself stabbing Damien in the neck and chest repeatedly ran through his mind before he looked down at his knife with a sadistic smile before licking his lips at the sight of the blood.

“I killed him, I killed him, I killed him.” thought Mark as a million things ran through head before something sinister feeling of... Realization and Enjoyment.

“I killed him!” said Mark as a wide smile spread across his face.

“And that's how you ready yourself for the cycle.”

“Happiness must turn to anger, sorrow must dry like an ocean and to rage, fear must transform to contempt, empathy and sympathy must become apathy, morality must vacate your mind, guilt must disappear forever, and the line between right and wrong must vanish like a line in the sand.” said a short Samoan teen that stood about 5'2 with short black hair a dragon tattoo on his right arm, an eagle tattoo on his left, angel wings with twenty feathers on his back, and North Valley tattooed across his stomach.

“Because there is no line between men, drug dealers, gang members, and murderers in Rivergreen.” said Mark with an evil smile.

2: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: One's New Life

Shrouded in Secrets and Lies

Seattle, Washington (Five Years Later)

"Things are gonna be different son I promise." stated a familiar voice that was quickly silenced by the sound of loud gunshots and glass breaking.

"Remember Marcus your mother will always love you." added another voice that soon transformed into screams of terror as the loud thud of an axe crashed against a wooden floor before the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

"This is all your fault Marcus." came another voice as a sharp pain ran through the figures head as blood filled his vision.

"NO!" yelled the figure as he finally opened his eyes and noticed the sun shining through the window of his apartment before running his hands through his short black hair and sat on the edge of his bed with his gaze to the floor before looking at the calendar on his wall.

"Damn!" he said before standing stood up and slowly making his way to his bathroom where he quickly discarded his black night shirt revealing an eagle and dragon tattoo on his left and right arms, angel wings on his back, and North Valley etched on his stomach as he stepped into the warm shower as he closed his eyes at the touch of the water.

"Those dreams are becoming more frequent, it's almost like the life I left behind is coming back to haunt me." he thought while taking a deep breath and remembering the calendar.

"Today's the anniversary of that day five years ago." he continued as he thought about his old blonde friend that was taken from his life.

"Jason Kozik's death didn't just light our fires it sparked what people call the 2009 King County Gang Wars. One of the most bloodiest turf wars the state of Washington has ever seen and the war that changed the layout of Rivergreen and a lot of people forever." he thought as the minutes passed he quickly stepped out of the washroom and the kitchen of his small apartment and immediately went to his pantry.

"It's a small task but I want you to ask yourself this question. What's the difference between who you are now and who you were five years ago, think really hard I don't just mean events that happened to you I mean how have you changed psychically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually." he continued as he pulled out an MRE before heading to his fridge and grabbing a jug of orange juice to set on the table before preparing his breakfast.

"The reason I ask is because today you're gonna see some major changes between who I am now and that boy I was five years ago." thought the teen as he started to eat his breakfast.

15 Minutes Later

After finishing his breakfast and brushing his teeth the young teen then made his way into the living room where he noticed his nicely ironed school uniform waiting on his couch.

"Hopefully this day goes by quickly." he said while throwing on his school uniform, shoes, and topping it off with his black and sky blue school Letterman jacket.

"Almost forgot!" he said while entering his room and grabbing a little black box from his dresser before slowly opening and revealing two gold rings. As he looked at the first ring and read the inscription "Brother" before placing it on his middle finger before doing the same for the second one that read "Rivergreen" and placing it on his index finger.

After putting on his jewelry the young Samoan quickly grabbed his car keys and walking out of his apartment and into the parking lot just outside.

"There's my baby." said the young teen as he looked at his car, a silver 2012 Honda Civic, before moving to the front seat and quickly sliding inside to start up the vehicle.

"Nice!" said the young teen as the engine of the car roared to life the young teen drove out of the parking lot and made his way to school as he noticed the smiling faces of people as he drove past them before his eyes instantly recognized the familiar sign of Seaside Magnet High School.

"Home of the Seaside Sharks." thought Mark as he pulled into the parking lot of the school and parked in his usual parking space just a couple of lots away from the school before noticing students making their way inside the building.

"About three years ago when the war was picking up in Rivergreen, my probation officer thought I needed a change of scenery. So thanks to his help I'm now enrolled in one of the best private schools in Seattle. It was hard to adjust at first but over time I adapted." thought Mark before he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey Mark it's about time you got here." came a familiar voice as the teen turned his head and noticed an athletic teen with a wide smile on his face approaching him that stood about 5'9 with short brown hair and wearing a school uniform with a school baseball jacket over his shirt.

"Don't see why classes don't start for another ten minutes." said Mark as the teen wrapped an arm around Mark's shoulder.

"This smiling guy right here is Daryl, he's been one of my closest friends since I came to this school mainly because every year we took at least three or more classes together, but I ain't complaining he's a really good friend." thought Mark as he and the teen made their way into the school.

"Forget classes it's the first day, we need to meet the new people in our class." said Daryl.

"We got new people here?" asked Mark earning a nod from Daryl.

"Saw a couple so we gotta introduce ourselves." said Daryl earning a nod from Mark.

"Are you sure you want to introduce yourself to all the new faces and not just the new girls?" came a monotonous voice from behind the duo as the group turned their heads and noticed a caramel skin teen short teen just an inch taller Mark with short hair.

"Wouldn't you like to know Jordan?" asked Daryl with a smile on his face.

"That short kid right there is Jordan, me I know him for two things. One he's the smartest guys in the school in almost all subjects and two he's one of those guys you really don't want to have as an enemy unless you're suicidal." thought Mark as the teen approached the duo.

"Jordan how was your summer?" asked Mark.

"It was interesting." said Jordan earning nods from the group.

"He's also very sarcastic." thought Mark as the group of now three made their way into the school.

"So Mark are you still having rib problems?" asked Jordan earning a dissatisfied look from Mark.

"A little but it's healing up pretty good." said Mark earning a nod from Daryl.

"That's good to hear I don't see how you injured your ribs." said Daryl as the trio entered the school and made their towards their old lockers.

"Yeah me neither I'm usually careful when lifting." replied Mark.

"No you don't, you lift with your back and you're supposed to lift with your knees." said Daryl earning a roll of the eyes from Mark.

"You're point is?" asked Mark earning a chuckle from Daryl.

"You're gonna have back problems before you're twenty five." said Jordan.

"Maybe even have a hunch." said Daryl as the duo started to laugh at Mark's expense before they were caught by the loud ringing of the school bell as it quickly silenced the trio.

"Better get going I hear Mr. Sanchez is a no nonsense kinda guy." said Mark as the two boys each nodded their heads.

"Alright we'll see you second period." said Daryl as Mark watched the two leave before opening his locker where he noticed an extra pair of school clothes that seemed a little dusty.

"Goodmorning Marcus." came the familiar almost harmonic voice of a girl as Mark turned his head and eyed an Asian girl with olive skin who was just an inch taller than him with long black hair that reached the back of her head, black eyes, and a Seaside High Uniform with a few gothic accessories like black nail polish and lip stick.

"Morning Maya!" said Mark with a somewhat forced smile.

"And here comes one of my closet friends in the entire world, Maya Yu. She from Rivergreen just like me but she moved away just a few months before I formed the Brothers. Me and her have always been close, she's practically my best friend and there's a lot of history between the two of us even some unsaid feelings." thought Mark as he smiled at the girl.

"I would ask how was your summer but I kinda figured how it went." said Maya as Mark chuckled.

"Am I that predictable?" asked Mark with a smile on his face earning a chuckle from Maya as the girl shut her locker.

"Always." answered the goth girl as she grabbed a book before beginning her walk to class as Mark followed after her.

"You know mine how was yours?" asked Mark.

"Would have been perfect if I got my license." answered Maya as the duo made their way towards their first period class.

Two Hours Later Outside the School

Things were very going very slow outside of school as the freshman class made their way towards the cafeteria just as a black 2009 Toyota Tundra pulled up in front of the school.

"Where is he?" asked a teen with short auburn hair underneath a black hat.

"Don't worry he's coming." said the driver a fair skinned teen with long black hair that touched the back of his neck.

"Look!" said an Asian teen with a gold streak going through his hair as he noticed a skinny teen with short black hair and black eyes making his way towards the car.

"Where is he?" asked the Asian teen.

"He couldn't get out of class so he sent me." said the black haired teen.

"Give him this and tell him to call us ASAP." said the auburn haired teen as he passed the black haired teen a piece of paper.

"Oh and Buck!" said the long haired teen getting the young man's attention.

"Next time don't bring an audience with you." said the teen as Buck turned around and noticed a group of kids watching him.

"Gotcha!" replied Buck as he but the paper in his pocket and stepped away from the truck as it drove away.

30 Minutes Later

Class was going by slowly as Mark sat in Advanced Calculus with Daryl, Jordan, and Maya as each sat beside each other not listening to their teacher as Mark he checked his wrist watch before lifting his hand in the air.

"Yes Mr. Smith?" asked the teacher.

"May I use the restroom?" asked Mark.

"Be quick you can't miss this lesson." said the teacher as Mark nodded his head before quickly rising from his chair and walking out of the classroom earning the attention of Maya as she eyed the teen.

"Thanks!" replied Mark as he made his way down the hall just as Buck turned the corner and made his way towards him but just as the two passed one another Buck slowly passed Mark the piece of paper as Mark quickly pocketed it while making his way towards the restroom where he found an empty stall to read the paper.

"Clubhouse after school!" said Mark reading in a low whisper as then ripping the paper to shreds and flushing the remains before making his way back to class.

2 Hours Later

The school had finally rung as Mark remembered one of the many perks of being a senior was being able to leave school early as he made his way towards the student parking lot.

"Yo Mark wait up." came the familiar voices of Daryl and Jordan as they approached him from behind.

"What's on your mind?" asked Mark as he turned to the duo.

"Hey we're gonna go hang out by the baseball fields want to come?" asked Daryl as Mark shook his head.

"Sorry but I gotta do something important." said Mark earning familiar nods from the duo.

"Alright but you don't know what you're missing." replied Daryl.

"Trust me I do." said Mark before he accidently bumped into a male student who turned around and looked at him with fear filled wide eyes.

"Sorry about that dude." said Mark before he slid into the front seat of his car before driving away.

"Everyone in high school has a reputation and thanks to last year my reputation around school is that I'm not to be fucked with, and in a way I kinda like it." he thought while driving down the road.

"Pretty good first day back just hope it stays like that." thought Mark as he returned to his apartment before entering his room and changed out of his school uniform and threw on some black cargo pants, with a white T-shirt, and a black leather jacket to go over the shirt before leaving the apartment in a hurry.

Two Hours Later

After leaving his house Mark began his long drive that took him out of Seattle and as the minutes went by he saw a familiar sign that told him he was entering Rivergreen the sight of the sign alone brought a wide smile to his face as he kept driving.

"Home sweet home!" thought Mark with a smile on his face as entered his familiar neighborhood of North Valley before passing up a familiar site that brought a sadness in his heart. As he noticed a clear field with almost twenty or so small white crosses sticking out of the ground with names written on each cross as the man stopped his car and looked at the field with closed eyes and shallow breaths before lowering his head.

"A La Vie And La Mort Brothers." spoke Mark as he tried to make his french sound professionally before lifting his head and driving away until he saw a familiar playground and turning into an all to familiar Cul-de-sac and taking in all the sights of all the familiar houses as the thoughts of how much things have changed since that fateful day four years ago as he passed by the now empty house of his dead friend and as time seemed to slow down he remembered all the battles and wars that were fought because of that event and how many people he to hurt. Just as the thoughts faded and reality returned Mark noticed the all to familiar house at the end of the Cul-de-sac as he parked his car in front of it before making his way to the front door, where he started to knock.

"Coming!" came the loud voice of a woman as the door opened Mark came face to face with an African American woman with short black hair, black eyes, and a stern look on her face.

"Oh it's you." said the woman with a harsh tone.

"Good to see you too Aniyah." said Mark with a smile.

"This little firecracker here is Aniyah but most know her as being my ex-girlfriend for two years. I can honestly say those were the best two years of my life. She gives me hope, she inspires me to do well, but most of all she wants to see me make a difference with things." thought Mark as he entered the house and noticed the nicely clean furniture that was now placed in his former house.

"If you are looking for Lee and the others they're down in the basement!" said Aniyah.

"Thanks!" said Mark as he made his way to a door that led down to the laundry room where Mark noticed the new washer and dryer and the door across from him with something written on it in red.

"Brothers Only!" said Mark with a smile as he opened the door and noticed three familiar teens sitting at a round table playing cards.

"It's about time you got here Brother." said Lee.

"It's good to see guys to." said Mark as Mercy pulled a chair to the table for him.

"Alright then guys what's this about?" asked Mark.

"You really gonna start without us." came a loud familiar voice as Mark turned his head and watched as two blonde haired teens walked into the room.

"Link Zach it's been a while, how's Tacoma?" asked Mark as Link nodded his head.

"The cities good it's our brothers that are giving me a headache." said Link as Mark started to chuckle.

"One of the many changes here is the departure of Link and Zach who moved out of the neighborhood and into Tacoma two years ago, but with their departure brought the arrival of another chapter of the Brother Nation in Tacoma." thought Mark as his smile faded.

"Alright what's so urgent brothers?" asked Mark.

"This!" said Zach as he pulled out a bag filled with a clear white substance.

"I don't think I'm going to like this." said Mark.

"You don't know the half of it Brother." said Trip.

"We got this from a dealer that was selling in one of our neighborhoods in Tacoma." said Link earning a nod from Mark.

"After we knocked him around he a bit he told us where he got it from." said Zach.

"North Valley, Rivergreen." said Link to Mark's dismay as he eyed the group.

"We've already been looking into this and we have been noticing an increase in junkies in the area." said Lee.

"Have you found out who's operating the lab and where?" asked Mark earning a nod from Mercy.

"Thanks to 2O, we know that a guy calling himself Chef Tom is cooking it. Apparently they thought we were getting into the Meth business or that's what this guy gas been telling them." said Mercy as Mark silently gritted his teeth.

"They say anything else?" asked Mark earning a shake of the head from Lee.

"Where we can find him." said Lee as a smile spread across Mark's face.

"He's living in a trailer just on the outside of the trailer park. We've been keeping an eye on him and so far we've learned that it's only him cooking and he sells it out of his house." said Trip.

"Does he live alone?" asked Mark.

"Yeah and he doesn't get any visitors only his buyers." said Lee as Mark nodded his head and looked at a picture of rundown trailer.

"Any guns?" asked Mark.

"Not that we've seen." said Mercy.

"Still we have to be careful and use the element of surprise." said Mark earning nods from everyone at the table.

"We will have to be careful since the lab is inside the house and we don't need things going boom while we're inside." said Lee as Mark nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright anything else you need to tell me while I'm here?" asked Mark.

"Yeah Curtis want to have a sitdown with you tomorrow." said Lee as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Concerning what?" asked Mark.

"He didn't say he just said he wanted to see you tomorrow at the usual time and place." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"Anything else?" asked Mark as the group shook their heads.

"Yeah I brought Tacoma's Enforcers Eddie and Davey help out on this mission. They been itching for some action for a while now." said Link earning a nod from Mark.

"Good the more the better." said Mark as he rose from the table..

"I don't know about any of you but I got somewhere to be." said Mark as he rose from the table.

"You going kick back to your old place?" asked Lee.

"Yeah I gotta pick up somethings." said Mark as he headed out of the basement and noticed Aniyah cooking in the kitchen before approaching the girl and wrapping his arms around her.

"Well doesn't that smell good." said Mark with a smile as he planted a kiss on her shoulder.

"It'll be ready in a few hours." she said earning a chuckle from Mark.

"What if I wanted a to go plate?" asked Mark angering the girl.

"Dumbass you're not going anywhere." she yelled earning a chuckle from Mark.

"I know I just wanted you to say it." he said before planting a kiss on the stunned girls cheek before walking away.

"Asshole!" she said earning a chuckle from Mark as he entered the living room and approached Lee.

"She seeing anybody?" he asked.

"After what you did to her last boyfriend hell no." said Lee as he and Mark made their way out of the house before going next door to his old home where the latter noticed that the house was now almost different from what it looked like all those years ago.

"You just gonna stare?" asked Lee.

"Who cleaned it up?" asked Mark as he made his way up the driveway.

"Some of the guys have been taking care of it and sleeping here some nights." said Lee as Mark nodded his head as the two reached the front door where Mark retrieved his key and unlocked the door, as the duo walked inside they noticed the clean appearance of the house and new furniture that made up the living room.

"Where'd the new furniture come from?" asked Mark.

"We had some money left over from our last job and decided to clean the place up." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"Almost doesn't make me think I was homeless when I lived here." said Mark as he made his way into the kitchen where he set the papers Link had given him down.

"Is my equipment still in place?" asked Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"Come and see!" said Lee as he led Mark down into the basement where he noticed his Screen Printing Press, boxes filled with t-shirts, a laptop next to a printer, and numerous paint cans.

"Anything I need to know about the business?" asked Mark.

"Well with all the members we need shirts and hats for them, and we got something going down this weekend that we need new stuff for." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"Anything else?" asked Mark.

"Somebody asked about hats again." said Lee.

"T-Shirts and hats are enough but remember we don't want to draw to much attention." said Mark.

"I'm still surprised we made it this far and have spread further then we ever predicted." said Lee.

"Thank the internet for that." said Mark as he went over to a desk and pulled out map of Washington that had red dots on different cities across it as Mark noticed Lee reaching into his pocket and retrieving his cellphone.

"Davey and Eddy have returned." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"Then let's get going." said Mark as he and Lee quickly made their way out of the house.

5 Minutes Later

The walk back to the clubhouse wasn't very long for the two brothers as they noticed Link, Zach, Mercy, and Trip standing outside of the house with two new teens standing in front of a black 2013 Chevy Suburban. One was a medium sized Caucasian teen that stood about 5'8 with short black hair made into a fawhawk, blue eyes, and wearing a red colored shirt and blue jean, while the other was a tall medium sized Caucasian teen that stood at least 6'2 with short black hair, black eyes, and wearing a blue shirt and black jeans.

"Davey Eddy it's good to see you." said Mark as he approached the teen with the fohawk.

"Go to see you to Marcus." said Davey as he shook Mark's hand while Eddy rubbed his head.

"Still short as always." said Eddy.

"I grew an inch." said Mark.

"Doesn't look like it." said Eddy.

"I wasn't talking about my height." said Mark earning chuckles from all the teens.

"You set yourself up for that one Eddy." said Zach as he continued to laugh.

"With the addition of the Tacoma Chapter came an influx of like minded kids ready to fall under the name of Brother, and no Brothers outside of Rivergreen is more like minded than both Davey and Eddy...smart, tough, and as loyal as they come." thought Mark as he stared at the duo

"Did you get the supplies?" asked Lee.

"You know it Brother." said Davey as he opened the back of the suburban revealing a ladder, some duct tape, and a few trash bags.

"We also brought this just in case we need it." said Eddy as he reached into the front seat and pulled out a Remington 870 Shotgun.

"Put that shit away." said Link.

"I thought we agreed on no guns." said Mark.

"Don't worry we took this from a dealers house after we broke into it and we've been using it to shakedown dealers." said Eddy.

"It doesn't even have any ammo." said Davey.

"Well that makes it useless." said Mercy.

"It's still very intimidating when it's in your face." said Eddy.

"Then maybe we can use it for this job." said Trip with a wide smile.

"He's right so get ready we leave in five minutes." said Mark as each teen nodded their heads before making their way into the basement of the clubhouse.

"You guys still got my gear?" asked Mark.

"Always ready!" said Lee as he handed Mark a small black bag, as Mark opened the bag he found his familiar black zipup jacket, a pair of black jeans, black shoes, black gloves, and to top it off a black mask with white fang designs, and a Winchester Bowie Knife in a brown sheath.

"Nice!" said Mark as he started to change into the clothing. After he finished he noticed Lee, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Davey, and Eddy dressed the same but instead of wearing hats they either had a bandanna, beanie, or the hoods on their jackets covering their heads.

"You guys ready?" asked Mark as he strapped his knife threw his belt loop on his right hip.

"Always!" said Lee as he reached down into his bag and pulled out a large Gator Machete Pro in a black sheath and threw it on his back

"So we can't carry guns but we can carry extremely big knives." said Davey as he watched Mercy grip his brass knuckle knife before putting it in a black sheath on his right hip.

"Image is everything!" said Trip as he put his Knife in a holster on his left hip.

"Carrying around guns makes us look like any ordinary thug but carrying knives makes us look we're serious, we mean business, and we're not afraid to hurt you." said Mercy with an evil smile.

"And they do the job a lot better than a Shotgun with no ammo." said Lee with a chuckle as Eddy looked down at his weapon.

"You'd be surprised how many people have shit themselves at the sight of that thing." said Zach with and chuckle as Link looked down at his watch.

"Our window of opportunity has opened." said Link earning a nod from Mark.

"Then let's get to it before it closes." said Mark as the group of teens nodded their heads before quickly making their way out of the basement as Aniyah watched them leave the house with wide eyes as she clasped her hands together.

"Mercy get our ride." said Mark earning a nod from the long haired Brother as he entered the garage and drove out with a black windowless Chevy Express Van.

"So it's the park up the streets you guys like to kidnap kids from?" asked Eddy with a chuckle.

"At least ours is paid off." said Trip as the smile on Eddy's face faded away as Link and the Tacoma Brothers made their way to their vehicle while Mark and the Rivergreen Brothers went to their own.

"Alright let's roll!" said Mark as Mercy led the two vehicles out of the Cul-De-Sac and down the streets of North Valley passing the familiar shopping district and the playground that was once a battle ground as Mark looked out the passenger side window at the park as it went by the teen was hit hard as memories flooded his mind of the many days he and his Brothers fought to reclaim their neighborhood and after years of bloody battles and inches that soon became miles they finally could say that the Cul-De-Sac's and the Trailer Park are now safer places for those that live there. The thought quickly brought a smile to Mark's face as he noticed other members and supporters of the Brothers standing outside or working in the stores and shops in the area as they waved them onward.

"It's amazing, just five years ago it was hard for guys like us to walk these streets but now we run it and we can thank the King County Gang War for that." thought Mark as he continued to look out the window.

10 Minutes Later

The drive to their location wasn't long for the Brothers as they approached a lone trailer on an empty lot covered in trash with a brown pickup truck parked in the front. As the group exited their vehicles they each crouched down low until their stomachs were laying on the grass they began to crawl towards the house and breaking apart as Link approached the front window of the trailer and noticed a bald figure sitting on the couch watching television.

"He's in the living room." whispered Link from behind his mask as Mark nodded his head.

"We'll take the back while you guys get the front." said Mark earning a nod from Link as Davey, Eddie, and Zach took up positions around the front door while Mark, Lee, Mercy, and Trip made their way to the back of the trailer.

"Give me a boost." said Mark as Mercy bent down in order to allow Mark to sit on his shoulders before lifting the shortest Brother up to look into the empty backroom of the trailer.

"We're clear!" said Mark earning nods from the group

"Wait for the signal." said Link as he and the others crouched down next to the door with their ears placed to the door hearing the laughter of the man and the voices on the television.

"Do it!" said Mark as Mercy wrapped his jacket around his fist before punching a hole in the window big enough for him put his hand through and unlock it.

"The hell was that?" asked Thomas as he slowly rose from his seated position as Mercy, Mark, and Lee climbed into the trailer before taking up a position beside the door in order to hear footsteps.

"Shit!" said Thomas at the sound of footsteps as he tried to make a run for the kitchen as the Tacoma Brothers heard the familiar thumps off footsteps.

"Now!" yelled Link as Eddie kicked open the door of the house and rushed inside with the Shotgun aimed at Thomas head.

"Do not move!" yelled Eddie as Thomas gritted his teeth in fear.

"Damn!" yelled Thomas as he turned around and tried to run for the back of the trailer he was stopped in his tracks as a masked Mercy tackled him to the ground as Mark, Lee, Zach, and Davey started hitting Thomas with punches and kicks all across his body.

"Stupid prick!" yelled Mercy as he kicked Thomas again in the stomach before throwing him against the wall where Mark drew his knife and put it against the fallen Thomas's neck.'

"You really think you can come into our hood and sell drugs asshole." yelled Mark as he pressed the knife deeper against Thomas's neck as the sharp blade dug into his skin drawing blood.

"I'm sorry I didn't know." said Thomas.

"Of course you didn't asshole." said Lee as he stomped down on Thomas's left leg.

"Where are the drugs and where's your lab?" asked Mercy as Mark pressed his knife harder against Thomas's neck as blood started to stain his knife and the floor.

"In the kitchen." said Thomas in a raspy voice.

"Thank you!" said Mark as he removed his knife from Thomas's neck before kicking him in the head successfully knocking the man out as blood started to drip from his bald head.

"Trip get him out of here." said Mark as the auburn haired brother grabbed the man by his shoulders before dragging him out of the trailer.

"Grab the cash and the evidence and let's do this fast." said Mark as he noticed a lit cigarette in an ashtray before picking it up and walking into the kitchen.

"Mark check this out." said Lee as the group made their way over to a pantry that was filled with bags of crystal meths and stacks of money.

"Damn I think we're going to need a bigger bank account." said Zach as he started putting the money in trash bags while also filling his pocket.

"There's enough crystal in there to make damn near a million dollars." said Lee as he filled his pockets and threw a stack of money at everyone in the room.

"This is why people need constructive hobbies because they make shit like this." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head as they both counted their money

"I think we got enough now let's go." said Mark as the group each nodded their heads before grabbing the bags and walking out of the kitchen as Mark approached the gas stove before setting the ashtray on the top of it and turning on the gas as he walked out of the kitchen whistling a low tune while putting in on a pair of ear muffs.

"What you so cheery about?" asked Mercy with a smile on his face the group turned their heads to Mark and watched in awe as the trailer went up in a fiery explosion that damn near hurt the eardrums of the Brothers as Mark approached the group still whistling his tune as the flames and smoke shrouded the already night skies in darkness as Mark finally reached the van and climbed inside.

"I love blowing shit up dudes." said Mark with a low chuckle as the group looked at the man with an awestruck look on their faces as Mercy stepped on the gas petal and quickly led the Brothers away from the flaming trailer.

"Well that was certainly interesting." said Lee with a smile.

"You're telling me." said Mark.

"So we throwing him off at the police station?" asked Trip as everyone looked back at the unconscious Thomas.

"Let me handle that you guys get back home." said Mark.

"You sure about that?" asked Lee.

"Yeah, you guys should get home anyway before the King County Sheriff Department arrives." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Sounds like a plan." said Lee.

10 Minutes

The drive back to the Cul-De-Sac wasn't very long as the two cars pulled into the driveway of the clubhouse where Mark and the others removed their mask and made their way out.

"Alright guys you know the routine go back to your homes and hide your clothing." said Mark as Link nodded his head.

"Hope you don't mind but we're gonna lay low here for the night just to be safe." said Link earning a nod from Mark.

"Alright I'm sure Aniyah's got a place for you!" said Mark as he climbed into the driver seat of the van.

"Are you going to bring our van back?" asked Lee.

"Yeah I'm gonna crash at my old place tonight and leave when the roads are clear." said Mark earning nods from the group as he slid into his car.

"Alright be safe." said Lee earning a nod from Mark as he drove away from the house as each brother made their way inside of the house.

Hours Later

Things were dark, silent, and cold as Thomas finally regained consciousness.

"Where am I?" asked Thomas as he felt very light headed and dizzy.

"Exactly where people like you belong." came a loud familiar voice as a blinding light flooded the room Thomas noticed that he was shirtless and strapped to chair with plastic wrap covering the floor around him.

"What is this shit!" yelled Thomas as he heard a loud chuckle and noticed the shortest masked men standing in a corner where he removed his mask revealing the Samoan Teen.

"Who are you?" asked Thomas as Mark walked over towards Thomas with a sinister smile on his face.

"Methamphetamine is a powerful drug Thomas that destroys the lives of a lot of people and that's what you've been doing when you started cooking and selling it...destroying lives." said Mark as Thomas felt fear rise up his spine.

"Do you think about the people you hurt or the lives you destroy?" asked Mark as he drew his knife and put it against Thomas's neck as the man started quivering in fear.

"Do you?" yelled Mark.

"No!" yelled Thomas as tears fell from his eyes.

"Why not?" asked Mark.

"Because I need the money, times are hard, I can't get a job, my wife left me." said Thomas in fear.

"And those are valid excuses." he joked behind chuckles as he looked down at the tied down Thomas before walking over towards a table in the corner of the room where he noticed something that brought a smile to his face.

"You want you know something about me?" asked Mark as he walked over to the table before picking up the baseball bat to the horror of Thomas.

"I like hearing people scream. The sound of someone begging for their lives is like a turn on to me, it gives me this feeling of control." said Mark as he circled the man almost like a hungry shark as Thomas looked at Mark with fear in his eyes.

"My father didn't scream when he died in front of me, my mother cried her eyes out, and I screamed everyday when my brother beat the hell out of me. So it's kinda familiar seeing as how I want to hear someone scream when I control their fate." said Mark as he stood in front of the scarred Thomas before getting in position with his bat and slamming I against his leg earning a loud scream of pain from him.

"That's the sound!" yelled Mark as he continued to slam his bat against the body of Thomas until the bald man was bruised and on the verge of passing out as Mark picked up a few of Thomas's teeth off the ground before drawing his knife and walking over to one of the candles lighting the room and setting the blade on top of the candle until it was almost a bright orange color as he picked up a carton of salt and poured it on the blade earning a loud sizzling sound as Mark walked over to the barely continuous Thomas with a smile on his face.

And this is my favorite part." said Mark as thrusted his knife deep into the stomach of Thomas earning a loud scream of pain from the man as he thrashed about in the chair as Mark twisted knife while looking into the eyes of the man.

"Try and stay awake we're almost finished." said Mark as he forcefully pulled the knife from Thomas's body earning a disgusting sound as the man's blood flowed from the wound and stained Mark's knife as the teen walked behind him before kicking a large white bucket behind the chair and grabbing the top of Thomas's head.

"I do this not for pleasure or business but because you brought this on yourself." said Mark as he kissed the top of Thomas's head before forcing his head back and forcing the man to watch as Mark lifted his knife over the man's head before bringing it down and driving the blade in between Thomas's eyes and deep into his skull until the blade came out the back of his head.

"I'm gonna enjoy your painting." said Mark as he watched the blood leak from the back of the man's head and into the bucket until it was about a quarter full as Mark then dragged the body of Thomas over to a metal table in the corner where he grabbed a chainsaw.

"Now for the part that brings a tear to my eye." said Mark as he started up the chainsaw before cutting the limbs off the body.

2 Hours Later

"Remember in the beginning when I asked how has your life changed after five years well here's the biggest change in my life." thought Mark as he dragged the plastic wrap continuing the limbs of the now deceased Thomas out of his cabin before placing them in a wheelbarrel.

"After Kozik was killed and I stabbed Damien to death, I learned that I liked causing pain and to hear people scream to the point where I feed on their fear. And in my opinion I really really like it. I wouldn't have survived in North Valley without this feeling. I wouldn't have brought the Brothers to power without it. And I wouldn't be walking the streets today without it." he thought while licking his lips.

"I don't know what to call this life I'm living. High School Senior, a caring friend, a powerful gang leader, and the monster that feeds off the sins and fears of men." continued Mark as he pushed the wheelbarrow deeper into the woods where an underground well was located.

"I've been killing since Kozik died and in that time I've lost count of how many people I've killed. Each were the lowest of the low from gangbangers, murderers, rapist, who I felt deserved to die and today Thomas joins them." thought Mark as he dumped the trashbags out of the wheelbarrel and down into the well.

"Even though I do horrible things to these people, I have never been caught and don't know who to thank for that whether it be my routine, an actual go, or even stupid cops, but I believe the reason I'm allowed to do this is because some higher being understands what I'm doing and is allowing me to continue." thought Mark as he rolled a tire over and dropped it into the well where he doused everything with lighter fluid before throwing the canister down the well.

"I have yet to kill an innocent and even though I have my own addiction to doing what I do I manage to keep it under control the same way I'm able to live these three separate lives without either colliding with one another." said Mark as he lit a match.

"And I plan to keep it that way." said Mark as he threw the match down the well a large fire was ignited that consumed the body parts as Mark grabbed a large metal disk and used it to cover the top of the well before walking back inside of the cabin where he noticed the three buckets of blood.

"In the final moments before they died my victims have given me many names a psycho, a serial killer, murderer, a monster, and they're right but even though they are dead, I never forget them." thought Mark as he picked up the bucket before bringing it into another room, where the walls were covered with paintings and teeth.

"They will always have a special place in my heart always." said Mark as he dipped a paint brush into one of the buckets of blood before walking over to a blank canvas where he started to paint using the blood and as minutes passed to hours Mark looked at his newest creation a painting of a red sunset over a black ocean.

3: Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Meeting in the Principals Office

Dreams of the Futures Past

The Next Day

"I'll always be here for you Marcus!" came the same familiar voice from the night before as Mark felt a familiar hand brush against the top of his head before being stopped as the familiar visage of blood flashed through his closed eyes as gunshots radiated through his resting mind.

"Mommy loves you Marcus!" came a more familiar voice that seemed to be breaking apart with tears and the sound of hacking as Mark began to toss and turn.

"You are not apart of the Roman Family and you never will be you worthless piece of shit." came another voice that pierced through his head louder than any gunshot as he felt intense sharp pains shoot through his right arm, chest, back, stomach, and legs.

"STOP IT!" yelled Mark as he awoke covered from head to toe in sweat on the couch of his home in Rivergreen as he looked down at his shirtless form and noticed the familiar scars from his childhood that he remembered would never go away before lowering his head and looking out the window of his home and noticing the sun already rising.

"Damn I'm gonna be late again." he said before he pulled himself off the couch of his home before going into the back and throwing on a spare uniform and making his way out the door and towards his car.

"You're still here?" came a familiar voice as Mark turned his head and noticed Aniyah standing in the doorway of her parents house.

"Yeah I fell asleep at my old place." said Mark as he rubbed the back of his head.

"If you're looking to say goodbye to everyone Lee, Mercy, and Trip left for school a few minutes ago while Link and others left sometime last night." said Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah I should get going to." said Mark as he opened the driver side door of his car.

"How was the food I left you?" asked Aniyah as Mark remembered the plate of food he ate shortly after arriving home.

"It was delicious one of the things I truly miss about this place." said Mark with a smile.

"You can always come back." said Aniyah as Mark eyed her.

"I could but things won't be the same without you miss California State." said Mark with a slight smile as Aniyah shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I'll be here all this week to celebrate your departure." said Mark as Aniyah's smile faded as Mark slid into the front seat of his car before starting it as he waved at Aniyah before driving away from the Cul-De-Sac.

"Bet your wondering how the thirteen year old kid that was getting his ass kicked everyday could go from fighting everyday on the streets to being accepted in school and having a girl that actually cares about him, trust me it wasn't easy." thought Mark as he remembered his past as he began his long drive back to Seattle.

"After that night, we didn't stop after that attack either we kept fighting and the more we fought the more people from our neighborhood. The other Cu-De-Sac's, the apartment complex, even the Trailer Park joined us in our fight against the gang members, and when my friends that were locked up with me started getting out they joined, and before the year ended we had well over a hundred brothers strong in Rivergreen. Our resistance is what started the Gang Wars and our brutality is how we won it." thought Mark as he turned onto an interstate

"We were the most unique gang in town because we were the only multiracial gang in town. Made to show defiance to our racially exclusive enemies. Our ranks were filled with mostly white guys, but we also had black guys, Asian's, Hispanics, and even Native Americans." thought Mark as he noticed the sun rising over the horizon.

"Even with the numbers we fought a smart war against our enemies, turning them on each other, turning them against themselves, before we turned our numbers on them. We had them running until that point where no gang member set foot anywhere near our homes then we took the fight to them." he continued as a smile spread across his face.

"After the wars, everything in Rivergreen changed. Brothers like Link and Zach moved away to different cities and the number of Brothers in Rivergreen dropped to just over twenty but in a move that surprised even myself. Our numbers grew in other cities and chapters started popping up all across Washington from Tacoma, to Spokane, and farther." thought Mark as he entered the city of Seattle.

"I then thought it time for us to get organized, with the help of a few Brothers I modeled the Brothers organizational structure similar to the Italian Mob." thought Mark.

"With bosses at the top, like myself and Link who oversee Brothers in a specific counties in Washington and run Chapters, underbosses who we call Sergeant of Arms, Lee and Zach, who take over in the absence of a boss, Enforcers or Captains like Mercy, Trip, Davey, and Eddy who oversee junior members, Soldiers who protect our turf, Prospects and Wannabes. The Structure is very complex and has been very successful for us." he thought with a chuckle.

"I soon created a tactic that would hide who we are from the public eye that I call the blending tactic. It basically a childhood disguise where we look good on paper and in person while hiding who we are and to this day it's the one thing that keeps the world from knowing who we are." thought Mark as he turned onto his street.

"After I started it I spread it to my Brothers and taught them how to blend while hiding they're affiliation, from taking honors classes, to going to church, to getting jobs, and playing sports they had to look like the average teenager and not gang members. The only proof that they're members of the gang is their rings...and tattoos." thought Mark as he pulled into his parking lot before making his way inside the school already hearing the school bell ringing to start the first period.

Two Hours Later

As Mark sat in class with Daryl, Maya, and Jordan working on their worksheets in silence despite the noise coming from the other students while the teacher sat at his desk in silence that was quickly interrupted by the sound of the P.A. System as the voice of the intercom blared loudly.

"Would you please send Marcus Smith to the principals office." said the woman on the P.A. as all eyes fell on a not so surprised Mark as the teacher gave him a gesture with his head as the young man made his way out of the classroom and started to approach the principals office where he noticed a familiar light skinned African American woman with long black hair tied into a ponytail as a smile spread across his face.

"Ms. Summers." said Mark as the woman nodded her head before looking away from him with a serious look.

"That's one of my favorite teachers Ms J. Summers. She was my English teacher my tenth and eleventh grade year here but she left teaching behind for a job as the schools principal. She's also one of the few people I can truly say I trust here because she's more understanding then most." thought Mark as he gave the woman a confused look.

"You can talk to me after you tell them what you did." replied Ms. Summer as she pointed at the back room as Mark made his way inside he noticed a familiar Caucasian man with short brown hair and a woman with long blonde hair and a wide smile on her face.

"You might recognize the large guy that's King County Chief of Police Christian Quin, he's also my former probation officer and father-in-law because he's Aniyah's father. He's been looking over me since I got out of Juvenile Hall but mostly so he can gather information on what goes on in Rivergreen with the gangs, but in that time he's become like the father I always wanted while I'm the son he always asked for." thought Mark as he earned a nod from the man.

"And the blonde is Ms. Smith. She was once the counselor at Rivergreen Middle School, but now she's my personal therapists and one of the few people to actually have me figured out as being a psychopath." thought Mark as he took a seat across from the woman.

"How are you today Marcus?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark nodded his head.

"I'm doing pretty good today." he replied earning a nod and the smile from the woman.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

"We went by your apartment yesterday but you weren't there, Aniyah said you were in Rivergreen yesterday and I need to ask you a few questions." replied Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head already knowing where things were going as Ms. Smith walked out of the room.

"Yeah, I wanted to checkup on the guys." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Okay can you explain to me why a trailer with a Meth lab inside was blown to pieces last night?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark shrugged his shoulders.

"I thought those things blow up when you leave them inside a house." replied Mark earning a chuckle from Sheriff Quin.

"Was anyone hurt?" asked Mark.

"From what we found no but get this the guy who owned the trailer Thomas Duper yeah we can't find him anywhere any idea where he might be?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark shook his head.

"Probably split town after the trailer exploded." replied Mark as Sheriff Quin looked him square in the eyes.

"What did I tell you and your friends about your vigilante ways?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Not to do it again." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Exactly so when things like this happen I'm gonna need you to tell me and not take matters into your own hands again or I will arrest you." replied Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Now where is Thomas?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Don't know I tossed him out by the freeway and gave my usual threat." said Mark as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Was he still breathing?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright, but remember next time tell me." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"So how are things on the streets?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Calm and quiet everybody is mostly to themselves." said Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"And I got a meeting with Curtis later today." said added earning a surprised look from the Chief.

"About what?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark shook his head.

"No clue hopefully it's nothing major but if it is I'll keep you posted." replied Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin as Ms. Smith walked back into the room.

"Times up." said Ms. Smith as Sheriff Quin nodded his head before taking a stand behind Mark as the woman sat across from him.

"I hope that meeting went well." stated Ms. Smith as Mark nodded his head.

"So how have you been Marcus?" asked Ms. Smith.

"I've been alright was just feeling a little homesick yesterday." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"Are you going back today?" asked Ms. Smith earning a nod and a smile from Mark.

"Yes mam I want to spend as much time as I can there this week, since Aniyah's going off to college." said Mark earning a smile from Ms. Smith.

"That's good to hear how does that make you feel?" asked Ms. Smith.

"I'm really happy for her, even though I'm still mad about the breakup and the move." said Mark earning a surprised look from Ms. Smith.

"You broke up two years ago, that's still eating you?" she asked.

"Two years, three decades, four minutes, there is no difference in time when she's one of the first people to care about me after my...time locked up." said Mark earning a few moments of silence from Ms. Smith.

"I see, have you thought about joining her or are you still having problems with a future?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark looked at the woman with a confused look.

"Remember a few years ago you said you didn't think you'd live to see life after high school well now you are so close." said Ms. Smith as Mark remembered the words.

"The thoughts crossed my minds but the negativity still worms its way in now and then." said Mark earning a nod from the woman.

"How have things been with you sleeping any well?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark's mind instantly flashed to his nightmares.

"No I keep getting these strange memories from my childhood and not the good memories either." replied Mark earning a nod from Ms. Smith.

"Elaborate if you will?" asked Ms. Smith.

"Well I see and hear my fathers last words before he get's killed. I see and hear my mothers last words and her death before my eyes, and I remember those things my brother did to me and I've been having these dreams almost every night for the past two months." replied Mark earning a surprised look from Sheriff Quin as he looked down on Mark.

"I see, you know Mark there are symbolism in dreams and some people believe that these dreams become realities overtime." replied Ms. Smith.

"Are you saying I'm gonna be reunited with my family in the future?" asked Mark.

"Not likely." answered Sheriff Quin as Mark turned to the man.

"The last remnants of your fathers organization is either dead or in jail and one of your brothers Marrick Roman was arrested a few months ago on weapons charges in New York." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"What about Martin?" asked Mark.

"Still no sign of him." replied Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"I don't know if I should be happy or sad." answered Mark as Ms. Smith eyed the teen.

"Why is that?" asked Ms. Smith.

"Even though Marrick beat me up when I was kid and I hate him to death and want him to suffer...I don't want them all to suffer." replied Mark earning a nod from Ms. Smith.

"That's just human nature when it comes to siblings Marcus." replied Ms. Smith as Mark eyed the woman just as the school bell rang out dismissing the seniors.

"I think we talked enough for today." replied Ms. Smith earning a nod from Mark.

"Remember Marcus you have our numbers and if you want to talk about anything just let us know." said Ms. Smith earning a nod from Mark as he rose from his chair and gave the woman and hug before shaking hands with Sheriff Quin and walking out of the room where the two noticed Ms. Summers watching Mark leave.

"Is he in any trouble?" asked Ms. Summers as Sheriff Quin shook his head.

"No mam just a routine checkup on him." replied Sheriff Quin to Ms. Summers dismay.

"Mind me asking why you two keep checking up on him. I know a little about Mark and aside from all the fights he had last year I can honestly say he's an alright student. He doesn't do drugs, he didn't cause any problems last semester, he comes here to learn, so why do you two keep checking up on him?" asked Ms. Summers as Sheriff Quin eyed the woman with serious eyes.

"Don't let that five foot two height and that silent demeanor fool you Marcus Smith is one of the most dangerous individuals in all of Washington." said Sheriff Quin as Ms. Summers gave the man a confused look.

"I don't see how." replied Ms. Summers.

"That's because you really have to go back in time and search Mark's life." replied Ms. Smith as she eyed Ms. Smith.

"She should know." added Sheriff Quin earning a nod from Ms. Smith as they eyed a now confused Ms. Summers.

"I should know what?" asked Ms. Summers.

"The truth about Marcus Smith." answered Ms. Smith.

"For one thing his real name isn't even Marcus Smith, it's Marcus Roman that boy is the youngest son of New York crime boss Michael Roman." answered Sheriff Quin as Ms. Summers eyed the man with shocked eyes.

"You're joking?" asked Ms Summers.

"Not at all." replied Sheriff Quin.

"Marcus is the youngest son and was originally born in Harlem New York but moved here with his grandmother at the age of six but while there he saw a lot of things that would damage people forever." said Ms. Smith earning confused eyes from Ms. Summers.

"A year after he was born Michael Roman was shot to death while getting inside of his car in front of a restaurant...Marcus was in that car and watched his father get shot over forty times and miraculously was unharmed but covered in a lot of blood." said Sheriff Quin earning wide eyes from Ms. Summers as she felt her words lost in her throat.

"When he was four his mother was brutally beaten and raped before being cut to pieces, stuffed in a chimney, and set on fire and through that entire time Marcus was hiding under the bed watching his mother suffer, hearing her scream, and smelling her flesh as she died." stated Sheriff Quin.

"Jesus!" said Ms. Summers as she put her hand to her mouth.

"Marcus can actually describe in detail what burning flesh smells to the point where you feel sick to stomach just by hearing it." added Ms. Smith

"After both of his parents died one of his older brothers used to pick on him, beat him, damn near torture him. His grandmother told us that the reason she left New York to come here was because he stabbed Mark five times with a four inch knife because he wanted his younger brother dead." said Sheriff Quin with seriousness in his tone.

"That's why he has a lot of tattoos covering his back and arms to hide those scars that have never healed." said Ms. Smith as Ms. Summer nodded her head.

"Jesus so he's not mentally stable?" asked Ms. Summers.

"From what we can tell he's adapting to it but he's still been through a lot especially after moving here." said Ms. Smith.

"Marcus lived in North Valley, a biracial neighborhood in Rivergreen with two of the most dangerous hoods flanking it. Everyday he was beaten, abused, and some days shot at. Then one day he had enough and stabbed a boy seven times in the chest and was sent to Juvenile Hall for it. While locked up he learned his grandmother passed and since then he was somewhat alone. The people in the neighborhood looked after him and he had a few friends but no one could heal those scars to the point where Mark thought he wouldn't live to see the age of eighteen or life after high school." said Ms. Smith as Ms. Summers nodded her head already knowing some of the teens past.

"But this is what really makes him dangerous. Mark was a violent combatant in the King County Gang Wars and apparently he's one of the reason it started." stated Sheriff Quin to Ms. Summers shock.

"Mark and his friends were tired of being picked on so one day while walking home from school they got attacked by gang members and one of them was killed and their anger erupted. He and five of his friends formed their gang." stated Sheriff Quin to Ms. Summers surprise as she remembered the two rings Mark wears everyday.

"They were probably the most violent in that war because they didn't let their enemies breath. They didn't have guns at first so they did hit and runs and beat guys almost to death and as of right now they have a total of over two hundred and fifty guys in King County and Pierce County alone and that's not counting the guys they have in Snohomish County, Yakima County, Spokane and other cities in East Washington." stated Sheriff Quin.

"What's good though is they're not involved in drug dealing or any serious crimes but they are known for attacking gang members and drug dealers." added Ms. Smith.

"Hell the reason I'm here is because last night a meth lab was intentionally blown up in their neighborhood and things like that are common in North Valley because they're the ones who do it and the guy who ran it is missing." added Sheriff Quin.

"So Mark is a dangerous gang member?" asked Ms. Summers.

"We wouldn't call them a gang they operate more like a mafia and he is dangerous but what has us really concerned about him is his personality. Mark has seen a lot and it almost doesn't affect him like he's immune." said Ms. Smith.

"Mark's the kinda guy who could be in a shootout, watch someone get shot in the head, beat a man to death, and come to school the next morning like nothing happened." said Sheriff Quin as Ms. Summers eyed the duo.

"Answer me this question and be truthful is Mark...a murderer?" asked Ms. Summers as Sheriff Quin lowered his head.

"As of right now none of us know because we could never link him to a murder but members of the Brothers have killed before in some of the most gruesome ways." said Sheriff Quin.

"They don't sell drugs so guns are hard to come by for them so they usually carry a do their killing with knives but we have seen other tools like arrows, hammers, screwdrivers, and other household or easy to craft tools." said Ms. Smith.

"But even though we've never convicted or found evidence that point to him being a murderer there's still a possibility," finished Sheriff Quin as Ms. Summers took the news in almost like shallow breaths.

"Don't worry you have nothing to worry about as far as we know there aren't any members of the Brothers who attend this school, or any of their rivals, and he tends to keep to himself as long as nobody messes with anyone close to him, so you have nothing to worry about." said Ms. Smith with a smile on her face.

"But if you do just let us know." said Sheriff Quin as Ms. Summers nodded her head at the duo.

Only half an hour had past since Mark left the school parking lot but it felt like seconds as his mind raced and heart pumped as he hoped nothing bad happened while he was away as he pulled the car in front of Aniyah's home where he noticed Lee, Mercy, and Trip already sitting outside waiting on him.

"What was the phone call about?" asked Mark as Lee spoke up.

"We got someone else coming to that meeting...Jonathon Brady." said Lee earning a surprised look from Mark.

"I didn't think he'd be back in town." said Mark.

"Yeah he wants to talk about what happened yesterday. Seems he took an interest in that dealer." said Mercy as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Obviously that greedy bastard will do anything for money." said Mark.

"Still he can't call us on taking down the cook even if he did have a business relation with that guy he was cooking in our neighborhood." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"I know let's remind him of that later you need me I need to go see something right quick." said Mark earning a nods from the group as he walked towards his old home. As he entered his home and made his way down to the basement where he opened a filing cabinet that was labeled gangs before pulling out a file labeled Royals.

"You might recognize the name from the guys that killed my friend and helped start the Brothers, well it's time you learned more about them. The Royals are the largest African American Street Gang in Rivergreen and one of the rising gangs in Washington and they dominate the sale of Cocaine, Heroin, and weed throughout the state." thought Mark as he looked at pictures of known Royal members in Rivergreen.

"Over four hundred strong in King County the Royals dominate the streets, but being on top has made them enemies all over the state but here in Rivergreen their biggest enemies is Los Problema's, La Diablo's, and La Arcadios. Three Hispanic gang that fall under an alliance of several Hispanic Street Gangs in King County known as La Familia. The two sides have been fighting for control of the street level sale of drugs since I was young. And that's one of the reasons why the called the King County Gang War a race war because it was black vs. brown with guys like the Brothers in the middle." thought Mark as he looked at a map of the city of Rivergreen as he kept his eyes on four dead ends dub Cul-De-Sac's, an apartment complex, and a Trailer Park in North Valley.

"This is what makes living in North Valley so dangerous because you have enemies on all sides and when one enemy goes to war with another you'll be pulled into the war and that's why the Brothers serve not only as North Valley's protectors but also as the peacekeepers in Rivergreen." thought Mark as he made his way back upstairs.

Three Hours Later

The sun started to dip below the horizon in Rivergreen as Mark heard a knock on his door followed by the familiar voices of his brothers as he quickly stood and made his way to open the door revealing Lee, Mercy, and Trip on the other side of it.

"You ready for this brother?" asked Lee as Mark noticed that each brother had their sheathed knives strapped to their right hips.

"What's with the knives, we agreed no weapons?" asked Mark.

"We can't be too careful brother these are dangerous guys we're sitting down with do you believe they're going to follow the rules?" asked Lee as Mark gave a loud groan.

"Just put them in your pants and cover them with your shirts." said Mark as the brothers nodded their heads Mark went to retrieve his knife and sheath before making his way out the front door with Lee and the others behind him as the group approached Mark's car as the group exited their Cul-De-Sac and made their way through the neighborhood district until they entered the came onto the street that divided North Valley from Royalton Parks as Mark noticed three men wearing black and purple clothing.

"Curtis good to see you." said Mark with a somewhat uneasy smile on his face as he shook hands with the six foot two African American man with short black hair and wearing a long sleeved black shit and pats with a purple bandanna in his back pocket.

"Even though the Royals have the biggest gang in King County they're divided into different factions called sets. Each set is run by a Shotcaller or O.G. and in this case the Rivergreen set of the Royals is run by this man Curtis." thought Mark as he eyed the man.

"He's the fourth leader of the Royals in the last four years after the first three... mysteriously disappeared or had unfortunate accidents." he thought with a mental chuckle.

"Glad to see ya'll could make it." said Curtis with a smile of his own.

"What's this meeting about?" asked Mark as Curtis turned his head as the group watched as an expensive car drove down the streets before parking in front of the men.

"Not this asshole." said Mercy as the group watched as well groomed African American man wearing an expensive gray suit stepped out of the car with a smile on his face before approaching the group.

"Despite the Royals numbers and drug control they didn't really have an A-1 Drug supplier in their ranks, so outsourced until they found this man...Jonathan Brady." thought Mark as the man approached the groups with a smile on his face.

"Well if it ain't the Oreo, the Slant, and the Mutts." said Jonathan as Mark gritted his teeth.

"The gangs in Rivergreen are mostly racially divided, aside from the Brothers who take in all races, because of so they've given us a lot of nicknames but the most common is Mutts." thought Mark as he eyed Jonathan.

"What's this about asshole?" asked Mark as Jonathan gave a low smile.

"You know what this is about asshole that shit you and your friends pulled yesterday." said Jonathan as mark rolled his eyes.

"I was in the business of making use of that guy and his product." said Jonathan.

"Doesn't matter he was cooking his product in North Valley and to us that's a no no." said Mercy as Jonathan gritted his teeth.

"And where is he now?" asked Jonathan as the group remained silent earning a low chuckle from the man.

"Silence as always it's as expected from you mutts." said Jonathan.

"But that's not the only thing I need to talk to you about." said Jonathan as Mark eyed the man with a confused look.

"The Cholo's are moving into our territory." said Jonathan to the surprise of Mark.

"Which gang?" asked Lee.

"Don't know most guys in the Familia wear brown these guys were wearing yellow." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head.

"We'll look into that." said Mark earning a nod from Jonathan.

"Do that, now if you will excuse me I've got a meeting with some dumbass who thinks he can buy me out." said Jonathan as he walked back towards his car.

"I'll see you later mutts." said Jonathan as the man driving his car drove away.

"If it wouldn't start another gang war I would have this guy strapped to a chair by now." thought Mark as he turned to Curtis.

"I don't see how you guys can work for him." said Mercy as Curtis nodded his head.

"He's our only pipeline, even though he pissing off a lot of the homies. He increasing the street taxes we have to pay him and he going up on the price of our cocaine and making shit difficult for everyone." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head before the thoughts of his brother came to mind.

"Also Mark I didn't know you liked rap music." said Curtis surprising the group as they turned to a confused looking Mark.

"I dabble what do you mean?" asked Mark.

"You told some new music producer about my rapping and now he want to sign me to his record company." said Curtis to the surprise of Mark who only smiled and nodded his head.

"Well I guess that's my brothers version of a sitdown." thought Mark.

"Yeah, I remember now he really liked your style." said Mark as Curtis nodded his head.

"Yeah I gotta meet him tomorrow, he said you were going to be there to just wanted to thank you." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah your welcome I'll see you there." said Mark as Curtis nodded his head before walking over to his car.

"I thought you said Curtis couldn't rap?" whispered Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"I thought I did to." said Mark as the group climbed back into Mark's car before driving away and making their way back to North Valley before passing at a familiar diner not far away from the Cu-de-Sac as Mark parked the car in front of the building.

"Tina working tonight?" asked Mark as Lee nodded his head before the group exited the car and made their way inside the diner.

"Pop's!" said Mark as the group entered the diner and noticed a chubby elderly African American man with short graying hair standing behind a white counter.

"Marcus and the North Valley Boys it's good to see." said Pop's as Mark nodded his head.

"And you're just in time." came another voice as the group turned their heads and noticed a woman with long blonde hair that looked to be in her late thirties.

"Good to see you Ma." said Mark as the woman walked over and planted kisses on the tops of each boys head.

"Your favorites on today's special." said Ma as the boys each nodded their heads with smiles

"Thank you Ma." said Trip as he gave a smile before rubbing his hands together up and down.

"Ma and Pops, they've owned this diner since we were kids. The two of them practically raised me after my grandmother passed and I've always been grateful." thought Mark with a smile across his face.

"Yeah I just repaired the damage from the last time you boys were here." said Pop's as the group rubbed the back of their heads.

"We said we were sorry." asked Lee as Trip and the others made their way to their usual table in the back of the empty diner.

"Next time you boys don't have to fight because I got Sheila ready." said Pop's as he reached under the counter and pulled out a Double Barrel Shotgun.

"Will you please put that thing away." came a loud familiar voice as Mark watched as a girl with long red hair, black eyes, and wearing a black dress with a white apron stepped out of the kitchen.

"Course not!" replied Pop's with a smile.

"Seriously one day your going to grab that thing the wrong way and it's gonna kill you." said the girl as Pop's started to chuckle.

"Hasn't happened yet so I ain't worried." said Pop's as the boys started to chuckle.

"Sup Tina?" asked Lee.

"Nothing just surviving this jungle." said Tina as she took a look at Pop's as the man looked down the barrel of the Shotgun.

"And this little hothead is Tina, Llke Aniyah she's like a big sister to us even though she's my age." thought Mark.

"So what can I get you boys?" asked Tina as she approached the table with her pen and notepad in hand as Mark took a seat next to Lee.

"The usual please." replied Mark as Tina started to laugh.

"Or you can stop playing hard to get and give me your number." said Trip as Tina stopped laughing to hit him over the head with the notepad.

"Down boy." said Tina as she turned to Mark.

"What's brought you out of the big city?" asked Tina.

"I've been homesick lately." replied Mark earning a chuckle from Tina.

"Whatever tell Aniyah I said hey." said Tina as she walked away.

"Speaking of her we were thinking of having a get together Saturday you should come." answered Mark as Tina rubbed her chin.

"Alright but who's gonna be there?" asked Tina as Mark rubbed his chin.

"A few of the old guys, some of the new guys, and than some." replied Mercy as Tina nodded her head.

"Alright I'll be there just make sure this time you guys keep the fighting to a minimum." said Tina as she placed her hand on her hips while earning chuckles from the boys.

"No promises." replied Lee as Tina walked away from the table leaving the group to talk amongst themselves before Ma came to the table carrying plates of food for each of the boys as they quickly dug into their meals.

"Most teenagers my age don't really appreciate hanging out with their friends until they grow old and realize they miss their childhood. Me on the other hand, I love these moments because they're when I feel the most human." thought Mark as lowered his head along with Lee, Mercy, and Trip as the group each gave a silent prayer for their fallen friends before starting to eat.

"Most people see me as a monster or time bomb ready to go off, but when I'm with these guys I feel truly accepted." thought Mark as Lee pulled the slice of lemon out of his drink and happily passed it to Mark as the duo watched Trip put french fries on his lip similar to a mustache.

"But behind the laughs and friendly playing we're all murderers and I don't just mean the night we went out and attacked those guys for Kozik, I mean besides myself Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Zach have all spilled blood have a stomach for it and still function normally even with blood on our hands." thought Mark as he eyed his laughing brothers.

"Some days I wish what our lives would have been like if we didn't stay in this horrible town where the only means of survival is murder, maybe then our lives would have been better." thought Mark as he started to laugh with the group before they finished their meal and went to one of their usual places after ending a day together...The North Valley Memorial Gardens.

The sun was beginning to set as the group of four sat on one knee over a familiar grave that seemed all to fresh to them as they read the name scribbled in black before closing their eyes and giving another prayer as Mercy opened up a bottle of soda before pouring it on the ground.

"In honor and memory of you my brothers." said Mark as Lee lit a candle in his hand before setting it on the grave and pressing his hands together and bowing his head three times before the grave while Trip whipped a tear from his eye.

"A La Vie And La Mort We Are Forever Brothers." yelled all four brothers as they remembered the short time they spent with their now deceased friend before rising to their feet and saying their goodbyes before walking back to the Cul-De-Sac as Mark approached his car.

"Hey Mark you coming back tomorrow?" asked Lee as Mark smiled before nodding his head.

"You know it brother." yelled Mark as he slid into the front seat of his car before driving away.

"A La Vie And La Mort Mu Brother. It's a combination of French and English that translate to a simple meaning. In Life and Death We Are Forever Brothers." thought Mark as he made his way back to Seattle.

"It's a small saying but it's the phrase that bonds all of us together for the rest of our lives." thought Mark as he made his way back to his apartment he slowly climbed the steps of his home with a smile on his face before entering his apartment and closing the door behind him.

"I haven't see you smile like that in a long time." came a deep unfamiliar voice as Mark whipped his head around and noticed a man sitting on couch with a smile on his face.

"YOU!" stated a wide eyed Mark as he got a better look of the man in the dark room noticing he was a tall African American man with shaved head of black hair and wearing an expensive looking suit as he smiled at Mark.

"It's good to see you two little brother." said the man as he smiled at a defensive Mark.

4: Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Roman Crime Family

All was silent as Mark stared with wide eyes at the man standing before him with the sinister smile that could send chills up the spines of all those that crossed him as Mark found his heart racing and his mind filling with images of two men walking out of the front door of his former home and never returning into his life...until now.

"How you been little brother?" he asked while taking a bite of the food on the table before him.

"Good enough Martin!" replied Mark as he kept a look of fearlessness on his face while eyeing the man and trying to refrain from shaking.

"Really you must be doing fine seeing as how you moved out of this house and decided to live your life hoping that we wouldn't come back and find you." said Martin with a sinister smile on Mark's face.

"You're wrong, I knew you'd come back... I just didn't know when." said Mark as Martin started to chuckle.

"Yeah seeing as how you're going to a new school and all." said Martin.

"Didn't have much of a choice after grandma died." said Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"I'm sorry for that we didn't get the news until a few months after her death and you were in Juvie." stated Martin as Mark gave the man an angry glare.

"So how did you find me?" asked Mark he watched his brother begin to laugh.

"How did I find you... brother you didn't do anything I didn't know about." said Martin as Mark's eyes widened as he looked at his laughing brother.

"I know about you getting picked on, the day your friend was killed, how you and those other kids seeked revenged, I know about your gang, oh and more importantly I know about your little secret cabin in the mountains with all those paintings." said Martin as Mark grew worried.

"If you knew about all of that why didn't you stop it?" asked Mark as he quickly tried to change the subject.

"What kind of brother would I have been if I didn't let you fight your own battles, and if you ask me letting you fight your own battles turned you into quite the great young man." he finished with a chuckle.

"Cut the crap Martin and tell me why you're really here?" asked Mark with an angry scowl on his face as Martin fixed himself a glass of water.

"Let's just say the family business has been having some troubles in New York and I've been looking to move somewhere else." said Martin as he took a sip of the water.

"I hear Vermont's nice." said Mark with a serious look on his face.

"Sorry but I was thinking of something more closer to you brother." said Martin.

"Well your out of luck because I don't want to be apart of the family business." said Mark as Martin approached him.

"You don't have to for now." said Martin as he took another sip of his water.

"How was your eighteenth birthday brother?" asked Martin.

"What about it?" asked Mark.

"Our father left you something in his will for when you turned eighteen." said Martin with a smile.

"Whatever it is I don't want it." said Mark surprising Martin as he turned to Mark.

"You don't want it, Marcus don't you understand that whatever father left you can make you a multimillionaire." said Martin.

"When I formed the Brothers I took an oath to standing up against drug dealers and I'm not becoming one like you." said Mark as he pushed passed his brother.

"Brother father could have left you anything." said Martin.

"Whatever he left me can stay where it is because I want no part of it." said Mark as a wide smile spread on Martin's face.

"That's what you're saying now but just wait brother." said Martin as he made his way towards the front door.

"I'll be in touch!" said Martin as he walked out the front door Mark felt as warm feeling wash over him like the chill had finally left his house as he rushed into his room.

"He's been watching me this entire time." thought Mark as he started going through the books.

"If he knows what I've been doing he obviously knows about everything I've done." thought Mark as he spent the next few hours going through his things.

"Nothings missing so far but I don't trust him." he thought as he looked at the clock in the room and noticed the time.

"I should get some rest before school starts I don't think I can pull another all nighter." he thought before changing clothes and climbing into his bed.

"I'll deal with him later hopefully he won't do anything that draws attention until then." thought Mark as he quickly fell asleep.

The Next Day

School had long since started as Mark sat in class not bothering to listen to his teacher who was writing information on the board and explaining the problem while Mark's mind stuck with the conversation with his eldest brother and seemed to occupy his mind like water being poured into a glass before he was interrupted by a sharp elbow to the side the caused him to blink and turn to the source where he noticed Maya looking at him with a concern.

"You okay?" she whispered earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah just tired I had a hard time sleeping last night." he answered.

"Was it about the wars?" she asked while Mark shook his head.

"Before that." he replied earning a confused look from Maya before the duo was silenced by the teacher who turned his head and looked for the source of the noise.

"Talk later." said Mark as he and Maya continued to work before the final bell rang out dismissing the seniors as Maya quickly approached Mark after class.

"Feeling talkative now?" she asked as Mark turned to her.

"Depends you want a ride home?" he asked earning a nod from Maya before the duo made their way towards the school parking lot and were stopped by a familiar black haired student.

"Boss!" said the voice as Mark turned around and came face to face with his newest Prospect to the Brothers.

"This grinning boy here is Bucky Bradshaw our newest Prospect, he's a little young to be a Brother but his older brother wanted me to watch over him while he's locked up and since then I've been taking care of him." thought Mark as he smiled at the boy.

"Prospect what are you doing out of class?" asked Mark.

"My teacher sent me to get something from the office." he answered as Maya eyed the teen.

"Have you heard from Lee, Mercy, or Trip?" asked Mark earning a shake of the head from boy.

"Not since the first day." he replied.

"Alright then be ready tomorrow morning I need you to help out with something in North Valley." stated Mark as Buck quickly nodded his head.

"Yes sir I'll be ready." said Buck as he nodded his head with a smile.

"Now get back to class." finished Mark earning a nod from Buck as the teen walked away while Mark and Maya made their way out of the school.

"Isn't that Tucker's little brother?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah and trust me he really wants in like Tucker." stated Mark as the duo made their way to the parking lot they caught site of both Daryl and Jordan sitting on the benches and watching the duo leave in silence.

"About time you two hooked up." said Daryl earning a middle finger from Mark as he and Maya hopped in his car before driving away from the school.

"Thanks for the ride." said Maya as Mark gave a chuckle.

"Figured you were tired of riding the bus." he stated as Maya gave a low chuckle.

"You don't know the half of it." she replied as Mark kept his eyes on the road.

"So are you going to tell me about why you spaced out earlier?" she asked.

"Sure but promise me you won't baby me after I tell you." stated Mark as Maya began to chuckle.

"Marcus I knew you since Elementary School I know a lot about you and the Brothers." said Maya.

"Yeah but this is before I moved to Rivergreen the story I don't like telling people...the story of my family." stated Mark earning Maya's attention as she eyed the teen.

"First off I need to get this off my chest, I wasn't born in Washington, I was originally born in Harlem New York. I never knew much about my father what I do know is that he was shot to death when I was still young and my mother died when I was five in a fire." said Mark surprising Maya.

"I wasn't alone though I had two older brothers Martin and Marrick. Martin was fifteen years older than me while Marrick was seven years so there was a big age gap between us that hindered us and I had a different mother then the both of them so that was another thing." he said as Maya nodded his head.

"My eldest brother Martin was never really around he was always distant, isolated, and never truly there for me while Marrick was my worst nightmare." said Mark.

"He used to beat me up constantly for just about anything and I don't mean play fighting, I mean he literally beat the hell out of me...he broke both my arms, both my legs, a few of my ribs, and when I was five he stabbed me five times just for fun." said Mark as he stopped at a red light before lifting his school shirt and showing Maya his tattooed torso where he pointed to the scars never healed themselves.

"Jesus Christ." said Maya as Mark lowered his shirt just as the light turned green.

"Made my life hell and Martin didn't do anything to stop it. That's actually why I moved to Rivergreen with my grandmother because she thought if I stayed with him any longer I would die." said Mark as Maya thought tears would fall from her face.

"You moved away from them only to move into a place like Rivergreen." stated Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"The reason I spaced out earlier is because my eldest brother Martin payed me a visit last night." stated Mark to the shock of Maya.

"Well how did that go?" asked Maya.

"It went well but just his presence here unnerves me." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"You said he was the one that wasn't around?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Well I think you should give him a chance." stated Maya to Mark's dismay.

"Why should I do that?" asked Mark.

"Marcus he came all the way from New York to be with you that's got to mean something and even if things turn out bad none of them can do you like they did when you were younger because you aren't that same kid." stated Maya as Mark continued to drive.

"Just give him a chance?" asked Maya as Mark took his right hand off the steering wheel before placing it on top of Maya's to the girls surprise.

"Alright I'll give him a chance but you have to do me a favor?" asked Mark to Maya's surprise.

"What?" asked Maya.

"We're having a party in North Valley tomorrow to celebrate Aniyah going off to college and I want you to come." stated Mark as a surprised look spread across Maya's face.

"I don't know-!" started Maya before Mark interrupted.

"Come on, you from North Valley and our Cul-De-Sac it might surprise the guys to see you back." said Mark.

"That's not why I'm having second thoughts." said Maya as Mark nodded his head before turning a corner.

"Come on things have changed a lot since we were young and you don't have to worry about gunshots going over your head anymore." said Mark as Maya looked away from him.

"Come on I won't leave your side the entire time." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"Alright I'll come." said Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Great I'll pick you up tomorrow and you don't have to dress fancy, hell you can keep the gothic look." said Mark as Maya started to chuckle.

"You don't have to worry about that." stated Maya as Mark pulled up in front of the girls house.

"Thanks for the ride and for the story." said Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"My pleasure!" said Mark as he watched her step out of the car.

"Can I call you tonight?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head..

"Anytime!" said Mark as Maya walked away from the car while waving to Mark as the youngest Roman drove away from the house before arriving back at his apartment.

"Her advice might seem like the right thing to do but I didn't tell her why I'm truly afraid of my brother being here." thought Mark as he made his way to his room before going through his closet.

"She's now one of the few people who know about my life before Rivergreen, to this day I never told Aniyah or any of the Brothers about my past or more importantly that I'm the son of New York Crime Boss Michael Roman, mainly because I fear how the would react." thought Mark as lowered his head.

"You'd think someone like me wouldn't be afraid of anything...but I'm not. The one thing I never had before coming to Rivergreen was family and friends who care about me like they do and to lose them would probably destroy me." thought Mark as he threw on a pair of dark blue jeans and a black wife beater before he heard a knock at his front door.

"Hopefully this isn't another surprise." he thought before making his way to the front door he opened it revealing the unfamiliar face of a Caucasian woman that stood about 5'4 with long blonde hair and carrying a baby girl in her arms.

"Are you Marcus Smith, I need to speak with you." said the woman as Mark looked around beside her and noticed that not a soul was on the streets as he turned to the woman.

"Yeah come in!" said Mark as he led the woman into his home before closing the door behind as she took a seat on his couch while cradling the sleeping baby in her arms.

"What can I do for you?" asked Mark as he eyed the woman.

"I have a message from your brother Martin." said the woman as Mark's eyes widened with surprise as he turned to the woman.

"He wanted me to give you this and he said to bring your friends." said the woman as she handed Mark a piece of paper where he noticed an address written on it.

"I'm sorry he couldn't tell you to your face but I really needed the money he was offering." said the woman as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah it's okay." replied Mark as he thoughts turned to his brother.

"I should get going now." said the woman as she rose the child in her arms started to stir as Mark watched the woman rock the child carefully.

"Wait!" said Mark as the woman turned to him he approached her and started looking up her arms, neck, and hands.

"Wait here." said Mark as he went into his bedroom as the woman stood outside his door before returning with some money in his hand.

"Here get yourself and the kid something to eat." said Mark as the woman slowly took the woman.

"God bless you young man." replied the woman as she left Mark apartment as the teen watched her leave.

"Monster, Murderer, Psychopath, and Freak are amongst a long list of words people call me before I took their life, and in a way they are correct but me helping others isn't a surprising sight. Unlike most serial killers I actually have some compassion and empathy for others just not for that percentage of people who abuse this world." thought Mark before he watched as a familiar truck pulled up in the parking lot of his home.

"Who was that?" asked Mercy as Mark shook his head.

"Homeless woman, what are you guys doing here?" asked Mark.

"We're going to that record place with you." said Trip earning Mark's full attention.

"How did you guys know about that?" asked a surprised Mark as he mentally cursed himself.

"Curtis sent us the message and said you were going to be there so we decided to come as well." said Lee as Mark nodded his head knowing it was better to agree than disagree.

"Alright then but it isn't for a few hours." said Mark earning a nod from Lee and the others.

"We know that's why we came early we need your help with some homework." said Trip earning a roll of the eyes from Mark.

"Even though we're in different schools you guys still need my help." said Mark.

"Come on we brought pizza and lemonade." said Trip as he held up a familiar box and glass earning a chuckle from Mark..

"It's mostly English and these Psychology and Sociology but Lee can handle the math." replied Mercy a Mark nodded his head before chuckling.

"Alright but I expect my math and my science throw into that list." said Mark earning nods from the group as they entered his home and began to work while eating pizza for most of the evening before Mark's phone started to vibrate alerting him of the meeting.

"It's time." said a serious sounding Mark earning a nod from the group as they quickly made their way out of the house before climbing in Mark's car and driving away.

"I always feared this day would come. The day those who know me as Marcus Smith learn the truth and see me for who I truly am...Marcus Roman." thought Mark as he continued to drive.

"My friends know little about my life before I moved to Rivergreen because my past isn't the best ." thought Mark as he looked away from Lee and the others as they started to converse amongst each other.

"But I can honestly say I knew this day was coming and I've always feared it." thought Mark as he took a deep breath earning Lee's attention.

"Something wrong brother?" asked Lee as Mark turned to look at his Chinese brother.

"Nah just a little tired." replied Mark earning a nod from Trip.

"Know what you mean brother I didn't get much sleep last night." said Trip as he lifted his hat to the rub his short auburn hair.

"Hey Mark I gotta question for you." said Mercy earning Mark's attention.

"Aniyah's leaving for college you looking for another girlfriend?" asked Mercy as Mark instantly knew where this conversation was going.

"No, I am not!" replied Mark.

"Because I got this cute girl who's got a thing for guys your size." said Mercy as the group started to chuckle.

"Sorry brother not interested." said Mark.

"I am she got a nice ass." said Trip earning chuckles from the group as they finally made it to their destination that Mark recognized as a place that that just opened up as he parked his car across the street before leading the group inside where he caught site of a familiar man.

"Marcus I was started to wonder if you were coming." said Martin as he wrapped his arms around an unmoving Mark to the surprise of Lee and the others.

"And you brought your friends." said Martin in a deep voice as he eyed the group with a smile.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Martin...I'm Marcus's older brother." said Martin to the shock of Lee and the others as they eyed the man and more so Mark as he noticed Martin not saying his last name.

"You're Marcus's older brother, we didn't know he had an older brother." said Trip as the group eyed the silent Mark.

"He doesn't talk about us much I don't know why though." said Martin as he looked down at the silent Marcus.

"Are we going to get this meeting over with?" asked Mark as Martin nodded his head.

"Yes Curtis has already gave me a demo so let's get this meeting over with." said Martin as he led Mark and the brothers into the back of the studio.

"Why didn't you tell us you had an older brother?" whispered Lee.

"Because my brothers and my family is everything I'm against." said Mark earning surprised looks from the Brother members as Martin opened a door and entered a room followed by Mark and the others where the group saw Curtis and the two Royals from earlier.

"You missed the show boys, I killed the mic." said Curtis as the group each nodded their heads as Mark pressed his back against the wall as Martin took a seat across from Curtis.

"Well now that Marcus is here we can get down to the real business." said Martin as he gave a sly smile in Curtis's direction.

"What you want to sign me right away?" asked Curtis as Martin gave a low chuckle Mark eyed Lee and the others before putting his finger to his mouth earning confused looks from the trio as they each nodded their heads.

"This isn't just an interview Curtis this is a business meeting for people in our kind of business." said Martin earning confused looks from the man as he eyed the smiling Martin who reached into his jacket pocket before pulling out small square shaped white substance and setting it on the table in front of Curtis.

"I want to become the new drug supplier for the Royals in all of Washington." said Martin to the surprise of Curtis and everyone else in the room with the exception of Mark.

"What is this?" asked Curtis as Martin eyed the man.

"Exactly what I said a business meeting." said Martin.

"I've got major drug connections and I've been looking to expand my operation into Rivergreen, Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane but I need a group that can sell my product for me and Marcus here pointed me in your direction." said Martin as Curtis and the others took a look at an unmoving Mark.

"What I'm offering is highly addictive and can get you more customers." said Martin to Curtis's surprise.

"I like the offer but what we already have a supplier." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head.

"I'm aware you have a supplier...for the moment." said Martin to the shock of everyone in the room.

"As of right now I'm in the process of taking over all of Jonathan Brady's business from the Real Estate he's invested in, to the clubs, bars, and restaurants." said Martin as Mark remembered Jonathan's words from earlier that day about being bought out.

"Once he signs over all of his businesses to me he won't have anything and no real way of getting you as much product as he did before but I can offer you triple that right now." said Martin to the surprise of Curtis.

"Oh and if you buy from me I'll tack off a twenty percent discount on all drugs the Royals buy from me and lower the street taxes you all already pay." said Martin as he sat back in his chair with a wide smile on his face.

"You just don't want to become our supplier you want total control over us don't you?" asked Curtis as Martin shook his head.

"No you can keep your control but I may ask you for favors from time to time and I expect you to follow." said Martin as Curtis rubbed his chin.

"This gonna be a hard decision." said Curtis as Martin nodded his head.

"Alright let me make it easier for you, not only am I sighing you to a record label but I'm also opening up a few night clubs, bars, and restaurants in Rivergreen and I'll need people to run those for me and I have a few lawyers and cops on my payroll that can help you out of a tight situation." said Martin to the surprise of Curtis.

"This guy for real?" whispered Trip as the group turned their heads and eyed a silent Mark.

"This might be difficult some of my homies loyal." said Curtis as Martin nodded his head.

"Of course they are but I'm sure you can sway their opinion." said Martin as he pointed his finger at the drugs on the table.

"That's about half a key and that's the Rivergreen Royals personally, you can get the other half when you convince your guys." said Martin earning a deep breath from Curtis as he nodded his head.

"We'll talk about it with the others." said Curtis as a smile spread across Martin's face.

"Alright then but make it snappy I've got a lot of drugs coming into town in a few days." said Martin as Curtis nodded his head the eldest Roman outstretched his hand to the man.

"In my profession we end deals with a handshake rather good or bad." said Martin as Curtis shook the man's head with a wide smile spread across Martin's face as Curtis and the Royal members made their way out of the room while Martin turned to Mark.

"Well that was fun brother." said Martin as he approached the silent Marcus.

"Whatever!" said Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"I would stay and chat with you and your friends but I gotta business to run and all, so I'll see you boys later." said Martin as Mark moved past Martin as Lee and the others eyed the two brothers with confused looks on their faces.

Brothers

The drive back to Mark's apartment was long and silent as the brothers made their way back to the apartment complex with Mark remaining silent as Lee and the others kept a close eye on him.

"So did anybody see that coming?" asked Trip.

"I don't think any of us saw that coming brother." said Mercy as he eyed the back of Mark's head.

"Mark always has a plan and is full of surprises." said Lee.

"I didn't know that plan involved keeping secrets from us." said Mercy as Mark stopped walking catching everyone's attention.

"Alright then guys I know you all have questions about what just happened back there and you deserve them and I'll answer them, just not right now." said Mark as the group arrived at his apartment and watched the youngest Roman climb the stairs to his apartment before making their way to Mercy's truck and driving away.

"We're just gonna leave without him giving us answers?" asked Trip as he eyed both Lee and Mercy.

"He'll tell us when he's ready, I have a feeling we're about to step into some uncharted waters." said Mercy.

Mark

"Damn Damn Damn!" thought Mark as he slowly climbed his stairs as his cellphone started to ring as he looked he noticed that the call was from an unknown number.

"Hello!" said Mark as he answered the phone he heard familiar chuckling on the other end of the phone that angered him.

"You did a good job today little brother." said Martin as he stopped chuckling.

"Why did you need me and my friends there for that meeting." said Mark as Martin continued to chuckle.

"I wanted you there not your friends you brought them, I needed you there to see what I've been you know these gangs better than anyone." said Martin as Mark grew even angrier.

"Listen if you think me and my brothers are going to be playing janitor for your operation you have us completely fucked up." yelled Mark.

"Noted, but there is a gift I want to give you Marcus." said Martin as Mark started to chuckle with anger in his voice as he continued to speak.

"If you think I'm going to take it you've got another thing coming, because of you I have to explain why my older brother is a drug supplier who can potentially be a problem to not only the town but the entire state." yelled Mark as Martin started to chuckle.

"You give me to much credit brother." said Martin.

"Besides this a gift I know from a fact that'll interest you." said Martin as Mark finally made it up the stairs and made his way to his room.

"Well you have another-!" started Mark before he took a look at the front door of his apartment where he noticed a brown envelope tacked to his door as he approached the envelope he heard a chuckle from his brother.

"I see you found my gift." said Martin as Mark entered his house he opened the envelope and found stacks of twenty dollar bills along with a picture of a familiar African American man inside.

"I believe you know Jonathon Brady already." said Martin as Mark kept the phone to his ear he pulled out more pictures of the man's house and his car along with restaurants.

"I've seen the way you look at him like you want to kill him well now you'll be happy to know it won't be long before he's dead." said Martin as Mark continued to look through the pictures.

"Why are you giving me this?" asked Mark.

"I thought you liked this sort of thing." said Martin as Mark eyed the picture of the man.

"I don't want you to kill him for me I just want you to know his death is coming soon incase you want to watch." said Martin as Mark went to speak he heard the dial tone of his brothers phone as he continued to stare at the picture his mind began to race, his heart began to pump rapidly, and his hands started to sweat as he found an address on the phone he couldn't help himself as he started to lick his lips as he felt an almost wave of hunger wash over his body as he stared at the picture.

5: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Saturday The Day for Kids To be Kids

Killers to Kill

Seattle, Washington

The sun was a just a few hours from rising on this Saturday morning as Mark sat in his car outside of a big house as a familiar man stepped inside of the home with a smile on his face.

"Since I found my brothers gift, I've been watching Brady's movement." thought Mark as he continued to eye the house.

"He's been gone much of the night but one thing I know about him is he doesn't sleep long." he thought while rubbing his chin before looking around the house and catching sight of a familiar device at the front door of his home.

"Camera's that's gonna make something's difficult." thought Mark.

"But not impossible, aside from being a complete dick Brady is a major drug trafficker in Washington and he didn't get that position by buying his way to the top. It took him a lot of bullets to get where he's at now. Killing him should hold my urges for at least a couple of weeks but the downside is he may be my most hardest kills." thought Mark as he continued to think about the man.

"Six foot six and he looks like he well over two hundred and fifty pounds and majority of that weight looks like it's purely muscle. He's gonna be a difficult kill but that won't stop me from hanging that bastard upside down and painting a portrait with his life force." thought Mark as he looked at his clock in his car and noticed the time of day.

"He should be sleeping off his long night which should give me a little time to get back to Rivergreen. Hopefully I see him there and can make my move." thought Mark as he watched in surprise as an African American woman and two kids exited the home.

"Damn, I forgot he had a family which is gonna make this more difficult." thought Mark as he gritted his teeth before driving away as he quickly entered a familiar neighborhood before stopping his car in front of a familiar street.

"He better be up." thought Mark as he stepped out of the car and headed for the front door of the house and started knocking only for an elderly woman with short auburn hair to answer the door.

"Hello can I help you?" asked the woman.

"Can Buck come out?" asked Mark as the woman looked at the shortest brother.

"Oh you must be Mark sorry about that come in." said the woman as she opened the door and let Mark inside of the house as the youngest Roman instantly took in the smell of a freshly clean house and the aroma of bacon in the air.

"Buckles will be down shortly." said the woman as Mark gave a sharp chuckle at the name of his Prospect.

"Ha Buckles!" repeated Mark as he heard a door open from upstairs as Buck quickly came down the stairs dressed in a white t-shirt over a brown jacket and with blue jean pants.

"Sorry boss thought you'd be coming later." said an out of breath Buck as Mark nodded his head.

"It's alright now come on." said Mark as and Buck headed towards the front door.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want to stay Mark I made eggs and bacon." said Buck's mom as Mark stopped in his tracks at the mention of food.

"Sorry but we gotta go Ms. Bradshaw we got a big day today." said Mark as he opened the front door.

"Okay have fun!" said Buck's mom as the two walked out the front door.

"Sorry about my mom she can be a bit embarrassing and pushy with her cooking." said Buck as Mark gave a slight groan.

"That's why I can't wait to move out and be on my own like you guys." finished Buck as Mark turned to him.

"At least you have a mom to cook for you and take care of you...Buckles." said Mark as he led the Prospect to the car.

"Sorry about that boss." said Buck as he slid into the passenger seat.

"It's alright just remember try not to get away so easily." said Mark as Buck nodded his head Mark started his car and drove off.

"Where are we going?" asked Buck with a confused look.

"To get someone important." replied Mark as he entered another familiar neighborhood.

North Valley Cul-De-Sac

Things in the Cul-De-Sac were just starting to get active as Mercy and Trip stood outside their home and watched as the younger kids around the neighborhood enjoyed this Saturday morning by playing in the streets causing a heart warming smile to spread across both of their faces.

"It's a beautiful sight." said Mercy as Trip nodded his head.

"Yeah they can enjoy their childhood now and ignore the reality of what's going on around them." said Trip as Mercy turned to his auburn haired brother.

"They shouldn't be aware of the reality that goes around them at their ages, that's why we do what we do remember." said Mercy as Trip chuckled.

"I know I'm just saying." said Trip as the group watched as Lee approached the two of them.

"Hows things coming brother?" asked Mercy as Lee wiped some sweat from his forehead.

"I called mostly everyone from the old days are on their way here brother and Tina, Pa, and Ma are handling much of the food but they still want you to Bar-Be-Que Mercy." said Lee with a chuckle as the duo nodded their heads.

"I can handle that." said Mercy.

"And I can call the women." said Trip with a chuckle.

"No brother this day is about Aniyah not another one of our parties we're just inviting the guys from the old days." said Mercy earning a nod and a roll of the eyes from Trip as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Have you heard anything from Mark?" asked Mercy as he looked at Lee.

"He said he was on his way, but he was bringing Buck and someone else with him." said Lee.

"You guys still think we can trust him?" asked Trip.

"Mark's never let us down before he's always had a reason for his actions." said Lee as Mercy nodded his head.

"But what if he cut a side deal with this new supplier?" asked Trip.

"Please brother if Mark was gonna sell us out he would have did it all those years ago when other groups approached him." said Lee as Mercy gave a quick nod.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions yet brother, he's gonna explain it to us today." said Lee.

"And if he doesn't?" asked Trip.

"Then he risks being thrown out of the family." said Mercy as Lee slowly nodded his head in agreement.

One Hour Later

The drive to the Cul-de-sac wasn't a long one as Mark parked his car outside of the clubhouse where he noticed members of the brothers standing outside waiting for him.

"Let's go Prospect." said Mark as he and Buck stepped out of the car with a smile on his face just as Mark turned his head to his other guest.

"You need me to hold your hand the entire time?" asked Mark as Maya rolled her eyes before stepping out of the car and noticing the change of the neighborhood as the trio made their way inside Aniyah's home where they noticed a group of brothers before Mark's eyes fell on Tina.

"Hey!" said Mark as the two quickly hugged .

"About time you got here maybe now you can get Mercy to start cooking before everyone arrives." said Tina as Mark slowly nodded his head.

"Hey you remember this one?" asked Mark as he pushed Maya in front of him earning wide eyes from Tina.

"Maya its been a long time." said Tina with a smile earning a nod from the Asian Gothic girl as she nodded her head.

"Yeah, Mark's been trying to get me to come back here since last year." replied Maya as Tina nodded her head.

"I know he told us you went to school with him." said Tina as Mark nodded his head.

"Sorry to interrupt but while you two catch up there's people I need to see." replied Mark as Tina nodded her head.

"If you're looking for Lee, Mercy, and Trip, their in the basement with Calvin, Eric, and few others." said Tina as she and Maya continued to talk Mark turned to look at Buck.

"Help Tina with anything she needs while I talk with the others." said Mark earning a nod from Buck as he headed towards the kitchen with Tina and Maya while Mark stepped down into the basement as each step he made he felt his heart beating faster as he made it to the door.

"Here goes everything." thought Mark as he took one deep breath before opening the door and walking into the room as he noticed Lee, Mercy, Trip and three other Brothers.

"Hey Mark it's about time you made it." said a Brother with short black hair as he sat beside an African American man and a blonde haired man whil Mark nodded his head before eyeing the silent trio.

"Calvin, Eric, Tyler I need you guys to wait outside for a moment." said Mark earning nods from the group as they rose from the trio.

"Calvin, Eric, and Tyler three more members of second generation of Brothers. Like us they were fighting for survival in their own Cul-De-Sac during the gang wars and decided to fight beside us in the war, but the only real thing we have in common is our homes in North Valley none of them are really good fighters but they make great foot soldiers." thought Mark as the trio exited the room before taking his seat at the table.

"Guys!" said Mark as he looked at the group who finally turned to him.

"I know you guys have got questions and it's about time I answered them." said Mark as the group watched him lower his head.

"First I need to get off my chest is my identity, my name isn't really Marcus Smith." said Mark earning shocked looks from Lee and the others as they turned to him.

"My real name is Marcus Roman, I am the youngest son of New York Gangster Michael Roman and that man that you saw at the studio was my older Brother Martin Roman. I also have another brother named Marrick Roman." said Mark earning shocked looks from the group who remained speechless.

"My father was a major drug trafficker in the New York and Atlanta Underworld just behind the Italian Mob." said Mark as the group eyed him.

"Just a year after I was born, my father was shot over twenty times and died right in front of me." said Mark bringing shocked looks to the faces of his brothers.

"After he died my mother took on the role of raising me and under the protection of the family. We moved out of Harlem to Jersey, and attempted to start a new life but my mother was a fiend and when I was five my fathers past came back for her. She was beaten and raped before being cut up and stuffed in a chimney and burned and the entire time I was in the room with her." said Mark.

"Some nights I can still hear her screaming as the blade slammed into her and I can still smell her flesh roasting you ever want to know what burning flesh smells like ask me." said Mark as the group watched him closely.

"After my parents were killed my other brother Marrick started to spiral down a wrong path and took his anger out on me. He used to beat me everyday because he blamed me for our parents death. One day he took a knife and stabbed me with it, he stabbed his five year old brother in the chest with a knife." said Mark as he lifted his shirt showing where the scars could be seen just under the tattoos on his chest.

"I almost died and I would have if I stayed there so my grandmother decided to take me away from New York and we moved here in Rivergreen in that house right next door." said Mark as the group continued to eye him.

"She did everything she could for me but after she passed while I was in Juvie I lived majority of my life alone until you guys basically took me in...but as you know what happened shortly after that." said Mark as he looked up at the teens who were staring at him with wide eyes.

"That explains why you clam up everytime someone ask about your parents." said Lee as he eyed Mark.

"I never told any of you this because I didn't know how you would look at me afterwards. You guys are my new family and I didn't want to lose that." said Mark earning nods from Mercy, Lee, and Trip.

"It's not your fault, I mean we can't choose our families." said Mercy as Mark gave a weak smile.

"Marcus Roman, I never would have thought, sorry I doubted you." said Trip as he smiled at Mark who nodded his head in return.

"It's good to know your story Mark but we gotta know what is your brother doing here?" asked Mercy.

"NYPD's cracking down hard on the family and my other brothers in prison, thank god, and I'm guessing he's looking for a new location to set up shop." said Mark as earning mixed looks from the Brothers.

"As of right now he's trying to take control of the Royals and all of Brady's business and it won't be long before other gangs want a piece of his pie." said Mark.

"What about us Brothers and North Valley?" asked Mercy.

"He said he won't bother us and he might need some knowledge on how things are run here but other than that we don't have to worry about him trying anything." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Can we trust his word?" asked Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah if it's one thing I've learned from him is that his word is true mainly to family." said Mark earning nods from Lee and Mercy.

"And brothers you don't have to worry, he's blood but you guys are my true family and I know where my heart and loyalty lies." finished Mark earning a nod from Trip.

"Good to know but will we be seeing more of your brother?" asked Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"He'll more than likely show himself again, he has that real bad." said Mark earning nods from the group at the table.

"Alright then let's start today off." said Mercy with a smile on his face as Lee tossed Mark a black baseball cap with Brother stitched across in white writing.

"You said no hats but we couldn't resist." said Lee earning a chuckle from Mark as he put the hat on his head while Lee, Mercy, and Trip did the same.

"We should really think about what we're going to put for a logo ad colors though." said Trip.

"We already voted brother eagles, dragons, skulls, are the logo and the colors are black and white." said Lee as Mercy nodded his head.

"Yeah but it seems kinda overused." said Trip earning chuckles from the group before they heard someone slam the door open and noticed Tina storming into the basement.

"So um when are you guys gonna start cooking?" asked Tina with venom in her voice as the group gave low chuckles.

"Keep your panties dry sweetheart we're coming." replied a chuckling Trip as Tina shot him an angry look that made his stop as Maya entered the basement.

"You guys still like to hangout in basements don't you?" asked a smiling Maya as Mark started to chuckle.

"Somewhat." answered Mark as the trio of brothers looked at him with confused eyes.

"Get to grilling now." said Tina as she walked from out of the basement with Maya in tow as the group eyed Mark.

"Uh brother who's the sexy Asia vampira?" asked Lee.

"Maya." said Mark shocking the group.

"That's Maya god damn she got breast, ass, lips, and hips, oh my god and then she got too much to say she Asian." stated Trip.

"No wonder you didn't want that girls number you trying to rekindle old flames with your first crush." said Mercy earning a light blush from Mark.

"It make sense, you and her were inseparable when we were kids, remember she stayed right next door to you and you would hop your fence into her yard." added Lee.

"Whatever." said Mark as he walked up the stairs with the trio of snickering Brothers in tow as they made their way to Mercy's house and grabbed his barbeque grill before making their way back to Aniyah's home as Mark, Mercy, and Trip entered the backyard carrying the large barbeque grill with them.

"Alright set it down." said Mercy as the trio set the grill down as Mark turned to Mercy.

"You think you can handle a grill this size brother?" asked Mark as Mercy started to chuckle.

"Please you forget who I am brother." replied Mercy with a chuckle as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah I kinda did, Louis "No Mercy" Ramirez, mister six foot three two hundred forty four pounds of pure muscle, the guy who loves to cook with him mom." said Mark.

"We all got some secrets in our closet Mark, the only difference is I'm not hiding it." said Mercy as the group watched as Trip walked over carrying a bag of charcoal.

"Not hiding it he says, then how about I get your mommies little cook apron and throw it on." said Trip as the group started to laugh.

"Real cooks don't need no apron." said Mercy as he picked up the bag and dumped a few pieces inside the grill before picking up a canister of lighter fluid as Mark eyed Mercy as the large man doused the contents of the grill with the colorless liquid as Mark's thoughts returned to his wooden cabin in the woods and the well in his backyard.

"I've set people ablaze many times but the sight of fire always brings me back to the day of my mothers death." thought Mark as he watched as Mercy lit a piece of paper on fire before tossing it in the grill as all three brothers watched the fire spread across the charcoal before Mercy sprayed more lighter fluid inside of it as the group watched the flames grow higher.

"Want another lesson on cooking brother?" asked Mercy as Mark turned to him.

"I thought you didn't want me to burn the house down." said Mark as Mercy started to laugh.

"Come on I'll let you cook the hot dogs they don't take long and they're the most easy to make." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"I'll hold your word to it but I won't guarantee they'll be edible." said Mark as he turned his head.

"Don't worry we can make the Prospects eat it." said Trip with a chuckle.

"Speaking of Prospects we're missing one aren't we?" asked Mercy earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah I'm gonna go get him." said Mark earning a nod from the group.

"While you do that I'm gonna be setting up my DJ table." said Trip.

"Go for it brother but make it appropriate we might have kids coming over." said Mark.

"Among other people coming over brother." said Trip as Mark grew confused.

"What's he talking about?" asked Mark.

"He invited a few girls from his contact list here." said Mercy.

"Hey Mark brought his new girlfriend to his ex-girlfriends going away party so it only seems fair." said Trip earning an angry chuckle from Mark.

"So we're looking at about three girls." replied Mark.

"More like two he didn't invite mom." said Mercy as both brothers started to laugh while Trip eyed the both of them angrily.

"Both of you can eat a-!" started Trip before he was interrupted as Link and Zach stepped into the backyard carrying bags filled with meat.

"Are we interrupting anything?" asked Link.

"No we were just picking on Trip." said Mercy as Zach brought the bags of meat over to him.

"And then you got the good meat." said Mercy as Zach nodded his head.

"If I'm eating it of course I'm getting the good meat." said Zach.

"Unfortunately Mark's cooking it." said Trip earning a middle finger from the youngest Roman.

"Look on the bright side...we didn't die the last time we ate his cooking brother, so that's a relief." said Lee earning laughs from the group.

"Ha ha quit making jokes and come with me to get Chris." said Mark as Lee chuckled.

"Alright but me and you gotta get someone before we come back." said Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"Alright who?" asked Mark.

"You'll see when we get there." said Lee as he and Mark walked out of the backyard through the side gate while Mercy began to grill with Link and Zach watching.

"You think Chris's mother will let him out of the house?" asked Mark as Lee shook his shoulders.

"Hopefully his mother really needs to cut the umbilical cord." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"Would you after everything that went on in this town?" asked Mark.

"Yeah but a lot has changed since we were kids. I mean just look around we couldn't act this way when we were his age and he should take advantage of that." stated Lee.

"That's because this war isn't truly over." said Mark earning Lee's attention as the duo continued to move up the Cul-De-Sac.

"What do you mean?" asked Lee.

"In situations like this I look at History and the Gang War reminded me greatly of WWI Europe. The war was started after we took Ray and members of the Royals, in response the Royals blamed the Familia and declared war but the problem with that was that the only way for them to launch attacks on the Familia was by going through North Valley and dragging the people living there in their war." said Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"So we're like Belgium because they did treat us like um, but the only difference is we didn't have a group like the British to help us out." replied Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"No the Brothers would be described as the British, think about it once they started coming into our neighborhoods guys from all over were fighting like the Belgians did but when the Brothers started fighting we dominated." said Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"But who's the Americans?" asked Mark.

"I say the Sheriff's department was a combination of America and Russia." said Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"Ha I got you last to arrive first to depart before the war is done." said Lee as Mark chuckled.

"So what right now is that period of time between WWI and WWII?" asked Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"I think so, like the Germans neither the Royals or the Familia were happy with how things ended, and there's still a lot of animosity between the two and all it takes is one spark to start a war." said Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"And what happens if another war does start?" asked Lee as Mark turned to face the Chinese Brother.

"We end it like we did the first one." said Mark as the duo finally reached their destination and began to climb the steps of the house before knocking on the door.

"Coming!" came a familiar voice as Mark watched as a scrawny blonde haired teen with bright blue eyes opened the door with wide eyes.

"Mark Lee what brings you both here?" asked Chris.

"Here's another Prospect Christian Cross, he doesn't look like much but he's a loyal brother but there are two things keeping him from joining ranks quicker one is that he isn't the best fighter two is his medical condition." thought Mark.

"We're throwing a party for Aniyah and we wanted to know if you were coming." said Mark as Chris squinted his eyes at the teen.

"I don't know." said Chris as he rubbed his chin.

"Come on Prospect you can't just sit in your house everyday." said Mark as Chris shook his head.

"I know mom just worries a lot." said Chris as Mark put his hand on the young teens shoulder.

"Don't worry you're with us so kiss your mom goodbye and get your insulin shot because we gotta go." said Mark as Chris entered the house before walking out a few minutes later as more vehicles entered the Cul-De-Sac and stopped I front of Aniyah's house.

"Need us to walk you there?" asked Lee to Mark's surprise.

"No I can handle it." said Chris as Lee nodded his head before Chris walked away.

"He ain't coming with us?" asked Mark.

"Nope where we're going he doesn't need to see." replied Lee earning a confused look from Mark as the duo made their way down the street.

"Come on we can talk more about this later but for now we got business to handle." said Lee as Mark watched him lift up the side of his shirt revealing the handle for his sheathed Gator Machete Pro hidden in his pants.

"I don't have to ask about your knife do I?" asked Lee as Mark lifted up his shirt revealing his sheathed knife.

"Should we take my car?" asked Mark earning a shake of the head from Lee.

"Down the street, besides you need to walk you're getting fat again." said Lee as he Mark gave him a middle finger before following him out of the Cul-De-Sac.

"So what's this all about?" asked Mark as the group moved past the next neighboring Cul-de-sac.

"There's someone else who needs to be at this party but we gotta wake him up first and that might be a problem." said Lee earning a confused look from Mark before he caught on to the teens words.

"Reid!" replied Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"Yeah he may be an addict but he did pull our asses out of the fire a lot of times." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"Good point, he did watch my back in Juvie, and I forget him an Aniyah were very close." said Mark as the duo made it to the entrance to another living place in the North Valley District... The Trailer Park.

"Don't touch anything unless you want to catch something." said Lee earning a nod from Mark as the duo proceeded into the trailer park as the youngest Roman turned his head and noticed the trash that covered the grounds of the trailer park as the people living there kept their eyes locked on them

"In the short bloody history of the Brothers there have been a number killers in its ranks and aside from myself there are a total of six psychopaths like me and this guy Reid Chambers is a wild card." thought Mark as his mind instantly thought of the teen.

"Reid, when we were young his names would send shivers up the spines of most people in the neighborhood. When he was twelve Reid was shot six times in the legs three weeks later he got out of the hospital and shot the guy who shot him in the chest with a Double Barrel Shotgun killing him and got off on manslaughter. Reid has killed numerous people on orders and for fun and like me he feels no remorse or guilt." thought Mark as the duo approached a lone rundown trailer in the back of the trailer park.

"Over the years it became no secret that Reid was a killer we needed a guy like him in the Brothers but he had one weakness that gave him this skill and we all hated it." said Mark as he two reached the front door of the trailer as Lee started knocking on the front door but not getting an answer as both Brothers drew their knives as Lee turned around Mark hooked both his arms to Lee's as Lee brought both teens arms to his side.

"You ready?" asked Lee.

"You know it." said Mark.

"Breaching Breaching!" said Lee as he bent forward lifting Mark off the ground as the youngest Roman outstretched his legs kicking open the door before Lee let him go as both Brothers raced into the trailer as they looked down and noticed a familiar red haired teen in a familiar position laying face down in a familiar white powdery substance.

"Drugs make him his own worst enemy." thought Mark as he sheathed his knife before walking over to the fallen red headed man that stood about six feet two and as Mark turned him over he noticed the familiar green eyes of the man as blood leaked from his nose.

"Dumb piece of shit!" said Lee as he grabbed Reid's right leg before dragging him into the kitchen as Mark looked around the messy trailer of his former friend as Lee turned on the sink in the kitchen before dumping Reid's head in the water before pulling him out and throwing him to the floor.

"Reid can you hear me?" asked Mark as Reid fully opened his green eyes before taking a look at both of them.

"The fuck are you doing here?" asked Reid in a gruff voice.

"Stopping your ass from going into a coma." said Lee as Mark grabbed the redheaded teen by his arm before sitting him on the couch.

"If I knew you guys were coming I would have cleaned up." said Reid as Mark looked around the dirty trailer.

"Don't worry we won't be here long." said Mark as Reid wanted to chuckle.

"Obviously you guys never come here unless you want something." said Reid.

"Maybe that's because you're either passed out, in the process of doing drugs, on top of a hooker, or the drugs you took hadn't taken effect yet." said Lee as Reid rubbed his forehead.

"Your point?" asked Reid as Mark rolled his eyes.

"We didn't come for small talk Reid we came to bring you to Aniyah's party." said Mark as Reid gave a loud scoff sound.

"Who me I'm flattered but I'm busy." said Reid.

"Don't give us that shit we know you aren't doing shit but getting high." said Lee.

"Still why do you want me there, if you need me to kill someone all you have to do is ask?" asked Reid in between laughs.

"We can do our won killings Reid, we're inviting you because it's what Aniyah wants and because you're one of us." replied Mark as he lifted the right sleeve of his shirt revealing his dragon tattoo earning a smile from Reid as he lifted his right sleeve revealing his own dragon tattoo.

"Alright just let me get dressed." said Reid earning smiles from the two brothers as Reid rose to his feet before walking into the backroom.

"Take a bath to." said Lee earning a chuckle from Mark as the two waited thirty minutes before Reid returned dressed in a pair camouflages cargo pants along with a black t-shirt.

"About time." said Mark as he walked out of the trailer with Reid and Lee in tow but just as they were passing a few stores they caught site of four unfamiliar Hispanic men walking towards them with angry looks on their faces as they approached the trio who seemed to be unshaken by the group as both sides continued towards each other before passing one another Mark noticed all four of the men looking back at them with their angry looks still plastered.

"The fuck was that about?" asked Reid.

"Don't know I didn't recognize any of those guys and they aren't wearing the colors of the Familia." said Mark as the trio continued to walk.

"You think they're the guys Curtis was talking about?" asked Lee as Mark shook his head.

"If they are we're gonna have to have that sitdown with the Familia fast before the bullets start flying." said Mark earning a nod from Lee as the trio made it back to their Cul-De-Sac where they noticed a number of vehicle parked around the Cul-De-Sac and loud music was coming from the backyard. As they entered they noticed kids sitting around with smiles on their faces and torches lighting the backyard they approached the group of Mercy, Trip, Buck, Chris, Link, Zach, Davey, and Eddy who seemed surprised to see Reid.

"Where'd you find him?" asked Zach as he eyed Reid with a smile.

"He was at home for once." said Mark as Mercy handed Reid a plate of food.

"You lucky I'm-!" started Reid before he was interrupted.

"What you'd make a snappy comeback?" asked Trip with a chuckle as Reid started to eat just as Mark took a glance at Maya and noticed the girl standing in the corner with Tina and a number of other girls from the neighborhood as she caught site of Mark looking at her she gave him a light smile back just as Mark felt a hand on his shoulder and noticed a large man's hand on his shoulder.

"How you been brother?" asked the man as Mark noticed he was a rather large muscular man that stood about 6'8 with short black hair and bright blue eyes and an evil grin on his face.

"This large guy right here is Ryan Perkins the leader of the Spokane Chapter of the Brothers and another serial killer born in this neighborhood like me and Reid." thought Mark as he eyed the man with an angry grin.

"It's good to see you to Ryan." said Mark as he noticed the smiles fade from the faces of the other brothers.

"Ryan was locked up in Juvie with me and when he got out he was my Sergeant at Arms during the Gang War. He was a great leader but we sorta had a falling out because of his methods. Ryan's a Psychopath but he doesn't like getting his hands dirty so he uses people like pawns in a game of chess, I didn't really have a problem with it at first until one day he used a bullied kid to orchestrate the shooting at Rivergreen High and a lot of us didn't like that." thought Mark as he eyed Ryan.

"What are you doing here?" asked Mark.

"You forget Marcus I'm from this neighborhood as well and I'm one of you." said Ryan as lifted his right sleeve revealing his dragon tattoo.

"Right!" said Mark as Ryan nodded his head with a sinister smile.

"Besides I think Aniyah would love to see me after all these months." said Ryan as he moved past Mark and the others Brothers before making his way inside the house.

"I still hate that guy." said Mercy as Link nodded his head.

"Dido brother." replied Zach.

"Well he's here now and we can't change that shit." came a familiar voice as the group turned their heads and noticed Tina and Maya standing behind them.

"We just talked to Sheriff Quin he said he and Aniyah are on their way now." stated Tina earning a nod from Mark as he turned to Trip.

"Kill the music and tell everyone to get in there position." said Mark earning a nod from Trip as Mark noticed everyone in the backyard scrambling about the yard and hiding as the sound of a car stopping in the front yard filled his ears.

"Hopefully she doesn't have a potato peeler on her this time because I forgot my glasses." thought Mark as he watched Aniyah enter the kitchen with her Sheriff Quin in tow before the two noticed Mark standing in the backyard and making their way towards the backdoor and opening it.

"What are you doing here?" asked Aniyah as a smile formed on Mark's face.

"Being Human!" thought Mark before he snapped his fingers as Aniyah and her father watched as all the kids jumped from their hiding places screaming surprise at the top of their lungs taking Aniyah off guard as she started to laugh before looking back at her smiling father before making her way into the backyard as Mark opened his arms for the girl to give him a hug.

"You did all this?" asked Aniyah.

"Nah Tina handled the party I handled them." said Mark as he pointed his finger in the corner Aniyah followed his finger before catching site of Lee, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Maya, Tina, Reid, Ryan, Calvin, Eric, Tyler, Chris, Buck and a few other kids from the neighborhood as a wide smile spread across Aniyah's face as she approached the group before giving them hugs while Mark watched the group with a smile on his face as his mind flashed with images of a the same group of kids along with a few others playing with each other years ago.

"Hey Mark don't just stand there get into the picture." said Sheriff Quin as he held up a digital camera as Mark approached the group before kneeling down with Mercy, Lee, Trip, Link, and Zach beside him while the others stood behind the group with smiles on their faces as Sheriff Quin took the picture as Mark's mind flashed with the memories of grandmother, Mercy and Trip mother, and Link's dad standing beside them as Mark felt a hand on his shoulder and noticed Aniyah standing behind him with a smile on her face as he father took another picture.

"We are all different in name, race, age, religion, and creed but the one thing that bonds all of us as a family is that we survived in North Valley while so many others fell." thought Mark as his mind flashed with images of Kozik, Tobias, and so many other kids who fell victim to the gangs in Rivergreen.

"If you keep staring off into space like that people are gonna think you're weird." said Maya as she stood beside Mark.

"Then I'll the join the club along with you and everyone else here." replied Mark with a chuckle as Sheriff Quin walked out of the house with a cake in hand.

"Congratulations sweetheart." said Sheriff Quin as he held the cake out in front of the girl.

"Make a wish!" said Tina as Aniyah blew out the candles on the cake earning claps from the people watching.

"Thank you all." said Aniyah with a smile on her face as she noticed Mark standing with the Brothers with a smile on his face as she picked up a cup of juice and held it in the air.

"I want to make a toast to the first parties of many more ain't that right Class of 2014." said Aniyah as the group turned towards Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, and Maya with smiles on their faces as they clapped their hands.

"You better be at ours." said Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"Of course she's paying for the strippers that jump out of the cake." yelled Trip earning laughs from the group as Mark noticed the smiles on the faces of everyone at the party as it started to go into the night until the only ones left were Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Buck, Davey, Eddy, Link, Zach, Aniyah, Tina, and Maya each sitting on lawn chairs in the backyard with smiles on their faces.

"Told you that girl was no good." said Tina between laughs.

"Yeah but I didn't think she would mace me in class." said Trip earning loud chuckles from the group.

"I'm gonna miss days like this." said Aniyah.

"I just wish we had more days like this." said Link as the group each nodded their heads.

"We got them now let's just make the best of what we got while we have it." said Mercy as Tina turned her head and noticed Davey eyeing her.

"Something on my face?" asked Tina as Davey shook his head.

"No, it's just people say a lot of things about people from Rivergreen like how you guys have seen death so much it doesn't affect you." stated Davey earning nods from the group.

"We looked into Link and Zach's eye and we don't see it but we see it in a few of you." said Eddy as Lee nodded his head.

"You're right to be curious, but the truth to it is that all of us have seen death but we try to hide the look behind fake smiles and cheap laughs." said Mercy with seriousness in his voice as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Except Mark he doesn't really care." said Zach as the group noticed the almost emotionless Mark.

"It's not that I don't care it's more that I've seen it so much that it doesn't affect me." said Mark as the group turned to him.

"I'm seen people get shot, stabbed, cut to pieces, burned, bleed out, raped, and beaten. When you see it as much as I have it's almost like going to the bathroom or taking a breath of fresh air." said Mark as he thought of everyone he's seen die or killed before he felt a hand on his own before turning to look at a smiling Aniyah.

"That's also why I get pulled out of class a lot because apparently I'm a high risk for psychopathic traits." said Mark with a chuckle.

"But my traits came about well before I moved to Rivergreen." said Mark as he turned to look at Lee, Mercy, and Trip.

"You sure you want to talk about this again brother?" asked Lee earning a nod from Mark as he turned to the group of teens before explaining his past to them and noticing the mixed looks on the faces of each teen that seemed to change from shock, to anger, to sorrow, grievance, and fear as Mark finished his story with a deep breath.

"So that's why you're having a hard time trusting your brother?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Dude you had one of the worst childhoods ever I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." said Eddy as Mark kept his head to the ground.

"So your brothers?" asked Aniyah as Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Maya all eyed Mark.

"The one that was my tormenter is right now serving a sentence at Rikers Island the other don't know haven't heard from him." lied Mark earning a nod from only Aniyah as he looked over at a stunned Buck before putting his fingers in front of the man's face and snapping his fingers.

"Breath brother." said Mark snapping Buck from his concentration as he started to blink.

"Sorry but the last time I saw a dead body was a week before me and my mom moved away from here five years ago seems like you saw one almost everyday." said Buck as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah if only you had stayed you would have seen them drop like the winter snows." said Mercy as he rubbed his arms.

"Don't say blood and snow, I still get nightmares about that guy we saw dead in our front yard the day before Christmas." said Maya as she pulled her legs up to her chest.

"Blood when it gets on snow is different than a sidewalk that something we all know." said Trip as he lowered his head.

"Well Marcus Roman now that we know your secrets how do you feel?" asked Aniyah as Mark took a deep breath.

"Like a weights been lifted off my shoulders and call me what you want Marcus Smith or Marcus Roman. I know who my true family is." said Mark earning nods and smiles from the group.

"Well its been fun guys but we gotta get back home." said Link as he rose from his chair.

"You sure there's room here?" asked Mark.

"Yeah we got a meeting tomorrow in Tacoma with the other Brothers in Pierce County." said Link.

"Problems?" asked Lee earning a shake of the head from Zach.

"No a couple of our older guys moved away and want to start up a Chapter in Lake Wood and they want our blessings." said Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"Speaking of other Chapters when are you guys gonna setup in Seattle, Mark and Buck's there and all they need is four more guys?" asked Link.

"Yeah but my hearts in Rivergreen, if we do setup in Seattle it won't be me leading the fight." said Mark earning a nod from Link.

"Good to hear." said Aniyah as she smiled at Mark.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow before you leave." said Link earning a nod from Mark and the others they waved goodbye to him, Zach, Davey, and Eddy before Mark turned his attention to Maya and Buck.

"Perfect chance to get back to Brady." thought Mark as a smile spread across his face.

"You guys ready to go home to?" asked Mark as he looked at Maya and Buck.

"Sure if you're ready." said Maya with a smile.

"Why don't you sit this one out brothe?" asked Mercy earning a confused look from Mark as he gestured towards Aniyah who looked just as confused.

"That alright with you two?" asked Mark as Maya and Buck nodded their heads just as Mercy and Trip rose to their feet.

"See you in the morning brother." said Mercy as he grabbed Mark's hand for a shake before Mark felt Mercy pass something in his hands as he looked down and noticed that Mercy had passed him a condom.

"Remember what I taught you." said Mercy as he walked away.

"Yeah, but Mark remember just because you short you can't let her dominate you." yelled Trip earning an awkward look from Mark and a bright red blush from Aniyah as the group of four made their way out the backyard.

"I'm gonna kill him." thought Mark as he watched Lee rise to his feet before walking over to Tina and extending his hand.

"Walk you home?" asked Lee with a wide smile as Tina gave him one of her own before taking his hand.

"Sure!" said Tina as both she and Tina made their way out of the backward leaving Mark alone with Aniyah as the girl rose from her chair and stood over Mark.

"I hate silence and I know you'd never make the first move." said Aniyah as Mark gave a smile as the girl took a seat on his lap.

"I hate to tell you this but you're not getting lucky tonight." said Aniyah as she took the condom out of Mark's hand and dropped it on the ground.

"Figured you always were a tease." replied Mark as Aniyah started to chuckle.

"No because I don't sleep with guys I'm not in a relationship with." answered Aniyah as she looked away from Mark who wrapped his arms around the girls stomach.

"You know it was hard for me to." said Mark trying to break the silent barrier that was growing between them.

"I tell myself that." said Aniyah as Mark pressed his forehead against her back.

"You were a great girlfriend to good for me and with the life I live I'm surprised I made it this far." said Mark as Aniyah shook her head.

"Then stop doing what you're doing and start trying to live a life." stated Aniyah as she looked back at Mark.

"I would but I can't just throw away everything I've done and seen here." said Mark.

"Yes you can just because you were born into a shit family and live here doesn't mean you can't distance yourself from this shit. You have a future Marcus and you need to start planning for it before it's to late." said Aniyah as Mark looked away from her.

"Can you just promise me one thing Marcus?" asked Aniyah as Mark looked up at the girl.

"Promise me that you'll survive long enough for me to see you walk across the stage at your graduation and start preparing for your future and not get swept up in the violence of Rivergreen." stated Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"I promise!" said Mark as Aniyah gave him a weak smile before pressing her lips against his and laying back to the point where he head was resting on Mark's chest.

"I don't know if I'm able to truly keep my promise to her but I'll try my best." thought Mark as he kissed Aniyah's forhead.

6: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A Denied Kill

On Bloody Sunday

Rivergreen, Washington (The Next Morning)

The sun was beginning to rise over the small port town of Rivergreen as Mark opened his eyes to the sight of the bright sun shining over his head while noticing that he was laying on top of the trampoline in his backyard with Aniyah's head resting on his chest before a smile spread across the face of the young killer as he ran his hands through the girls long hair.

"This is the first time I've managed to have a good nights sleep in a long time without the nightmares of my past making me regret closing my eyes and I owe it all to her." thought Mark as he kept his eyes glued on the girl.

"I have to admit I talk big like I'm some badass serial killer with no feelings but I care about people a lot more than any other psychopath and no matter where I go Rivergreen, Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, or anywhere in between I make friends better than most people make money." thought Mark as Aniyah started to stir in his arms before looking up into his brown eyes.

"Stop staring at me weirdo." said Aniyah as Mark started to chuckle.

"Kinda hard when you're in my line of sight." said Mark as Aniyah rose off his chest.

"What time is it?" asked Aniyah as Mark reached into his pocket only to retrieve his powerless phone.

"It is exactly eight thirty in the morning." came a familiar voice as the duo turned their heads and noticed Trip and Mercy eyeing them from the other side of the fence.

"Whens your flight?" asked Mark as Aniyah rubbed her eyes.

"At six but I have to finish packing up for it." said Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"Hey can we grab lunch at the diner later just the two of us?" asked Mark earning a surprised look from Aniyah.

"Sure but you're buying." said Aniyah with a wide smile on her face as Mark nodded his head before breaking the distance between the two and kissing Aniyah on the lips.

"What kind of peep show is this?" came the familiar voice of Tina as the duo broke their kiss and turned to watch as she and Lee entered the backyard.

"Seriously if you two are gonna do this in front of everyone you got to sell tickets." said Lee earning a blush from Aniyah as Mark climbed off the trampoline before helping her down.

"What are you guys doing here so early?" asked Mark.

"We got our sitdown with Tio and The Familia seems like the best time to talk about this bold new faction of theirs." said Lee earning a nod from Mark as Aniyah looked away from the man.

"Alright when are we meeting him?" asked Mark.

"Two hours from now at the usual spot." said Mercy earning a nod from Mark.

"Good you have enough time to take a shower." said Aniyah as Mark started to smell himself noticing the mixture between a musty and outdoor like odor as he quickly drew his nose back.

"Good point." said Mark as he looked at the smiling group.

"I'll pick you up after we get back." said Mark earning a kiss on the cheek from Aniyah.

"Be safe!" replied Aniyah as Mark walked away with Lee, Mercy, and Trip in tow as he exited the backyard and made his way back to his old home.

"No sex for Marcus last night?" asked Mercy as Mark reached into his pocket before handing Mercy the still wrapped condom.

"Nope she made that clear." said Mark.

"Don't worry brother you still have Maya." said Trip as Mark rolled his eyes before opening the front door to his old home where he and the Brothers caught site of Martin and three new faces sleeping around his living room.

"What the fuck is this?" yelled Mark disturbing the napping men in his living room as Martin started to stir on Mark's couch before looking up at his little brother.

"Sorry brother we tried waiting on you here but you were a little busy weren't ya ha ha." started Martin with a chuckle.

"Less busy than you think." said Trip earning a roll of the eyes from Mark.

"Well who are these guys?" asked Mark as he eyed the three men who started to stir.

"Family, like I said Marcus I didn't come here alone." said Martin as he pointed to a large muscular African American with a short Afro of black hair and wearing an expensive looking suit

"Alright what the hell are they doing here?" asked Mark.

"They were supposed to be protecting me." said Martin as he eyed each of the sleepy men.

"Alright then you mind telling me why you're here?" asked Mark as Martin shook his head.

"Can we talk in private this is something sorta family important?" asked Martin as Mark felt a hand on his shoulder before looking back at both Lee, Mercy, and Trip who stood beside him.

"I got this brothers." said Mark earning looks from the trio.

"Sure brother?" asked Mercy earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah, let me deal with this, get a bath, and I'll meet you outside." stated Mark earning nods from the trio as they walked out of Mark's home while closing the door behind them.

"I gotta say brother those are some really trustworthy guys." stated Martin as Mark eyed his older brother with anger.

"What do you want?" asked Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"I was hoping you would have taken care Brady by now." said Martin.

"I tried to get to him at his home but he has a wife and kids and that made things sorta difficult." said Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"Right you aren't like Marrick you have a since of morality when it comes to who you kill, that's one of the things that make you smarter then most guys in your position." said Martin.

"Get to the point Martin." stated Mark as he folded his arms over his chest.

"The deal I made with the Royals is in affect. Curtis has given me complete control of the Royals in Rivergreen and I now supply drugs for them in Seattle, Tacoma, and a few other cities in West Washington." said Martin as Mark nodded his head.

"Okay you have guys that can distribute your product why do you need Brady out of the way especially if you know he won't be able to sign anything over to you if he's dead?" asked Mark as Martin nodded his head.

"I don't necessarily need his signature if he dies his business goes over to his next kin or in this case his wife. So after he dies we pay his wife and kids a visit she signs everything over especially after he's reported on the news being connected to gangsters." said Martin as Mark gave the man a shocked look.

"I'm not gonna kill the man just so you can intimidate his wife and kids?" asked Mark earning a chuckle from Martin.

"I knew you wouldn't, but you don't have to worry about this plan anymore because you're off it." stated Martin to Mark's shock.

"What?" asked Mark.

"Yeah one thing Curtis and the Royals wanted in their deal was for me to green light Brady so they could kill him." said Martin.

"You idiot those guys aren't just gonna kill him they're gonna kill his family. The Royals aren't sharp shooters they see you they open fire even if you're with your kids." said Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"Don't worry we already planned this out. He's gonna come to Rivergreen to meet Curtis later today and they already have a trap set." said Martin earning a more calm look from Mark.

"Don't worry little brother nobody innocent is gonna get hurt, I promise you that." said Martin as Mark slowly nodded his head with angry glare in his eyes.

"Those bastards stole my kill." thought Mark as he gritted his teeth.

"Don't worry little brother I'm gonna make this up to you later. I've been in Washington for a few months and I've already got a list of guys I need to disappear." said Martin.

"I'm not your errand boy brother." replied Mark earning a nod from Martin as he turned to his brother.

"I know but you are someone that enjoys to take life and I'm willing to send guys who you once thought were untouchable, if you won't do it for me do it for your urges." said Martin as Mark gave a low growl as Martin snapped his fingers before his bodyguards rose from their seated positions and made their way towards the front door.

"Think about that Mark." said Martin as the three men walked out of the door before Martin passed his youngest brother.

"Oh and Marcus please to God take a shower you smell like the sun." added Martin as Mark's mind flashed back to a memory of his grandmother telling him that same statement.

"What the hell does that even mean?" asked Mark before Martin could leave the house as the eldest Roman rubbed his chin.

"You smell like outside." yelled Martin as he closed the front door as Mark smelled under his arms.

"Asshole...with a good point." said Mark as he made his way towards his bathroom to take shower before stepping out thirty minutes later and dressing up in a pair of black jeans and a white shirt under a black jacket with a dragon on the back just as he heard a knock on his front door and opened it to see Lee, Mercy, and Trip.

"You ready?" asked Mercy earning a nod from Mark as he picked up his hat and placed it on his head.

"I am now." said Mark as he walked out of his home before following the trio towards his car.

"So what did he want?" asked Lee.

"To let me know that he's successfully taken over the Royals and there's a green light on Jonathon Brady." said Mark to the surprise of Lee, Mercy, and Trip.

"But doesn't he need him to sign everything?" asked Mercy.

"Not as long as his wife's got hands." said Mark earning confused looks from the group.

"He wouldn't kill Bradston's family would he?" asked Trip as Mark shook his head.

"No the Royal are gonna take him and his supporters out later today and make it look like a drug deal on bad." stated Mark earning a nod from Mercy.

"Real Estate owner and entrepreneur gets gunned down in a drug deal gone bad...credibility and reputation destroyed the wife won't have anything better to do but hand over everything and for a low price especially with a good enough threat." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head as the group started to enter his care.

"Exactly he'll take control of everything Brady owns, give members of the Royals credible jobs so they'll look good on paper, and with job money and drug money combined they'll be making double what they did before." said Mark.

"Extortion of small businesses end." said Trip earning a nod from Mark as he started his car before driving away from the Cul-De-Sac.

Thirty Minutes Later

The drive wasn't a long one for the Brothers as Mark drove to the Northeast side of Rivergreen and into the Hispanic portion of the small city as the group of Brothers looked out the window of the car and noticed a number of Hispanic men eyeing them and flashing different gang signs as they drove through the neighborhoods before coming cross a shopping center that unlike there's featured more Hispanic shops as Mark pulled his car in front of a convenient store.

"Let's get this done." said Mark as he pulled his knife out and strapped it to his right hip while the other Brothers followed suit before walking into the store as their eyes quickly adjusted to dim lights as Mark looked at the Hispanic women behind the register while a skinny man sat behind her reading a newspaper as Mark noticed the woman them each a smile.

"What can I get you boys?" asked the woman with a rather strong accent.

"We're here to see him." said Mark as he pointed to the man who looked up from his newspaper revealing a pair of bright brown eyes and a menacing scowl on his face as he spoke to the woman in Spanish causing her to walk away from the group.

"What do you want?" asked the man in a deep voice as the group noticed the brown bandana in the back of the man's pocket.

"Here for our meeting with Tio." said Mark with no sense of fear in his voice as the man continued to eye him with anger in his eyes.

"It's alright Salazar let them through." came a deep voice thick with a Hispanic Accent over the intercom behind the register as the man behind the counter pointed to a door in the back of the store.

"Thank you." replied Mark as he led the Brothers to the back of the store.

"Carlito Salazor lead enforcer for the Familia and former shotcaller for the Brown Side Assassins a Seattle Gang. That man fits my MO better than most and everyday I just wait until I can get the chance to take him out." thought Mark as the group made their way into the back of the store where they noticed a well toned Hispanic man that stood about 5'9 with a well cut mustache and short black hair sitting at a table in the middle of the room while three men stood behind him.

"Marcus Smith and the North Valley Brothers place take a seat." said the man as he ushered the boys to take a seat with him.

"Tio it's been a long time." said Mark as he and the others took a seat.

"Tio Mendoza, the leader the of the Locos Incas and one of the few made man in the Familia. Being a member of the Familia makes Tio is a very dangerous and bloody man but as a people person... people really like him hell if you talked to him you wouldn't think this man has ordered more murders than there are fingers on kids riding a school bus." thought Mark as he smile at the man.

"Too long didn't think to see much of you after you moved, until we found out about that torched trailer." said Tio as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"You know me they can change my address but that won't stop me from coming home." said Mark as the Hispanic man started to chuckle.

"As always so what do I owe this visit?" asked Tio.

"Yeah words passing around town of Cholo's wearing yellow and ignoring our treaty, we want to know if you knew anything about this?" asked Mark as Tio took out a put his cigar in his ashtray.

"Yeah I heard of this group but they aren't apart of The Familia." said Tio confusing the Brothers.

"What do you mean?" asked Lee.

"The peace we carved out for Rivergreen those years ago was that everyone would stay in their own territory, we'd stay on our side, Royal's stay on theirs, and you stay on yours, those were the rules we set up for the gangs in Rivergreen." said Tio as Mark nodded his head.

"But these guys aren't from Rivergreen." said Tio not surprising all four brothers.

"From what I could gather they call themselves Reyes Centralas or Central Kings and they're a L.A. gang trying to capitalize on what's ours." said Tio as Mark nodded his head.

"They're mostly on the south side of the town which is why we're just finding out about them and from what we can gather their numbers are growing and have probably over a hundred guys in town already." said Tio as Mark gritted his teeth.

"Have you tried to talk with them?" asked Mark.

"We tried after we found out they've been approaching a few of our Shotcallers and trying to make their gangs switch over to their sides, we couldn't get a sit down with their leader and in response they attacked a few of our guys a couple of days ago." said Tio as someone slammed their hand against the wall causing the Brothers to turn their heads and notice an angry Salazar.

"Damn California bastards they have no respect for the way things are here." said Salazar as River eyed him.

"As you can see my men are pretty pissed especially since we decided not to retaliate just yet. And with them being an out of state gang and all they're bringing a new mindset to Rivergreen and are attacking civilians and kids along with extorting businesses." said Tio as Mark felt his anger rise at the mans words.

"Maybe we can talk to them before another war breaks out." said Mark as Tio shook his head.

"Don't bother these guys don't negotiate hell whoever is leading them doesn't even want to meet anyone even in his own gang and they're stepping to close to the fire with the Royals." said Tio as Mark nodded his head.

"Don't worry we'll talk to Curtis." said Mark.

"Curtis ain't the one you should be worried about Marcus." replied Tio as Mark nodded his head.

"You don't have to worry about Brady after today he's gonna be nothing but a corpse on the streets." said Mark earning a confused look from Tio.

"What are you talking about?" asked Tio.

"The Royals have found a new supplier with better connects and as of right now Brady has himself a lot of enemies." said Mark earning a nod from Tio.

"Wanted to give you a heads up for an alibi if the police come trying to shake you down." said Mark as Tio quickly nodded his head.

"I appreciate that." said Tio earning a nod from Mark.

"What are you gonna tell the Sheriff when he comes asking around though?" asked Tio.

"Internal beef couldn't have been stopped." said Mark earning a nod from Tio.

"Alright then and tell his daughter congratulations for me." said Tio earning a nod from Mark as he, Lee, Mercy, and Trip rose from the table.

"Will do that." said Mark as she shook Tio's hand.

"We'll keep in touch and let you know if anything happens." said Tio as Mark nodded his head before walking out of the store with the Brothers in tow.

"Well that was informative." said Trip as Mark nodded his head.

"Informative yes but he made sure not tell us exactly how many of his guys have switched sides." said Mercy.

"Think he's hiding something?" asked Lee.

"I do!" said Mark earning everyone's attention as he opened the driver side door of his car.

"Elaborate." said Mercy.

"We've known Tio for years and we know how The Familia operates. These guys beg for a war especially if it means they can finally test their new guns on live targets." stated Mark earning nods from the group.

"So you think they're attacking these guys?" asked Lee.

"I know they are, we just can't prove it yet." said Mark earning a nod from the trio.

"Are you gonna tell Quin?" asked Trip.

"I have a feeling he's gonna seek me out tomorrow, at least this way I can get out of class." said Mark as he slid inside of his car.

"Lucky you we're gonna be stuck in gym tomorrow." said Trip as he patted Mercy's shoulder earning Mark's attention.

"You guys are senior how do you take gym all you gotta do to pass is show up?" asked Mark.

"That's the point, they never showed up, especially after they got kicked off the football team." said Lee with a chuckle.

"Hey they say we were doing bounties on people again." stated Trip.

"Brothers I'm surprised they let you try out cause that bounty shit was true as hell and fun as shit." said Mark as he started up his car.

"I know but they can't prove it." replied Trip earning chuckles from the other boys as Mark drove away from the store as the group made their way back to their Cul-De-Sac where they quickly noticed Aniyah sitting outside of Mark's house.

"Have fun on your date brother." said Lee.

"Let me know if you need a lesson on fingering under the table, I got you." said Mercy earning chuckles from the entire group as they stepped out of the car and Mark approached the girl.

"You ready to go?" asked Mark earning a shake of the head from Aniyah.

"Actually I can't my dad wanted me to take me and my mom out somewhere." said Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"So you're canceling on me?" asked Mark earning a nod from Aniyah.

"I'm sorry." replied Aniyah earning a nod and a smile from Mark.

"It's alright I can remember a few times I had to cancel on you." said Mark earning a chuckle from Aniyah.

"A few Mark you canceled our second date to go beatup some gangster that took some kids bike." stated Aniyah.

"I wouldn't have canceled it if I didn't have a concussion you know that." said Mark earning a nod from Aniyah.

"I know but I got another idea for you." stated Aniyah earning Mark's attention.

"Why don't instead of you taking me out how about you go and take someone else out." said Aniyah surprising Mark.

"You trying to set me up with someone else?" asked Mark.

"I still like you Marcus, but I need someone to watch you to make sure you don't become another name on a cross in the gardens." said Aniyah as she rubbed Mark's right cheek.

"Who do you have in mind?" asked Mark as a smile spread across Aniyah's face.

"Like you don't know." said Aniyah as she gave Mark a quick kiss that seemed to last forever as Lee, Mercy, and Trip sat outside their home watching the duo.

"This is better than those movies where the girl goes away forever." said Trip with a smile on his face as Mercy pretended to eat popcorn.

"See you at the airport in a few hours?" asked Aniyah as he slowly rubbed the side of Mark's face before walking away to her car parked in front of her house as the group watched her leave.

"Well that was unfortunate." said Lee as the group approached Mark.

"Yeah, but I'm telling you I seen that coming a mile away if it wasn't her that was gonna cancel it was gonna be me." said Mark earning nods from the trio.

"So what now?" asked Trip.

"I'm gonna go get Maya you guys can crash at my place to kill the time then we head to the airport." said Mark earning nods from the trio as they separated allowing Mark to take a deep breath.

"Hopefully she's right and I can find someone to take her place. Someone that can hopefully calm down my demons. The question is though who knows about my demons and cares about me enough to calm them down." thought Mark before he heard his cellphone ringing from his car and grabbed it only to see Maya's number.

"I think I found my answer." thought Mark as he answered the phone.

Two Hours Later

The sun shined over the late evening skies over the city of Seattle as planes departed the airport and climbed these dark red skies and left for new destinations across the globe as Aniyah stood outside her terminal with her father Sheriff Quin and her mother by her side while Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Tina, Maya, Buck, Link, and Zach stood back watching with smiles on their faces as the family gave their hugs and goodbyes with tears of sorrow and joy in their eyes.

"Some people say that your senior year of high school midpoint between adolescence and adulthood, where childish deeds are long forgotten and your childhood friends either leave you behind or you leave them and start your life." thought Mark as the group watched Aniyah enter the terminal while waving her goodbyes.

"But what is there for kids like us. Kids who grew up watching the effects of Drugs." thought Mark as he mind turned to Reid who was at this very moment sitting on his couch with a needle in his arm.

"Violence!" thought Mark as the images of three brown wearing Hispanics gangsters attacked one wearing yellow armed with knives.

"Murder!" thought Mark as Brady and three of his men entered a familiar warehouse where they noticed Curtis and four other Royals but things soon turned deadly as five masked men jumped from almost out of nowhere and opened fire on the group of with Submachine Guns that easily torn them almost to shreds.

"Corruption!" thought Mark as the three men from earlier held a gun to Brady's wife head while watching her sign over a document.

"And Remorselessness!" thought Mark as Curtis walked over to towards the fallen Brady's before standing over the man and looking in half closed scared eyes before putting a gun to the man's head and forever silencing him.

"So I ask is there truly a positive place in this world for any of us Broken Children." thought Mark as the group watched as the girls plane ascended upward into those familiar red skies with smiles on their faces for the hope of a new day.

7: Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Weekend Troubles

The Next Day Seattle

The sun was shining bright over the most populated city in Washington as Mark awoke to the sound of his alarm clock as he quickly rolled off his bed before making his way towards his television ad turning it on the news.

"This is Susan Sampson coming to you from Rivergreen, Washington where last night a vicious gangland shooting shocked many people across the state." said the woman as a familiar photo appeared on the television screen.

"Jonathan Brady one of the states most decorated business and home owners across Washington was found dead last night just a little after eight o'clock in Rivergreen, Washington with three other men in a housing development lot just on the cities Northwest side." said the woman as Mark nodded his head.

"Police are calling the slaying a drug deal gone wrong as large quantities of drugs were found around the crime scene possibly from catching a stray bullet as police say the room had more bullets in it then the yellow markers police carry around and residents of the town are fearing another gang war." said Susan as Mark rose to his feet before making his way to his bathroom to take a shower while the TV continued to play interviews including one of Sheriff Quin before returning to the young reporter.

"The shooting has been one of few almost seasonal shootings that still plague the town but have become not as frequent as before, but still the shooting has earned state news as people fear another gang war brewing and as of right now debates are now taking place to discuss the state of the small town." said the woman as Mark stepped out of the bathroom after taking his shower and already dressed in his uniform as he turned off his TV and started to put on his rings.

"This is going to make things interesting." thought Mark as a smile spread across his face.

"The last time the feds got involved in Rivergreen was a five months into the King County Gang Wars after twenty people were already murdered seven by me craving my urges that was marked up as just another disappearance." thought Mark as he started putting on his shoes.

"Shortly after they arrived they made a few arrests nothing major mainly because with our help Sheriff Quin and the King County Sheriff's department were getting rid of most of the major players to the point where the feds just up and left." thought Mark as smile spread across his face while tying his shoes.

"Still their presence in Rivergreen helped with the treaty that ended the war so maybe having them here won't be so bad." thought Mark as he stood up before grabbing his school jacket, book sack, and car keys before walking out the front door of apartment and driving away to a familiar neighborhood and stopping in front a familiar house where he noticed Buck standing outside his home dressed in his school uniform and backpack before walking towards Mark's car.

"Need a ride?" asked Mark earning a nod from Buck as he slid into the front seat.

"Yeah, thanks brother." said Buck as closed his door before Mark drove off.

"Least I could do, you did good helping out Saturday." said Mark earning a nod from Buck.

"Does this mean, I'm a Brother now?" asked Buck as Mark started to chuckle.

"No, but you're getting close me sharing my life with you is proof of that." said Mark earning a smile and a nod from Buck as the duo made it to the school before pulling into the student parking lot before making their way into the building where they noticed Maya, Jordan, and Daryl standing by Mark's locker.

"Bought time you got here." said Jordan as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Who's the freshman?" asked Daryl as the group eyed Buck.

"He's my prodigy I'm molding a freshman to know the rules of high school." said Mark as Daryl and Jordan nodded their heads.

"Right, I need to find me someone to mold, make them a miniature version of me." said Daryl.

"Feel sorry for them." said Maya.

"Yeah, you're probably right, I'm one of a kind." said Daryl as he walked away from the group earning chuckles from the group as the school bell rang and the group made their way to class, but as Mark made his way to class as Mark entered his first period class and quickly began to work.

As hours past Mark found himself in his final class of the day with Maya, Jordan, and Daryl working on a group assignment that they finished before the other students and were just sitting in their desk in silence as the P.A. System crackled to life.

"Will all seniors report to the theater room." stated the woman on the other end as Mark rolled his eyes the other students in the classroom stood from their desk and made their way out the door ignoring the orders of the teachers.

"You coming?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head and rose from his desk before following the trio.

"Hate these damn meetings." said Mark as Maya started to chuckle.

"Hate them already when it's only the first one." replied Maya.

"You're forgetting Mark hates everything that has him staying here longer than he needs to." answered Daryl with a chuckle as the group made their way into the school dimly lit

"I agree with him we already know what this meetings about. They're gonna congratulate us for making it this far, talk about how it's not over yet, tell us what we're gonna be doing this year, and they're gonna finish with that usual talk about how we need to behave inside and outside of school." stated Jordan as the group of four took a seat at the top of the row of chairs that gave them the best view of the stage below them where they saw teachers standing around.

"Wake me when it's over." said Mark as he leaned back in his chair before feeling a hand on his shoulder and looking up to see Ms. Summers.

"You better pay attention because some of this pertains to you...brother." stated Ms. Summers to Mark's surprise as the woman made her way towards the stage as Mark looked at her with wide eyes.

"That could be a problem." thought Mark as he watched the woman climb onto the stage.

"Ah Mark why'd she call you brother?" asked Daryl as Mark shook his head.

"It's nothing!" said Mark as Maya kept her eyes closely on the youngest Roman as the meeting began to start.

"WELCOME SEASIDE CLASS OF 2014." yelled Ms. Summers earning loud cheers and applause from many of the students as Ms. Summers began to talk.

"I don't know to call this a good thing or a bad thing." thought Mark as he kept his eyes on the stage with a nonchalant smile in order to keep people from seeing the panic he's going through.

"The Brothers can at times be called a street gang even an organized crime syndicate but the one thing that made us more structured then most street gangs is that majority of our members are unknown to those not involved in the criminal underworld, but the fact that now one of my teachers know about this is gonna be a major blow to me especially if she starts keeping her eye on me." thought Mark as the woman continued to talk.

"Alright then the last thing I want to talk to you students about is criminal activity." stated Ms. Summers as Mark felt a chill run up his spine.

"This school is a crime free zone, I can say that now and I know a few of you are involved in gangs and criminal activities." said Ms. Summers as she looked up at Mark.

"Ever had that feeling the person talking in front of a crowd of people was talking to you personally?" thought Mark.

"What you do outside this school stays outside this school. When you walk through those doors whatever problems you have in the streets stay in the street and if anything happens here even a fight the authorities will get involved." said Ms. Summers as Mark gritted his teeth.

"If you want to talk about these problems you can come to me and I'll talk to you in private without word getting out to teacher or student." said Ms. Summers as a smile spread across her face.

"Now let's make this school year fun." said Ms. Summers as more cheers and applause could be heard as the bell to dismiss the students blared to life as many of the seniors made their way out of the theater with the exception of Mark as he continued to sit.

"What feeling inspired?" asked Jordan as Mark shook his head.

"Nah." said Mark as he turned to Maya.

"Need a ride home?" asked Mark earning a nod from Maya as he rose from his chair.

"Marcus Smith!" said Ms. Summers earning the attention of the youngest Roman and the few remaining students as they turned to face him.

"My office now." stated Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head earning loud childish noises from the group including Daryl and Jordan as he reached into his pocket and handed Maya his car keys.

"Trust you to wait outside?" asked Mark as a smile spread across Maya's face.

"No promises." stated Maya as she took Mark's keys before making her way out of the theater while Mark made his way towards the principals office where he entered a familiar room as Ms. Summers followed him inside.

"First off I don't even know if I know who you are right now." stated Ms. Summers a she took a seat across from Mark.

"I'm still the same Marcus Smith, now you just know more about the broader picture." replied Mark.

"Except Smith isn't your last name is it Roman?" asked Ms. Summers to Mark's shock.

"You've been talking with Quin haven't you?" asked Mark with a smile.

"It doesn't matter who I've been talking to it's still a lot to take in that we've had a known gang members with ties to organized crimes in our school." replied Ms. Summers.

"Actually the Brothers aren't a gang and the only ties I have to the Roman Family is the last name and nothing else" stated Mark.

"Yes you do you're one of Michael Roman's sons you were born into the family." said Ms. Summers.

"This isn't the Godfather Ms. Summers the Roman Family works differently then the Italians." stated Mark.

"Besides I left that life behind when I left New York with my grandmother, because I was unwanted in my own family." said Mark as he lowered his head.

"Alright but what made you join this new gang the Brothers?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark started to chuckle before lifting his head.

"Join it...I'm the one that started the Brothers." stated Mark to Ms. Summers surprise.

"Yeah, it was me and five friends from our neighborhood in Rivergreen that started it and we're not a gang. We're a close knit group of friends who just happened to be in almost every city in this state." said Mark as Ms. Summers continued to eye him.

"Is that why that Sheriff keeps coming to see because he knows you're gang affiliated?" asked Ms. Summers.

"That and because I know what goes on in Rivergreen and can provide them with key Intel." said Mark as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"Marcus this is-!" started Ms. Summers before the duo was interrupted by knocks on the door as a teacher poked her head inside.

"Sorry to disturb you Ms. Summers but you're needed elsewhere." stated the woman as Ms. Summers rubbed her forehead.

"Alright I'm coming." said Ms. Summers as she went to exit the room.

"You can go but remember what I said today Marcus and be careful." stated Ms. Summers as Mark rose from his chair.

"Always am!" said Mark as he walked out of the room and made his way out of the school and towards his car where he noticed Maya sitting in his passenger seat listening to music on the radio as he slid into the front seat before starting the car.

"What was that about?" asked Maya.

"Thanks to our good friend Sheriff Quin she now knows everything you know." said Mark.

"That's gonna be tough." stated Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"You don't know the half of it." said Mark as he drove away from the school.

"Are you going back to Rivergreen today?" asked Maya as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, Mercy and Trip are heading over to the nursing home to visit their mother and Tina asked Lee to help her around the shop." said Mark earning a nod from Maya.

"So it's just gonna be you at home...alone?" asked Maya earning a nod from Mark.

"Until Sheriff Quin comes over and bust my balls." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"Why, thinking of coming over and keeping me company?" asked Mark as Maya looked away from him with a slight blush.

"Hoping you could help me with some homework." stated Maya as Mark nodded his head before turning the corner.

"No problem." said Mark as he began to make his way to his apartment.

Mercy & Trip

The sun was well past the middle of the sky as Mercy pulled his truck to a familiar nursing home in Seattle as they stepped outside of the truck the duo began to make their way inside where they received waves from some of the people staying there before making their inside and towards the front desk.

"Louis and Anthony are you two here to see your mother?" asked the woman behind the front door as both brothers nodded their heads as the woman gave them visitors passes and waved them off as they made their way towards their mothers room.

"Ma Ma?" asked Mercy as both brothers entered the room where they noticed a sleeping elderly African American woman that looked closely like Trip but with a shaved head and the most noticeable feature was the fact that she was missing a leg as the two brothers took a seat next to the woman.

"Things have been going well since you came to the hospital." said Trip with a forced smile as he took of his hat and let his Auburn hair show while feeling his eyes starting to water.

"Aniyah went off to college yesterday won't be long before we join her." said Mercy as the woman continued to sleep.

"Mark has been alright since she left and Lee's still as smart as ever." said Trip as he felt his sadness begin to overtake him as he lowered his head only for Mercy to run his fingers through his brothers short auburn hair.

Lee

While everyone was out Lee found himself entering Ma and Pop's diner where he noticed Tina standing behind the counter reading a book.

"So what's the problem?" asked Lee as Tina eyed the Asian American Brother.

"I need you to help me run the shop while Ma and Pop's are at the doctor." said Tina as a concerned look spread across Lee's face.

"What's wrong?" asked Lee.

"The usual can't leave Pop's alone with someone." said Tina as Lee started to chuckle.

"True that." said Lee as Tina handed him a plate of food.

"Can you go take this to them." said Tina as she pointed to a table with three people earning a nod from Lee as he grabbed the plate.

"Never thought I'd be a waiter." replied Lee as he made his way towards the table.

Mark

"So the best way to find the answer for this problem is to draw the triangle first?" asked Mark earning a nod from Maya as the duo sat on his couch doing homework with snacks on the coffee table.

"Yeah and try and keep steady with it." said Maya with a mouthful of chips as she watched Mark struggle to draw the figure.

"You have horrible penmanship." said Maya with a chuckle.

"Why do you think I type everything?" asked Mark as Maya continued to chuckle.

"Here let me help you." said Maya as put her hands to Mark's catching the North Valley teen by surprise as she helped guide his hands to draw the figure.

"See easy as that." said Maya as she looked at Mark and noticed the blush on his face.

"Sorry!" said Maya as she shifted her gaze down with a blush on her own face before looking back up and coming eye to eye with Mark as the two noticed their hands were still locked together but just before one could say anything they were stopped by a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" asked Maya as both teens stopped blushing.

"Probably Quin you should head to my room." said Mark as Maya nodded her head before leaving her things and making her way towards Mark's bedroom while leaving crack in the door to listen in on him as he opened the door and noticed Sheriff Quin on the otherside.

"Sheriff?" asked Mark as Sheriff Quin entered the apartment while Mark took a seat on his couch as he felt the frustration radiating off Sheriff Quin.

"Marcus can you explain to me why four men were found shot over seventy times in a car filled with drugs in Rivergreen?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Probably should choose my words carefully." thought Mark.

"Internal Dispute." said Mark earning Sheriff Quin full attention as he eyed Mark.

"That didn't come out like I wanted it to." thought Mark as Sheriff Quin gave him an angry glare.

"What the hell do you mean?" asked Sheriff Quin not bothering to keep his voice down as Mark rubbed his sore ears.

"Brady was heavily taxing the Royals and the Royals didn't like that so they took care of him." replied Mark.

"Why, I thought he was their only supplier?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"I guess they went out and found a new one, and them killing him was their way of showing they found one." said Mark.

"So this was an internal matter?" asked the Sheriff.

"Yes so nothing to worry about." replied Mark.

"Yes there is Marcus, Federal Agents from the FBI and other major law enforcement agencies are now setting up a Gang Task Force in Rivergreen. Those murders yesterday left people spooked about another gang war erupting." answered Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Well then they won't be here to long because there's no war taking place." replied Mark.

"Really then do you mind telling me why three known Familia gang members attacked a group of Hispanic gang member wearing yellow?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"I knew that prick was lying." thought Mark as he answered Quin.

"Apparently there's a new gang in town from the streets of Southern California. They call themselves the Reyes Centralas and they've been making a lot of enemies lately." replied Mark.

"How many of them are in town?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Don't know but from Tio told me they've been forcing street gangs once loyal to La Familia to switch over to them so we could be looking at a lot of guys possibly more if they're in Seattle and Tacoma." said Mark.

"Just what we need these guys in town." replied Sheriff Quin to Mark's surprise.

"You've heard of them?" asked Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Yeah, we've got rumors that they've sighted these guys in Spokane and are looking to move into Rivergreen, Tacoma, and Seattle." said Sheriff Quin.

"All of which are Seaport cities." said Mark.

"They've been operating in these cities for a few months and already people are regretting them. There's been extortion, rape, forced prostitution, drug dealing, these guys are attacking people just for the fun of it and to make it worse when something happens to one of them they make a phone call and about twenty of these guys are there before the cops." replied Sheriff Qui as Mark nodded his head.

"That's really gonna be a problem, I'll let the other gangs know and we'll shut them down like we did all the others." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Be careful when you do so Marcus remember these new guys could be watching and they probably aren't as forgiving as me." stated Sheriff Quin earning a nod from Mark.

"I'll remember that." said Mark as Sheriff Quin made his way towards the door.

"And let me know if you hear from Aniyah." stated Mark as Sheriff Quin made his way out of his apartment as Maya entered the living room and eyed Mark.

"So there's problems at home?" asked Maya as she took a seat beside Mark.

"Shouldn't be a big one we'll take care of it like we did the last." said Mark as he picked up his book and began to work.

"With more bullets and knives." stated Maya as Mark remained silent.

"Hopefully it won't come down to that this time." said Mark as Maya rolled her eyes.

"But it always does and you, Lee, Mercy, and Trip are always on the frontline." said Maya as Mark kept his eyes on his work.

"You might not think it Marcus but there are people who truly care about you and would be destroyed if you died." said Maya as Mark eyed her with a smile.

"Then I won't die no time soon." said Mark as he brushed a piece of hair away from the girls eyes earning a blush from her.

"Now come on let's do this and I'll take you home." replied Mark.

"Promise me you won't go to Rivergreen today." said Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Okay there's nothing there for me today anyway." said Mark as Maya nodded her but as she turned her head back to her books she felt something on her cheek as Mark pressed his lips to her cheek causing her to fall of the couch in embarrassment.

"What was that for?" asked Maya as he face reddened almost like a tomato.

"To see that look on your face and to stop you from worrying." said Mark with a friendly chuckle as Maya slapped his shoulder before walking away.

"Maybe Mercy's advice about woman isn't so bad after all." thought Mark as he continued to work.

"Still I can't say that didn't feel too bad." thought Mark as watched Maya with intensive eyes but while the two joked around in his apartment Sheriff Quin quickly made his way out where an unknown black car was parked in the parking lot as the Sheriff approached the car the driver side window opened revealing a blonde haired man that looked to be in his early thirties with blue eyes hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses and wearing a black suit while a Caucasian woman with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and wearing a black sweater vest over a white button down shirt.

"He's in there now if you want to talk to him." said Sheriff Quin as the blonde haired man shook his head.

"No we don't need to talk to him now but we will later." replied the man with a devious smile on his face.

8: Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Brothers Stand Up for Themselves and Each Other

Three Days Later

Things were going rather routinely for Marcus as he and Maya sat in their Advanced Calculus class writing down notes while the teacher continued to talk about their test on Friday while a few students talked in the back of the class before one tapped Mark on his shoulder earning the youngest Roman's attention as he turned to the group.

"Do you have a pencil I can borrow?" asked a male student as Mark nodded his head before reaching into his backpack and handed the boy a pencil.

"Thanks man." replied the student with a smile as Mark nodded his head.

"No problem." said a nonchalant Mark as he went back to writing down notes.

"See I told you that kid was nice." said one of the students.

"I'm not saying he isn't nice I'm saying he's dangerous last year he beat up almost half the basketball team and put them in the hospital." replied a girl.

"I remember that, but they were picking on him so he was in the right." said another male student as Mark gritted his teeth at the students who continued to talk before the teacher eyed his class with a sinister smile.

"Can anyone tell me how to solve this problem?" asked the teacher as the students eyed the somewhat hard problem with non confident looks.

"Come on class you need to know this for your test on Friday." said the teacher as looked around the classroom Maya shot a glance over at a silent Marcus.

"Can someone at least try the problem?" asked the teacher as Marcus rolled his eyes before silently rising from his chair and making his way to the board to the surprise of the teacher.

"Finally someone with a pair." said the teacher as he watched Mark begin to write on the board.

"Take your time-." started the teacher before Mark interrupted.

"Done!" said Mark as he set the chalk down the teacher and the students looked at the answer on the board with confused looks.

"Five that's the answer?" asked one student.

"It can't be." said another as Mark kept his emotionless gaze to the ground.

"Actually he's right." replied the teacher to the shock of a few students.

"The answer to that long problem is five?" asked one student as the teacher nodded his head.

"Yeah, Marcus how did you find your answer?" asked the teacher as Mark began to show his work on the board.

"And he's right, thank you Marcus." said the teacher as Mark made his way back to his desk earning a pat on the shoulder from Daryl as the school bell started to ring dismissing the seniors.

Outside

As the school bell rang a familiar black car was parked across the street from the school with the same two detectives sitting inside waiting for the arrival of their target with mixed looks on their faces as the brown haired woman gave a loud sigh.

"This is probably the most boring jobs we've done." said the brown haired woman while blonde haired man started to chuckle.

"Oh really why is that?" he asked as she continued to eye the school watched as a few of the teenagers walked out of the school with smiles on their faces.

"Well for one thing we've been tailing this kid for the past three days and aside from the lack of parents this kids has one of the most average lives I've ever seen, all he does is come to school, go home with a friend, bring them home, then go back home and sleep, and the cycle repeats itself." she replied.

"Seriously I don't see why Quin said this kid was more valuable to the city of Rivergreen then anyone else. I mean what is the kid 5'2 and looks like he ways no more than 160 pounds." she stated.

"Looks can be deceiving, besides I got a look at him when he entered the store most of that weight is in body muscle." replied the man with a chuckle.

"But of course it's muscle his file said he was on the football and wrestling team while when he attended Rivergreen High School. It's one of the few things on his file that isn't covered in black ink, you know when I first heard about that I thought people were joking until I seen this kids file which is damn near covered in black ink I haven't seen that much black ink since I was overseas in Iraq." said the man as the woman nodded her head.

"Seriously aside from his general description and his life when he got to Rivergreen, much of this kids life is unknown including the name of his parents, siblings, where he lived before this, and what makes him such a threat." stated the woman.

"They usually do that when someone's in witness protection or someone past is really fucked up." said the man as he continued to watch for Mark.

"Whatever this kid hasn't even been to Rivergreen in three days I still say this is a sham." said the woman.

"Maybe not take a look at this." said the man as both he and the brunette looked at the school where they noticed a familiar black haired teen being pushed around by a group of five kids before being knocked on the ground as Mark stepped out of the school with Maya, Daryl, and Jordan in tow where Mark caught site of the grounded Buck and the five teens standing over him laughing.

"This might be interesting." said the man as the duo watched Mark begin to talk at Daryl who reached into his backpack before pulling out a baseball and handing it to Mark who got into a baseball stance as the led teen went to throw a punch at Buck he was taken off guard as the baseball collided with the side of his head knocking him to the ground and shocking his friends including Buck as he turned his head and noticed a smiling Marcus walking towards the group with a smile on his face as he picked up the baseball.

"You got some balls psycho." said the teen as Mark nodded his head with a chuckle.'

"Balls and a big stick Scott, sorry I had to do that but you were harassing one of my friends and I don't like that." said Mark as he spun the baseball on his finger with a smile on his face.

"I'll kick your ass for this shit." said Scott as he wiped some blood from his face.

"Yeah you can do that but I got a better proposition for you." said Mark earning a confused look from Scott.

"Tomorrow after school you and my friend Buck right there go one on one without me jumping in." said Mark earning a chuckle from Scott.

"Why would I fight this bitch?" asked Scott as he pointed to the fallen Buck as Mark nodded his head.

"Because after you fight him, you can fight me and I don't think you want people to think of you as a pussy backing out of a fight, even though it is against me." said Mark as both he and Scott looked around and noticed a few students eyeing them as Scott gritted his teeth.

"Where we going to do this?" asked Scott as Mark nodded his head with a smile.

"The Skate park down the street and when I say after school I do mean after school." said Mark as Scott nodded his head.

"Whatever see you there freak." said Scott as he and his friends walked away from Mark and Buck as the school bell rang loudly.

"Bastard got me late for class." said Buck as Mark forcibly grabbed Buck's hand and forced him onto his feet.

"You're not going to class Prospect." said Mark as Maya, Daryl, and Jordan approached the duo.

"You two have got your work cut out for yourself tomorrow Marcus." said Daryl as Mark handed the teen back his baseball.

"Why is that?" asked Buck.

"Dude that was Scott Malcolm he's one of the hardest hitting kids at this school, he's won every fight he's been in here by knockout." said Daryl.

"Guy hits so hard it sounds like it could break bones." said Jordan as he rubbed the back of his neck as fear spread across Buck's face.

"He's just another tall bully with big friends." said Mark as he looked at Buck.

"Nothing we can't handle." said Mark as he put his hand on Buck's shoulder.

"Good luck then you two, I know you're a hard hitter Mark but still I wish you luck." said Daryl as he and Jordan walked away from Mark and Buck leaving them with Maya.

"You coming with us?" asked Mark as he eyed Maya.

"Of course I'm coming with you someones gotta keep you outta trouble." said Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Come on Bucky." said Mark as the freshman picked his backpack off the ground.

"Where are we going?" asked Buck.

"Doesn't matter where we're going you worry about what we're gonna be doing." said Mark as the trio slid into his car the two detectives watched them drive away.

"Well that was interesting." said the woman with a smile on her face as the blonde haired man followed after Mark on a drive that eventually ended up back at Mark's apartment as the trio entered his home they watched a white pickup truck arrived shortly afterwards as Lee, Mercy, and Trip jumped out the truck and made their way upstairs and began knocking on Mark's door.

"Coming!" said Maya as she opened the door revealing the trio.

"We came as soon as we heard." said Mercy as they entered the house and noticed Buck sitting on the couch,

"Buck why didn't you tell us you had a bully?" asked Lee as Buck looked away from the group.

"It didn't seem like a big deal." replied Buck.

"Not a big deal, dude we spent our entire childhood being picked on including you and we're not about to let that shit happen to anyone again, even if you are a Prospect." said Trip as Buck looked at the ground.

"So what are you gonna do to me?" asked Buck as Mark walked out of his room carrying a roll of white tape and throwing it to Buck who caught it with difficulty.

"Since your older brother isn't here the four of us are gonna teach you how to fight." said Mark earning a shocked look from Buck.

"Seriously?" asked Buck.

"Yeah, you're brother taught me, Mercy, and Zach how to hold our own while we were in Juvie and we're gonna do the same for you." said Mark with a smile as Buck nodded his head as Lee began to wrap the tape around his wrist.

"Thanks guys." said Buck as Lee finished wrapping the tape around his wrist.

"Stand up!" said Lee as Buck rose to his feet only to earn a punch in the gut from Trip that sent him back down on the couch to the shock of Maya as she looked at the hurt teen.

"First rules of fighting like a Brother from North Valley, Rivergreen. No matter how many enemies we're facing or who they are, we Brothers don't hold back, we don't back up, we don't back down, we don't fold up, and we don't bow down. We fight back and conquer with skill, brutality, ruthlessness, aggression, and the knowledge that someone is watching my back and by the way it's looking we need to educate you on all of that." stated Mark as Buck looked up at the Rivergreen leaders as they stood over him with smiles on their faces.

One Hour Later

After leaving Mark's apartment the members of the Brothers and Maya found themselves in Rivergreen behind Ma and Pop's Diner where Mercy, Lee, Mark, Trip had set down a mat at the back of the store as Buck sat in the corner with Maya and Tina dressed in a wife beater and a pair of sweatpants without any shoes and with the tape still on his hands as Maya rubbed his back

"Are they gonna go easy on me?" asked Buck as Tina started to chuckle.

"You better hope they do each one of those boys are some of the best fighters in Rivergreen." said Tina as Buck took a loud gulp before facing the Mark as he, Lee, Mercy, and Trip each stepped on the mat each dressed in wife beaters and sweatpants showing off the tattoos each teen had on their upper bodies and arms while they failed to notice the same black car parked just outside the alley they were in allowing the detectives to see the group.

"What is this are they gonna jump him into their gang?" asked the woman.

"Patience we have to see first and get a lay of the land." said the blonde man earning a roll of the eyes from the woman.

"Alright then Bucky step forward." said Mark as Buck took a deep breath before stepping before the group.

"We need to see how well you fight, so you're gonna fight all four of us one at a time." said Mark earning a surprised look from Buck as he watched Mercy and Trip each cracking their knuckles.

"What for how long?" asked Buck.

"Until he says stop now get over here you're fighting me first and you better come at me with everything you got." said Lee to Buck's relief he wasn't fighting Mercy or even Mark first, a mistake he was about to regret as he stepped up to Lee while everyone stepped off the mat.

"BROTHERS FIGHT!" yelled Mark as Buck got into an amateur boxing stance while Lee got into a martial arts defensive stance before Buck tried to hit him with a right hook that Lee easily blocked with his left hand before responding with a light slap from his right hand and following up with a slap from the left causing Buck to reel back, only for Lee to grab a hold of the teens right hand and spinning him around before forcing him to hit the mat stomach first and lifting his right foot and stepping on the back of Buck's thigh earning a soft yelp from Buck.

"I told you to come at me with everything you got, you're gonna need to do better than that Prospect if you wanna beat me." said Lee as he took his foot off Buck as the teen quickly rose back up to his feet before looking at Lee with anger in his eyes as he went to throw another punch Lee grabbed a hold of the boy's arm before using his other hand to grab the back of shirt and in jerk send him almost spinning until he fell and landed back first on the mat.

"This is gonna be a long day." said Mark as he rubbed his forehead while Mercy and Trip chuckled as they watched Buck rise to his feet and try to throw a kick at Lee that the Chinese Brother easily stopped by grabbing a hold of Buck's foot and in one fluid motion perform a leg sweep that took the teen off his feet.

"Enough!" said Mark as Lee put both of his hands together before bowing his head to Buck.

"Would you like a break Prospect?" asked Mark putting emphasis on the term as Buck shook his head earning a sinister smile from Mark.

"Alright then Trip your up." said Mark as Trip started chuckle before stepping onto the mat and eyeing Buck with a smile on his face.

"Remember Buck we don't fold up and we don't back down so your better fight your way out of this." said Trip as he got into a boxing position while Buck changed his fighting style and got into a defensive stance as Trip ran at him causing him to send a punch at Trip only for the auburn haired brother to avoid the strike before backhand slapping Buck and following up four more light slaps as he grabbed Buck's right arm and forced him over his shoulder causing him to hit the mat hard before Trip climbed on top of the fallen Buck and started slapping Buck before climbing off the somewhat dizzy teen as the group noticed his blood red cheeks as Maya and Tina approached the teen.

"This isn't as much of a challenge as I thought it'd be." said Trip as he walked away from Buck as the teen rose to his feet.

"Wait I'm not done." said Buck as he tried to stand up.

"Who said we were brother, we are just gonna help you not make this such a one sided fight." said Mark as he extended his hand to Buck who took it.

"First off fighting isn't just about hitting your opponent and walking away. It's also a mental battle your mind and your motor skills have to react quickly to things or you'll end up getting your ass kicked." said Mark as he pointed over to Lee.

"Take Lee for example you went at Lee with everything you had and he countered it all, Trip came at you with everything and when you tried to counter he reversed what you threw at him. You have to out think Bucky when they're swinging right you have to dodge." said Mark as Buck nodded his head.

"The point of this training isn't to put you on our level by tomorrow because that be impossible, we're just trying to teach you a thing or two so tomorrow won't be one sided." said Mercy.

"Win or lose Buck it doesn't matter as long as you had the balls to stand up for yourself says it all." said Lee with a smile on his face as Buck nodded his head.

"Now let's teach you about our five categories to fighting offense, defense, countering, slamming, and my personal favorite ruthless followups." said Mark while licking his lips with a sinister smile as Buck nodded his head while the two officers continued to watch the group of Brothers as they taught Buck different fighting techniques.

"Things might be a little more interesting tomorrow." said the brown haired woman with a smile on her face as she and the blonde haired man continued to watch the training Brothers.

Five Hours Later

The sun was beginning to set over the town of Rivergreen as Mark exited the diner and noticed Buck throwing punches at the bag of trash as a smile spread across his face.

"Enough!" yelled Mark as he watched as Buck walked over to him panting with sweat dripping from his forehead Mark walked over to the teen and patted him on the shoulder.

"You're ready." said Mark to Buck's shock.

"But I didn't get to fight you or Mercy." replied Buck as Mark started to chuckle.

"I meant you're ready for tomorrow not ready to face the toughest guys in North Valley, but you will be someday." said Mark as Buck nodded his head before being led back into the diner where he noticed Lee, Mercy, Trip, Maya, and Tina sitting at a corner table with a plate of food and a drink at the ready as Buck took a seat at the table.

"Eat up you need to build your strength back up." said Trip as Buck started to eat his meal.

"We think you made good progress today." said Lee with a slight smile.

"For a beginner at least but you should be able to hold your own tomorrow." said Mercy as Buck swallowed his mouth filled with food.

"I still want my fight with you." said Buck as Mercy started to chuckle.

"We'll see how you do tomorrow if you win you can fight me but if you lose you don't." said Mercy as Buck nodded his head.

"You better be ready to bring it tomorrow Bucky, Mercy don't give open invitations to anyone." said Mark as Buck nodded his head before quickly finishing his meal as the group schooled him a little more in fighting before it was time to go as Mark returned back to Seattle with Maya and Buck in tow as he pulled his car in front of Maya's house.

"Had fun again today?" asked Mark as Maya started to chuckle.

"Watching you guys fight it's not like the old days." said Maya as she exited Mark's car.

"Pick you up tomorrow morning." stated Mark earning a nod from Maya as she made her way towards her house Mark drove in silence to Buck's house as he pulled his car in front of his house.

"Thanks for the ride brother." said Buck as he opened his door and climbed out.

"Hold on!" said Mark as he undid his seat belt and hopped out of the car along with Buck.

"We're not done I need to teach you something, that means a lot to us." said Mark as Buck eyed the youngest Roman as he stood in Buck front yard.

"What I'm about to teach you is something your older brother taught me, Mercy, Zach, Reid, and Ryan, and we passed it along to Lee, Trip, and now you. It's trademarked by our members and you can you use it on offense or defense and it guaranteed to knock someone out, but its also a one shot and if you miss you're gonna be open for an attack so be careful with it." said Mark earning a nod from Buck as he extended his fist forward.

"Let's do this!" said Mark as Buck readied himself.

The Next Day

School was going by rather quickly at Seaside High School as Mark sat in his final class of the day with goosebumps and jitters just like a few other students at Seaside who wanted to see the fight as a few of them noticed a sinister smile on the face of Marcus as he wrote down notes.

"Is it wrong to hope that Buck loses his fight just so I can jump in." thought Mark as he continued to write with a smile on his face.

"With the exception of killing, fighting is another way of feeding my habit because it allows me to do serious bodily harm to someone without killing them and it allows me to collect another trophy aside from blood." thought Mark as the school bell rang out dismissing the students as Mark quickly rose from his desk with Maya, Daryl, and Jordan in tow as they followed him out of the classroom.

"You ready for this Mark?" asked Daryl.

"You helping me out?" asked Mark with a chuckle.

"No we're gonna cheer you on and call an ambulance if needed." said Jordan as Maya hit the boys stomach before turning her head and noticing a few students following the group.

"We've got followers." said Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Of course we do." said Mark as the group made their way out of the school where they noticed Buck standing beside Mark's car with a mixed look on his face as Mark patted him on the shoulder earning the freshman's attention.

"You ready for this Prospect?" asked Mark as Buck nodded his head with a look of determination written on his face.

"Then let's go." said Mark as he led Buck, Maya, Jordan, and Daryl away from the school with a few students still following after him amongst those following them were the two figures shadowing Mark as they watched the group walk a few blocks away from the school before coming to a rundown skate park that was filling with kids waiting to see the fight as Mark and Buck made their way to the center of the crowd where they noticed Scott and his eleven friend sitting on one of the ramps.

"We might be walking into a gang fight." said Buck as Mark nodded his head as Buck watched him sadistically lick his lips with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry we're not alone in this fight." said Mark as he turned his head Buck followed his gaze and noticed Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Tina standing beside another ramp with smiles on their faces as they nodded their heads at the young teen.

"Remember Buck win or lose you're a winner for standing up for yourself in our eyes and if something happens I'll stop the fight." said Mark as Buck nodded his head before taking off his uniform shirt revealing a wife beater under his shirt as he stepped before Scott while the kids circled the duo.

"Didn't think you'd show up bitch." said Scott as he eyed Buck with a sinister smile.

"I came to kick your ass." said Buck as Scott started to chuckle.

"We gonna see about that." said Scott as he went to throw a punch at Buck as the teens mind flashed with images of what Mark and the others taught him the day before.

"Alright Buck first thing we start with is defense, whenever someone is coming at you and you can't counter you want to throw both of your arms up to protect your face but be careful you can't stay like this forever or you could hurt your arms so you better go on the offensive quickly." came the words from Trip as Buck but his arms up to protect his face Scott's right hand collided with Buck's arm causing the Rivergreen Prospect to move backward in pain from the force of the attack as he let down his guard and went to punch Scott only for the teen to move away.

"Offense is just as important as defense and it isn't just punches and kicks you're entire body is a weapon and you must use your body from your head, to you shoulders, elbows, forearms, and knees. You also must remember to make your first strike count you don't need to aim for the face aim for other parts of the body." came the words of Lee as Buck went on the offense and charged at Scott hitting him with a punch to the gut before following up with another punch to the face but as he went for another Scott punched Buck in the center of his gut knocking the wind out of him as a few of the kids watching started to cheer while Buck landed on knee and Scott grabbed a handful of his hair and looked ready to punch the teen.

"Slamming is another important thing to learn especially since you're just a little taller than me so that means you have the advantage when it comes to slamming. Now remember you must put your shoulder to his gut, then wrap him up and force him to the ground." as Buck forced his left shoulder upward into Scott's gut causing him to take a few steps back before wrapping his arms around the larger teens waist and took him off his feet only for Scott to start punching him in the face while Buck forced him to the ground only to be forced off Scott as he grabbed a handful of the Prospects hair and began punching him square in the face and sending him backwards whole Scott quickly rose to his feet.

"Countering is one of the hardest things to do in a fight because it requires the most mental work, when they come at you have to react quicker than them." came the words of Lee as Buck got back on his feet and noticed Scott charging at him as he bent down and performed a leg sweep on Scott that took the larger teen off his feet as Buck quickly saw his chance and started throwing punches at Scott's head only for the teen to push him and hit Buck with a hard right hook that sounded off and made Buck's head turn around and face Mark, Maya, Lee, Mercy, Trip, and the others Brothers before hitting the ground with a thud.

"Stupid son of a bitch!" yelled Scott as he climbed on top of Buck and started to punch the teen in the face repeatedly as the Brothers noticed blood already leaking from the face of Buck.

"Stop this Marcus." said Maya as Mark gritted his teeth along with Lee and the other Brothers as they watched Buck being pounded to the ground while kids cheered louder and louder.

"We need to break this up." said the brown haired woman as she went to get out of her car.

"ENOUGH!" yelled Mark earning the attention of Scott and the other kids as they turned their attention to the youngest Roman as he stepped out of the crowd.

"Save your strength because now you're fighting me now." said Mark earning a chuckle from Scott as he climbed off Buck before kicking him in the stomach and sending him rolling to Mark where Mercy and Trip carried the boy over to them.

"I been waiting to fight you psycho." said Scott as he smiled as Mark removed his shirt revealing the tattoos that covered his arms to the surprise of a few students as they noticed the angel wings on his back before eyeing the Dragon and Eagle tattooed across his arms that traveled to his chest as he cracked his knuckles.

"Well now you can stop." said Mark as he gave a low growl with a smile spreading across his face before Scott charged at him and tried to throw a punch at his face only for the smiling Brother to duck and avoid the punch before ramming his left shoulder into the center of Scott's chest with enough force to take him off his feet as Mark pushed the teen backwards until his back collided against the side of a ramp as Scott sent punches into Mark's back the youngest Roman gave a loud roar before bending his knees and bring the larger teen upward before slamming him down spine first against the ground and following up with six knee strikes before climbing on top of him.

"YOU LIKE PULLING HAIR!" yelled Mark as he grabbed a handful of Scott's hair and began punching the larger teen in the face with as much force as he could remembering to aim directly for the eyes, nose, and mouth until he noticed the blood starting to trickle from the teens nose.

"YES!" thought Mark as he continued to land strike after strike to the face of Scott while the kids looked on in shock as Mark pressed both of his thumbs into the eyes of Scott before forcing the teens head upward for Mark to deliever a devastating headbutt to the nose of Scott nearly breaking it while Scott forced a palm strike to the face of Mark forcing him off of him. As Mark hopped back onto his feet Scott rose off the ground with his face covered in blood a wide smile spread across the face of Marcus.

"You wanna keep going?" asked Mark between chuckles as he rolled both of his shoulders backwards while licking his lips as Scott looked into the facing of the laughing Marcus with anger in his eyes before Buck started to stir awake and noticed Mark standing off against a bloody Scott.

"Kick his ass Mark." whispered Buck earning the attention of Maya and the others as they eyed the injured Buck as tried to stand up.

"Stay down Bucky you might have a concussion." said Trip as Buck nodded his head before eyeing Mark.

"You should really walk away from this situation right now before you get hurt." said Mark as Scott grew more angry.

"Fuck you!" yelled Scott as he charged at Mark, Buck watched Mark's lack of movements remembering the move Mark taught him the night before as Scott punched Mark in the center of the face causing the youngest Roman to intentionally walk backwards before landing on top of a ramp back first before jumping back up on his feet and charging Scott with incredible speed.

"Finish Him!" said Trip with a chuckle as everyone watched as Mark jumped off his lead leg and delivered a powerful jumping punch to the face of Scott that knocked the teen completely off his feet and laid him out across the ground as a smile spread across the face of Mark and the other members of the Brothers while everyone else remained shocked as Mark looked over at the unconscious Scott with anger in his smile.

"Be ready to move." said Lee as Buck watched as he, Mercy, and Trip readied themselves as Mark continued to eye Scott.

"NO!" thought Mark as he grabbed Scott by his shirt before tossing the teen as his back collided against another ramp as Mark grabbed the teens throat and began pounding his fist into the teens face making sure to aim at his mouth while punching as Lee, Mercy, and Trip rushed to Mark and pulled him off the teen Mark delivered a kick to Scott's side as the group pulled him away.

"Alright I'm done I'm cool." said Mark as the Brothers let him go as he walked away from the skate park with Maya and Tina in tow the Brothers grabbed the injured Buck and helped him walk away leaving a shocked Daryl and Jordan to watch as Scott picked himself up before spitting blood as some of the kids noticed that the teen was now missing three teeth.

"This shit ain't over." yelled Scott as he started to walk away from the group as the two figures shadowing Mark kept their distance from the group of teens as they followed Mark back to his school.

"Well that was really entertaining." said the blonde haired man as the group of Brothers made their way back to the schools parking lot.

"Marcus you calm?" asked Mercy as Mark started to chuckle.

"Never better brother." said Mark as he turned to the group with a smile on his face before rubbing his knuckles before his eyes fell on the injured Buck.

"You whole?" asked Mark as he put his hand on Buck's shoulder.

"My head hurts and I feel like I've been beat with a hammer but aside from that I'm fine." said Buck as Mark nodded his head.

"The feeling of battle you'll get used to it." said Mercy.

"We'll stop by a pharmacy and get you some pain pills and you'll feel better in the morning." said Lee as the group started to chuckle before they heard heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Psycho!" said Scott as the group turned their heads and noticed a bloody Scott looking at them.

"This ain't over." said Scott as Mark started to chuckle.

"This guy doesn't know when to quit." said Trip as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah this is over." said Mark as he slid into the front seat of his car while Maya and Buck climbed into the back as Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Reid piled into Mercy's truck the group drove away from the school while Scott felt his anger rise to an almost boiling point as he punched out one of his friends while the two figures watched the scene with mixed looks before following Mark who parked his car in front of Buck's house as the group helped Buck out of the car and helped him towards his house before knocking on the front door as his mother answered.

"Jesus Buckles." said Buck's mothers as she caught site of Buck.

"Hey mom." said Buck as the group helped him inside and set him down on the couch.

"What happened to you?" asked Buck's mother as she eyed her injured.

"I got into a fight with this jerk at school, I would have been hurt worse if Mark didn't help me out." said Buck as his mother eyed the blood covered Mark as he rubbed his hurt knuckles.

"Thank you Mark, what would he do without you." said Buck's mother as Mark nodded his head as Maya gave Buck a few pain killers before bandaging his wounds.

"I'll call you tomorrow after school to see how you feel." said Mark as Buck gave the teen a confused look.

"You're not gonna pick me up?" asked Buck as the group started to chuckle.

"Hell no dude see you don't feel the pain now because your body has gone numb but tomorrow morning it's gonna hit you like a train at once to the point where you can't move." said Trip with a chuckle as Buck took a loud gulp.

"Just keep taking the pain pills and you'll be fine.' said Maya as she planted a kiss on Buck's cheek before rising up and following the other Brother members out of the house.

"Oh and Buck we're proud of you." said Mark as Buck nodded his head with a smile on his injured face as Mark exited the Prospects home.

"Mark you coming we're heading back to your place for pizza and study night?" asked Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, just wait up." said Mark as he reached into his pocket and pulled out two loose teeth that looked to have just been knocked out of someone's mouth as Mark remembered the last few punches of the fight he was able to knock two of Scott's teeth out of his mouth as a smile spread across his face.

"I got my trophy!" said Mark with a chuckle as tucked Scott's teeth back into his pocket as the two figures continued to watch the teen with wide eyes.

"I think we know what makes Marcus such a high priority." said the brown haired woman.

"Yeah he's completely unstable." said the blonde haired man.

9: Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Rivergreen Invaded

By the Federal Bureau of Investigations

The Next Day

The sun was shining brightly on this Friday morning in the city of Seattle as Mark found himself in the place he guessed he would the day before... the principals office with Ms. Summers looking down at him with a disappointed look on her face.

"I don't get this Marcus you proved yourself as a fighter last year, so why are you fighting again this year?" asked Ms. Summers.

"I'm sorry about that but Scott was picking on one of my friends and beat him up real bad so I felt I had to... intervene." said Mark.

"Really this is intervening." said Ms. Summers as she showed the youngest Roman a phone that played the video of Mark's attack on Scott.

"I kinda lost control." stated Mark with raised shoulders.

"What did I say Marcus no fighting will be tolerated with students." said Ms. Summers.

"Yeah, but it wasn't in school we were both out and I don't think he's gonna try anything for a while." said Mark.

"Still Scott spent last night and today in the hospital, with a fractured jaw, concussion, and a broken nose." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"Tell him I apologize and if you're gonna suspend me... do what you gotta do." stated Mark as Ms. Summers took a seat across from him.

"I'm not gonna suspend either of you because this wasn't a school fight, you both were off campus and out of school but Scott's parents can still press charges against you and I will have to report you to the authorities, including Sheriff Quin." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"No need,I he called me last night and said he was gonna meet me later at my place to talk to me about my behavior." he replied as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"Alright then, but this is your one and only warning Marcus if you fight again or cause another disturbance I won't have a choice, so don't force my hand." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"I won't I promise." said Mark.

"Good then get back to class." said Ms. Summers as Mark rose from his chair before making his way out of the office and towards his class earning mixed looks from a few of the students watching him walk down the halls.

"Most people would be freaked out because of this but back when I was attending Rivergreen High my freshman year everyday was like this." thought Mark continued to walk the halls.

"Everyday there was a constant fight after school with me and the Brothers and whenever we came to school kids always looked at us with fear, anger, or worry in their eyes as we made our way through the halls." thought Mark as he gave an internal chuckle.

"This should make things easier if they find out I'm a blood thirsty serial killer." thought Mark as he entered his first period class and earning a sea of mixed looks from his fellow classmates as he took his seat in front of the classroom and began to work ignoring the wave of gossip talk going on behind him as he worked.

King County Sheriff's Department

With all the crime in Rivergreen, the only source of justice in the town comes from the small police force known as the King County Sheriff's as Sheriff Quin sat behind his desk in the back of the station filling out paperwork before two familiar faces entered the room.

"Detectives!" said Sheriff Quin.

"Sheriff we came here to talk to you about Marcus." said the blonde haired man as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"We know you and him have a history together but you know you'll have to relinquish your position as his handler once we begin." said the brown haired woman as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"I can relinquish my position, but that won't stop him from coming to me with information if he doesn't feel like he can trust either of you." said Sheriff Quin.

"He's an unstable time bomb how are we gonna be able to trust him?" asked the blonde haired man.

"Well Detective Amsel, Marcus is a very trustworthy person and he's willing to cooperate or throw you bone as long as you don't go prying for information." said Sheriff Quin as both detectives gave him confused looks.

"What do you mean don't go prying for information?" asked the brown haired woman with a calm almost emotionless look on her face.

"Marcus won't give up names of people who do certain things but he will point you in the right direction and he won't give you anything if you make him feel threatened like you're about to do now." stated Sheriff Quin to both detectives confusion.

"Yeah, I know what you're about to do. You're about to bring him in saying that you're charging him for that fight yesterday then say you want to make him a deal if he gives you information on what he knows, and I need to tell you that's a bullshit plan." said Sheriff Quin to both detectives surprise.

"Marcus isn't like most people, you can have him in here with a hundred cops breathing down his neck but he won't crack or let you dictate him. You're gonna learn Marcus is gonna be one of the most defiant people you've ever encountered." said Sheriff Quin as Detective Amsel nodded his head with a smile on his face.

"That so then what do you propose?" asked Detective Amsel as Sheriff Quin eyed the two.

"First thing you have to know is Marcus is in control and you've been following him for what three to four days?" asked Sheriff Quin earning nods from the two detectives.

"Yeah but he didn't do anything of interest until yesterday." said the brown haired woman.

"He didn't do anything of interest Detective Harper because he knew you've been following him since day one." said Sheriff Quin to the surprise of the two detectives.

"Marcus is an intelligent and observant child and can tell when something isn't right from cars parked in different places, vans parked across the street from a house, and many other things. After he figured you were cops he probably picked that fight for the sole purpose of drawing you out of hiding to approach him." said Sheriff Quin as the brown haired woman looked at the man with wide eyes.

"I don't care if you two are from the FBI, Marcus Smith isn't just someone you can take lightly." stated Sheriff Quin as the two detectives looked at him with attentive eyes.

Marcus

The school bell had rang loudly dismissing the seniors as Mark rose from his desk and began to make his way outside of the school with Maya, Daryl, and Jordan by his side as each teen noticed the extra attention they were receiving from the students before Daryl put his hand on Mark's shoulder.

"You know a lot of kids are afraid of you Marcus." said Daryl as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah there's a lot of gossip going around the school all with your name in it." said Jordan as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"What's the main point in all of them?" asked Mark.

"That you really fucked up Scott and that most kids from Rivergreen are extremely dangerous." said Daryl.

"Thought that had already been pointed out, ain't that right Maya?" asked Mark as Maya looked away from the youngest Roman.

"I'm not involved in this." said Maya as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"Lucky you I'm regretting it already, I got another meeting with my therapists when I get home." said Mark as Daryl started to chuckle.

"Remind me again why you've needed a therapist since tenth grade year?" asked Jordan as Mark started to chuckle.

"What can I say I'm fucked up in the head." stated Mark as the group started to chuckle before a Asian girl with glasses accidentally bumped into him and fell down causing her to drop her books and her glasses as a few students gasped at the sight while they eyed Mark who looked down at the girl with his emotionless look while the girl looked up at him with terror in her eyes as a smile spread across Mark's face.

"Sorry about that." said Mark as he bent down, picked up the girls glasses, before wiping them off and putting them back on her to her surprise.

"Let me help you out." he said before picking up the girls book in one hand and extending his hand to help the girl as she looked at him with confusion in her eyes before taking his hand as Mark helped her to her feet before handing her back her books.

"Here you go." said Mark as the girl took back her books as a small smile spread across her face as she eyed Mark who started to off her shirt.

"Thanks!" she replied as Mark nodded his head before walking away from her with a smiling Maya and a confused Daryl and Jordan following after him.

"Dude I thought you were gonna do her in." said Daryl as Mark shook his head.

"I don't hit girls dude besides it was an accident." said Mark as the group made it out of the school and entered the student parking lot.

"See you on Monday." said Mark as he and Maya made their way to his car.

"Oh and Mark when you gonna introduce us to your other friends?" asked Daryl as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"Someday but not today or tomorrow." said Mark as he and Maya walked away.

"You really gonna bring them to Rivergreen?" asked Maya.

"Hell no I'll let them meet here but Rivergreen...that's not a place for them." said Mark earning a chuckle from Maya.

"Only the strong and ruthless survive in Rivergreen." said Maya as Mark started to chuckle.

"Then how did I survive for so long?" asked Mark earning a laugh from Maya.

"By being the definition of strong and ruthless." she replied.

"You give me to much credit." said Mark as the duo entered his car before driving away from the school and making their way to Maya's home as the girl quickly stepped out of Mark's car before approaching his home.

"Time to meet my new handlers or should I say extra baggage." thought Mark as he drove away from Maya's home before making his way towards his apartment and entering his home just as his cellphone started to ring from an unknown number that he quickly answered.

"Brother." answered Mark as he heard the voice of Martin on the other end of the phone.

"Marcus it's good to hear you voice little brother." replied Martin.

"Yeah, what do you want?" asked Mark as Martin started to chuckle.

"Why are you automatically assuming I want something, how do you know I didn't just call to check up on you?" asked Martin.

"Because you never called to check up on me before." replied Mark as Martin started to chuckle.

"Well you're kinda right, but tomorrow I need you to come with me to Aberdeen." said Martin earning a confused look from Mark as he almost dropped his phone.

"Aberdeen, brother Aberdeen isn't just a stones throw away like Rivergreen to Seattle that's gonna be a long trip." said Mark.

"I know but I really need you there." replied Martin as Mark rubbed his chin.

"Brother right now I don't think it'd be too good for me to leave Seattle." said Mark as he looked out his window and noticed Sheriff Quin already pulling into the parking lot with a familiar black car behind him.

"Come on brother I need you here." stated Martin as Mark gritted his teeth.

"Can I bring friends?" asked Mark earning a chuckle from the other end from Martin.

"Sure bring your friends we can hang at the beach for a while." said Martin on the other end as he hung up his phone followed by Mark as he heard knocked coming from his front door.

"This is gonna be a challenge." thought Mark as he made his way to the front door before answering it and seeing Sheriff Quin and the two detectives on the other side.

"Marcus!" stated the Sheriff earning a nod from Mark as he invited the trio into his apartment before closing the door behind him.

"What can I do you for Sheriff?" asked Mark as he took a seat on his couch.

"Marcus this is FBI Detectives Ryan Amsel and Detective Carla Harper and as of right now they're gonna be acting as your new handlers and they'll be heading up the new King County Gang Task Force." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Well than it's nice to meet you both my names Marcus Smith." said Mark as he introduced himself to the duo with a forced smile as the two detectives nodded their heads.

"From now on you'll be passing any information you gather on the streets to one of them." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"And if I find out about another event like yesterday you won't have to worry about them." said Sheriff Quin as Mark as a smile spread across the face of the North Valley teen.

"I said I was sorry, besides that asshole kinda had it coming." said Mark as Sheriff Quin gritted his teeth before Mark eyed the two new faces knowing already they were trying to figure him out a mistake they would soon learn.

"Sheriff can you step outside, I wish to get to know my new handlers?" asked Mark as Sheriff Quin looked back at the two cops who nodded their heads before making his way outside of Mark's apartment and closing the door behind him.

"Like I said it is nice to finally meet you face to face." said Mark as he eyed the duo.

"So you did know we were following you." stated Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"What gave us away?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark rubbed his chin for a second.

"You guys didn't change your vehicle or your license plate and you've been parked outside of my apartment for the last couple of days and when new people move into this building they introduce themselves to their neighbors, which you did not to anyone." said Mark earning nods from the detectives

"Very observant." said Detective Amsel as Mark nodded his head.

"You know if you just wanted to talk to me all you had to do was approach me or get approval from Sheriff Quin." stated Mark.

"And why is that?" asked Detective Harper.

"Because I don't trust a lot of people especially cops because you never know which ones dirty and which are gonna do anything to see you behind bars, but with Sheriff Quin I know he's an honest man and I know he's just doing his job and if he has to arrest me for doing something wrong I'm alright with that." said Mark to the shock of both Detectives.

"I see, hopefully we can build up that same trust." stated Detective Amsel as he set down a file of papers in front of Mark as the youngest Roman opened the papers he noticed the pictures of the fallen Brady and his men.

"What can you tell us about this murder?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark eyed the man.

"The man's name was Jonathan Brady he's on of the major drug traffickers in Washington and supplies drugs to a number of black street gangs in Rivergreen, Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and a few other places. He also invested his drug money into a number of clubs, bars, restaurants, and even owns a number of houses across Washington." said Mark earning nods from the two detectives.

"Can you tell us why he was killed?" asked Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"Problems with his buyers." said Mark earning a confused look from both Detectives.

"He and his men were placing heavy taxes on drug dealers and gang bangers that bought from him and anyone operating any illegal business in their neighborhoods." said Mark.

"He was taxing so much that these guys were barely making any money, so one of gangs decided he had to disappear." said Mark.

"Which gang?" asked Detective Harper.

"It was in Rivergreen most likely the Royals." said Mark.

"Why would these guys kill off their supplier?" asked Detective Amsel.

"Probably found another one." said Mark.

"Do you know who that might be?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark shook his head.

"Honestly no, most traffickers usually hide in the dark while Brady was careless and loved to flaunt his power." said Mark earning nods from the two detectives.

"Okay then what can you tell us about the Hispanic man that was attacked last weekend?" asked Detective Harper as Mark shook his head.

"There's been problems with a Hispanic gang that's now spreading to Rivergreen, apparently a new gang from California the Reyes Centralas has been trying to establish itself in Rivergreen and are trying to force a number of Hispanic Gangs to fight under their flag." said Mark.

"That sitting well with everyone?" asked Detective Harper as Mark shook his head.

"No the other Hispanic gangs aren't sitting well with this and they've already been seen in Royal territory as well as North Valley and if they establish themselves fully you could looking at another gang war." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"Okay then Marcus can you answer me this question, Why are gangs so set on trying to establish themselves in Rivergreen?" asked Detective Harper.

"Rivergreen has great real estate for drug traffickers. You know what they say about real estate location, location, location and Rivergreen has the best location in the North West. It's directly in between Seattle and Tacoma and just like them it has it's own ports so when drug traffickers from can't get their drugs into Seattle or Tacoma they bring it into Rivergreen and it's only a few hours drive to large cities Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and if you follow the interstate into Tacoma you'll reach Portland. Gangs see the value in that and want a piece of the action, but all the homegrown gangs here aren't willing to let another gang establish itself." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"Okay and what can you tell us about the gangs?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark nodded his head.

"Well there are the Royals who are a predominately African American street gang they mostly deal in Cocaine and Weed and have established themselves in Rivergreen, Seattle, and now Tacoma. Then there's La Familia and that's not just one gang but an alliance of Hispanic Street Gangs not only in Rivergreen but all of King County, and a few other cities and they're involved in everything from Cocaine, Weed, to Heroin." said Mark.

"There's also a few organized crime groups like the Italian, the Chinese, and a few others but none of them operate in Rivergreen. Who's in those organizations are a mystery to me but they mostly deal in that organized shit like racketeering, gambling, prostitution, they're also the drug traffickers, and trust me when I tell you that nobody messes with them." said Mark.

"You've never met them?" asked Detective Amsel.

"Nope never met them, because it's hard to find them unless you step on their toes and in that case you don't find them they find you and you're gonna wish they didn't, but as far as I know they know me." replied Mark.

"How do they know you?" asked Detective Harper.

"They know everybody, from time to time they might ask guys to do favors for them that may range from picking up something, protection in prison, murder and a few other things, but they've never approached me and war breaks out they aren't involved unless their business is being targeted." said Mark as both detectives nodded their heads.

"Is that all you wanted to know?" asked Mark.

"Yes there's another gang you left out Marcus that we've been looking at, the Brothers, do they ring a bell." asked Detective Amsel as Mark started to chuckle.

"They ring a bell, but I'm only gonna say this once me and my brothers aren't a gang. We don't partake in any form of illegal business we're just a group of friends who like to hang out and when shit goes down everyone fighting as one." said Mark earning a chuckle from Detective Amsel.

"Then what about this racketeering, extortion, home invasions, and armed robberies you and your friends do in North Valley?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark started to laugh even louder.

"Let me tell you something friend, we don't extort people in Rivergreen or anywhere as for the robberies and home invasions, you don't know dick about them but if you want to make a case against us make sure it's something we're actually doing." said Mark.

"If you're trying to threaten me into making me talk go for it because I know you ain't got shit, but be warned I give you information on a trust basis if you make me feel like I can't trust you...then you're gonna find your shit out in the dark." said Mark with a smile as Detective Amsel gritted his teeth.

"Marcus please just tell us the intentions of the Brothers. Sheriff Quin already told us you're not involved in anything illegal we just want to know?" asked Detective Harper as Mark eyed the woman already figuring she was the good cop while her partner was the bad one as a nonchalant look spread across his face.

"The Brothers are the peacekeepers in Rivergreen." said Mark earning surprised looks from both Detectives.

"North Valley is directly in between the Royals and La Familia hoods. They both claimed it as their own and fought each other for it while me and the other kids living there were forced in the middle, and whenever they saw us they beat the shit out of us if we were lucky." said Mark.

"I moved to Rivergreen when I was five and I witnessed violence, murder, and death at an early age and was the victim of attacks by gang members, then one day I fought back and end up stabbing someone almost to death and got sent to Juvie for it." continued Mark as the detective felt the anger in his voice.

"I got out three years later to discover my grandmother had passed away and that nine more of my friends from the neighborhood had been put in the ground and three more were killed months after I got out and we were all pissed but one more killing took us over the edge." continued Mark.

"It was the third day of eight grade and in class we met a kid from out of state and... you ever have those moments where you think me and this guy are gonna be best friends forever?" asked Mark as he looked up at the two detectives.

"We walked home and ran into some gang members they beat us up and knocked us out, and when we woke up all we saw was ambulance, police cars, and bullet shells." said Mark earning a saddened look from Detective Harper.

"They shot him three times in the back and when we found out we were pissed off and decided that we wouldn't be the victims anymore, so me and five of my friends formed the Brothers and took the fighting to the gangs, and that's what started the Gang War." said Mark.

"How does six kids fight these gangs in a full scale gang war?" asked Detective Amsel.

"We mostly relied on hit and runs, ambushes, manipulation, and some other tactics, but we weren't the only gang in North Valley at the time fighting we were the most known so a lot of gangs switched over to the Brothers and we recruited a few ex-gang members, independent drug dealers, drug addicts, and some more people from around town to the point where our numbers swelled past a hundred." said Mark as both Detectives nodded their heads.

"When the war ended we got rid of our drug dealers and addicts and a lot of our members began to get out of town including myself. They then setup shop across the state and started their own Chapter of the Brothers in different cities and local kids jumped on board." said Mark earning nods from the two detectives.

"How many Chapters are there?" asked Detective Amsel.

"Five and each oversees Brothers living in their county. Rivergreen oversees King County, Tacoma oversees Pierce County as well as the Lakewood Chapter, Yakima oversees Yakima County, Everett oversees Snohomish County, and the Spokane Chapter oversees every Brother East of Yakima." said Mark as he continued off his fingers.

"Oh and Chapters mean six or more full members of the Brothers, and when I say oversees I mean the entire county meaning members of the Brothers who don't live in a cities with a Chapter follow the order of the Chapter in that county. For instance I live in Seattle but I oversee every brother in the King County and I'm the leader of the Rivergreen Chapter." said Mark.

"How many Brothers are there?" asked Detective Amsel.

"Don't know most Chapters like to keep their members low in numbers for trust reasons." said Mark earning a chuckle from Detective Amsel.

"That so?" asked the blonde haired detective.

"Aye, I can name all of my Brothers across the state of Washington and if I can't name them I know their faces. You're gonna learn we are not a gang but a very tight knit group of friends." said Mark earning nods from both Detectives.

"Well how are you the peacekeepers?" asked Detective' Harper.

"We're the peace keepers only in Rivergreen, most other Chapters tend to stay away from gangs while the Rivergreen Chapter has no choice but to work beside them." said Mark earning a nod from the detectives.

"We sitdown and meet with gang leaders in order to keep the peace because if they go to war with one another they'll drag us North Valley kids in it and I'm tired of burying my friends so if I have to meet with people I hate in order to keep them alive so be it." said Mark earning nods from both detectives.

"I see!" said Detective Amsel.

"Are we done here detectives?" asked Mark earning a nod from Detective Amsel.

"Just one more question Marcus, can you tell us where you were born and who your parents are?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark slammed his fist down on the table startling both detectives.

"This conversations over now leave." said Mark with venom in his voice as he kept his gaze to the floor.

"Marcus-!" started Detective Harper as both Detectives heard growls coming from Marcus.

"LEAVE NOW!" he yelled as Sheriff Quin entered his apartment and noticed the startled detectives before pulling them both out as Detective Harper stole one last glance back at Marcus while Sheriff Quin closed the door behind him.

"I think that went well." said Detective Amsel with a smile on his face.

"What did you do to him?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"He asked him about his parents and his life before Rivergreen." said Detective Harper.

"Fucking dumbass I told you not mention his parents." said Sheriff Quin.

"Why, what happened to this kid that has him seeing a therapist for much of his life?" asked Detective Amsel.

"You don't want to find out trust me, to this day I wish I never found out." replied Sheriff Quin as Detective Amsel eyed the man as he began to make his descent downstairs.

"Wait you know?" asked Detective Amsel.

"I know but because of his therapy and a court order I can't disclose that information for anyone you're gonna have to get him to tell you not even his friends know about his parents." replied Sheriff Quin.

"Okay then but he still refused to answer another question how many Brothers are in Washington?" asked Detective Amsel.

"He wasn't gonna answer that question but from what I know there all well over two hundred and fifty members in King County, Pierce County, and Snohomish County alone. While the Chapter in Spokane alone has over a hundred members." replied Sheriff Quin to the surprise of both detectives.

"What then that means there could be over five hundred Brothers in Washington." stated Detective Amsel.

"Exactly, which is why I keep a close eye on Mark because he's one general that basically leads a small army and when you fight one you fight them all." said Sheriff Quin.

"That's insane those kids could be a major problem." stated Detective Harper as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Exactly but thanks to Mark's leadership they don't sell drugs and aside from fighting they don't commit any real crimes and hardly make any money, but trust me when I tell you Marcus and those boys are dangerous and none of them are afraid to kill. Guns are hard for them to get their hands on but they love knives and makeshift weapons. I've actually confiscated prison shanks from these kids." said Sheriff Quin as both detectives nodded their heads.

"I still say that kid can't be as smart as you say he is, he gave us a lot of information on his gang and all the others." said Detective Amsel.

"That's because he wanted you to know." replied Sheriff Quin as both detectives gave him a confused look.

"You're gonna learn Marcus may help you but he's always several steps ahead of you and if he's letting you know about him he's got his own intentions." replied Sheriff Quin as the trio of officers made their way to their vehicles Mark watched from his window with a smile on his face.

"That should keep them away from me for a few days." thought Mark as he grabbed his phone.

"These feds may become a problem especially since they're taking Sheriff Quins place as my handler, and with disputes in Rivergreen already starting I better start getting things set." thought Mark as he began to dial a number on his phone.

"I can worry about them later though for now I have other things to handle." thought Mark as he placed his hand on his stomach already feeling his urge for blood beginning to return as Lee answered his phone.

"Lee I need you to tell Mercy and Trip grab their swim gear, we're going to Aberdeen tomorrow." said Mark as a smile spread across his face.

10: Chapter 10

Chapter 10: A Day at the Beach

The Next Morning

As the sun began to rise over the city of Seattle as a familiar car was parked outside of Maya's home the Gothic Cambodian girl came rushing out of the house with a gym bag slung across her shoulder before climbing into the car and noticing Mark and Buck already inside.

"Glad to see that you're up early." said Mark as Maya rubbed her eyes.

"Why are we going to the beach so early?" asked Maya.

"So we can catch up with Mercy and the others." said Mark as he drove away from the girls home.

"And to ensure that the Fed don't follow me." thought Mark with a sinister smile as Maya turned to Buck.

"How are you feeling?" she asked while the Prospect rubbed his shoulder.

"I'm still hurting but I'm just glad to be getting out of the house." responded Buck with a chuckle.

"Couldn't leave you behind for a beach day brother." said Mark with a chuckle.

"So who's all coming with us?" asked Maya.

"The usual group Lee, Mercy, Trip, Tina, Link, Zach, and they'll probably bring Davey and Eddy, but that's about it." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"Good!" said Maya as she folded her arms over her chest.

"What are you mad about something?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, the last time we came here in a big group you guys spent most of the day trying to pick up girls and left me, Aniyah, and Tina to ourselves with a bunch of assholes." said Maya as Mark started to chuckle.

"Come on that was years ago and I was fresh out of Juvie and didn't see a woman in years." stated Mark.

"Don't worry today's gonna be I promise." said Mark earning a nod and a smile from Maya as the group made their on the interstate where they noticed a familiar white truck as Mark honked his horn he watched as the passenger side window rolled down revealing Trip and Mercy in the back while Lee and Tina sat in the back as they each waved at Mark and the others as they continued driving down the freeway past the city of Tacoma where they watched a gray Dodge Challenger pull onto the freeway as each Brother honked their horn and noticed Link and Zach inside the car as a smile spread across Mark's face he noticed a black Cadillac Escalade driving behind his car as he noticed Martin in the passenger seat with a smile on his face.

Four Hours Later, Seattle

"You think he's in Rivergreen?" asked Detective Harper as she and Amsel sat in their car outside of Mark's apartment where they noticed his empty parking space.

"Could be or he's trying to give us the split." replied Detective Amsel as he drove the car away from the apartment while Detective Harper looked away from the man.

"What's on your mind?" he asked while eyeing the woman.

"I've been thinking about some of the stuff Marcus told us yesterday and I'm starting to think that he may be a major assets to us." she replied as Amsel nodded his head.

"Yeah, but he's an unpredictable gang member with ulterior motives, and right now I suspect that he's involved in something and is giving us information so we won't look at him." he replied.

"I don't see it, I really think he's a kid who's been through a lot and is trying to live a normal life in a rough environment." stated Detective Harper.

"Don't tell me you're developing a soft spot for that little psychopath Carla?" he asked to her dismay.

"Of course not, all I'm saying is that we should continue to press him for information." she answered while Amsel rolled his eyes.

"Alright then Carla you can get into bed with that snake but I'm gonna be working a different angle." responded Detective Amsel as the brown haired woman nodded her head before looking out the back window as the duo made their way to Rivergreen.

Aberdeen, Wa

The sun was shining high over the small town as the three vehicles carrying the Brothers finally parked in front of an old motel just a few blocks away from the beach as Mark looked around and noticed Martin's car parked down the street.

"Lee set me up in a room I gotta check on something right quick." said Mark as he pointed to the black car at the end of the street earning a nod from Lee.

"Alright be safe." said Lee as Mark started to make his way over towards the vehicle without the knowledge that he was being watched by Maya.

"Good morning brother." said Martin as he rolled down the window of the car.

"Alright now what are we doing?" asked Mark as a smile spread across the face of Martin.

"Get in we're taking a little trip into the next town." said Martin as Mark looked back at Lee and the others before climbing into the truck whole Andre drove away.

"So what are we doing?" asked Mark.

"Do you remember Uncle Viktor Marcus?" asked Martin as Mark rubbed his chin in confusion.

"Name sounds familiar but I can't remember a face." replied Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"Kinda figured, last time you saw him was with your mother." stated Martin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"What about him is so important?" asked Mark as Martin rolled his eyes.

"Marcus, Uncle Viktor is the leader of the Korotkov Brotherhood, a small faction of the Russian Mob that has been operating in Washington and for the past six years alongside other organized crime groups." said Martin as Mark nodded his head.

"You might remember him as being the Russian man that used to meet father the first of every month." said Martin as Mark rolled his eyes as memories of a rather tall muscular man with a somewhat heart warming smile that used to brighten his day along with his mothers as he turned his gaze away from Martin.

"Well what does he want with me?" asked Mark.

"To discuss business, but mostly he wants to see you it's been years since he last saw your face." said Martin as Mark rolled his eyes before sitting back.

"I find it weird how alot of people from my past are trying to resurface in my life now after so many years." stated Mark earning a chuckle from Martin.

"Who ever said Viktor was resurfacing in your life Marcus, from what he's told me he's been looking after you since grandma passed." replied Martin earning a confused look from Mark as the youngest Roman eyed his brother.

Sheriff Quin

Things were also going usual for Sheriff Quin as he sat behind his desk doing the usual paperwork just as his desk phone started to ring from a now somewhat familiar number the King County Chief rolled his eyes before answering his phone.

"Good morning!" answered Sheriff Quin with a sense of annoyance in his voice.

"Sheriff Quin this is Detective Harper." replied the brown haired detective as she and Amsel sat in Pop's Diner eating breakfast.

"Detective what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Sheriff Quin with sarcasm in his voice.

"I'm calling to ask you do you have any information on where Marcus may be, because he's not at his home or in Rivergreen?" she asked as Sheriff Quin gave a low chuckle.

"He's in Aberdeen with a few of the Brothers." replied Sheriff Quin as Harper's eyes widened in surprise.

"Aberdeen, what the hells he doing in Aberdeen?" she asked earning Amsel's attention as he eyed the brown haired woman.

"No idea they pull disappearing acts from time to time when they feel like blowing off steam." said Sheriff Quin as Harper rubbed her forehead.

"How long are they gonna be gone?" she asked.

"They'll probably be back tomorrow or later today they don't like staying far away from Rivergreen for too long." he answered while Harper nodded her head.

"Alright thank you for your help." she said while hanging up her phone as Amsel looked up at her.

"Told you your crush would give us the slip." said Amsel as Harper eyed the man.

"Don't call him that and he may be a violent individual but he's also a teenager he's probably at the beach." replied Harper as she looked out the window of the diner.

"If you say so." said Detective Amsel as he went to take a bite of his breakfast he was stopped by Detective Harper.

"Look at this!" stated Detective Harper as she looked out the window and noticed three Hispanic men wearning yellow clothing walking up the streets of North Valley.

"You thinking that might be that new gang in town?" asked Detective Amsel.

"Yeah and I think they might be looking into moving into a new territory." said Detective Harper as she continued to watch the men.

The Beach

After getting their hotel rooms the members of the Brothers now found themselves playing on the beaches as Maya sat on the beach in her bathing suit watching as Link, Mercy, Trip, Buck, Zach, Davey, and Eddy played in the water.

"Why are you so lonely?" came a familiar voice as Maya turned her head and watched as Lee took a seat next to her.

"Kinda remembering what Marcus told me about not ditching me here like last time." replied Maya as Lee nodded his head.

"Yeah but you know Mark, work first play later." he stated earning Maya's attention as she remembered Mark stepping into the black car.

"I'm not mad I'd just feel a lot better knowing that he took someone else with him." replied Maya.

"Yeah, but these kinda deals is something he likes to handle on his own besides he won't be gone long." said Lee earning a confused look from Maya as she eyed the Chinese American teen.

"How do you know that?" she asked as Lee started to chuckle.

"Texted him a few minutes okay saying that we were all going to get to tattoos after we leave the beach, he answered back in less than a minute I swear." replied Lee as Maya started to chuckle.

"Surprised if he's got any room left, but are you serious about that?" asked Maya.

"Yeah but Link, Eddy, and Buck aren't." replied Lee as Maya eyed the boys.

"It doesn't feel that long when we were on this same beach trying to escape the realities of our home." stated Maya as Lee nodded his head.

"Yeah, I can still see it almost like it was yesterday. It's strange only with the addition of Buck, Davey, and Eddy we're all kinda the same people we were all those years ago." replied Lee as Maya started to chuckle.

"I don't believe that, back then we didn't see as many bodies as we did today." replied Maya.

"You still see them too?" asked Lee as Maya nodded her head.

"Every night a different person with a different injury in a different location." replied Maya.

"That just makes you human, I started to grow numb to it after that night when me and Mark where in the corner store and someone shot the clerk right in front of us." said Lee earning Maya's attention as she watched him clutch his fist but before she could respond she was interrupted by a gutted fish being dropped on Lee's head as he quickly rose away from Maya and ran off earning the attention of the others as they turned their heads and noticed three tall teenagers that reminded the group of bullies that just stepped out of an old movie standing behind Maya laughing their heads off.

"And that boys is how you get rid of a nerd." said the lead boy as the members of the Brothers rushed out of the water and made their way over to Lee who was trying to wash the fish guts out of his hair with the water from the ocean as Mercy ran up to the teen and pushed him to the ground.

"The fucks your problem?" yelled Mercy as the group of teens eyed him with smile on their faces.

"This beach isn't for city kids like you so take a hike." said one of the teens as Lee approached the group with anger written on his face.

"Guys remember what you promised no fighting." said Maya earning chuckles from the other teens.

"Yeah remember guys no fighting." said one of the other teens as the group gritted their teeth Maya grabbed the hand of the largest Brother and began to lead him away while Tina tended to Lee as the group walked away from the group.

"We should have kicked their asses." said Zach with anger filling his voice.

"Yeah and get arrested." said Tina as she pointed her fingers towards a beach patrol car parked in the distance.

"She's right but don't worry we'll have our payback." replied Davey as Maya shook her head.

"No you won't if we wanted to watch you guys go around fighting people we could have stayed in Rivergreen so no fighting." said Maya earning loud groans from the group of boys as they rolled their eyes already knowing a solution to their problem.

Roman Brothers

It wasn't long before Mark, Martin, and the other three members of the Roman Crime Family to arrive at their destination of the neighboring town of Hoquiam where Andre parked the car in front of a small diner on main street as the group exited the car and made their way inside.

"If you ever find yourself walking into an old store in a small town suspected of meeting someone, it usually you're meeting someone up the ladder in the underworld and not just some street level thug, but still their is that eeriness to meeting people like that because in one snap of their finger you can be dead before you even blink." thought Mark as the group entered the diner they noticed that it was mostly empty but with the exception of three men sitting in the back corner who lifted their heads and eyed the brothers who watched as one of the men stood up from his seat with a smile on his face.

"Martin good to see you." said the man with a strong Russian accent as Mark gave the man a quick once over and noticed that he stood at a rather strong height of 6'4 and had a very well muscled physique with short gray hair on his head and a well shaven face and wore a rather expensive looking suit that most gangsters dream of wearing as he quickly shook the hand of Martin before his eyes fell on the youngest Roman brother and a wide smile spread across his face.

"And little Marcus, you've grown to be an almost a spitting image of your mother." said the man as he wrapped the North Valley teen into his arms Mark had a strange sense of Deja Vu as he remembered a man from his past but with brown hair hug him the same way as he quickly returned the gesture before the man pulled away and set his hands on the shorter teens shoulders with a heart warming smile on his face.

"Do you remember me?" asked the man as Mark tried his hardest to remember not the man's name but the title he gave the man when he was a young boy along with a few things he remembered from his foreign language class a few years ago.

"Da dyadya Viktor." replied Mark in almost perfect Russian as a smile spread across the face of the Russian man as he started to laugh.

"You do remember and you said it correctly for once this this time." said Viktor as Mark nodded his head.

"Come have a seat we have much to discuss." said Viktor as Mark took a seat along with Martin across from Viktor while his men took a seat behind him along with Andre and the others.

"It's good to see you boys again even better to see that you both are finally working together your father would be proud." said Viktor as he eyed the two before turning to Martin.

"So how are things so far?" asked Viktor as a smile spread across the face of Martin.

"I've already taken control of a powerful street gang that operates in three major cities, I got a network of lawyers, a way to bring my product into Washington, ownership of a number of stores and real estate across the state, and after Monday I'm gonna have twenty of my best men from New York coming into Washington to help establish more business." said Martin as Viktor nodded his head.

"Good, I have to say you started up the family here faster than your father did in New York and I'm impressed." said Viktor.

"I owe Marcus here the most thanks for that." stated Martin looking over to the youngest Roman brother.

"I see Marcus here has been studying a lot of the gangs here to the point where he can practically tell you how they all operate." said Viktor with a chuckle.

"Not true I only know about a couple of the street gangs and a few organized crime groups and as of right now I'm just learning about the Russians." thought Mark.

"With all of that money you're gonna have competition, so do you wish to reopen our partnership?" asked Viktor as Martin shook his head.

"Not yet so far we haven't gotten any resistance from any other gangs but I'd like to know where we stand with you in the near future." said Martin as Viktor nodded his head.

"As of right now we're good but I need you to do something for me if you want to reopen our partnership." said Viktor earning a nod from Martin.

"What is it?" asked Martin as Viktor reached into his shirt pocket before pulling out a picture of a muscular bald man.

"This is Ivan Nikolai, he is one of my men that went rogue and I fear he may sell us out." said Viktor as Martin nodded his head.

"So you want him taken out?" asked Martin earning a nod from Viktor.

"Yes, but I don't want him shot it'll only prove police suspicion. I need him to disappear and never be found again." said Viktor earning a nod from Martin.

"I think we can handle that." said Martin as Mark felt his older brother nudge his foot he also felt his blood craving urge return while trying to refrain from licking his lips.

"Good if you can do that this partnership is a go and we'll assist in the Roman Family as well as the Rivergreen Brothers in any situation." said Viktor as Mark noticed the man eye him after the mention of the Brothers.

"Thank you." said Martin as Viktor nodded his head.

"Dah, now go so I can speak to your brother." said Viktor as Martin nodded his head before walking away from the table with Andre and the others in tow as they walked out of the restaurant.

"Look at you if only your father can see the man you turned out into." said Viktor with a smile on his face as Mark kept his gaze to the ground.

"Martin mentioned that you've been looking out for me since I arrived in Washington, so I'm assuming you were the one leaving all that money in my mailbox every week." said Mark earning a nod from Viktor.

"Dah, I'm also the one who took care of your grandmothers funeral, made sure you stayed in school, bought you that shiny car of yours, and made sure that even though you were living in one of the most dangerous towns in the state you were always taken care of." said Viktor as Mark nodded his head with a smile on his face.

"Mind if I ask why, I mean I remember you when I was a kid but I don't remember you being like this to me." replied Mark as Viktor started to chuckle.

"It was your fathers dying request to me, he wanted me to look after all three of his sons particularly you since he always figured you would be the one growing up without a father." said Viktor as Mark eyed the man with confused eyes.

"So my father knew he was gonna die?" asked Mark as Viktor nodded his head.

"Yes, he knew and I knew as well but even though he knew he was on borrowed time he made sure to spend his last minutes of his life with you." said Viktor as Mark looked down at the table before he felt Viktor put his hand on his head.

"Don't beat yourself up your father would be proud to see what kind of man you turned out to be even with the absence of both your parents." said Viktor.

"My father would be happy that I'm a blood thirsty murderer." thought Mark.

"I don't think I have that great a life." replied Mark.

"Marcus, people would kill for your life. You have great friends, you're an intelligent boy still in school, you can do whatever you want, and you have a girl who loves you despite knowing who you are and what you are." said Viktor as Mark looked up at the Russian man.

"What am I dyadya?" asked Mark as Viktor started to chuckle.

"I'd rather not say because I have a feeling what you see yourself as is just a figment of your imagination, even though I don't have to ask to knows who's gonna be the one to kill Nikolai." replied Viktor as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"I'm helping him with that but my loyalties belong to my true family in the Brothers. I'm doing what i do now to keep the peace not make my money, and I damn well don't plan to become a member of the Roman Crime Family, to me the only connection is blood aside from that nothing else." said Mark as Viktor nodded his head.

"I'm proud of you for saying that in honest truth your father never wanted any of his sons to be apart of the family business and he hoped it would die with him but your brother had to be the stubborn one and keep that sinking ship afloat, and I must say he's been doing a good job of it." stated Viktor.

"Of course he is, the Roman Crime Family our fathers legacy and he won't let that die." said Mark as Viktor shook his head.

"No, your fathers legacy is his three boys, as of now the Roman name is associated with a bunch of drug dealing gangsters but you have the opportunity to turn that around." said Viktor as he put his hand on Mark's shoulder earning a nod from the teen and a smile.

"Let's see the eldest son is a mob boss, the middle born is a danger to himself and those around him, and the youngest son is a serial killer. All together I think the Roman name isn't getting any better." thought Mark as he eyed Viktor.

"Oh and I brought you a gift Marcus." said Viktor as he reached under the table before retrieving a suitcase and handing it to Marcus.

"The big one's are yours personally as for the others give them to your most loyal men." said Viktor as Mark went to open the suitcase he was stopped by Viktor who set his hands on top of the case.

"Not in here, now get back to your friends." said Viktor as Mark rose from his chair before giving a quick handshake to Viktor as he made his way out of the store while Viktor smiled at the teen as he entered the truck with Martin before it drove away from the store.

"What did he give you?" asked Martin as Mark started to open the suitcase revealing twelve Pistols, a Submachine Gun, and a large knife in a brown sheath.

"Holy Shit!" said Mark as he picked up a card that was located inside of the case.

"You boys might need some extra firepower and this knife is not a toy use it carefully." read Mark as he picked up the large knife and noticed that the blade was well over nine inches by itself and as he pulled the blade from it's sheath he noticed that the blade was almost a dark grey color meaning that it was made from Carbon Steel as Mark resheathed the weapon before strapping it to his hip and sticking it to his pants before picking up the Submachine Gun.

"What the hell is this?" asked Mark as he lifted the gun to the dismay of Andre.

"Hey don't lift a loaded a gun in a moving vehicle." said Andre as Mark lowered the gun.

"It ain't loaded." said Mark as he pushed a button releasing the chamber before realizing the gun was actually loaded.

"You outta feel lucky kid that's a German made MP7 Submachine Gun it's a very hard weapon to get." said Damon as Mark eyed the weapon.

"And those pistols are fourth generation Glock-17's an American classic." said Damon as Mark eyed the man.

"Weird how you know all this." replied Mark as he closed the brief case.

"I don't get it where did he get guns like these?" asked Mark.

"That's what Viktor does Marcus, he makes his money through prostitution, contract killing, passport fraud, and loan sharking, but his biggest money maker is Arms and Human Trafficking from Eastern Europe to America and Canada." said Martin as Mark felt his nervousness rise.

"That man is like the damn army if you deal with him you can get your hands on high powered Assault Rifles, Explosives, Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers, and things you'd only see in places like Iraq, but if you want to get things like that you better be ready to drop a million dollars from your pants or sell your soul to him he's very picky about who he sells to." said Martin as Mark felt his nervousness diminish.

"Good then that means not anybody can buy his guns the last thing we need is a gang like the Royals running around with Rocket Launchers." thought Mark as he breathed a sigh of relif as the vehicle made it's way back into the next town.

Aberdeen

The sun was well past the middle of sky as Mark returned back to the hotel where he entered his room and noticed all the Brother members sitting in his room with mixed looks on their faces.

"What's this about?" asked Mark as he set his suitcase down by the door.

"Some assholes tried to punk Lee." replied Trip as Mark turned his head and noticed an angry looking Lee.

"You good?" asked Mark as Lee nodded his head.

"Yeah, they just dumped a dead fish on my head but other than that I'm good." said Lee.

"We couldn't fight um because the police were in the way." said Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"Plus Maya wants us to let this go." said Link as Mark eyed Lee.

"You want to let it go?" asked Mark as Lee shook his head.

"Hell no I came to far in letting that shit happen to me I want payback." said Lee as a smile spread across the face of Mark.

"Alright then let's-!" started Mark before heard a knock on his door before opening it and seeing Tina and Maya on the other side.

"Bought time you got back are we still gonna get tattoos?" asked Tina as Mark mentally cursed himself.

"Yeah, we're about to leave now." said Mark earning a confused look from Lee as he turned his head and looked at the group.

"Let's go boys." said Mark as Lee, Mercy, Trip, Zach, and Davey rose to their feet as Mark approached Link and began to whisper in his ear before earning a nod from the teen and walking away as the group made their way to their cars Maya turned her head and noticed Link, Buck, and Eddy still sitting in the room as she walked out of the room.

Rivergreen

As the sun was beginning to set over the town of Rivergreen the two detectives drove through the streets of Rivergreen eventually leaving the almost calm streets of North Valley and entering the more active streets of Arcadio Hills but what seemed out of ordinary to the detectives was the almost absent sight of gang members.

"This is strange where are the gang members?"asked Detective Harper as the woman continued to scan the streets for any sign of gang members.

"Think I've found some." said Detective Amsel as he watched three brown wearing gang members enter the backyard of one of the homes where the detectives noticed seven other gang members already behind the house.

"Can you see anything?" asked Detective Harper as Amsel's squinted his eyes for what seems like minutes just as loud noises started to come from behind the house.

"Something's going down." said Detective Harper but just before she could say anything else the sound of gunshots filled the air.

"SHIT!" said Amsel as both he and Harper jumped out of the car and ran towards the house with their guns drawn as they entered the backyard of the house they noticed a group of men running from behind the house while two men lay on the ground as both Detectives stood over one man and noticed a bullet hole in his neck while another had one in the head.

"They're dead." said Amsel as Harper took deep breaths while looking at the two dead men.

Aberdeen

"Well boys what did I tell you?" asked Mark as he eyed Lee and noticed the Dragon and Eagle tattoos on both of the teens arms that came down to his elbows along with the Chinese symbol for Brother tattooed over his heart.

"Not to bad." said Mercy as he eyed the dragon going up his right arm, along with the six Chinese characters along his left forearm, and the Chinese symbol for Brother over his heart.

"Mom's gonna kill us." said Trip as he eyed the Dragon on his upper right arm, along with the six Chinese characters along his left forearm, and Chinese symbol for Brother over his heart.

"You're preaching to the choir brother." said Zach as he eyed the Dragon and Wolf tattoos on his upper arms and Chinese symbols on his left forearm and the Brother Symbol over his heart.

"This is awesome." said Davey as he eyed the dragon tattoo on his upper right arm and the Chinese Symbols on his left forearm and the familiar Chinese symbol over his heart.

"What do those six symbols mean anyway?" asked Maya as she eyed the group while Mark who was getting the Chinese Symbols over his heart and left forearm.

"Honor, Loyalty, Respect, Trust, Ruthlessness, and Brotherhood." said Mark as the woman tattooing him took the needle off the teen to wipe a few droplets of ink before returning it.

"Link's gonna get one to even if we have to hold him down." said Trip with a chuckle as Maya nodded her head before taking her eyes off Mark for a second as the youngest Roman sent a nod to Lee.

"Hey Mark I'm gonna head back to the hotel and get some sleep." said Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"Alright, just remember not to hit your ink or you could mess them up." said Mark earning a nod from Lee as he walked out of the tattoo shop as Maya sent a quizzical look to Mark.

"Something the matter?" asked Mark as Maya shook her head.

"No it's nothing." said Maya as she looked away from Mark, but as the two continued to talk Lee made it back to the motel where he noticed Link and Eddy sitting outside the motel dressed in their clothing.

"Pricks are still on the beach and if we leave now we can catch them." said Eddy earning a nod from Lee as Link handed the boy his jacket, mask, and a roll of duct tape.

"Then's lets go." said Lee as he started wrapping his knuckles in the tape before leading the group towards the beach.

Rivergreen

The sun had long since set over the small town but the flashing light of ambulances and police cars continued to flash throughout the neighborhood as both detectives continued to question people around the neighborhood but finding that not surprisingly none of the residents were either not talking or claimed to not know anything.

"You got anything?" asked Detective Harper as she approached Amsel who shook his head.

"Nah, the no snitching rule is strong here." said Detective Amsel.

"It's like that everywhere here." came a familiar voice as both detectives turned their heads and noticed Sheriff Quin approaching the group.

"Residents in this neighborhood aren't going to say anything, other neighborhoods you might get someone to say something but not this one, mainly because the gangs here are dug in so deep they control almost everything and the guys apart of these gangs are all related to the people who live here and won't say anything. " stated Sheriff Quin as both detectives eyed the man.

"That's one of the reasons why Marcus is so important, he isn't afraid to give officers some information but not all." said Sheriff Quin as Detective Amsel gave a loud scoff.

"Really, because that little psycho isn't answering his phone for us." said Detective Amsel.

"That's because you pissed him off, you'd be lucky if he'd say anything to you two." answered Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper looked towards the ground while Amsel folded his arms over his chest.

"I'll give him a call tomorrow, I have a feeling he already knows what's going on it doesn't take him long for things like this to reach him especially murder." said Sheriff Quin as he watched the coroners placed the two bodies in bags before taking them away.

Aberdeen

"Yeah!" said Mark as he stood outside the tattoo shop on his phone with Calvin with a calm look on his face.

"Alright, we'll be there in a few hours." said Mark as he hung up his phone just as Maya approached him with a quizzical look.

"Two people got killed in Rivergreen a few hours ago." said Mark to Maya's shock.

"Who?" asked the Gothic girl as Mark shook his head.

"Two guys in the Familia, they were flat lined in a backyard while a meeting was being held, police only found two bodies but heard multiple shots and saw over ten people fleeing the scene. So this probably isn't good." said Mark as Maya eyed the teen.

"So what does this mean you boys are probably going to war?" asked Maya.

"Nah, this is a brown vs brown fight. The Brothers, the Royals, and any other group not affiliated with the Familia aren't in the fight." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"So things are gonna be okay?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head earning a weak smile from the girl as Mercy, Trip, Zach, and Davey made their way out of the tattoo shop.

"All done brother." said Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"Good, but we gotta leave now shits going down in Rivergreen and two people are dead but not from our side." said Mark as Davey and Zach both gave wide eyed looks.

"Brown vs. Brown?" asked Mercy as Mark nodded his head before leading the group back to the hotel as Trip sent a text to Lee's phone.

"Who's a bitch now?" yelled Lee as he straddled the large teen from earlier and punched him in the face repeatedly while Eddy had another pinned up against the wall and was pounding his head while Link stomped another to the ground as Lee's phone began to beep earning his attention as he looked down at the device.

"Shit, we gotta go." said Lee earning the attention of both Eddy and Link as they turned to him.

"Problems in Rivergreen." said Lee as he turned his head and watched as the teen he was punching rose to his feet and looked ready to punch Lee.

"Please!" said Lee as he sidestepped the punch before kicking the man in the knee sending him to the ground on one good knee before following up with a chop to the mans in the neck and ending the fight with a swift kick to the side of the man's head causing him to hit the ground with a thud as Lee walked away while Link and Eddy watched them leave.

"Remind me not to piss him off." said Eddy as both he and Link followed after the North Valley teen as they made their way back to the motel where a few hours later the group found themselves returning to their respective homes.

"In times of happiness we smile and laugh while in times of sorrow we mourn and cry. These two feeling are different just like the sea of people that feel them for in a moment of sorrow there will be that one person that truly feels happiness." thought Mark as he drove down the freeway with the other members of the Brothers in driving behind him before reaching their destinations and breaking off.

"I'm one of those people, I might not be showing it but right now but at this moment I'm as ecstatic as a kid in a candy store or a loving husband seconds after becoming a father, but what makes my happiness different is that I must cause sorrow to feel it." thought Mark as he took a glance at the sleeping forms of Buck and Maya in his car before turning his gaze back to the road.

"Even after everything that's happened today all I can think about is my next kill Ivan Nikolai. I don't have to do any digging to know this man has bodies on him, since he's been put in my sights I feel like I can actually smell the blood on this man's hand almost miles away/" thought Mark as he took a sniff of the air.

"I'm gonna admit the smell is very infatuating to me like pheromones to an animals that stir arousal and when mixed with the sound of screams it sends men into this eternal bliss that most find weird but I truly find happiness." thought Mark as a smile spread across his face he licked his lips almost like a person trying to reclaim the taste of their last meal.

"I'll dream of my kill tonight and more and more inventive ways to kill him that can cease my urge." thought Mark as he continued to drive while his mind continued to ponder on his next pray

11: Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Manipulating Older Women

For Teenage Males and Serial Killers

Five Days Later, Thursday

The sun was slowly rising over this somewhat cold foggy morning as Mark walked out of his bathroom dressed in only his khaki uniform pants and black and white school shoes with his toothbrush still in his mouth as he entered the living room and began sorting through his backpack and taking out his heavy school books from the day before and placing them under his coffee table and replacing them with the books he needed for today.

"Honestly I can't wait until this shit is finally over." thought Mark as he finished with the books, before zipping his backpack up and setting it on the couch, then making his way into the kitchen.

"No more heavy textbooks, no more rising before the sun, no more of the drama that is high school, and best of all more free time to do whatever one wants to spend his free time doing." thought Mark as opened up a drawer in the kitchen before pulling out his new knife as his minds instantly pondered on the location of his next kill.

"Martin and the Russians still have yet to find Ivan, so I'm still sitting here impatiently like a kid days before Christmas waiting to open his presents or in my case open up a ribcage." he thought while licking his lips before opening his counter and pulling out a pack of noodle and a pot but before he could open the pack he was interrupted by a soft knock at the door causing him to set his knife back in the drawer before making his way towards his door just as the person on the other end started to knock again just as Mark opened the door revealing a familiar brown haired detective standing on the other side as her eyes widened at the sight of the shirtless Samoan and the tattoos that covered his torso.

"What!" said Mark with a little more force than he intended as the detective presented a white bag in front of Mark that took the youngest Roman by surprise.

"I brought you some doughnuts, Sheriff Quin said you liked them really hot." said Detective Harper as Mark sniffed the air catching the familiar scent of glazed doughnuts before he slowly took the bag from the woman's hand while eyeing her.

"What is this?" asked Mark.

"I asked around, people say you aren't really that much of a cook so I thought you'd like something to eat." she replied as Mark stared at the woman for a few seconds.

"She's got me beat there, which to me is one of the weirdest things I heard of. I can kill people, cut them up with precision, I'm skilled with a knife, but I can't cook worth a damn seriously I'm like the only person I know to ever burn mashed potatoes, which wasn't my fault the box didn't say I didn't have to add water before putting it on the stove." thought Mark as he remembered his last cooking experiences and how it almost lost him his apartment before returning to the brown haired detective who continued to eye him.

"Thanks would you like to come in?" asked Mark earning a nod from the detective as he stepped aside allowing her to enter while he shut the door behind the woman.

"Where's your partner?" asked Mark.

"I didn't tell him I was coming to see you, he thinks you're a just another thug trying to take our eyes away from himself." she replied while Mark rolled his eyes.

"So why are you here?" asked Mark as the brown haired woman eyed him.

"Well even if you are doing illegal things, I think we need your help if we're going to able to keep up with the gangs in Rivergreen and with those murders that happened last weekend I think you might be our biggest asset." she said while watching Mark take a seat on his counter and begin to eat one of the doughnuts before swallowing it and eyeing her.

"And doughnuts are your way of trying to get me to help you?" asked Mark.

"It's a start to building trust, and as a plus I thought you were gonna slam the door in my face." she stated earning a chuckle from the youngest Roman.

"I don't slam the door on women and if you're looking for information on that shooting I can help but not now, I gotta get to school." said Mark as Detective Harper nodded her head.

"Alright, how about we talk later this evening for dinner." replied Detective Harper earning a confused look from Mark.

"So you're inviting me on a date?" asked Mark earning a slight blush from the detective.

"The saying is a key to man's heart is his stomach, but that same saying can be applied to a man who knows something you want to know." she stated with a smile.

"Whatever you say detective." said Mark as he grabbed his wife beater and uniform shirt revealing his new tattoos to Detective Harper as the woman looked at him quizzically earning a confused look from Mark.

"What?" asked Mark as put his shirt on.

"It's weird when I first layed eyes on you, I thought you were just a normal teenage boy but when you have your shirt off and I can see the tattoos it's almost like a transformation." said Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Like a blade every person has two sides, the side he wants people to see and the side he doesn't because when people see it they treat him differently." replied Mark as the detective rose from her seated position without taking her eyes off Mark.

"So I'll see you tonight?" she asked as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, just let me know where we're going to meet." said Mark as Detective Harper nodded her head before making her way towards the front door.

"Have a good day at school." she ended with before walking out the door as Mark turned his head to the ground.

"I think I've got an admirer." thought Mark as he started to eat another doughnut before grabbing his things and making his way out of his apartment and towards the parking lot.

"I can tell by the way she looks and talks to me that she feels some form of sorrow or pity for me and like most people that hear my story she wants to add herself in the picture." thought Mark as he entered his car before driving away.

"Still I can read a little bit about her but she like most women she's a book filled with ink stains, she hard to read, hard to figure out, and being that she's a cop makes things more difficult...and dangerous." thought Mark as he drove down Buck's street.

"Is she trying to play good cop in order to use me or does she really care. She doesn't appear to be a crooked cop but at the same time will she see my value or will she arrest me." thought Mark as he parked his car in front of Buck's home as the freshman made his way towards Mark's car.

"I might need some outside help for this." thought Mark as Buck entered his car and gave him the usual good morning with a wide smile as the two quickly made it to their next destination.

After picking up Maya, Mark quickly drove the duo to their school as the group made their way towards the school they were intercepted by both Daryl and Jordan as they approached the trio.

"What's on your mind?" asked Jordan as he elbowed Mark in the side.

"What do you mean?" asked Mark.

"You're staring off into space again like you've got a lot on your mind." said Jordan as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"Yeah, somethings been on my mind as of late." replied Mark as Jordan began to chuckle.

"Is it challenging?" asked Jordan as Mark shook his head.

"As challenging as women are." replied Mark earning a low chuckle from Jordan.

"You want some advice never try to figure women out that's like trying to find one person in a country the size of Canada and with a population like China." said Jordan as Mark rolled his eyes.

"So what should I do?" asked Mark.

"Don't rack your brain trying to figure them out just wait for your moment and they'll reveal their intentions as long as you don't push them, you get me." stated Jordan as Mark nodded his head.

"I see your point!" said Mark.

"What are you two whispering about?" asked Daryl as Mark eyed the teen.

"It's Mark's time of the months and wants a few tampons." replied Jordan earning a chuckle from Buck as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Oh ha ha." said Mark as Maya eyed the teen just as the school bell rang causing majority of the students to make their way to class as Mark split off from the group and made his way to his first period class.

Rivergreen High School

While Mark was in first period class Lee, Mercy, and Trip were already sitting in the back of their third period class writing down notes while their teacher stopped writing on the board before walking out of the classroom and leaving the students.

"And there he goes again." said Trip as Lee started to chuckle.

"Seriously how is someone supposed to get an education when the teacher always walk out of class?" asked Lee as the group continued to talk before turning their heads and watching as two Hispanic teens wearing school uniforms with yellow bandanas in their back pockets entered the classroom and approached the trio before openly tossing Lee a piece of balled up paper for everyone to see as Lee opened the paper and read it.

"Sitdown this weekend!" read Lee as both Mercy and Trip read the paper before sending the teen a look and nodding their heads at the duo as they walked out of the class causing the other students to stare at them even more as the trio said nothing.

"Seems like we've got a meeting." said Lee earning nods from both Mercy and Trip as the teacher reentered the classroom and begin to give more notes.

Seaside High School

The day was coming to a close for Marcus as he sat in his last period class still thinking about his night with the detective just as the school bell rang out loudly dismissing the students as Mark made his way outside the school just as Daryl put his hand on his shoulder.

"Dude you've been quiet all day what's on you mind?" asked Daryl.

"Let's say I've got something planned after school that is racking my brain." replied Mark earning a chuckle from Daryl.

"Does it involve a girl?" asked Daryl.

"More like an older woman who I'm trying to figure out." said Mark earning a chuckle from Daryl.

"Want some advice, when you go down there on her you wanna use your fingers to-!" started Daryl before Mark interrupted.

"Dude, I'm not banging her she's like a new therapist." replied Mark earning a nod from Daryl.

"Do you want to bang her?" asked Daryl.

"No, I want to make sure she doesn't throw me in an asylum." said Mark as he thought of Detective Harper sending him to prison.

"I don't know much about therapist but if you want my advice whenever she asks you a question give her partial if not all truth and followup with a question of your own this way you know her and look interested in what she has to say that makes you seem more interested in her than banging her." said Daryl as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for the advice." said Mark.

"No problem, and let me know when you plan on breaking the news to Maya that you're banging another girl so I can pull her off you." said Daryl as Mark went to respond before being interrupted as Maya approached the group.

"Let me know what?" asked Maya.

"That's Mark's banging another girl." said Daryl flatly as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Daryl, I keep telling you me and Mark are childhood friends we're not dating and he already has a girlfriend." said Maya as she looked at the distant Marcus.

"Yeah, but his girlfriends all the way in California, more than likely meeting other guys who can provide something Mark can't." said Daryl as Mark rolled his eyes before feeling Daryl's hands on his shoulder.

"Think about it Mark, she could be meeting those guys that got what you don't really think about it tall, dark, handsome, with a dick bigger than yours." said Daryl as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Whatever!" said Mark as he walked away from the teen as Maya followed after him as he made his way towards his car and driving away from the school.

Rivergreen

After leaving the school the trio North Valley teens made it back to their familiar neighborhood and noticed a familiar truck parked in front of the former home of their leader as they quickly approached the car and noticed a familiar man sitting in the passenger seat.

"Marcus's friends it's good to see you." said Martin as he eyed the teens.

"Yeah, Mark isn't here." replied Lee earning a chuckle from Martin.

"I'm aware, I'm here to see you three." said Martin as the group gave the eldest Roman a confused look.

"Hop in I want to take you somewhere, don't worry where we're going is in North Valley." said Martin as the group looked at each other before hopping in the truck as Andre drove the truck out of the Cul-De-Sac before stopping it at a familiar two story building a few blocks away from their neighborhood.

"We're here!" said Martin as he exited his car as the trio looked at the somewhat familiar building.

"Wasn't this that club that got shot up a few years back?" asked Trip as Mercy nodded his head.

"Well now it belongs to the Brothers." said Martin as the trio gave him a confused look as they entered the place and noticed that it was completely refurbished with clean furniture and tables in the corner as the group noticed that the VIP area on the top floor now had TV's, pool tables, and a DJ section and the bar in the middle of the club was now converted into a snack bar as the group eyed the with smiles as Martin led the group up the stairs and into an office that read managers as the group entered they noticed that the room was completely lavished with a couch in the room, tile floors, but what caught their eyes was the large fish tank behind the room.

"I bought this place a few months back and have been remodeling the inside of this place since. At first I was gonna use this place to launder money but I've decided to hand it over to Marcus and the Brothers as a new base of operations." said Martin as the group eyed the man with confused looks.

"What's the catch?" asked Mercy.

"No catch this place is yours to do with as you want and the down stairs can be used a teen club for your friends this way you boys can make money through serving as bouncers as well as have some fun." said Martin as the trio continued to eye the man.

"Does Mark know about this?" asked Lee.

"No, unfortunately he hasn't been answering his phone but you better get a hold of him soon, he needs to be here Saturday for the grand opening." said Martin as he moved past the confused group and exited.'

"I bid you boys a goodbye." said Martin as he exited the room.

"You really think we can trust him?" asked Trip.

"I don't know but he won't do anything to hurt us if it means losing Marcus so I think we can let our guard down for a bit." said Lee as he turned to the group before dialing a familiar number on his phone.

Seattle

As the sun started to set over the seaside town Mark's found himself dressed in a black long sleeved shirt that buttoned down the front and black jeans as he drove through Seattle before stopping his car in front of a unfamiliar restaurant on the cities west side as the youngest Roman checked the address on his phone.

"It's the right place but I think I might be a little under dressed." thought Mark as he made his way into the restaurant where he noticed a people sitting around eating expensive looking dinners as he caught site of a familiar brunette in the corner of the room before making his way towards her.

"You know if you wanted to gain my trust by feeding me a hamburger place at a cheap dinner would do." said Mark as Harper started to chuckle.

"I think you've had enough hamburgers, when was the last time you ate a truly home cooked meal?" she asked as Mark rubbed his chin and pondered his mind.

"No clue." answered Mark.

"Exactly this way you get a descent meal." said Detective Harper as Mark took a seat across from the woman before looking at a menu.

"So how was school?" she asked earning a confused look from Mark.

"Another boring day but as a plus people aren't looking at me with fear in their eyes anymore." replied Mark.

"Well I guess that's good, especially since you beat a kid to a bloody pulp." answered Detective Harper.

"Hey he's walking, he's out of the hospital, he might be eating through a straw, but hey what are you going to do." stated Mark earning a slight chuckle from Harper as a waiter approached the two.

"Can I take your order?" asked the woman as Detective Harper nodded her head before ordering her meal as Mark looked down at the menu before calling anything that seemed good sounding.

"I'll have the fish." said Mark earning a nod from the waiter as she walked away from the duo.

"To say you were protesting a second ago you seemed like you wanted everything." stated Harper as Mark eyed the woman with a chuckle.

"When the last thing you've been eating for years is food from a diner, noodles, MRE's, canned tuna fish, and beans you tend to be a little overwhelmed by things." said Mark earning a nod from the detective.

"So you can't cook?" asked Detective Harper as Mark shook his head.

"Not my biggest strengths mainly because in order to cook you have to have patience and if you haven't learned I'm always on the move and with a lot on my mind." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"But enough about me let's talk about you." said Mark as Detective Harper remained silent.

"Don't go silent on me lady, like I said if you want to build trust with me I have to know some things about you that I haven't figured out." said Mark earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"What have you figured out about me?" asked Detective Harper.

"Well for one I'm assuming your about twenty three, no kids, more than likely dating, one of your parents were probably a cop so that made you wanted to become one, and you must love your job." said Mark earning a chuckle from Detective Harper as she smiled at him.

"First off I'm twenty seven, I don't have any kids, my father was a cop so I took this job to impress him but he didn't because of so I now hate it, and why did you automatically assume I was dating?" asked Detective Harper as Mark.

"Because it sounded like the good thing to say even though I completely know you have no relationship or any form of social life outside of work that's why you spend so much time stalking me." thought Mark with a wide smile.

"You're really attractive." said Mark as he looked away from the woman with a slight blush on his face before taking a glance and noticing a blush on her own face.

"Thanks but let's keeps this professional Marcus." said Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright, then what do you want to know?" asked Mark.

"What the hell is going on in Rivergreen?" asked Detective Harper.

"The guys that were shot last Saturday were apart of the Loco Crew one of the gangs that make up La Familia in Rivergreen. They were shot because the Locos are breaking off from the Familia and joining up with that new group and the leaders of the Familia are declaring war." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"But they aren't the only group to break away, words going around that three other gangs in King County are switching sides." said Mark earning a confused look from the detective.

"And you're sure about this?" asked Detective Harper earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah Monday I had a sitdown with a few leaders of the Familia and they brought me up to speed." said Mark earning a surprised look from Detective Harper.

"You work fast." replied the detective.

"So where do you and Brother fall into this?" asked Detective Harper.

"We're on the sidelines right now along with the other gangs. This is an internal problem the Familia has got to deal with themselves." said Mark earning a surprised look from the detective.

"Really even if it means an all out war?" asked Detective Harper as Mark shook his head.

"That's just the way things are we don't get involved until the fighting hits North Valley or innocent people start getting hurt until then we're on the sidelines." said Mark but just as Detective Harper went to say something she was stopped as the waiter returned to the table carrying their plates of food and setting it before them.

"Enjoy!" said the woman as she walked away from the table Harper turned her head and noticed Mark closing his eyes and bowing his head before using the fingers on his right hand to cross his heart while speaking something in a foreign language for a few seconds before looking back up at her.

"Sorry!" said Mark as he looked up at the confused woman.

"What was that all about?" asked Detective Harper.

"My grandmother taught me this when I was young, before I eat a cooked meal I say prayer in French for everyone I've lost over the years. I stopped doing it for a while but after she passed away I started to redo it and when my friends started to get killed I just added more people to my prayers." said Mark as he watched Detective Harper nod her head before looking away from him with a sullen look.

"Even though I doubt any prayer from me will mean anything." thought Mark as he looked away from the woman before feeling a hand on his own and looked up to see a smiling Harper.

"Let's eat!" she said with a smile on her face that was somewhat contagious to Marcus as he felt one spread across his own face as the duo began to eat while making small talk into their lives as Mark made sure to choose his words carefully and not mention anything of his past before Rivergreen while Detective Harper remained hesitant to talk more about her personal life before the waiter approached the duo.

"Are you two done?" asked the waiter as a smile spread across the face of the young detective as she eyed the woman.

"Yeah, well take the check now." answered Detective Harper as the waitress handed her the bill Mark found himself reaching into his back pocket but was stopped by the brown haired detective as she eyed him.

"I got this!" replied Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head as he watched the woman reach into her wallet before handing the woman cash and a large tip as she rose from her seat followed by Mark while the waiter left the duo as they made their way out of the restaurant and into the parking lot.

"Well this was a fun night." said Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head before turning to the woman with a sly smile.

"Doesn't have to be the last." said Mark earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"How about we do the same thing tomorrow night my treat?" asked Mark earning a chuckle from Detective Harper.

"Just because I'm not dating means I'd date you Marcus." said Detective Harper.

"Then let's not call it a date, well call it a trust building exercise between me and my handler in order to get to know each other better and I'll provide you with more information" said Mark earning a small smile from the brown haired detective.

"I don't eat at hamburger stands or diners." stated Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Of course." said Mark as the duo made it back to their vehicles as Mark opened the door for the detective allowing her to slide into her car.

"Have a safe night." said Mark earning a chuckle from the woman.

"I should be telling you that." replied Detective Harper as she started her car as Mark stepped away from the vehicle.

"Good night!" said Detective Harper as she drove away Mark watched her leave with the returning sinister smile on his face.

"Things are falling in place." thought Mark as he made his way towards his car and slid into the drivers seat.

"I still can't figure her out but I can tell that she does feel some sorrow for me and that can be exploited as long as I can remember to play the role of the scarred teenager trying to play referee." thought Mark as he started his car before driving off.

"Still this does complicate things if Viktor or Martin is able to locate Ivan, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." thought Mark as he continued to drive through the streets of Seattle.

12: Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Welcome to the KO Club Pigs

Two Days Later, Saturday

The sun was shining high over this cold Saturday morning as Marcus sat in a coffee shop with a familiar detective sitting across from him with a smile plastered on her face as she drank her cup.

"So this is where cops hang out when they aren't at the doughnut shop." said Mark as he noticed a few uniformed officers of Seattle's Police Department sitting in the diner as Detective Harper started to chuckle.

"That doughnut stereotype is getting old you know." replied Detective Harper.

"Depends on who you're asking." said Mark with a smile on his face as he took a sip of his own coffee.

"So why are we meeting now instead of tonight like always?" asked Detective Harper as Mark set his glass down on the table.

"Because I'm working tonight." said Mark earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"One of my old friends opened this new club in North Valley and hired me a few members of the Brothers to act as security." said Mark earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"Are you all even old enough to go in clubs?" asked Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Not really, but people let us in since we don't drink and hire us for extra security and with this whole new gang thing has a lot of club and restaurant owners spooked especially since that store got broken into night before last." said Mark as Detective Harper nodded her head.

"Are they paying you?" asked Detective Harper.

"The club is but the restaurant owners don't pay us." said Mark earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"Why don't they pay you?" asked the brown haired woman as Mark took another sip of his coffee.

"Because a lot of those people raised a lot of us and employ a lot of us and it ain't right for them to have to pay us to watch out for them." answered Mark.

"So that's why you can't arrest me on extortion we Brothers do a lot from the kindness of our hearts." said Mark earning a chuckle from the detective.

"So when it comes down to crimes the only real thing we can arrest you for is Assault?" asked Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"As well as Battery, Murder, Attempt at Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Contract Killing, Home Invasion, Breaking and Entering, Armed Robbery, Weapon Charges, Covering up  Crime Scene, Framing, and so much more." thought Mark with a smile on his face.

"Seems like it, but I have a prior arrest so they'd put me behind bars for that but if I'm behind bars I wouldn't be able to help you." said Mark earning a chuckle from Detective Harper.

"Really so no other Brother in Rivergreen can help me?" asked Detective Harper.

"They could but they won't because only a handful of them actually trust cops besides Quin." said Mark earning a surprised look from the detective.

"And why is that?" she asked earning Mark's full attention.

"If we could lay our trust in the cops the Brothers would never have formed." said Mark to Detective Harper surprise.

"Before Quin took over the King County Sheriffs Department, the gangs in Rivergreen were on a rampage and made us regret every second of it. Seriously, during those days cops could see us being attacked and harassed and would just turn and blind eye. I remember a few years back they had this cop that lived in the Cul-De-Sac next to ours and one day he was standing outside and a kid, probably no older than ten, ran to the man with five guys chasing after him and the cop walked in his home and locked the door and never came out leaving the kid to be beaten senseless all the while beating on his door trying to get his attention that never came." said Mark earning wide eyes from Detective Harper as she watched Mark tense up.

"What happened to the officer?" she asked as Mark eyed her with a smile.

"Let's just say when it was his turn to play victim instead of helping him guys just turned their music up louder so they couldn't hear him scream when those guys were stomping his head into the ground." replied Mark as Detective Harper eyed the teen.

"Jesus!" said Detective Harper as Mark turned his head to the woman.

"That's another thing I meant when I said crooked cops that day we met, if something is happening to me I need to know you're gonna be willing to do something and I'll return that favor." said Mark earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"I'm serious just because you're a cop that doesn't mean you're untouchable it actually makes you more of a target for gang members." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"We'll see about that." said Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head before finished up his cup of coffee just as both of their cellphones started to vibrate from text messages as they eyed they each eyed their phones.

"You gotta go?" asked Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head yeah.

"Yeah I gotta meet the guys before we head to the club." said Mark as the Detective Harper nodded her head.

"You?" asked Mark.

"My partner calling all of us back to the office for something important." said Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head before rising from his chair with her following close behind as they both walked of the coffee shop and made their way to their vehicles.

"Be safe!" said Mark as he watched Detective Harper slide into her vehicle.

"You too!" said the detective as they both drove away from the doughnut shop.

Rivergreen

After leaving the coffee shop Mark quickly made his way to the small port town and entered his neighborhood of North Valley where he parked his car across the street from a small bakery with yellow tape around it as Lee, Mercy, Trip, Buck, and Chris approached him.

"What a shame." said Mark as he eyed the store.

"Poor Ms. Greene is still shaken up about this." said Trip as Mark nodded his head.

"Have they found out who did it?" asked Mark.

"Guys trashed the camera's and stole the tapes but get this someone reported seeing suspicion men standing outside her store hours before it was broken into." said Trip as Mark rubbed his chin.

"It wasn't a junkie that did that shit brother, they took the money and took the time after that to break up everything in the store that's something gang members do to send messages." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head before looking over to Lee.

"When's our sitdown?" asked Mark.

"Tomorrow at noon, you think they did it?" asked Lee.

"They have a habit of extorting businesses." said Mark earning nods from the group before turning to the two Prospects Buck and Chris.

"Who invited you two?" asked Mark with a smile.

"My mom dropped me off by Chris." said Buck with a half smile.

"And my mom said I could go out today." said Chris with a half smile as Mark noticed his insulin pen in the teens pocket.

"Alright, since you're here why don't you two head back to the Cul-De-Sac while we take care of somethings and be careful on your way there." said Mark earning a nod from the duo as the both walked away from the group.

"We really letting them come into that club with us?" asked Trip as Mark started to chuckle.

"Yeah, if things get ugly I'll make sure they stay out of the way." said Mark with a smile on his face.

"I called Link and Zach but Tacoma ain't gonna be able to make it." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright then I have a backup plan." said Mark earning nods from the group as they made their way towards his car.

"Come on we got somewhere to be." said Mark earning nods from the group as they followed him to his car.

King County Sheriff Department

Things were going rather slowly for Detective Harper as she sat in the meeting room for the new twenty man team that made up the King County Gang Task Force she looked around and noticed other officers sitting as well as Detective Amsel who stood up before them with an active board behind him as cleared his throat to step.

"Alright then people listen up." said Detective Amsel as the men and women eyed the blonde haired man as he started to speak.

"This morning around two A.M. the Greene Bakery in the North Valley District was broken into and vandalized by unknown assailants, by the look of the store it wasn't a simple robbery this was done by people trying to send a message." said Detective Amsel as the active board showed pictures of the damages at the store.

"We are assuming that the vandals were gang affiliated and this was done after the owners refused to pay her protection money." said Detective Amsel as Harper instantly knew where this meeting was going.

"The shop is located in North Valley so we might as well assume the gang members who did this were the Brothers-." said Detective Amsel but before he could finish speaking he was interrupted by the sound of chuckling in the back as everyone turned their heads and noticed Sheriff Quin with a smile on his face as he approached the man.

"You have something to add Sheriff because if you're forgetting you shouldn't be here?" asked Detective Amsel as Sheriff Quin approached the man.

"I'm aware but since you're reminding me allow me to remind you that this is my building." said Sheriff Quin as he eyed the other officers.

"Yes, I do have something to add detective this wasn't done by the Brothers." said Sheriff Quin.

"Oh really do you mind telling us why?" asked Detective Amsel as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"First off the owner Ms. Greene has been close to all the members of the Brothers since many of them were in diapers, second the Brothers have a sense of neighborhood pride they won't damage their hood, and finally I gotta ask why are you so focused on a bunch of high school kids when two men were killed just last week and your little task force still hasn't made an arrest?" asked Sheriff Quin as Detective Amsel gritted his teeth.

"We haven't made an arrest because we haven't found a shooter and to say the Brothers haven't done anything is really doubtful when my sources around town have informed me that the Brothers are out in force today." said Detective Amsel as a somewhat confused look spread across the face of Sheriff Quin.

"That's right they've reported that over thirty Brothers were sighted standing outside of the bakery including your little psychopath." said Detective Amsel as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Of course they are someone invaded their hood and destroyed one of their childhood hangouts, right now I'm guessing payback is on all of their minds and they're probably out looking for the vandals themselves. They have a habit of taking the law in their own hands but don't worry they'll more than likely hand him over to you when they're done with him." said Sheriff Quin as he turned his back on Detective Amsel who gave him an angry look.

"So is that how the King County Sheriff Department operates you let a bunch of thugs do your dirty work." stated Detective Amsel as Sheriff Quin turned to the man.

"Call it what you want detective, right now you're still sitting with your thumb up your ass looking at the wrong guys who are more than likely hot on the trail of the actual thief." said Sheriff Quin as he walked out of the room while Detective Amsel gritted his teeth in anger.

"It does not matter what he thinks, later this afternoon members of the Rivergreen Chapter of the Brothers are reportedly gonna be at a new teen club in North Valley, while they're there we're gonna make our presence known and let them know who's in charge." said Detective Amsel as Harper eyed the man as she noticed a few nods coming from the people there as they broke off.

Brothers

"Sometimes I really hate coming here!" thought Mark as he knocked on the front door a familiar trailer.

"Reid take the damn needle out of your arm and answer the goddamn door." said Mercy as the group looked around the trailer park and saw the change in scenery from the other parts of North Valley as dirty looking people walked around the neighborhood.

"Reminds me why I hate drug dealers in my neighborhood because they bring their customers with them." said Lee as Mark nodded his head before they watched as Reid opened his door and eyed the group.

"First of all I have been sober since Aniyah left." said Reid as the group started to chuckle.

"And why is that?" asked Mark.

"She wanted me to have a cleaner life like some of us." said Reid as Mark rolled his eyes.

"So what are you guys doing here?" asked Reid as he leaned against his door frame.

"You know anything about what happened with Ms. Greene's Bakery maybe lose one of your addicts?" asked Mark.

"Nah, all of my guys were accounted for last night but I think I know someone that was there." answered Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"Was it someone from that new gang?" asked Mark as Reid shook his head.

"Nah, I don't know any of those guys but I know this one. They call him Diamond I think he with the Pee Wee Vatos." said Reid earning a confused look from the Brothers.

"Pee Wee Vatos they with the Familia ain't they?" asked Mark.

"Honestly I don't knows who apart of the Familia anymore, too many guys are jumping over and it ain't just one guy jumping over it's one crew dropping their flags for another." said Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"Speaking of which have you made any contact with these new guys?" asked Reid.

"We're meeting them tomorrow." said Mark earning a nod from Reid.

"Good I'm coming with you." said Reid as the group eyed the man with confused looks.

"Thought you hated politics?" asked Mercy.

"I do but Tucker isn't here to handle them and remember The 2nd Order works under the Brothers if you guys go to war we'll be there to watch your backs." said Reid earning a nod from Mark.

"Alright I'll let you know whens the meet." said Mark earning a nod from Reid.

"You might remember me mentioning the names Tucker and the 2nd Order so let me explain. Tucker is Buck's older brother and he was my cellmate in Juvie along with Reid, Mercy, Zach, Ryan, Brynlee, and a few others. Together they taught guys from North Valley like me, Mercy, and Zach how to hold our own in fights. After we got out, formed the Brothers, and ended the gang wars we Brothers expelled all of the drug dealers, addicts, and independent dealers from our ranks but some guys saw an opportunity and took those guys we expelled and formed his own gang and that gang became known as the 2nd Order of Brothers or to us the 2O and they became a sort of puppet group for us." thought Mark as he noticed the 2O tattoo on Reid's right arm under his dragon tattoo.

"Well thanks for the help but we gotta go." said Mark but just as he went to speak he was stopped by Reid.

"Hang on I want something in return." said Reid as Mark gave the man a confused look.

"Alright what do you want?" asked Mark.

"First me and a couple of the guys want to come to the opening of he club tonight." said Reid.

"Dude we didn't say you guys weren't invited you're more than welcome to come." said Lee as Reid nodded his head.

"Alright then the last thing I want is to know who's supplying the Royals with drugs?" asked Reid as the Brothers gave each other surprised looks.

"Brady supplied some of our guys with cocaine and with him dead we can't trade to the Canadians in B.C. for weed and words spreading that you introduced the Royals to their supplier." said Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"Well introduce you to him tomorrow before the meeting." said Mark earning a nod from Reid as a smile spread across his face.

"Then it was good seeing you guys." said Reid as the four Brothers turned around and made their way towards Mark's car.

"You really gonna introduce Reid to your brother?" asked Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"I'll introduce him and if he's seriously getting clean he might be more of a use to us."said Mark earning nods from the group as they entered his car before driving away from the neighborhood.

King County Sheriff Department

After the meeting was over Detective Harper found herself sitting at her desk when Sheriff Quin approached the woman earning her attention as she lifted her head to look at him.

"He like the doughnuts?" asked Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper started to chuckle.

"Yeah, but you didn't say he likes to take people out for breakfast, dinner, and coffee." replied Detective Harper as Sheriff Quin chuckled.

"That's because he's trying to figure you out like he does everyone. Right now you're a Wannabe Brother to him." answered Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper gave the man a confused look.

"Wannabe Brother!" she asked.

"Yeah that's what they call Prospects who want to become Brothers, Wannabe Brothers, while you're Prospecting for him it gives him time to check you out see what your intentions are." said Sheriff Quin.

"And how long does that take?" asked the brown haired detective.

"Let's just say it's easier to get into the U.S. Military and on the police force than it is to become a member of the Brothers, because they're a very tight-knit group majority of their members are either blood relatives, neighborhood friends, high school buddies, or guys who have been around them for so long they can trust them with their lives." said Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper nodded her head.

"How did you gain his trust?" asked Detective Harper.

"It was the dying wish of his grandmother that I look after him and I've been doing that way before he started the Brothers. I've almost become like a father to most of those boy, I taught most them how to drive, how to repair cars, and a number of other skills that boys their age should know." replied Sheriff Quin.

"So how do I gain his trust?" asked Detective Harper.

"Prove to him that even though you're a cop you're on his side and try to make him feel comfortable and safe around you." replied Sheriff Quin as the woman nodded her head.

"And that'll work?" asked Detective Harper.

"It's a start but it should only work for you after tonight your friends gonna be on his permanent shit list ." said Sheriff Quin as he turned his head and watched as Detective Amsel approached the duo.

"Carla I need to run something by you." said Detective Amsel as the woman rose from her desk and approached the blonde haired man.

"What is it?" she asked the man as he led her away to the back room.

"I want you to be our eyes inside the club." said Detective Amsel earning a confused look from the woman.

"But Marcus has seen my face." replied Detective Harper as the man nodded his head.

"Yes, but only he has seen your face so as long as you avoid him you'll be fine." said Detective Amsel.

"I thought this was only going to be us breaking up the party and letting our presence known?" asked Detective Harper.

"It is but I want you to do a little recon for anything that's incriminating underage drinking, drugs, or anything that we can use to shut the place down." said Detective Amsel as Harper nodded her head.

"I'll see what I can find." said Detective Harper as a smile spread across the face of Amsel as he walked away from the woman.

Rivergreen

The sun was starting to set over the town of Rivergreen as Mark parked his car in front of his old North Valley home where he noticed a familiar truck parked in his driveway along with Martin sitting outside of it.

"Brother how do you like the club?" asked Martin as the Brothers exited the car.

"It's alright, but don't think that you can buy me." replied Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"I'm aware of that, so what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" asked Martin.

"One of our friends needs product to go up north into Canada and when you killed Brady you killed his supplier and-!" started Mark before he was cutoff by Martin.

"Wait you have a friend with connections in Canada?" asked Martin.

"Yeah, he trades them Cocaine for Weed and brings it back down here to sell at a weed shop." said Mark earning a chuckle from Martin.

"Brother why didn't you tell me this sooner, I'm in need of someone who has connections with Canada's drug trade, their weed is some of the best around and bringing it down here-!" started Martin before Mark cutoff the eldest Roman.

"Is illegal but buying from stores for recreational use is, and is employed by everyone." replied Mark as Martin nodded his head.

"I'm aware but what I have planned is something that can make a lot of us money including you." said Martin as Mark gave the man a confused look.

"Introduce me to him tomorrow, I'm taking care of other things today." said Martin as Mark nodded his head.

"And brother what about that thing we talked about Saturday?" asked Mark as Martin gave a hidden chuckle.

"Be patient brother it's coming." said Martin as Mark watched the man enter his vehicle before driving off leaving a few of the brothers confused.

"What was that about?" asked Trip.

"He owes me something that I really want." said Mark earning confused nods from each Brother.

"We should start getting ready for tonight." said Mark earning nods from each man.

"Meet you back here in an hour." said Lee as Mark nodded his head before making his way into his home while the other members of the Brothers made their way to their respective home.

"It's weird I'm actually happy to be going to a place I naturally hate." thought Mark as he went into the back seat of his car and pulled out his backpack before walking into his home and making his way to his bathroom without the knowledge that a familiar brown haired detective was matching him step for step move for move as they both entered the shower before stepping out minutes later.

"Most guys dress to impress when they go to these things but me I'm the exact opposite." thought Mark as he opened his backpack and noticed his usual black leather jacket, along with a red t-shirt with a white skull on the front, black jeans, and a pair of black and white shoes, but what made the outfit complete to the youngest Roman was his black hat with Brother written across the front in white writing as a smile spread across the face of Marcus.

"I just like to let them know who's in charge." thought Mark as he dressed himself before making his way out of home and seeing Lee, Mercy, and Trip each dressed in different clothing ranging from t-shirts and button down shirts, cargo pants, sneakers, chains, rings, and their own hats as Mark smiled at them.

"Wait up!" came a familiar voice as the group of four turned their heads and noticed well dressed Buck and Chris making their way towards them.

"Guys weren't leaving without us." said Buck with a chuckle as Mark smiled at the teen.

"Of course not, now let's go." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"We walking?" asked Trip.

"Yeah you need the exercise." said Mark as the group started to laugh at Trip.

"Ha ha ha females like it and you guys are about to see that." said Trip earning more chuckles from the group as they made their way down the street.

After about a twenty minute walk the Brothers and Prospects found themselves walking in front of the club where they noticed a line to get inside with fifteen people behind it.

"Jesus what is this the mall on Black Friday?" asked Trip as the group entered the still somewhat empty club as they noticed Calvin, Eric, Tyler, and other Rivergreen Brothers moving around the large club setting things up while Calvin approached Mark.

"We're all set brothers." said Calvin as Mark nodded his head before clapping his hands/

"Alright let's get this place loud." said Mark with a smile on his head as each Brother went to their separate locations Mark, Mercy, and Calvin made their way to the front door while Trip setup in the DJ station and begin to fill the club with party music as Lee dimmed the lights causing the group to notice the paneled floor starting to light up.

"Yup still hate these kind of places." thought Mark as Mercy tapped his shoulder and earning his attention.

"Take these they'll make you look more badass." said Mercy as Mark noticed the large teen holding out a pair of black sunglasses as a smile spread across the face of Marcus as he took the glasses in hand before putting them on.

"How do I like?" asked Mark.

"Less like someone who loves to crack skulls." said Mercy with a chuckle.

"We're security I thought we were supposed to give off the skull cracking vibe?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, but this way we get numbers in the meantime." said Calvin as he put on his own sunglasses as the trio opened the door to the club and watched as the people on the outside poured in.

"Jesus did this line double." thought Mark as he watched more people enter the club with a somewhat faked smile on his face before lifting his head and noticing the setting sun with a look of somewhat peace as his mind still pondered on the location of his next victim he turned his head and noticed the two pest control vans parked outside of another building down the road.

"Looks like we've got guest." thought Mark as he turned his head back and continued to guard the front door while Detective Amsel and a few other members of the GTF sat in the vans watching the teens.

"We won't be able to see what you see but we'll be able to hear what you hear as long as you keep this recorder close to your mouth." said Detective Amsel as he watched Harper stuff a microphone into her black dress as the group watched as Mark, Mercy, and Calvin entered the club and two more Brothers stepped out.

"There's your chance." said Detective Amsel as Harper stepped out the front of the van before approaching the club as the two men opened the door for the woman allowing her to enter as the sounds of loud music filled her ears as she noticed the room was filled with a bright purple light as the paneled floor glowed with bright colors before she noticed a number of men and women dancing to the loud club music while making her way deeper into the club and trying not to be spotted.

"Alright, everybody this is your DJ Brother Trip welcoming you to the first night at the KO Club!" said Trip as Detective Harper turned her head to the auburn haired Brother and noticed him wearing a hat that read Brother as the people in the club cheered.

"And I want to give another shout out to my brothers from the neighborhood." said Trip as a light flashed on the VIP section of the club where Detective Harper noticed thirty members of the Brothers wearing similar black caps as her eyes soon fell on Marcus who was standing beside Lee and Mercy talking to girls

"Alright then enough of those assholes let's get this club going." said Trip as more loud music started to play.

"Carla are you inside?" came a familiar voice as Detective Harper heard the familiar voice of Amsel through her earpiece.

"Yeah, I'm in and I have eyes on Marcus and members of the Brothers, they're wearing hats that identity them." said Detective Harper as Amsel started to chuckle.

"Alright, try your best to avoid them while your making your way around the club." replied Detective Amsel as Harper made her way deeper into the club trying to keep close eyes on the people inside while making back glances at Marcus who still hadn't left the VIP section as Harper made her way towards the makeshift bar she noticed kids drinking out of soda cans.

"You don't sell alcohol?" asked Detective Harper as the man behind the counter shook his head.

"Sorry this a teen club not an adult one." said the man as Detective Harper looked around noticing a number people who looked like they were over the age of twenty.

"If you say so." replied Detective Harper but just as she went to walk away she stopped by the bar tender who set a pink colored drink in front of her.

"I didn't order this." stated Detective Harper earning a chuckle from the man.

"It came from an admirer." said the man as Detective Harper noticed that the drink was pink lemonade causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

"He knows I'm here." whispered Detective Harper as she looked up at the VIP section and noticed Mark talking to Reid and other members of the Brothers and members of the 2nd Order.

"Can you point me to your restroom?" asked Harper as the pointed his finger to her left causing the brown haired Detective to make her way towards the restroom but before she could get there she was intercepted by a large man who eyed the woman with a wide smile.

"Hey sweetheart you wanna dance?" asked the man.

"Sorry, but no." replied Detective Harper as she went to move past the man she was stopped as he stood before her.

"Why the rush when we're just getting to no each other, don't be a stuck up bitch." said the man as Detective Harper started to grit her teeth she soon interrupted.

"Hey buddy!" came a familiar voice as Harper turned her head and noticed Mark and Lee walking up behind her but as the man looked up at Mark he was taken off guard by a punch to the side of the head that knocked him off his feet and hit the ground with a thud.

"Show the lady some respect." said Mark with a sinister smile on his face as Detective Harper eyed the North Valley teen with wide eyes.

"You alright mam?" asked Lee earning Harper's attention as she nodded her head.

"Lee get Calvin and Tyler tell them we need them to see someone out." said Mark as Lee nodded his head before leaving Mark as he turned to eye Detective Harper.

"You look really nice." said Mark with a smile as he looked the brown haired woman up and down earning a slight blush from her as she looked away from him but before she could respond they both were interrupted by the sound of her microphone.

"Carla are you okay?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark noticed the earpiece hidden in between the woman's hair causing his eyes to squint.

"I'm fine had to get a little physical with someone though." responded the woman as Mark folded his arms over his chest before leaning against the wall.

"Has your cover been blow?" asked the man as Harper eyed Mark who was looking away from her Calvin and Tyler walked towards them and grabbed the unconscious man by his legs while Mark pointed to men's restroom earning nods from the two as they dragged him inside.

"No Marcus still hasn't spotted me." replied the detective earning the attention of the youngest Roman as he turned to look at her.

"Have you found anything incriminating?" asked Detective Amsel as Mark stood before the woman.

"No they're on their best behavior." replied Harper as Calvin and Tyler whispered something into Mark's ear earning a nod from the teen before leaving while Mark's gaze returned to the detective before him.

"Alright then get ready to leave we're about to crash the party." finished Amsel as Harper turned off her radio before looking down at Mark who remained silent.

"I got to go." said the woman but just as she was about to turn and leave she was stopped as Mark reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper before handing it to the woman.

"Last nights store robber." he said before walking away from the woman who opened the paper and noticed a name, address, and gang affiliation on the paper but just as she picked her head up her eyes lost sight of Marcus.

"Where did he go?" asked Harper as she made her way back into the club just as Detective Amsel and the other members of the GTF burst through the front door.

"Alright people parties over." yelled Detective Amsel as the people in the club noticed the group dressed in their police vest and moved away from them.

"Where's Marcus?" asked Detective Amsel as Harper stood before him.

"Looking for me?" came a familiar voice as they both lifted their heads and noticed Mark sitting on the railings of the VIP section of the club with his shades and Brothers cap still on his head as he looked down at the members of the GTF with a smile on his face.

"I don't recall inviting you to the party." said Mark with a light chuckle.

"We invited ourselves hope you don't mind." replied Detective Amsel as Mark nodded his head.

"No, it's cool free country after all." said Mark as he wiped his nose.

"Mind telling me why you're here to kill everyone's vibe?" asked Mark as Detective Amsel started to chuckle.

"We came here to let you know Marcus you are nothing but a common thug and the Brothers are nothing but a gang in sheep clothing that will soon be taken down." stated Detective Amsel as Mark started to clap his hands while chuckling.

"Wow you sat in that pest control van half the night to tell me that, must be pretty stupid for nothing important." replied Mark as he continued to look down at the man.

"I've already told you though detective if you keep looking at us like we're a gang your going to be wasting your men and resources, because we aren't worth the time of day." said Mark earning a chuckle from the detective.

"We'll see about that when I bring you and your gang down." said Detective Amsel while Mark shook his head.

"You know you're really pissing me off with that G-word you can call me and my brothers many things but we aren't a gang." replied Mark.

"You're a gang if I say you are." said Detective Amsel.

"Really, okay why don't you tell my brothers that to their facdes." said Mark as all the lights came on in the club blinding a few people including all the members of the GTF as their vision returned to the looked back up at the VIP section of he club with wide eyes as they noticed Lee, Mercy, Trip, Calvin, Eric, Tyler, Chris, Buck, and Reid standing beside Mark but what made their eyes bulge was the other members of the Brothers standing beside them with their faces in full view along with the members of the 2nd Order who were each looking down on the officers below them with mixed looks while the crowd on the dance floor took pictures of the group.

"Aren't you gonna repeat that G-word detective?" asked Mark as Detective Amsel gave the teen an angry look.

"Is this a threat?" asked Detective Amsel.

"No it's us giving you our message, we got no beef with you or what you do but if you don't leave us alone your time in Rivergreen won't be very successful." replied Mark as Detective Amsel gritted his teeth.

"Now please do me and my friends a favor and leave please." said Mark as the detective gritted his teeth before sending a hand gesture to the other officers as they started to make their way out of the club while Harper took a backwards glance at Mark and noticed the North Valley teen blow her a kiss before she walked out.

"Trip get the music started back up." said Mark as the auburn haired teen nodded his head before making his way back towards the DJ station and restarting the music as the club quickly returned to a place of dance and happiness just as Mark's phone started to vibrate from an unknown number.

"Hello!" answered Mark.

"Marcus." came a familiar Eastern European voice.

"Uncle!" said Mark with excitement in his voice.

"We've found Nikolai we're sending you his location now." said Viktor as a smile spread across the face of Marcus as he tried his best to contain his joy.

"Alright then thank you." replied Mark as he hung up his phone with his almost trademarked smile still spreading.

"Time for me to hunt!" thought he started to lick his lips.

13: Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Barbeque on the Beach

The Brewing Gang War

The Next Day, Edmonds, Washington

The sun was beginning to rise on this new day in Washington as Mark found himself sitting in his parked car across the street of a beach house with a pair of binoculars in his hands as he noticed a familiar man in the window of the home.

"Ivan Nikolai, you sneaky son of a bitch, hiding in plain sight." thought Mark as he continued to eye the house.

"Your friends are Russian mobsters so you hide in a place where Russians don't have a power base, to bad the person coming for you isn't Russian." he continued while noticing his new knife resting on the seat beside him but as he was ready to turn back at the house he was interrupted by the sound of his phone vibrating causing him look down at it and notice the number of a familiar detective.

"Damn it I forgot about her." thought Mark as he gritted his teeth.

"I guess you'll have to wait Nikolai but I won't be long for YOU DIE TODAY." he stated before starting up his car and driving away from the beach house as he began his drive back to Seattle. After a thirty minute drive he parked his car in front of a familiar diner before entering the diner where he noticed the brown haired detective sitting in the back of the diner with a cup of coffee in front of her.

"You're late." said Detective Harper as Mark took a seat in front of her.

"Yeah sorry about that, we didn't close the club until after two and I fell asleep in Rivergreen." said Mark earning a nod from Harper.

"I was beginning to think you were mad about yesterday." replied Detective Harper as Mark took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee.

"For what the club thing, I'm not mad you're a cop killing a party is what you do best." said Mark earning a low chuckle from the woman.

"You know after you told off Amsel he got into a huge rant about how dangerous you are like you're the law of Rivergreen." stated Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Kinda figured but he if he keeps acting like a dick he'll be treated like one. He should feel lucky he's doing this to us any other gang would green light his ass." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"You know you didn't have to knock that guy out for me last night." said Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"I know I didn't, but I didn't like what I saw so I intervened remember what I said about having your back if you needed it." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"So if I'm ever in any danger I can count on you saving me?" asked Harper with a smile.

"Pretty much or I'll keep you alert such as if a some guys want to take you out." said Mark as Harper smiled at him.

"And thanks for that name we're going to be moving on him tonight." said Detective Harper.

"Alright but don't let them know you got that information from me. If words spread I'm helping cops arrest guys things will get pretty messy." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"Okay but while I'm doing that what do you have planned for today?" asked Harper with a smile on her face.

"Slicing someone open and-!" started Mark before he silenced his thoughts.

"I've got a sitdown with someone from the Centralas today." said Mark earning wide eyes from Detective Harper.

"Really?" asked the woman as Mark nodded his head.

"They reached out to my guys while they were in school, so we're meeting them today to see what's going on with them and the Familia." said Mark earning a nod from Harper.

"Is this going to be a peaceful meeting?" asked Harper as Mark shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know them, they've more than likely heard of me, and a number of my guys are pissed off with them." said Mark earning a nod from Detective Harper.

"Why is that?" asked Detective Harper.

"We believe they were extorting Ms. Greene and when she decided not pay them they sent her a message." said Mark.

"So what are you gonna do... tell them to stop?" asked Detective Harper.

"We'll give them a warning and if they don't follow their next warning will be a bit...bloody." said Mark as Detective Harper watched him take a sip of his coffee.

"And another thing, today is going to be a rather busy day for me and I don't need you popping up again." said Mark earning a confused look from the detective.

"I'm going to be dealing with some very dangerous individuals who aren't afraid to pull a trigger and if the cops are following us I don't think they'll let any of us walk away alive if we're interrupted." said Mark earning a slow nod from the detective.

"Alright I'll make sure to give you your space today just call me after you get home so I know you're safe." replied Detective Harper earning a low chuckle from Mark.

"You worrying about my safety now?" asked Mark as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Someone has to." she responded with a serious tone in her voice as Mark unfolded his arms.

"I'll call you as soon as I get home to cease your worrying." said Mark earning a small smile from the brown haired woman.

"Thanks!" said Detective Harper as both she and Mark both shared looks at one another before their cellphones went off again at the same time earning their attention.

"That time of the day?" asked Detective Harper.

"Yeah, I gotta stop at the clubhouse to pick up somethings before the meet." said Mark earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"It better not be a weapon." replied the woman as Mark started to chuckle.

"No promises, I don't like meeting new people unarmed." said Mark as both he and Detective Harper made their way out of the store.

King County Sheriff Departments

Things were business as usual for Sheriff Quin as he made his way into his office he quickly noticed Detective Amsel sitting at his desk with an angry look on his face while he walked towards the man and eyed him with his usual smile.

"Detective!" said Sheriff Quin as Amsel looked at the man with anger in his eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" asked Detective Amsel as Quin looked at the man.

"I wanted to see what the look of defeat looked like on the face of an FBI Agent." replied Sheriff Quin as Amsel gritted his teeth.

"I'm not defeated, I'm just regrouping." answered Amsel as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Yeah, well I hope you can regroup into bringing someone in before the D.A. shuts this show done." replied Sheriff Quin but just as the blonde haired man went to respond they both were interrupted by the sound of a familiar woman.

"Guys one of my CI's just talked to me and gave a name on that robber at the bakery." said Detective Harper as the two men eyed the woman.

"Hand that over to the Sheriff Carla we don't deal with that kind of stuff." said Detective Amsel.

"We do when the guy who did it is a violent ex-gang member." replied Detective Harper as she dropped a file down on the table showing a picture of a bald Hispanic man with teardrops tattooed over his eyes.

"This is Daniel Montez known on the streets as Diamond my CI told me they saw his car fleeing the scene minutes after the bakery was broken into." said Detective Harper.

"I'm familiar with Montez he's got a number of prior arrest for breaking and entering as well as armed robbery, but we could never really get something that could stick to him." said Sheriff Quin as Detective Amsel eyed the woman.

"Which proves that going after this man is probably useless." said Detective Amsel earning the attention of both officers.

"This man has evaded the law before if he did rob that store I doubt we can get him on anything." added Amsel.

"You're joking right this man is one of the most dangerous guys in Rivergreen if this is something that can take him off the streets it's worth a shot." said Sheriff Quin.

"That's not your call to make Sheriff and my word is final." said Detective Amsel as he walked away from the duo who looked at him with wide eyes.

"That was unexpected, I thought he'd be happy." said Detective Harper as Quin put his hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"You get that information from Mark?" asked Sheriff Quin as Harper nodded her head.

"Than that's as solid as it comes, because I'm bringing this guy in." said Sheriff Quin as he picked up the file.

"But how are we going to arrest him without the GTF?" asked Detective Harper.

"We don't need the GTF for this as far as they know we're doing a routine checkup on guys out of prison would you like to come with." said Sheriff Quin earning a confused look from the woman.

"Me, I don't think I could do something like this." replied Detective Harper.

"Carla this is your opportunity to do something for yourself not live in the shadow of some assholes that's gonna be humiliated at every turn." said Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper eyed the man.

"Besides we need to get this man before Mark and the Brothers do." said Sheriff Quin.

"I'll do it!" she replied as a smile spread across the face of Quin.

"At a girl." said Quin as he walked away from the woman as a look of confusion spread across her face.

Royalton Parks, Rivergreen

The sun was shining bright over the small town as Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, and another member of the 2nd Order found themselves standing in front of Martin, Curtis, Andre, and other members of the Royals Street Gang.

"This the guy?" asked Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"Martin Roman it's nice to meet another friend of Marcus." said Martin as he eyed Reid.

"Yeah you got the product?" asked Reid as Mark reached into his coat pocket before tossing Reid a small white baggy of a familiar white substance as Reid took a knife out his pocket and put some of the powder on the tip of his knife while Mark, Lee, Mercy, and Trip waited to see what he would do.

"Clyde!" said Reid as the members of the Brothers turned to the other member of the 2nd Order. He was a skinny Caucasian man with short blonde hair and was wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt showing off his dragon tattoo and dark blue jeans.

"Tell me how it is?" asked Reid as the group watched the man snort the powdery substance into his nose a wave of ecstasy soon fell over his face.

"Damn I can't feel my face, but I know it's there." said Clyde as the group watched as a wide smile spread across the man's face while he started to rub his cheeks and lips.

"I think you've seen that my product is on the up and up." said Martin as Reid nodded his head.

"How much will it cost for a key?" asked Reid as a smile spread across the face of Martin.

"Why it's free." said Martin earning a confused look from Reid.

"What are you talking about?" asked Reid.

"I must know how good your connections across the border is?" asked Martin as Reid looked the man up and down.

"Solid why?" asked Reid.

"Could you get your hands on the plant itself and I mean undamaged?" asked Martin.

"Yeah, but it's gonna cost a lot more than a key." said Reid as Martin nodded his head.

"I'm aware, that's why I'm gonna supply you with as much of my product as you need for the purchase." said Martin as Reid's eyes widened.

"And what's the catch?" asked Reid.

"The catch is that instead of going all the way from Canada to buy weed why not buy from me and sell yourself." said Martin earning a confused look from Reid.

"I made a somewhat similar deal with Curtis here and the Royals are loving the results." said Martin as Curtis nodded his head.

"I'll have to talk about this with my men." said Reid earning a nod from Martin.

"Please take as much time as you want." said Martin earning as he turned his attention to Mark.

"Marcus, mind if I talk to you in private?" asked Martin earning a nod from Mark as both he and Martin walked away from the group as they watched them leave.

"Have you taken care of Viktor's problem yet?" asked Martin as Mark shook his head.

"No, I'm heading back to his house after I leave here." said Mark earning a nod from the eldest Roman.'

"Alright, just remember to be careful cops are being drawn to you like a magnet lately." said Martin as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulling out a picture of Marcus and a familiar brown haired woman sitting down eating with smiles on their faces.

"I can explain that." said Mark.

"Brother you can fuck who you want to fuck but with cop that's like dancing with a Cobra." said Martin as Mark nodded his head.

"I'm aware but if you haven't heard all of the gang operations in Rivergreen are now being taken over by this new gang task force and I need someone on the inside to be my eyes and ears besides I think she feels sorry for me she's always trying to get me to talk about my feeling and my past in Rivergreen with her." said Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"How do you know this woman won't rat you out the first chance she gets?" asked Martin.

"She's already had her chance." said Mark.

"For what fighting, that's not something major Marcus, she could be staying close to you for when you do something really big that way she can bring you and your friends in for it." said Martin as Mark nodded his head.

"So what are you saying I should let her go?" asked Mark as Martin started to chuckle.

"The exact opposite, but this time no more sob stories." said Martin earning a confused look from Mark.

"If you want this woman to bend to your will brother you have to play with her heart not her tears." said Martin earning a more confused look from Martin.

"Is he suggesting what I think he's suggesting?" thought Mark.

"And how do I do that, if you haven't noticed I don't express feeling well with anyone outside of my circle?" asked Mark as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Well you better start, because if you want her by your side you have to start talking about your feeling like how you feel happy around her, or how she understands you, or how you feel like you can be yourself around her and if you can throw in a few tears for good measures she may give you hugs and that's a start." said Martin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe I'm listening to this." thought Mark.

"Hugging is good, spontaneously touching her hand is better, but don't crazy with the physical contact or else you'll freak her out." said Martin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Enough I get it." said Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"Good I'll check back in with that." said Martin as Mark turned his head and noticed Lee, Curtis, and others looking at the two Roman Brothers quizzically.

"Are we done here?" asked Mark as Martin nodded his head before the duo returned to the two groups.

"I'll see you soon Marcus and remember what I told you." said Martin as he climbed into his truck with Andre in tow as the group duo drove away from the group.

"What was that all about?" asked Mercy.

"He's was trying to give me the talk, because he's been seeing me hangout with a woman." said Mark earning looks from everyone around him.

"Is she hot?" asked Trip earning laughs from the group.

"I'm glad you asked first." said Lee between laughs.

"How old is she?" asked Reid.

"Does she have a sister?" asked Mercy.

"What color she is?" asked Curtis.

"First off she's white, she's twenty seven, no she doesn't have a sister, and why does race matter?" asked Mark.

"Because you have a habit." said Curtis as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Something wrong with that?" asked Mark.

"No, I got me a white girl on the side but it's mainly so I can make the slave masters daughter call me master." said Curtis earning chuckles from the group.

"Still though Marcus you got a woman that's nine years older than you, when you gonna introduce us to her?" asked Mercy.

"Ah never." said Mark.

"Come on she can't be that ugly." said Trip earning more chuckles from the group as Mark rolled his eyes.

"I don't know about that Mark does have bad habits." said Reid.

"Alright can we get down to business now?" asked Mark as the group started to quiet down their laughter.

"Alright, alright, what you wanted to talk about?" asked Curtis.

"The Centralas we've got a sitdown with them in a few hours have they reached out to you?" asked Mark earning a shake of the head from Curtis.

"Nah and we don't want to talk to them sick fucks." said Curtis earning a confused look from the Brothers.

"What do you mean?" asked Mercy as Curtis folded his arms over his chest.

"You remember how them dudes trashed that bakery in y'all hood because they wasn't paying them protection money?" asked Curtis earning nods from the Brothers.

"Well one of the independent dealers in south Rivergreen told those fuckers he wasn't paying their street taxes, so instead of taking it out on his ass they paid his old lady a visit." said Curtis.

"What they'd do?" asked Trip.

"They gang raped her." said Curtis to the shock of many of the Brothers and Reid as they eyed the Royal leader.

"And I don't just mean one or two dude he said it was five or six lined up taking turns." said Curtis as Mark felt his blood start to boil.

"And she ain't the only one, they did that same shit to some other dude girl a while back but most of them went unreported." said Curtis.

"Shit like that never does." said Mercy with anger in his voice.

"So is this what Rivergreens turning into, dead bodies disappearing only to turn into raped girls?" asked Lee.

"Honestly I'd rather the bodies." said Trip.

"I don't like them either but we'll give them a warning that they need to end this shit before they're ended." said Mark earning a nod from Curtis.

"Alright then little Homie but be careful a lot of dudes from the Familia then jumped over to them and they almost at that point where they outnumbering all of us." said Curtis as Mark eyed the man.

"True but answer me this question what you doing to prepare?" asked Mark.

"We already preparing for war they already knocking on your doors and when they make the first move we gonna jump in with you'll because we aren't about to have no Pearl Harbor style attack in our hood." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head.

"I doubt they'd be that stupid especially since we got the other Chapters and the 2nd Order by our sides." replied Lee.

"Yeah, but when they do come for y'all just know the Royals know where to jump." said Curtis earning a nod from Mark.

"Appreciate that." said Mark.

"Owe it to y'all after you introduced us to your brother, now we making more money than we did in years and with him signing us as employs on his record label and his companies it keeps the cops off us." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head.

"He talked about making me a man or some shit." said Curtis as Mark eyes widened.

"That means he's gonna make you a made man in the Roman Family, which is a big step from street level shit, that's the actual big times." said Mark earning wide eyes from Curtis.

"How is that?" asked Curtis.

"Right now you sell drugs on the street if you become a member of the Roman Family you have other dude selling drugs for you and handing you their money afterwards, and the higher the rank you are the more money you make and the more insolated you become. It's like one big pyramid scheme, but as a made guy you're gonna run your own crew, you'll have access to some of the best lawyers in the state, gun runners that can supply you with weapons, protection on the inside, places you can hide around the world, and all that the cost of a life long membership." said Mark as Curtis continued to look at him with wide eyes.

"If that's the case why aren't you a made man in you family?" asked Curtis as Mark started to chuckle.

"Because I'm not a gangster, brother you know that." replied Mark as Curtis started to chuckle.

"Keep telling yourself that." said Curtis as he started to walk away from Brothers with the other Royals in tow.

"When you see them those fuckers tell them the Royals say go fuck theyselves." said Curtis as the group of Brothers started to chuckle.

"Will do that." said Mark the group watched Curtis slide into his car before driving off.

"You really think he was telling the truth about that raping thing?" asked Trip as Mark eyed his brothers.

"We'll find out when we talk to these assholes." said Mark as he lifted his shirt revealing the handle of his new knife as Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Reid did the same each revealing the handle of long bladed weapons.

"And just in case I have guns in my car." said Reid as the group each nodded their heads before making their way over to their cars.

King County Sheriff Department

"I got the go ahead." said Detective Harper as she walked into Sheriff Quin's office causing a wide smile to spread across the man's face.

"Good gear up I've already have my officers ready." said Sheriff Quin earning a nod from Harper as she dropped the papers on Sheriff Quin's desk before making her way out of his office and made her way towards the armory.

"Mind if I ask where are you going?" came a familiar voice as Detective Harper turned her head and noticed Amsel.

"I'm going with Quin to do checkup on a gang member that just got out of prison." said Detective Harper as Amsel rubbed his nose.

"And you need a bullet proof vest and Assault Rifle for this checkup?" asked Amsel.

"You never know" said Harper.

"I see, so after I said the GTF wasn't going to touch this you deliberately disobeyed me." stated Amsel as Harper nodded her head.

"This is a dangerous man sir and he needs to be taken off the streets." replied Harper as Amsel nodded his head.

"I'm not saying he shouldn't be taken off the streets I'm saying it's not our jobs to take him off." said Amsel.

"Not our jobs, sir we're officers of the law it's our sworn duty to take dangerous men and women off the streets." said Harper as the woman looked at the man with anger in her eyes as Amsel started to chuckle.

"You're right Carla, things are making me a little blinded." said Amsel as a smile spread across his face.

"Just promise me you'll be safe?" asked Amsel as he reached for the woman's hand earning a smile from her.

"I will!" said Harper as Amsel pressed his forehead against hers before letting her go and allowing her to move past him.

"You've been talking to Marcus haven't you?" asked Amsel stopping Harper in her tracks.

"And if I have?" asked Harper.

"That kid is a lost cause Carla he's going to take advantage of you and do nothing but use you." said Amsel as Harper shook her head.

"He's not trying to." she said before walking away from Amsel as the man watched her walk out of the armory.

Brothers

The drive to the meeting place took the North Valley teens out of their neighborhood comfort zone and into somewhat alien territory to them as they entered the southern half of Rivergreen and noticed the somewhat nicely clean houses that once told of a neighborhood one would love to live in but that has soon changed with the introduction of the gangs as Mark pulled his car into the parking lot of a not so familiar almost empty park with a basketball court on the other side.

"I see them." said Lee as the group noticed three Hispanic men sitting at a park bench just a little ahead of them.

"Let's go introduce ourselves." said Mark as he made sure the handgun Reid had given him was placed tightly in his waistband as the group approached the men.

"You the guys?" asked Mark as he turned to a large Hispanic man with a shaved head and wearing yellow like the other men.

"Yes my name is Cesar Lopez head of Enforcer for the Centralas Reyes and these are my men." said the man as Mark nodded his head.

"Marcus Smith leader of the Rivergreen Chapter of the Brothers and this Reid leader of the 2nd Order." said Mark earning a nod from Cesar.

"Have a seat." said Cesar as both Marcus and Reid took a seat on the other side of the bench across from Cesar while Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Clyde stood behind them.

"I know you guys have been hearing a lot about us and our motives but I think it's time we put those rumors to rest." said Cesar as Mark nodded his head.

"First off majority of our members came here to escape California's three strikes laws, the others are undocumented guys just trying to scrap up some cash from the local drug trade." said Cesar.

"Then why are you causing so much trouble with the Familia?" asked Mark.

"Come on Marcus we're from California a lot of us are tired of following orders and giving up a cut of our hard earned money." said Cesar as Mark nodded his head.

"I can understand that and but if you keep pissing off the Familia you're gonna start another gang war and that's something Rivergreen doesn't need especially with law enforcement breathing down all our necks." said Mark as Cesar nodded his head.

"It's not our fault their guys want to leave them and join up with us." said Cesar.

"We just wanted to let you guys know that we don't want any beef with you guys in North Valley." said Cesar.

"Really didn't seem that way when you guys made Diamond target that bakery in our neighborhood." said Mark as Cesar started to chuckle.

"That's funny to you, make another man shakedown an old lady trying to run an legit business and when she decides not to pay you trash her store." stated Mark.

"Were you gonna rape her as well?" asked Reid with an angry expression on the man's face.

"What fucked up scumbags rape women to send messages?" asked Mark as the smile on Cesar's face continued to spread.

"Hey we didn't come here for you to judge us." said one of the men behind Cesar with venom in his voice.

"Chavo!" said Cesar.

"No fuck these dudes who the fuck are they to judge who we are and what we do?" asked Chavo as Mark eyed the man with anger written on his face.

"Chavo sit your ass down." yelled Cesar as Chavo quickly fell silent before Cesar turned his gaze to Marcus.

"I'll admit the guys under me have some very...unorthodox methods to doing things but those rapes were not ordered and the men in question have been dealt with." said Cesar as Mark gritted his teeth.

"Oh really then what about the asshole behind you with the mustache, that kinda gives away the I like to touch women against their will vibe?" asked Reid as the man in question gave him an angry look.

"I can assure you he's not that kinda guy." said Cesar.

"Still the rapes, the extortion of civilians, and the robbery's end now or you'll have more than just the Familia to deal with." stated Mark as Cesar started to chuckle again.

"Is that a threat?" asked Cesar.

"No it's the first landmine in the field you're walking on because we aren't the only ones not liking the way you're operating." said Mark as Cesar nodded his head.

"Alright then I'll put an end to it but you have to do something for us." said Cesar as Mark squinted his eyes.

"All together we were making over five thousand dollars a month from the local businesses in North Valley and if we aren't extorting them anymore that's five thousand dollars out of our pockets are you gonna take their places?" asked Cesar with the smile still evident.

"This ungrateful mother fucker did not just ask us that." stated Trip.

"I think this son of a bitch did." replied Reid.

"If you think me and my guys are gonna pay you to stop extorting the people in our hood you've got another thing coming." stated Lee as Cesar nodded his head.

"Then we're in a bind here." said Cesar.

"Than allow me to unbind it, if we find out you guys are still extorting people, we'll shut you down for good." said Mark as he rose from his seat with Reid standing up beside him as the Brothers each flipped their middle fingers at the men before walking back to the parking lot.

"We're not really gonna stop the extortion?" asked Chavo as Cesar started to chuckle.

"I don't take orders from kids Chavo, but I will send this information up to the boss, we don't need more enemies with our shipment coming in." said Cesar as the group watched the Brothers leave but found it rather odd that Lee, Mercy, and Trip were riding with Reid and Clyde instead of Mark as they both went their separate ways.

Detective Harper

The evening sun was still shining bright over the town of Rivergreen as Detective Harper found herself riding in a Sheriff's car along with Sheriff Quin, and two more officers as the convoy of three squad cars stopped in front a small house on the corner as the officers in each car piled out and surrounded the house.

"Palaski, Chapman, and Briggs you're with me." said Sheriff Quin as she cocked his Shotgun as a man and a woman stood behind Harper as the group made their way to the front door of the home.

"Breaching Breaching." said Sheriff Quin as he fired his Shotgun into the door handle of the house before another man kicked the door open as the group of four entered the home and noticed that the living room was empty but what caught their attention was the sight of a crystal like substance on the coffee table.

"Shit he's here and he's high on meth so be on your guard." said Sheriff Quin as the group moved deeper into the home while Detective Harper stood on the side of the house but the quiet of the outdoors was soon taken away by the sound of gunshots coming from the backyard.

"Damn!" she yelled before making her way to the backyard where she noticed Montez standing over the body of a female officer with a bullet wound in her shoulder.

"Shit!" said Montez as he noticed Harper and fired a shot at the woman that hit her in the stomach and knocked her off her feet.

"Shit!" said Harper as she felt a sharp pain go through her stomach as Montez walked over towards her with his gun in hand aimed at her head but before he could fire a shot he was stopped as Quin shot the man in the back causing him to fall forward where two of the other officers jumped on top of him and began to handcuff the thrashing man while Sheriff Quin checked on Harper.

"We got two officers down requesting medical." said Sheriff Quin.

"I'm fine!" said Harper as she noticed the bullet lodged in her Kevlar Vest.

"You should still get it looked at." said Sheriff Quin as he helped the woman to her feet before they noticed the other officer looking down at the injured woman.

"This is my fault I was hesitant to shoot." said Detective Harper as Sheriff Quin eyed her.

"You didn't see this coming, besides think of this as a learning experience." said Sheriff Quin.

"How do I learn from this?" asked Detective Harper.

"Now you know just how dangerous these gang members in Rivergreen are they aren't afraid to pull a trigger on a person, a cop, or even a woman." said Sheriff Quin as Harper's gaze returned to the woman.

Edmonds, Washington

As the sun began to set on this day in Washington a Russian man found himself moving around his somewhat dirty beach house with a calm look written on his face as he took a seat on his couch and began watching television with a beer in his hand as he sat down and watched television before his cell phone started to ring.

"Privet!" said Nikolai.

"Privet Nikolai." came a familiar voice that made the man almost choke on his beer.

"Viktor." said Nikolai as he regained his voice.

"You betrayed me Nikolai." said Viktor.

"I had no choice." replied Nikolai.

"We always have a choice Nikolai we always have a choice you just picked the wrong one and you're gonna pay for that." said Viktor as Nikolai went to respond he noticed a figure dressed in black approaching him from behind causing him to drop his phone and jump off the couch to face the figure who had a baseball bat in his hand.

"VASH NE BRAT' MENYA!" yelled Nikolai as he charged at the figure and narrowly avoided the baseball bat before tackling the smaller man to the ground and beginning to punch him in his covered face but before he could continue the shorter man managed to grab a hold of his baseball bat and swung the bat at the side of Nikolai's head knocking him off.

"TY MERTVETS!" yelled Nikolai as he began to make his way into the kitchen and began looking through the drawers and found a Pistol but as he turned around to fire the gun he was stopped as the masked figure swung a him with a large knife that sliced just above his nose causing him to move backwards and clutch his face as blood began to fall and stain the floors while the figure rammed his shoulder into Nikolai's chest and forced his back to collide against the counter before grabbing the man's head and putting it over the kitchen sink and bringing his knife down on the back of man's head repeatedly until he stopped moving.

"That was a workout." said Mark as he removed his mask revealing a bloody nose he noticed Nikolai's blood washing away down the drain before he grabbed an undamaged cup that was on side the sink and put it under the man's head allowing blood to drip inside of it while slamming Nikolai's face against the cabinet to knock out a few teeth.

"Can't leave without my prize." thought Mark as he entered the living room.

"This had to be by far my most sloppiest kill and to make it worse I didn't do it at my cabin so I gotta find another way to get rid of the body." thought Mark as he started to look around the house before stepped out onto the back patio and noticing a large barbeque grill next to the door as he made his way over to the grill he noticed lighter fluid already set underneath it along with a matches before opening it and noticing charcoal already inside.

"Mercy would kill me for this but desperate times call for my horrible cooking skills." thought Mark with a chuckle as he looked over at the body of Nikolai and noticed the glass half filled with blood as he began to look through the cabinets until he found a large Chinese Chef Knife as a wide smile spread across the face of Marcus.

"I may not have gotten any screaming!" thought Mark as he knocked the body of Nikolai from off the counter and onto the floor before climbing on top of the lifeless body.

"But as long as I can do the cutting I'm fine!" thought Mark with his smile growing ever wider as he brought the knife down on top of the head of the motionless body before moving to the arms, hands, legs, and feet as the North Valley teen noticed the blood completely staining the floor as he tossed the severed limbs on top of the barbeque grill before going into the refrigerator and tossing a few packages of meat onto the grill and dousing the entire grill in lighter fluid and stepping a few feet away from it.

"Now time to get cooking." thought Mark as he lit one of the matches before tossing it onto the grill and watching the body of Nikolai go up in flames with a smile on his face as he watched the man's flesh blacken and while being bathed in flames but what caused Mark's smile to widen further was the smell coming off the grill and how it was preferable to other smells.

"After watching my mother being burned to death and smelling her flesh being cooked til the point where it fell off the bone. I've developed a liking to the smell of burning flesh." thought Mark as he continued to eye the grill.

"The complex bouquet of barbaric fumes and vapors is like an aphrodisiac that speaks to my stomach. It isn't one of the grossest smell or even a single smell like at a cookout, and with different body parts being present it creates a combination of smells." thought Mark as he continued to sniff the air.

"First there's this coppery almost metallic smell that comes from that iron-rich blood being burned, then there's this sulfurous scent that anyone can recognize as burning hair, then when you get down to burning the muscles you get the aroma similar to beef in a frying pan while the body fat gives off this odor of fat from pork. As horrifying as it sounds these two smells makes me see this body as a prime piece of meat, succulent, appetizing, and yes even...mouthwatering." thought Mark as he licked his lips.

"But as soon as the fires reach any organ no matter what they be it gives off this unappetizing smell of burnt liver. These fragrance together may be sickening to some but not to someone like me because to me the smell of a burning body is both awfully musky yet equally sweet like a fine perfume." thought Mark as he started to chuckle.

"The scent is nauseating yet sweet, putrid yet steaky, hard to look but the smell leaves this thick yet rich taste in your mouth." thought Mark as he finally closed the grill after getting enough incentive as he heard the familiar sound of organs sizzling.

"The true Back Bacon is getting crispy." thought Mark with a chuckle as he heard his cellphone starting to ring before quickly answering it.

"Hello!" he answered.

"Has Nikolai been taken care of?" came the familiar voice of Viktor.

"Yes Dyadya, he won't be a problem anymore." said Mark earning a chuckle from Viktor on the other end.

"I'm happy to hear that son, I owe you one." said Viktor as he hung up his phone but just as Mark's phone started to ring again as he quickly answered it.

"Sheriff." said Mark with a smile on his face that soon disappeared.

Who's in the hospital." said Mark.

"Alright I'm on my way." said Mark as he grabbed his knife along with the glass of blood before pulling the barbaric grill into the house and closing the door behind him as he made his way towards his car.

Rivergreen Hospital

The sun had long set over the city of Rivergreen as Mark, Lee, Mercy, and Trip rushed into the local hospital where they noticed Sheriff Quin and a few other officers sitting in the waiting room.

"Took you boys long enough." said Sheriff Quin.

"Sorry I was at home when you called and I had to stop and pick them up, so who's hurt?" asked Mark.

"Patricia she took a bullet in the shoulder and two more in the back, she's alive but she's in critical." said Sheriff Quin.

"Jesus Montez did this?" asked Lee earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Fucker was high on enough meth to feel superhuman and went out the back door guns blazing." said Sheriff Quin.

"You're handler was also shot Marcus but that vest of hers saved her life." said Sheriff Quin earning Mark's attention.

"Where is she?" asked Mark with a seriousness in his tone.

"She's getting a checkup by the doctors but she'll be out in a few minutes." said Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"So how was the meeting?" asked Quin as Trip started to chuckle.

"Good news no one died." stated Trip.

"Not yet!" said Mercy.

"Those pricks want us to pay them five grand every month to stop the extortion in North Valley." said Lee as Sheriff Quin eyed the group.

"And what did you tell them?" asked Quin as Mark started to chuckle.

"Go fuck themselves was one thing, we weren't paying shit was another, and we ended it with the extortion, the attacks, and the rapes end or we get involved." said Mark earning a confused look from Quin.

"Rapes!" stated a confused Quin.

"That's how they send messages to those who don't pay them. They rape girlfriends, wives, mothers, sisters, even daughters and age means nothing." said Mercy as Quin rubbed his forehead.

"Jesus Christ, and if your threat goes on deaths ear?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Then things will get a little bloody." said Lee as Sheriff Quin shook his head.

"And if we go to war with these guys Curtis and the Royals are joining they've been smelling the blood and gunpowder for the longest." said Lee as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"We don't want it to come to war, but if these guys aren't put in check things will get bloody." said Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"I understand that but things are gonna be difficult with Detective Asshole and the GTF taking over all the gang related crimes in Rivergreen. The asshole didn't even want to arrest Montez we had to serve him on a fucken checkup and the only reason we can hold him is for attempt at murder on an officer." said Sheriff Quin.

"Yeah, and that's enough to put him away for a long time, but I have a feeling he'll want to make a deal." said Mark earning a nod from Quin.

"If he does it could probably shine some light on how this Centralas gang operates." said Lee.

"Yeah, hopefully he can tell us who's in it." said Sheriff Quin but just as Mark went to respond he was taken off guard he noticed Detective Harper walking into another room before his concentration was broken by the sound of snapping fingers.

"Brother if you're gonna keep zoning out on us I'm gonna headbutt you." said Lee as he snapped his fingers again in front Mark earning a nod from the North Valley teen.

"Sorry I gotta see something right quick." said Mark as he walked away from the confused looking group before watching Mark walk away with quizzical looks on all their faces with the exception of Quin.

As Mark entered the room he noticed the brown haired detective standing with her back to him as she lifted her shirt and seemed to be fidgeting with something while mumbling curse words under her breath before noticing the shadow being cast behind her and turning her head and coming face to face with the youngest Roman.

"Marcus!" she started Harper while Marcus remained silent with his eyes still on the bandage covering her stomach before he started to approach her.

"Mark-!" she continued before being taken offguard as Mark randomly wrapped his arms around her and pressed his head on her left shoulder as Harper felt herself start to blush from the Rivergreen Brothers actions.

"Like Martin said play with her heart." thought Mark.

"I thought I lost you today." said Mark with a sorrow filled voice as Harper wrapped her arms around his back without the knowledge that an evil smile had spread across the face of the youngest Roman.

"It's alright I'm fine." she said while pulling Mark away from her before lifting her shirt for him to see the small bandage as Mark than ran his hand over her stomach.

"Still you were hurt and so was Patricia." said Mark with anger in his voice as he balled his hands into fist before Harper placed both of her hands on his shoulders.

"We were hurt but we still managed to bring Montez in so today was a good day." said Harper with a smile on her face that she watched so spread to the youngest Roman as he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear in order to get a better look at her face that seemed to be blushing bright red as the two locked eyes.

"I have to keep pushing." thought Mark as he moved his hands from the brown haired woman stomach until they were around her waist earning an even brighter blush as he felt her tighten her grip on his shoulders as she continued to look Mark in the eye.

"Still I was worried to death about you after I found out." said Mark as Harper looked away from him as Mark brought her in for another hug that she accepted quicker than the first as she placed her head down on Mark's shoulder she began to feel her eyes start to water as Mark rocked her back and forth.

"Are we interrupting something?" came a new voice that made both Mark and Harper turn their heads and notice Lee, Mercy, and Trip standing by the door with mixed looks on their faces causing Detective Harper to separate herself from the youngest Roman.

"Horrible timing brothers." thought Mark as he eyed the trio.

"No you're not interrupting anything." said Detective Harper as she looked away from the group of Brothers with the blush still spreading on her face.

"Okay then." said Trip with a light chuckle.

"Can you give us a minute?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, but make it quick officer asshole just walked through the door." said Lee as the trio walked out of the room before closing the door behind them.

"Times like this why they make locks on doors." thought Mark as he turned back to Detective Harper who was busy stuffing her shirt tail in her pants.

"I guess you're about to do a lot of explaining." stated Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"I guess I am." said Mark as he reached out for the hand of the detective who not so surprisingly turned him away.

"I'll see you tomorrow Marcus." she bluntly said as Mark shook his head.

"No you aren't." said Mark earning Detective Harper's attention as she looked up at him.

"Tomorrow's labor day so I don't have to go to school and with the weekend you've had I think it'd be best if you stayed home and rested." said Mark as Detective Harper continued to eye the Mark with confused eyes.

"And what about you?" asked Harper as a small smile spread across the face of Mark.

"Well tomorrow morning I have an appointment with my therapist, and majority of the guys are gonna be busy tomorrow so I'm just gonna be home alone." said Mark as Detective Harper nodded her head.

"We'll see!" said the detective as the door swung open and Amsel stepped into the room to eye Harper along with the youngest Roman the man gave Mark an angry scowl.

"I'll see you soon Mr. Smith?" Detective Harper in a serious tone as Mark nodded his head.

"Be safe detective." said Mark as he turned his gaze away from the woman and began to make his way for the door as Amsel eyed the teen.

"It's a shame when a woman has the balls to do your job for you." said Mark with venom in his voice as he walked out of the door causing Amsel to grit his teeth.

"Sir!" said Harper as she eyed the man.

"What was he doing here?" asked Amsel.

"Sheriff Quin called him to let him know about Patricia and after he found out I was hurt he came to check up on me as well" stated Detective Harper.

"Really." said Detective Amsel.

"Yes really." replied Harper.

"How is your injury?" he asked with the venom still in his voice.

"It's fine it's just a bad bruise." said Detective Harper.

"You should probably take tomorrow off just in case." said Amsel as Detective Harper nodded her head.

After leaving the room with Detective Harper Mark then made his way to the front of the hospital where he noticed Lee, Mercy, and Trip waiting by the exit with their arms folded over their chest.

"Brother Marcus you've got some more explaining to do." said Trip as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright but can I do some explaining over a burger and fries at Pop's I'm starving here." said Mark as the group went to say something they were instantly cut off as the group felt their own empty stomachs.

"Alright but you buying." said Mercy as Mark rolled his eyes before the group began to make their way out of the hospital.

14: Chapter 14

Chapter 14: No Work on Labor Day

But Romance is Another Thing

The Next Day

The sun was rising bright and high on this sunny day in Seattle but what made this Monday mornings better than most was that it was the day high school kids, hard workers, and lazy bums loved behind Christmas...Labor Day. The day was going as routinely for the members of the Brothers as always with Mercy and Trip going to visit their mother, Lee sitting at home waiting for the arrival of his own parents on their yearly visits, while the youngest Roman found himself starting his day by doing pushups on the floor of his apartment while the music of Kurt Cobain played in the background as the youngest Roman waited for his therapist to arrive.

"Most people love labor day... what's not to love no school, no work, it's one of the one days of the years where people feel a lot of joy, with the exception of me because it's one of the one days of the years that reminds me I'm truly alone." thought Mark as the beads of sweat fell from his forehead and landed on his floor before he rose back up to his feet.

"Mercy and Trip's mother has been a coma for the past nine months after being in a bad car accident but they are always with her and in a way it's like she always with them. Unlike most kids Lee still has both of his birth parents but the downside is that the two of them are almost never around because of their jobs they travel a lot between America and China and leave Lee to himself, which is what makes us both so close to one another but the difference is still there, because his parents can actually come home to him." thought Mark as he pressed both of his hands on his dresser and began to push himself off of it.

"While their out with their families I'm here at home being reminded everyday that no matter what I do or how many people are around me, I'm still truly alone in this world." he continued while looking at himself in the mirror and noticing the calm expression on his face before moving his hands to the scars of his youth disguised behind his tattoos that as he then took a deep breath before hearing knocks at his front door causing him to throw on an all white t-shirt before answering it and seeing Ms. Smith standing on the other side.

"Marcus how have you been?" she asked while a smile spread across the face of the youngest Roman.

"I've been good please come in and have a seat." he replied as the blonde haired woman entered his apartment before taking a seat on his chair while Mark layed on his couch before reaching under the cushions and pulling out a green softball and beginning to toss it up to the ceiling and catching it as it fell.

"How's that anger of yours, are you cool today?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark started to chuckle while continuing to toss the ball.

"I'm actually feeling good today better than most days really." said Mark.

"Really do you have any plans for today?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark shook his head while tossing the ball.

"Nah, I'm thinking of just sitting at home and staying out of trouble." said Mark earning a chuckle from Ms. Smith.

"That's always good but you don't want to do anything else I mean I know today's the day Lee and the others spend with their parents but that doesn't mean you have to sit here and be alone, don't you have any friends from your school to be with?" asked Ms. Smith.

"Nah, Daryl's spending the day with his old lady, Jordan's doing some poetry thing in Tacoma, and Maya's been working at her moms store all weekend, so I'm all alone." replied Mark.

"And how does that make you feel?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark changed hands and started catching the ball with his left

"I mean since my grandmother died I've been doing better with being to myself on labor day so I'm feeling good." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"No feelings of loneliness or isolation?" she asked while Mark started to chuckle.

"None today!" he said.

"Okay, but as for a personal question have you ever put some thought into your family in New York?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark's facial expression soon changed to one that she couldn't read as ball fell from his hands and hit the floor.

"Not really, to this day I'm still glad they're out of my life." he said while keeping his gaze away from the blonde haired woman as she nodded her head.

"So you don't put much thought into them?" she asked while Mark shook his head.

"Nope!" said Mark as he layed down on his couch and grabbed the soft ball before tossing it back up while Ms. Smith continued to ask him questions for what felt like hours to him as he then looked up at the clock and noticed that only thirty minutes had passed.

"Alright then Marcus my last question is about your new handler Ms. Harper." said Ms. Smith as Mark rolled his eyes already knowing the question was coming sooner or later.

"What about her?" asked Mark as he continued to toss the ball.

"How do you feel about her does she treat you well?" asked Ms. Smith.

"Yeah, she treats me very well, less like a cop fishing for information and more like someone that actually cares about me." replied Mark as he continued to throw the soft ball up and down.

"Really explain." said Ms. Smith.

"Well unlike most cops that only use me for information and see me as a common thug she actually cares about me. She takes time out of her day to check on me, when I get out of school she's there to ask me how it went, and whenever I'm hungry she's willing to take me out to eat. To me she's proven that she actually cares about me and in a way... I care about her." said Mark earning a nod and a smile from Ms. Smith.

"Like yesterday she got hurt on the job and when I found out I dropped everything I was doing to get to the hospital and see if she was alright and thankfully she was." said Mark as Ms. Smith noticed a genuine smile spread across his face.

"Sounds like you might have a crush Marcus." said Ms. Smith with a chuckle as Mark did the same.

"Sorry but you already know Marcus Roman doesn't fall in love." said Mark as Ms. Smith started to chuckle.

"Marcus Roman doesn't fall in love but remember Marcus Smith the loving friend, the guy who stands up for others, and happy child just might." said Ms. Smith as Mark caught the ball before looking up at the woman.

"If he has a crush he better lose it soon." said Mark as he bounced the ball off the floor.

"Why still thinking you won't live to see another day?" asked Ms. Smith with a serious tone.

"Nah, honestly I'm starting to think that I just might be able to live a normal life even started to think about a future for myself." said Mark causing a smile to spread across the face of Ms. Smith.

"A future doing what?" asked Ms. Smith.

"Well when I was a still with my mother she always told me that my father always dreamed of me becoming a doctor and when I look at myself I feel like I have the traits to become one. I don't cringe at the sight of blood, my hands are steady, and I'm a pretty calm under pressure so I figure why not become one." said Mark earning a nod and a smile from Ms. Smith.

"That's a big dream and with someone like you I can actually see it coming true." said Ms. Smith as Mark nodded his head his cell phone started to vibrate causing him to look down at it and notice that he had a new text message from Martin but after reading it his eyes went wide.

"Want to hang out?" he read as Ms. Smith noticed the change of his mood while Mark texted back.

"Is something wrong Marcus?" asked Ms. Smith.

"Yeah, I might have to cut this meeting short." said Mark earning a nod from Ms. Smith.

"Alright then if you have any more problems let me know." said Ms. Smith as she rose off Mark's couch before making her way towards the front door while Mark opened it for her before making his way towards his bedroom.

"Martin always has motives for me being around him so why does he want to hang out." thought Mark as he entered his closet and grabbed a pair of dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black zip-up jacket with an eagle on it before making his way to his bathroom.

"But I guess we'll find out today." he thought while closing the bathroom door and turned on the shower.

After a few minutes in the shower Mark emerged from the bathroom fully dressed as he entered the living room and came face to face with the eldest Roman sitting in his living room wearing a black suit.

"How the hell did you get in?" asked Mark.

"I have keys to this place." said Martin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"So are we hanging out today?" asked Martin as Mark folded his arms over his chest.

"Depends what are we doing?" asked Mark.

"Okay first I'm taking you to get a haircut, then we're going shopping to get you a suit, and finally we're going back to my place so you can meet some people from New York." said Martin earning a surprised look from Marcus.

"People from New York." repeated Mark.

"Don't worry Marrick is still where he belongs on Rikers Island and so are his friends so it'll just be me, you, and some of the people you knew back then." said Martin as Mark remained silent.

"Come on brother contrary to what you think a lot of people from New York still care about you and want to see you." said Martin as Mark looked away from the teen.

"Alright I'll go." said Mark earning a smile from Martin as he then grabbed his younger brothers arm and dragged him out of his apartment and into his car where Andre was waiting.

"Barbershop Andre." said Martin as the man nodded his head before driving the car away from the apartment complex to a few blocks to a barbershop in the inner city as both Brothers entered the barbershop and noticed an African American man readying a chair.

"What can I get you boss?" asked the man as Mark noticed a smile spread across the face of Martin.

"Cut my little brother down low and give him a shave." said Martin as Mark took a seat in the chair,'

"Can do boss." said the man as he pulled out a set of hair clippers and a comb before going to work on Mark's head.

"Oh god." thought Mark as the man started cutting his hair.

King County Sheriff Department

Things weren't like a normal day for Sheriff Quin as she stood outside of the interrogation room and watched as two officers asked the now sober Montez questions after question.

"Is he talking?" came a familiar voice as Quin turned his head and noticed Detective Harper approaching him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sheriff Quin as he eyed the woman.

"I had nothing better to do today so I decided to come in and do some paperwork." said Harper as Quin started to chuckle.

"So is he talking?" repeated Harper as Sheriff Quin turned to the man.

"Bits and pieces, like for one thing he told us he was ordered to kill Ms. Greene after she refused to pay her extortion money but she wasn't there so instead he decided to trash her store and that didn't sit well with the guys who ordered him to kill her." said Sheriff Quin.

"So he was preparing to kill them if they came for him." said Detective Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Yeah, he fears he's been marked for death by them but he's hoping that they won't kill as long as he doesn't tell us who ordered him to do the murder." said Sheriff Quin.

"He's a gang dropout maybe his old gang told him to do it." said Detective Harper.

"Yeah, or he was doing this for another." replied Sheriff Quin as Harper gave the man a confused look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Yesterday when Mark was here he said he had a sitdown with a member of the Centralas." said Sheriff Quin earning a nod from Harper.

"He mentioned that these guys are using gang members to extort the local businesses in North Valley and the guy he met didn't admit to ordering Montez to do the extortion but he didn't denied it either and told the Brothers that they have to pay them five thousand a month for the extortion to stop." said Sheriff Quin.

"I bet that didn't work out so well." said Harper as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"It didn't but it does tell us how these guys are operating." said Sheriff Quin.

"And if he doesn't speak?" asked Detective Harper earning a chuckle from Sheriff Quin.

"We've developed ways of making people talk." said Sheriff Quin as he cracked his knuckles earning a surprised nod from Detective Harper.

"He should feel lucky our methods are more human than what Marcus and the Brothers would have done to him especially after he found out he shot you and Patricia." said Sheriff Quin as Harper turned her gaze to the ground as the memories of her interaction with the North Valley teen flashed through her mind.

Roman Brothers

"Hurry Marcus!" said Martin as he stood outside of a dressing room in a suit and tie store.

"I feel like something I hate." said Mark earning a chuckle from Martin.

"What a man with style?" asked Martin as Mark stepped out of the dressing room showing off his new low cut hairstyle to match his now trimmed chin hair, along with a pair of shiny ear rings in his ear, and he wearing an all black suit, with a white tie, and black shoes.

"No a god damn pretty boy." said Mark as a smile spread across the face of Martin.

"You don't like being a pretty boy?" asked Martin.

"No I like it when people know I'm the kind of person that isn't afraid to crack a skull or two." said Mark as Martin nodded his head.

"Whatever!" said Martin as he noticed the handle of Mark's new knife peeking out from under his suits jacket.

"Do you carry that knife with you everywhere you go?" asked Martin as Mark started to chuckle.

"Yes along with these." said Mark as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box cutter and a razor blade.

"I don't know who's worse you or Marrick." stated Martin as Mark started to chuckle

"The kid who kills people or the adult who tried to kill his younger brother. That doesn't seem like a hard decision." said Mark earning a chuckle from Martin.

"Well that cop friend of yours might disagree with your opinion." said Martin as he walked up to Mark and helped to fix his collar.

"Why does everyone assume I want to bang this woman all I want to do is get her to work for me." said Mark as Martin started to chuckle.

"Yeah, and banging her will seal that deal how do you think our brother is getting things smuggled into prison. The assholes picked the ugliest fucking female guards and turned them into his mule for a few humps a week." sad Martin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Says a lot about him." said Mark earning a chuckle from Martin as a woman approached the duo.

"Have you two found what you're looking for?" asked the woman as Martin nodded his head.

"Yeah and he'll wear it out." said Martin the woman nodded her head before making her way to the register as Martin reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wad of money before handing it over to the smiling woman who handed him his change.

"Let's go brother." said Martin as the duo made their way out of the store and hopped back into Martin's car.

"Now you might wanna fasten your seat belt because we're going to Olympia." said Martin as Mark gave the man a confused look.

"You live all the way in Olympia?" asked Mark as Martin nodded his head.

"What you think I lay my head where I work brother." replied Martin as Mark remained silent just as Andre drove the car off.

Lee

Hours seemed to past around the Chinese American Brother as he on the front porch of his home waiting for his parents to come for what felt like three hours but after looking down at his watch he noticed that five hours had actually passed as he slumped his head down.

"You look a little down." came a familiar voice as Lee lifted his head and noticed Tina standing in front of him.

"Yeah, just sitting here waiting on my parents the same as last year." said Lee as Tina took a seat next to him.

"How long were you waiting last year?" asked Tina as Lee rubbed his chin.

"From five in the morning until six in the afternoon, they finally came at about seven but only had enough time to stay for an hour, would have given up on them if Mark wasn't here with me." said Lee as Tina started to rub his back.

"Mark isn't here to sit with you today?" asked Tina.

"Nah, he texted and said he was hanging out with his brother." said Lee earning a surprised look from Tina before her eyes soon fell on Lee.

"How about I sit with you today, since I got nothing better to do?" she asked as Lee's eyed the redheaded girl.

"You'd really do that?" asked Lee as Tina nodded her head.

"Yeah maybe this way you'd stop sitting here like a complete creep." said Tina as Lee started to chuckle as the duo began to talk for what felt like hours.

Roman Brothers

After a few hours of being on the road the two Roman Brothers finally entered the capital city of Olympia as Mark noticed the large building and homes that made up the city while Andre drove the car into a wealthy neighborhood that seemed almost like a complete contrast to the small homes of Rivergreen as Mark noticed the large two story gated homes with the wide open front yards and sparkling swimming pool in the back while Martin took in the amazed look on the face of his youngest brother as Andre pulled the car into a large two story white house on a hill that Mark noticed dozens of cars parked in the front of the house before he stopped the car in the driveway.

"How the hell did you buy this house without people asking?" asked Mark.

"By having a fake I.D. and owning houses, a record label, and restaurants." said Martin as he looked over at Marcus before reaching into his pocket and handing the teen a set of stylish sunglasses.

"If people ask who you are don't tell them, I want to introduce you." said Martin earning a nod from Mark.

"And if they figure out who I am?" asked Mark.

"Trust me they won't." said Martin as he, Mark, and Andre entered the large home by the front door and came face to face with almost hundreds of people all dressed in fancy suits and dresses who greeted them as they entered with smiles as Mark watched two attractive women approach Martin and kiss him on the cheek before putting he put his arms around their shoulders.

"Martin it's good to see you." said a man that looked to be in his fifties with a shaved head.

"Uncle Moses how's it been?" asked Martin as Mark's eyes widened at the sight of the man.

"Uncle Moses." thought Mark as he eyed the man that he remembered being very close to before watching as a heavy set man approached Martin.

"Dorsey." said Martin as he hugged the man who Mark also remembered from his childhood before his eyes fell onto an elderly woman with short graying hair.

"Aunty Eva." said Martin as Mark's eyes continued to widen as he watched the woman hug Martin before kissing him on the cheek.

"This is gonna be weird." thought Mark as he watched more people continue to greet Martin while Mark looked on with folded arms.

King County Sheriff's Departments

Things hadn't changed much at the Sheriff Department as Quin and Harper sat outside of the interrogation room continuing to watch as more officers continued to interrogate Montez just as Ms. Smith walked up to them both.

"Sheriff!" she said earning both officers attention.

"Ms. Smith...how was he?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"I'd feel better discussing this in private." she replied while eyeing Detective Harper.

"Don't mind her this is Detective Harper Mark's new handler." said Sheriff Quin earning a smile from the woman.

"Detective this is Ms. Smith, Marcus's therapist." said Sheriff Quin earning a nod from Detective Harper as she eyed the woman.

"Nice to meet you." said Detective Harper as she shook the woman's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, but I'd still feel better discussing this in private with her as well." said Ms. Smith as Sheriff Quin nodded his head before leading the two women to his office and locking the door behind them as Detective Amsel eyed the group from his desk.

"So how's our boy doing?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"He seems to be doing well considering what today is." said Ms. Smith earning a confused look from Detective Harper.

"What does today have to do with anything?" asked Harper.

"Allow me to fill you in, on labor days kids are off from school and parents are often off from work so they spend the day together. Mark's friends Mercy and Trip will spend the day with their mother who's been in a coma for the past couple of months, while Lee spends the day with his parents. Marcus has no parents or family so he spends most days like labor day alone and when he's alone he's angry, unpredictable, and sometimes violent." said Sheriff Quin.

"What was he doing when you arrived there?" asked Quin.

"He was sweaty looked like he just finished working out." said Ms. Smith as Quin nodded his head.

"What music was he listening to?" asked Sheriff Quin to Harper's confusion.

"Nirvana." replied Ms. Smith as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Music!" stated Detective Harper.

"If he's listening to Nirvana or Lincoln Park he's depressed, if he's listening to Marilyn Manson or Seether he's angry, or if he's listening to someone like Blink 182, Greenday, Three Doors Down, or Nickelback he's feeling somewhat like a teenager and he's happy enough to function in society." said Sheriff.

"Did he mention anything about doing something today?" asked Sheriff Quin earning a shake of the head from Ms. Smith.

"No but he did have to cut our meeting short after he got a text message but he didn't say why or with who was on the phone." said Ms. Smith.

"So he's not home?" asked Harper.

"Right now no, but when he leaves he's not out long and he doesn't venture to far from his home unless one of his friends is hurt and after seeing that text message I don't suspect that." said Ms. Smith as she turned to Sheriff Quin.

"Sheriff Quin can you give me sometime alone with Detective Harper?" asked Ms. Smith as Quin nodded his head before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

"Ms. Harper can I trust that what I say to you in here won't be leaked out to anyone?" asked Ms. Smith as Harper quickly nodded her head.

"Okay then do you know why Marcus has been seeing a therapist these last few years?" asked Ms. Smith as Harper shook her head.

"I can't give you the details as to what happened to him only he can do that, just know that he's being treated for Severe Schizoid Personality Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress, Emotional Distress, and a Self-Blame Disorder." said Ms. Smith to Detective Harper's surprise.

"Really?" asked Detective Harper.

"Yes Marcus has two sides of him, the part of him that he shows to people the friendly Marcus the one that everyone loves and the angry Marcus that he shows to gang members and people who wrong him and that's the Marcus people should watch out for." said Ms. Smith as Harper nodded her head.

"But you have nothing to worry about." said Ms. Smith to Harper's surprise.

"He talked very positively about you, I think he might actually have a crush but he'd never admit it." said Ms. Smith as Harper felt her face starting to redden from embarrassment.

"What exactly did he say?" asked Detective Harper.

"I'm not at leisure to disclose but just know positive things were said." said Ms. Smith as Detective Harper started to blush brighter.

"Don't worry I doubt he has a crush but then again you never know with that one. He's like a book with words in different languages and he doesn't like telling people how he truly feels. He just bottles it up until it explodes." said Ms. Smith as Detective Harper eyed the woman.

"So he should be calm around me even if he's on the verge literally killing someone?" asked Harper as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"I need to go." said Detective Harper earning a surprised look from Ms. Smith.

"Where are you going?" asked Ms. Smith.

"I need to do something." said Detective Harper as she walked out of the room as a smile spread across the face of Ms. Smith as she watched the brown haired woman leave out of the building.

Roman Family

The party was alive and going on in full force as people moved around the house with smiles on their faces cheering and laughing their heads off with the exception of Marcus who was the odd man out as he sat at the top of the large staircase and looked down at the smiling people below with an emotionless look.

"These people are supposed to be my family but since I've been here no one has even came up to offer me a hug, a how you've been, or anything it's almost like I don't even exist amongst my own family." thought Mark as he lowered his head before feeling a hand on his shoulder and looking up to see a familiar elderly man.

"How you doing Marcus?" asked Uncle Moses as Mark's eyes widened behind his sunglasses.

"You know who I am?" asked Mark as the man started to chuckle before grabbing Mark's arms and forcing him to his feet.

"Of course I know who you are nephew, for god sakes I changed you diapers, you really think a pair of sunglasses could stop me from recognizing you?" asked Moses as a smile spread across the face of Mark while Moses removed the glasses from his face.

"Ah you're a spitting image of your mother but you have the exact same swagger of your father ." said Moses as he patted Mark's shoulders.

"Small and distant on the outside but everyone knows you carry the big stick." said Moses as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"So how has your life been after you know?" asked Moses.

"I've been through highs and lows especially after grandma died." said Mark earning a sorrow felt nod from Moses.

"Yes, I remember that I also remember that for the funeral you were locked up." said Moses as Mark rolled his eyes.

"If you'd seen the other guy you would have seen why they locked me up." said Mark as Moses started to chuckle.

"Yeah I hear from Martin you've developed quite the set of hands on you." said Moses.

"Yeah after what happened with Marrick I decided that I wasn't going to be a victim anymore." said Mark earning a nod from Moses.

"That's good you should have seen how bad Martin beat him up after he found out about you." said Moses surprising Mark.

"He beat up Marrick?" asked Mark.

"He didn't just beat him up I mean he literally showed the definition of the phrase beat that ass. Martin had him layed out in the backyard with a broken nose, broke ribs, bruises covering that boy from head to toe it was a horrible sight." said Moses as Mark started to chuckle.

"It's funny to you but was hard for me to watch especially since your father wouldn't have wanted you boys fighting with one another." said Moses as Mark folded his arms over his chest.

"It's been kinda hard to remember what my father would have wanted." replied Mark.

"I could tell you one thing I know he would have wanted all of you to be happy and not in this business." said Moses as Mark nodded his head.

"I'm not in the family business and I don't plan on ever becoming apart of it.' said Mark as Moses nodded his head.

"Good boy go to school and get an education because I'm gonna tell you the truth. This life isn't something I'd wish for anyone I care about. Sure the money, the respect, the power, and the women are to die for... but the feeling that your life or the life of someone you truly care about can be taken away from you by either prison or murder isn't something I'd wish on someone." said Moses as Mark nodded his head before the duo heard Martin grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Alright, it's been good to see all of you but there is someone here everyone has overlooked, someone very special to this family that has been long gone." said Martin.

"Oh crap here it comes." thought Mark as Moses put his hand on Mark's shoulder one more time before looking down at the youngest Roman with a smile on his face while Mark looked down at the crowd.

"The prodigal son has returned home to us." said Martin earning awe filled looks from the crowd as he lifted his finger.

"My baby brother MARCUS ROMAN!" said Martin as he pointed to Mark who looked down on the people who each had mixed looks on their faces as they eyed him in silence.

"Marcus brother quit being so antisocial and come down here." said Martin as Mark started making his way down the stairs with Moses following closely behind him after reaching the bottom step the first person to greet Marcus was his Aunt Eva who looked at him with wide eyes that were almost teary as she quickly wrapped the youngest Roman up into her arms earning a confused look from him.

"The baby boy has finally come back to the family." said the woman as Mark felt a feeling of sorrow wash over him as he wrapped his arms around the woman after she let him go he was quickly engulfed in hugs by more woman while the men ran their hands over his head with smiles on their faces.

"So is this what it feels like to actually have a blood family that cares about you." thought Mark as he felt a genuine smile spread across his face as he continued to receive hugs from almost left and right while Martin watched his younger brother with a smile on his face.

Detective Harper

After leaving the police station Detective Harper found an uncontrollable urge to go to familiar apartment in Seattle. As she knocked on the door she didn't receive an answer but found that the door wasn't locked or even closed all the way as it opened up revealing the inside of Mark's apartment.

"Weird." she said before walking inside and closing the door behind her as she walked around Mark's apartment and looked through his things until her eyes fell on a photo album sitting under his table on top of his textbooks that she quickly took up and found pictures of Mark over the years from pictures with his grandmother, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Reid, and other members of the Brothers, Aniyah, Tina, Maya, Daryl, and Jordan but what caught her eyes most of all was a picture that fell out of the scrap book that showed a baby Marcus being held by a man who's head was cut off while two other young men stood beside them.

"Marcus isn't an only child." said Detective Harper as she continued to look through Mark's things but came up empty until she entered his kitchen and opened the drawers and seeing a few pots and pans along with canned soups, beans, packs of noodles, and MRE's.

"He wasn't kidding about barely eating any real food." said Harper as she made her way towards the stove before turning it on and finding that it still worked along with the oven as a half smile spread across the face of the woman.

Roman Brothers

The party was still going on but now the youngest Roman found himself being the center of attention as he sat at the dinner table eating with his Uncle Moses and Aunt Eva beside him the latter still having not let go of his hand since she found out who he was but Mark found himself not in the complaining mood as a feeling of happiness and acceptance seemed to almost overtake him as he watched Martin rise to his feet and hold a wine glass over his head for everyone to see.

"I want to make a toast to family and togetherness." said Martin as everyone raised their glasses up.

"And to having my little brother back at the table with us." finished Martin as he watched a smile spread across the face of Mark.

"To family!" said Martin as they all repeated as Mark took a single drink before realizing it was actual wine and spitting it back into the glass.

"I'm glad you're here brother." said Martin as he put his hand on Mark's shoulder earning a smile from the teen as Mark started to eat with his family all the while finally feeling like he truly belonged.

Lee and Tina

The sun had quickly set over the town of Rivergreen as both Lee and Tina found themselves still sitting on Lee's front porch with Tina resting her head on his shoulder while making small talk with the North Valley teen.

"Noodles." said Tina.

"Bland." replied Lee.

"Shrimp fried rice." said Tina.

"Horrible." said Lee.

"I give up what is your favorite food?" asked Tina.

"Cornbread." replied Lee to Tina's shock.

"Really?" she asked while lifting her head off the Chinese American teens shoulder.

"Yeah, Mark's grandmother made some of the best cornbread I've ever tasted, don't tell Pop's but his doesn't compare." said Lee as Tina started to chuckle.

"That fact that you boys could eat there is a surprise to me." said Tina.

"You just got that thing most people have when they work in a restaurant they start hating the food they cook." said Lee as Tina started to chuckle.

"Actually I hated the food before I started working there." stated Tina as Lee started to chuckle.

"You're a tough one." said Lee.

"And you're a loyal patient individual." said Tina as Lee stopped chuckling.

"Yeah that's why people like me so much." said Lee as Tina started to chuckle as both she and Lee stared into each others eyes before they were taken offguard by a set of headlights approaching them causing Lee to rise from his seat with Tina following behind him as she noticed a smile spread across the face of Lee that soon disappeared as he noticed that the lights were from a familiar white truck that parked itself in front of the home of Mercy and Trip as they watched the two brothers in question step out of their and approached Lee.

"Lee brother what are you doing with my wife?" asked Trip as Tina started to chuckle.

"Making babies." said Tina causing Trip to give a loud groan as Mercy approached the now sad faced Lee.

"Parents never showed?" asked Mercy as Lee shook his head before feeling Mercy place a hand on his shoulder.

"Never showed." replied Lee with sadness in his voice as he lowered his head to the ground

"Come on brother I'll make you some cornbread to help you feel better." said Mercy.

"With red beans." added Lee.

"Yeah but they coming out of the can." said Mercy.

"That's fine brother." said Lee as the duo made their way towards Mercy's home while Trip and Tina watched.

"I can't believe you guys are cooking this late at night." said Tina.

"I still can't believe we have an Asian friend that eats like a black person you know that's a rare sight, like watching cats and dogs getting along." said Trip as he began to follow the group.

"Where are you going?" asked Tina.

"To eat red beans and cornbread aren't you coming?" asked Trip as Tina shrugged her shoulders.

"What the hell." said Tina as she followed after the group of brothers but before they could go inside of the house they heard the familiar sound of gunfire as five shots rang out close by enough for the group to know the shooting was close but far enough for them not to be in the danger zone.

"Come on inside." said Mercy as the group slowly entered his home.

Mark

It was a little after twelve o'clock when Mark returned back to his apartment as he waved goodbye to Martin and a few of the other family members before entering his apartment where he noticed the somewhat familiar smell of cooked meat but what seemed odd about it was that it was coming from his apartment but what shocked him more was the sight of a familiar brown haired detective sitting on his couch eyeing him with an angry expression.

"What are you doing here?" asked Mark as he eyed Detective Harper.

"Well I heard about how lonely you were on Labor Day so I decided to surprise you by coming over and making you a nice dinner but you decided to not come home until-!" started Harper as she eyed the clock above Mark's television.

"Twelve twenty five in the morning and then you have school in the morning where have you been and why are you dressed so nicely?" asked Harper as she eyed Mark up and down.

"Sorry I was invited to something and lost track of time." said Mark as he turned to his kitchen and noticed a plate of bake chicken and potatoes resting on the counter along with a empty bottle that he knew was wine.

"Are you drunk?" asked Mark.

"What do you think I sat here waiting for you so I decided to go to the store and grab a drink while I wait." said Harper.

"You really cooked for me?" asked Mark as Harper looked away from him.

"That's what I said." replied Harper as Mark walked over to the plate and took a bite off the food which he found rather delicious and quickly took another bite.

"This is pretty good." said Mark.

"It would have tasted better warm." said Harper as she rose from Mark's couch and made her way into the kitchen and started putting the food into his refrigerator.

"Wait here a second." said Mark.

"You better hurry because I'm out of here in a few minutes." said Harper causing Mark to rush into his room and close the door behind him before pulling out his cellphone and calling a now somewhat familiar person.

"Little brother you calling to come back?" asked Martin as Mark shook his head.

"No, remember my female cop friend well she's been in my house since six making me dinner and now she's mad and drunk out of her mind." said Mark.

"You in a predicament little brother." replied Martin.

"Yeah now what should I do?" asked Mark.

"Brother you act like you've never had a girlfriend before." said Martin.

"Neighborhood whores aren't girlfriends they're just an easy lay, besides this is a cop." replied Mark

"Alright then I'm about to tell you a list of things to do and you have to do it to it's entirety." said Martin as Mark nodded his head as minutes passed Detective Harper found herself standing over the now cleared stove trying to fight her anger as Mark stepped out of his room wearing an all black wife beater and a pair of all black pajama pants as he noticed the brown haired woman leaning on his stove as Martin's words rang through his mind.

"When you see her don't say anything to her just make contact like a hug and make it gentle then apologize." thought Mark as he slowly walked up behind the woman before wrapping his arms around her and resting his hands on her stomach before resting his head in the center of her back.

"I'm sorry about this if I would have known you were here I would have never left you to sit here and wait on me." said Mark as he felt Harper tense up under his touch.

"You know I called you." replied Detective Harper.

"Sorry I had my phone off most of the day I didn't want to be on the mind of my friends while their with their families." said Mark as Harper remained silent before resting her hands against his own before going silent as Mark felt her tense up more.

"Treat her like an angry girlfriend and not like a cop to break the tension." thought Mark

"If you are mad at me I can understand and if you want to walk out that door I won't stop you, just talk to me before you go." said Mark before Harper turned her head to him and looked at him he soon regretted seeing her as he felt his heart cringe.

"Dammit control yourself Roma." thought Mark as Harper turned around in his arms and brought Mark in for a strong hug as she rested his head on top of her chest earning a slight blush from Marcus as he felt the woman's breast on his cheek.

"I thought you were dead." said Harper earning a confused look from Marcus.

"Dead what are you talking about?" asked Mark as he took his head off Harper's chest and looked her in the eye.

"There was a shooting in the North Valley and someone was hit." said Harper earning a shocked look from Mark.

"Did they give a name?" asked Mark with worry in his heart.

"No Sheriff Quin wouldn't give me anything" said Harper as Mark lowered his head in thought.

"I thought it was you." said Harper earning Mark's attention.

"When I found out you weren't here, I thought you were in Rivergreen and I thought you had gotten hurt." said Detective Harper as she started to ramble.

"This is the last thing Marcus and you have to do it no matter what happens it's a risk but you have to do it." thought Mark as Martin words continued to go through his mind as he took a loud gulp of air before taking his right hand of Harper's stomach while the woman continued to talk before pressing it to her cheek and moving his head forward while the woman continued to talk before pressing his mouth against her, a move that shocked the brown haired detective before she closed her eyes and kissed the North Valley teen back and wrapping her arms around his neck as Mark quickly broke the kiss.

"Apologize and make it sincere." thought as he looked into the teary eyes Harper with a look of shock.

"I'm sorry!" said Mark as he looked away from the woman.

"What are you apologizing for?" asked Harper as she brought her lips back against the youngest Roman's before Mark quickly pulled away with a look of confusion on his face.

"Well I didn't mean to, it's just that-!" started Mark before Detective Harper brought her lips against Marcus.

"Fight her the entire time." thought Mark as he pulled away from her again earning another shocked look from the detective a she went to kiss him again only for Mark to move backwards.

"Tell her how you feel, keep your mouth open and your tongue raised." thought Mark as the look of confusion soon faded away.

"Wait a minute Detective I like you but we can't-!" started Mark before Detective Harper opened her mouth and pressed it against Mark's as the North Valley teens eyes widened at the feeling of Harper's tongue exploring his mouth.

"Father of Christ I can't believed that prick was right." thought Mark as Harper tried to wrestle his tongue with her own as Harper broke the kiss and brought her mouth to Mark's ear.

"Call me Carla when we're like this." whispered the woman as Mark as he felt Detective Harper grab a hold of his arm before starting to pull him towards his bedroom.

"Remember when you said you weren't gonna bang her, well now you have to and I know you've done this before but you have to literally rock her world so I'm gonna give you some pointers and I mean you have to do it all and don't be afraid to use your tongue brother." thought Mark as Martin's words continued to ring through his mind.

"Oh crap!" thought Mark as Harper pushed him down on the bed before closing the door behind him.

The Next Morning

School was only an hour from starting before the youngest Roman finally awoke and took a glance to his right to see his alarm clock before feeling a pressure on his stomach as he looked down and noticed a familiar brown haired detective resting her head on top of his chest.

"If you ever wake up before she wakes up it was more good for her than it was for you so give yourself a round of applause." thought Mark as he started to chuckle remembering Trip's words.

"Thing is though I'm not that inexperienced with sex it's another form of me releasing some built anger and aside from my first and a few others it doesn't really mean much to me." thought Mark as he remembered his first time with Aniyah before turning his gaze back down to Harper who looked almost peaceful to him.

"Pull yourself together and get this shit over with." thought Mark as he moved his head closer to Harper's before kissing the woman on her forehead and causing her to stir awake with a chuckle.

"Wake her up with a kiss, then kiss her again, after that prepare to look heartbroken." thought Mark as Martin's word for once confused him.

"Stop it!" she said between giggles as Mark gave a chuckle of his own before running his hand over her breast earning a slight moan from her.

"What do you say we stay like this for the rest of the day, I want to make sure last night wasn't just a dream." said Mark as he went to give Harper another kiss before the woman quickly pulled away from him surprising Mark as he watched her sit on the edge of the bed.

"Last night was our first and last time Marcus, we can't make something of this." said Harper as Mark eyed Harper's bare back as she covered herself with his sheet.

"Last night was nothing but a dream and that's the end of it." said the detective as she rose from Mark's bed before grabbing her clothes and making her way out of Mark's room.

"Hey wait-!" started Mark before the Harper closed the door behind herself as Mark looked at the door with a look of hurt in his eyes.

"I knew she was gonna leave after this but it still hurt watching her leave." thought Mark as he rubbed his forehead while gritting his teeth.

"I really need to hurt someone right now." thought Mark as gave a low growl.

15: Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Brothers After Blood

The Start of the Silent Wars

Three Days Later

The sky was beginning to darken as the sun began to set on this day Rivergreen as Lee, Mercy, and Trip sat in Pop's Diner eating with smiles on their faces while Mark entered the diner and quickly took a seat with the group.

"Sup guys." said Mark as the group looked at him with wide eyes after noticing his newly clean shaven look and ear rings.

"Dude when you said you got a new look I didn't think you meant the pretty boy look." said Mercy with a chuckle.

"Yeah this wasn't my choice it was my damn brothers." said Mark.

"You've been hanging out with him a lot so how's the family bonding?" asked Trip.

"Sort of he's got majority of the family from New York held up in his house and there's been nothing but a nonstop party." said Mark as Lee gave a forced smile.

"That's good we're happy for you brother." said Lee as Mark eyed the teen already knowing about his no show parents as he reached into his jacket pocket before pulling out something wrapped in paper towels and presenting it to the Chinese American teen.

"Brought you something you might like brother." said Mark with a smile on his face as Lee took it in his hands and began to pull the wrapping off before noticing a familiar almost golden color on a familiar bread.

"Is this what I think it is?" asked Lee.

"It's not my grandmothers corn bread but my aunty makes a good one herself." said Mark as Lee took a bite of the cornbread as the group watched a smile spread across the face of teen.

"It's delicious dude." said Lee with a chuckle.

"Eat up there's more where that came from." said Mark earning smiles from the group that soon vanished as they watched Sheriff Quin walk into the diner along with Detective Harper as Mark kept his eyes away from the latter who he hadn't seen since their night with each other.

"Boys." said Quin as he approached the table of the group with a smile on his face.

"Sheriff." said the four North Valley teens at once earning a chuckle from Quin.

"You boys find out anything on that shooting a few days ago?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark shook his head.

"Nah nobodies bragging about it and a lot of people are pissed off about it including us." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"I noticed a few of your members posted up on a few street corners." said Sheriff Quin.

"Just trying to prevent shit before it happens." said Lee earning a nod from the Sheriff.

"I get that but do you guys know who got shot and why?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Yea, Ms. Tompkins son Derrick figured he was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time because he ain't affiliated with the Brothers or anyone." said Mercy earning a shake of the head from Sheriff Quin.

"Well after we talked to Derrick his story was he walking home from the store and a masked man with a gun came out of nowhere and shot at him as he was running another man came out of nowhere and shot hit twice in the chest before both fled the scene in a car parked across the street." said Sheriff Quin.

"So he was ambushed." said Mark.

"But who'd want him dead Derrick was a porch kid he hardly ever came outside?" asked Trip as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Yeah then I thought of something and looked at Derrick and something came to me, describe Derrick." said Sheriff Quin the boys each started to rub their chins.

"He's sixteen, African American, short for his age probably five foot three or maybe four in a half, and always liked to wear that black jacket." said Mercy as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Aren't that many black teenagers living in North Valley and there really aren't that many black people in Rivergreen that comes close to fitting that description." said Sheriff Quin as all eyes soon fell on Marcus.

"What you think I was the one they were targeting?" asked Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"I do, you're one of the main people in Rivergreen people want dead and they know with you out of the picture the Brothers in North Valley are leaderless." said Sheriff Quin.

"Yeah, but with me out of the picture every Brother in Washington will be gunning for them." said Mark.

"Which is why Detective Amsel is keeping close eyes on you any other confirmed member of the Brothers." said Detective Harper finally letting her voice be heard as Mark eyed the woman.

"What do you mean?" asked Mercy.

"He's monitoring your phone calls, text messages, and your where about at all times of the day." said Detective Harper as Mark gritted his teeth.

"Well then that's gonna be a hazard." said Mark as Harper eyed the teen with a serious look on her face.

"Exactly so you boys better lay low for a while for us to figure this out." said Sheriff Quin before he turned his gaze to Mark.

"And Mark you need to stay in Seattle or try to find another place to hunker down for a while." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright I got a place to hold up in." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Alright be careful boys." said Sheriff Quin as he moved away from the table leaving Detective Harper alone to stare at Mark who kept his gaze away from the woman.

"You know I've been tasked with keeping an eye on you." said Detective Harper as Mark continued to look away from her.

"Lucky me." replied Mark more harshly than he wanted to as Lee, Mercy, and Trip continued to stare at the teen.

"Are you going home after school tomorrow?" asked Harper.

"I don't know." answered Mark as a look of sorrow fell on the face of the brown haired detective as she turned away and made her way out of the diner.

"Dude what was that all about?" asked Mercy.

"Seriously at the hospital you two seemed close." added Trip as Mark remained silent.

So I'm guessing the sex was good." came a familiar voice as the group lifted their heads and noticed Martin standing over him.

"The hell did you come from?" asked Lee.

"The front door you guys act like I can walk through walls." said Martin as he looked down at the silent Mark.

"You must have did better than I thought you did little brother she's practically eating out of your hands now." said Martin as he took a seat beside Marcus.

"Dude you had sex with that woman and didn't tell us?" asked Mercy as everyone eyed Mark.

"Was she any good?" asked Trip.

"Yeah, Marcus share the details." said Martin with a smile on his face.

"Apparently to her it was nothing." said Mark as Martin started to chuckle.

"That's what women always say especially the ones in her position." said Martin as Mark eyed his brother.

"What do you mean?" asked Mark.

"Marcus look at her that woman is as uptight as they come. Then she's a woman working in a field dominated by men so in order to not be looked down as the damsel in distress she hides behind a tough pseud that gives off a lesbian vibe to men so they know to stay away from her." said Martin earning confused looks from the boys.

"Because of that I think doesn't get much action at home or has much of a social life outside of work making her easy prey. What I told you to do was comfort her like a woman and treat her like a woman and just like that that tough pseud shattered like glass and she found herself being drawn to you because you make her feel like she can be herself." said Martin as the boys eyed him almost like he'd done what he'd said a hundred times.

"I have a question can I get some advice from you." said Trip as Martin started to chuckle before nodding his head and turning back to Mark.

"She said it was nothing but she'll comeback to you little brother and when she does she'll be in your control." said Martin.

"What if I don't want her in my control?" asked Mark earning confused looks from the group.

"Don't tell me you're catching feeling for that woman?" asked Martin as Mark remained silent.

"Don't lose sight of what having her around is for Marcus, you need a spy in the GTF now you have one and if all she wants is to hump a few days a week you better take that because having a real relationship with this woman isn't an option." said Martin as Mark looked away from him.

"You can't have her and your gang at the same time Marcus." finished Martin as he rose from his seated position.

"Think about that brother." he said while reaching into his pocket before dropping a set of keys in front of Marcus.

"What are these for?" asked Mark as he eyed Martin.

"They're the keys to the place you'll be staying at for the time being and you might want to hold off on coming to Olympia as well as calling me if you got cops following you." said Martin as he eyed his younger brother.

"Be safe baby brother." said Martin as he walked out of the diner earning an angry growl from Mark as he lowered his head in anger before feeling a hand being placed on his shoulder from the other members of the Brothers.

"Lee get a burner phone and put in a call to Curtis, Reid, Calvin, and the others and tell them we need some help for tomorrow." said Mark earning nods from the group.

The Next Day

The sun hadn't yet risen over this soon to be cloudy Friday in Seattle as Mark sat on his couch placing a few of his clothes into a black sports bag along with some canned foods, his photo books, textbooks, and bottles of water.

"Most people feel fear when they find out their lives are in danger but for me I feel a sense of happiness." thought Mark as a small smile spread across his face.

"To me being in danger means I don't have to find someone to hunt down and kill." thought Mark as he picked up his new knife before pulling it from it's sheath and examining the blade before resheathing it and dropping it in his bag.

"This time all I have to do is wait for them to come to me." he thought as he placed a few bullets in a empty magazine before loading the chamber into a silver M1911A1 Semi-Automatic Pistol.

"With the situation we Brothers are in now it shouldn't surprise you all that we Brothers are arming ourselves for anything." thought Mark as he pointed the gun at his doorway before putting the gun into his bag along with the MP7 Submachine Gun and one of the Glock 19's.

"With everyone on the edge I had to send those other guns from Viktor to other members of the Brothers not just to Lee, Mercy, and Trip but also to Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, Reid, Calvin, Eric and even a few others. I'd rather them be armed and ready then unprepared." he thought as he picked up his box cutter before stuffing it into his pocket as he heard a knock at the front door that caused him to jump a little as he rose from the couch and opened the door revealing a familiar detective.

"You all set?" asked Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head before walking over to his couch and putting a lock on the sports bag and picking it along with his backpack.

"Let's go!" said Mark as he made his way out of his apartment Harper closed the door behind him and locked it as the silent duo then climbed into her car as she drove away from the apartment complex.

"I brought you some doughnuts in case you're hungry." said Harper as she tried to break the silence that was building between the two she pointed to a white bag in between the seats as Mark gave low groan as he looked out the window.

"Look I know you probably don't want to leave your friends alone but your life is in serious danger until we figure out who wants you dead." said Detective Harper as she heard Mark give a low chuckle.

"I'm not worried about my brothers because I know they can handle themselves, you already know what I'm silent about." said Mark bringing silence to Harper as looked away from the North Valley teen who soon fell silent.

"Have you found out where you're going to hide?" asked Detective Harper as Mark turned his head and pushed a few buttons on the GPS system in the car.

"Just follow the GPS." said Mark earning a nod from the Detective as she continued to drive the car out of Seattle.

The drive wasn't very long but it was interesting as Mark noticed the quick change from urban to rural as the sight of building was quickly replaced by the sight of trees in all sides as the GPS directed Detective Harper to turn the car down a dirt road as it came to an end the duo both noticed a two story wooden cabin right next to a large lake as a look of awe spread across the face of Detective Harper.

"This is the place?" asked Detective Harper as Mark hopped out of the car and used the key that Martin had given him to open the front door as he turned back around to look at Detective Harper who exited her car and followed Mark into the home as he turned on the lights illuminating the well furnished living room and fully stocked kitchen.

"Wow this place is bigger than my house." said Detective Harper as she watched Mark throw his bags onto one of the couches before turning to her.

"I'm ready to go." stated Mark.

"Really you don't want to check out the bedrooms before we go?" asked Detective Harper.

"No, I'm ready to go to school and get this day over with." said Mark earning a slow nod from Detective Harper as the two made their way back out of the cabin before getting back inside her car and driving away as Mark's cellphone started to vibrate from a text message as he quickly looked at his phone and noticed a familiar number.

"Who's that?" asked Harper.

"Lee he's calling to checkup on me." said Mark earning a nod from Harper.

"Those are some pretty loyal friends you got there." said Detective Harper.

"Yes yes they are." said Mark as minutes passed in silence before the duo finally made it back to Seattle as Detective Harper pulled the car up in front of the school.

"I'll be here to pick you up when you get out." said Harper.

"Don't bother about that I've got a Brother coming to pick me up." said Mark to Harper's confusion.

"Marcus it isn't safe for you to go to Rivergreen right now." she said as Mark nodded his head.

"I know and I'm not going to Rivergreen. I'm heading to Tacoma to put my guys there on alert." said Mark.

"Well at least let me take you." said Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Sorry but you and I have are business partners not personal." said Mark just as he went to reach for the door handle he was stopped as Detective Harper grabbed the door.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Detective Harper.

"Like you said the other day what happened between us was nothing, me and you are nothing, now do me a favor and quit acting like you give a damn about me Detective." said Mark as he quickly hopped out of the woman's car leaving her to Harper with sadness in her heart as she watched him leave before driving away.

"Treating her like this is probably one of the hardest things I have to, but Martin was right I can't lose sight of purpose. Besides today of all days isn't a day for Marcus Smith the romantic, no today is day for Marcus Roman because someone is going to die today." thought Mark as he quickly made his way to class.

Rivergreen High School

The day was going slow as usual for Lee, Mercy, and Trip while other members of the Brothers stood close by in the schools common area waiting for the bell to ring to start class with their backs to the walls while they kept their eyes on the other students particularly the gang affiliated ones as they noticed two group of Hispanics standing opposite sides from one another with Familia on the left and defectors of the Centralas on the right as the group kept a close eye on an older looking teenager with a shaved head a tattoo on the left side of his neck who seemed to be giving orders to the other kids.

"Since when did Carlos start calling shots?" asked Trip.

"The moment he hooked up with the enemy." said Lee as the group noticed three African American teens where school uniforms but with purple shoes approaching them.

"You the guy Curtis talked about?" asked Mercy as he looked at the lead teen who stood about 5'9 with his hair in dreadlocks as he nodded his head to the group of Brothers.

"The names Rondell, Curtis say you guys needed a favor that we could help you out with." said the teen as Lee nodded his head.

"You see the kid over there with the tattoo on his neck?" asked Mercy as he pointed over to Carlos earning a nod from Rondell.

"We know he takes gym with a few of you around third period, while he's getting changed one of our guys is going to pull the fire alarm in the gym, while everyone's leaving out the front you guys make sure he leaves through the side door so he can be out the back of the gym." said Lee earning a nod from Rondell.

"And if anyone else follows him out?" asked Rondell

"Don't worry about that, we got guys waiting for anything if you see them just act nonchalant and don't report shit." said Lee.

"A'ight then." said Rondell as he shook Lee's hand as a wide smile spread across the face of each member of the brothers.

Seaside High School

Things were going almost routinely for Mark as he sat silently in his Social Studies class writing down notes for his next to test when not so surprisingly Maya came and took a seat next to him.

"Marcus is something wrong?" asked the Cambodian girl as she eyed the teen.

"Why do you ask?" questioned Mark.

"Well like always you've been distant since Labor Day and you just seem off." said Maya as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"Yeah something went down on Labor Day that's been having me do a lot of thinking." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"Is it about that shooting in Rivergreen?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"A little." said Mark.

"Are you in danger?" asked Maya as Mark eyed the girl.

"Probably a little more than usual." said Mark as Maya remained silent before a look of sadness spread across her face.

"It's alright, I'm just gonna steer clear of Rivergreen for a few days you should do the same." said Mark earning a half smile from the girl.

"Will you be here Monday?" asked Maya.

"Yeah, I think should be." said Mark earning a half smile from Maya as he set his hand on top of her own.

Rivergreen High School

Third period was just starting as Lee, Mercy, and Trip found themselves in the one class they shared with each other sitting in the back doing their notes but while the trio were working Rondell was sitting on the bleachers of the gymnasium with three other Royal members watching as Carlos and a group of two more Hispanic males entered the locker room to change. While he was watching them a lone freshman wearing a jacket with the hood over his head was walking through the gymnasium before his eyes fell on a familiar red box in the corner. Just before he passed the box he pulled the lever causing the familiar noise of the fire alarm to go off throughout the school and a smile to spread across the trio of Brothers.

"Easiest fifty bucks ever." said the freshman as he made his way out the front of the gym while Rondell and Royal members followed the Hispanics into the locker room where they saw the teens scattering about.

"Hey this way." yelled Rondell as he opened the side door of the locker room leading to the back of the school gym.

"Let's go!" yelled Carlos as he led the two teens into the back of the school they noticed a gray van parked out back but before they could look anywhere else they watched as two masked men jumped from out of the van and pointed guns at the heads of the group.

"Do not move." yelled one man as he pointed a Shotgun at the group.

"You in the van now." yelled another man with a Pistol as he pointed at Carlos.

"What?" asked Carlos.

"You heard me!" yelled the man as he slammed the butt of his gun against Carlos's head knocking the teen out before grabbing him and throwing him in the van.

"Say one word to the office and his ass is grass." yelled the man with the Shotgun as the duo climbed into the van before it sped away as a smile spread across the face of Rondell as the two Hispanic teens looked at him with confusion written on their faces.

"Good one brothers." said Tyler from the driver seat as he turned his head and noticed Reid and Calvin taking their mask off.

"That was too easy." said Calvin as Reid started to chuckle.

"If that was easy you should stick around for the real party." said Reid as he looked down at Carlos with a wide smile on his face.

"I think I just might." said Calvin with a chuckle as Tyler stopped the car in front of an rundown auto repair shop.

Seaside High School

The morning fog had soon vanished in Seattle as the sound of thunder crashing across the sky filled the school Mark sat in his second to last class of the day with Maya by his side as he felt his new burner phone starting to vibrate before he looked down at the phone and saw a text message from Reid that brought a smile to his face before he turned his attention to Maya.

"Hey Maya I have a favor to ask." whispered Mark earning a confused look from Maya as he looked at him.

"I'm skipping next period, you mind telling Daryl and Jordan to keep their mouths shut about seeing me earlier today." said Mark.

"Depends where are you going?" asked Maya.

"I need to put something to rest but I need to do it now." said Mark earning a nod from the Cambodian girl.

"Alright, but you have to call me later." said Maya earning a nod from Mark.

"I promise." said Mark as the bell started to ring as Maya watched young Samoan quickly rise to his feet.

"Also if I female cop with brown hair asks if you've seen me tell her I said I was leaving with her." said Mark earning another confused look from Maya as she went to call out to him the North Valley teen had already left the classroom and had quickly made his way out of the school where he noticed a familiar van parked in the student parking lot as Clyde quickly opened the door for him.

"Good to see you." said Mark as he climbed into the van Clyde closed the door behind him while Tyler handed him his burner phone which the Rivergreen leader quickly took.

"Hello!" answered Mark before quickly hearing the voice of Reid.

"Brother the fucker cracked but he could only give us some much information since he's at the bottom of the ladder." said Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"I kinda figured what did you get from him?" asked Mark as Reid.

"He gave us the names of the shooters but who's calling the shots for the Centralas and where you can find that enforcer of theirs, he knows nothing." said Reid as Mark gritted his teeth.

"Then what could the prick tell you?" asked Mark.

"That your new friend Chavo usually goes to collect money from a dealer named Skunk in South Rivergreen in about an hour." said Reid as a smile spread across the face of Marcus.

"That'll do brother." said Mark with a chuckle.

"What should we do with him?" asked Reid as he turned around and looked at a bloody Carlos who was now tied to a chair with duct tape over his mouth.

"Can he offer us more information?" asked Mark as Reid looked at Carlos and watched the kid nodding his head quickly with tears in his eyes.

"He says he can." said Reid.

"Put the phone to his ear." said Mark as Reid approached the teen before pressing the phone to his ear.

"Alright then kid if you want to live right now you're gonna do everything I say." said Mark as Reid and Calvin eyed the teen with interesting looks on their faces.

Rivergreen High School

After the school bell rang Lee, Mercy, and Trip found themselves walking out of the front of school where they noticed a black car parked on the side of the road across the street from the school while they made their way towards Mercy's truck before driving away from the school while the black car followed after the group.

"They're giving chase." said Lee as he looked out the rearview mirror and noticed the black car continuing to follow after them.

"How are we going to lose them?" asked Trip as a smile spread across the face of Mercy.

"The North Valley way." replied Mercy as the group drove down their Cul-De-Sac until Mercy stopped his truck in the driveway of his home as they watched the black car park just a little down the street.

"Remember calm and nonchalant." said Lee as the trio exited the truck.

"Hey Lee can you help me with my math?" asked Mercy.

"Is that another stereotype brother?" asked Lee as Trip started to chuckle.

"You're an Asian that's good in math, I think that stereotype was confirmed years ago." said Trip as Lee rolled his eyes before following the group inside their home where they quickly turned on all the lights to the living room and kitchen, before turning on the television and the radio as the loud music of Simple Plan filled the house as Trip looked at both Lee and Mercy who were putting on their black jackets, pants, and masks.

"Remember brother if someone comes to the door steer them away." said Lee earning a nod from Trip as Mercy approached his younger brother.

"Five minutes after we leave order some pizza so they don't suspect anything, but we should be back before sundown." said Mercy before making his way towards the back door with Lee as Trip watched two put on the hoods of their jackets before hopping the fence into the next backyard and continuing to hop backyards until they were behind the black car noticed Reid's car parked in front of the home as they then snuck around the sides of the houses before climbing into the unlocked car and noticing the keys still in the ignition.

"Thank you Reid." said Mercy as he started up the car before driving out of the Cul-De-Sac without attracting the attention of the two officers who continued to watch Mercy's home.

Rivergreen

"Son of a fucking bitch." said a Hispanic man walking behind a familiar man as the sound of thunder rang out again,

"Quit your damn complaining and let's get this money before the rain comes." said Chavo as the duo walked down through the shopping district of Rivergreen they noticed that the streets seemed completely quiet as a sharp wind started to blow before the group entered an alley beside a barbershop and a shoe store where they noticed a figure leaning against the wall wearing an all black jacket and pants.

"Skunk you got my money?" asked Chavo as he approached the teen.

"I got money but it ain't yours." said the man as he pulled the jacket from off his head revealing his red hair.

"Who the fuck are you?" asked Chavo.

"The names Reid I was sent her to deliever a message." said Reid with a wide smile on his face.

"What kind of message Punta?" asked Chavo as Reid started to chuckle.

"The fun kind." said Reid just as Chavo heard a loud grunt and a thud come from behind him as he quickly turned his head and noticed his friends head being slammed up against the side of a building before watching as Mark sliced the man's throat with his box cutter then throwing his body to the ground. As Chavo watched the blood flow from the wound on the man's neck before reaching into the back of his pants for his gun.

"Don't even think about it asshole." said Reid as Chavo felt the cold metal of a gun being pressed against the back of his head while Mark approached him while licking his lips.

"I hear you and your friends have been looking to find me." said Mark with a chuckle as he reached his hand down into the front of his pants earning a confused look from Reid as he watched him pull out a long steel chain and begin to wrap it around his knuckles.

"Well HERE I AM!" yelled Mark as he punched Chavo in the center of the face with his chained wrapped fist and watched him hit the ground with a loud thud as blood began to leak from his forehead.

"Well that was fun to watch, but what are we going to do with him?" asked Reid as he eyed Mark turned his attention to a garbage can.

"We don't need to many bodies piling up with our names on them." said Mark as Reid nodded his head with a chuckle and a sadistic smile as both he and Marcus licked their lips.

Detective Harper

The sounds of thunder soon turned to rain as Detective Harper found herself still sitting on the couch of beach house waiting for the return of Marcus who still hadn't come home from school after five hours as the woman brought her knees up to her chest and felt tears already starting to well up before her foot kicked the sports bag Mark set down earlier forcing it to hit the floor with a loud thud causing the brown haired woman to jump as she looked down at the bag and noticed that the lock had come off of the bag.

"What the!" she said as she noticed Mark's new knife along with a few others along with his Pistols but what caught her eyes even more was the MP7 Submachine Gun sitting on top of a pair of his pants.

With curiosity getting the better of her, Detective Harper then found herself picking up the high powered weapon and finding that it was heavier than she expected before raising the gun up and smelling the barrel.

"It hasn't been fired." said Harper as she set the gun down on the table along with the others followed by Mark's knives as she continued to eye the weapons with mixed looks.

Rivergreen

The sun was beginning to set over much of Washington but the rain was still pouring as Chavo found himself finally waking up and noticing that he was in a dark room without a shirt on bent over across a wooden table with his arms outstretched and tied to the table while his bare feet were bound to the floor as he started to struggle to get free.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you." came a familiar voice as Chavo lifted his head and noticed Marcus leaning against the door with a sadist grin on his face.

"What the fuck is this?" asked Chavo as Mark approached the man.

"This is fun time for me but for you it's optional." said Mark as he pulled over a small table for Chavo to see the same box cutter he used to kill his friend, along with a hammer, a set of pliers, a circular saw, two kitchen knives, a sock, a blowtorch, a carton of salt, and a lemon.

"Right now you're gonna tell me everything about your gang who's in it, where we can find them, and more importantly who the leaders are and I'll make your death quick and painless but if you refuse I will kill you slowly, painfully, and then I'm gonna hunt down all your friends and kill them, your family, girlfriend, and kids. I'll let them pay for the sins of their father." said Mark with a chuckle before Chavo started to laugh.

"You're funny because I don't have a kids or a girlfriend to worry about so guess what... do your worse." said Chavo with a chuckle as Mark did the same but with more a sadistic chuckle as he started to lick his lips.

"I was hoping you'd say that." said Mark as he walked over to a radio and turned it on causing the loud grudge music of Disturbed to fill the room while Mark picked up one of the kitchen knives before stabbing Chavo in the center of his outstretched palm earning a loud scream of pain from the man as he stabbed Chavo's other hand with his knife successfully pinning both of the man's hands to the table before stuffing the sock in the Chavo's mouth, picking up his box cutter, and beginning to slice pieces of flesh off Chavo's arms and torso.

"Jesus!" said Clyde as he heard Chavo's muffled screams while Reid sat down eating an apple just as Lee and Mercy entered the room.

"About time you guys got here." said Reid as the duo heard more screams from Chavo.

"Wait if you're here than that means-!" started Lee.

"Yup, Marcus is in there doing that." said Reid as he took another bite from his apple.

"Jesus!" said Lee.

"You have to remember this is a guy who condones the raping of women and children to send messages to men and that's got Mark in a blood thirsty mood." said Reid as he took another bite of his apple.

"Yeah but still torture isn't something most people should be able to do then go home and make a sandwich afterwards." said Mercy as Reid started to chuckle.

"You're right making a sandwich is outta the question but eating a cooked meal is so much better." said Reid with a chuckle as the duo started to roll their eyes the screams grew louder causing them to turn their heads towards the door where the vicious torture was going on.

"Here we go." said Mark as he used the pliers to pull out one of Chavo's teeth.

"Still don't feel like talking?" asked Mark as he placed his the tooth in his back pocket.

"Fuck you!" yelled Chavo as Mark rolled his eyes before stuffing the sock back into the mouth of Chavo as the Hispanic man watched as Mark picked up a blowtorch and quickly lit it as the heat radiated across the face of Chavo.

"If you live through this I'm gonna cut your tongue out so think about that." said Mark as he walked behind Chavo with the blowtorch in hand but before he could press the flame of the blowtorch on the back of Chavo the man started to speak through the sock as Mark quickly pulled the sock out of the man's mouth.

"What was that?" asked Mark as Chavo painted loudly.

"I'll tell you what I know." said Chavo between pants as Mark started to chuckle while setting the blowtorch down in front of the man.

"I'm listening!" said Mark with an evil chuckle.

Cabin (Hours Later)

The rain had finally seemed to let up after the sun finally set around the lake house as Detective Harper sat on the couch with Sheriff Quin right beside her as duo noticed a gray van pull up in front of the house as Mark stepped out of the van and quickly made his way inside of the house where he noticed the two officers.

"Well its about time you brought yourself home Marcus." said Sheriff Quin as he eyed Mark with anger in his eyes.

"Sorry it's been kinda a busy day." said Mark with a light smile.

"Where have you been?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Working, speaking of which there's something I need to talk with you about alone." said Mark as Detective Harper raised her eyebrows as she watched Mark and Sheriff Quin walk behind the gray van with curious.

"Can't believe this shit are you sure there's a mole?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Guy confirmed it, there's a mole but couldn't confirm who or what department he's in. All he could say was that he keeps the police off them." said Mark as Sheriff Quin rubbed his head.

"Damn it!" said Sheriff Quin.

"They also have a hit list and guess who's at the top and don't say me?" said Mark.

"Who Tio?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Nope...you." said Mark as Quin's eyes widened.

"There's a twenty five thousand dollar price on your head and a ten thousand dollar price on mine, Curtis, and Tio's." said Mark as Quin eyed teen.

"That's a lot of money." said Sheriff Quin.

"And it's mostly coming from extortion, robbery prostitution, burglary, and chop shops. These guys officially haven't entered the drug trade because they're still waiting on a shipment to come up from Southern California." said Mark.

"How's it coming in?" asked Quin.

"Don't know, information is still with held." said Mark as Sheriff Quin gave the teen a confused look.

"And how did you get all this information?" asked Sheriff Quin as he folded his arms over his chest as Mark started to chuckle before opening the back of the van revealing a teen sitting in the back of the van.

"This is Carlos, he was one of the first to switch over to the Centralas and he's willing to give you information on the gang and the Labor Day shooters." said Mark earning a look from Quin as the Sheriff noticed the terrified look on the face of the teen.

"I can only imagine how you were able to get this kid to talk." said Sheriff Quin as he eyed Mark who looked away from him.

"Speaking of which you wouldn't know anything about a man being found dead with his throat cut in a trash can on the other side of town?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"I know nothing at all." said Mark as Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"That so." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head before looking over at Carlos.

"Carlos, I believe you know this man he'll be the one you'll hand over all that information you have to." said Mark earning a quick nod from the terrified teen.

"So what are you home for the night?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah I called Lee, Mercy, and Trip to come stay with me, with this bounty on our heads it's seems safer for us to be in a group. I also alerted other Brothers to be on their guards and check up on one another regularly." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"You should alert the officers about prices on the heads of cops but be weary about speaking of the mole." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin as he looked up at the front window of the house to see Detective Harper in the mirror.

"Think I should I tell her?" asked Quin.

"Nah she's got enough to worry about." said Mark earning a nod from Quin as he eyed Carlos.

"Let's go kid." said Quin as Carlos made his way out of the van and made his way to the officers squad car.

"Should I expect more surprises today?" asked Quin as Mark shook his head.

"No nothing else." said Mark with a wide smile that made Quin's blood run cold.

"Be safe then." said Quin as he climbed into his car before driving off as Mark looked back at Detective Harper before making his way into the cabin and taking a seat on the couch.

"I should get going." said Detective Harper but before she could move anywhere she was stopped by Mark.

"You were right." said Mark earning Harper's attention as the woman turned to look at him as he kept his gaze to the ground.

"I was angry when you said that we couldn't be together but you were right we can't be together. You're a cop and I'm a common thug it wouldn't work out no matter how bad I want it to." said Mark with anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry for treating you the way I did because we know you deserve better." said Mark as Detective Harper remained silent before approaching the teen and standing in front of him.

"I found those guns you had in your bag." said Detective Harper earning wide eyes from Mark as he looked up at the woman.

"Don' worry I didn't tell Quin and your bag is in the corner." said Harper as Mark eyed the woman.

"I understand you're paranoid but I'm gonna be here to protect you." said Harper with chuckle.

"That makes two of us then." said Mark earning a confused look from Harper.

"The Centralas are targeting cops and Quin is at the top of their list of guys to kill and then theirs me." said Mark earning wide eyes from Harper.

"This is probably a lot to take, but no matter what happens to me I won't let anyone hurt you." said Mark as Harper looked down into his eyes

"Where were you today?" asked Harper as Mark looked away from her.

"Taking care of a few things." said Mark as he rose from the couch.

"Why were you worried again?" asked Mark with a chuckle before he felt a sharp sting on the right side of his face as Detective Harper slapped him with enough force to knock him back down on the couch as he looked up into the eyes of the brown haired woman who had a look of anger in her eyes.

"This isn't something you can joke about Marcus, your life is seriously in danger." said Detective Harper as Mark rubbed the side of his face while noticing the tears already starting to form in her eyes.

"You might not think your life matter but I do and I don't want to see you dead." said Harper as the tears finally started to fall from her eyes as Mark looked up at her with a feeling of hurt in his eyes.

"I care about you and dealing with this is not only new but...scary to me." said Harper as Mark slowly rose from the couch before wrapping his arms around the woman and pressing his head to her chest causing her sorrow filled speech to end as Mark lifted his head from her chest before pressing his lips against hers as Detective Harper found herself again falling into the kiss as Mark then turned her around before laying her on the couch back first as the two continued to kiss before the North Valley teen finally broke the kiss and looked the detective in the eyes.

"Listen, I know you're worried about me but whether you like it or not I have to be on the front line for things like this. I'm a leader and I can't ask my guys to do things for me and if I did I wouldn't have taken this position." said Mark earning a sorrow filled nod from Detective Harper that was met with kisses as Mark pressed his lips on the woman's neck.

"But I will try to keep myself out of harms way as much as possible." said Mark earning the attention of Detective Harper.

"For starters I'm just gonna stay here the entire weekend with the guys." said Mark as a slight smile spread across the face of Detective Harper.

"You promise?" she asked as Mark placed another kiss on her neck.

"I promise." he said earning another kiss from the detective as she began to wrap her arms around his neck while the youngest Roman began to lift up her shirt revealing her stomach before moving down and biting down on the woman's stomach leaving a red mark that caused her eyes to widen.

"No marks." said Harper as Mark started chuckle while kissing her stomach.

"No marks where people are going to see them but other places are for the taking." said Mark as he licked his lips before starting to undo the woman's pants.

"I don't think we have enough time for that." said Harper as Mark then pulled off the woman's pants before tossing them in corner as he then eyed her red underwear with a smile.

"We don't have time for a quickie but this shouldn't take long, so just sit back and relax Carla." said Mark with a confident smile as Detective Harper eyed him quizzically.

"You called me Carla." said Detective Harper as she rose up and looked Mark in the eyes.

"That is your name and you did tell me to call you that when we're like this." said Mark as Harper continued to look at the North Valley teen before grabbing side of his face with both of her hands and bringing his face to hers for a long passionate kiss Mark felt the woman's tongue snake her way into his mouth before pulling away.

"Oh crap!" thought Mark nothing as Harper grabbed his head again before forcing his face down between her legs as she fell back with a smile on her face.

Rivergreen

The moon was still high over the city of Rivergreen as five yellow wearing gang members opened the garage door to an old auto shop as the smell of burnt flesh quickly filled their noses.

"Holy shit is that-" started one man as he looked into the garage and noticed the body of a figure bent across a table.

"Chavo." came a familiar voice as the five men turned their heads and noticed Cesar walking up behind them before quickly moving past them to look at the hardly recognizable body of Chavo who's arms and hands were covered in slice wounds, his two middle fingers were cut off and shoved up his nose while his other fingers were in his mouth, as two long knife wounds were in both of his hand, but what was more noticeable was the large burn wound covering the man's back as the group noticed that the flesh on his back had almost been melted off.

"Jesus untie him." said Cesar as the group started to unbind the fallen man and watched his body hit the ground with a thud.

"What the hell is this?"came a voice as Cesar turned his head and watched as a blonde haired blue eyed man dressed in an black suit walked into the garage with two men wearing GTF hats flanking him.

"Chavo, looks like he'd been tortured." said Cesar as the man nodded his head.

"That's the case he probably didn't crack if he did we'd be in trouble." said the man as Cesar eyed him.

"This wouldn't be happening boss if you'd hurry up and put that damn midget in jail so we can take over." said Cesar.

"He's making it difficult but he won't be a problem for long." said Amsel as Cesar watched him and the GTF members leave.

"And what do we do with him?" asked Cesar.

"No family and no friends aside from us so find a nice hole and throw him in it." said Amsel as he started to walk away while stepping on a playing card with a dragon on it that Amsel instantly recognized as the tattoo on Mark's right arm.

16: Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Way this World Works

Through the Eyes of a Rivergreen Child

Six Days Later (Thursday)

The morning sun was shining high and bright over much of Washington as Detective Harper dropped Mark off in front of school where he quickly made his way inside the building before quickly approaching Maya, Buck, Daryl, and Jordan who were standing by their lockers.

"Marcus, you're alive." said Daryl as Mark gave the teen a confused look.

"Why wouldn't I be alive?" asked Mark as he looked at the group quizzically.

"Because nobodies heard from you since you pulled that disappearing act." said Jordan as Mark rubbed the back of his head..

"Yeah, I had somethings to do." said Mark with a chuckle.

"Next time you want to cut class we're invited." said Daryl as Mark nodded his head with a chuckle.

"Alright we can all skip at once." said Mark as he placed his hand on Buck's shoulder earning an attentive look from the teen.

"Remembered your orders?" asked Mark as Buck nodded his head.

"Yeah I didn't leave the house all weekend and watched who was coming and going around the block closely." said Buck as Mark nodded his head.

"How was your weekend I heard you, Lee, Mercy, and Trip were busy all week?" asked Buck as a smile spread across the face of Mark.

"Saturday!" thought Mark as he remembered cutting someone's throat before moving onto the thought of grabbing someone from behind and pulling them into a dark alley, and finally running someone over in the van.

"Sunday!" thought Mark as he remembered ambushing someone in the bathroom of a restaurant and drowning them in the toilet, before thinking about choking another man to death with a belt, and finally ending with him assaulting a man inside his home.

"Yeah, it's been very busy." said Mark with a chuckle as he felt Maya angrily slammed her hand on his shoulder.

"You forgot to call me." said Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah sorry about that, it was a very busy day for me." said Mark.

"And you couldn't call me Saturday or Sunday?" asked Maya as Mark shook his head.

"Looks there's something I need to tell you about what's going down in Rivergreen, but it'll have to wait until we're alone." said Mark as he looked over at Daryl and Jordan who were talking amongst each other.

"Is it the reason why your life is in danger?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head before Maya looked down at her watch and noticed that they still had ten minutes before the first period class started.

"Hey guys!" said Maya as Daryl and Jordan eyed the Gothic girl.

"The three of us are going to get breakfast before the bell you want to come?" asked Maya as Mark gave the girl a confused look.

"Hell no, I don't eat the crap these guys make." said Jordan as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, and I stopped for breakfast before I got here." said Daryl as Maya shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine then let's go." said Maya as she turned to Mark and Buck the two boys followed the girl to the cafeteria where they grabbed their breakfast of somewhat warm pancakes and sat down at the back table.

"Alright then start explaining." said Maya as Mark and Buck took a seat across from her.

"Alright, but you can't freak out or make a scene that includes you Prospect." said Mark as both Maya and Buck nodded their heads.

"There's a twenty thousand dollar price on my head." said Mark earning wide eyes from both Maya and Buck who tried to refrain from blurting.

"A new Hispanic gang has moved to town and have been stealing guys from the Familia to increase their numbers and are extorting the local businesses in North Valley. After we told them to stop their shit they put us on their hit list." said Mark.

"Jesus Marcus." said Maya as Mark shook his head.

"I'm not the only one being targeted Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, and a number of other guys all have prices on their heads while me, Sheriff Quin, Curtis, and Tio are the big fish." said Mark.

"Wait they're targeting Quin?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, but after we found out we've been taken the fight to them." said Mark.

"Is that why you left Friday...to fight?" asked Maya as Mark looked away from the girl.

"I see!" said Maya.

"Is there a price on my head?" asked Buck as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, they're mostly targeting leaders and guys in law enforcement, so as long as you stay out of Rivergreen they shouldn't target you." said Mark as Buck lowered his head.

"Don't feel scared brother nothings gonna happen to you." said Mark.

"Can you say the same for yourself?" asked Maya as Mark shook his head.

"As of right now yeah since things haven't exploded into an all out gang war yet, but Quin still wants me to lay low for a while until he can make a few more arrests." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"So you're not staying at your apartment?" asked Maya as Mark shook his head.

"Nope and I had to get rid of my car, I can't even leave the safe house my handler picks everything up for me and brings it. They don't even want me, Lee, Mercy, or Trip to go to school that's why I haven't been here these last few days." said Mark.

"Why would they want to go to school with prices on their heads?" asked Buck as he took a bite of his pancake.

"Just because people want you dead doesn't mean you should let their threats interfere with your life brother." said Mark.

"Did Lee and the other go to school today?" asked Maya as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, as far as we know there aren't any Centralas here but at Rivergreen High their numbers are growing and there's some tension between them, the Royals, and those remaining loyal to the Familia." said Mark.

"And it won't end until there's a school shooting." said Maya.

"Hasn't come to that point yet but when it does we won't be around for it." said Mark as Maya gave him a confused look.

"Oh yeah guess who I finally talked to last night?" asked Mark as Maya gave him a confused look.

"Who?" asked Maya just as the first period bell rang out.

"Aniyah." said Mark causing Maya and Buck's eyes to widen as they watched him rise from his chair before quickly following after him.

"Really?" asked Maya as Mark reached into his pocket before pulling out his cellphone and showing a picture of the girl in question.

"So what did you guys talk about?" asked Maya as Mark started to chuckle.

"You know she's studying to get a degree in Human Psychology so get this, she calls me to tell me that I need to start talking more about my feelings and my past to other people outside of my circle of friends that way I'd make more friends and I'd stop looking like that weird kid on the playground." said Mark as Maya started to chuckle.

"She's kinda right." said Maya as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Oh and then we had long heartfelt conversation about her new boyfriend Blake." said Mark with a forced smile.

"Dude that has got to be rough." said Buck.

"You can only imagine brother." said Mark as the group split off and made their way to their separate classes.

King County Sheriff's Department

Things were finally an active day in the office as Sheriff Quin made his way into the building where he noticed the members of the GTF cheering with smiles on their faces. It was a sight that brought a very confusing look to the face of Sheriff Quin as he looked over at one of the other sheriff's.

"What's that all about?" asked Quin as the man eyed the group.

"The GTF finally made their first bust." said the sheriff.

"Against who?" asked Quin as the man shrugged his shoulders causing Sheriff Quin to the approach Detective Amsel who had a wide smile spread across his face.

"Sheriff." said Amsel as he eyed the man.

"Looks like you finally got off your ass and did something with yourself." said Sheriff Quin as Amsel started to chuckle.

"Much better than you actually, me and my me seized weapons and drugs on raid of the Familia something you couldn't do." said Amsel as Quin nodded his head.

"That's a good start but until you've done some of the stuff I've done don't try and rub your shit in my nose." said Quin as he turned away from Amsel.

"Oh and you know what's best Sheriff I didn't lose one of my men on this raid." said Amsel as Quin gave the man and angry scowl before walking away from the chuckling Amsel who watched as Harper approached the man.

"Not letting him get to you." said Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"You didn't go on the raid?" asked Quin as Harper shook her head.

"No he's had me here all day looking into these murders." said Harper as Sheriff Quin looked down at her stack of papers.

"Who's the targets?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Mostly Hispanic gang members some who were undocumented while others were not from this state." said Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Looks like someones starting to take the fight to the Centralas." said Quin as Harper nodded her head.

"And they've been hitting them hard since Saturday, three had throat cuts, one was drowned in his own home, another was strangled to death, and one was run over." said Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Have you been checking in on Marcus this weekend?" asked Quin as Harper nodded her head.

"Yeah, I kept a close eye on him why?" asked Harper.

"Stabbing and ambushing is something the Brothers are really good at especially Marcus, kids so small he can hide in most places and jump out and attack you with ease." said Quin as Harper eyed the man.

"Wait I don't get it Mark has guns why does he need to use a knife?" asked Harper.

"He has this strange fascination with knives and blood if you didn't notice." added Sheriff Quin.

"I've noticed the knife thing, that boy has more knives than shoes and he carries at least two with him everywhere he goes." said Harper.

"Let me guess the box cutter and that serrated combat knife that he keeps in the sheath in his pants." said Quin as Detective Harper nodded her head.

"I think that comes from watching his parents die his father was shot over twenty times yet blood loss is what killed him and his mother was cut to pieces so he's probably seen enough blood in his life for anyone." said Sheriff Quin as Harper gave him a confused look.

"That why he's still in therapy?" asked Detective Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Yup, if you really got to talk to him you'd learn Marcus is seriously damaged in the head beyond repair." said Sheriff Quin.

"What about his friends they seem just as weird." said Detective Harper as Quin started to chuckle.

"You don't know the half of it, let me tell you some stories about them." said Sheriff Quin as he and Detective Harper entered his office while Amsel watched the duo.

Three Hours Later

Fourth period was going by as slow as usual as Mark's mind continued to ponder on how things were going with his friends back at the lake house just when the P.A. system crackled to life.

"Excuse the interruption, but attention all seniors in light of some of the conflict going on between our senior students, the faculty have decided to set up a student share hour that'll take place next period in the gym and will last until the end of the day and is mandatory that all seniors come." said Ms. Summers over the P.A. causing Mark to mentally curse himself at the thought of having Aniyah's wish for him to come true.

"This is fucking bullshit why does the universe hate me so much." thought Mark as pulled out his phone and sent a quick text message to Lee and the other Brothers back at the lake house.

Lake House

After receiving Mark's text message Lee made his way back into the living room of the lake house where he noticed Reid, Mercy, and Trip sitting on one of the couches watching movies while still in their pajamas.

"Hey guys, Mark's gonna be home a little late." said Lee earning nods from the duo before they heard the sound of a knock at the front door that caused them to jump.

"Fuck could that be?" asked Trip as he watched Mercy and Lee pull their guns from the back of their pants before making their way towards the front door and opening it to reveal a familiar tall blonde haired teen.

"Oh it's just your bitch ass." said Trip as Zach started to chuckle.

"Look who's happy to see me." said Zach as he entered the house.

"Where's Link and the guys?" asked Mercy.

"In Tacoma their dealing with some shit right now that's why they sent me to get you guys." said Zach as the group gave him confused looks.

"What kind of shit?" asked Lee as he folded his arms over his chest.

"The kind that people should die over." said Zach as the trio's eyes widened.

Seaside High School

After the fifth period bell rang the seniors of Seaside High School began to make their way towards the gym as Mark continued to curse himself before entering the gym and noticing chairs in circles as each senior took a seat in the chair Mark found himself sitting beside Maya, Daryl, and Jordan while Ms. Summers stand at the podium in front of the seniors.

"Seniors this school year only started a few weeks ago but there is still tension in the air between a few of you students and to make it worse some of you have taken classes with each other since your freshman year yet still know nothing about the other even the names of your classmates that aren't in your circle." said Ms. Summers.

"I swear she does shit like this to piss me off." thought Mark.

"This way I'm hoping to bring all of you closer together as a class." said Ms. Summers.

"This is how it's gonna go, each chair has your name on a card sitting on it and that's where you sit and every ten minutes someone will tell their story to the circle and every twenty minutes one of the five students I handpicked will come up and tell their story. Now after you hear your name come up here." said Ms. Summers as she began to call names.

"Son of a bitch hopefully she doesn't call me." thought Mark.

"And finally Marcus Smith." said Ms. Summer as the other students made their way to the stage.

"Figures!" thought Mark as he made his way to the stage while Maya, Daryl, and Jordan eyed the North Valley teen as he took a seat in the last chair with his face to the floor.

"Now let us begin." said Ms. Summers as a few students started to talking amongst themselves as Mark continued to look at the ground while the students began to talk.

"I bet ya Aniyah's smiling her ass off right now." thought Mark as a slight smile spread across his lowered face.

Lake House

The drive to the lake house wasn't very long for Detective Harper as she pulled her car in front of the house where she noticed an unfamiliar car parked next to Mercy's truck and the gray van before she quickly exited her car and made her way towards the house. As she entered the house she noticed Mercy and Trip talking with a large blonde haired teen wearing a black beanie while Lee packed a few clothes into Mark's bag.

"What the hell is this?" asked Detective Harper as the group turned to her.

"What's up detective." said Trip with a chuckle as Zach gave the auburn haired teen a confused look.

"I thought I said no visitors." said Harper as she eyed Zach.

"Take it easy lady, this here is Zach, he's one of the first six and a member of our Tacoma Chapter." said Mercy.

"Why is he here than?" asked Detective Harper.

"Because Tacoma's about to become a warzone and the Brothers are gonna be at the heart of the conflict." said Zach bringing a confused look to Harper's face as she eyed the teen.

Seaside High School

The first three students had gone and made their speeches already and didn't seem to make much of an impression on much of the students as Mark watched the fourth person finally end his speech before returning to their seat beside Mark as the other students went back to talking amongst themselves Mark's foot continued to hit the ground almost rhythmically before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Like your little surprise?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark looked up at the woman with a smile on his face.

"If I fall off the stage will that get me out of talking?" asked Mark.

"No you'll still give your speech even with a broken foot or concussion." said Ms. Summers as Mark lowered his head.

"Just say a little about yourself for them to get a feel for you but try and leave out the gory stuff Brother Roman." said Ms. Summers as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Alright but what if they ask questions?" asked Mark.

"Answer truthfully and if you want to withhold information I won't stop you." said Ms. Summers as Mark kept his head to ground until it was his time to speak before the class.

"Give it your best." said Ms. Summers as Mark rose from his chair and began to make his way towards the podium while all the other students remained silent and watched him.

"Jesus!" thought Mark as he eyed each student before closing his eyes and taking a breath.

"Hello class of 2014, my name is Marcus Smith a few of you might know me but for those of you that don't allow me to explain and feel free to ask questions if you want." said Mark earning mixed looks from the student as he noticed a few not paying attention to him.

"I'm eighteen years old, I'm five foot two, I'm half Samoan half African American, I was born in Harlem New York, and I have two brothers." said Mark as he took a deep gulp while more students started to look away from him and talk amongst friends.

"My father died a year after I was born in a car accident and my mother died when I was six in a house fire." said Mark finally earning the attention of a number of students as they looked at him with wide eyes.

"A few months after my mother passed me and my grandmother moved to Rivergreen, Washington but she passed away when I was thirteen. I didn't find out she passed until two months after the fact, I couldn't say goodbye or even go to the funeral." said Mark earning wide eyes from a few of the students.

"You're probably asking how I survived on my own with no family for so long and let me tell you it was hard, but I had good friends who looked out for me so even though I live here in Washington I still did have family." said Mark as he looked over the sea of faces.

"I lived in Rivergreen until two years ago when I moved to Seattle and started school here during sophomore year and yes I did live in Rivergreen during the gang wars. That was easy for me  the hardest part was the beginning because when it all ended I put twenty, yes twenty, of my closest friends in the ground and I was only thirteen at the time." said Mark earning more wide eyes from the teens as they watched him turn around and lift the back of his shirt revealing the angel wings tattooed on his back.

"Twenty feathers and each feather represents each one of them and whenever someone else dies, I add another feather." said Mark before he lowered his shirt and turned back to face them.

"I know a few of you here see me as a violent almost isolated person but honestly I'm not because I'm still adjusting to things here." said Mark earning wide eyes from a few of the students even Daryl and Jordan as they watched him.

"Growing up in Rivergreen you were either a deer or snake, because when someone came at you, you were either going to run like a deer or strike like a snake, and I wasn't much of a runner because if you ran that person will catch you eventually and if they caught you...they made sure you didn't run again." said Mark with a slight chuckle.

"I know I give off this intimidating vibe because less people mess with you that way. I know none of you are truly bad people but I keep my distance because in Rivergreen you make friends today but who's to say that friend will be here tomorrow or who's to say that friend won't stab you in the back and honestly I just want to get my diploma so I can finally prove to some people I'm not as worthless as they said I was." said Mark as the seniors continued to eye him just as his time finally expired.

"Thank you for taking time to listen to me and I hope you enjoy the rest of this program." said Mark but before he could leave the podium he was interrupted by a student raising their hand as Mark eyed the teen.

"You have a question?" asked Mark as the girl nodded her head.

"You said that you missed your grandmothers funeral why was that?" asked the girl as Mark looked away from her as Maya noticed the hurt in his eyes.

"Because I was locked up Juvenile Corrections." said Mark earning wide eyes from a few students.

"Like I said in Rivergreen you're either the deer or the snake and at first I was the snake but I wasn't good fighter so I got beat up a lot." said Mark as the teens continued to eye him.

"Then one day this big kid kicked me around like a soccer ball and I went home, I went into the kitchen, I grabbed a knife, then I went back out, and I stabbed him seven times in the chest before officers pulled me off but thankfully he lived." said Mark with half a smile as the kids continued to look at him with wide eyes.

"At first I was charged with Attempt at Murder but they brought it down to Aggravated Assault and sentenced me to five years with a chance for parole after two. While in there I was in the famous G-Unit or better known to some as the Gladiator Unit because it was filled with Rivergreen kids who committed violent crimes." said Mark as the teens noticed he started to chuckle.

"Think about it now, I was a short, fat, ten years old in a cell block filled with violent kids older than me. I was lucky though I found some guys from my neighborhood and they watched my back and schooled me on how to fight and defend myself, they gave me this bad boy." said Mark as he lifted his right sleeve revealing his dragon tattoo.

"After my two years my probation officer came and asked me did I want out and I didn't want it because it seemed weird to go home. I felt safer in my small cell then at home in Rivergreen so I made the selfish decision to stay and a few months later my grandmother passed away in her sleep and I because I didn't have much family she was already buried and I wasn't there to say goodbye and that ate me up inside. So a few months later at my next parole hearing when I was thirteen, well muscled, and I could swing the best of them went home...ready for anything."

"I look back at my decision everyday and I gotta say it was the worst thing I could have done." said Mark as the girl nodded her head before another girl lifted her hand to ask a question.

"Did life change for you after you got out of Juvie?" asked the girl as Mark started to laugh hysterically before answering the question

"Hell no, it got worse before I was sent to Juvie seven of my friends were killed after I got out I learned that eleven more had been killed and because I stood up for myself dudes just kept coming at me from left and right to fight, I could handle one on one but when you fighting five dudes at once it gets hard but at the same time it makes you better fighter, but I had really good friends in Rivergreen and despite everything that happened that was probably the one positive thing." he continued.

"In my opinion Rivergreen turns kids like myself into fighters, gang members, murderers, and leaves permanent scars on everyone living there...literally." said Mark.

"But the one thing that I made in Rivergreen that I truly enjoy is a family. They might not have my blood, be my race, my religion, or from where I'm from, but we developed the kind of bond that you see with soldiers fighting along side one another in the trenches." said Mark with a smile on his face.

"They're my lifelong friends and I don't even call them friends I call them brothers, sisters, aunties, and uncles because anybody who's willing to stand beside you for better or worse is more family to you than your blood relatives." said Mark earning a smile from a few of the students before he looked into the back of the crowd and saw a few familiar faces standing in the back of the gym where he noticed Lee, Mercy, Trip, Zach, Buck, Reid, and Detective Harper standing in the back of the gym with their arms folded across their chest each wearing their black jackets with Dragons and Skulls on back, the chain wallets, black jeans, and black and white shoes with smiles on their faces as they eyed Mark as Ms. Summers approached the group

"Can I help you?" asked Ms. Summer with her usual smile.

"Sorry to interrupt my names is Detective Harper I'm here to pick up Marcus and this one." said Ms. Summers as she looked back at a smiling Buck.

"Okay, we just need you to fill out the paperwork in the office." said Ms. Summers as Detective Harper nodded her head and began to make her way out of the gym and towards the office while Ms. Summers took a look at Mark before nodding her head.

"Well everyone it appears I've been checked out if anybody wants to talk more about this let me know and not just about myself I want to break down my walls and get to know everyone here so if you're willing to talk I'm willing to listen thank you." said Mark earning a round of applause from the students as they watched him walk off the stage before making his way to the back of the gym where they noticed Buck along with five other well muscled large teens with tattoos that somewhat resembled Mark's.

"What are you all doing here?" asked Mark.

"Catching your speech." said Mercy with a smile on his face as Lee handed Mark his sports bag.

"Suit up brother we gotta get to Tacoma and fast." said Lee as Mark looked at the group with wide eyes before making their way out of the gym as the students watched the group with curious eyes.

Time seemed to be going around rather slowly for Detective Harper after she watched the school buses leave for the day while leaning against her car watching the exit of the school while a few students remained sitting outside the school with mixed looks on their faces.

"Where the hell are these boys?" asked Detective Harper as she closed her eyes before quickly opening them and watching as Mark walked out of the school now dressed in a white t-shirt underneath his black jacket with the skull and dragon on the back, a pair of black jeans, his chain wallet, a black hat with the letter R on it, and out of sight from the kids was his combat knife in a black sheath hidden in his pants as a few students watched him walk out with Lee and the Brothers behind him.

"Bye Mark." said one girl as Mark gave the girl a smile and nod while walking.

"See you tomorrow." replied Mark as he continued to give goodbyes to a few students Mercy, Trip, Zach, and Reid looked on with smiles on their faces while they followed behind the Rivergreen leader.

"Dude you tell your fucked up story and you're instantly loved we tell our story we get our asses kicked what's up with that?" asked Reid.

"That's because he goes to a school outside of Rivergreen like me and Link and once we told our story it was like we were celebrities." said Zach as Mark started to chuckle before approaching Detective Harper.

"So what are we doing?" asked Mark.

"You boys are going to Tacoma to handle your problems while I keep Quin off you guys." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"Thank you for giving us some breathing room." said Mark as he eyed Harper with a smile.

"Just take care of it before it get's worse." said Detective Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"Consider it done." said Mark as he climbed into the van with Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, Buck, and Zach in tow before the van drove away from the school.

"So what's going on in Tacoma Brother?" asked Mark as he eyed Zach who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"The Undertakers." said Zach as Mark gave the teen a confused look.

"The Undertakers are Pierce Counties version of the 2nd Order. The gang is mostly made up of drug addicts, dealers, and gang drop outs who just want to make a quick buck from the marijuana business like Reid. The downside to that is Marijuana is now legal for recreational use here in Washington so that cuts down a bit of their profits and because of the rules the gang has it prevents them from trafficking marijuana out of state." thought Mark.

"What about them?" asked Mark.

"Money got to them and they're turning on each other." said Zach as Mark gave the teen a confused look.

"They mostly bought their weed from the store and ran a racket similar to ordering pizza. You give them a call, order your weed, they come to your house to drop it off, and collect their money." said Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"With weed not bringing in as much money as it used to they've found another method to make money." said Zach.

"What's the method?" asked Mark.

"The dealers have setup a meth lab and in order to cover their tracks their selling meth to the addicts, who aren't ratting them out as long as they can get a good fix." said Zach as Mark eyed the blonde haired teen.

"Reid you knew anything about this?" asked Mark.

"No, we don't get down with the Undertakers like that but they've got a point on the weed business which is why we buy ours north of the border because you can't get it in any store." replied Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"You guys know who's operating the lab?" asked Mark.

"We have a guesses but we don't have any proof not yet anyway." said Zach.

"And how are you going to get proof?" asked Mark as Zach started to chuckle.

"That's where you guys come in." Zach as Mark noticed the smile spreading across the faces of both Mercy and Reid.

One Hour Later

The drive to the city of Tacoma wasn't long for the Brothers as Zach drove the van off the freeway and entered the cities downtown before parking in front of a chain link fence taller than most men as the Rivergreen Brothers watched as two men wearing black jackets with a skull and dragon on the back, blue jean pants, and black sunglasses opened the fence and allowed Zach to pull the van inside the fence while the two men quickly closed the fence.

"This is nice." said Lee as the group made their way out of the van and noticed that they were on a rundown tow yard/auto shop.

"Yeah, our uncle didn't like us having our meetings at the house so we found this tow yard to do business." said Zach as Trip started to chuckle.

"Really have you heard about our club?" asked Trip as Zach nodded his head.

"Yeah we have you lucky bastards." said Zach as he folded his arms across his chest while the two teens that opened the fence approached the group.

"Guys you remember Duke and Luke the twins?" asked Zach as the North Valley teens eyed the two Caucasian teens with short brown hair.

"Yeah, it's good to see you two again." said Mark as both he and Lee extended their hands to shake the two teens hands.

"Likewise." said Duke.

"Heard so much about you guys glad to meet you in person." said Luke as Mark nodded his head.

"So where's Link?" asked Mark.

"We'll take you to him." Luke as he led the group inside the office of the autoshop where they noticed an African American teen with a mohawk wearing a black jacket with blue jeans and a knife in a brown sheath on his right hip.

"Glad to see you're back brother." said the teen as Zach nodded his head.

"Guys this is Jude one of our enforcers, Jude this is Marcus Smith and the Rivergreen Crew." said Zach as the teen eyed the group.

"Nice to meet you all." said Jude with a smile as the group nodded their heads.

"Link in there?" asked Zach as Jude nodded his head.

"Yeah him, Davey, and Eddy they're still trying to get him to talk." said Jude.

"Well they can stop now that these guys are here." said Zach as Jude nodded his head before stepping aside and allowing the group to enter the garage where they noticed Link, Davey, and Eddy standing around a young adult tied to a chair with a jump rope.

"Marcus it's good to see you." said Link as Mark nodded his head at the teen while looking at the man in the chair.

"Who is this guy?" asked Lee as he eyed the teen.

"This is Trent a member of the Undertakers and the guy we found the meth on." said Davey as Mark eyed the man.

"Let me guess you want us to get him to tell you where he got it from?" asked Reid as Link nodded his head.

"So far we can't get him to say anything." said Eddy as Mark nodded his head.

"Lee, Trip, Buck with me and Link." said Mark causing mixed looks from the teen as the group made their way back inside of the office leaving Trent with Reid, Mercy, Zach, Davey, and Eddy who were eyeing the man like he was a piece of meat.

"How old is he?" asked Mark.

"Like twenty two I think." said Link.

"Any family?" asked Lee.

"I think he still lives with his mom why?" asked Link.

"That takes killing him out of the equation." said Mark with a chuckle.

"I didn't call you here to kill these guys brother just shut them down." said Link as Mark gave Link a confused look.

"Brother what these guys are doing is killing their family they deserve to die and you have to be more than willing to kill them or else they see you as a weak leader." said Mark as Link looked away from the teen.

"We'll get him to talk but the ring leader has die brother to set an example." said Mark as he placed his hand on Link's shoulder.

"You're a leader like me Link but unlike me you're not a killer and I'm not asking or demanding that you become one." said Mark as he turned to Lee and the others.

"Buck you stay here with Link." said Mark earning a confused look from Buck.

"But I want to watch." said Buck as Trip patted his shoulder.

"Trust me brother you don't want to see this." said Trip as he turned to Mark and Lee.

"We gonna water board him?" asked Trip with a smile on his face as Mark started to chuckle.

"Maybe!" said Mark as he walked back into the garage with Lee and Trip in tow as the trio quickly approached the seated Trent who was looking back and forth as Mark approached the man before kneeling down.

"Quite a predicament you are in my friend." said Mark as Trent gave the North Valley teen an angry look.

"I respect that you're not talking about your friends, I'd do the same but you have realize we didn't form the Undertakers for the dealers to sell drugs to the addicts because it ain't right." said Mark with a smile on his face.

"So here's how things are gonna go down. I'm gonna take this sock out of your mouth and you're going to tell me where they're cooking their dope and who's doing the cooking and if you do that I won't hold you accountable for their actions and you can stay in the Undertakers. If you refuse I'm going to strip you of your rank and I'm going to watch you hurt." said Mark as he pulled the sock out of Trent's mouth.

"Go fuck yourself." yelled Trent as he started to breath rapidly while Mark rose to his feet.

"Reid did you bring it?" asked Mark as the teen nodded his head.

"Damn right!" said Reid as he reached into his back pocket before pulling out a bag of a crystallized white substance.

"You know since you like meth so much I thought we'd be nice to bring you some of our own courtesy of Reid himself." said Mark as he turned to Reid.

"I call it Chewy, because after you take it you're gonna become really really hungry and then we're gonna lock you in a cage and you know what's gonna happen?" asked Reid with a chuckle.

"You're gonna start thinking about how delicious your arms look and then you're gonna take a big bite out of your arm and keep eating it down to the bone, then you'll move to your other arm, and if you can put your toe to your mouth you'll eat your foot and you'll continue to eat yourself and you'll feel the pain the entire time." said Reid with an evil chuckle and a smile.

"But you won't stop yourself." said Mercy as Zach approached Trent from behind before wrapping his hand around the man's throat and forcing his head upward.

"Open your mouth." yelled Zach as Reid started to place the drugs in the man's mouth causing him to panic and try his best to spit them out before Zach let him go and watched the drugs fly out of the man's mouth.

"You guys are psychopaths." said Trent as he coughed violently.

"Where is the lab?" yelled Mark as Zach grabbed the teens neck again.

"I'll talk I'll talk!" yelled Trent as Zach let go of the man's neck.

"Charles he gave us the idea." said Trent as a smile spread across the face of Mark.

"And where does he do his cooking?" asked Mark.

"An RV in the back of his house and he packages it in his basement." said Trent as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright thank you for your help." said Mark as Zach reached down into Trent's shirt before pulling off the man's dog tags.

"I thought you said I could stay." said Trent.

"I lied but we will let you walk away." said Mark as he turned to Mercy, Trip, and Reid.

"See him out me and Lee are going with the Tacoma boys to solve this problem." said Mark as he cracked his knuckles earning nods from the group who watched him leave out of the garage before turning to look at the somewhat panicking Trent.

Two Hours Later

The evening sun was quickly beginning to set over the port city as Link stopped his car in front of a white house with Mark stopping the van behind him as the group quickly stepped out of the vehicles with Zach, Davey, Eddy, Lee, and Jude in tow as the group made their way towards the back of the house where they noticed a white RV.

"Force the door open." said Mark as Davey and Eddy stood by the door before Jude took a few steps back before taking a running kick towards the door and knocking it open.

"Knock knock!" yelled Davey and Eddy as they entered the RV and noticed six people looking at him with mixed looks.

"Get out everybody out!" yelled Eddy as he pointed his Shotgun at the men before watching as they stepped out of the RV where Zach pulled the men downed to the ground.

"Any of these assholes our guy?" asked Mark as Link shook his head.

"No but they're all dealers." said Link as Mark looked towards the house.

"Watch them we're going to check the house." said Mark as he, Lee, Link, and Zach made their way to the back door before kicking it down and entering the home where they noticed a man sitting on the couch that eyed the group with anger in his heart.

"What the fuck are you doing?" asked the man as Mark, Lee, Link, and Zach stood before him.

"Us breaking up your little drug operation." said Zach as Mark and Lee took a few steps back in order to let the Tacoma leaders do the talking.

"Hey you said we could deal." replied Charles.

"We didn't say you could cook meth and sell it to your brothers." said Link as he stood over Zach.

"Them fucking addicts ain't my brothers they just a source of income." he said while looking at Mark and Lee before turning his gaze to Link where he started to chuckle.

"You had to bring your friend to do your dirty work for you Link can't do your shit yourself?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Shut it!" said Zach.

"No, I need to say this because everyone's thinking it. Link you are the worst leader ever, you're too nice to be a leader and can never make the hard decisions." he stated while Link looked to the ground.

"Where most guys are willing to spill blood for their family you can't do shit just look, you had to call guys all the way from Rivergreen to do your shit for you." Charles yelled.

"I've heard enough." said Zach as Mark started to reach for his gun.

"You are fucking pathetic-!" he started before the sound of a gunshot rang out as the group noticed a bullet hole in the forehead of Charles they turned their heads and noticed Link holding his pistol in his hands with anger in his eyes.

"Easy brother." said Lee as he watched Link lower his gun.

"We should get going." said Mark as he went to put his arm on Link's shoulder he was stopped as Link walked outside the house and into the backyard where he noticed Davey and Eddy standing over the six men as Link pointed his gun to the side of one man's head.

"Link easy brother just calm down and breath." said Mark as he watched the anger in Link's eyes begin to fade before the blonde haired teen began to lower his gun.

"It's alright!" said Mark as he took Link's gun away from him as he eyed the group.

"Anybody else think he's a bad leader because if you do you should go see your boss." said Zach as he eyed the teens.

"From this moment on none of you are apart of the Undertakers and if we see any of you selling in our territory you're gonna be in the same hole as him." said Link as he looked at the group with anger in his eyes before turning his head to Jude who was walking over to the group with a red gas can in his hands.

"Light it up!" said Link as he watched Jude open the canister before tossing it into the shed while Davey and Eddy were lighting a piece of paper with a lighter as Mark and Lee made their way back outside while dragging the body of Charles with them and tossing him into the shed as Davey and Eddy threw the paper near the gas can causing a fire to ignite.

"Let's go." said Link as he began to walk to the front of the house with the Tacoma and Rivergreen Brothers in tow as they each flipped off the six kids before making their way back to their car before driving away away from the home as the group made their back to the tow yard where Mercy, Trip, Reid, Buck Luke, and Duke stood waiting for them.

"Let's go boys." said Mark as the Rivergreen boys made their way inside the van as Link and Zach approached the drivers side of the car.

"Thanks for the help." said Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"Anytime brother." said Mark as he turned to Link.

"Brother I know it's stinging right now but it'll get better and if you need to talk I'm always here." said Mark as Link eyed the teen with a smile before nodding his head.

"Thanks brother." said Link as Lee drove the van away from the tow yard.

"What was that about?" asked Mercy as Mark started to chuckle.

"Link's taken his first head." said Mark as the eyes of Trip, Reid, and Mercy widened.

"Man I didn't think pretty boy had that in him." replied Reid as Mark turned his gaze outside of the van.

"Another murderer is added to the list of names that make up this family of the Brother who should all belong Death Row." thought Mark as he continued to gaze outside the window.

"Serial Killers, Murderers, Hit Men, and soon to be, are the kids make up this family. All of us are bound by the blood we spill for another but aside from that I can say truthfully that there is a sense of brotherhood in this group but also a sense of enjoyment and addiction in this violent life." thought Mark.

"The enjoyment of feeling like a rebel outside of the law or renegade that's hiding behind the guise of a normal high school student and to make it worse I feed my addiction and even when someone must be killed I'm only the one riding shotgun for the evil endeavor." thought Mark as Lee drove the van towards the lake house

"And to keep it real I like it but at the same time I'm questioning it." thought Mark.

17: Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Alliance in Rivergreen

The Mass Murder at the Docks

The Next Day

Things were going slow for Mark as he sat in his last class of the day with an angry scowl spread across his face while time went by.

"Most kids are ecstatic about Friday's because they have the weekend to look forward to, while me I'm gonna be spending my weekend hunting." thought Mark as he gritted his teeth in anger.

"Last night two of my soldiers were attacked outside of a store in North Valley and nobodies talking but I don't really need them to." he continued while his foot began to tap the ground repeatedly in his frustration.

"They both were beaten so bad that they had to be taken to hospital for serious injuries and I'm already dealing with the fallout from it." continued Mark as his foot continued to hit the tiled floor.

"Usually when shit like this happens I learn who the true members of this family are, Brothers like myself, Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Calvin are quick to grab their weapons and go out hunting, others will feel angry but won't don't anything, and a few will be spooked to the point where they want to leave this family and I'm already receiving the fallout as three people two of whom Probates are deciding to walk away from us and I already see that more are on the way." he thought but before he continue he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder causing him to look away hoping to see the familiar face of Maya but was taken off guard by a new one.

"You okay?" asked a caramel skinned girl with short brown hair that flowed to the center of her back and piercing brown eyes in a soft almost innocent voice as a smile spread across Mark's face.

"Yeah, just anxious to get out of here." replied Mark with a smile earning one from the girl as she nodded her head.

"Another thing I have to worry about is that after yesterday's speech everyone in this hell hole either wants to be my friend or look at me with pity or sorrow in their eyes. I liked this shit better when nobody knew who I was or were afraid to look at me." thought Mark as the school bell rang dismissing the students from their classes as Mark quickly rose from his desk and made his way towards his locker with Daryl, Jordan, and Maya in tow.

"Hey Mark you okay?" asked Daryl.

"Including my friends who now look at me like a trophy." thought Mark.

"Yeah, I'm fine just got a lot going on this weekend." he replied while eyeing the duo as Maya gave him a nonchalant look already knowing what's going on in Rivergreen.

"Dude you know your name was trending almost all night?" asked Jordan.

"No I'm not into the whole social media thing." said Mark.

"Well you better look it up there was a lot of talk about you." said Daryl as he showed Mark his phone.

"Hashtag HEART4Marcus bunched together in big bold letters" said Mark as he eyed the nodding teen.

"I've always thought he was cute but a little weird now I can't stop thinking about him, I always was kinda afraid of Marcus because he looks like he would kill me but now I know better, I've always had sort of a crush on Mark but was to afraid to talk to him now I just want to hold him in my arms." said Mark as he eyed the group with a chuckling smile.

"Dude if I were you I would have been said something sooner." said Daryl with a chuckle.

"Yeah, kinda don't like telling story main reason why I didn't tell you guys anything." said Mark as Jordan started to chuckle.

"You told Maya." said Jordan.

"Maya grew up on the same street as me and she's just as dangerous." said Mark with a chuckle as Maya slapped his shoulder.

"You see the females from Rivergreen are more dangerous than the dude." said Mark earning chuckles from the two boys while Maya looked away from the teen and turned to Buck.

"Uh Marcus!" came a somewhat familiar voice as Mark turned his head and noticed the caramel colored skin girl from before standing behind him as Mark noticed that the girl stood just a few inches taller than him and was probably about five foot four in height with a nice figure.

"Hey...Aurora am I right?" asked Mark earning a nod from the girl

"Yeah I just wanted to see how you were doing after you zoned out last period." said Aurora as Mark nodded his head with a smile.

"I'm alright I just got a lot on my mind." said Mark earning a smile from the girl.

"Want to talk about it?" asked Aurora as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, I need to get going but I'd happy to tell you about it Monday." said Mark earning a smile from the girl.

"I got a better idea how about you tell me about it later tonight." replied Aurora as she reached into her pocket before pulling out a paper with a number on it handing it to Mark.

"Thanks I'll be sure to give you a call." said Mark earning a nod from Aurora.

"I'll see you later." said Aurora as she walked away from Mark with a smile as the North Valley teen felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head to a smiling Daryl and Jordan.

"Dude do you know who that is?" asked Daryl.

"Aurora Hamilton she took homeroom with us last year." replied Mark.

"Yeah, and she's also one of the hottest girls here." said Daryl as Jordan nodded his head.

"That girl is worth a kick in the nuts and then she likes you so that's better." said Jordan as Mark rolled his eyes.

"She doesn't like me she just feels sorry for me." said Mark as Maya started to chuckle.

"Actually that girls liked you since tenth grade year along with a few other girls, you like most boys just never noticed." replied Maya as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Whatever!" said Mark as he took a few steps away from the group and noticed Buck approaching him.

"Where's the fire buddy?" asked Mark.

"I want to go with you." said Buck earning a surprised look from Mark.

"Go with me where?" asked Mark.

"Rivergreen I know what happened last night and I know you're going after the guys who did it and I want to be with you when you're there." said Buck as Mark nodded his head before putting his hand on the teens shoulder.

"I am so proud right now but at the exact same time I'm sorta feeling like a big brother today." thought Mark as he eyed Buck.

"I'm proud you're stepping up but you got to sit this one out besides I ain't going looking for a fight today but tomorrow I'll be sure to invite you." said Mark as Buck lowered his head.

"Now get to class before you're late." replied Mark as Buck nodded his head before walking away from the group as Maya stood beside Mark.

"He wants to fight?" asked Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, but he ain't ready for what I have planned." said Mark earning a confused look from Maya.

"Murder!" said Maya.

"I don't know yet depends on how I feel later." replied Mark.

"And we all know how that is gonna be." said Maya as she and Mark began to make their way out of the school just as Mark's cellphone started to ring.

"Lee what's going on?" asked Mark.

"We have another problem to deal with." replied Lee.

Rivergreen High School

As Lee was talking on the phone with the North Valley leader he stood beside Mercy and Trip as the group stood beside Mercy's truck in the student parking while watching as Rondell and five members of the Royals were fighting five members of the Hispanic gang Los Problemas.

"This is gonna hit the streets hard brother." said Lee as he continued to watch the brawl.

"Alright, meet me at the Sheriff's department I'm gonna have a little word with Detective Asshole." replied Mark as Lee hung up his phone.

"Are we going to do something about this?" asked Trip as he wiped his nose.

"Nah, but I have a feeling we're gonna have a meeting with Curtis later today." said Mercy as the trio hopped into his truck as the two sides started to be broken up by the teachers.

King County Sheriff Department

The day was going rather slowly for Sheriff Quin as he sat in his office doing paperwork just as Detective Harper entered the room.

"You send for me sir?" asked Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Yes can you have a seat." said Sheriff Quin as Harper took a seat across from the man.

"What do you know about those two kids who were attacked late last night in North Valley?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"It seemed like an interesting case but Amsel doesn't want to pursue it, said it wasn't worth looking into." said Harper as Quin gritted his teeth.

"I had a feeling he just doesn't realize this is more serious than it seems.' said Quin as Harper gave the man a confused look.

"The two kids that were attacked were members of the Brothers." said Sheriff Quin bring a not so shocked look to the face of Harper.

"Jesus, what's Mark gonna do?" asked Harper.

"I got a call from him a few minutes ago, he's on his way to see how things are being handled here and if they aren't being handled to his liking he's gonna go after who did it." said Sheriff Quin as Harper gave the man a worried look.

"You mean he'll kill them?" asked Detective Harper.

"Depends Marcus is very unpredictable, but usually when a member of the brothers get hurt or killed Marcus performs a swift but bloody retaliation against whoever hurt his guys." replied Quin.

"So you want me to keep a close eye on him this weekend?" asked Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Yes, but it wouldn't matter those boys can find a way to slip a cop almost like they can walk through walls especially in North Valley. They used to hop the fence into that cut that runs behind their houses and could move throughout the neighborhood without being seen using the alleys, rumors say those boys even have the entire sewer system in North Valley mapped out." said Sheriff Quin as Harper continued to eye the man.

"Those kids aren't like average teenagers they know their way around town better than a lot of us do." said Sheriff Quin just as the duo watched as the front door opened and noticed Mark forcing his way inside before entering Quin's office.

"Sheriff!" said Marcus as he eyed Detective Harper sitting in the chair across from the Sheriff.

"Marcus." said Quin as he eyed Mark.

"Have you found out anything on who attacked my guys?" asked Mark as Quin shook his head.

"We got a couple of names and we're going to bring some guys in for questioning later but as of right now unless your guys wake up and start talking we got nothing to formally arrest them on." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright let me know what you get." said Mark as Quin eyed the teen.

"And Marcus you're still being watched so don't go kicking down any doors." said Quin as Mark started to chuckle.

"Who said anything about kicking down door?" he asked.

"Come on Marcus, we both know you're out for blood and I think we can find a better solution than revenge." said Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright, I'll go check the hospital if they wake up I'll get names and pass them on to you, scouts honor." said Mark.

"You were never a scout Marcus and I mean it. I don't want to hear anything about someone being hurt or killed this weekend in Rivergreen." said Quin as Mark started to chuckle.

"Might be a little more difficult than you think sir." said Mark bringing confused looks to both Quin and Harper's faces.

"There was a gang fight today at Rivergreen High two in fact, the first happened in the morning between members of the Familia and a Centralas and the last one was a few hours ago between the Royals and the Problemas." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"The Problemas but they're a Familia faction aren't they?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"I think they switched over to the Centralas and they're using the other guys as puppets to do their fighting for them while the Centralas fully establish themselves on the streets." said Mark while Quin grabbed the center of his nose.

"This could be a problem especially since the Problemas have what over a sixty members?" asked Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Sixty yes but they're spread out over King County and I think they only have about what twenty or so guys in Rivergreen." said Mark.

"Damn this is something we don't need." said Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"I've got a sitdown after I leave here with Curtis and I have a feeling he's gonna be out for blood and you know the Royals invented the phrase overkill by firearm." said Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"I'll see if I can try to convince them to hold off on going after these guys but I can't make any promises." said Mark earning a nod from Quin.

"Alright call me and let me know how that goes,." said Quin as Mark rose from his chair.

"And Mark be sure you aren't followed to that meeting and when it's done get your ass back to that lake house it isn't safe for you." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Yes sir but I liked to know when are you gonna take a break from this my head isn't the only one on the chopping block and I'd feel better knowing your safe." said Mark.

"Don't worry about me worry about Marcus now go." replied Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head before turning to look at Detective Harper and patting the woman on the shoulder and looking at her with a smile on his face.

"Be safe." said Mark as he walked over towards the door where he noticed Detective Amsel watching him with intent eyes.

"That asshole right there can get raped by a dude in drag for all I care." said Mark with a chuckle.

"Out Marcus." said Quin as the chuckling Mark made his way out of the office before moving past Amsel.

"At least he's in a somewhat good mood." said Quin as he took a deep breath.

"You think he can really get the Royals to stand down?" asked Detective Harper.

"No, but he'll make sure no one innocent gets hurt and that whatever happens is done quietly and preferably outside of Rivergreen." said Quin as Harper nodded her head.

"I got a question in my time with Mark, I've met well over twenty members of the Brothers from Rivergreen as well as members of 2nd Order and I got to say these guys aren't the vicious dangerous gang you made them out to be." said Detective Harper as Quin started to chuckle.

"That's because they're not a gang. Gangs are criminal organization that band together for the purpose of carring out illegal acts in the name of a person, territory, or the organization itself for profit. The Brothers are a group of friends who banded together to survive in a hostile environment and the crimes they commit may be violent but it's in the defense of their members or people in their community and as members moved out of Rivergreen they made new friends, introduced them to their old friends, and brought them into the family." said Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper gave the man a confused look.

"And as a whole majority of the Brothers aren't violent, they may have chapters spread out across Washington and have over two hundred members in two counties alone but only a few of those members are actually violent." said Sheriff Quin as he reached into his desk before pulling out a file that showed the pictures of the Brothers in North Valley.

"To prove that the Brothers have over twenty made guys here in North Valley but only about nine of them are willing to fight and that's including the the 2nd Order. The others are kind there just along for the ride, they want to be called bad boys, and they want to get involved with the older guys in the neighborhood but many of whom are afraid to fight or are just feeding on the acts of another, but if something happens they have no choice but to fight." said Sheriff Quin as he circled the pictures of a few teens as Harper noticed he circled the pictures of Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Calvin, Eric, Tyler, Reid, and Clyde.

"So they really aren't as dangerous as we thought?" asked Detective Harper.

"Oh don't think just because a few of them are willing to fight doesn't make them completely dangerous. Some of them might not be willing to go out and fight or kill but they'll jump in if they're rallied and Mark does that better than a General in the military. Plus a lot of them might not have the weaponry or the funding like some of the other gangs but they have the intelligence to know that killing ten no named people is still better than losing that person that oversees everything." said Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper nodded her head.

Elsewhere

The sun was still shining brightly over the town of Rivergreen as Mark stepped out of the van with Reid and Clyde in tow as Mercy pulled his truck up alongside the vehicle before stepping out with Lee and Trip in tow as the two groups of the three made their way towards a familiar black car and noticed Curtis sitting on the hood of the vehicle with three other men.

"Curt!" said Mark as he shook hands with the man.

"Mark!" replied Curtis as he broke the handshake.

"Heard you and your friends took a hit today." said Mark as Curtis nodded his head.

"Yeah, Rondell say one of them ese bitches jacked one of his guys of they weed and when they confronted them about it they fought." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head.

"Sounds hectic but not worth spilling blood over." replied Mark as Curtis started to chuckle.

"To you maybe but these dudes really pissing off a lot of my guys and they getting bold by coming into our hood and you know how well a dead body on the sidewalk talks." said Curtis as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah I know but we don't need the noise with all these feds in town and if the media get's involved shit gets worse." said Mark as Curtis nodded his head but before the Royal leader could speak the group were interrupted by a car entering the alley they were on approaching the group.

"You expecting somebody?" asked Curtis as Mark shook his head the car finally stopped in front of the group as the Brother and Royal members prepared themselves for anything but the groups soon dropped their guards as they watched two familiar Hispanic men step out the car.

"Tio, beginning to think you were dead." said Mark as Tio smiled at the teen.

"Gonna take a lot more than these assholes to kill me." said Tio as Curtis eyed the man with anger in his heart.

"Well why are you here?" asked Curtis.

"I'm here looking for allies to help me with my job tomorrow." said Tio earning confused looks from both Rivergreen and Royal members as they eyed him.

"Tomorrow there's gonna be a boat coming into a private dock in Longview from California and that boats gonna be filled with enough Cocaine to supply all the gangs here in Rivergreen that switched over to the Centralas and then some. I plan on stealing the drugs but I don't have enough men to pull this job off. said Tio as Curtis and Mark nodded his head.

"So you need our help?" asked Curtis as Tio nodded his head.

"Yes, and I'm willing to cut our find three ways if you decide to help me." said Tio as Mark eyed the man.

"I like gesture but we Brothers don't sell drugs and won't need them, and this is a big mission Tio we can't just go shooting up a dockyard." said Mark as Tio nodded his head.'

"Don't worry they've payed off the owners and the docks are gonna be closed off so nobodies gonna be around for miles." said Tio as Mark nodded his head.

"Still, where did you get this information from?" asked Curtis.

'I got a man working for them feeding me information and tomorrows he's gonna be at the docks to open the gates for us." said Tio as he eyed Curtis.

"I also have a solution to both of your little Problemas." said Tio earning looks from both teens.

"Can you tell us why they targeted our guys?" asked Mark as Tio nodded his head.

"They Centralas have decided to make the Problemas their enforcers and are ordering them to do battle against you two." said Tio as Mark rubbed his chin.

"So what do you have in mind?" asked Reid as Tio started to chuckle.

"Members of the Problemas are going to be the ones picking up the drugs tomorrow and if we ambush them there we can kill two birds with one stone." said Tio as Mark and Curtis nodded their heads.

"So are you in?" asked Tio as Curtis eyed Mark.

"I'll have to talk with the man up stairs about this, but I'll get back to you before the end of the night." said Curtis as Tio nodded his head before turning to Mark who looked back at the smiling members of the Brothers.

"We're in but instead of taking the drugs how about you let me do the planning that way we hit them hard and smart." said Mark as Tio nodded his head.

"Alright we'll meet back here tomorrow morning before sun rise after that we'll make our way to Longview." said Tio as Mark nodded his head before watching as Tio made his way back to his car before driving away from the group.

"You really gonna help him?" asked Curtis as he eyed Mark.

"Yeah if it means slowing these guys down." said Mark as Curtis nodded his head.

"Good, because I have a feeling your brother is gonna have us do this job and I don't wanna be alone with him." said Curtis as Mark started to chuckle.

"When are you gonna forget that old shit?" asked Mark.

"Remember Marcus we can forgive but we can never forget." said Curtis as he made his way to his car.

"See you tomorrow." said Curtis as he drove away with the other Royal members as Mark eyed the Brothers.

"If we're gonna be in a shootout tomorrow we're gonna need a smart plan with the limited weapons we got." said Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'll get online to see if I can print out a map of the area so I can make a plan, lord knows these guys aren't." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Should we stick with you tonight?" asked Mercy as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, you guys go home and I'll pick you up in the van tomorrow morning so the feds think you're just sleeping in tomorrow when they roll by your house and see your truck parked in the front yard." said Mark earning a nod from Mercy.

"So what do you want me to do?" asked Reid.

"Clyde can handle a gun?" asked Mark as Reid nodded his head.

"Your forgetting Clyde's Ex-Army, so he can handle just about anything sober." replied Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"Then keep him sober and bring a gun." said Mark as Reid nodded his head before the group split up and went to their respective vehicles.

"See you tomorrow brothers." said Mark as he hoped into the front seat of the van Lee, Mercy, and Trip climbed into Mercy's truck while Reid and Clyde hopped into Reid' s car.

"Safe night." said Mercy as the group split up and went their separate ways Mark's cellphone started to ring from a familiar number

"Detective." answered the North Valley teen with a slight smile.

"How did the meeting go?" answered Detective Harper.

"Went better then expected, the Royals are gonna keep their guns in their pants but their making sure to keep their safeties off just in case." replied Mark.

"Alright are going back to the safe house now?" she asked with a hint of worry easily picked up by the youngest Roman.

"Yeah, I'm on my way now are you coming over tonight?" asked Mark with a seductive tone.

"No I can't make it I've got plans tonight." she replied as a surprised look spread across the face of Mark.

"Better not be with another dude." said Mark with anger in his tone.

"No I don't have plans with someone else, Jesus I didn't think you were the jealous type." replied Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"I'm not jealous I just don't like seeing you with other dudes." said Mark as Detective Harper started to chuckle.

"That's an almost textbook definition of the term." said Detective Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"I'll spend tomorrow night with you but no touching." added Detective Harper as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Whatever as long as I know you're safe with me." replied Mark earning a slight blush from the woman that was glad he couldn't see.

"I'll see you then." said Detective Harper.

"Be safe tonight." replied Mark as he hung up his phone Detective Harper took the phone from the side of her head before starting her car and driving away from the Sheriff;s Station, and making her way to a hotel on the other side of town where she knocked on the door of a room and watched it swing open as a familiar blonde haired man opened the door before looking at her with a smile on his face as he pulled her into the room.

"Been waiting for this all week." said Detective Amsel as he placed his lips against Detective Harper a smile spread across the face of the brown haired detective as she kissed him back while undoing the man's pants.

"You don't need to tell me twice." replied Detective Harper as Amsel unbuttoned the woman's shirt before quickly pulling it off as the duo continued to lock lips Amsel began to lay Harper down on the bed while moving his lips from hers and down to the woman's neck earning moans of pleasure from the woman all the while the two were "Busy" they failed to notice a familiar Sheriff parked outside of the hotel with his camera phone out as he sent a quick picture to a familiar number.

Mark

After arriving back at the lake house the youngest Roman now found himself sitting on the couch in the living room with his black sports bag resting on the table. After loading bullets into the magazines for his M1911 Pistol while his MP7 Submachine Gun and Glock rest on the table he then slid the magazine into the Pistol just as his cellphone started to vibrate. As he looked down and noticed a picture message along with an attachment.

"Interesting!" he read as he looked at the picture of a familiar brown haired detective lip locking a familiar blonde haired detective he felt a feeling of emptiness wash over him.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't see this coming." thought Mark as he eyed the picture.

"Martin warned me that in this world there is a fine line between right and wrong, good and evil, and justice and injustice but like a line in the sand these imaginary boundaries at times must washed away for a greater good or a stronger evil to do their work. Which makes me wonder is this woman using me or does she truly care?" he continued while resting his head on the side of his gun while closing his eyes.

"Still as a gang member, a serial killer, and the younger brother of a crime boss I know not to develop feeling." he continued.

"But it still HURTS!" he finished as he opened his eyes before pointing his gun at the wall and firing one shot that hit the wooden wall with enough force to splinter the wood and lodge the bullet in the wall while the smell of gunpowder and smoke filled his nose as he started to grit his teeth before setting the gun down on the table and taking a deep breath.

"I'm going to enjoy letting my anger out tomorrow." he stated with a sinister smile.

The Next Day

The sun was beginning to rise over much of Washington but the morning fog was thicker than ever as Mark parked his van in front of the first house leading to the Cul-De-Sac Lee, Mercy, and Trip came running from the back of the house and quickly climbed into the back of vehicle before Mark drove away from the neighborhood and passing by a familiar trailer park where they watched a familiar car pulling out of the trailer park and following after the van as the two vehicles made their way onto the freeway.

As hours began to go by and the morning fog began to clear Detective Harper found herself waking up in the arms of Detective Amsel. As she looked at the sleeping man with a smile on her face she then started nibbling down on his chest causing his to quickly awake with a scared expression on his face that soon faded away.

"Don't scare me like that Carla." he stated with a chuckle as Detective Harper quickly remembered a particular North Valley teen liked to be bit and scratched.

"Sorry I forgot how sensitive you were." she replied.

"A month without spending the night with each other will do that." said Amsel as he quickly rose from the bed and started to get dressed.

"You don't want to spent a little more time together?" Harper asked.

"I wish I could but we gotta get to the office I'm working on a case and I need to get in early." he said earning a confused look from Harper.

"What kind of case?" she asked while Amsel turned to her the woman.

"Nothing major like last time but I'm about to start focusing in on the Royals." said Amsel as a smile spread across his face.

"Have you found out anything about our favorite midget aside from the fact that he's not staying at his apartment, using a different cellphone, and why his cars been impounded?" asked Amsel.

"All this shit that's going down in Rivergreen has him spooked so he's been staying at a safe house and changed his vehicle." she replied earning a nod from Amsel.

"I don't think he's spooked I think the pricks the cause of this shit, all those murders last weekend were done fast and quick and who do we know excels at hit and run tactics in Rivergreen?" he asked while buttoning up his shirt.

"I don't know what goodness you see in that boy Carla but trust me when I tell you to watch yourself around him." he said after finishing with his shirt.

"Believe me I do." she replied with a chuckle before rising from the bed and walking over to Amsel then wrapping her arms around the man's neck and pressing her lips against his.

"Same time tonight?" he asked as a smile spread across the face of Harper.

"Of course!" she replied as the duo shared another kiss before Amsel walked out the house Harper felt an almost sinking feeling her stomach as she walked over to her phone and sent a text message to Mark's phone that wasn't instantly responded.

"He must still be asleep.' she said before making her way towards the bathroom.

One Hour Later

The traffic on the freeway was moving rather quickly on this Saturday morning as three cars filled with Hispanic men wearing the color yellow  drove down the middle lane of the road before turning off the freeway and making their way towards a dockyard surrounded by a tall chain link fence before stopping in front of a gate.

"Where's Joker, wasn't he supposed to be here?" asked the man sitting in the passenger seat while the driver nodded his head.

"Pricks probably asleep, go open the gate." said the driver as the man in the passenger seat quickly exited the car and began to undo the chains keeping the gates closed before opening it and allowing the cars to enter into the dockyard but as they tried to make their way to where the boats were they were blocked off by three cars speeding from out of nowhere and blocking their path.

"Shit it's an ambush go back." yelled the man in the last car as he tried to turn the vehicle around he was stopped as a black van and a car blocked off it's path Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, and Clyde rushed out of the vehicles with their guns in hand, while Curtis and five other members of the Royals climbed out of his truck, as Tio and his men climbed out of their car.

"Shit!" said one of the men as he tried to get out of the car with his gun in hand but was quickly cut down by a hail of gunfire that shredded the man before the Rivergreen gang members turned their guns to the windows of the cars and began to spray them with bullets easily killing all the men inside before each side heard the click of their guns after using up all their bullets.

"Wait here!" said Mark as he handed Lee his MP7 Submachine Gun before approaching the last car and seeing five bloody men inside with bullet wounds covering their heads, necks, and torsos. After looking over them he made his way to the middle car where he noticed the man in the passenger seat coughing up blood with two bullet holes in his chest with blood leaking out as Mark then drew his knife before cutting the man's throat and causing his blood to spill onto his lap before moving to the last car and seeing everyone inside dead as well.

"All clear!" said Mark as he gave a thumbs up to Curtis and Tio.

"Start loading up." said Tio as the members of the Royals and the Familia climbed onto a white boat with a red bottom before making their way down into the lower level of the boat where they noticed large bricks of drugs.

"You guys sure you don't want any of this?" asked Tio as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, we'll leave the drug dealing to the drug dealers but we gotta go cops are still parked in front our places." said Mark as Curtis walked up carrying a small brown bag and handing it over to Reid.

"For your trouble." said Curtis as Reid nodded his head.

"Well he might need it." replied Mark as Tio nodded his head.

"Not gonna stick around and help with the cleanup?" asked Curtis as Mark started to chuckle.

"We ain't being paid for it like y'all." said Lee with a chuckle earning one from the other Brothers members.

"We should do shit together like this again we're really good at it." said Mercy with a chuckle earning nods from the group.

Three Hours Later

After taking her shower and dressing herself for the day Detective Harper now found herself sitting at her desk at the Sheriff's Department looking over paperwork before she lifted her head and watched as Sheriff Quin entered his office causing her to rise from her desk and follow the man to his office.

"Sheriff!" stated Harper as she entered the office earning a smile from Quin as he eyed the woman.

"Detective, what's on your mind?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"I was wondering if you've heard from Marcus he hasn't been answering his phone all morning?" asked Detective Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Yeah, I talked to him earlier says he's gonna stay at the lake house all day and sounded sad and depressed." replied a surprised look from Sheriff Quin.

"Depressed!" repeated Harper.

"Yeah, he was talking like he wasn't in a good mood and in the background I hearing this sad Gothic music so you know he's feeling depressed today." said Sheriff Quin.

"Why's he depressed?" asked Detective Harper.

"Don't know he doesn't really get depressed unless someone has really hurt him and I don't mean like a friend has been killed I mean someone has really hurt him." said Sheriff Quin as Harper's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well than I'm gonna go check on him to see if he's alright." said Detective Harper earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Is he dangerous in this state?" asked Detective Harper as Quin shook his head.

"No, he's depressed but his rage is more like a silent fury that nobody could read." replied Sheriff Quin as Detective Harper walked out of the man's office before sending a message to Mark's phone that wasn't returned as Amsel noticed the fleeing woman.

"Where you going?" asked the blonde haired man as he started to walk beside her.

"I need to go check on someone." replied Detective Harper.

"What a coincidence I got an emergency at home and I might be gone for a few hours but I should be back a little later." said Detective Amsel as Harper nodded her head before making her way towards her car.

"We still on for tonight?" asked Detective Harper as Amsel nodded his head with a smile.

"Of course." replied Amsel as the duo both entered their separate cars before driving away from the Sheriff's Department with mixed looks on both of their faces.

Detective Harper

The drive to the lake house wasn't long for Harper as she noticed the gray van parked in front of the house she exited her car before making her way to the front door of the wooden home and opening the door as the sound of somber music soon filled her ears she came eye to eye with Marcus who was lying down on the couch with a blank expression on his face.

"You've been awake this whole time and you haven't been answering my calls?" asked Harper with a smile on her face that wasn't returned by Mark as he rolled over causing the woman to face his back.

"I never pictured you as the emotional type." said Detective Harper as she approached the silent North Valley teen.

"Mark what's bothering you?" asked Detective Harper as tried to look at Mark's face before turning her head to the coffee table and noticing Mark's cellphone as she picked up the device her eyes widened at the sight of a picture of her lip locking with a familiar blonde haired detective.

"You betrayed me." said Mark as Harper noticed that the teen hadn't moved from his spot.

"Mark this picture isn't what it looks like." said Harper.

"REALLY!" yelled Mark between chuckles as he rose from his seated position causing Harper to take a few steps back.

"So your tongue wasn't halfway down his throat yesterday?" asked Mark as Harper took a few steps back.

"Marcus!" said Harper.

"You know I started thinking last night and it finally dawned on my why a woman of your caliber would take an interest in someone like me, then it hit me like a rock...you're a cop and what do cops do, whatever it takes to see the bad guys behind bars even force their way into their hearts." said Mark as he looked away from Harper.

"What are you talking about Mark?" asked Harper as Mark gritted his teeth.

"Remember what Martin said and just say it even if you don't mean it." thought Mark as he eyed Detective Harper.

"I love you!" yelled Mark to the shock of Harper as she eyed the North Valley teen.

"You should feel lucky that's something I don't go around telling anybody." he said while the brown haired detective watched as Mark started to chuckle with a demented smile.

"But now I see that having feeling for you is nothing, because I'm nothing to you but a criminal who you'll do anything to see in handcuffs." said Mark as he eyed Harper.

"Marcus I do care about you and I' haven't told Amsel anything about you." replied Harper.

"Of course you haven't." said Mark as he looked away from Harper she watched the teen sit back down on the couch with his head to the floor.

"Marcus!" she started before he interrupted.

"Just leave detective." replied Mark to Harper's surprise.

"What?" she asked.

"From now on you are my handler and nothing more if you want information I'll give you information but nothing else." said Mark to Harper's surprise.

"Now get out I don't have anything for you today." finished Mark.

"But-!" started Harper as Mark banged his fist down on the coffee table causing it to shake violently and Harper to take a few steps back.

"If you won't leave I will!" yelled Mark as he rose from his chair before making his way into the kitchen with Harper following closely behind as she watched him grab a pair of keys.

"Where are you going?" she asked while watching Mark leave the kitchen before making his way into the clutter filled garage before moving around a few things and digging out an old dirt covered motorcycle before opening the garage

"Can you even ride that thing?" she asked while watching Mark climb onto the motorcycle before starting it up as the loud hum of the engine filled the small garage.

"We're about to find out." he replied as Harper went to say something she was stopped as Mark pressed down on the accelerator sending the motorcycle flying forward out of the garage as the woman noticed the North Valley teen leaving the house before getting on the main road as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Martin said to make it hard on her but he never told me that I'd feel a pain in myself as well." thought Mark as he continued to ride the motorcycle.

"I don't know if this is guilt for what I just did or my heart actually hurting from finding out about her." thought Mark as the wind blew across his face.

"Either way, this pain needs to fade away quickly before it becomes a problem for me." thought Mark as he continued to drive.

Longview

The evening sun was now shining bright over the Longview docks as Detective Amsel drove into the private docks where he noticed Cesar and six other members of the Centralas standing by an empty dock.

"Where the hells the boat?" asked Amsel.

"At the bottom of the ocean someone filled the thing with bullet holes after stealing all the drugs." replied Cesar to Amsel's anger.

"What where were the guards?" asked Amsel.

"In the boat they head more bullet holes in them then the boat." replied Cesar.

"So they were ambushed?" asked Amsel as Cesar nodded his head.

"So what happens now boss?" asked Cesar as Amsel gritted his teeth.

"We put the word out that if we don't get our drugs in forty eight hours Rivergreen will become a warzone." said Amsel as Cesar nodded his head before Amsel returned to his car but as the detective started to drive away he failed to notice Cesar looking at the ground and noticing a Chinese Symbol on the ground written in blood beside a crown like drawing with the letter R in the center and a skull with horns beside it as a sick smile spread across the face of Cesar.

18: Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Plans in Motion

Two Days Later

The last few days were somewhat uneventful for Marcus as he sat in his last class of the day remembering his heated argument with a familiar detective. Since then he could say that he'd hardly seen the woman who's been rather distant these last few days and to make things more harder for the Samoan teen was that he couldn't have any contact with anyone from North Valley with the GTF starting to keep their eyes on them. He was also earning the attention from more of his classmates who always seemed to be eyeing him even now as he sat beside Daryl, Jordan, and Maya he felt the sense that multiple eyes were locked on him.

"This shit is getting really annoying." thought Mark as he rubbed both of his eyes just as the P.A. System activated earning the attention of all the students.

"Could you please Marcus Smith to the front office." said the woman over the P.A. as Mark felt more eyes fall upon him.

"Mark make your way to the office." said the teacher as the youngest Roman nodded his head before quickly rising from his desk and almost rushing out of the classroom to escape the eyes of his fellow students.

"Jesus I liked this shit better when people avoided me." thought Mark as he entered the office before making his way into Ms. Summers room where he noticed the woman sitting behind her desk.

"You wanted to see me?" asked Mark as a smile spread across the face of Ms. Summers as she eyed the teen.

"Yes, have a seat." said Ms. Summers as Mark took a seat across from the woman.

"First, I wanted to thank you for going up last week and telling more about yourself to your classmate, I know that wasn't easy." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"Actually it's getting a little bit more easier." replied Mark.

"Really?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, I kinda don't like the after affect of people coming up to me and talking to me but it was pretty easy to speak up for myself and it made me feel good." said Mark as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"Would you like to do it again tomorrow?" asked Ms. Summers to Mark's shock.

"What?" asked Mark.

"A lot of your classmates loved your speech and with everything going on in Rivergreen right now I think they'd want to know more about you and the town." said Ms. Summers as Mark eyed the woman with a confused face.

"Please they want to know more and you can't deny your classmates." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"You're right I can't but I can't give them a broad picture of Rivergreen on my own." said Mark earning a confused look from Ms. Summers.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Instead of me going up to the stands and giving a speech on Rivergreen tomorrow, how about I bring a few of my friends from the neighborhood with me to give them a broader picture." replied Mark earning a more confused look from Ms. Summers.

"Are these guys members of the Brothers?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Yes but they're like me violent when they need to be, but other than that they're pretty mellow." replied Mark.

"Won't they be in school?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Rivergreen High Seniors get out thirty minutes before ours and if we're staying late again tomorrow they could be here before lunch." stated Mark as Ms. Summers eyed the ground.

"Do we have a deal?" asked Mark as Ms. Summers smiled at the teen.

"Alright you can have them here tomorrow but only five of them unless they attend this school." said Ms. Summers as a smile spread across the face of the North Valley teen.

"You won't regret this." replied Mark.

"I believe I will." stated Ms. Summers as she shook Mark's hand.

"Oh and Mark, Sheriff Quin called and said he needs you to meet him at the station after you leave here." added Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"Something I need to know?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, he's been using me and my brothers to dig up dirt on what's going on in Rivergreen." stated Mark earning a nod from Ms. Summers.

"Really can you tell me anything?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark started to chuckle.

"I can't tell you anything the news hasn't but I can tell you something the news can't." replied Mark earning a nod from Ms. Summers.

"Whether the media admits it or not there is a war going on in Rivergreen and it has the potential of spreading across the state." said Mark to the shock of Ms. Summers.

"Really how do you know that?" asked Ms. Summers.

"I can smell the gunpowder." replied Mark as Ms. Summers eyed the teen.

"Allow me to explain, you're familiar with the saying the call before storms. The same can be said for Rivergreen there's almost like this thickness in the air that comes from the tension being built almost like you can smell the gunpowder before a gun is even fired and as days go by the smell gets thicker and stronger until shots are fired or three guys are lying dead by the side of the road." stated Mark as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"Jesus!" replied Ms. Summers.

"That and I've killed already." thought Mark.

"Believe me when I tell you I ain't making this up, everybody has that feeling and those that can pick up on it the best know to follow the rules of Rivergreen." said Mark earning a confused look from Ms. Summers.

"What's the rules of Rivergreen?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark started to chuckle.

"You'll find out tomorrow." said Mark as he rose from his chair before eyeing Ms. Summers with a smile on his face.

"I believe the English term for this is a cliffhanger isn't it?" asked Mark as Ms. Summers started to chuckle.

"That it would be." said Ms. Summers as Mark made his way out of the woman's office just as the school bell rang out dismissing the students as Mark made his way towards his locker where he noticed Maya, Daryl, Jordan, and Buck standing by his locker.

"About time you got back." said Daryl as he handed Mark his backpack.

"What was that about?" asked Jordan.

"She wants me to do another speech tomorrow about Rivergreen." said Mark earning surprised looks from the group.

"Doesn't surprise me people did like hearing about you." said Jordan as Mark started to chuckle.

"Yeah, and it looks you guys get to finally meet my other friends tomorrow." stated Mark bringing confused looks to the faces of each teen.

"She gave me permission to bring five of my friends from Rivergreen here to give a broader picture." said Mark before he turned his gaze to Buck.

"I need you to be up there with me tomorrow Bucky." said Mark earning wide eyes from the young Prospect.

"You alright with that?" asked Mark earning a nod from Buck.

"Absolutely!" replied Buck earning a pat on the shoulder.

"Good now get to class." said Mark earning a nod from Buck as the teen walked away from the group while Mark turned his gaze to Maya.

"What about you?" asked Mark as Maya looked away from the North Valley teen.

"I don't know my time in Rivergreen isn't something I really like to remember." said Maya as she rubbed her arm.

"I know but you're gonna have to explain it sooner or later might as well get it over with now." replied Mark earning a nod from Maya.

"Alright but answer me this question who all are you bringing tomorrow?" asked Maya as Mark rubbed his chin.

"She said I could bring five friends from out of the school so I was thinking Lee, Mercy, Trip, Tina, and Reid." said Mark to the shock of Maya.

"Why Reid and Tina?" asked Maya.

"Reid the only one of us that's got bullet wounds and loves to tell the story of how he got them." said Mark.

"Yeah and scar people for life." said Maya as Mark started to chuckle as he turned his gaze to Daryl who was focusing on something behind Mark causing the youngest Roman to turn his head and come face to face with a familiar girl smiling at him.

"How was the principals office?" asked Aurora as Mark started to chuckle.

"Always full of surprises for me." said Mark with a smile as Aurora nodded her head.

"Hey I was wondering if maybe we could grab lunch together." stated Aurora bringing a confused look to the faces of each teen as they eyed the girl.

"Won't your boyfriend get upset." stated Mark as he eyed the girl.

"Sorry single." said Aurora as she moved closer to Mark until her mouth was inches from his ear.

"I broke up with him this morning." she said causing Mark to nod his head.

"Alright I'll see if I can move my schedule around." said Mark earning a nod and a smile from the girl.

"Thanks will you call me tonight?" asked Aurora as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah it might be a little later than normal but I'll call." said Mark earning a wider smile from the girl as she started to walk away from group.

"Well that was interesting." said Jordan as Daryl put his hand on Mark's shoulder.

"I still don't see how someone like that could possibly have a crush on you." stated Daryl.

"Yeah, I don't see it either." replied Mark as he and Daryl turned their gaze to the silent Maya.

"Ahh is Maya jealous her boyfriends getting attention from other girls?" asked Daryl.

"How many times do I have to tell you he's not my boyfriend?" asked Maya as Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Keep telling yourself that because you're the only one being fooled." said Jordan as Maya rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of which how did you get here today with no car?" asked Daryl as the group eyed a smiling Mark.

"My new ride come see." said Mark as the group of four made their way outside of the school where Mark led them to a freshly clean black motorcycle.

"Dude you can ride this?" asked Daryl.

"Technically I don't have a license for it but yeah I can ride it." said Mark as he climbed onto his motorcycle before starting it.

"You want a ride home?" asked Mark as he eyed Maya.

"Think I'll pass I like feeling safe and I don't get that on a motorcycle." said Maya as Mark nodded his head.

"Suit yourself!" said Mark as he put on his helmet.

"Catch you guys tomorrow." said Mark as he pressed down on the throttle of his motorcycle sending it rocketing forward as the trio watched Mark ride out of the school parking lot with mixed looks on their faces as a few students caught sight of Mark and continued to watch him leave.

King County Sheriff's Department

Things were going rather slowly at the Sheriff Department as Detective Harper sat silently at her desk doing paperwork with a somewhat sad look on her face while a familiar blonde haired officer approached the woman and eyed her with concern in his eyes.

"You alright?" asked Amsel as Harper nodded her head.

"Yeah I'm fine." replied Harper as she rubbed her eyes.

"Really you haven't been returning my calls and you never showed up to the hotel." said Amsel.

"Yeah, I just haven't been feeling to well as of late." she replied Harper as Amsel eyed the woman with wide eyes.

"Are you pregnant?" asked Amsel.

"No, I've just been a little under the weather." she said earning a nod from Amsel.

"Alright let me know if you need anything." said Amsel as he rested his hand on top of Harper's earning a smile from the woman as she locked eyes with him but that smile soon faded as she watched a familiar North Valley teen walk into the room causing her to quickly taker her hand away from Amsel to his shock as he looked at the woman and noticed her gaze going to the floor and causing him to turn his head and notice Mark while the youngest Roman walked past the two officers without giving them a glance as he made his way into Sheriff Quin's office.

"And there's the psychopath getting away with another crime." stated Amsel as Harper watched Mark take a seat across from Sheriff Quin as the duo began to talk.

"You called for me Sheriff?" asked Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"Yeah, I want to know what you know about a sunken boat filled with dead gang members in Longview?" asked Quin as Mark rubbed his chin.

"Haven't heard anything about it we don't have any brothers in Longview, why do you ask?" stated Mark.

"Coast Guard pulled up a boat earlier today filled with the bodies of gang members belonging to the Problemas here in Rivergreen each one filled with bullets and that pompous asshole out there can almost guarantee that members of the Brothers were there along with members of the Royals and Familia." said Sheriff Quin as Mark shook his head.

"Well I've been locked up at my safe house all weekend and the guys have been laying low, since him and that task force of his have been keeping their eyes on us a lot more than usual, but I'll do some digging." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"Any idea why someone would do that?" asked Mark.

"We think someone probably found out about the Problemas having a shipment of drugs coming into those private docks and stole them." said Sheriff Quin nodded his head.

"Sounds about right but if someone got their drugs we can guarantee it wasn't us, you guys can break down the doors of everyone and you won't find any drugs...maybe a few weapons but no drugs." said Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"Well you guys better start hiding those weapons A.S.A.P. the GTF's been trying to get a warrant all morning to hit the homes of every Brother in North Valley, your apartment in Seattle, and even that club you guys tend to hang out." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Be a waste of resources to come up empty handed but it will be worth a laugh or two when the DA get's on their heads about knocking down the doors of almost everyone in the neighborhood and coming up empty handed." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"It will be funny but remember Marcus if we want peace on the streets we need the GTF's assistant." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, I know but we've been coming up rather empty as of late since majority of the Centralas went into hiding." said Mark.

"Well I figure that won't be for long since their shipment was hit." said Sheriff Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"How's the mole hunt?" asked Mark as Quin gave a loud exhale.

"Not so good since I'm the only one looking into things. I can guarantee that all of my Sheriff's are clean, I'm still looking into the GTF and I gotta say there's a lot of drama in that group." said Quin as Mark raised his eyebrow.

"Well aside from your handler having an relationship with the blonde asshole, one of them is a complete drunk, one likes hookers, another is fancy to heroin, oh and this one can't leave the room." said Sheriff Quin with a chuckle as Mark nodded his head.

"One of the married ones like to dress up in woman's clothing like full on drag, wig, makeup, jewelry, even fingernails, and likes to go out and-!" started Quin before Mark interrupted.

"Okay I'm getting a mental picture and I don't like it, but you still haven't spotted our mole?" asked Mark as Quin shook his head.

"Not yet, they're doing a good job distancing himself from the Centralas but with that shipment being hit I don't think it'll be long before they stick their heads out." stated Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"I got a way of adding fuel to that fire." said Mark earning a confused look from Sheriff Quin.

"I got information yesterday about where the Centralas are running three of their stash houses. Drugs, guns, money, and possibly more information that could be a start and my guys have been sitting on the houses so they're legit." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin.

"So what are you and the Brothers gonna go cowboy again?" asked Quin as Mark started to chuckle.

"No, I'm gonna pass this information on to my handler if they hit it and the guys are there the moles not in the GTF, but if someone tips them off we'll know where our mole is." said Mark earning a nod from Quin.

"Smart play, you've got all this figured out don't you?" asked Quin as Mark shook his head.

"As of right now no, I'm just trying to stop this war from happening before the bullets start flying and the media grab attention." said Mark earning a nod from Quin.

"They're already scared this shit in Rivergreen could blowup into a gang war-!" started Quin.

"We won't let that happen, things have been to quiet to get bloody now." added Mark as Quin watched the teen rise from his chair.

"Well if you need me I'm gonna head over to the Cul-De-Sac for a meeting about tomorrow." said Mark earning a surprised look from Sheriff Quin.

"Something I need to know about?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Yeah, my principal wants to bring some of the guys to my school tomorrow to add an incite as to our Rivergreen experience." said Mark earning a nod from Sheriff Quin as he started to chuckle.

"Who you bringing?" asked Quin.

"Lee, Mercy, Trip, Tina, and Reid." said Mark as Quin shook his head.

"Good lineup but I think your group is gonna be a little graphic with their stories." said Quin.

"I'm aware, I'll tell them to hold off on real details to things don't want to scare my classmates." said Mark before he started to chuckle.

"Although maybe then they'll start back fearing me and leaving me alone." said Mark earning a confused look from Sheriff Quin.

"Leaving you alone." repeated Quin.

"Yeah, last week she made me to a little share time about myself. I told them about how I had no parents, grew up in Rivergreen with my grandmother, went to Juvie got out to discover my grandmother had passed, and a little bit about Rivergreen. Now everyone's looking at me with pity in their eyes and want to be my friend." said Mark as Quin started to chuckle.

"Things are different there Mark those kids don't have the mindset that kids from Rivergreen have, they can still have sympathy for people even someone like you." said Quin as Mark started to chuckle.

"Add another name to your list I'm gonna be there as well. If you guys are gonna be talking about how bad the town I have to be there to defend it." said Quin as Mark started to chuckle.

"Town's a bad place to settle down and have a family but if you survive your childhood you look back on it like someone who survived the jungles of Vietnam." said Mark as Quin eyed the teen.

"Don't put that in your speech thank you." said Quin as Mark started to chuckle.

"See you there and tell Aniyah I asked about her." said Mark as Sheriff Quin started to chuckle.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" asked Quin.

"Because if I have hear her talk about her new boyfriend again I'm gonna slit my wrist." said Mark as he walked out of Quin's office earning a chuckle from the Sheriff as Mark turned his head and noticed a familiar brown haired detective sitting at a desk with a solemn look on her face as he approached the woman who eyed him with a mixed look on her face before Mark reached into his back pocket before pulling out a white piece of paper and handing it to her.

"Addresses to three stash houses run by the Centralas one in Rivergreen, another in Seattle, and one more in Kirkland. Pass this to your higher ups and get on it." said Mark as Harper opened the paper and noticing an address written down on it.

"And you should get some sleep you aren't looking so well." added Mark as Detective Harper went to look up at the teen before noticing that he was making his way out the door as she began to pocket the paper while Amsel approached Marcus who eyed him with a smile on his face.

"Heard you been asking a lot of questions about me detective." stated Mark with a chuckle.

"Yeah, because you and I both know who was responsible for those bodies in that boat." said Amsel as Mark shook his head.

"Wrong the correct answer is neither of us know anything about who was responsible for those bodies and I don't know about you but me I kinda don't care, seeing as each of guys in that boat were violent gang members. This world will do just fine without them." stated Mark.

"Really is that what you see when people die the world being better off without them, you don't see a mother or father losing their son, or a son or daughter losing their father, or a wife losing her husband." started Detective Amsel.

"Nope, that's one of the rules of Rivergreen everyone is a target not a son, not a husband, not a father, or even mother or daughter just a target." said Mark as Amsel eyed the man.

"I see why people call you an unstable psychopath now Marcus, you're that and more." said Amsel as Mark nodded his head while chuckling.

"Yeah, feel lucky you're seeing the unstable psychopath now and not seeing the side of Marcus who lives up to that reputation." said Mark with a low growl before he licked his lips.

"Now if you'll excuse me I've got things to do." said Mark as he walked out of the police station while Amsel watched him leave with an angry look on his face as the North Valley teen hopped on his motorcycle before riding away from the station.

North Valley Cul-De-Sac

After arriving in Rivergreen Mark quickly made his way to his Cul-De-Sac where he noticed a familiar black car parked at the end of the street as he pulled the motorcycle up into Mercy's driveway where he noticed Reid's car parked outside as a smile spread across the faces of the youngest Roman as he approached the front door.

"Good I can tell them all at once." thought Mark as he knocked on the front door before Trip opened the door with a smile on his face.

"Mark, I knew you'd get out of your funk for food." said Trip as Mark started to chuckle.

"You know me so well brother." said Mark as Trip moved over and allowed him to enter his home where the duo made their way to the kitchen and noticed Mercy standing over the stove while Lee, Reid, and Tina sat at the table.

"Look who decided to join us today." said Trip as everyone turned to face Mark.

"I knew the lunatic wouldn't stay on the couch for long once he found out I was making stew and potatoes." said Mercy as Mark started to chuckle before taking his seat.

"Yeah but there's another reason I came here." said Mark as the group eyed him.

"Got another job?" asked Lee as Mark shook his head.

"Tomorrow I've got to do a speech about Rivergreen and my teacher wants me to bring five of my friends from the neighborhood to help so... I think you know where I'm going with this." stated Mark earning chuckles from the group.

"You want us to come to your school and tell our stories about our life in Rivergreen?" asked Reid as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, and Reid you can tell the story of how you were sent to Juvie and show your scars to people who will be interested." said Mark as Reid nodded his head and chuckled.

"I don't know I don't like telling people about me." said Mercy.

"Think about it Mercy a new school, over two hundred seniors, and over a hundred of them are females, that have never met you and trust me when I say the girls there love well muscled tattooed bad boys who can throw a punch." said Mark.

"Sold we'll be there." said Trip with a chuckle as Mark turned to Lee.

"If you come tomorrow Lee there's an entire pan of my aunts cornbread with your name on it." said Mark.

"I was gonna go anyway but I'm taking that deal." said Lee as Mark turned to face a silent Tina.

"Tina I know your story is a lot harder than our own so I'm not gonna make or even ask you if you don't want to. I already got Maya speaking out for a female perspective if you don't want to." said Mark as Tina shook her head.

"No, I'll be there it'd be good to get out of this town for once." said Tina as Mark nodded his head with a smile.

"Alright so how longs dinner gonna be?" asked Mark as he eyed Mercy.

"I'm about to start fixing now and yes you are staying and not going anywhere." said Mercy as Mark started to chuckle.

"Alright, let me go grab someone right quick we need to discuss something with them." said Mark as each of the North Valley teens nodded their heads as Mark exited the house before returning six minutes later with a familiar blonde haired teen.

"Chris, your mom let you out the house Prospect?" asked Lee as the young boy nodded his head.

"Yeah, I think she's starting to trust me more." said Chris as the Brothers nodded their heads.

"Well you're in luck because we got goods news for you." said Mark as he pulled out a chair for Chris as the blonde haired teen took a seat with the other North Valley teens.

19: Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Tales From Rivergreen

Another Red and Blue Night in North Valley

The Next Day, Wednesday

The school day was minutes away from truly starting for Marcus as he sat in the gym with Maya and Buck after the trio were pulled out of their class by Ms. Summers and told to sit in the gym as they waited for the arrival of the other North Valley teens while Ms. Summers approached the trio.

"Remember Marcus tell them about Rivergreen nothing to gory." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"I let them know we won't give them a lot of details on graphic things but just know one of my guys is gonna tell the story of how he was shot and a few others are telling stories of how we were shot at." said Mark earning a somewhat nod from Ms. Summers.

"Alright just keep it below rated R." said Ms. Summers as she walked away from a chuckling Marcus.

"Is she serious?" asked Maya.

"Yeah, but as you already know Rivergreen isn't a place you can keep PG." said Mark earning a nod from both Maya and Buck as the school bell rang out catching the attention of the trio as they approached the stage and took their seats next to the podium as they noticed members of their senior classmates entering the gym and taking their seats as a few of them eyed Mark while the trio before taking a seat.

"Alright then seniors settle down." said Ms. Summers earning the attention of all the seniors as they eyed her.

"I've been getting a lot of request by a few of you to have your fellow student here Marcus return to the podium and talk more about life in Rivergreen and with everything that's been going on in Rivergreen I decided to give him more time to talk but under...his rules." said Ms. Summers as she eyed Mark who walked over to the podium.

"I won't be the only one talking about life in Rivergreen." said Mark as he turned his gaze to face Maya and Buck.

"You may know this girl as Maya and this freshman is Buck. We each grew up in the same Cul-De-Sac and witnessed the hardships of Rivergreen and they're gonna give you their stories of Rivergreen." said Mark with a chuckle.

"But they aren't going to be the only ones giving their stories." said Mark to the surprise of a few students.

"Thanks to Ms. Summers approval I was allowed to invite five of my friends from Rivergreen here to give their stories." said Mark as a few students eyed him with wide eyes.

"So brothers getup here and introduce yourselves." said Mark as his gaze turned to the backdoor of the gym followed by the other students as they watched the door swing open and in walked an Asian teen, a large muscular Hispanic teen with long black hair that reached the back of his neck, an Auburn haired teen wearing a black baseball cap turned to the back and a goofy smile on his face, a large muscular teen with fiery red hair, and a redheaded girl following behind the group as a few students eyed them with wide eyes as they took in the sight of the large muscular boys with tattoos covering their arms similar to Mark's as they made their up the stage and began to shake hands with Mark while patting him on the shoulder along with Buck and Maya.

"Class of 2014 meet my brothers and sister Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, and Tina." said Mark as the group watched the five new additions take seats on the stage while Mark handed the microphone to Lee.

"We'd like to thank you for having us here today." said Lee as he handed the microphone to Mercy.

"It's greatly appreciated and we are hoping to shine some light on things for all of you." said Mercy as he handed the microphone to Tina who handed it to Reid.

"I hope you all ate a light lunch." said Reid with a sinister chuckle as he handed the microphone to Trip who started to look back and forth through the crowd of students.

"Hello ladies!" said Trip to the annoyance of everyone on the stage while a few of the students laughed as Mark face palmed before lifting his head and watching as Amsel, Harper, and Sheriff Quin entered the gym.

"Before we get to the questions my friends are gonna tell you about a very important Rivergreen experience that changed their lives like my own." said Mark as he turned to look at the North Valley teens just as Lee rose from his seat and walked towards the podium.

"Alright then Seaside High my name is Lee Shen. I'm a senior at Rivergreen High School, and I've lived in the town most of my life and I can honestly say my time in Rivergreen was a living hell growing up." said Lee earning the attention of all the students.

"I moved to Rivergreen when I was five, I was a child growing up in a town for men and at first I wasn't a fighter, and because I wasn't a fighter I was a victim. Everyday somebody would beat me up and take my stuff and I felt helpless to it, until I met Marcus here. He was a small person but he watched my back and no matter what he had my back and we quickly became good friends and he told me that only I could stop myself from being a victim." said Lee.

"Then one day I was coming home from the store and I see Mark being loaded into a police car and I find out he nearly kills someone in a fight and I was worried for him but at the same time worried for myself because now I was alone and I knew I would never survive on my own until I took his advice and started defending myself. I don't want to give details on how I started defending myself." said Lee with a chuckle.

"Let's just say I slid through those years without him and we he got out he still watched my back even though I knew he didn't have to." said Lee as he turned to Mark with a smile on his face as a few students started to clap while Mercy and Trip both headed to the podium together as the gym fell silent.

"My name is Louis Ramirez but I like being called Mercy and this is my younger brother Anthony Tripplet, the both of us are seniors at Rivergreen high and current residents of Rivergreen and our time there is-!" started Mercy as he turned to Trip.

"Difficult, especially for mixed race kids like us. It's the twenty-first century but race plays a major role in Rivergreen, black stick with black while brown stick with brown. Our mother was African American while my dad was Hispanic and Trip's was white so the both of us were outcasted by both the Hispanic and Black gangs and we were basically targeted by both gangs for violence." said Mercy as Trip nodded his head.

"Everyday was a struggle for us we could walk home and get shot at by people thinking we were gang members." said Trip as Mercy nodded his head.

"Then one day the two of us were at school and we ran into a few gang members and they jumped us and I saw one of them hit Trip here over the head with something and I just snapped and beat one of them up so bad that I was arrested for that and sentenced to five years in Juvenile Corrections and ironically in G-Unit with Mark, Reid, and a few other guys." said Mercy with a chuckle.

"We had to watch each others back while we was in there. I ain't gonna lie Juvie changes you because when you walk in you're a just a boy and when you walk out you're a changed man because the stuff you see in Juvie sticks with you for life and turns you into a man." said Mercy.

"While he was in Juvie I was instantly targeted by the dudes he beat up but thanks to Lee here and a few others I wasn't alone and after Mercy got out I changed a lot thanks to him." said Trip with a chuckle as the two brothers turned to Reid who walked up to the podium with an emotionless look on his face.

"Rivergreen to me at the time was a fun place to be because growing up I loved to fight and I got that in Rivergreen. There was a fight on every corner until one day I became the victim." said Reid as he took a few steps back from the podium.

"One Friday I was shooting dice with a few friends and I was up well over a thousand dollars. Then one of the dudes got mad and we got into an argument then he left, five minutes later he come back with Tech-9 Submachine Gun and points it at me." said Reid to the surprise of a few students.

"And I was still on the ground and I told him, "Dude I'm gonna blow your damn head off so you better go ahead and kill me." Then he just unloaded on me." said Reid as he lifted up his pants legs revealing six deformed pieces of skin on each leg.

"I was shot four times in my right leg and two times in my left but what saved me was that his gun jammed after those six shots and he ran off along with the other dudes then someone called the ambulance." said Reid as the students looked at him with wide eyes.

"So as the paramedics were loading me up I'm thinking "Now I gotta kill this dude, he messed up my money, my shoes, and my weekend so yeah I gotta kill him. Then I started thinking again and I realized I didn't want to kill him because if I do I was going to jail." said Reid to the shock of a few students even the officers.

"Than after I went through the surgery I went home and stayed home but a couple of days later my house was shot up because the dude that shot me thought I was gonna retaliate so he came at me first and that's the cycle of Rivergreen if someone tries to kill you and fails they gonna keep coming at you until either you're dead or you kill them." said Reid.

"So, I did what I had to do and got ten five years for it but I got paroled after seven. When I started my sentence I was in Juvie with Mark and Mercy, they got out a few months before I did and I was transferred to Washington State to serve my sentence until my parole hearing. When I got out I wished I never got out after finding out everybody I knew was either still in jail or died while I was inside. Among those dead was a close friend of mine and in my depression I took up drug use." said Reid as a few students gave him wide eyes.

"I remember one day I was going to buy a fix and I turn a corner and I see a familiar midget pounding someone's bloody face into the dirt." said Reid as he eyed Mark with a smile.

"After he found out about my addiction he never looked at me any different almost like I was an older brother and he was always there to turn me on my side at night so." said Reid as he stepped away from the podium while a few students clapped as Mark turned his gaze to the back of the gym and noticed a smile on the faces of both Harper and Quin faces while an angry scowl was on Amsel's face.

"My name is Tina Ray and I may be girl but don't think anything is different for girls in Rivergreen, we are subjected to just as much violence as the boys. Thankfully I had an older brother to protect me from most of the hardships in Rivergreen until Rivergreen took him away from me." said Tina as he few of the students noticed tears ready to fall from the eyes of the girl as Trip removed his hat before lowering his head along with the other North Valley teens.

"One day he got into it with these guys and there was this big fight between my brother and this dude from the other neighborhood at the gas station and it ended with the guy going to his car, returning with a gun, and shooting my brother in the head while I was sitting in the car watching it happen." said Tina as a few people felt heartbroken from her story as they watched her tears hit the podium even Ms. Summers as Detective Harper turned her head and noticed Sheriff Quin lowering his head in sadness.

"My brother was a good person that never did anyone wrong and then one day he's gone in the blink of an eye-!" started Tina as she began to ball her hands into fist as Lee approached the girl before pulling her away from the podium as a few of the students felt their own sadness begin to rise as Maya took the stands.

"I believe most of you already know me but for the record my name is Maya and like them I grew up in Rivergreen but unlike them I learned about it from my parents eyes and didn't truly see the violence until one day." said Maya as she began to look up at the ceiling.

"It was snowing that day and I was outside watching Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, and a few other kids playing in the snow, then the next thing we heard was the loud pop of gunshots seven if I'm not mistaken and we all froze up at first than five minutes later there was this man walking down our Cul-De-Sac covered in blood and he just collapsed in my front yard face first in the snow." said Maya to the shock of a few students even Daryl and Jordan as they eyed the girl.

"That was my first time seeing a dead body and before I could scream my mom beat me to it when she saw the body and pulled me away and it's been years since that day but every night I still see that man's body lying face down in the snow." said Maya as she looked back down at a few of the students.

"After that me and my mom decided to move away but I was there to see Mark, Mercy, and Reid get arrested, and even the deaths of a few of my friends from the neighborhood,, even the funeral of Mark's grandmother, and that changed me a lot like it did any other kid in Rivergreen." said Maya as she started to walk back to her seat while a few students started to clap as Buck took the stage.

"Hello my names is Buc and growing up I didn't have to see much of Rivergreen's violence thanks to my older brother then one day my brother got locked up and he's still there to this day. While he was gone I saw everything Rivergreen had to offer and I was the victim on multiple occasions but I could always thank these guys for protecting me even to this day." said Buck as he eyed a smiling Mark who turned his gaze back to the officers.

"Thank you." said Buck as he walked away from the podium while the seniors started to clap as Mark pulled the microphone from the podium before taking his seat again.

"We'll take questions now." said Mark as Ms. Summers raised her hand.

"I got a question yesterday you mentioned the rules of Rivergreen mind telling us what those are?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head in agreement.

"Easy question but first you gotta understand Rivergreen as a town." said Mark as he handed the microphone to Mercy.

"The first rule of Rivergreen are the three A's." said Mercy.

"ANYBODY, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE can be a victim in Rivergreen." they all said at once again shocking the students.

"Nobody is safe in Rivergreen men, women, children, even police officers no matter who you are or what your background is, Rivergreen will test you mentally and physically and if you fail you lose the one thing you can't get back." said Mercy as he handed the microphone to Trip.

"Anytime and anywhere means that you can never feel safe or let guard down. We were in the commons area for the Rivergreen High Shooting and saw everything, we've seen shootings and stabbings in church, the stores, and even the move theater on its own was a killing field because when the lights turned off no one could see and when movies get loud you can't hear someone getting choked out or stabbed so it was almost common to find body at the movie theater. That's why they closed it down so if you want to see a movie you gotta come to Seattle." said Trip to the shock of a few students.

"Also you were never safe in your own home, take it from us if you want to kill someone what's a home invasion charge they'll go in your house and kill you." said Reid as he handed the microphone to Mark who couldn't seem to take his eyes off the officers of the law.

"Next rule of Rivergreen is the forgive or forget rule." said Mark as he turned to the group of seniors.

"Rivergreen is a very small town to the point where if you do something to someone people are going to find out about it or their gonna connect the dots that lead to you. The saying is if you rob, beatup, shoot at, do drugs with, or even have sex with someone, you're gonna run into that person forty eight hours or less after the deed is done and the reason because of that is because mostly young people do the crimes, high school and some middle school students, so if you wrong somebody on a Friday you're gonna see them on a Monday unless you skip school but trust me they will find you." said Mark as the group nodded their heads.

"When they do find you though you have ask yourself this question, Is what you did forgivable enough for them to let you walk away." said Mark.

"Nothing is truly forgettable. To this day I remember everyone who ever wronged me names, faces, dates it happened, time of day, etc and they remember the same. So you have to ask yourself this question, is what you did to that person forgivable enough for him not to retaliate against you." said Mark as he handed the microphone to Lee.

"And that's a hard question because in Rivergreen you could look at someone wrong and they'd want you dead for it." said Lee.

"Which comes to rule number three and this is probably the most difficult rule of them all." said Mercy as the Brothers eyed the law enforcement officers in the back of the gym.

"Put Your Enemy Down." said Mark to the shock of a few students as he noticed Detective Amsel eye the group.

"When you wrong someone and you don't know how they're gonna come at you the next time they see you, you better make it so that they don't come at you any time soon." said Mark to the surprise of a few students even teachers.

"Putting someone down can mean anything breaking bones, threats to them or their family, causing serious bodily harm, and even killing them. Personally me I used to take a knife and threaten them to the point where they wouldn't want to come at me again or break arm or a leg." said Mark as a few students looked at him with wide eyes as Lee took the microphone from him.

"Or I used to step on their hands break their fingers or wrist or try to do nerve damage, so that makes them coming at me with a gun all but impossible." said Lee as Mercy took the microphone from the Asian Brother.

"I used hit the back of the head with the hopes of causing brain damage." said Mercy as a few of the students look at the group with wide eyes before Ms. Summers stopped the group from continuing.

"So those are the rules but how does living in Rivergreen affect Rivergreen High Students?" asked Ms Summers as Mercy started to chuckle.

"Oh yeah, you see how all of you can make friends with each other and go to a school to learn, Rivergreen is like a prison and it's built like a prison." said Mercy.

"They're no windows in the classroom, three ways in the school and only one of them can get you out of school, theirs officers and teachers on almost every corner, and there's a literally a gate surrounding much of the school." said Lee as the students nodded their heads.

"And the kids their follow politics similar to prison. You don't associate with anyone outside of your neighborhood, you stay with the dudes from your neighborhood, if someone from your neighborhood ask you to do something you do it, and one person fight you all fight." said Reid as the students looked at them with wide eyes.

"In fact we noticed this here you guys can sit in rows all facing the board. We gotta sit in this three part system that have us in the middle facing the board, blacks on one side, Hispanic on the other, non gang members in the front while the bangers in the back." said Mercy as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Oh and females don't get me started, because when comes down to females and dating it's all about location, location, location. You can only date the females from your neighborhood because if you go out of your neighborhood to be with another girl the dudes there gonna beat you up and tell you stay away so you can't date her or risk getting beatup or worse." said Trip to the shock of most dudes.

"Which is always a risk because if you're with a gang members sister he might not like it." said Mercy.

"And honestly I think we got out on the short end of the straw because in Rivergreen for every girl there are three dudes which leads to competition and alot of fights over girls and a lot of females in our neighborhood and the ones there are aren't gonna give you no play." said Trip.

"Watch." said Trip as he turned to Tina and Maya.

"Tina how dudes from our neighborhood have you been with?" asked Trip.

"None, because there is something really wrong with all of you." replied Tina as a few of the students started to chuckle.

"See that's one more female that joins the ranks of girls that don't want to be with you so that let's you know how our dating life is, seriously I haven't had a girlfriend in a year." said Trip as he folded his arms across his chest earning chuckles from a few of the girls.

"He ain't the only one I haven't had a girlfriend since I was...nineteen and I'm twenty four now." said Reid.

"Finding a girlfriend is hard but there are girls willing to put out...but to everyone. That's why when you get an old lady keep her for years and beat up any dude that look at her, ain't that right Mark." said Mercy.

"Next question!" stated Mark as eyed Ms. Summers who gave him a half smile.

"What was the Mallory Massacre?" asked Ms. Summers as a few students watched as the eyes of each teen widened in shock and fear after hearing the question as Sheriff Quin surprising moved from Harper and Amsel before making his way towards the stage to the shock of a few students.

"Sorry to interrupt but that's a question they don't like to talk about or really think about." said Sheriff Quin surprising a few of the students as Mark watched the mental images of blood filled his mind along with sound of a screaming girsl.

"Sorry to interrupt, I'm the King County Chief, Sheriff Quin for short and I'm also the guy who watches over these boys and make sure they don't something they might regret in the future." said Sheriff Quin as the North Valley teens started to come to their senses and eyed the man.

"I grew up in the same neighborhood as these kids and watched them grow up and do almost things kids shouldn't to survive. That why when I became Chief I wanted to make sure that none of these kids went through that fate again and with their help Rivergreen as a town is getting there. Things are different then what they used to be and right now things might look better now then they did five years ago but that's gonna change more soon." said Sheriff Quin earning smiles from the North Valley teen and handclasp from a few of the students.

"Alright then I think this has been a very good discussion time but the bell is about to ring in a few minutes so while I can I want to thank Mark and our guest speakers for coming here and giving us an incite into the town of Rivergreen." said Ms. Summers as she eyed the group.

"It was our pleasure it's good to get out of town for a few hours and walk somewhere without having our guard up." said Mercy as Ms. Summer nodded her head.

"Glad we could give you that." replied Ms. Summers as she watched the group rise to their feet almost at once with smiles on their faces.

"It was good speaking out in front of all of you today, you've been a wonderful audience, and hopefully we can do this again." said Lee earning claps from a few students as the North Valley teens eyed each other before stepping off the stage where they shook hands with a few students as Mark began to introduce Daryl and Jordan to the North Valley group and noticed the smiles on the faces of each teen just as the school bell rang out dismissing all the students as majority of them rushed out the front door.

"Let's go boys party at Mercy's." said Mark as the group began to make their way out of the gym and into the school.

"Now's your chance." said Quin as Harper followed after the group to the somewhat surprise of Amsel as he watched the woman enter the school after the North Valley teens.

"Mark!" came a familiar voice to Mark as he turned his head along with Daryl, Jordan, and the North Valley teens as they turned their heads and noticed a caramel skinned girl walking towards them with five other girls.

"Hey how'd you like the speech?" asked Mark as Lee, Mercy, Trip, Tina, and Reid sent looks back at each other.

"Who is that?" asked Lee as he whispered in Maya's ear.

"Aurora, she's got a thing for Mark." replied Maya earning wide eyes from the North Valley teens.

"Girl that hot likes Mark." said Mercy.

"Forget Mark her friends are what I'm worried about." said Trip as the group of Brothers eyed the girls standing behind Aurora who were giggling while looking at them.

"I didn't realize you were so caring to your friends." said Aurora as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"Someone's got to be." replied Mark.

"I was thinking about how you and your friends should come to party with me and my guys this weekend at our lake house." said Mark to the surprise of Aurora.

"Ah depends is the lake house in Rivergreen?" asked Aurora with a smile.

"No just outside Seattle." replied Mark as Aurora nodded her head.

"Alright, I'll see if I can get a few of my friends at your party." said Aurora as Mark started to chuckle.

"Alright, I'll text you the directions later tonight." said Mark earning a smile from Aurora.

"Then it's a date, see you tomorrow." said Aurora as her and her friends walked away from the group as Mercy patted Mark on the shoulder.

"So we having a party at your place on Saturday?" asked Mercy.

"Yeah and I might need help picking up the weapons." said Mark as the brothers nodded their heads in agreement.

"Hey we invited?" asked Daryl as he pointed at he and Jordan.

"Of course, you ain't from Rivergreen but Mark gave his blessing so the two of you are in the family now." said Trip as he placed his arm around both teens shoulders.

"I'll give you the directions tomorrow." said Mark earning nods from the duo.

"Alright see you then dude." said Jordan as the duo walked away from Mark just as Harper approached the group.

"Give me a few minutes guys." said Mark earning nods from the group as they began to make their way to the student parking lot as Mark eyed the brown haired detective.

"Your information was good and we're gonna move on all three locations tomorrow." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"Isn't it always." stated Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"I'm gonna go now-!" started Harper as she went to turn around but was stopped as Mark grabbed her arm before looking around the empty halls.

"What?" asked Detective Harper as Mark took a deep breath before pressing his lips against hers to her shock as she started to kiss back while Mark opened the door to an empty classroom before pulling the detective in the room.

"Wait I thought you were mad at me?" asked Harper as Mark eyed the woman.

"For sleeping with that asshole yeah I'm pissed, but today you proved that you are loyal to not only me but Rivergreen for giving that paper in." said Mark as Harper gave him a confused look.

"I can't explain too much right now just know I'm still mad but I still do care about you Carla." said Mark as Harper rested her head on his shoulder just as he kissed her forehead.

"You didn't take my sleeping advice did you?" asked Mark.

"It's kinda hard when you get used to someone resting beside you." answered Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"Then I'll meet you at the cabin tonight." said Mark as Harper eyed the teen.

"Won't your girlfriend be mad?" asked Harper as Mark shook his head.

"I don't know only you can answer that question." said Mark as Harper felt herself start to blush.

"We still can't be together Mark." replied Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"I'm aware but right now we both need each other so let's keep this at that." said Mark as he started to run his hands down Harper's hips until they rested on her butt earning a soft moan from the woman as he went to her neck.

"We can't do this here save it for tonight." said Harper as she separated from Mark.

"Alright, worth the wait but damn if I don't get blue balls because of the wait." said Mark as Harper started to chuckle before the two shared another kiss.

Hours Later

The sun was beginning to set over the town of Rivergreen as the North Valley teens sat in Mercy's living room with smiles on their faces as they enjoyed their small party.

"Mark man we gotta visit your school more often dude." said Trip as Mark started to chuckle.

"Seriously it's like a buffet of cute girls there." said Mercy earning chuckles from the group.

"Yeah it's fun to deal with now." said Mark as he took a seat beside Maya.

"Just stay away from most of the cheerleaders they ain't worth it." said Maya as Lee nodded his head.

"Noted." said Lee with a chuckle.

"So Maya how you feel about Mark's new girlfriend?" asked Reid as the group started to chuckle.

"Ha Ha Ha how many times do I have to keep telling you I don't like Mark like that." replied Maya.

"We didn't say you did we're just asking how you feel?" asked Mercy as Buck gave a low chuckle.

"She's alright with me." she replied earning chuckles from the group as Maya rose from the couch and began to make her way into the kitchen while Mark turned to Chris who was looking out the window.

"Cop car still parked down the street?" asked Mark as Chris nodded his head.

"Yeah, the thing hasn't moved yet." said Chris as Mark turned to Lee.

"Feel like coming with me to my house?" asked Mark as Lee nodded his head.

"We're jumping the fence I don't want these assholes knowing where I'm hiding my toys." said Mark as Lee started to chuckle before the duo made their way to the backyard where they started to hop the fence from backyard to backyard until they reached Mark's home and entered using the back door.

"This place still feels like home." said Lee as he and Mark made their way down into the basement of the home where Mark opened up a dresser where Lee noticed an assortment of knives, switchblades, razors, box cutters, ice picks, a metal chain, and a wooden baseball bat.

"Jesus I can't believe you still have all of these." said Lee as Mark started to chuckle.

"Need backups for when Quin takes my others, guys taken so many knives from me he should probably have three kitchen sets by now." said Mark as Lee started to chuckle while the action at Mercy's home had shifted from the living room and was now in the kitchen as the group continued to chuckle.

"It's getting late, so I guess I outta get going." said Reid.

"Mind giving us a ride back to Seattle, Mark's not the safest driver on a motorcycle." said Maya as Reid started to chuckle.

"Understandable let's go Buck." said Reid as the black haired teen nodded his head before following after the duo.

"I'm gonna walk Chris home while everyone's out." said Tina as Mercy and Trip both nodded their heads as the group began to make their way to the front door.

"Tell Mark we'll see him later." said Reid as he put on his leather jacket before opening the front door and walking out with Maya, Buck, Tina, and Chris following after him but after walking out of the home Reid looked up and noticed two men dressed in all black standing in front of a black car parked across the street in front of Mark's house begin to reach into their jacket pockets.

"GET BACK!" yelled Reid earning the attention of everyone as the two men each pulled out a gun and began to point it at Reid as the redheaded man forcibly pushed Maya backwards causing her to hit Tina, Chris, and Buck and send them back into Mercy's living just as the men pulled the triggers of their gun and began shooting at Reid who felt a familiar warm feeling of pain in his left leg and right shoulder as he dove for cover behind Mercy's truck while Mark and Lee lifted their heads at the sound of gunshots before rushing up the stairs of the basement.

"Shit get down!" yelled Mercy as he and Trip pulled Maya, Tina, Buck, and Chris to the floor as gunshots filled the air and blew out the front windows of the home causing glass to rain down on the group and hit the wall shattering pictures, the television, and putting holes in the couches.

"Where's Reid!" yelled Trip as he eyed a crying Maya.

"He's still outside." said Maya through the tears as more gunshots filled the room.

"I can't get to him while these assholes are shooting at us." said Mercy while the two men outside continued to spray the house with bullets.

"Hey asshole!" came an unfamiliar voice as the two men turned around and watched Mark and Lee charged them and connected with running punches to both men's face that sent them stumbling backwards before regaining their composure and lifting their guns only for the duo to already be on top of them as Lee slapped the man's hand downward causing him to fire his gun into the ground before following up with a kick to the side of the head while Mark performed an uppercut that hit the man's hand and causing him to fire his gun in the air before tackling him to the ground and causing the gun to slip from his hands before Mark began to punch the man in the face.

"Jesus!" said Mercy as he, Chris, Trip, and Buck looked out the front door where they noticed Mark and Lee fighting the shooters before turning their heads to the fallen Reid as trio noticed a crowd of spectators watching them even a few people recording the fight on their phone.

"You two get Reid and bring him inside we're gonna go help Mark and Lee." said Mercy as the group nodded their heads before splitting off as Chris and Buck made their way to Reid they noticed him lying on the ground clutching his leg.

"Don't just stand there help me." said Reid as both Prospects grabbed the teen by his legs before dragging him into the house where Maya and Tina were waiting.

"I'm okay!" repeated Reid as Buck looked back out the window and noticed Mark grab onto one of the man's leg to hold him in place as Mercy punched him in the face while Trip and Lee both knocked one of the shooters to the ground.

"Worthless!" said Mark as he climbed on top of one of the shooters before pulling the man's mask from off his face and looking at his somewhat familiar Hispanic face.

"You!" said Mark as he looked at the man with wide eyes before the man saw his chance and threw a punch at the side of Mark's face knocking the Rivergreen leader off just as Mercy began to grab at the man he landed another punch this time aimed below the belt as Mercy doubled over in immense pain before hitting the ground with a thud while the man ran away as fast as his legs could take him as a few people with phones filmed him as he departed.

"Why you!" said Mark as he eyed the man with anger in his eyes before hearing the familiar sound of gunshots as he turned his head and watched as Trip and the man grappled with his gun in the air firing off shots just as the man finally found his strength and kicked Trip away before pointing his gun at the auburn haired brother.

"Look out!" yelled Lee as he knocked Trip to the ground just as the man pulled the trigger of his gun only for the bullet to miss the duo before the composing himself and pointed his gun at them again.

"No you don't!" yelled Buck as he shoulder tackled the man almost knocking him to the ground but gaining his attention as he pointed his gun at the Probate and fired a shot while Buck dove behind the car to avoid the shots while Mark gritted his teeth before charging at the man only for him to point his gun at the North Valley teen and fire a shot that grazed his upper right arm sending Mark stumbling back at little as the man pulled the trigger again only to find that he was finally out of bullets as a look of terror soon spread across his face while a wide psychotic smile spread across Mark's as be began to lick his lips before charging the man and punching him in the face with enough force to send him stumbling back.

"I'm not done with you." said Mark as he threw three punches to the man face before following up with a punch to the center of his stomach causing the man to lean forward then grabbing the back of the man's head before following up with a knee to his face.

"YES!" thought Mark as he let go of the man's head before kneeing him again and causing his head to fly upward while Mark bent down before accelerating forward and driving his shoulder into the center of the man's stomach forcing him backwards until his back hit the door of his car causing him to bounce forward as Mark grabbed the man by his mouth and with a sick smile rammed the back of the man's head into the window of the driver side door completely shattering it in the process as the man fell to the ground limply while Mark stood over him with a smile on his face as he started to lick his lips before turning his head to look at the people filming him with his phone.

"This is gonna cause some problems later." thought Mark as he eyed the people just as Buck approached the North Valley leader who eyed him and noticed no injuries.

"Damn." yelled Mark as rushed over to Mercy and began to help the teen to his feet while Lee and Trip approached the duo.

"You good brother?" asked Trip as he eyed Mark's bleeding shoulder.

"Yeah it's just a scratch." said Mark before they heard a loud yell before rushing back to Mercy's home where they saw Reid lying on the floor.

"He's been hit twice." said Tina as Mark lowered himself to look at Reid and noticing the long graze on his bleeding shoulder and the bullet wound in his thigh before he ripped the sleeve off his shirt before placing it on the bullet wound on Reid's legs.

"I've been shot before but this still stings like a bitch." said Reid as the group heard the familiar sirens of police cars and ambulance as they parked themselves in front of Mercy's home as the group watched Sheriff Quin and Detective Harper enter the home with wide eyes.

"Jesus Christ we need a stretcher." yelled Quin as the paramedics began to run in the house with a stretcher as Harper took a look at Mark's bleeding arm.

"Don't worry it's just a scratch." said Mark.

"Yeah, if you wanna see a big injury you should see the guy Mark got to across the streets." said Reid with a chuckle as the paramedics lifted him up onto the stretcher while Sheriff Quin eyed Mark.

"That was you?" asked Quin.

"They were shooting at the house I didn't have much of a choice." replied Mark.

"You better hope that guys alive if you want to stay out of prison." said Quin as Mark nodded his head in agreement before starting to feel a bit light headed as his vision started to blur he began to rub his eyes catching the attention of everyone as they eyed.

"I don't feel to hot!" said Mark as he finally passed out just as Lee caught the teen in his arm.

"We need some bandages he's lost too much blood." said Quin as the Brothers eyed Mark.

20: Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Manhunt in King County

Match the Murders Across King County

Two Days Later, Friday

The sun was shining bright over the city of Washington as Mark sat in the living room of the lake house with his right arm bandaged eating doughnuts with Lee, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Chris, and Tina while Sheriff Quin eyed the group.

"As you can see I'm doing fine." Mark as Sheriff Quin looked him over.

"You still lost a lot of blood so don't move around to much." said Sheriff Quin as the group continued to eat doughnuts.

"How's Reid doing?" he asked.

"He didn't need any real surgery so he'll be out before the end of the week." said Mercy.

'Yeah, and he's plotting his revenge right now." said Trip as Sheriff Quin eyed the group with confusion Mark set his cellphone on the coffee table and began to play a message.

"Playing last message!" said the phone as Sheriff Quin eyed the device with confusion on his face.

"Marcus, it's me Reid I know you're going to get out of the hospital before me and when you do I need you to hunt down and beat the fuck out the mother fucker that shot me. Beat his ass and when you're done tie him up and put him in your basement because when I get out I'm rip fire from that mother fuckers-!" ended the message before Mark shut off his phone earning the attention of Sheriff Quin.

"He threw us out his room when we told him we still haven't found the guy." said Trip with a chuckle.

"He's pissed and just like everyone he knows who shot him and the 2nd Order are looking for um." said Lee as Sheriff Quin eyed Mark.

"Jesus Christ you can't stop them?" asked Quin as Mark shook his head.

"Their leader was shot they have the right to go looking for who did it and we can't stop them." said Mark.

"This guy can't die Marcus, we need him alive." said Quin.

"That's gonna be a difficult seeing as this guy has enemies on all sides." said Mark to the confusion of Sheriff Quin.

"The guy's name is Alvarez he's one of the latest guys to switch over to the Centralas and from what we're gathering is that they ordered an attack on us. If they wanted to send a message they would have just shot up the house. These guys waited until someone exited the house to open fire and that person was Reid. If me and Lee didn't hop the fences in the backyard to get to my house that could have been us." said Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"How does that give him enemies on all sides?" asked Quin.

"Those guys botched that hit and no one was killed and everyone in Washington has seen his face. If he returns to his gang they'll kill him to keep him from talking." replied Mark.

"Okay but still we checked most of Rivergreen and even put out an APB across the state and we still can't find him." said Quin.

"You gotta go off the grid." said Link earning the attention of Sheriff Quin.

"He ran away without a vehicle that means he's on foot and more than likely he hasn't left King County and he isn't with family and he has no friends. I'd start checking hotels from Rivergreen to Seattle he's got to be in at least one of them or he's hiding out somewhere since mobility has been cut off for him." said Link as Quin nodded his head in agreement.

"I think I know a way to lure him out of hiding." said Mark earning the attention of Quin..

"He's got a younger brother named Daniel that goes to school with me, I called Maya a few minutes ago and he's at the school now." said Mark.

"Don't bother looking in on his brother the family said that was the first time they saw the kid in months." said Quin.

"You believe that?" asked Mercy.

"No but the last thing we need you boys going off and torturing him for information." stated Quin as Mark nodded his head

"What about his friend he talking?" asked Zach as Quin shook his head.

"Nope hasn't said a word." replied Quin.

"Of course he ain't talking he sees your mole." said Mark earning the attention of Sheriff Quin.

"Nine out ten this guy knows there's a mole in law enforcement and in order to keep himself safe he ain't gonna talk. While the other guy if he's gonna turn himself in he's gonna do it outside of King County so the Sheriff's Department don't get their hands on him." stated Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"Speaking of moles we're looking into those officers that were watching the house and why they left just moments before the shooting." stated Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"You do that but also keep an eye on that guy and watch who interrogates him closely because the mole is going to reach out to him and if we can catch them we'll have our mole." said Mark as Quin nodded his head.

"I'll tell my officers." said Quin.

"You do that." said Mark as he took another bite of his doughnut.

"Yeah and while I do that can I trust that all of you will just stay here?" asked Sheriff Quin.

"Sorry but I need to go pick up Maya and Buck and to stop these talks about me being dead that's going around the school and I need to talk to Ms. Summers to show her I'm alright." said Mark.

"Alright someone going with you?" asked Quin.

"Lee and Trip are coming with me while, Mercy goes to check on his truck." said Mark as Quin eyed the two brothers..

"Alright but wait for Detective Harper she'll give you two an escort." said Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"Did the GTF ever move on those stash houses?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, they hit them yesterday but there wasn't a lot of drugs and they're leaving this shooting to us even though everyone knows it's gang related." said Quin as Mark nodded his head.

"You heard about news doing a documentary on life and the gangs in Rivergreen?" asked Link as both Mark and Quin nodded their heads.

"They wanted to interview me I told them they could go fuck themselves if they want to know how things are run in Rivergreen live there." said Mark.

"Lucky you I'm forced to speak out along with Amsel and a few other Sheriff's." replied Quin.

"And we know that assholes gonna make us all look like thugs." said Mark.

"Speaking of which I need to get back to the station before that asshole turns it upside down." said Quin as Mark nodded his head before rising from his chair.

"Alright, we'll see you later and let you know if we find anything." said Mark.

"You better and you better hope this guy is caught because even if his gang is after him, it won't look good for you if he turns up dead" added Sheriff Quin earning nods from the group as Sheriff Quin walked out of the door.

"You're going to kill him when you find him aren't you?" asked Tina as the group eyed the girl.

"Only time will tell." replied Mark as the group made their way into the kitchen.

King County Sheriff's Department

Things were somewhat active in the office as Detective Harper sat outside of the interrogation room watching as two officers interrogated an injured looking Hispanic man with bandages and bruises covering his face and torso while Detective Amsel stood beside the brown haired woman.

"Looks like our little unstable psychopath did a number on that guy." said Amsel as Harper nodded her head.

"Broken jaw, missing teeth, broken nose, broken rib, two broke fingers,  ruptured disk, cuts in the back of the head, and he can barely talk thanks to a chop to the throat." said Harper.

"And because he never let go of the gun throughout the entire conflict Marcus and his friends are allowed to skate away with a slap on the wrist." said Amsel.

"There friends were being shot at and they defended them sounds like reasonable cause." said Harper as Amsel looked at the woman with surprised eyes.

"Don't tell me you're on their side Carla." stated Amsel.

"They're aren't any sides here." replied Harper but as Amsel went to say something he was stopped as Sheriff Quin approached the duo.

"Still nothing?" asked Quin.

"Nah, maybe he would have said something if your boys didn't viciously beat him within an inch of life." said Amsel.

"Price you pay for trying to kill them in their Cul-de-sac." said Quin as Amsel eyed the man with anger in his eyes just as the Sheriff walked away from the duo.

"I still can't believe that guy can be called Chief." said Amsel.

"He's adapted to Rivergreen unlike everyone else." said Harper as Amsel looked at the woman he noticed that she was now walking out of the police department.

Lake House

The drive to the lake house wasn't long for Detective Harper as she entered the cabin and noticed Mark, Lee, Mercy, and Trip each dressed and sitting in front of the television watching the news.

"You boys ready to go?" she asked as Mark nodded his head before he, Trip, and Lee followed the woman out of the cabin.

"Link keep us posted on things." said Mark earning a nod from the blonde haired teen as he watched trio walk out of the door.

"How are you feeling?" asked Harper as she eyed Mark.

"Grand actually, my arms still sore but other than that I'm fine." replied Mark as Harper nodded her head before walking Lee and Trip to her car while Mark broke off and made his way to his motorcycle.

"It's not safe for you on that motorcycle Mark." said Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Yeah, but I have a feeling you're gonna be making a trip while we hold back." replied Mark as he put on his helmet.

"Besides this gives you time to bond with my two of my brothers." said Mark as Harper eyed Lee and Trip who looked her up and down with suspicious eyes before following her into the car as the two vehicles drove away from the lake house.

"Any of you feel like coming with me to run a few errands?" asked Mercy as Zach nodded his head.

"Beats staying here." said Zach as the duo began to walk out of the lake house leaving Link alone with Tina and Chris.

"So what are we gonna do?" asked Chris as he eyed Link and Tina who had already went their separate ways.

Seaside High School

The drive to Seattle wasn't long for the group as Detective Harper parked her car next to Mark's motorcycle in the student parking lot before stepping out with Lee and Trip in tow as the duo eyed Mark.

"I filled her in on the situation brother." said Lee as Mark nodded his head before setting his helmet down on the seat of his bike and putting on his black hat that read brother before wiping his sweaty hands on his black shirt.

"Good while we're talking to my classmates you can press the brother for information." said Mark.

"But the boys already been questioned how do we know he's gonna talk?" asked Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Play good cop and if doesn't comply call us and we'll play bad cop." said Mark as Trip started to chuckle.

"Trust us we can be very persuasive." said Trip as he smiled at the woman before the North Valley trio led her into the school earning the attention of a few students as they made their way to the front office where Ms. Summers eyed the group with surprised eyes before she walked up to Mark.

"It's good to see you standing Marcus." said Ms. Summers as she let go of Mark.

"How you feeling?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Aside from this horrible pain in my shoulder I'm fine." said Mark as Ms. Summers eyed the bandage on the teens right arm.

"How are you boys doing and how's your friend?" asked Ms. Summers as she eyed Lee and Trip.

"We're good and he must been fine he's cursing us out and ordering us around." said Trip as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"Which is why the four of us need to talk to you in private." said Mark as Ms. Summers nodded her head before leading the group into her office.

"As you know one of the guys who shot at us got away, and he's in hiding but know a way that might be able to drag him out of hiding." said Mark.

"And how are you gonna do that?" asked Ms. Summers.

"He's got a younger brother that goes here a junior named Daniel Alvarez. The parents says they haven't talked to the brother in months but maybe his younger brother might have been in contact with him." said Mark as Ms. Summers nodded his head.

"Marcus you can't interrogate students." said Ms. Summers.

"I'm away that's what Detective Harper's here for she's gonna get him talking if he doesn't talk he walks but he live with the knowledge knowing his brothers life hangs in the balance." said Mark to the surprise of Ms. Summers.

"What do you mean his life is in danger?" asked Ms. Summers.

"He and his partner shot up Mercy house without the order of his gang leader, so as of right now he can't go back to his gang or they'll kill him to save themselves in case he talks to the police, a couple of my guys are looking for him, and Reid may be laying in a hospital bed but he's already plotting his revenge." said Mark as Ms. Summers eyed the teen.

"The shooting also unraveled Rivergreen the media's afraid there's now another gang war going on right now even though we gave them a half assed story they aren't believing us." said Lee as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"So there is a gang war going on in Rivergreen?" asked Ms. Summers.

"There is but last night wasn't a part of the war it was someone asshole that got pissed off at us and decided to shoot us." replied Lee.

"Are you still in Rivergreen now?" asked Ms. Summers.

"No, we're all holding up at safe house outside Seattle we're fine right now but Quin thinks it's best if we stay out of Rivergreen for the next few days." replied Mark.

"So none of you can go to school?" asked Ms. Summers.

"No I didn't come today because my arms still sore and this is my writing arm." said Mark as Harper rolled her eyes.

"Arms good enough to ride a motorcycle." whispered the woman.

"We stayed home for safety his gang and ours don't see eye to eye and they have a large presence in our school and it could be dangerous if we go while he's still on the street." said Lee.

"And then they outnumber us almost four to one." said Trip as Ms. Summers nodded her head at the group.

"Do things like this happen a lot?" asked Ms. Summers.

"What us staying home from school for our own protection yeah almost once a month if we're lucky." replied Trip.

"Have any of you thought about changing schools?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Yeah, but Rivergreen Highs the only high school in Rivergreen and we can't change high schools unless we change addresses." said Lee as Mark eyed the woman.

"I know that look you're thinking of something." said Mark as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"I am but I'll get back to you with it later." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"So why else are you here?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Silence the I'm dead rumors." said Mark.

"We also came to escort Maya and Buck back to their houses, the two of them were in that house when the bullets started flying and are probably shaken up and they should feel a lot better knowing we're here for them." said Lee earning a nod from Ms. Summers.

"I checked on them Buck seems fine but Maya's been a bit quiet and distant so it'd be good to check on her." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head before rising from his chair.

"We're gonna go do that now you think you can get Daniel in here?" asked Mark as Ms. Summers nodded her head.

"I'll call for him and have him come here." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"Don't wanna be here when he get's here." said Mark as he eyed Harper..

"You gonna be alright doing this on your own?" asked Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." said Harper.

"Remember if you need a bad cop we're just a few halls down." said Trip as Mark led the trio out of Ms. Summers office.

"Those boys are full of drama." said Ms. Summers as Harper started to chuckle.

"Trust me I know but the stuff they go through has to be done by someone and they've got the best mental capacity for it." said Harper earning a surprised look from Ms. Summers.

"So where are we going first?" asked Lee.

"To visit our newest brother." said Mark with an infectious smile that spread to both Lee and Trip as they turned down the freshman hall of the school.

"Jesus Christ is it just me or do all freshman smell alike?" asked Trip as Mark looked into the opened door of the classroom earning the attention of a few students watching them go by.

"What do they smell like?" asked Lee.

"Cookies and Piss." replied Trip bringing confused looks to both the faces of Mark and Lee as they turned their heads and eyed the teen before shaking their heads and continuing down the hall where they spotted a familiar black haired teen sitting in the front of a teacher less class.

"Well at least somethings are still the same here." said Lee as the trio entered the classroom earning the attention of all the freshman as they eyed the well muscled tattoo trio as they entered the classroom.

"Bucky!" said Mark as the black haired teen eyed Mark.

"Boss, how you feeling?" asked Buck as Mark rubbed his bandaged arm.

"Doing good how are you?" asked Mark as Buck started to chuckle.

"I'm fine probably a little sore but alright." replied Buck.

"Good!" said Trip as he slapped the back of Buck's head to the surprise of a few students.

"When someone's shooting at you leave the suicidal shit to the guys who aren't all there." said Trip as he patted the top of his head.

"Be hard explaining to your mother if you got hurt brother." said Lee as Buck rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes sir!" said Buck as Mark grabbed slammed his fist on Buck's desk scaring a few students before he opened his hand revealed a small gold ring with Brother inscribed into it with the Brothers Chinese Symbol on the back.

"In spite of that welcome to the family brother." said Mark with a smile as Buck looked at the North Valley leader with surprised eyes before Mark took off his hat and planted it on top of the teens head.

"You showed us that you aren't afraid to die for your brother which is what we need." said Mark as a smile spread across the face of Buck.

"Thank you-!" started Buck as he went to rise from his chair he was knocked down by Trip.

"No hugging brother we don't want this to be weird." said Trip.

"Kinda hard when three dudes just handed a fifteen year old boy a ring in front of a full classroom." said Lee.

"Why you gotta make things weird?" asked Trip.

"Tis what I do brother." said Lee as Mark eyed Buck.

"When the bell rings we're gonna take Maya home and you're going to go to class but when school ends come to student parking lot for us to take you home." said Mark as Buck nodded his head before the trio made their way to the door.

"Yes boss!" said Buck.

"No more boss Bucky only brother." said Mark as the trio exited the classroom leaving a stunned Buck as the center of attention to his classmates and to his teacher who stepped back in the classroom and instantly hassled him about his hat.

"Last stop senior hall." said Mark the trio made their way down the senior hall.

"Mark!" came a somewhat familiar voice that forced the trio of North Valley teens to turn their heads and notice a familiar caramel skinned girl walk up to Mark before surprisingly hugging him.

"I'm glad you're okay." said Aurora as she let go of Mark before taking a look at his bandaged arm.

"Take a lot more than some guy with a gun to kill me." said Mark as he smiled the girl.

"Why aren't you in class?" asked Mark.

"We had a substitute that took off after third period and everyone's just siting in there looking at each other." said Aurora.

"I find it weird how they have subs on the day you're not here." said Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"Happens a lot actually." said Mark.

"So is your party tomorrow canceled?" asked Aurora as Mark nodded his head.

"Unfortunately yeah, looks like we have to find another time to hang out." said Mark as Aurora nodded her head.

"I know a time the homecoming dance." said Aurora as the trio of Brothers eyed her with eyes wide as disk.

"Are you asking me to be your date to the homecoming dance?" asked Mark as Aurora started to chuckle.

"Maybe!" said Aurora as Lee and Trip sent each other looks before turning to Mark.

"We'll see the dance is next week and I'll let you know Monday." said Mark as Aurora nodded her head.

"Will you call me this weekend?" asked Aurora as Mark started to smile just as Trip elbowed him in the back.

"Make contact." whispered Trip causing Mark to grab both of Aurora's hands into his own while smiling at the surprised girl.

"Yeah, I was gonna call you yesterday but the doctors wouldn't let me call outside of the hospital." said Mark as Aurora smiled at the teen.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later." said Aurora.

"Be safe." said Mark as he let go of the girls hand almost with ease as she moved past the trio of North Valley teens.

"That girl has got it bad for you brother." said Lee as Mark rolled his eyes.

"It's weird she's the first girl to want to go out of this school with me besides Maya. I thought I was gonna be spending another night alone at the lake house." said Mark.

"But now this makes things a little interesting." said Trip with a chuckle as Mark rolled his eyes before leading the group to familiar door.

"Do we knock?" asked Lee earning a chuckle from Trip.

"Who the hell knocks these day?" asked Trip as he grabbed the door knob before opening the door as the trio noticed the seniors scattered across the classroom before they quickly noticed the absent teacher.

"Jesus brother is all your teachers not here on Friday?" asked Trip causing Mark's eyes to widen.

"Only when I'm not here." replied Mark as a few students looked at him with wide eyes as he entered the classroom.

"Mark!" came the loud voice of Daryl as he approached Mark with Jordan and a few other students in tow as they began to pat him on his uninjured shoulder.

"You three are crazy as hell." said Daryl as Mark nodded his head.

"Where's Maya?" asked Lee as Jordan pointed to the back of the classroom where a familiar Cambodian girl was sitting in the back with her head on the desk as the trio quickly moved away from the crowd to approach her as Mark bent down to get to her eye level before pulling a few strands of her hair away from her face as Maya started to open her eyes and come face to face with the trio of North Valley teens who looked at her with smiles on their faces.

"Wake up buttercup!" said Trip but before he could begin to laugh he was silenced as Maya punched him in the chest causing him to fall backwards while a few students watched with wide eyes as she did the same to Mark and Lee.

"What the hell was that for?" asked Mark.

"Oh I'm still reeling from being on the other side of bullets so excuse me." said Maya as the trio rose to their feet.

"How were we supposed to know someone was gonna take a shot at us?" asked Trip.

"Seriously do you know how many people say they're going to kill us in a week?" asked Lee.

"And who the hell runs into gun fight with no weapon?" asked Maya.

"Hey I had a box cutter I just didn't use it." said Mark as he folded his arms across his chest earning a few chuckles from a few students.

"Oh now that supposed to lower my worry." said Maya as Mark rolled his eyes before resting his hand on Maya's shoulder

"Look I'm fine we're all fine everyone's alive and we're good." said Mark as Maya looked away from the teen.

"How's Reid?" asked Maya.

"Better than us." said Lee.

"That asshole cussed us out before throwing us out of his room." said Trip as Maya started to chuckle.

"So let me get this straight all of you were shot at but only two of you were hit and no ones dead?" asked Maya.

"You acting all surprised ain't our first time running into a gun fight with no gun." said Mark.

"Oh the ruthless psychopath would know." said Maya earning a chuckle from Mark.

"How do you feel about breaking almost bone in that guys body?" asked Maya.

"Grand it was delicious I couldn't taste it but the sound of bones breaking was like music to the ears." said Mark with a sinister smile as a he licked his lips.

"See he's doing it again." said Trip as he eyed Lee who was standing beside Daryl and Jordan.

"Doing what?" asked Lee.

"Licking his lips like that, Mark can never tell me he doesn't eat out." said Trip.

"What's wrong with that?" asked Daryl.

"Nothing." said Trip.

"Hey when you're in a committed relationship that's a requirement not a blessing.' said Daryl as the group sat down across from Mark and Maya while a few other students watched the group as the North Valley teens gave the story to Daryl and Jordan as minutes soon passed before Detective Harper entered the room earning the attention of the students.

"He talking or you need a bad cop?" asked Mark.

"I don't need a bad cop because this kid doesn't knows anything." replied Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"That's because you haven't made him wet himself." said Trip with a chuckle as he Mark and Lee rose from their seats before cracking their knuckles and walking out of the classroom with Harper in tow as they made their way back to Ms. Summers office.

"Let him know he's on his last leg because as far as he knows we want his brother dead and aren't afraid to use him as bait." said Mark as Detective Harper and Ms. Summers eyed the teen confusingly.

"Don't worry we won't hurt him." said Lee as Harper entered the room where they noticed a short Hispanic teen with gelled black hair sitting across from the door.

"Daniel I'm on my last leg here if you don't tell me anything about your brother there's nothing I can do to protect you." said Harper.

"I keep telling you I don't know anything." said Daniel as Harper nodded her head.

"Okay just know that there's now nothing I can do." said Harper as she walked out of the room leaving the door wide open as Mark, Lee, and Trip entered the room causing Daniel to jump in his seat as he eyed the trio.

"Hey Daniel we need to have a little chat with you." said Mark as he gritted his teeth with a growl while Trip closed the door behind the trio as Detective Harper and Ms. Summers looked on with worried looks before the school bell rang out earning the attention of the duo.

"Mind listening in on them while I take their friend home?" asked Harper as Ms. Summers nodded her head before the brown haired detective walked out of the front office where Maya was waiting for the woman before leaving the school with her as Ms. Summer watched the door of the school for what felt like minutes before the trio of North Valley teens walked out of the room.

"He didn't know anything?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark shook his head.

"Nope, he's been contact with his brother since the shooting but has been covering for him." said Mark as he handed a cell phone to Lee.

"We gave him a call and setup a time and place to meet him for the safe return of his baby brother." said Lee as Ms. Summers eyed the group.

"Let me get this straight you boys just called him, convinced him you kidnapped his brother, and now he thinks you're gonna kill him?" asked Ms. Summers.

"We're actually gonna hand him over to the cops." said Lee as Ms. Summers eyed Mark.

"To say you boys aren't a gang you sure do operate like one." said Ms. Summers as Mark eyed the woman.

"All in the name of peace if his brother stays on the street someone gonna kill him and the cops are gonna look at us." replied Mark.

"So you did this to save your own skin?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Sorta if he lives and talks to the police they get the information and he gets in witness protection if he refuses to talk he'll be killed on the streets or in prison one way or the other." said Mark.

"This way everyone gets a win and the good guys stay out of jail." said Trip as Ms. Summer folded her arms across her chest.

"Except Daniel and his family if his brother is killed." replied Ms. Summers.

"They just better hope he opens his mouth and feel lucky we got to them before his gang does because they'll kill his entire family just to get to him. This way they all get witness protection especially if we say Daniel talked to the police and that's what this is getting written down as." said Lee.

"We're not the bad guys here Ms. Summers, we're just the guys trying to find a solution where everyone walks away alive." added Mark as Ms. Summers eyed the teen before Mark's cell phone started to ring.

"I gotta take this." said Mark as he walked out of the office before answering his phone.

"Brother!" answered Mark.

"Marcus, it's good to hear from you." came the voice of Martin.

"You two, did you find me a new ride?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, I got you a Charger it's a rental that's in your name but by the end of the month it'll be yours." said Martin as Mark nodded his head.

"Thanks, hows things with the family?" asked Mark.

"A lot of them are worried about you especially auntie. Why don't come stay here for a few days just to set her at ease?" asked Martin as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"I'll come tomorrow, tonight I'm watching over my guys." said Mark.

"Alright, there's some Assault Rifles in the trunk of the car you can thank Uncle Viktor for that." said Martin as Mark nodded his head before watching as Detective Harper reentered the school.

"I'll talk to you later brother." said Mark as he and Martin gave their goodbyes before hanging up as Mark eyed Harper.

"Did he talk?" asked Harper.

"Yeah, your man's gonna be here later tonight." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"Alright, I'll call it in." said Harper as she began to make her way back to her car.

King County Sheriff Department

Things were still slow for Sheriff Quin as he sat at his desk doing paperwork as Amsel entered the room and eyed the man with a serious look on his face.

"What do you want Detective?" asked Quin without taking his eyes off his paperwork.

"The kid in the other room I talked to the D.A. about him and they say we can't hold him anymore and want him at King County Jail before night ends." said Amsel as Quin eyed the man.

"Alright send him on the bus." said Quin as Amsel nodded his head.

"Word going around the office is that the other guy Alvarez is going to turn himself into your custody later today." said Amsel earning Quin's attention.

"Harper!" said Quin.

"Don't blame her we're all cops here Quin, trying to get the bad guys off the streets but it seems like you're getting the bad guys off the street for a group of kids almost like you're in their pockets" said Amsel earning Quin's attention.

"Let's get one thing straight detective I'm in nobodies pockets Mark hands me information because he knows he can trust me unlike you." said Quin.

"But answer me this question why does he trust you so much, I mean you're a cop and he's a gang member yet he trust you almost like he knows you'll never arrest him no matter what he does." said Amsel with an evil smile on his face as Quin rose from his seat with anger in his eyes.

"Get the fuck out of my office." said Quin as Amsel nodded his head before making his way out of the room with a smile on his face as he closed the door behind him as Quin quickly took his seat.

Lake House

After leaving the school the group of Brothers quickly made their way back to the lake house where they noticed a nicely clean Dodge Charger parked out front along with Mercy's truck as the group noticed a few bullet holes in the bed of the truck.

"Nice ride brother." said Mercy as he greeted the group of returning brothers.

"Too flashy for me." said Mark as he entered the house with Lee, Trip, and Buck in tow Mercy patted Buck on the shoulder as he caught site of the teen wearing Mark's hat.

"Glad to have you in the family." said Mercy as Buck nodded his head before the group entered the house where Harper noticed Link and Zach sitting on the couch.

"So the search is over?" asked Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, he's gonna turn himself in to Quin later tonight." said Mark earning a nod from Link.

"Good, I'll tell Davey, Eddy, and the others they can call off their search." said Link as Mark nodded his head.

"So the parties canceled?" asked Zach as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, so you guys can head back home we aren't gonna be doing much this weekend." said Mark.

"Alright, watch yourself though brother." said Link as he patted Mark on his uninjured shoulder along with Zach before the duo made their way out of the house before driving away from the cabin while Lee, Mercy, and Trip took seats on the couches.

"Well I think today was a good day for us." said Harper as she eyed Mark.

"Yeah, Reid's gonna be pissed but he'll get over it." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"I should get going then." said Harper as she started to turn around before Mark grabbed her arm as he used his head to motion to the front door the two quickly snuck out of the living room without anyone noticing.

"Something I want you to see." said Mark as he led Detective Harper to the back where the duo noticed a hammock tied to two trees as Harper watched Mark climb into it.

"I don't thing I have enough time for this Mark." said Harper as Mark outstretched his hand for her.

"Come just lay with me for a few minutes technically you're still on duty watching over me." said Mark as Harper grabbed the teens hand before allowing him to pull her onto the hammock as she rested the back of her head on his chest while both their eyes stared off at the lake.

"This lake is a beautiful site." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"One of two." said Mark earning a chuckle from Harper as he wrapped his arms around her before planting a kiss on the top of her forehead.

"So you're not mad anymore?" asked Harper.

"At you no, but if your partner aggravates me." said Mark as Harper eyed him.

"Did you really mean what you said when you told me you loved me?" asked Harper as Mark kept his eyes on the lake.

"Honestly yeah, but everyday I'm reminded why I my feelings can't be real." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"Because I'm a cop?" asked Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"And I'm the thug our worlds can't coexist." said Mark.

"So do you want to end this thing we have?" asked Harper as Mark kept his eyes away from her.

"I want you to be happy and live a happy life, to get married, have a kids, and be what you always wanted to be and you won't get that being with me." said Mark as Harper felt tears start to sting at her eyes.

"I understand!" said Harper as Mark kissed her forehead.

"I still care about you but and this is one of the hardest things I've done in my life-." started Mark before Harper pressed her lips against his own to silence him.

"If this is our last night together I want to spend it like this not talking." replied Harper as Mark nodded his head before wrapping the woman tighter into his arms as he her tears rain on his exposed arms.

"When your life is like mine and you truly care about someone you have to let them go." thought Mark as he remembered words given to him by his brother.

"My plan to bring this woman to my side was a good but why can't I smile at the success of this task?" thought Mark as he felt more of the woman's tears hit his arms as she rested her head on his chest.

Five Hours Later

The sun had long since set over Washington as a prison bus stopped in front of a large county jail and a familiar Hispanic man stepped off the bus with a few other men in handcuffs before they were led into the jail.

While this was going on Sheriff Quin found himself sitting outside of an old motel watching as three of his officers escorted a Hispanic teen out of his room and into Quin's police car.

"Alright let's get him back to the station." said Quin as she slid into the drivers seat of his car while another officer sat in the passenger seat while the other two got into a second before leading the group away from the hotel.

"Where's the Brothers?" asked Alvarez.

"The decided it was best to hand you over to me instead of killing you but don't worry your family is safe and will be as long as you cooperate." said Quin as he noticed Alvarez starting to panic through the rearview mirror.

"No no no, they're gonna kill them." said Alvarez as Quin turned to face the man at a redlight.

"No, the Brothers are not going to go after your family as long as you talk." said Quin.

"No the Brothers aren't the problem." said Alvarez.

"Then who is Alvarez?" asked Quin as miles away from their location at the King County Jail the bruised and beaten Hispanic teen was beginning to change his clothes just as the guards watching him walked out of the room while three men carrying home made knives entered the room and spotted the man.

"Who Alvarez!" asked Quin but before the teen could answer the sound of gunshots filled the air as he turned his head and watched as the leading police car was showered in a hail of gunfire from Assault Rifles as a truck pulled up in front of the vehicle.

"Shit!" yelled Quin as bullets tore through his windshield and hit the officer beside him in the face showering the front of the car and covering Quin in the man's blood and brains. As Quin tried to hop out the car with his gun raised he was stopped as four bullets hit him in the back causing him to fall forward and hit the ground with a loud thud while Alvarez screamed for help from the back seat of the car as six gunmen approached him.

"Cesar!" said Alvarez as he eyed a familiar bald man smiling at him as one of the men opened the door while two more pulled the man out of the car.

"The boss was very unhappy with the way you handled things." said Cesar as Alvarez started to panic.

"I was never gonna rat I swear." said Alvarez as Cesar started to chuckle.

"Of course you aren't." said Cesar as he lifted his gun to the man's head.

"Feel lucky this isn't your family." said Cesar as he pulled the trigger quickly silencing Alvarez as the two men let his body hit the ground with a loud thud while Cesar pulled out his cellphone before putting it to his ear.

"It's done and I don't think you have to worry about the Sheriff anymore." said Cesar as he looked down at the motionless body of Sheriff Quin.

"Excellent!" said the man on the other end as Cesar walked away with the gunmen in tow as they laughed at the five bodies they left behind without the knowledge that one of the men were still breathing but that couldn't be said for another man as Corrections Officers entered the dressing room of the King County Jail and found the bloody corpse of a Hispanic man lying on the floor in pool of blood.

Lake House

Things were quiet though at the lake house as the sun had finally set Mark found himself waking up with a sleeping detective in his arms as a smile spread across his face he moved a strand of her hair behind her ear causing her to stir and look up at Mark as a smile spread across her face.

"I think we fell asleep." said Mark as Harper gave a low yawn.

"I better get going than." said Harper as she tried to rise up only for Mark to keep her down as she noticed a smile on the face of the teen.

"Kiss for old times sake?" asked Mark as a smile spread across Mark's face as both he and Harper went to share a kiss before they were interrupted by Lee and Mercy.

"Mark you gotta see this." yelled Mercy earning Mark's attention.

"Can't it wait." replied Mark.

"It's Quin something bad's happened he's on the news." said Lee earning both Mark and Harper's full attention as the duo hopped out of the hammock before rushing into the house where they noticed Trip, Buck, Chris, and Tina sitting in front of the television as Harper began to check her phone noticing that she had a number of missed calls.

"This is reporter Susan Sampson coming to you live from Kirkland, Washington where just hours ago four on duty uniformed officers of the King County Sheriff's Department were transporting captured fugitive Armando Alvarez to County Jail before the officers were ambushed by six gunmen armed with Assault Rifles." said the reporters as Mark felt his eyes widen in fear.

"Among those officers were King County Sheriff Chief Quin who was shot four times in the back and remains in critical conditions while the three other officers have all been pronounced dead on the spot." said the reporter as Harper went through her text message and noticing the ones about Quin before looking up at Mark and noticing the North Valley teen biting down on his bottom lip with enough force to draw blood as Harper noticed it leaking down to his chin before Mark turned away from the television and began to make his way out of the house.

"Marcus you can't leave-!" started Harper before Lee put his hand on the woman's shoulder earning her attention.

"It's best not to stop him right now." said Lee earning wide eyes from the detective as he turned to Mercy and the others.

"We'll keep an eye on him you check on Quin and keep us posted." said Lee as Mercy and Trip followed him towards the door where they noticed Mark hopping onto his motorcycle.

"Where are you going, where's he going?" asked Harper as the trio made their way to Mark's new car before following after him as he rode his motorcycle away from the house.

"Where are they going?" asked Harper as she turned her head to Tina, Chris, and Buck.

"Hunting!" said Tina earning wide eyes from Harper as she started to make her way out the door.

"Wait!" said Tina earning the attention of the woman as she turned her head and noticed Tina walking into the kitchen before returning a few minutes later with a disk in her hands.

"Just in case." said Tina.

"What is this?" asked Harper as he took the disk.

"There are cameras setup throughout cabin, the lake, and the woods. If that kid was killed Mark and the others are gonna look like the main suspects this should prove their innocence." said Tina as Harper eyed the disk before walking out of the room

21: Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Struggle For Control of Rivergreen

Between Gangs Members and Law Enforcement

Two Days Later

The skies were mostly filled with clouds that continued to pour rain on this day in Seattle as Mark sat silently in Ms. Summers office with his therapist Ms. Smith who seemed to be asking him personal questions about the shooting of Sheriff Quin.

"Marcus, how'd you feel after you found out about what happened to Sheriff Quin?" asked Ms. Smith.

"Angry and shaken up inside." he replied Mark while keeping his eyes off the woman.

"Your handler Detective Harper said that you left the safe house without saying a word of where you were going. Can you tell me where you went?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark kept his eyes to the ground before the memories of cutting throats, torturing, and burning individuals filled his mind before he turned to Ms. Smith who was looking at the bandages on Mark's knuckles.

"Blowing off some steam Lee and the others stopped me from doing worse." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"Were you able to see Quin?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark gritted his teeth.

"No, he's been in surgery since Saturday and they wouldn't allow anyone other than family in yesterday." replied Mark.

"I hear Aniyah's flying back from California today and she might need a ride to the hospital." said Ms. Smith.

"I know I told her not to come, Rivergreen isn't a place she needs to be right now." said Mark.

"Yes but remember Mark this is her father we're talking about, I know you hate yours, but you'd do the same." said Ms. Smith as Mark turned his gaze away from the woman.

"How's the shoulder?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark lifted the sleeve of his shirt revealing his unbandaged shoulder and a gash that slightly messed up the tattoo on his arm.

"It's healing better and Reid got out of the hospital yesterday and just like the rest of us he wants to know who pulled the trigger on Quin." said Mark.

"Have you found anything out?" asked Ms. Smith.

"It was the gang that kid Alvarez is in, they were afraid he was gonna speak so they silenced him and his friend permanently." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"So are you and your friends cleared of all suspicion?" asked Ms. Smith as Mark shook his head.

"Nope the new guy filling in for Quin, Detective Amsel, doesn't like me or any of my guys so were the first people he approached and he approached us with seven armed guys with handcuffs before we showed him camera footage of us at the safe house." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head. "But he still suspects me of being involved because I wasn't on any of the camera's until the last few minutes and now there's a warrant for my arrest." said Mark to the shook of Ms. Smith.

"What but there should still be evidence that you were there." said Ms. Smith.

"There was my car and my motorcycle were parked out front in full view of the camera but he still wants to arrest me. I was hiding out most of the weekend and the only reason I came to school today was for him to find me and prove I'm not hiding from an accusation." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"Ms. Smith can you do me a favor?" asked Mark as the woman eyed him with curiosity filling her gaze.

"Find a way to get a hold of Detective Harper she can prove I was there at the safe house at the time Quin was shot, my friends word might mean nothing but hers just might." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"Anything else?" asked Ms. Smith.

"One more thing could you be here for when he arrest me, I have a feeling this guy wants to find a way to slap extra charges on me." said Mark as Ms. Smith nodded her head.

"Consider it done." said Ms. Smith.

"Thank you!" answered Mark as he rose from his chair before walking out of the room and coming face to face with Ms. Summers.

"Everything alright?" asked Ms. Summers as Mark shook his head.

"With her yeah but you might see some cops bringing me out of your school in handcuffs later and I just want you to know I'm innocent on all charges and to be there to watch the show." said Mark as Ms. Summers eyed the North Valley teen with eyes as wide as saucers before Mark walked out of the principals office and made his way to his class where a few students eyed him closely before he took his seat beside Maya.

"What's going on?" whispered Maya as Mark eyed the Cambodian girl.

"Let's just say there's gonna be a really good show later today." replied Mark to Maya's confusion as she eyed the teen.

King County Sheriff Department

Things were for once a bustle of activity at the King County Sheriff Department as a familiar blonde haired blue eyed man sat in his office watching as the members of the GTF brought four Hispanic men into the building in handcuffs while Detective Harper eyed the man from her desk.

"Who are these guys?" asked Harper as she stood beside her fellow Detective.

"Guys belonging to the Familia who were running a dial a dope operation in Kent." said Amsel as Harper nodded her head.

"What is that your tenth arrest this weekend alone?" asked Harper as Amsel nodded her head.

"Yeah, with Quin on the shelf there's gonna be looking for someone to fill his position soon and if they decide to integrate the King County Sheriff's Department and the GTF under one roof that position is as good as mine." said Amsel as Harper gave a low chuckle.

"You sure about that?" asked Harper as Amsel nodded his head.

"Damn right!" said Amsel as he eyed Harper.

"Have you heard from your little psychopath?" asked Amsel.

"He texted me this morning saying that he was going to school today and told me to be there in a few hours." said Harper as Amsel shook his head.

"Nah, you don't have to be there for him I got something I want you to look into." said Amsel earning a confused look from Harper.

"There's this stash house in Rivergreen I want you to look into." said Amsel as he handed Detective Harper a piece of paper.

"I don't know." said Amsel.

"Don't worry he'll be fine besides you need to get your numbers up as well you're the only one below the red line and the D.A. takes notice of that." said Amsel as Harper nodded her head.

"Consider it done." said Harper with a smile but as Amsel tried to grab at her hands the brown haired woman quickly backed away from the man who gave her a confused look before going back to his office where he noticed four men suited up in their GTF Kevlar Vest and uniforms waiting for him.

"Alright then boys let's go bring this midget down." said Amsel with a smile on his face.

Seaside High School

The day was going on almost without a hitch as Mark sat in his last period class with Maya, Daryl, and Jordan each working on a group project as Maya noticed Mark texting on his cellphone throughout the class.

"Hey Mark you okay?" asked Jordan as Mark turned to the teen.

"Yeah, I'm just taking care of somethings." replied Mark as he eyed the trio.

"Have you found out what happened to Quin yet?" asked Maya as Mark shook his head.

"Nope but there are a few assholes in law enforcement that are set that I was one of the trigger men." said Mark to the shock of the trio.

"But why would you kill Quin that man's like a father to you and the others?" asked Maya as Mark shook his head.

"Doesn't matter they're set and they'll be here to arrest me in a few minutes." said Mark earning surprised looks from the trio.

"What they can't do that?" asked Maya.

"Well they're gonna do that but if they're gonna arrest an innocent person I'm going out on my terms if you catch my drift." said Mark as the group noticed a half smile form on his face.

Detective Harper

It wasn't long before Detective Harper left the Sheriff's station as she began to make her drive towards the city of Rivergreen she was caught off guard by the site of a familiar white Tundra, gray Sedan, and a gray Challenger leading a convoy of vehicles out of the town of Rivergreen and towards the city of Seattle as a confused look spread across the face of Detective Harper as she continued towards the small town for a few minutes before her phone started to ring.

"Hello this is Detective Harper." answered the woman.

"Ms. Smith what can I do for you?" asked Harper before the woman's eyes started to race back and forth from the woman's rambling before she slammed hard on the brakes of her car catching the other GTF agents by surprise as they watched the woman turn her car around and begin to drive back to Seattle.

Seaside High School

The final bell for seniors had finally rang out as majority of the seniors rushed out of the school and began to make their way towards their cars while Mark sat on the trunk of his car with Maya and Buck beside them as the trio watched Daryl and Jordan walk over towards them.

"You guys sure you want to do this?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, we got your back." said Daryl earning a nod from Mark as Ms. Smith and Ms. Summers made their way into the senior parking lot where they noticed Mark and his friends sitting in the parking lot.

"Mark!" came a familiar voice as Mark turned his head and noticed Aurora and a few of her friends eyeing him.

"What are you doing?" asked Aurora as Mark went to speak before hearing the sirens of police cars approaching the school causing him to turn his head.

"You all might want to go home you don't want to be here for this." said Mark earning confused looks from Aurora and the girls as they watched the police cars pull into the student parking lot before seven armed men walked out of the vehicle and began to approach Mark.

"Marcus." yelled Amsel as he eyed Mark who gave him an emotionless stare.

"You're under arrest." said Amsel with a chuckle as Mark continued to stare at the man.

"Arrest." said Mark with a chuckle.

"I don't feel like I'm under arrest not a bit, not even a little." added Mark as Aurora and a few other students eyed Mark as he hopped off the trunk of his car to look at Amsel.

"Give it a few seconds it'll sink in." said Amsel as Mark started to chuckle.

"I didn't shoot Quin and you and I both know who did." said Mark.

"Yeah, we both know you were angry at Alvarez for shooting your friend and wanted him dead and ordered his murder but you did it without consulting your friends so you recruited other guys to carry out the murder that's why you were the only one of your guys unaccounted for at the time of the shooting. So even if you didn't pull the trigger you ordered that hit or knew it was going down which is a charge for conspiracy to commit the murder of an on duty officer, and I'm gonna be the guy who brings you down." said Amsel as Mark started to chuckle.

"That sounds very heroic for a asshole like yourself." said Mark as Amsel eyed the man angrily.

"That's funny, for some wannabe tough guy prick who stabbed a kid in the chest." yelled Amsel earning gasps from a few students and teachers as they eyed Mark.

"Yeah real tough how you like to hide behind guys who like to terrorize others and think just because you're from a town in the middle of nowhere you have special status amongst people." said Amsel as Mark gritted his teeth causing Ms. Smith to eye him closely.

"Now turn around and put your hands behind your back." said Amsel as Mark eyed the man angrily.

"I don't think so." said Mark as he took a few steps towards Amsel until the two were nose to nose.

"Your mistake was thinking you had a damn choice." yelled Amsel as the six men from the GTF lifted their guns and aimed at Mark causing a few students to look at them with wide eyes while a few students began to film on their phones.

"And your mistake was thinking that I hide behind my friends and my town." said Mark as the sound of car engines filled the air.

"When in truth we all stand beside the other no matter what city we're in." said Mark as a convoy of vehicles pulled into the student parking lot where they parked behind Mark as Amsel and the students and teachers watched as Lee, Trip, Mercy, Reid, Ryan, Link, Zach, Calvin, Eric, Tyler, Chris, and six other Brothers stepped out of the vehicles and took a stand behind Marcus.

"Like I said I wasn't involved in what happened to Quin and I'm not going anywhere so if you want this to turn into a bloodbath in front of a school do so in front of everyone." said Mark with a chuckle as Amsel eyed the teen with anger in his eyes while the students watched the scene while taking shallow breaths.

"Resisting arrest, threatening an officer, and I'm sure a few of you are carrying weapons. You just keep adding charges Marcus." said Amsel with a half smile on his face as he drew his pistol before pointing it at Mark who remained silent with the emotionless look on his face as Ms. Summers and Ms. Smith approached the group.

"Hey you can't do this on school property." said Ms. Summers.

"This is a legal arrest ladies now step back or be charged with aiding a fugitive." said Amsel as he looked at both women.

"Show them some damn respect asshole." said Mark as Amsel eyed the teen angrily before everyone heard the screeching of tires as a familiar black car stopped in front the school as a brown haired woman rushed towards the two sides.

"What are you doing here Carla?" asked Amsel as he eyed the woman.

"Stopping this, I've told you already detective none of these boys were involved in Sheriff's Quin shooting and all of them had alibis." stated Detective Harper.

"Everyone was accounted for but Marcus he was the only one not on camera." said Amsel.

"He was at the lake house and I know because I was there." said Harper earning the attention of everyone.

"Dun Dun DUN!" said Trip with a chuckle.

"What do you mean you were with him?" asked Amsel as he eyed Harper who took a loud gulp.

"Sheriff Quin ordered her to watch over me this weekend he was afraid me and my guys would retaliate against Alvarez so he sent Harper to guard over us and the reason she wasn't on the camera is because she was watching me while I went in the lake for a swim." said Mark as Harper eyed the teen while Amsel gave Mark an angry glare.

"That's enough of an alibi for me so can you do me a favor and get your damn gun out of my face?" asked Mark with a victorious smile on his face as Amsel eyed him angrily before lowering his gun with the other GTF Agents.

"I win!" thought Mark as his smile grew ever wider.

"Little word of advice detective, when you want to arrest me make sure you have your facts straight." said Mark as he started to chuckle.

"You haven't gotten away Marcus because Quin's not here to protect you so I suggest you keep your mouth shut because I will be seeing you in the future." said Amsel as Mark nodded his head.

"Look all I have to say to that is this...Fuck you, Fuck the hole you crawled out of, Fuck whatever country you hail from, Fuck your parents, Fuck your dumb ass friends, Fuck your shoes, Fuck them cheap ass suits you wear, Fuck your yuck mouth teeth, Fuck your hair piece, Fuck your Task Force, Fuck your ancestry, and fuck the fuck needed to conceive you." said Mark without breaking a sweat or showing a sign of emotions as a few of the teachers eyed him with wide eyes and mouths agape while the members of the Brothers eyed him with half smiles forming on their faces as they tried to hold in their laughs.

"I'm a kid from North Valley, Rivergreen asshole my brothers are hard hitters and my family stands as one now the step the fuck out of my face." yelled Mark with a low growl as Amsel eyed him angrily while Harper eyed the North Valley teens with wider eyes.

"Let's go!" yelled Mark as he turned his back on Amsel earning a laughs and cheers of praise from the Brothers as they patted Mark on the head and shoulder.

"Wow brother just wow." said Lee.

"Fuck the fuck needed to conceived you, I gotta use that." said Trip as Amsel gritted his teeth and clenched his teeth before smiling at Mark.

"I wonder how your grandmother would feel if she saw how big of a disappointment you are today?" asked Amsel loudly as everyone watched as Mark went stiff without moving.

"Oh no!" said Ms. Smith as she eyed the still Marcus.

"Uh oh!" said Lee as the group of Brothers eyed Mark.

"Look at you Marcus you're everything she didn't want you to be nothing but a sad little thug." continued Amsel.

"He needs to stop now because he's shaking the beast and that's something he doesn't want to do." said Ms. Smith as Ms. Summers and Detective Harper eyed Mark as the other North Valley teens noticing Mark lowering his gaze to the ground while gritting his teeth angrily as Amsel started to chuckle.

"She's probably rolling over in her grave right now thinking about you-!" started Amsel before the group watched as Mark turned his gaze to the man before quickly turning around.

"No you don't!" yelled Lee as he Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, and Ryan grabbed onto Mark to try and hold the North Valley leader back as he tried to charge the blonde haired detective at full force while Harper noticed the boy biting down on his bottom lip with enough force to draw blood as he tried to break free from the Brothers grip.

"Calm down brother he's trying to provoke you." said Link as Mark continued to struggle while Amsel smiled at the teen.

"Regain control brother." said Lee as Mark gritted his teeth.

"Marcus calm down take deep breaths and calm down." said Ms. Smith as Mark eyed the woman before following her instructions as he started to slow down his breathing.

"I'm calm now." thought Mark as he eyed Amsel with a smile on his face.

"No matter what you do or say detective you won't provoke me, be you are pissing me off and when you piss me off I'm gonna piss you off." said Mark with anger in his voice as he started to growl before licking his lips.

"Take your men and leave detective you've embarrassed yourself enough today." said Mark as Amsel continued to smile.

"We'll see each other soon Marcus." said Amsel as he walked away from the group with a the other GTF members in tow as the brothers as well as the seniors watched the men leave as Mark noticed Clyde walking away from the men's car without them noticing as Mark turned to Detective Harper, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Summers.

"Well that went a little better than I thought it would." said Mark as he approached the three women with Lee, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach and Ryan in tow.

"Did you really have to bring all of them with you?" asked Ms. Summers.

"No but we never leave a man behind." said Link with a chuckle.

"And who are you?" asked Ms. Summers.

"Link, Zach, and Ryan both whom hail from Rivergreen and like me have a close relationship with Sheriff Quin." said Mark earning a nod from Ms. Smith.

"You handled your anger better than I thought you would." said Ms. Smith.

"Yeah, because everyone here is watching if it was just us I would have killed him honestly I would ripped his throat completely out." said Mark earning nods from the three women.

"So what happens now?" asked Ms. Summers.

"He's gonna try to find another way to arrest us and if Quin doesn't heal up fast he's more than likely gonna take over as Chief and than we wouldn't be able to hide from him anymore." said Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"You all should probably lay low for a few days just in case." said Harper as Mark nodded his head before looking down at his phone.

"You coming with us?" asked Mark as he eyed the detective.

"Where?" asked Harper.

"Me and Lee are gonna go pick up Quin's daughter from the airport and take her to the hospital while the rest of my guys head up to the cabin." said Mark earning a nod from Harper.

"Alright I'll escort you." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"Well I'd like to say thank you for being here for me today." said Mark earning smiles from the three women.

"Someone's gotta keep you in check." said Ms. Summers as Mark nodded his head.

"Well then I'll see you tomorrow hopefully." said Mark as he turned around and began approaching the group of Brothers.

"Did you do it?" asked Mark as he eyed Clyde.

"Aye their doors won't lock and we'll have the keys for the cars after they make it back to the station." said Clyde as Mark nodded his head before turning to Link.

"Davey and Eddy readying up?" asked Mark as Link nodded his head.

"As well as Jude and the twins so the plans ready to commence." said Link earning a nod from Mark as he eyed the group.

"Alright I'll send my brother a call and let them know to have the Royals in their place." said Mark.

"Remember we're doing this for Quin, and all of you have now met this asshole and he's gonna be on all of us soon but with this plan we can slow him down." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Now head all of you head back home and remember to pair up and stay close to one another." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Mercy Trip I need you two to drop Maya and Buck off home then head back to the cabin." said Mark.

"Well see you when you get back." said Mercy earning a nod from Mark as they patted the North Valley leader on his shoulder before he made his way back to his car where Buck, Maya, Daryl, and Jordan were waiting.

"Mercy and Trip are gonna take you two home." said Mark earning a nod from Maya.

"Where are you going?" asked Maya.

"Pick Aniyah up from the airport and bring her to the hospital." replied Mark earning a nod and a smile from Maya.

"Alright and Mark remember to behave yourself." said Maya as Mark nodded his head before watching the girl leave and turning his gaze to Buck as a smile spread across his face as he patted the boy on his head.

"Your brother would be proud of you today you looked good standing beside us." said Mark as Buck nodded his head with a smile before moving away from Mark as he and Lee approached Daryl and Jordan.

"You are full of surprises aren't you Mark?" asked Jordan as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'm grateful you guys stood beside me and my brothers for this." said Mark.

"Yeah, we'd stand beside you but if they started pulling triggers I was running." replied Daryl as Mark and Lee started to chuckle.

"Wouldn't blame you if you did." said Mark as he shook hands with both Daryl and Jordan before the duo walked away from the two North Valley teens as they watched the members of the Brothers begin to drive out of the student parking lot as Aurora approached Mark while the teen popped the trunk of his car and began rummaging through one of his bags.

"Enjoy the show?" asked Mark as he eyed the girl.

"You guys are insane." said Aurora as Mark started to chuckle.

"Wow get this brother cursing out a police officer with a gun to our heads make us insane." said Mark.

"Really I thought that was proved when we rushed into a gun fight with only our fist." said Lee as both he and Mark started to chuckle before Mark pulled out another black hat with Brother written on the front and Rivergreen in the back in white writing.

"So is that the name of your gang, Brothers?" asked Aurora as Mark and Lee both eyed the girl.

"We prefer the phrase group of neighborhood friends who fight other kids from outside neighborhood." said Lee with a chuckle.

"You realize you gave the textbook definition of a gang?" asked Aurora.

"Yeah, but gangs don't have the brotherly bond that we have and aside from fighting we aren't involved in anything illegal." said Mark as Aurora nodded her head.

"Oh yeah, my answers yes." said Mark as Aurora gave him a confused look.

"I'll go to homecoming with you." said Mark as a smile spread across the face of Aurora.

"You mean it?" asked Aurora as Mark nodded his head before the caramel skinned girl wrapped him into her arms for a big hug.

"Alright we gotta go, see you tomorrow." said Mark as Aurora nodded her head before she and her friends walked away from the duo.

"You think Aniyah's gonna like her?" asked Lee as Mark put his hat on his head.

"Don't care she's got her new boyfriend." said Mark as both he and Lee slid into his car as the group watched Detective Harper slide into her vehicle before driving away from the school with Mark following right behind the woman as the sound of thunder caught the attention of Ms. Summer and Smith as they made their way back to the school as rain started to fall.

King County Sheriff Department

The ride back to the station was very quiet for Amsel and the booming thunder matched his mood as his mind pondered his next course of action since the failed attempt to arrest the North Valley leader as the man exited one of the four GTF's Squad car before making his way towards the building before being stopped by the sound of his cell phone ringing.

"Yeah!" answered Amsel.

"Did your plan work?" came the voice of Cesar on the other end of the phone.

"No, there's been a change of plans instead of arresting these pricks we need to turn our attention on making money and moving our operation out of Rivergreen then we'll begin open warfare with the them." said Amsel.

"Why the sudden change?" asked Cesar.

"Because if things go as planned you'll be looking at the new King County Sheriff Chief." said Amsel as he hung up his phone and entered the station without the knowledge that a windowless van was slowing driving in front of the building.

"Get going." said a masked man as Davey, Eddy, Jude, Duke, and Luke each dressed and black and wearing masks climbed to the top of the van before jumping over the fence surrounding the station and rushing towards the GTF's vehicles without being spotted as they climbed into the vehicles and began to hot wire them as the vehicles quickly started up as a smile spread across the faces of each men.

Seattle Airport

As the rain poured outside the airport Mark, Lee, and Detective Harper found themselves sitting in the crowded airport as they watched the people go by with mixed looks on their faces.

"Marcus!" came a familiar voice as causing Mark, Lee, and Harper to turn their heads and notice a familiar girl walking towards them as a smile spread across the face of Mark as he rose to his feet and outstretched his arms to hug the girl.

"It's good to see you both." said Aniyah as she let go of Mark before hugging Lee.

"Just wish the circumstances were better." said Lee as Aniyah eyed Mark.

"Have you seen my father?" asked Aniyah as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, the nurses and doctors wouldn't let anyone aside from his family in." said Mark as Aniyah nodded her head.

"Where are your bags?" asked Lee as the group watched as a tall African American male with a shaved head came up behind Aniyah with a bag in his hand.

"I'm sorry, Marcus Lee this is Blake my boyfriend." said Aniyah as Lee sent Mark a look and noticed the teens emotionless look on his face.

"It's nice to meet you both." said Blake as he reached out to shake hands with both teens as Mark gritted his teeth and swallowed his pride before shaking the man's hand with a forced smile to everyone's shock.

"Nice to finally meet you." said Mark through gritted teeth as he let go of the teens hand before allowing Lee to shake his hand.

"We should get going." said Mark as he walked away from the group earning a low chuckle from Lee as Blake shot Aniyah a look before walking away with the girl.

"What's that all about?" asked Harper as she eyed Lee.

"Aniyah's Quin's daughter and Mark's ex." said Lee earning a look from Detective Harper.

"Really, well this has got to be awkward." stated Harper.

"You don't know the half of it sweetheart." replied Lee as both he and Harper followed after the group.

King County Sheriff's Department

"Answer me this question, how the fuck do you lose four police cars in broad fucking daylight?" asked Amsel as he eyed the other members of the GTF as the group stood in the parking lot with members of the King County Sheriff.

"We looked at the tapes about a few hours ago five guys dressed in black used a van to hop the fence and basically just drove out with the cars." said one of the men as Amsel gritted his teeth,

"Well why can't we find them?" asked Amsel.

"The license plates were taken off along with all the trackers and equipment inside." said another officer as Amsel gritted his teeth.

"Do you realize the shit storm we're gonna be in once the D.A. finds out about this?" asked Amsel with anger in his voice before the gears in his head started to turn.

"That fucking psycho." said Amsel as he thought of his conversation with Mark before turning to his officers.

"I want you to find Marcus and everyone else that was there at that school and bring them in." said Amsel before one officer spoke up.

"Sir Harper's with Mark right now." said another officer as Amsel balled his hands into fist while gritting his teeth.

Tacoma

The drive back to Tacoma wasn't long for Link and Zach as their car parked in front of their autoshop where they noticed Jude, Davey, Eddy, Duke, and Luke standing in front of the autoshop.

"Job complete and we stripped all the traceable parts." said Jude as Link nodded his head.

"Please tell me you were smart enough not to bring the cars here?" asked Zach.

"Of course we wouldn't bring them here Mark said drop them off a warehouse in Rivergreen owned by the Royals they should be safe there for whatever he's got planned." said Davey as Link nodded his head.

"Thank god." said Link.

Hospital

The drive to the hospital wasn't long for the North Valley teens as they made their way to towards Sheriff Quin's room where they noticed two uniformed officers standing outside his door.

"Only two people can go." said one of the officers as Mark eyed Aniyah and Blake before Aniyah turned to him.

"Come with me." she said to Mark' surprise before he nodded his head.

"We'll be right outside brother." said Lee earning a nod from Mark as Aniyah took his hand before leading him into the room where they both noticed Quin lying in a bed with Aniyah's mother beside him as the woman quickly rose to her feet before rushing towards her daughter and wrapping her into her arms while Mark continued to eye Quin before Aniyah's mother opened her arms for North Valley Brother to bring him in for a hug.

"How's he doing?" asked Mark.

"He's stable but they don't know when or if he'll wake up." said Aniyah's mother as Mark eyed the woman and noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry he'll wake up Quin's to stubborn to let four bullets bring him down." said Mark earning a smile from the woman as the group took seats beside the Sheriff's beside with high hopes as the rain outside continued to pour.

22: Chapter 22

Chapter 22:The Corruption of Rivergreen

Exposed on Homecoming Night

The Next Day

The rain was still pouring on this new day in Washington as Aniyah found herself waking up still sitting by her sleeping father with her mother and Blake next to her before she noticed Mark walking out of the bathroom wearing his school uniform.

"You came back?" she asked as Mark turned to face her.

"Yeah, I snuck back in after I took Lee home." he replied earning a smile from Aniyah.

"I'm glad to see you're still in school." she said earning a chuckle from Mark.

"I owe you for that, especially since now everyone at my school knows where I'm from and want to be my friend." stated Mark.

"That so?" asked Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, I even got a date for homecoming tonight." said Mark to Aniyah's surprise.

"Oh, who's the lucky girl?" asked Aniyah as Mark reached into his pocket before handing the girl his cellphone and showing her a picture of Aurora.

"She's pretty." said Aniyah coldly.

"She's pretty but she's not really my type." said Mark as he ran his hand over Aniyah's earning a smile from the girl before she jerked her hand away from his.

"I'm sorry Marcus but I'm with Blake now and he really cares about me." said Aniyah.

"I really care about you." replied Mark.

"Yeah, but you had your chance and even though I loved being with you we can't be together with the way you are and the way I am." stated Aniyah as her words brought a confused look to the face of Mark.

"Right now I'm thinking of my future and striving to get there while you're stuck in the past. You're life revolves around Rivergreen and everything you do is for the better of that town even if it means your life is on the line." said Aniyah as Mark eyed her.

"I saw that video of you and Lee fighting those guys with guns and before I left you promised me that you wouldn't do the crazy stuff you did all those years ago and then I come up here and find out about a gang war and who's in the middle of it." said Aniyah as Mark lowered his gaze.

"I know you've been trying to get your life on track even with everything you've been through but you and I just aren't compatible right now." said Aniyah as Mark lifted his head to eye the girl.

"I need to get going." said Mark as he began to make his way out of the room with Aniyah calling his name only for her words to go on deafs ear as Mark walked out of the hospital.

"I'd be lying if I said her words didn't hurt me." thought Mark as he made his way towards his car.

"When we were together it was during the first gang wars and I was always out fighting for my friends and my neighborhood without once thinking of how she felt on the matter." thought Mark as he slid into the front seat of his car before starting it.

"Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and rewrite history but I know wishing is useless for me." thought Mark as he drove away from the hospital without looking back while Aniyah continued to stare at her father without noticing the man beginning to move his fingers.

King County Sheriff Department

Things were silent in the office as Detective Harper walked into the building earning the eyes of almost everyone inside as she made her way to her desk before taking a seat as a familiar blonde haired detective approached her.

"It's good to see that were able to come in today Carla." said Amsel as he approached the woman who looked at him with serious eyes.

"Your little psychopath on his leash today?" asked Amsel.

"What is your problem with him. Mark has been the biggest asset to the King County Sheriff Department and the GTF since we've been here, so why are you willing to throw him away like that?" asked Harper.

"Because he's a criminal Carla and he's been one since the day we arrived here and if he's been such a big help, how come he hasn't brought back those cars his friends stole yet?" asked Amsel.

"Are you forgetting that one of those cars was used in a drive-by-shooting not even twenty four hours ago?" asked Amsel.

"No, I haven't forgotten." said Harper as Amsel eyed the woman.

"You know what I'm starting to think, that someone on the inside was working with whoever stole those cars." said Amsel.

"And you're accusing me?" asked Harper with wide eyes.

"You're damn right you and Quin have the biggest connection with that group of ruthless thugs and when Quin goes down they start showing their true colors." said Amsel as Harper rose from her desk and eyed Amsel with anger in her eyes while the other Sheriff's watched the duo closely.

"Fuck you." said Harper as Amsel started to chuckle.

"Sorry I'm already fucking you." said Amsel as Harper felt tears beginning to form in her eyes before she grabbed her badge before dropping it on her desk and walking out of the office.

"You know, when everyone is off making fun of you and laughing at you behind your back I was always there to stick up for you but now have fun on your own." said Harper as she grabbed her things before walking out of the station as all eyes soon fell on Amsel who walked away from their glares.

Seaside High School

The drive to Seaside wasn't long for Mark after he picked up both Maya and Buck before he pulled his car into the student parking lot.

"So let me get this straight you were stuck in the hospital last night with Aniyah, her mom, and her new boyfriend and you didn't knock him out?" asked Buck as Mark nodded his head.

"I am so proud of you Marcus for not getting physical with this boy I know that must have taken a lot to muster up." said Maya.

"It did but I ain't worrying about it, tonight's homecoming I got a date and I ain't worried about what's his face." said Mark as the trio entered the school where Mark instantly came face to face with a familiar girl.

"Mark can I talk to you for a second?" asked Aurora as Mark eyed the girl with a smile.

"Sure!" said Mark as he began to walk away with the girl Maya folded her arms over her chest as an expression soon spread over the girls face.

"This ain't good." said Maya as Buck eyed her.

"Listen I know you had your heart set on going to the homecoming dance together but I won't be able to make it." said Aurora as Mark eyed the girl with his emotionless gaze before nodding his head.

"That so?" asked Mark.

"I'm sorry but it's a family thing." said Aurora as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, it's alright go be with your family we can hang out another time." said Mark as Aurora nodded her head.

"You're taking this better than I thought you would." said Aurora as Mark started to chuckle before grabbing at the girls hands.

"Nah, I understand if something was wrong with my Brothers or anyone I care about I'd probably do the same, besides I want to get back to the hospital to sit with Quin." said Mark as a smile spread across the face of Aurora.

"Thank you!" said Aurora as she planted a kiss on Mark's cheek before walking away from the North Valley teen while Buck and Maya approached him.

"Dates off?" asked Maya as Mark started to chuckle.

"Big time." said Mark with a forced smile as Maya looked at him sadly.

"You want a hug?" asked Maya.

"Nah, I'm fine." said Mark as he Maya looked at the North Valley teen as the bell rang out dismissing the students to first period.

Rivergreen High School

While Mark sat in class the other members of the North Valley Brothers sat in their second period class writing down notes before the door to their classroom opened and in walked a woman with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail with blue eyes behind a pair of glasses eyed the teacher.

"Principal Wilkerson." said the teacher.

"Sorry to interrupt but I need to borrow three of your students right quick." replied the teacher.

"Do I need to ask who?" asked the teacher before the woman shook her head as the man turned his attention to Lee, Mercy, and Trip who were lifting themselves from their desk before following the woman out of the classroom.

"What's on your mind Ms. Wilkerson?" asked Lee.

"You three are still in close contact with your friend Marcus aren't you?" asked Ms. Wilkerson as the trio of boys eyed her.

"Yeah why?" asked Mercy.

"Call him and tell him there's a job I need him to do, one of his specialties." said Ms. Wilkerson.

"We're not calling Mark to beat up anymore students for you Ms. Wilkerson." replied Trip.

"I don't want him to beat up this student I'm looking for a permanent solution." stated Ms. Wilkerson causing the trio to stop in their tracks.

"Wait you're not talking about what we think you're talking about?" asked Lee.

"Yeah I am and I know Mark is willing to do anything for the right price so tell him, I'll pay him three thousand to get it done by the end of the day." said Ms. Wilkerson.

"You aren't listening we're not calling Mark to do your dirty work if you have a problem deal with it yourself." said Mercy as Ms. Wilkerson eyed the boys angrily.

"Fine I'll get someone else to do it and all three of you are suspended for the rest of the week." said Ms. Wilkerson as the trio eyed her angrily.

"What did we do?" asked Trip.

"Don't make me extend that suspension, now pack up your shit and get the fuck out of my school." said Ms. Wilkerson as the trio of Brothers eyed her angrily.

"I've never hurt a woman before but I think I might hurt this one." said Mercy as Lee patted the teen on the chest.

"Come on I know who we can talk about this with." said Lee as the group began to make their way back to class.

Seaside High School

Things were going rather usually for Marcus as he sat silently in history class with Maya while their teacher stood at the front of the board giving a lecture on European History before Ms. Summers entered the classroom.

"Sorry to interrupt but I need to borrow Seaside's celebrity." said Ms. Summers as all eyes fell on Mark as he rose from his chair.

"First off I'm not a celebrity until I make national news." said Mark.

"You're about to after this." said Ms. Summers as Mark gave her a confused look before following her out of the classroom and closing the door behind her.

"What's this about?" asked Mark.

"We'll talk about this once we get to my office." said Ms. Summers as the duo remained silent before they entered her office where Mark noticed Lee, Mercy, and Trip waiting inside.

"What's going on?" asked Mark.

"We got suspended today by your boss." said Trip as Mark gave the teen a confused look.

"Ms. Wilkerson suspended us because we told her to take her job and shove it." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"What kind of job did she want you to do?" asked Mark.

"The kind someone doesn't come back from." said Lee as Mark's eyes widened.

"I don't get it from what you all are saying is that Ms. Wilkerson, the principal of Rivergreen High, intended to pay one of my students to kill one of her students." said Ms. Summers as Lee nodded his head.

"Wouldn't be the first time she payed me to do a job." said Mark to the surprise of Ms. Summers.

"Like I said Rivergreen is a corrupt town filled with corrupt people. Teachers and Principals are no exception and when you're a parentless teenager who can't work because of age you had to find anyway to bring money into your home." said Mark as Ms. Summers looked at him with wide eyes.

"So she's paid you to kill for her before?" asked Ms. Summers.

"She's paid me to do certain task against students gang banging in the school but never kill them." said Mark.

"What kind of task?" asked Ms. Summers as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Beat up students, break a few bones, plant some drugs or weapons on students in order to get them expelled, mostly stuff to either get them out of school or clean up their acts." replied Mark as Ms. Summers eyed the teen with anger in her eyes.

"And you followed these task?" asked Ms. Summers.

"It was either I do it or she found someone else to do it and she used to pay me good enough so that I could make ends meet, so I didn't have much of a choice." said Mark earning a nod from Ms. Summers.

"Well now she's having one student kill another, I guess that's alright to isn't it?" asked Ms. Summers as she looked away from Mark who turned his attention to Lee and the others.

"Who does she want dead?" asked Mark.

"Don't know she didn't say." said Lee as Mark rose from his chair.

"Well than I think I need to pay my former principal a visit." said Mark as everyone gave him confused look before watching him pull out his cellphone.

Hospital

"What are we doing here Marcus?" asked Mercy as the group exited the hospital elevator and made their way to Quin's room.

"Hopefully to knock out Aniyah's new boy toy." said Trip as Mark started to chuckle.

"Surprised you haven't caved and done it yet." stated Lee.

"I'm not going there to knock Aniyah's new boyfriend out, someone's here and we need them for this task." said Mark as the group noticed that the two officers weren't standing in front of Quin's door as they entered the room and noticed a familiar brown haired woman sitting with Quin's family.

"Marcus shouldn't all of you be in school?" asked Aniyah.

"Something came up that required us out." said Mark as he turned to Harper.

"And we need our cop friend to help us with this." said Mark as Harper shook her head.

"Well than you're gonna need to get help from someone else, I quit my job today." said Harper shocking the group.

"Why being a cop was something you always dreamed of why just throw it away?" asked Mark.

"Because I didn't like the way things were being run." replied Harper as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Jesus and we really need a cop we trust for this task." said Lee.

"Why is that?" asked Aniyah.

"Because this story is gonna get national coverage and we'd rather a good cop be there for it." said Mark as he eyed Harper.

"Well than you got one-!" came a raspy voice that caught the attention of everyone as they turned their heads and noticed Sheriff Quin looking at the group with a smile on his face.

"Dad!" said Aniyah as she eyed the man.

"Hi kiddo." said Quin as Aniyah quickly hugged the man with tears in her eyes while the four North Valley teens each felt smiles form on their faces.

"Why you boys looking at me like you looking at a ghost?" asked Quin.

"You almost made us feel that way." said Mark.

"Not me I never had my doubts." said Trip with a chuckle.

"So what's this I hear about a task and an ex-cop who can't help?" asked Quin as a smile spread across the man's face as he eyed a smiling Mark.

King County Sheriff's Department

Things were moving somewhat slowly at the station after the Amsel-Harper conflict and the battle lines seemed to be drawing between the Sheriff's and the GTF as Amsel sat in his office with his phone to his ear.

"How's are you doing?" asked Amsel.

"The deal went down as planned and by this time next week you'll be looking at an assortment of weapons." came the voice of Cesar from the other end.

"What about the Rocket Launcher and Land Mines?" asked Amsel.

"They're here as well." said Cesar as a smile spread across the face of Amsel.

"Good and do not let me down Cesar or I will find someone else who can solve this problem." said Amsel.

"Yes boss!" said Cesar as Amsel hung up his phone before looking out the window of his office and noticing a familiar brown haired woman walking into the station as a smile spread across the face of Amsel before he walked out of his office.

"Well look who came crawling back." said Amsel as he Harper eyed the man with anger in her eyes.

"I came to get my badge back." said Harper as Amsel started to chuckle.

"Sorry you threw that away when you walked out of that door, because as of now you are no longer apart of the GTF and a lot of us don't want you back here." said Amsel before a smile spread across his face.

"But I will let you back if you beg for your job." said Amsel as he reached into his pocket before pulling out Harper's badge and holding it before her face.

"Now tell me how much you want your job back." stated Amsel as Harper looked down at the ground as a sinister smile spread across the face of Amsel before his fun was interrupted.

"Who's the sick fuck now?" came a familiar voice as Amsel lifted his head and noticed Mark standing in the front entrance with Aniyah beside him.

"Who let you in here?" asked Amsel as Mark started to chuckle.

"Oh you know getting into the King County Sheriff's Department is almost as easy as breathing now." said Mark earning an angry scowl from Amsel.

"Mind your words Marcus because Quin isn't here to protect you and I can throw you in the slammer for anything." said Amsel as Mark eyed Aniyah.

"Told you this guy was an asshole." said Mark as Aniyah nodded her head before Amsel eyed the girl..

"Who is that Marcus another one of your female members?" asked Amsel with a chuckle.

"Actually this is Sheriff Quin's daughter here to speak on behalf of her father and you will show her respect." said Mark as Amsel eyed the two curiously.

"A few hours ago Quin woke up and we had a long conversation about what's been going on since he's been down." said Mark as Amsel's eyes almost widened.

"He sent Aniyah here to be his advocate until he's cleared by doctors to return to the field so listen to her." said Mark as he eyed Amsel angrily before turning to Aniyah.

"Do your thing sweetheart." said Mark as Aniyah nodded her head.

"My father is greatly disappointed in the way things are being run here specifically under your command Detective Amsel and as of now he's working with the D.A. to have you removed from the GTF." said Aniyah earning wide eyes from Amsel.

"And he'll be sure to mention the missing police issued cars, weapons, equipment, and documents you lost in those vehicles." said Aniyah as Amsel gritted his teeth.

"His next proclamation is to name his successor until he's back on his feet and with great recommendation and approval from the D.A. he's chosen Detective Carla Harper to be replace him and act as the new acting Sergeant for the King County Sheriff's Department." said Aniyah with as Amsel and a few others looked at Harper with wide eyes as a smile spread across the face of Marcus as he approached Amsel.

"I'll take that!" said Mark as he jacked Harper's badge out of the man's hand before presenting it to her.

"You outta feel lucky because if I would know sooner that she wasn't a cop I wouldn't given her something you could never do my friend." said Mark with a chuckle before Harper slapped him the back of the head.

"Shut your mouth." said Harper.

"Yes mam." said Mark as he handed the woman the badge.

"These changes are hereby in affect effective immediately and are irreversible." said Aniyah as Amsel continued to eye the girl.

"Have a nice day." said Mark as he walked away from Amsel with Harper and a smile on his face.

"Pinkman Manny I need you two with me." said Harper with an authoritative tone as Amsel watched two Sheriff rise from their seats before following after Harper as she began to make her way out of the station with Mark and Aniyah.

"That fucking bitch." said Amsel as he gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fist.

"Alright phase one complete now on to phase two." said Mark earning a nod from Harper as he split from the woman before heading towards his car where Lee, Mercy, and Trip were waiting for him.

"See you on the other side." said Harper as Mark slid into his car before driving away from the station.

Hospital

It didn't take long for the news of Sheriff Quin waking up to spread as news teams from across the state waited outside the hospital in order to get an interview with the man while his wife sat beside him.

"Doc how long before I can go home?" asked Quin.

"Just because you're awake doesn't mean you're ready to go home Sheriff, especially back to work so soon." said the doctor as he started to rub Quin's feet earning flinches from the man.

"Looks like you aren't paralyzed thank god just a few more inches and you wouldn't have any feeling anywhere in your body." said the doctor as Aniyah's mother breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll see if I can get you some medicine for the pain." said the doctor as he began to make his way out of the room Quin noticed an African American man waiting outside his room before turning to his wife.

"Who's the kid on the other side of the door?" Quin asked.

"Aniyah's new boyfriend Blake he came here with her." she replied while Quin eyed the woman.

"And Mark hasn't kicked his ass yet?" asked Quin.

"No he's holding back but almost everyone's saying he should." she added.

"Came you blame them if you ever left me then brought a new dude around me I'm gonna bury that fucker, cop and all just for general purpose." said Quin earning a chuckle from his wife.

Rivergreen High School

School was still was ten minutes away from ending for the seniors as Mark pulled his car into the parking lot of the building before stepping out.

"It's been a while since I been here." said Mark with a chuckle.

"Trust me not much has changed around here and some people still ask about Mercenary Marcus." said Mercy with a chuckle.

"Mercenary Marcus, I haven't been called that since my freshman year here. Growing up with no money and refusing to sell drugs, I had to do various odd jobs for people which stemmed from cutting grass to assaulting people. In school teachers payed me to take out students they didn't like our wanted to get rid off and paid me greatly but that was a life I left behind." thought Mark before he entered the school with the other North Valley teens in tow as a few students who recognized him watched him with wide eyes while a few walked up for hugs as Mark lifted his head to members of the Brothers, 2O, and Royals who nodded their heads at him.

"Hey!" came a somewhat familiar voice as Mark felt someone grab onto his back and wrap their almost pale arms around him.

"Marcus it's so good to see you again." said a girl with long black hair that reached the middle of her back and a wide gap in the middle of her top teeth as she smiled at Mark while tightening her grip around him.

"Jenna you're gonna crush the life out of him." said Lee as the girl let Mark go allowing him to breath.

"You ever had a girl who's had a major crush on you but you can't be with her for certain reasons well that's this girl. Her name is Jenna Ross like us she's from the Valley but she's apart of Reid's trailer trash lineup. She's always had a crush on me mainly because I'm one of the few guys who actually treat her right. One of the reason I don't want to be with her is because like Reid she's drug addict and she isn't afraid to put out but I'll admit she's a really nice girl and fun to be around and she's more than willing to help me relieve stress, which might be what I need a little later." thought Mark as he faced the girl.

"Thanks for not choking me out Jen." said Mark through deep breaths.

"Sorry about that it's just I haven't see you in so long and I every time you're in the trailer park I never get to see you." said Jenna.

"Maybe if she weren't off getting high or down on her knees with her hand down some guys pants." whispered Trip before Mercy elbowed the teen.

"Yeah, sorry I've been meaning to come see you." lied Mark as he sent a look to Lee as school bell rang out.

"Hey I gotta go but I'd love to get your number." said Mark as Lee, Mercy, and Trip each sent him confused looks while a smile spread across Jen's face before she wrote her number down on a piece of paper before handing it to Mark.

"Call me later tonight okay?" asked Jen as Mark nodded his head with a smile.

"I'll call you I promise." said Mark as Jen leaned down to give him a quick kiss that surprised Mark and shocked the other North Valley teens as they watched the girl walk away.

"Dude you just got kissed by a whore on the mouth." said Trip.

"Wouldn't be first time." said Mark.

"Are you really going to call her?" asked Lee as Mark put the girls number in his pocket.

"Maybe my homecoming date canceled on me and me and the detective are over so I may need a comfort girl tonight." said Mark.

"We keep saying you need to go beat Blake's ass and get Aniyah back like a real man." said Trip as Mark rolled his eyes before turning their head and noticing a familiar blonde haired woman.

"I thought I said you boys were suspended." said Ms. Wilkerson as she eyed Lee, Mercy, and Trip.

"That was before they came to me." said Mark as he turned around and faced Ms. Wilkerson who looked at him with a smile.

"I knew you'd come." said Ms. Wilkerson.

"For a pay day I wouldn't miss out." said Mark earning a nod from Ms. Wilkerson.

"Come we can talk more about this in my office and leave your friends outside." said Ms. Wilkerson as Mark turned to Lee who had patted him on the chest earning a nod from Mark before walking out with Mercy and Trip in tow while Mark entered Ms. Wilkerson office before having a seat across from the woman.

"So what's the job and why do you want me to do it?" asked Mark as Ms. Wilkerson put a picture before him.

"I need you to take out Charlie Flanagan." said Ms. Wilkerson as Mark eyed the picture of a short blonde haired teenage male.

"What did he do so bad that you want him dead for?" asked Mark.

"Let's just say he's acquired some personal items of mine that could be very detrimental to me and he's using them to blackmail me." said Ms. Wilkerson as Mark nodded his head.

"You tried to reach out and ask for them back?" asked Mark.

"Let's just say I'm not in the position of negotiation with this." said Ms. Wilkerson as Mark lifted his eyebrow

"Christ what's he got nudes?" asked Mark.

"It doesn't matter what he has I just need you to make sure those secrets are put to rest with him." said Ms. Wilkerson as Mark nodded his head.

"So my friends mentioned three thousand for this job." said Mark.

"You get half now and the other half when it's done and I want a picture to prove it." said Ms. Wilkerson as she dropped a wad of money on the desk as Mark eyed the cash.

"Alright I'll consider it done." said Mark as he took a violent cough before patting himself on the chest.

"Sorry getting a cold." said Mark.

"You remember your vow of discretion Marcus?" asked Ms. Wilkerson as Mark nodded his head before rising from his chair.

"Always!" said Mark as he picked up the wad of money before walking out of the school where Lee, Mercy, and Trip were waiting.

"You get it?" asked Lee.

"That and than some brother." said Mark as he lifted his shirt revealing a tape recorder strapped to his chest.

"Let's get this to Harper so we can hurry up and end this day." said Mark as the group made their way towards his car before driving away from the school.

Lake House

The sun was beginning to set on this Washington day as the North Valley teens sat in front of the television in the lake house and watched the news.

"It has been a very shocking day in Rivergreen today after Rivergreen High School Principal Tanya Wilkerson was arrested today after police received evidence that she was payed a one of her former students three thousand dollars to kill one of her current students." said Susan Sampson as the reporter continued to give the news broadcast.

"She was brought in today by the new acting Sergeant of the King County Sheriffs Department Carla Harper, who just hours before was given the position by Sheriff Quin after finally waking up from his coma." continued the reporter before Lee changed the channel.

"Glad that bitch is finally out of our hair." said Lee.

"Yeah, just wish Ms. Jay was still our principal aye Mark?" asked Mercy earning a roll of the eyes from Mark.

"You guys still want me to talk to Ms. Summers about getting you guys transferred to Seaside?" asked Mark earning nods from the other teens.

"Hell yeah, Rivergreens our home but school there is hard and we like school with you." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright first thing tomorrow." said Mark earning nods from the group before they heard the sound of knocks at the front door before it opened allowing Sergeant Harper and Aniyah to walk in.

"Well look who's blessed us with her presence." said Mercy as a smile spread across Harper's face.

"I wouldn't have gotten this far without any of you boys so I thank you all of you." said Harper as the North Valley teens started to chuckle.

"See we aren't as bad as you thought we'd be." said Trip with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you're worse." said Harper earning laughs from the entire group before Mark felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be getting dressed for your date?" asked Aniyah.

"Nope my date canceled on me." said Mark.

"Sorry to hear that." stated Aniyah.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't see this coming, I didn't even buy a tux." said Mark as Aniyah rolled her eyes.

"You're doing it again." said Aniyah bringing a confused look to the face of Mark as he eyed the girl.

"Doing what?" asked Mark.

"Second guessing life you're still thinking that you won't be alive the next day, you're not saying it but you're giving excuses for believing it." said Aniyah as she walked past Mark before climbing the stairs of the lake house.

"The fuck I do now?" asked Mark as he eyed the group.

"You didn't beat up Blake like we said, if you would have beat his ass she'd be all over you right now." said Trip.

"I've heard you talk about this all day so answer me this question. What does Mark fighting this kid prove?" asked Harper.

"That he can beat his ass." said Lee, Mercy, and Trip in unison as Harper rolled her eyes before turning her gaze to Mark and watching him climb the stairs and making his way into the first room where he noticed Aniyah looking out the window before approaching her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Look I know you're still thinking I haven't changed but I have." said Mark as he rested his head on Aniyah's shoulder.

"Really how so?" asked Aniyah.

"I go to school everyday, I'm planning to go to college, I'm looking into careers, and a lot of other things." said Mark as Aniyah shook her head.

"What kind of career?" asked Aniyah.

"Therapist, seems weird but I like the idea of figuring people out for a living." said Mark earning a low chuckle from Aniyah.

"You're still funny!" said Aniyah with a chuckle.

"That's one of the few things that haven't changed." said Mark as Aniyah turned to face the teen.

"Thank you for being there for me today at the Sheriff's station." said Aniyah.

"You knew I'd be there remember I may have been out fighting everyday in Rivergreen but I was there for you when you needed me most." said as plucked a strand of Aniyah's hair behind her right ear before pressing his lips against hers as the two shared a kiss that seemed to last forever before Mark layed the girl down on the bed and glided his hands over her body then moving his mouth down to her neck.

"Stop!" said Aniyah before breaking away from Mark causing the North Valley teen to look at her with confused eyes.

"We can't do this Mark." said Aniyah.

"Well we are doing this." said Mark as he went to kiss Aniyah again only for the girl to back away.

"I can't do this while I'm with Blake. I still have feeling for you but I care about him and he cares about me and I just can't betray him like that." said Aniyah as Mark raised off her.

"I should have kicked his ass when everyone was telling me to." said Mark as Aniyah kissed his cheek.

"The fact that you didn't means more to me than if you would have." said Aniyah as rose from the bed.

"You know you're still the same tease as ever." said Mark as Aniyah started to chuckle.

"I never said I changed much." said Aniyah as the duo shared one more laugh before pressing their foreheads together for a few minutes before moving towards the door.

"Wait!" said Mark earning Aniyah's attention before the North Valley teen pressed his lips back against hers causing the girl to close her eyes and kiss back for what felt like minutes before they parted.

"Just had to do that one more time." said Mark as he eyed Aniyah with a smile before they both exited the room and made their way downstairs where they noticed Lee, Mercy, and Trip each sleeping on a different couch.

"These guys are heavy sleepers." said Harper as Mark started to chuckle after noticing the woman in the kitchen.

"Clear conscious a lot of them have it including myself." said Mark as he turned his attention to Aniyah.

"Want a ride back to the hospital?" asked Mark as Aniyah nodded her head with a smile.

"Yeah I could use one." said Aniyah.

"Wait in the car I'll be out in the minute." said Mark as Aniyah walked out of the cabin before Mark turned his attention to Harper.

"Does being a Sergeant change anything between us?" asked Mark as Harper eyed the teen.

"If you're asking if we can have sex tonight than no Marcus." said Harper with a smile as Mark rolled his eyes.

"I don't just like you for the sex you know." said Mark as he grabbed Harper's hand.

"I figured but now I have to lead by example especially since Amsel put it in everyone's mind that I'm in your pocket." said Harper as Mark rolled his eyes.

"So now I have to prove the naysayers wrong." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"I understand, just let's promise to see each other a little more and not in handcuffs." said Mark earning a smile from Harper as she kissed his cheek.

"Deal." said Harper as she made her way to the front door with Mark in tow before the duo then made their way out of the house before going their separate ways as Mark parked his car in front of the building.

"Thanks for the ride." said Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"I'll see you tomorrow." said Mark as he planted a kiss on the top of the girls forehead before she exited the car and made her way into the hospital.

"Homecoming night with no date and no girl but in all I think today was a fairly good day." thought Mark as he reached into his pocket before pulling out a piece of paper with a number on it.

"Jen it's Mark looking for a little company tonight?" asked Mark as a smile spread across the face of Mark.

"But there are things to make it better especially since I have a taste for blood right now." thought Mark before he drove away from the hospital

23: Life 23

Chapter 23: The Joint Operation and

The Party on the Lake

Three Days Later

The sun was beginning to rise on this new Saturday as Mark found himself waking up in his room in the lake house as he quickly shook off his morning slowness before feeling a breeze of cold air overtake him as the coming winter season approached Washington as then he quickly threw on a pair of khaki cargo pants, an all black t-shirt, and his black brothers cap before making his way out of his room and downstairs where he noticed the familiar smell of eggs in the air as he entered the kitchen and noticed a familiar pale girl standing over the kitchen stove cooking.

"Good morning." said Jenna as Mark eyed the girl.

"Morning to you." said Mark as he opened one of the dressers in the kitchen revealing an assortment of knifes he quickly grabbed a combat knife in a brown sheath and strapped it to his leg before putting a box cutter and switchblade in his pocket.

"I made you breakfast." said Jenna as Mark noticed a plate of food resting on the table as he smiled at the girl.

"Thanks!" said Mark as he took a bite of the food.

"Where's Lee and the others?" asked Mark as Jenna rolled her eyes.

"Lee's in the shower while Mercy and Trip went to go visit their mother." replied Jenna as Mark nodded his head.

"Oh thanks." said Mark as Jenna looked down at the ground.

"Something on your mind?" asked Mark.

"Is the only reason you brought me here just so you could get a quick lay?" asked Jenna as Mark eyed the girl.

"Because I'm starting to think that's all I am for you and everyone else is a quick lay because you never call me, you never bothered to see me, and you never ask about me and that's making me think you don't even care about me." stated Jenna as Mark took a deep breathe before rising to his feet and approached the girl.

"Of course I care about you Jen." said Mark as the girl eyed the smiling teen.

"You know me and you know what I do and you also know that a lot of people want me and those close to me dead and right now you're close to me but you aren't involved in anything so there's no reason you should get hurt for me." said Mark as he rubbed the girls cheek earning a smile from her.

"You've come along way from your addiction." said Mark as he smiled at the girl.

"I can thank you for that." said Jenna with a chuckle.

"Exactly I'll always been there to help you and you'll always been in my heart but more as a friend with benefits because you know nobody can go any further than that with me." said Mark as Jenna lowered her head.

"I know I just still wish it sometimes." said Jenna as Mark nodded his head.

"Keep wishing one day I might change my mind." said Mark as he kissed the girl on her forehead.

"Manipulation at its best." thought Mark as he smiled at the girl.

"Am I interrupting anything?" asked Lee as Mark and Jenna turned to the Chinese American teen who was standing in the doorway.

"Nah, just having a little chat." said Mark as he turned back to Jenna.

"Now get dressed, so we can drop you off back in Rivergreen." said Mark as Jenna nodded her head.

"Will I see you tonight?" asked Jenna as Mark eyed the girl.

"I honestly don't know." said Mark as Jenna rubbed his cheek.

"I hope so." she said before Mark let her go allowing her to walk away while he turned to Lee.

"I still don't see what you see in that girl other than a quick lay." said Lee.

"She's a good person and if I treated her wrong what makes me any different than the gang members we fought against." stated Mark.

"Most of them stood five foot four or over." said Lee earning a sarcastic chuckle from Mark.

"Very funny." said Mark as he walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a glass of orange juice.

"So what are we doing today?" asked Lee.

"My brother needs us, Reid, Link, and Zach at his house in Olympia later today." said Mark earning a surprised look from Lee.

"What are we having a party with your family?" asked Lee.

"Nah, it sounded important he said Curtis is gonna be there as well as Tio." said Mark as he finished up his orange juice before setting his glass in the sink.

"We checking in on Quin today?" asked Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah, he wants me to drop Aniyah off here with Blake later." said Mark earning wide eyes from Lee.

"Still refusing to kick his ass?" asked Lee as Mark nodded his head.

"I'll hold your knife if you catch them humping in your bed." said Lee earning a chuckle from Mark.

"Don't worry about that I plan on leaving Maya, Tina, Buck, Chris, Calvin, and Clyde here for support." said Mark earning a chuckle from Lee.

"The more people to keep you from splitting his head the better." said Lee as the duo watched Jenna enter the kitchen.

"You coming?" asked Mark as he eyed Lee who nodded his head in agreement before following after the duo as they made their way to Mark's car before driving away from the lake house.

Hospital

Things were a now a lively bustle of activity at the hospital as Sheriff Quin sat in his room with his wife, Aniyah, Blake, and Detective Harper.

"So how are things in Rivergreen?" asked Quin.

"Quiet actually Mark, Lee, and the others have been staying at that lake house all weekend and the gangs have been mostly silent all week no shootings, no stabbings, or anything." said Harper as Quin started to chuckle.

"Don't take your guard down this usually means that their either focusing on money and if they're focusing on money something big is about to happen so keep your eyes open." said Quin as Harper nodded her head.

"I won't let you down." said Harper as Quin nodded his head in agreement Aniyah turned to Harper.

"Is Mark at the lake house right now?" asked Aniyah as Blake eyed the girl.

"He called me a few minutes ago and said he was heading into Rivergreen to pick up Reid and a few others. He said something about having something at the lake house." said Harper as Quin eyed the woman.

"Well that's nice of him." said Aniyah's mother earning a nod from the girl who looked quizzically at the ground while Blake eyed her.

Rivergreen

The drive to the trailer park wasn't a long one for Mark as he stopped his car in front of Jenna's trailer as the girl shared a quick kiss with him before exiting the car as Mark drove through the trailer park until he stopped his car in front of Reid's trailer where he noticed the redheaded man sitting outside his trailer with Clyde, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, Chris, Tina, Calvin, Eric, and Tyler.

"Glad your all here." said Mark as he and Lee stepped out of his car.

"What's this about?" asked Reid as he slowly rose to his feet.

"We're gonna have a surprise party at the lake house tonight for Aniyah and we need some guest and some helpers." said Mark as he eyed Tina.

"Alright I can help." said Tina.

"The place is already clean and the fridge is stuffed but if you need anything have Calvin take you to the store." said Mark earning a nod from Tina.

"Are we going to watch you kick her boyfriends ass?" asked Calvin with a chuckle.

"Yeah seriously when are you gonna get that over with?" asked Eric as Mark again rolled his eyes.

"After he catches them in his bed." said Tyler with a chuckle as Mercy elbowed the teen in the stomach.

"While you three are laughing you're gonna be there with them." said Mark earning loud groans from the trio.

"And we need you to pick Maya up and bring her to the lake house." said Mark earning nods from the trio.

"Alright but what are you gonna be doing today Marcus?" asked Tina.

"Let's just say the guys in charge have business to see to." said Mark as he turned his gaze to Link and Reid earning nods from the duo.

"Alright just don't get yourself hurt." said Tina as Mark raised his eyebrow at the girl.

"Since when do you care about our safety?" asked Lee.

"Aniyah wanted me to tell you to bring this new girlfriend of yours to party." said Tina as the group eyed her confusingly.

"How'd she find out?" asked Mark.

"Marcus you're kinda predictable and I don't think she means the trailer trash." said Tina as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Alright, I'll make a phone call." said Mark.

"Hey if we bringing dates I'm bringing one." said Mercy.

"Who you bringing?" asked Mark.

"That girl from your school who gave me her number." said Mercy as Mark rolled his eyes.

"You got numbers from the girls at my school?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, we all did even Reid got a teachers number." said Trip as Mark squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"Alright invite them but the party stays small no one else." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Yes sir." said Tina as she rose to her feet before turning to Calvin, Eric, Tyler and Chris.

"Let's go!" she plainly said earning nods from the as they rose to their feet before following after her as Mark grabbed a hold of Calvin.

"Keep them safe and always move in pairs." said Mark earning a nod from the teen as he followed after the group before Mark turned to the others.

"So what are we getting into?" asked Mercy.

"We got a meeting with my brother in Olympia and it must be urgent because the Royals and the Familia are gonna be there as well." said Mark earning serious looks from the group.

"When's the meeting?" asked Reid.

"An hour from now so we better get on the road now." said Mark earning nods from the group as they rose to their feet.

"Well than let's get this done." said Zach as Mark turned to Reid.

"You good enough to drive?" asked Mark as Reid started to chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm fine trust me." said Reid as the group made their way towards their cars before driving out of the trailer park.

Olympia

The drive to Olympia wasn't long but it was eye opening for the Brothers as Mark led the group into his brothers neighborhood where the group took in the sight of the large houses with smiles on their faces before Mark led the convoy of vehicles into a gated house before parking his car along the side of the house with everyone in tow.

"Your brother lives here not to shabby." said Zach as the group eyed the large house.

"You should see it on the inside." said Mark as he led the group to the front door before knocking on it as the door opened and everyone noticed a light skinned African American woman with long black hair standing and a dress standing on the other side.

"Marcus it's good to see you again and you brought your friends." she said earning a nod from the youngest Roman.

"Yeah, what's this all about?" asked Mark.

"You'll see when you meet your brother he's in the living room." she said as Mark led the group of Brothers into the house where they took in the sight of the large home in awe as Mark led them into the living room where they noticed Martin, Curtis, Tio a few others waiting.

"Little brother." said Martin as he approached Mark and ruffled his hair.

"Time for another haircut." said Martin as Mark shook his head.

"You didn't call us here to tell us that so what's this about?" asked Mark as Martin nodded his head.

"Right again, I called you all here because something serious is about to go down that requires everyone and I mean everyone." said Martin as the Brothers eyed the teen.

"Come we'll discuss more about this with Viktor and the others." said Martin as he began to lead the group deeper into his house.

"You guys know what's going on?" asked Mark as he eyed Curtis and Tio.

"No clue mano." said Tio as Martin led the group to a big door at the end of his hall.

"Leaders and one member only, the rest of you can wait in the living room and there's food in the kitchen so help yourself." said Martin as Tio grabbed one of his guys, while Curtis grabbed one of his own, as Lee placed his hand on Mark's shoulder while Zach and Clyde did the same to Link and Reid.

"We'll be right outside if you need us." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head before the others began to walk away before Martin opened the door revealing a large room with a table in the middle and a number of chairs as Mark quickly noticed Viktor sitting in one of those chairs while one of his men stood behind him.

"Leaders have a seat." said Martin as he took his seat with Curtis to his right, Mark to his left Link beside Mark and Tio on the end as the North Valley teen noticed a well muscled Asian man in a suit sitting across from him.

"Brothers, Royals, and Familia I'd like for you all to meet Viktor Salnikov of the Korotkov Brotherhood." said Martin as everyone eyed the Russian man who held a serious look on his face.

"Ricky Wo of the Washington Triads." said Marin as the group eyed the muscular Asian man with mixed looks.

"And Vito Tarroli of the Washington branch of the Italian Mob." said Martin as the group eyed an older man man with graying black hair and a gray suit as he eyed the group with a smile.

"Bosses this is Curtis James of the Royals and Tio Gordan of the Familia." said Martin before he turned to his younger brother.

"And this is Marcus Roman the leader of the Brothers in King County, Lincoln Mackey the Pierce County leader, and Reid of the 2nd Order." said Martin as the group nodded their heads.

"I'd like to thank all of you for coming today I just wish these were better circumstances that have us all here." said Martin as Mark eyed the group.

"Viktor you have something to say?" asked Martin as the Russian man nodded his head.

"Just a few days ago, a few of my men in Russia were approached by a men with Cartel connections looking to buy weapons and not just any weapons heavy weapons such as Assault Rifles, Heavy Machine Guns, Grenades, Grenade Launchers, Landmines, and Rocket Launchers to be used overseas here in Washington." said Viktor as a few of the Brothers widened their eyes.

"They refused to sell and in response these men attacked my own and stole a lot of our biggest weapons and as of now those weapons are being transported to Washington and will be here within three to five days" said Viktor causing everyones eyes to widen.

"Jesus." said Link earning nods from the group.

"These men were ex Mexican Military connected to a Cartel and their supplying these weapons to a street gang here we all have heard of and a few of us have crossed paths with." said Viktor as he eyed Mark, Curtis, and Tio.

"And with these weapons they plan to shutdown everyone who is resistancing them once and for all whether they be street gang or organized crime family." said Viktor as he eyed Mark.

"These kind of weapons could be a problem to everyone and draw to much heat from not only the cops but law enforcement all across the country." said Martin as earning nods from everyone there.

"Where are the guns coming in from?" asked Ricky.

"Tio?" asked Martin as he eyed the Hispanic man.

"I've got a mole working for me in the Centralas he says he doesn't know anything about anything coming into Washington but he did say something about their lead enforcer Cesar leaving the country after his involvment with the shooting of Sheriff Quin, I'll tell him to do a little more digging" said Tio earning nods from the group.

"What about Longview they've done it before?" asked Reid.

"Yes but you all hit it so that's gonna be out of the question." said Viktor as Mark nodded his head.

"We know one thing it's going to King County." said Mark earning confused looks from a few of the boss that eyed them.

"How do you know that?" asked Vito.

"There's a mole in King County law enforcement and we believe he oversees their entire operation." said Mark to the shock of a few people.

"We also believe that they're a very high ranking officer and have other officers working for them." said Mark.

"This makes things more difficult." said Viktor.

"Right, this means if we report this shit to any branch of law enforcement the Centralas will know about it." said Link.

"So then it looks like we gotta stop this shipment from coming through ourselves." said Ricky as Mark nodded his head.

"Which is where you all come in." said Vito as he eyed Mark, Curtis, and Tio.

"This problem affects every criminal organization in Washington but it affects you the most since you three are openly fighting with them." said Ricky.

"Wait are you saying you want us to take out that shipment?" asked Link.

"We're saying we want you to make sure those guns don't hit the streets, how you get rid of them is up to you, we'd do it ourselves but no organized crime group has the manpower like you street gangs." said Vito.

"That's gonna be hard seeing as these guys are ex military and we're just a bunch of high school kids." said Link.

"I'm sure you can handle it." said Ricky as Curtis and Tio sent a look to Mark.

"Are we going to be doing all the work or will you help any of us?" asked Mark.

"Of course Marcus, I've got some guys willing to help you in your plan and I'll supply you with weapons, explosives, and whatever you need and they're also willing to train you boys for this operation." said Viktor as Mark nodded his head.

"Triad owns almost every dock in the state of Washington, we'll run surviellance for when the shipment arrives and when it leaves. I've also got a few guys that I can spare for a task." said Ricky.

"I've got a guy who specializes in hijacking trucks he'll be with you for this and he'll show you the ropes." said Vito as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright we'll figure out how we're going to do this until then, get your guys to us as soon as possible. Tio tell your mole to do alot more digging we need to know where they're gonna land." said Martin earning a nod from Tio.

"We can't hit them while they're at the docks these guys are ex military so we have to take them on by surprise using the roads." continued Mark as the group eyed.

"We don't just need to hit the transport we need to hit the docks they came from and whereever those guns were gonna go or the guys there will hit us." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"I need to think more on this and I also need more information so just keep me posted." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"If this goes off well we could end this war once and for all and possibly expose your mole." said Ricky.

"Hopefully." said Mark as Ricky and Vito both rose from their chairs.

"We'll be in contact with all of you and let you know any thing that comes up." said Ricky as he and his men walked out of the room.

"My guy will be in North Valley tomorrow to meet you." said Vito as he followed Ricky out of the room.

"Just what we need more problems." said Link as Mark felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be there to help you throughout it all." said Viktor as Mark smiled at the Russian man.

"I still don't like this these fuckers should go off and do this themselves." said Martin.

"No they don't have what it takes to do something like this." said Mark.

"Still all of our guys are loyal but this isn't just breaking into a drug dealers house this is some serious shit that could have all of us killed or sent to jail." said Link.

"You want out?" asked Mark as Link shook his head.

"Nah, this is something you need me for." said Link.

"Wrong." said Viktor earning everyone's attention.

"The less people you have for this task you lower your risk of getting killed or caught remember that Marcus you have to pick your most skilled men for this." said Viktor earning a nod from Mark.

"We also have to think of a way to get out of school for this task." said Lee.

"Leave that to me." said Mark before the group heard a knock at the door and watched as Mercy, Zach, and the others walked in.

"Meeting over?" asked Mercy earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah, we'll fill you in a little later." said Mark earning a nod from the group as they turned to Martin.

"Hey since you're all here how you stick around for something to eat?" asked Martin.

"Can't got to watch Mark beat up his girlfriends new boyfriend." said Zach earning an elbow to the gut from Mark.

"Wait what?" asked Viktor.

"Mark's ex-girlfriend is Quin's daughter she came here with her new boyfriend and let's just say him and Mark have cross paths a lot." said Mercy as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Yeah we see each other but me and him haven't said two words to one another so why should I beat his ass?" asked Mark.

"To prove that you could beat his ass, the fact that he's here with her is him slapping you in the face saying he's got balls to step to you." said Martin.

"Not you two." said Mark.

"I agree eventhough she's your ex him being here is his way of marking his territory." said Viktor as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Just for that I'm bringing my new old lady to the party to just rub noses, if you need me I'm going pick her up." said Mark as he walked away from the group.

"That boys got a lot to learn." said Martin.

"Remember he had no father growing up." said Viktor as Martin eyed the Brothers.

"You boys sure you don't want to grab a bite for the road?" asked Martin.

"You got cornbread?" asked Lee.

"Just finished baking." said Martin.

"Where is your kitchen?" asked Trip as Martin started to chuckle before watching the boys walk out of the room.

"That is one interesting group of kids Mark surrounds himself with." said Viktor.

"Yeah, but the more I get to know the more I like um." said Martin as he and Viktor walked out of the room after the group.

Seattle

The drive to Seattle wasn't long for Mark as he parked his car in front of an unfamiliar house and unstrapping his knife from his hip and hid it under the seat of the car before making his way to the front door of the home and knocking.

"Coming." came a familiar voice as the door opened revealing a familiar girl that eyed Mark with surprised eyes.

"Mark I wasn't exprecting you." said Aurora as Mark nodded his head with a smile.

"Sorry to interrupt your weekend but the party at the lake house is back on and I was hoping you'd come." said Mark earning a smile from the girl.

"Sure let me get ready." said Aurora as she closed the door on Mark before reentering her home as a devilish smile spread across the face of Mark.

"Hook line and sinker assholes." thought Mark as a stood outside the girls door before she stepped out of the house dressed in a red blouse with black pants and her hair combed down.'

"You look good." said Mark earning a giggle from the girl as he walked her to his car before opening the door for her.

"Such a gentleman." said Aurora as she slid into the car.

"Only to you." said Mark as he closed the door behind her before climbing in on the driver side and driving away.

Lake House

The drive to the lake house wasn't long for Mark as he parked his car in front of the lake house where he noticed Mercy, Lee, Trip, Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy and Reid sitting outside the house as Mark exited the car before allowing Aurora out.

"Hey Mark." said Zach earning chuckles from the group as Mark and Aurora laughed at them.

"Guys this is Aurora." said Mark as he eyed the group.

"I believe you already know Lee and the others, but those four over there are Link, Zach, Davey, and Eddy." said Mark as the duo reached the front porch.

"Nice to meet you." said Aurora.

"Pleasures ours." said Link as Zach elbowed Mark in the side.

"You guys bring her friends?" asked Mark.

"Aye and everythings setup." said Mercy as Mark nodded his head before leading the girl into the house where they noticed a few girls from his school along with Maya and Buck as Mark watched Aurora walk over towards her friends.

"Wow Marcus I didn't expect you to stoop so low." said Maya.

"What I do now?" asked Mark.

"Bringing your new girlfriend to a party for your ex-girlfriend that's low even for you." said Maya.

"Hey she said invite her so I did, plus this way I won't spend the night staring off at her." said Mark as Maya rolled her eyes.

"Whatever keeps you from moping or beating Blake up helps." said Maya as Lee grabbed onto Mark's shoulder.

"Meeting in the backyard brother." said Lee earning a nod from Mark.

"We'll finish this conversation later." said Mark as Maya nodded her head before the duo made their way out of the house.

"We brought the others up to speed on things from the meeting." said Lee.

"How'd they take it?" asked Mark.

"The usual... extremely competitive." said Lee as the duo entered the backyard and noticed Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, Reid, Clyde, Calvin, Eric, Tyler, and Buck standing in the back waiting for them.

"So what's the full situation?" asked Mercy.

"The Centralas are bringing a lot of firepower into Washington and I mean Rifles, Rocket Lauchers, Grenades, everything to do battle with us." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"And the organized crime groups want us, the 2O, the Royals, and the Familia to stop those weapons from reaching their destination by any means necessary." said Mark.

"How come we can't just alert the feds?" asked Eddy.

"They're moles in the law enforcement including the leader of the Centralas, We don't know what department he's in but he's high enough to keep us at bay and if we alert them we alert him." said Mark.

"So we have to hit them while they know we don't know about this shipment." said Reid as Mark eyed the group.

"I'm still deciding how things are gonna be done just know I'm not taking all of you for this job at the most we'd probably need seven guys beside myself and this is a joint operation between the three of us." said Mark earning a nods from the group.

"Well you know me, Trip, and Lee are going." said Mercy.

"I don't know there shipment is going to come in most likely on a school day and with all of us out on the same day that's gonna seem suspicious." said Mark.

"We'll me and Clyde are in regardless." said Reid as Mark eyed the group.

"We'll blow up that bridge when we get to it until then the Russians, the Triad, and the Italians are gonna be coming here to train all of us and when the time comes I'll pick who'll be coming with me." said Mark earning nods from the group before they heard the back door open as the group noticed Tina and Maya standing in the doorway.

"If you boys are done playing gangsters we need one of you to go pickup Aniyah and Blake from the hospital." said Tina.

"And take the heartless bare knuckled midget with you." added Maya as Mark rolled his eyes while the two girls closed the door on them.

"Do they want me to kick Blake's ass as well?" asked Mark.

"No, they're just mad because you're trying to replace their friend." said Mercy.

"They friend replaced me, what do they want from me?" asked Mark.

"I know what I want." said Lee as he patted Mark on his shoulder.

"Let's go brother." said Lee as Mark followed the Asian American towards his car where the duo noticed Aurora waiting with her friends.

"Where you going Mark?" asked Aurora as she approached Mark.

"Sorry I gotta go pick up the guest of honor." said Mark earning a nod from Aurora.

"Alright but hurry back." said Aurora as Mark nodded his head before sliding in his car with Lee in tow.

"Today is gonna be so weird." said Lee as Mark started his car.

"Tell me about it." said Mark as the duo drove away from the lake house.

Hospital

The drive to the hospital wasn't long for the duo as they walked out of the elevator and made their way towards the Sheriff Quin's room.

"Are you gonna tell Quin about this plan?" asked Lee as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, he'll find out when it's all over like everyone else." said Mark earning a nod Lee as he opened the door to Quin's room where they saw the man watching television with his wife, Aniyah, and Blake.

"There's Rivergreen's most wanted." said Quin earning a smile from Mark.

"If only you had your badge to arrest me." said Mark as he approached the man.

"So what are you boys getting into today?" asked Quin.

"A little of this and a little of that." said Mark as he turned to Aniyah and Blake.

"You ready?" asked Mark earning a nod from the girl.

"Depends did you bring her?" asked Aniyah earning a confused look from Quin.

"Yeah, she's there." replied Mark as a smile spread across the face of Aniyah as she rose to her feet with Blake in tow before making their way out of the room.

"What's that about?" asked Quin.

"She asked me to bring a friend from school who's taken an interest in me to the party tonight." said Mark earning a chuckle from Quin.

"If only I could be there that party is gonna be weird." said Quin with a chuckle.

"I know right." said Lee with a chuckle of his own.

"Hey Mark, I need to remind you to not lay a finger on Blake no matter how much you want to because he might sue." said Quin.

"Are you on drugs right now?" asked Mark.

"Yes, but that's beside the point." said Quin earning a chuckle from Lee.

"I'm not going to beatup Blake." said Mark.

"You're saying that now but remember he ain't from Rivergreen he's gonna call the police if he feels threatened." said Quin as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Man I'm out, I can't deal with none of you right now." said Mark as he and Lee walked out of the room.

"We'll have her back before sunrise." said Lee as he closed the door behind him before the duo made their way towards the elevator where they noticed Aniyah and Blake standing.

"About time you got here." said Aniyah as she put her hands on her hips.

"Sorry your dads full of jokes today." said Mark with a smile before the group stepped into the elevator as Lee noticed the quick silence followed by the surge of awkwardness between the trio as they exited the hospital before stepping inside of Mark's car as the group drove away from the hospital.

One Hour Later

The drive back to the lake house wasn't long in time but for the four teenagers it felt like an eternity with the awkward silence as a Mark pulled the car in front of the lake house before turning off the engine and quickly stepping out.

"Why's it so quiet?" asked Blake as Mark and Lee remained silent while leading the group towards the cabin before opening the door and noticed all the lights turned off before the group entered the house where all the lights turned on and everyone screamed surprise shocking Blake but not Aniyah as she eyed the group with a smile.

"You guys." said Aniyah as Maya and Tina approached the girls with smiles on their faces while Mark and Lee approached the other Brothers with Aurora quickly taking her place by his side.

"Who's she?" she whispered.

"Sheriff Quin's daughter, she came from college to see her father and we're throwing her party." said Mark as Aurora eyed the girl with a smile as she greeted everyone before approaching Mark and Aurora as everyone eyed the duo.

"You must be Aurora Mark's told me so much about you." said Aniyah as Mark kept a close eye on the duo.

"It's nice to meet you." said Aurora as the two girls shared a laugh as Mark felt Blake burning holes into his face as he continued to eye him.

"Come let me introduce you to the girls from the neighborhood so you feel better." said Aniyah as she led Aurora away from Mark who turned his attention to Lee and the others.

"See they're getting along well." said Mark.

"They're getting along you not so much." said Mercy as Mark felt a hand on his shoulder before turning around and facing Blake.

"Marcus can I talk to you outside in private?" asked Blake as Mark nodded his head before looking at Lee and the others who were smiling at the duo while giving Mark's thumbs up.

"Alright then boys remember the plan." said Link as he, Zach, Davey, and Eddy went up the stairs while Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, and Buck went into the kitchen with the hopes of not attracting any attention as Tina and Maya noticed the separating Brothers while they talked with Aniyah, Aurora, and her friends.

"Sorry Niyah but we gotta grab something from the kitchen." said Tina as Maya nodded her head with a smile on her face as Aniyah looked around and noticed the absent Brothers and Blake.

"Sure." replied Aniyah as she bit her teeth before the duo rushed into the kitchen where Lee and the others were looking out the window.

"Taking bets." said Reid with a chuckle as the group watched as Mark and Blake stood facing each other in the backyard.

"What's this about?" asked Mark as he eyed Blake who was taking off his jacket.

"You know what this about." said Blake as he dropped his jacket on the ground earning a chuckle from Mark as he felt his urge beginning to rise.

"Whatever it's about I'm not gonna fight you over it Blake." said Mark as Blake eyed him angrily.

"Alright stand there and get hit." said Blake as he walked up to Mark and went to throw the first punch only for Mark to step backwards and avoid the boys fist only for him to throw another punch that Mark avoided.

"Stop moving around and fight me." said Blake as he went to kick Mark only for the North Valley teen to lift his leg and block the kick before stepping back.

"If you was a real man you'd fight me." said Blake as he took a step away from Mark.

"Sorry but I don't want to hurt you over a girl who doesn't want to be with me anymore." said Mark as Blake threw another punch at the teen only for Mark to side step him.

"Fat chance I know what you two have been doing behind my back I'm not an idiot." said Blake as he went to throw another punch only for Mark to avoid.

"Kinda hard to tell seeing as me and Aniyah haven't done anything since she's been here." said Mark.

"Liar if that were true you'd fight me now." said Blake as he threw another punch that finally connected against Mark's cheek that sent the shorter teen taking a few steps backwards as Lee and the others looked on at the duo with wide eyes.

"He's mad now." said Mercy with a chuckle as they watched Mark turned his head to face Blake with a sinister smile before he spit blood from his mouth.

"Okay but only because you asked so nicely." said Mark as he licked lips before charging Blake and punching the taller teen in the face sending him stumbling backwards before throwing a wild punch that Mark ducked under before grabbing his waist and lifting Blake up into the air and slamming him forward onto his back.

"Spinebuster it's over now." said Trip as the group watched as Mark punched Blake two times in the face before climbing off the groggy teen.

"Mark's about to end this guy now." said Reid with a wide smile on his face as the group watched as Mark started to lick his lips before taking a few steps away from Blake before patting his right foot with a smile to his face.

"I'm more happy you didn't hurt him Mark." thought Mark as Aniyah's words to him started to play in his mind almost like a scratched record.

"Promise you won't be as violent as before." thought Mark as he rubbed his forehead before turning to face Blake who was rising to his feet.

"Dammit!" said Mark as he rightened himself before walking over to his Blake and extending his hand in front of the teen.

"What the fuck is this?" asked Mercy as Blake looked at Mark's hand with blood dripping from his nose and lip.

"Don't worry he's suckering him in." Trip as Blake continued to look at Mark's hand before taking it as Mark helped the teen up to his feet before using his hand to dust off the man's shirt.

"Like I said I'm not fighting you over her she's happy with you and I want her to stay that way." said Mark as he extended his hand in front of Blake again.

"What do you say truce?" asked Mark as Blake slowly took Mark's hand in for a handshake as the two smiled at each other.

"Yes." said Maya.

"No what the hell is this?" asked Zach.

"Mark is full of surprises." said Lee as the group eyed the duo.

"I'm so proud of you." came a familiar voice as both Mark and Blake turned their heads and noticed Aniyah standing beside the house with a smile on her face and her arms folded over her chest.

"More proud of one of you than the other." said Aniyah as she eyed Mark with a smile before turning to Blake.

"I've told you already there is nothing going on between me and Mark." said Aniyah as Blake turned away from the girl.

"And now you know trying to fight him isn't something you want to do." said Aniyah as Blake eyed Mark.

"Now can the both of you hug and let's get back to the party?" asked Aniyah as Mark and Blake shared a look with one another before shaking the others hand.

"Thank you are you cool now?" asked Aniyah as she took a deep breath.

"Yeah, we're cool." said Blake as Mark started to chuckle.

"Just need to let you know something Blake." said Mark with a chuckle before he tightened his grip around Blake's hand causing the teen to fall to the ground in pain as Aniyah watched the duo.

"If you ever put your fucking hands on me again, I will break every bone in your body and drop you in the bottom of that fucking lake, do you understand me?" asked Mark as he squeezed harder.

"Yeah, I understand." said Blake through deep breaths as Mark let the teens hand go.

"Good." said Mark as he looked down at the teen.

"We're cool now." said Mark as he walked past the teen before making his way into the house where Lee and others were waiting.

"Well you sorta did your thing." said Lee as he handed Mark a paper towel.

"Aside from the slight scuffle I'm glad you didn't take it to far." said Maya as she watched Mark spit blood into the sink.

"I hoped you did, I had money you'd take that guys head off." said Reid as Mark chuckled.

"Sorry couldn't do it." said Mark before dropping the bloody paper towel in the trash.

"Need me I'm gonna have some quiet time." said Mark as he walked into the living room where he saw Aurora on the couch with her friends before approaching the girl.

"Hey I want you to see something." said Mark earning a nod from the girl as she rose from the couch and followed Mark out the front door as they began to make their way towards the lake where a small dock was located as Mark took a seat down with Aurora beside him.

"This lakes really beautiful." said Aurora as she smiled at Mark.

"Just wait a few minutes it's really beautiful when the sunsets." said Mark as he took Aurora's hand within his own earning a smile from the girl before she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Mark as Aurora nodded her head.

"Sure!" said Mark.

"Before I told everyone in school about my past me and you would just pass each other in the halls without a passing glance what changed that?" asked Mark.

"Honestly I was kinda afraid of you." said Aurora.

"Alot of people were afraid of you actually, when you came to Seaside you were this short boy covered in tattoos and all we knew about you was that you were from Rivergreen and that alone was enough for us to fear you." finished Aurora as Mark nodded his head.

"But now I know you're more like me because I lost both my parents a few years back." said Aurora as she rubbed circles into Mark's hand.

"Sorry to hear that." said Mark as Aurora looked at him and noticed the smile on his face.

"It's something I don't like to talk about." said Aurora as Mark nodded his head.

"Why don't you tell me why you joined your gang." said Aurora.

"You got a long way to go but the first thing you gotta know is that I didn't join the Brothers. I started the Brothers." said Mark earning a shocked look from Aurora.

Hours Later

The sun was beginning to set over the lake house as Mark layed on the docks with Aurora resting her head on his chest as the two continued to talk.

"So the Brothers are like the defenders of your neighborhood and the people there?" asked Aurora as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, we defended it since we formed it to fight gangs, drug dealers, and worse. Me, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Link, Zach, Reid, all of us buried our friends there because of outsiders so we took it from them and spilled blood for it and we aren't gonna give it up for anyone." said Mark as Aurora looked up at him.

"I just hope you never get hurt." said Aurora as she leaned her head towards Mark before pressing her lips against his before quickly separating.

"Sorry." said Aurora.

"For what?" asked Mark.

"You might think I'm trashy for that." said Aurora earning a chuckle from Mark.

"Nah, that's a way of doing things in Rivergreen, you can't afford to take a relationship slow because you never know what days your last so you take it just fast enough." said Mark earning a nod from Aurora as he rubbed the girls cheek before placing his lips back against hers before the duo were interrupted as Mark turned his head and noticed Reid, Clyde, Chris and Tina walking towards them.

"Hope we aren't interrupting anything?" asked Reid with a smile.

"Nothing at all." said Mark as he eyed the group.

"Well we came to let you know we're gonna go and Link's taking Aniyah and Blake back to the hospital." said Tina as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright see you guys tomorrow?" asked Mark.

"Depends if you're cleaning up I ain't coming." said Reid causing Mark to roll his eyes.

"Gee thanks for letting me know ahead of times." said Mark earning a chuckle from Aurora.

"And it was nice meeting you Aurora." said Tina as she shook hand with Aurora.

"Nice meeting all of you as well." said Aurora as the group smiled her before giving their goodbyes and walking away.

"I should be getting home as well." said Aurora as Mark nodded his head before rising to his feet.

"Come on I'll drop you off." said Mark as he led Aurora to his car where he noticed Mercy and the others loading the girls into his truck.

"Safe ride brothers." said Mark earning nods from the group before he caught eyes with Aniyah and noticed the girl send a smile his way that caused him to nod his head before he and Aurora slid into his car before driving away from the lake house.

The drive back to Seattle wasn't long for the duo as they talked amongst each other other throughout the entire ride before Mark stopped his car in front of Aurora's house before walking the girl to her front door.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." said Aurora earning a chuckle from Mark.

"Told you underneath these tough personas me and my friends are full of laughs." said Mark as the two finally made it to her front door.

"These guys loved you any chance you'd want to do this again?" asked Mark as Aurora smiled at the North Valley teen.

"We'll see." she said before the duo shared another kiss before slowly separating.

"Goodnight." said Aurora as she slowly entered her home with a smile on her face before closing the door on Mark.

"I think I'm beginning to like that girl." thought Mark as he began to make his way to his car without the knowledge that Aurora was watching him leave through her window before her cellphone started to ring causing her to quickly answer it.

"Did you find out his location?" came a familiar voice.

"Yeah, but I have to ask what do you want with him?" asked Aurora.

"Don't tell me you're sweet on him now?" asked Amsel.

"No, but he's a nice guy so tell me what you're going to do with him?" asked Aurora.

"Let's just say your brothers gonna have a little chat with him when he gets back." stated Amsel as he started to chuckle.

24: Life 24

Chapter 24: A Friend in Need

Two Days Later, Monday

The sun was shining bright over the lake house as the sound of gunshots filled the air of the backyard as Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, Clyde, Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, Calvin, Eric, and Jude all fired Assault Rifles at targets on trees while a tall muscular man with a shaved head watched the group with smiles on their faces.

"Cease fire!" the man yelled with a strong Russian Accent as the group stopped firing their Rifles before pointing them to the ground while the man walked over to them.

"Gotta admit Anton we're really liking these guns." said Mark as he eyed the compact weapon in his hands.

"That's an AKS-74U it has the stopping power of a normal AK but it's smaller, lighter in weight, and the kick back isn't that bad which makes it good for you to stick out a window and shoot while the others driving." said Anton as he smiled at the group.

"Speaking of which Marcus have you heard from your brother?" asked the Russian man as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, last I heard he's still working on the cars we're going to be using." said Mark as Anton nodded his head.

"Oh well it's time to put the guns away and get down to the real stuff." said Anton as he reached in his back pocket before drawing an oval like object.

"Is that a Grenade?" asked Link earning a nod from Anton.

"Dah and you boys are about to learn how to use them." said Anton as he tossed the explosive device to Lee.

"Pull the pin and toss it in the lake." said Anton as Lee pulled the pin before quickly throwing the Grenade into the lake where after a few seconds the device exploded sending a shower of water into the air that drenched a few of the teens.

"As a reminder you have five seconds before those things blow so after you pull the pin start counting." said Anton as he eyed the group.

"After I teach you this, and hopefully if all of you still have your fingers, we'll get down to bomb making." said Anton earning a concerned look from Link.

"Do we really need to learn how to make bombs?" asked Link.

"Dah you need to learn how to make bombs, these guys you're going up against have military training you can't just run at those guys guns blazing you need to take them by surprise and nothing says surprise better than something that goes boom." said Anton as he smiled at the group.

"Hold off on that Anton." came a familiar voice as the group turned their heads and noticed Viktor standing on the side of the house with Martin, Curtis, and Tio who eyed the Brothers in surprise.

"Wow you guys are getting really good with those." said Curtis as Mark started to chuckle.

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna drop my knife." replied Mark as he patted his sheathed knife on his right hip while Martin rubbed the top of his younger brothers heads.

"We need to talk with the leaders we've got more information." said Viktor earning a nod from Mark.

"Let's get this done." said Mark as he Link and Reid followed the group inside of the lake house as the trio noticed the house looked more like an armory as they eyed the guns, explosives, knives, computers, and maps scattered around the living room as Viktor grabbed a map of Washington before setting it on the table for everyone to look it.

'What's this about?" asked Mark as everyone turned to Tio.

"My mole got some information and you were right the guns are coming into King County but not Rivergreen or Seattle." said Tio as Mark nodded his head.

"Where's it going?" asked Reid.

"Kent." replied Tio as Mark nodded his head in agreement.

"See why South of Seattle, North of Tacoma, West of Rivergreen with less than twenty miles between each city." said Mark earning a nod from Tio.

"They're going to house the weapons in a warehouse there on the docks and the Triad have been keeping a close eye on them since." said Tio as Mark nodded his head.

"If Kent's the destination how are they getting there they can't just take a boat to Kent?" asked Reid.

"They're not." said Mark earning everyone's attention as they eyed him and noticed him looking at the map.

"If they're going to Kent they're gonna have to either swap vehicles and put the weapons in cars and send them across the ferry or drive them all the way to Kent which is harder than it sounds because they're gonna have to be in a large convoy of vehicles to make sure they aren't hit." said Mark as he eyed the Viktor.

"You said the Triad are running surveillance on Kent?" asked Mark earning a nod from Viktor.

"Tell them to increase their eyes on all cities across the Kitsap Peninsula. I have a feeling they're gonna go there and if we figure out which city they're going to we can figure out what city they're coming in, even though my guess is still Aberdeen." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Have you figured out how we're gonna do this?" asked Martin as Mark nodded his head.

"Me and a few of my Brothers along with Reid and the 2O will handle taking down the trucks, Tio I'm hoping you and a few of your guys can handle where they're gonna be shipped out from you don't have to engage them just stall them long enough for us to take the transport down." said Mark earning a nod from Tio.

"Curtis I'm hoping you can take down that base in Kent, your job is gonna be the hardest because you actually have to engage the guys there. There shouldn't be a lot of guns there so you won't find a lot of resistance just make sure you burn down that warehouse and kill everyone there." said Mark earning a nod from Curtis.

"You can spare a few bodies?" asked Curtis before Martin put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry I've got some well trained guys on their way from New York to help you out." said Martin as Curtis nodded his head.

"And we'll be loaning you some explosives and weapons to help in the task." said Viktor as Curtis nodded his head.

"This plan is almost coming into full view all we need now is bits and pieces of information to put this together." said Link.

"Execution is still a factor because in all this is one big suicide mission in my opinion." said Tio.

"Plus we have to execute this plan all at once or else one side could tip off the other which could blow our element of surprise." said Mark.

"And these guys are ex-military so they have us out skilled, outgunned, and possibly out manned" said Reid.

"And we also have to factor in the police as well, we know there's gonna be a cop or two at all these locations and when the bullets start flying they start coming." said Curtis.

"You guys got nothing much to worry about because nine out ten we're gonna be taking down that transport on a major roadway so we're gonna have all eyes in Washington on us." said Mark.

"Which also means you guys are gonna need to find a way to take them down without causing collateral damage." said Martin as Mark rubbed his chin.

"I think I got an idea but we're gonna need to grab a lot of things for this." said Mark earning confused looks from the group before his cellphone started to ring causing Mark to look at the phone and eye a familiar number.

"Hold on I gotta take this." said Mark as he walked away from the group and entered the kitchen.

"This isn't a good time Jen." said Mark before heard sobbing on the other end of his phone.

"Mark please I'm in trouble and I need you here." said Jen as Mark's eyes widened.

"Why what's going on?" asked Mark.

"Please just get here hurry." said Jen as the girl hung up her phone causing Mark to look down at his phone.

"I'm gonna regret this later." thought Mark as Martin approached his youngest brother.

"Something the matter?" asked Martin as Mark eyed his older brother.

"Yeah, I gotta go check on someone." said Mark earning the attention of everyone.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, hopefully with some more information." said Mark earning looks from the other leaders.

"This something you gotta do personally Marcus?" asked Tio earning a chuckle from Mark.

"You know me Tio, if I'm not in the drivers seat I'm riding shotgun." said Mark as he grabbed his black jacket before throwing it on and walking out the backdoor.

"Where you going?" asked Mercy.

"Rivergreen to see someone." said Mark.

"Who Jen?" asked Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"Figures she get's your number now she wants a dicking every other day." said Trip.

"Sounded serious enough for her to be crying." said Mark.

"She's an ex-junkie of course she's crying." said Reid as Mark grabbed his Brothers hat from the table.

"Still I'm gonna go check on her." said Mark as the group rolled their eyes before watching as Mark made his way towards the front of the lake house while Martin and Viktor walked outside and noticed the departing brother.

"Well as long as Mark's not here I guess we can take five." said Anton as he reached into his pocket before pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

"What are we going to do to past the time?" asked Lee.

"How about you tell me about all of you?" asked Martin as the Brothers eyed him curiosity.

"You are my little brothers friends yet I don't know much about any of you so show me why my little brother calls all of you brothers?" asked Martin as the group eyed each other before smiling at Martin.

"Prepare for a long story." said Mercy with a chuckle.

Rivergreen

The drive to the trailer park wasn't long for the Samoan as Mark stopped his car in front of Jenna's trailer before stepping out of his car and making his way towards the front door where he started to knock on the door.

"I'm gonna be pissed if she called me all the way out here only to not answer the fucking door." thought Mark as he continued to knock one the door only to receive no answer before he dialed Jenna's number again just as the black haired girl came sprinting around the corner of her trailer before Mark eyed the girl quizzically.

"Thank god you came." said Jenna as she ran up to Mark.

"What's going on Jen?" asked Mark.

"I did something bad Marcus really bad." said Jenna as Mark rolled his eyes as he noticed the tears streaming down the girls face before she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head on his shoulder.

"Why am I always stuck in situations like this?" thought Mark.

"Have you been using again Jen?" asked Mark as Jenna shook her head.

"No worse something I could get in a lot of trouble for." said Jenna through her tears.

"Okay just calm down and tell me what's wrong." said Mark as he broke away from the girl she started to wipe her face.

"Come see." said Jenna as she grabbed Mark's hand before leading him away from her trailer and out of the trailer park.

"This way." said Jenna as she led Mark into the grassy field behind the trailer park as Mark looked back and noticed the fence to his Cul-De-Sac before turning back to Jen as the black haired girl continued to lead him through the grass.

"Where are we going Jen?" asked Mark.

"You'll see we're almost there." said Jenna.

"If she brought me out here just to fuck her in the fields I'm gonna be even more pissed." thought Mark as he and Jenna finally broke through the long grass as both teens caught site of the creek that was once an obstacle for them to cross but now serves as a reminder of days long past.

"There!" said Jenna as she pointed her finger and led Mark just a yards down stream before Mark caught site of a somewhat familiar sight.

"Father of Christ." said Mark as he noticed the body of a Hispanic man lying face down in the wet dirt next to the creek as blood leaked from his chest.

"No no no where's the other guy?" asked Jenna as Mark noticed the girl starting to pace back and forth in fear and panic before he grabbed onto the girl.

"Jen tell exactly what happened here?" asked Mark as Jenna tried to fight her tears.

"These two guys came to my trailer trying to sell me some drugs but I told them I wouldn't buy so they pulled a gun on me and brought me out here." said Jenna as Mark noticed the strain in the girls voice.

"They tried to rape me Mark." said Jenna as she flew back into Mark's arms in tears as Mark felt an urge of sadness wash over him as the memories of his mother screaming in his mind the day she died flashed through his mind before he felt his sadness fade away and be replaced with rage as Mark gritted his teeth in anger.

"What happened after that?" asked Mark.

"I took one of their guns and shot them, both of them, but only one is here." said Jenna as she eyed the body of the first fallen man as more tears started to fall from her eyes.

"So the other ones probably still around." said Mark as he noticed a pool of blood next to the body of the first.

"She must have shot him because he fell and he stayed down for a while and by that amount of blood he's probably not to far." thought Mark as he noticed a small trail of blood leading further up the creek.

"Everything's gonna be alright Jen." said Mark as he rubbed the girls back.

"No it isn't I killed someone Marcus I killed someone." repeated Jenna before Mark looked down at the body of the man before letting Jenna go and approaching the body.

"No you didn't." said Mark as he rolled the man over onto his back and noticing the man's almost lifeless eyes.

"You shot him but he's still breathing." said Mark as Jenna eyed the man quizzically as Mark drew his knife before slicing the man's throat and watching as more blood pooled out and drained into the creek.

"I killed him not you now calm down." said Mark as he noticed Jenna starting to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"In case you're wondering that guy was dead but over the years I learned that telling someone that the person they killed is still alive then stabbing them helps them get their heads straight." thought Mark as Jenna eyed him with tears still forming in her eyes as she watched Mark give the man a good once over.

"This man he's one of the Centralas that was with Cesar at the benches that means if he's here then the other guy is one as well." thought Mark as a slight smile spread across his face.

"Marcus." said Jenna breaking the youngest Roman from his thoughts as he eyed the girl before rising to his feet.

"Jenna we gotta find that other guy before he returns to his hood." said Mark as Jenna's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why?" she asked.

"If he makes it back to his crew and tells them who shot him they're gonna come for you and they're gonna kill you so we have to find him." said Mark as he approached Jenna noticing more tears in the girls eyes.

"I'm scared Mark." she said as Mark pressed both of his hands against her cheeks.

"It's alright I'm gonna be right here beside you so have nothing to be afraid of." said Mark as Jenna slowly nodded her head before wiping her eyes as Mark planted a kiss on the girls forehead.

"Now let's go find this guy." said Mark with a smile.

"But how are we gonna find him?" asked Jen as Mark looked at the ground.

"You shot him so he's leaking blood as long as we follow it we can find him and with the amount of blood in that puddle he shouldn't be to far." said Mark as Jenna nodded her head before Mark grabbed the girls hand and began to lead her down the creek.

Lake House

Things had slowed down at the lake house as Martin found himself sitting in the living room of the cabin with Curtis, Viktor, Tio, and the remaining members of the Brothers talking about their past.

"So let me get this straight almost none of you had a father in your life?" asked Martin.

"Nope none of us or if we had one our parents were either separated or not around." said Lee as Curtis eyed Mercy.

"How you moms been doing?" asked Curtis as Mercy and Trip eyed the gang leader.

"Her condition still hasn't changed much but we're hoping for the best." replied Mercy.

"Good to be optimistic." said Tio as Anton looked back and forth between the groups.

"Wait hold on a minute." said the Russian man earning the attention of everyone as they eyed him.

"I'm confused here just a few years ago weren't you two guys at each others throats and weren't you guys formed for the sole purpose of fighting both of these guys after they killed all your friends?" asked Anton as everyone nodded their heads.

"Pretty much." said Reid.

"Well how can all of you just sit up here and be buddies with each other it don't make sense to me?" asked Anton as the groups each eyed each other before turning to Anton.

"That's because we learned to put our differences behind us." said Link.

"How?" asked Anton.

"The Familia killed our friends so we killed theirs as well as four high ranking members, the Royals killed our friends so we killed theirs along with two of their O.G.'s, and three of their leaders." said Zach earning a confused look from Anton.

"You also did permanent damage to a lot of our business." said Tio.

"You guys also did permanent damage to all of our bodies and minds." said Trip with a chuckle.

"We can put our differences behind us when we have a common goal plus the fighting didn't really make sense. Some of our parents were close friends, we went to the same schools, almost all of us had the same girlfriend, we went to the same churches, and it just didn't make sense." said Link.

"Seriously Curtis didn't me and you take gym together at Rivergreen High your senior year?" asked Mercy as Curtis chuckled before nodding his head.

"What made it weirder was we on the same football team with each other two." said Curtis.

"Yeah, everyday he up in the locker room talking about every girl he slept with." said Trip earning chuckles from the group.

"What can I say I got talents with women, I give them what they want." said Curtis with a smile as everyone gave a loud scoff.

"Okay let's call my old lady and see." said Curtis as he pulled out his phone as Martin and Viktor shared a look between each other.

"This is gonna be a long night." said Viktor as Martin chuckled.

Rivergreen

The sun was beginning to set over Rivergreen as Mark and Jenna continued to follow the trail of blood in hopes of finding the injured man as Mark licked his lips in anticipation of his next kill.

"This prick is really making me work for my meal and honestly I like that." thought Mark as a smile spread across his face.

"Mark." said Jenna earning Mark's attention as he eyed her.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Mark smiled at her.

"Yeah I'm fine why?" asked Mark as he continued to follow the trail of blood.

"You just killed someone back there and I was wondering how you're feeling." Jenna as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Forgot this talk usually follows those who watch me kill." thought Mark.

"Yeah, I'm fine that wasn't my first time." said Mark to Jenna's surprise.

"You act like you didn't know almost everyone in Rivergreen knows I've killed before." said Mark as Jenna shook her head.

"I didn't believe the stories you seemed to nice to be a killer." said Jen.

"I hide it well." said Mark as he and Jenna continued through the grass.

"Does this mean Lee and the others have-?" started Jenna before Mark interrupted.

"I'm not at liberty to talk about what they've done." said Mark earning a nod from Jenna.

"I see!" said Jenna as Mark pulled her up a hill through the tall grass before they got to the top as Mark noticed a man clutching his side moving through the grass towards an opening as Mark noticed three Hispanic men wearing the color yellow making their way down the street.

"Shit!" said Mark as he let go of Jenna's hand before rushing down the hill as fast he could just as the injured man was mere inches away from making his way out of the grass. Mark then pounced on the man's back while wrapping his left arm around the man's throat and hooking it with his right then wrapping his legs around the man's midsection and pulling him to the ground as the man tried his best to struggle for air.

"Yes slowly fade away." thought Mark as he stuck out his tongue and licked his lips before rolling his eyes to the back of his head with a smile on his face before the sight of Jenna broke him from his trance as he let the now unconscious gang banger go before standing up.

"Is he dead?" asked Jenna as Mark shook his head.

"Nah, unconscious." said Mark as he tore the man's shirt and began to wrap it around his bleeding arm.

"What are you doing?" asked Jenna as she watched Mark take off his belt and shoe before tying the belt around the man's hand while stuffing his sock into the man's mouth.

"Sorry but I need him alive for something." said Mark as he drew his knife from its sheathed before stabbing it into the man's feet and forcing it into the ground as Jenna watched Mark with wide eyes and fear in her heart.

"I'm sorry you had to see that but we need to make sure he doesn't move while I get the car." said Mark earning a nod from Jenna.

"Will you take me back to the cabin with you?" asked Jenna as she eyed Mark who looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"Yeah, but you have to come back here tomorrow morning." said Mark earning a nod from Jenna as the two began to make their way back into the fields.

Lake House Hours Later

The sun had completely set over the lake house as Mark pulled his car up in front of the lake house but before he climbed out of his car he turned to Jenna who looked at him quizzically.

"Before we go in I'm gonna need you to put this blindfold on." said Mark earning a confused look from Jenna as he handed her a black bandana from his back pocket.

"Why?" asked Jenna.

"Let's just say there are somethings and some people in that house you don't need to see." said Mark as Jenna lowered her head allowing Mark to tie the blindfold over her eyes.

"Now I'm gonna help you to my room just follow my instructions." said Mark earning a nod from Jenna as he exited the car before quickly opening the girls door before leading her to the front door of the lake house as he opened the door he earned the attention of everyone there as they watched him walk Jenna upstairs with wide eyes and in silence.

"You're doing good now up the stairs." said Mark as he helped Jenna up the stairs while Mercy and the others laughed at the teen causing Mark to flip them off before the duo made it up the stairs and Mark guided Jenna inside his room.

"Now stay up here until I say you can come down." said Mark as he sat Jenna down on his bed before removing his blindfold.

"Okay." said Jenna as Mark went to reach for the door he was quickly interrupted by the girl.

"And Mark thanks." said Jenna as Mark nodded his head before making his way out of his room and back downstairs where the others were watching him.

"The hell Mark it took you four hours to sleep with her." said Trip.

"And I thought we talked about no visitors." said Viktor.

"First I didn't sleep with her and second you gotta see this." said Mark as he led the group outside the house and towards his car as he opened the trunk and revealed to the group a scared a Hispanic male tied up and bleeding.

"You guys recognize this man?" asked Mark earning shake of the heads from a few of the guys.

"He's one of the guys that was with Cesar when we had that sitdown a few weeks ago." said Mark earning nods from a few of the teens.

"He and another man were looking to do their business with Jenna. She shot him and killed the other guy and left him by the creek and we had to chase this guy-!" started Mark before he was interrupted.

"Wait Jenna Jenna Ross killed someone today?" asked Zach.

"As far as she knows I killed someone not her so let's leave it at that." said Mark as he walked to the backseat of the car before opening the doors revealing a map.

"This guy had information about the weapons shipments what day it's coming, where's it coming into, where's it's going, how it's going to get there, and how many guys are gonna be there." said Mark as he showed the group the map.

"It's coming into Aberdeen docks the day after tomorrow, the shipments leaving out at ten that morning, and using backroads until it reaches Port Orchard, then it's gonna change vehicles and use the ferry to get to the warehouse in Kent." said Mark earning wide eyes from the group.

"Jesus you found all that out in one day?" asked Tio.

"Yeah this guys Cesar's right hand while he's away so he knew a lot about what's going on." said Mark.

"Dumbass slipped up by a female, pathetic." said Curtis as he eyed the man.

"Oh and to make things better I got this." said Mark as he picked up a journal before tossing it to Martin.

"What is this?" asked Martin.

"A list of gangs and gang members who are buying drugs from the Centralas and how much they're paying for the drugs and a list of hitmen for the gang across Washington." said Mark earning smiles from the group.

"Is the name of their moles in this book?" asked Lee earning a shake of the head from Mark.

"Unfortunately no I didn't see anything with a cops name on it at his place." said Mark.

"Still this on its own is enough to severely cripple their organization." said Viktor as he smiled at Mark.

"We'll alert the Triad and the Italians right away and with that shipment coming in the day after tomorrow I suggest you guys stay home from school tomorrow to do more training." said Anton as Mark nodded his head before feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"You did good today brother." said Martin earning a nod from Mark.

"I did good today but we all are gonna do good the day after tomorrow." said Mark earning a nod from everyone there as they smiled at him.

"Now somebody do me a favor and get the guy out of my car." said Mark with a smile earning laughs from the entire group as they laughed without the knowledge that Jenna was watching them as Zach pulled the man out of the trunk of Mark's car before stomping on his head until his white shoes were covered in blood causing a loud gasp from the girl.

25: Life 25

Chapter 25:Promises Before The Big Day

The Rivergreen Gang War Goes National

The Next Day

The sun was beginning to set over the lake house as Anton watched Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, Clyde, Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, Jude, Calvin, and Eric each set off a series of explosives close to the woods that shook the ground violently before the group drew their guns and started to move around the trees with almost military like motions as they shot targets placed on trees with precision while Amsel and Viktor watched the boys move with grace and synchronization that brought a wide smile to both their faces as they watched Mercy pull the pin of a Grenade before tossing it in the lake causing a violent explosion that drenched a few of them in water.

"Enough!" yelled Viktor causing all of the Brothers to stop in their tracks as they hurried back to the Russian man with their guns lowered and noticed a bag in the man's hand..

"All of you are ready enough for tomorrow." said Viktor with a smile on his face.

"Unfortunately as we all know not all of you are going to be able to go on this mission tomorrow for only eight of you can go." said Viktor as he eyed Mark.

"Mark have you made your decision of who's going and who's staying?" asked Viktor as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, but I think it'd be better to discuss it later." replied Mark earning a nod from Viktor.

"Have it your way." said Viktor as he eyed the group.

"As of right now we are done training you and wish all of you the best of luck tomorrow." said Viktor as he reached into one of the bags and pulled out a black box before tossing it to Mark as the North Valley teens noticed his name on the box.

"Today you are a street gang but after tomorrow you're gonna be soldiers and this is something all soldiers have." said Viktor as he tossed black boxes to the other boys while Mark opened his box revealing two silver dog tags with his name and North Valley Brother engraved into both dog tags as everyone's eyes widened after they opened their boxes as Mark noticed Reid and Clyde's dog tags reading 2nd Order while Link said Tacoma Brother along with the other Tacoma kids.

"Dyadya you shouldn't have." said Mark earning a smile from Viktor.

"Least I can do for your help tomorrow." said Viktor as he hugged Mark before rubbing his head.

"Now all of you get ready, Martin's having a get together at his house and having a dinner tonight and he wants all of you there." said Viktor earning a nod from Mark.

"Alright will we see you there?" asked Mark.

"Nah, I've got to head back to the motherland to straighten out my men." said Viktor as Mark nodded his head.

"Until we meet again." said Mark as he extended his hand for Viktor earning a smile and a shake from the man as the two eyed each other with smiles before they let go of each other as Viktor shook the hands of everyone else as Mark shook Anton's hand.

"I'll meet you here tomorrow morning at eight so be ready." said Anton earning a nod from Mark as both Russian men walked away from the Brothers while Mark turned to them.

"Alright then brothers lets go." said Mark earning nods from the group as they entered the lake house and began to get dress before leaving for Olympia.

King County Sheriff's Department

Things were still a slow day at the sheriff's station as a familiar blonde haired man sat in his office with his cell phone to ear and an angry look on his face.

"What do you mean he wasn't at school today?" asked Amsel.

"He wasn't at school and when I called him he didn't answer his phone but he texted me this morning saying he and his friends weren't feeling to well." said Aurora as a smile spread across the face of Amsel.

"That so." said Amsel.

"Yeah he said he might be taking a few days off until he can get a doctors appointment." said Aurora as Amsel nodded his head.

"That's good to know." said Amsel as a smile spread across his face before he heard the door to his office open and watched as Sergeant Harper entered the room.

"I'll have to talk to you later." said Amsel as he hung up his phone before eyeing Harper.

"What do you want Carla?" asked Amsel.

"I came to tell you about your mandatory meeting with Internal Affairs tomorrow morning." said Harper causing Amsel's eyes to widen as he eyed the girl.

"What does Internal Affairs want?" asked Amsel.

"Maybe it has something to do with the video they received a few days ago about how you provoked a kid into hitting you by insulting his dead grandmother or about having your vehicles and weapons stolen by gang members." said Harper as Amsel eyed the woman angrily.

"Just because you have a higher position in a two bit Sheriff's office doesn't mean anything so do me a favor and stop talking to me like you're high and mighty." said Amsel with anger in his voice causing Harper to chuckle.

"I'm not high and mighty but I am higher than you and you feel threatened." said Harper earning a chuckle from Amsel.

"You are nothing Carla nothing but some bitch living in the shadow of your fathers name who's only gotten her position by sleeping with half of Rivergreen." said Amsel as Harper gritted her teeth at the man.

"I have to ask did you open your legs for Mark, is that why he's so overprotective of you because your letting him into your pants?" asked Amsel as Harper eyed the man angrily.

"Answer me this question is he small all over?" asked Amsel as a smile spread across Harper's face.

"On the contrary from what I hear he's the opposite and maybe I should open my legs for him maybe someone as dangerous and violent as he can actually satisfy a woman. I hear he's really good at it." said Harper as she walked out of the room earning an angry growl from Amsel.

"Damn you Marcus." said Amsel as he pounded his hand on his desk.

Olympia

The drive to Martin's house wasn't long but the Brothers were all taken surprise at the amount of people in the home as the boys found themselves being the center of a party that could almost rival when the Americans troops arrived in Melbourne, Australia after fighting in the Pacific as Mark and the members of the Brothers and the 2nd Order found themselves being kissed and hugged by women almost around every corner for half the night as Mark sat at the kitchen table with the other members of the Brothers and Martin after eating a large dinner before watching Martin rise to his feet with a glass in his hands.

"I'd like to make a toast to my little brother and his friends who now I feel can call my own brothers." said Martin earning the attention of everyone as everyone lifted a glass over their heads with smiles on their faces.

"To family!" said Martin earning a loud family from the others at the table as they drunk out their glasses before slamming it down on the table.

"Mark put your tongue back in your mouth and say a few words for everyone." said Martin as everyone turned their attention to Mark who had a woman rubbing his chest before he rose to his feet at his brothers words.

"A few months ago when my brother came to Washington I can honestly say I wasn't pleased because I was keeping a lot of secrets from all of you that I feared would jeopardize our friendship but I'm happy to say I was wrong because now I think you guys actually care about me now better than before." said Mark as everyone smiled at him.

"Tomorrows probably gonna be the biggest day in the history of this organization because this isn't just breakinginto the home of a drug dealer. We could all die tomorrow from this plan no matter how well thought out it is or how well we execute it." said Mark earning half hearted looks from the group.

"The men I have picked for this job tomorrow are taking a big risk and I can't ask them to kill or lay down their lives for me but will you do it for the person beside you, the person you call your brother, who's had your back since you were young, and your family because of those guns get to King County everyone you loved could be killed and I'll understand if any of you wish to back out of this but think about that question first." said Mark as everyone remained silent for a few minutes as they passed glances back to each other before Mark watched Lee slam his hand on the table.

"We're all with you brother." said Lee earning a smile from Mark.

"Alright than I guess it's time for me to say who's going with me, just know I didn't pick you because you were the best or because you wanted it the most. It's because of situation and you have the least to lose." said Mark earning nods from everyone.

"With the introduction of Anton and myself that means I only need six of you and half halfheartedly I made my choice. Lee, Reid, Clyde, Zach, Jude...-" started Mark before taking a long pause as a wave of anxiety spread over everyone as they eyed Mercy, Trip, Link, Calvin, and Eric who remained silent.

"And Calvin." finished Mark causing everyone to eye Mark with confused eyes especially Mercy and Trip as they eyed the teen.

"Mercy Trip I know the two of you are hurt because I didn't pick either of you but you have to ask yourself this question how would your mother feel when she opens her eyes and finds out that one of her kids isdead or in jail and I don't want to answer that question myself." said Mark as Mercy smiled at the teen.

"We understand brother just make sure you kick some ass tomorrow." said Mercy as Trip smiled at Mark.

"For us." said Trip as Mark nodded his head.

"Alright for everyone that's going with me I suggest you go back to your neighborhoods, your girlfriends, and your friends outside this family and tell them how much you love them because you might not get the chance after tomorrow and we'll all meet backup at the lake house tonight." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"And I can promise one thing no matter what happens tomorrow we promise that if someone dies they won't be left on the side of the road to die they will be buried in an actual grave and their names will be spread throughout North Valley like our fallen friends." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Are you going to go talk to Aniyah, Quin, or your girlfriend with the badge?" asked Reid causing Mark to shake his head.

"No, they can't know about this." said Mark earning nods from the group as they rose from their chairs.

"Brother we thank you for the dinner and the women but we gotta go." said Mark earning a nod from Mark.

"I understand and Marcus-!" started Martin earning everyone's attention.

"Father would be proud for starting your own family." said Martin earning a nod from Mark as the Brothers each rose from their chairs while receiving kisses from the women before they made their way out of Martin's home and drove away.

Tacoma

The drive to Tacoma wasn't long for Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, and Jude as the group of five as Link pulled his car into the front of the autoshop where Luke, Duke, and other members of the Tacoma Brothers and the Undertakers were waiting for them as they watched the group step out of the car.

"How are things?" asked Luke as Jude moved past the twin.

"Jude and Zach have been drafted up." said Davey earning the attention of everyone.

"And honestly I'm happy I got drafted, I've been waiting for some action around here." Zach with a chuckle.

"Yeah but what am I supposed to say to our uncle if you don't come home?" asked Link as Zach folded his arms over his chest.

"You don't need to think about that brother." said Zach as he walked away from the group with a smile on his face.

"I'll never understand that guy." said Eddy as he folded his hands over his chest.

Rivergreen-Lee

The drive to Rivergreen wasn't long for Lee as he stepped out of Mark's car and made his way inside of a familiar diner in North Valley where a familiar blonde haired woman approached him with a smile on her face.

"Lee it's good to see you." said Ma earning a nod and a smile from the Asian American teen.

"It's good to see you to Ma." said Lee.

"Where's Mark and the rest of the entourage?" asked Pop's.

"They had things to do so it's just me." said Lee earning a nod from Pop's

"Well what can I get you?" asked Pop's.

"Actually I was looking for Tina." said Lee to the surprise of both of them.

"She's out back on her break." said Pop's earning a nod from Lee.

"Thanks." said Lee as he walked out of the store and began to make his way to the back.

"What do you think he wants with Tina?" asked Pop's as Ma chuckled.

"I can't believe how blind you are." said Ma as Pop's gave her a confused look while Lee caught site of Tina sitting on the ground behind the back door on her phone.

"Hey Tina." said Lee earning the girls attention as she eyed him with a half smile.

"Well look who's back from the dead." said Tina earning a confused look from Lee as he watched her put her cellphone back in her pocket.

"We haven't seen or heard from you, Mark, Trip, or anyone since that party almost like all of you vanished." said Tina as Lee rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, we've been doing somethings these last couple of days." said Lee as he took a seat beside her earning a confused look from the girl.

"Lee what are you doing?" asked Tina as Lee took a loud gulp.

"Something I should have did a long time ago." said Lee bringing a confused look to the face of Tina before she watched as Lee leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers bringing a confused look to the face of the girl before she fell into the kiss with him.

Rivergreen-Mark

After dropping off Lee Mark found himself driving to the trailer park and stopping his car in front of a familiar trailer before stepping out of his car and knocking on the door as a familiar black haired girl opened the door and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Marcus." said Jenna as Mark smiled at the girl.

"Can we talk?" asked Mark as Jenna nodded her head before slowing stepping aside allowing Mark to enter as she closed the door behind him the memories of Mark killed that man by the creek filled her mind

"Talk about what?" asked Jenna with a hint of fear in her voice as Mark eyed her quizzically.

"What's wrong?" asked Mark as he reached out for her only to cause her to back away.

"Are you here to kill me?" asked Jenna earning a confused look from Mark.

"Why would kill you Jen?" asked Mark.

"Because I saw you kill someone now you have to get rid of me so I don't call the police." said Jenna causing Mark to shake his head.

"If you were gonna call the police on me you'd have done it by now besides...I trust you." said Mark as he watched as Jenna walked up to him before dropping down her knees and beginning to reach for his belt buckle before Mark lifted the girls chin so that she could look up at him.

"I didn't come here for that either." said Mark earning a confused look Jenna.

"I came here to hang out with you not screw you Jen." said Mark as he helped the girl up to his feet.

"I know we're just reconnecting but that's all we've been doing." said Jenna as she and Mark took a seat on her couch.

"I know and I'm sorry for that because I haven't been treating you much like the true friend that you are but that changes now." said Mark as he eyed Jenna with a smile that soon spread to her own as she eyed him.

Rivergreen-Reid & Clyde

While Mark was with Jenna the leader of the 2nd Order and his closest friend found themselves in Reid's trailer as the redheaded man found himself looking at the pictures of himself and his family that were scattered around his trailer as he noticed the large time change from a picture of when he was young to the picture of when he was technically an adult as a smile spread across his face before he turned his head and noticed Clyde with a needle and a spoon.

"The fuck are you doing?" asked Reid as he eyed Clyde.

"If I'm gonna be putting my life on the line tomorrow I'm gonna live it up today." said Clyde as he put the spoon over the stove.

"You're gonna get high?" asked Reid as he watched Clyde fill a dark brown substance up in the needle.

"Yeah aren't you?" asked Clyde.

"No, we could die tomorrow in a blaze of glory and you really want to go out being remembered as just another Junkie or someone who went out fighting for those around him?" stated Reid causing Clyde to look at him with mixed looks on his face.

"You know you ruin getting high worse than Mark right?" asked Clyde as he put down the needle.

"I've been told now come on we're heading to the lake house." said Reid earning a nod from Clyde as the duo walked out the front door they noticed Mark walking out of Jenna's house before the girl grabbed his hand causing him to look back at her as she pressed her lips against his just as Mark wrapped her in his arms and kissed back before pressing his forehead to hers as the two finally separated and Mark noticed Reid and Clyde across the street staring at him with smiles on their faces as Mark sent them a nod before making his way back to his car and driving out of the trailer park while Reid and Clyde climbed into Reid's car before driving away.

"I know we're probably dropping a few hints as to something big going down tomorrow but I'm hoping they won't put two and two together." thought Mark as he stopped his car behind a familiar dinner where he noticed two familiar people locking lips as a smile spread across his face before he watched Lee kiss Tina one more time before making his way to Mark's car.

"I'm guessing she took it well?" asked Mark as Lee chuckled.

"Better than I was hoping." said Lee as Mark drove the car away from the diner as Tina waved to the departing teens.

Hospital

The drive to the hospital wasn't long for Mercy and Trip as they walked out of the elevator before making their way towards Quin's room before entering it and noticing the man sitting in his bed with his wife, Aniyah, and Sergeant Harper next to him.

"Finally someone from North Valley where have you guys been?" asked Quin as Mercy started to chuckle.

"Sorry Mark and Lee have gotten some kind of bug and have been sick for a few days." replied Mercy.

"Really what's wrong with them?" asked Aniyah's mother.

"Vomiting, fever, lack of strength, nausea, headaches, sore throats, bad cough-!" started Mercy before Trip interrupted.

And diarrhea lots and lots of diarrhea." said Trip earning a look from Mercy.

"Poor babies they've probably caught the flu again." said Aniyah's mother earning a nod from the two boys.

"How are you two feeling I don't want to get sick on top of being shot?" asked Quin earning chuckles from the two boys.

"I feel like some ham with a side of milk would be super right now." said Trip earning confused looks from the group.

"Weird, are you two still gonna sleep at the lake house tonight?" asked Aniyah earning a nod from Mercy.

"Yeah, we've setup a system they stay locked up upstairs while we're downstairs." said Mercy.

"Seriously it's like we got them in prison whenever they get hungry we throw bags of chips at the window for them." said Trip with a chuckle as Harper sent a look at Quin.

"Let them know we asked about them and remind Mark his medical stuff should be in his bag." said Aniyah's mother earning nods from the two.

"Will do, let's go brother." said Mercy.

"Hold up." said Trip as he eyed Quin.

"Hey Quin I always wanted to ask you what life was like before there were ladders?" asked Trip earning a chuckle from Aniyah's mother and Aniyah.

"Oh you realize I can't chase after you like this so you come with the old person jokes?" asked Quin earning another chuckle from Trip.

"Did y'all like have to stand on rocks or did you just say forget about that it's staying broke?" asked Trip as Quin reached down and grabbed one of his slippers before tossing it at Trip who ducked out of the way.

"Time to go." said Trip as he exited the room while Mercy face palmed as he followed his brother out.

"That one there might be a lost cause." said Quin.

"You believe what they said about Mark and Lee being sick?" asked Harper.

"Depends well see if something goes down we know who was there." said Quin as Aniyah watched the two quizzically.

Seattle

The drive to Seattle wasn't long for Mark and Lee as the duo stopped their car in front of a familiar brick house as the duo watched Maya emerge from inside the house before approaching the car as the duo waited for her with a smile.

"Where the hell have you two been?" asked Maya as she eyed both teens.

"Doing stuff and things." replied Mark with a chuckle.

"Yeah well Ms. Summers has been asking about you so has Daryl and Jordan." said Maya.

"Tell them I got the flu." said Mark.

"But you don't have the flu." replied Maya.

"I know but that's what you're gonna tell them tomorrow." said Mark earning a surprised look from Maya.

"I need you to cover for me again tomorrow." said Mark.

"Why what are you doing tomorrow?" asked Maya.

"Let's just say something big is going down tomorrow that we're apart of." said Mark.

"How big?" asked Maya.

"We could be killed tomorrow." said Lee earning wide eyes from Maya as she turned to Mark.

"I can't give you the details but tomorrows we gotta do something not only for our neighborhood but for everyone we know and love or else we all die. It's a do or die situation." said Mark.

"How come the police can't get involved?" asked Maya.

"Because they're in on it." said Lee.

"We gotta do this Maya, not all of us are going to do it but we have to before a lot people die." said Mark.

"Are you gonna have to kill to prevent a lot of people from dying?" asked Maya as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Most likely." said Mark as Maya shook her head.

"You know when I left Rivergreen I was happy but worried because I was leaving all of my friends behind in a dangerous town but now I see that my friends faded away and the guys who replaced them aren't them because instead of dying. They adapted to their surroundings and turned into predators." said Maya as she eyed both Mark and Lee with tears in her eyes causing the two boys to look at the ground.

"Look me in the eyes and honestly tell me that neither of you have changed?" asked Maya as Mark looked up at her.

"You're right we did change but you forget all of us did years in Rivergreen watching our friends die. You weren't around to see guys getting shot in the head, beaten to death, or stabbed to death. You didn't see any of that Maya or else you would have changed just as we did." said Mark.

"Tina, Aniyah, Jenna, and a number of other girls changed just like us Maya. They've seen death and they know they can't escape it so they've adapted to it while you run from it." said Lee.

"I'll being honest now Maya. I have done wrong, horrible, evil things to someone's son, some child's father, or some woman's lover and I'll admit I'm no hero, I'm no saint, and I'm nobody that should be looked up to, but I can honestly say every wrong, horrible, evil thing I do. I do it for my friends, my neighborhood, and the family that I carved out and if it means hurting someone to do that I will." said Mark earning wide eyes from Maya.

"You can walk away from the both of us, everyone else, and Rivergreen right now Maya and I won't stop you but I can honestly say I will always be by your side, watching your back, and keeping you safe because you're my family and I love you whether you admit it you're apart of this family or not." said Mark earning Maya's full attention as Mark stepped up to her.

"Promise me all of you will come home tomorrow?" asked Maya as she looked up at both Mark and Lee with tears in her eyes.

"I'll make sure everyone gets home with my life." said Mark.

"No!" yelled Maya earning wide eyes from both boys as they noticed tears falling from her eyes.

"All of you including you Marcus I want all of you to come home in one piece tomorrow. You both are right I've never seen any of my friends from Rivergreen die and I don't want to start seeing that anytime soon." said Maya as she lowered her head allowing her tears to hit the ground as Mark placed both of his hands on her shoulders causing her to look up at him and noticing the smile on his face.

"We're gonna come back all of us I promise." said Mark as he brought Maya in for a hug causing the girl rest her head on his shoulder as Mark pressed a kiss on her forehead before he sent a look to Lee who nodded his head.

"Usually when people make me promise things I tell them what they want to hear and they're mostly empty promises but I feel like I need to make this promise come true." thought Mark as he let Maya go allowing Lee to hug the girl while Mark rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"We'll be back we promise." said Mark.

"Can you two stay here just a little longer?" asked Maya earning smiles from the two boys.

"Sure your mom make dinner?" asked Lee earning a low chuckle from Maya.

"Actually yes." said Maya.

"Good I'll grab Buck we can have dinner as one tonight." said Mark earning wide eyes from Maya.

"Is he going with you?" asked Maya.

"Nah, he's pissed about it to because he is a brother but compared to us he's not us and honestly I don't want him to be like us." said Mark.

"He's got a loving mother and father they may be separated but those two had the biggest competition I ever seen in that courthouse over custody." added Mark.

"His parents aren't together but at least they know he's there." said Lee as Maya eyed the two.

"Buck's never had to do the things we've had to do. He saw what we saw but he can barely remember it and we like it that way." said Mark earning a nod from Maya.

"Alright as long as I know he's safe." said Maya as both Mark and Lee wrapped their arms around the girls shoulder and began to walk her towards her house.

"I hope your mother made enough for three more mouths." said Lee.

"I just hope she remembers me and Maya aren't dating." said Mark earning a chuckle from Lee.

"You're laughing but she's already looking at wedding dresses and cakes where piece of the groom is smaller than the bride." said Maya earning a much harder laugh from Lee.

Hours Later Lake House

The drive back to the lake house wasn't long for Mark as he pulled his car in front of the lake house where he and Lee noticed Mercy, Trip, Reid, Clyde, Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, and Jude sitting on the front porch of the lake house as the group each gave their hugs before entering the home and locking up as Link led the boys in a prayer before they went off to bed with their big day on their mind.

The Next Morning 7:15 A.M.

The sun was beginning to rise over the lake house to start this day as the members of the Brothers who were apart of today's attack found themselves in the living room putting on their bulletproof vest, strapping knifes to their hips, loading magazines in their guns, and grabbing their all black jackets, ski mask with white skulls on them, hats, and gloves.

"Today I'm not just a gang member or a serial killer. Today I'm a soldiers fighting for my neighborhood and leading my brothers into battle." thought Mark as he put on his black jacket over his bullet proof vest before strapping his knife to his right hip and a small ammo pack just below the knife.

"Today I put my life on the line again for those around me but what makes this time so different than the first is that I'm not the only one at risk." thought Mark as he loaded his MP7 Submachine Gun and stuffing it in the back of his pants before moving to his handguns and putting them in holsters strapped to his bulletproof vest as he watched Lee stuff two AKS-74U's into a black bag when Mercy and Trip walked into the room and looked at the two brothers with wide eyes.

"How do we look?" asked Mark as he smiled at the two.

"Bad ass!" said Trip as Mercy nodded his head.

"We brought you these." said Mercy as he handed Mark and Lee two small earpieces.

"Use these to stay in communication with each other." said Mercy earning a nod from Mark as he put the device to his ear.

"Good looking out." said Mark.

"Someone's got to when you guys are about to put your life on the line." said Mercy as he put his hand on Mark's shoulder while Trip did the same to Lee.

"We'll see you guys at the end of the day." said Mercy earning nods and a smile from both Brothers as they each shared a hug before Link entered the room.

"Anton's here." he said earning the attention of Mark and Lee as Mercy and Trip patted them on their shoulder as they each made their way downstairs and noticed Reid, Clyde, Zach, and Calvin dressed the same with their weapons in their hands as they each made their way out of the cabin and noticed Anton driving a small moving van towards the house while he stepped out of the vehicle dressed the same as the others.

"You guys ready?" asked Anton earning a nod from Mark.

"Have the Chinese found their target?" asked Mark.

"Yeah they reported five cars and four moving vans entering the docks as well as a large boat arriving just a few minutes ago carrying large crates and to make it better they spotted your boy Cesar." said Anton.

"Then that's our targets." said Mark as he turned his head to Link.

"Tell Tio to start slowing them down after the shipment leaves and tell Curtis we're moving out." stated Mark earning a nod from Link as he and the others approached the back of the moving van before climbing inside while Link, Mercy, Trip, Davey, and Eddy watched them.

"Have a nice day." said Reid with a chuckle.

"Just remember if shit goes wrong pull out." said Mercy earning a nod from Mark.

"We will." said Mark.

"Learn enough for all of us." said Zach as Jude and Calvin pulled down the cargo door Anton crawled back into the passenger side of the moving van before eyeing the driver.

"Privod!" said Anton as the driver nodded his head before backing the moving van away from the lake house and back onto the main road and driving off.

"I suggest you boys sit tightly it's gonna be a while before we get to our destination." said Anton.

"My brother fix up our vehicles?" asked Mark.

"If you mean those cop cars and that motorcycle than yes he fixed them up enough so that if someone's shooting at ya you might not take a bullet." said Anton earning nods from the group as they sat silently with their heads to the ground and their eyes closed giving silent prayers to the higher powers before them as they hoped for the safety of themselves, their friends, and a successful job.

King County Sheriff's Department

"How are things on your end?" asked Amsel as he stepped out of his car which was parked across the streets in front of a large building in Seattle.

"We're loading up the last crate and are about to leave now." said Cesar as he watched three Mexican men use a forklift to lift a large wooden crate into the back of a moving van.

"Was the cop there to escort you?" asked Amsel.

"No he wouldn't be apart of this but he did leave his police scanner." said Cesar as Amsel gritted his teeth.

"Fine just remember those trucks don't stop no matter what they do not stop." said Amsel.

"Yes sir." said Cesar as he hung up his phone before climbing into the passenger seat of the first truck before eyeing the driver.

"Drive!" he said as the driver started up the vehicle as two cars started up and led the four moving vans towards the gate while two cars brought up the rear as Cesar watched two armed men open the gate and allow the cars to get on the road without the knowledge that the convoy was being watched by a camera.

"And they are on the move." said a Chinese American man with glasses sitting in front of a computer that showed a video of the convoy of vehicles leaving out as Ricky stood behind the man with his arms folded.

"And Mark and the Brothers are on their way to the intercept point." said Ricky.

"I still don't get it from these maps that convoy is gonna go through a lot of backroads with one way streets why would Mark want to hit them while they're on a busy road." asked the man as Ricky looked down at him.

"Where are you from kid?" asked Ricky.

"San Francisco." he answered earning a nod from Ricky.

"That highway Mark chose is the perfect place for an ambush to the left there's a sink in the road and to the opposite side there's the opposite lane while to the right there's a ditch and if you keep straight for a few more miles there's a bridge with a fork in it meaning and they're in moving trucks weighed down with weapons. Mark's mission isn't to steal the cargo it's to disable the trucks and with obstacles to the left and right that means they can only keep straight and with cars passing on the other side and all the gunfire the police and the media are gonna be all over that road." said Ricky earning a nod from the man.

"You are one clever little monster Marcus Roman and an interesting piece to have in this game of war." said Ricky with a smile on his face as he watched seven Hispanic and Asian men in cars parked across from the docks as Tio clutched his Assault Rifle tighter while noticing an Asian man wearing a suit tossing a Grenade in the air before catching it repeatedly.

One Hour Later

The drive seemed to be uninteresting for Cesar as he looked around noticed a few cars in front of them driving at a faster speed than them leaving a large gap between the escort vehicle and the cars in front as the bald Hispanic man took a deep breath before closing his eyes as he started to feel himself beginning to doze off before the sound of a loud motorcycle engine caught his attention as turned his head and noticed two men men wearing bandannas around their mouths, sunglasses over their eyes, and black jackets riding a motorcycle riding up beside the convoy off the road before passing them up and getting back on the road before speeding up.

"Damn bikers." said Cesar as he gritted his teeth while eyeing the men on the motorcycle without the knowledge that the two men on the motorcycle were laughing at him right now.

"Did you plant it?" asked Mark as he continued to drive the motorcycle while Lee chuckled on his back.

"Yeah I planted the sticky bomb on the side of the middle truck and if they're still driving they probably haven't seen it." said Lee with a chuckle earning a nod from Mark as he got on his ear piece.

"Alright then strike team your up." said Mark hearing a chuckle on the other end of the device.

"I hear you loud and clear brother." said Reid as he drove the one of the now painted black captured police cars down the road while Clyde sat in the back seat loading his Assault Rifle.

"Strike team on approach." said Reid as he, Calvin, Jude continued to drive their vehicles down the road until they caught site of the two cars bringing up the rear of the convoy and began to approach.

"Let's do this." said Zach as he cocked his Assault Rifle with a smile on his face.

"It still amazes me how in life and death situations you can smile." said Jude with a chuckle.

"It's called being suicidal." said Zach.

"At least he's not trying to kill you with second hand smoke." said Calvin as he coughed violently while driving the car before turning his head and eyeing Anton who was smoking a cigarettes while he held an Assault Rifle in his hands.

"Quit complaining boy and get me close." said Anton as he opened the passenger side window.

"We're in position Marcus." said Anton over his earpiece.

"Alright TAKE THEM OUT!" said Mark earning a smile from Anton, Zach, and Clyde as the drivers of the two rear cars looked out their back windows and noticed three cars spacing out behind them while a masked man crawled out the passenger side of each window with Assault Rifles in their hands aimed at the cars.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK-!" started one of the drivers but before he could finish his sentence the three men opened fire and showered the two vehicles in a barrage of bullet that tore through the hulls of both cars before striking each men inside as the back window and windshield exploded into shards of glass and blood that crashed against the bodies of each men as Cesar and the other men found themselves waking up at the sound of gunfire and screeching tires as the cars on the other side of the road sped forward to avoid a stray bullet as the drivers of both were each hit repeatedly one slammed hit foot on the gas petal sending the car rocketing forward while the one to the left swerved right knocking both cars into the ditch below.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" asked the driver with anger in his voice as he looked out the passenger window and noticed one of the stolen police cars with wide eyes.

"Don't worry about that and keep your foot on the gas hopefully those idiots in front will get the message.' said Cesar as the driver stepped down on the accelerator sending the moving truck rocketing forward while the escort cars shot forward towards Mark and Lee.

"They're speeding up." said Lee earning a smile from Mark.

"Then let's make them regret it then." said Mark as he pressed down on the throttle of the motorcycle sending it flying forward until it was almost out of site from the convoy before pulling his bike to the side of the road next to a large tree as both Mark and Lee ran to the side of the road and noticed a spike strip hidden in the grass before the two began to carry it to the middle of the road.

Aberdeen Docks

"Alright they must be getting the message because there's a lot of activity." said the Chinese man from his computer as Ricky nodded his head.

"Tio make your move." Ricky over a Walkie Talkie earning a nod from the Hispanic man on the other end.

"Let's do this." said Tio as he and the men rushed out of the building with Assault Rifles raised while five Chinese men each pulled the pins on their Grenades before tossing them over the gates of the docks as one man noticed one of the explosives by his foot.

"GRENADE-!" he started before the device exploded along with the other Grenades as Tio and a few others climbed on top of the gate and began shooting at the men running around the docks as the glass of cars exploded while men dove behind cover as Tio and his men continued to fire.

Detective Amsel

"Would you say that you have been a successful officer with the Gang Task Force?" asked a man that sat across from Detective Amsel who looked nonchalantly.

"Why yes a number of high profile arrest have been made under my leadership." replied Amsel as the man in front of him nodded his head.

"Tell me Detective Amsel what is your relationship with one Marcus Smith?" asked the man causing Amsel to grit his teeth.

"Marcus is a violent gang leader that operates in the North Valley neighborhood in Rivergreen and runs the neighborhood almost like he's the law." said Amsel as the man shook his head.

"If that's so why is Mark listed as a CI for Sheriff Quin and Sergeant Harper?" asked the man.

"Because he and his men do their dirty for them then throw them the scraps." said Amsel as his phone started to ring.

"Excuse me can I take this?" asked Amsel only for the man to shake his head.

"No, this hearing isn't over Detective whatever it is it can wait." said the man.

"Even if it is a family emergency?" asked Amsel.

"Alright take your call." said the man as Amsel walked out of the room before answering his phone and putting it to his ear.

"This better be good Cesar." said Amsel before his eyes widened at the sound of gunfire in the background.

Hospital

The drive to the hospital wasn't long for Sergeant Harper as she exited the elevator and began to make her way towards Quin's room before entering the room and noticing the man sitting alone with his eyes to the television.

"Good morning?" asked Harper to a non responsive Quin.

"What's going on?" asked Harper as she turned her attention to the television which was playing the news.

"This footage is from an amateur cameraman driving down route nine where a vicious gun battle is going on between two sides." said the reporter as video footage of a motorcycle driving by followed by a convoy of vehicles and transport trucks followed by three police cars painted black with men carrying Assault Rifles out the window firing at the convoy.

"So far no injuries have been reported but two cars were said to have been hit with a barrage of bullets before landing in a ditch as law enforcement in the area are now racing to the scene." said the reporter as Harper couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in shock.

"I think we found out why Mark and Lee are sick today." said Quin earning Harper's attention.

"I'm going to the cabin to see if they're there." said Harper but before she could do anything her Walkie Talkie crackled to life.

"We have reports of a gun battle with explosives going on at a warehouse outside of Kent all officers respond." came the loud radio as Harper gritted her teeth.

"Looks like I gotta deal with that first." said Harper as she began to make her way out of the hospital while Quin continued to watch the news.

Kent

Just as the radio report said there was vicious gun battle going on outside of a warehouse as Curtis crouched down behind a car with three of his men while a group of armed men fired at him.

"Grenade." yelled one of the Royals as he tossed a Grenade at the group of shooters before being shotdown as the resulting explosion knocked all of them away as a smile spread across Curtis's face as he started motioning his finger at an all white van which started to speed it way towards the dock before crashing into the warehouse and exploding as a smile spread across the face of Curtis as he watched a fire rage inside of the warehouse.

Route 9

"Uh brother we might need some help." said Reid over Mark's ear piece.

"Why what's going on?" asked Mark as he and Lee continued to set the spike strip as the duo noticed that it wasn't long enough to cover the entire road while Reid and Clyde watched as the cargo door of the first moving truck opened and five men with Assault Rifles began to fire at them as they tried there best to avoid the bullets as they dented the windshield.

"We're taking fire." yelled Reid as Mark began to hear the gunshots through the sound of passing cars on the other side of the road before he turned his head to Lee.

"Blow it brother." said Mark as Lee reached into his jacket pocket before pulling out a detonator.

"Do I have to say a cheesy catchphrase?" asked Lee.

"Just blow the damn thing?" yelled Calvin, Reid, and Jude at once as Lee pushed the button on the detonator the group watched as a violent explosion over took the side of the truck causing those inside to be thrown around and even out of the truck as their bodies hit the ground with a thud a wide smile spread across the face of Reid as he processed to one of the men over staining his windshield in his blood.

"Alright one down three two go." said Calvin with a chuckle as a smile spread across the face of Anton as he put his gun back out the passenger window and fired into the cargo bed of the truck along with Zach and Clyde.

"Here they come." said Mark as a smile spread across his face he started to lick his lips as he and Lee drew their Assault Rifles and started to fire on the approaching cars from the middle of the road.

"Shit run those fuckers down!" yelled Cesar as the driver slammed his foot on the gas petal along with the escort drivers in the lead as Mark and Lee started to reload before continuing to shoot.

"Hold until the last minute." said Mark as he and Lee continued to shoot as Cesar ducked his head from the bullets that were coming through the front windshield while the driver continued to speed the car down the road.

"NOW!" yelled Mark as he and Lee jumped to the side of the of the road revealing the spike strip to the drivers who were moving so fast they actually couldn't avoid them as the two escort cars crashed into the spiked strips the tires exploded off the two cars before the vehicles both flipped over on their sides and violently crashed until they skidded to a stop at the end of the road.

"Take out the driver." yelled Mark as he and Lee began shooting at Cesar and the driver of the first vehicle only for the Hispanic man to duck down as a bullet collided against the head of the driver as he fell on the seat with blood leaking from his head.

"Shit!" yelled Cesar as he crawled into the back of the truck where he started to open one of the crates before a wide smile spread across his face at the sight of the content inside.

"We got them now." said Mark as he watched Calvin pull his car up to the side of the third truck while Anton opened fire on the truck killing the driver and the passenger while Zach and Clyde tossed Grenades at the second vehicle sending it up in flames.

"This battle is ours." said Lee with a chuckle before the group watched as Cesar emerged from the front seat with a weapon in his hands that made everyone widen their eyes in fear.

"Is that a Rocket Launcher?" asked Lee as the Hispanic man lifted the weapon towards him before firing it as the explosive rocketed towards the Asian Brother.

"Move!" yelled Mark as he knocked Lee to the ground as the rocket collided with the ground behind them as the force of the explosion sent the duo flying into the ditch before Cesar crawled back into the first truck and drove away narrowly avoiding the spike strip as he drove off Reid pulled his car up beside the ditch to the fallen Mark and Lee.

"We're alright just go." yelled Mark as he and Lee staggered to their feet while Reid led the three police cars away from the duo.

"You good?" asked Mark as he eyed Lee who looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yeah but are you?" asked Lee as he eyed Mark's side where they both noticed a large piece of shrapnel sticking out.

"You'd think that would hurt as bad as it looks." said Mark as he grabbed onto the piece of shrapnel and pulled it out noticing a small amount of blood just on the tip.

"If I wasn't wearing a vest I'd be dead." said Mark as he put the shrapnel in his jacket just as he and Lee heard the sirens of police cars.

"Dammit we gotta go." said Mark earning a nod from Lee as the two hopped back onto their motorcycle before riding off with the police on their tail.

"We're approaching the bridge remember the plan." said Mark over his ear piece as Reid, Calvin, and Jude each nodded their heads before surrounding Cesar's transport truck on all sides.

"Let's bump this bitch." said Zach as Jude slammed his car right side of the transport truck sending it to the left where Reid did the same sending it to the right.

"Son of a bitch." yelled Cesar as he made a hard right knocking Jude cars away as the Tacoma Brother struggled to keep control while Reid quickly suffered the same fate.

"Damn we can't get him." said Anton before the group heard the sound of a motorcycle engine as Mark and Lee rode past them and noticed the fork in the road that led up to the bridges as Mark pulled up along side Calvin car.

"We're gonna get in front of him you guys pull behind him nobody can be along the sides." yelled Mark earning a nod from Calvin as he followed Reid and Jude behind the transport truck.

"Lee how suicidal are you?" asked Mark.

"Not as much as you so what are you planning?" asked Lee as a smile spread across Mark's face.

"Turn your body to the right side and when I say jump you jump." said Mark Lee carefully followed his directions while holding onto Mark's back as the youngest Roman turned his body to the right while carefully holding onto the handlebars as the fork in the road approached.

"JUMP!" yelled Mark as both he and Lee leaped off the motorcycle in opposite directions as Cesar looked at the duo with wide eyes as they rolled to the side of the road before the transport truck collided with the motorcycle crushing it underneath the truck as Cesar noticed the fork approaching quicker.

"FUCK!" yelled Cesar as the front of the transport truck collided against the fork in the road with enough force to have the truck have an almost accordion effect as the front smashed inward while the back did the same as a smile spread across the face of Mark as he clutched his shoulder while standing up with a smile hidden behind his mask as he eyed the crash just as Reid pulled up along side him and Lee.

"You boys aren't right in the head." said Reid as both North Valley teens climbed into the car before Reid drove off just as the sounds of police sirens drew closer.

"Son of a bitch." said Cesar as he started to wake up and notice the blood leaking from the top of his head he started to hear the sound of police sirens.

Kent

The drive to Kent didn't take long for Harper as she stopped her car in front the charred remains of a burned down warehouse as firefighters continued to check the building as Harper looked down and noticed the corpses of Hispanic and African American men scattered throughout the battlefield as paramedics and officers moved around the scene.

"Jesus." said Harper as she noticed the charred body of a man being stretchered away as a familiar black car stopped in front of the building with a familiar blonde haired detective stepping out and looking at the scene with wide eyes and anger.

"This is a damn shame." said Amsel as he eyed the charred remains of the warehouse.

"Yeah and it's just the tip of this iceberg, reports are talking about a dock in Aberdeen being hit, along with a convoy of trucks carrying enough weapons to start a third world war." said Harper to Amsel's shock as he eyed the woman.

"Was anyone captured?" asked Amsel.

"Yeah a few members of the Centralas gang along with there leader Cesar." said Harper to Amsel's shock.

"What about any of the attackers?" asked Amsel.

"Aside from a few bodies here and there nobody was captured alive or wounded but you know this had to be the Rivergreen gangs putting a dent in the Centralas war machine." said Harper as Amsel eyed the woman.

"Where's your midget boyfriend?" asked Amsel.

"Home with the flu?" said Harper earning a chuckle from Amsel.

"You really believe he's home right now sick in bed while all of this is going on?" asked Amsel as Harper eyed the man angrily.

"You know where he is so go to him right now and see that he isn't there." said Amsel as Harper made her way towards her car before driving off.

Hospital

Things were going routinely for Aniyah as she and her mother walked back into Quin's room where they noticed the man staring at the television.

"Officers quickly located the three cars used in the gunfight on the highway hidden deep in the woods after being blown up in an explosion and none of the assailants were captured nor did they leave any evidence revealing who they were." said Susan Sampson.

"Seven men were captured from the wreckage of the vehicles one of whom is Cesar Gordo a former Sergeant in the Mexican Military now turned enforcer for a new gang that has invaded Rivergreen in force. The police seized a number of weapons that were being transported by Gordo including Rocket Launchers, Hand Grenades, and Landmines that officers believed were being transported to members of the Centralas to fight in their gang war with the local Rivergreen gangs who have been putting up a fight since the Centralas came knocking on their door-!" started the reporter before Aniyah turned to Quin and looked at the man with wide eyes.

"Is Mark fighting in this war?" asked Aniyah as Quin eyed the girl.

"Don't lie to me is he fighting?" asked Aniyah as Quin looked at the ground.

"Son of a bitch." she said while eyeing the television but found herself not being the only one as Ms. Summers sat in the teachers lounge watching the report along with a few other teachers while Maya, Tina, Jenna, Aurora, Mercy, Trip, Link, Davey, Eddy, Buck, Chris, Duke, Luke, Ms. Smith, Daryl, Jordan, Blake, and Martin watched the news with the intent eyes and worry in their hearts for the safety of their friends and family.

Lake House

The drive to the lake house wasn't long for Harper as she ran through the front door and noticed the absent Mark and Lee before rushing up the stairs and entering Mark's room where she noticed both North Valley teens wrapping bandages on their arms and legs causing her eyes to widen in horror at the sight of their mask, guns, bulletproof vest, and jackets sitting on the bed.

"You're earlier than I expected." said Mark as Harper approached the teen with anger in her heart before slapping him across the face as hard as she could causing the North Valley teen to stumble backwards.

"What the hell is wrong with the both of you, you could have been killed?" asked Harper as she eyed the duo.

"And the fuck was that out there?" asked Harper as Mark rose rose back up to his feet.

"Lee give us a second." said Mark earning a nod from the Asian brother as he made his way out of the room before closing the door on the two.

"Look we got word about the Centralas bringing in a huge shipment of weapons from Russia last week, since then the Brothers, the Royals, and the Familia have been planning to hit that shipment before it could arrive in Rivergreen as well as cripple their entire gang." said Mark.

"You knew about this shit and you didn't tell me why?" asked Harper.

"Trust issues." said Mark.

"Trust issues so what you don't trust me anymore Marcus after everything I did for you you don't trust me?" asked Harper.

"There are moles for the Centralas in law enforcement." said Mark earning a confused look from Harper.

"If you don't believe me ask Quin he knows to, in fact both of us believe the Centralas leader is wearing a badge and if you don't believe me now, give me five minutes so I can make a phone call and have a tape showing three uniformed officers meeting with the Centralas members at the docks in Aberdeen on it's way here to you." said Mark earning wide eyes from Harper.

"If I would have told you, you would have told someone who could tip them off and ruining the plans so I had to keep you in the dark." said Mark as Harper watched him give a loud grunt before clutching his side in pain before lifting his shirt and showing Harper his shrapnel wound from earlier.

"Were you shot?" asked Harper.

"No I was hit by shrapnel from a Rocket Launcher highlight of my day." said Mark to Harper's shock.

"If they were willing to use it on us what makes you think you'd be any better off?" asked Mark.

"You should have trusted me with this mole information." said Harper.

"I do trust you but I don't trust every cop around me and I wasn't gonna take that chance because of word went around that you knew about the mole they would have killed you." said Mark as he continued to clutch his hands.

"You did everything today all in the name of your gang?" asked Harper.

"No I did it for my friends, my family, and for you." responded Mark as Harper eyed his gun.

"So you are a killer?" asked Harper.

"Only when I need to be." said Mark as Harper watched as he started to walk past her.

"What are you doing?" asked Harper.

"Giving you a win." said Mark as he walked over to his dresser and grabbing a notebook before handing it over to Harper.

"What's this?" asked Harper.

"That is Cesar's book of known members, drug dealers, hitmen, and stash houses for the Centralas. There's also a list of people with prices on their heads including me, Quin, and you." said Mark to the shock of Harper.

"Law enforcement is gonna be all over the Centralas after today with this you can give them a push in the right direction." said Mark.

"They'll also be looking into the gang members who blew up a number of things today." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"And if they come for me I won't lie or deny my role but until than bring down the Centralas and if you aren't satisfied I'll turn myself over to you." stated Mark to the shock of Harper.

"I'll admit I did wrong today and if you want to see me go jail for it go ahead I won't stop you but do me a favor and bring them down first at least so I know that everyone I care about is safe." said Mark to Harper's surprise as Mark continued to clutch his side.

"You should go to a hospital." said Harper earning a shake of the head from Harper.

"No doctor no hospital, I called Link he was our medic back in the day and can stitch me up when he gets here." said Mark as he took a few steps towards Harper before touching the woman's stomach and lifting her shirt.

"Twinses." said Mark as both Harper and Mark noticed the scars on their stomachs before Harper lowered her shirt.

"Don't joke around I'm mad at you right now." said Harper.

"Look I wanted to tell you but I couldn't, I know you don't understand now but hopefully you'll see it later." said Mark as he stood before Harper who was looking away from him.

"Are you gonna tell Quin that you were apart of those attacks?" asked Harper as Mark started to chuckle.

"Don't need to he knows and hopefully after I tell him the reason I did he'll forgive me but it'll be a while before I regain his trust and the trust of my friends." said Mark.

"Same can be said for me." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"I understand." said Mark as he moved past Harper before turning his head and noticing Lee, Mercy, and Trip standing in the doorway watching the two as Harper eyed the group.

"Listen up all of you." said Harper earning the attention of everyone.

"From now and here on out all of you are under house arrest and I'll be confiscating all of your guns, body armor, and knives." said Harper to the shock of all four boys.

"You will only go to school and go back to your respective residents in Rivergreen." said Harper before she turned to Mark.

"As for you Marcus you're gonna stay here everyday. I will pick you up for school and drop you back off here and to make sure that none of you break my rules I'll be putting ankle bracelets on all four of you." said Harper as Trip went to speak out he was quickly silenced by Mark.

"If any of you break these rules I will haul of your ass to jail for the crimes you each committed today, do I make myself clear." said Harper with an authoritative tone as the group looked at her with confused eyes before a smile spread across the face of Mark.

"Loud and clear Sergeant." said Mark as Harper walked out of the room in a hurry.

"Are we really gonna listen to her?" asked Mercy as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah, we'll listen to her for now she's got enough to evidence on the Centralas to give them a run for their money so we should be safe for now." said Mark earning nods from the group

Kent

As the sun started to set Detective Amsel found himself still standing before the burned down warehouse as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"You think you can fuck with me Marcus, I'll show you." said Amsel as he gave an angry growl with the phone to his ear as the person on the other side answered.

"Lobo it's Amsel I have job for you and your men." said Amsel as a sinister smile spread across his face

26: Life 26

Chapter 26: Assault on the Lake House

The Lone Brothers Fight on Halloween Night

One Week Later Halloween

The sun had barely risen over Washington as a cool breeze swept through the land on this cold Halloween day as a familiar blonde haired man stood under a bridge in Tacoma just as five black suburbans pulled up under the bridge before a large Hispanic man with short black hair and a scar over his right eye and chewing a tooth pick stepped out of the first vehicle and began to make his way to Amsel.

"Amsel, La Rubia Gringo, in the flesh." said the man with a smile on his face.

"Sergio Hernandez, La Lobo, it's been a long time." said Amsel with a smile as the man nodded his head.

"To long but then again you never call me unless you have a job for me and my men to do and the money to pay us." said Sergio as he continued to chew on the toothpick while Amsel nodded his head.

"Fifty thousand for the murder of three people." said Amsel as Sergio nodded his head.

"That's not enough for us Amsel." said Sergio.

"You're only killing a local gang leader who's on house arrest and a Sheriff who's in the hospital bed." said Amsel as Sergio started to chuckle.

"They may sound like easy targets but if you're calling us in they must be the real deal." said Sergio.

"That's because they've basically dismantled the Centralas here. My dealers, my hitmen, and even my lieutenant have all been arrested and it won't be long before they come knocking on my door." said Amsel as Sergio nodded his head.

"And what does killing these people do for you?" asked Sergio.

"It gives me breathing room." replied Amsel as Sergio chuckled.

"It also makes you feel better." said Sergio as he threw his toothpick to the ground.

"Seventy five thousand that's my offer take it or leave it." said Sergio earning a nod and a smile from Amsel.

"Alright but the first I want you to take out the child." said Amsel as he held up a picture of Mark.

"He's been the biggest thorn and watch yourself around him he likes to travel in a pack." said Amsel as Sergio eyed the picture.

Seaside High School

"Is it weird to say today is one of my most favorite holidays?" thought Mark as he stood in his room at the lake house dressing himself for school.

"It's not the candy, the dressing up, the horror movies, or the tricks that appease me. It's the fact that everyone around me dresses up and tries to imitate the monsters they see on TV while I don't have to imitate, because I'm a true monster that was born in blood, lives for violence, and thrives on chaos." thought Mark as a smile spread across his face.

"In Hallows Past I would always go out without a costume hunting for someone I could kill, to bleed them dry, take their teeth, and leave them as just another soul lost on Halloween night. But this year thanks to a certain Sergeant I'll just have to stay in on my most favorite night of the year." thought Mark as he looked down at his right leg and noticed the black ankle monitor strapped to his body.

"This ankle monitor limits my movements and lets her know exactly where I am at all times and to make it worse my Brothers have one as well that prevents us from getting close to one another. On the bright side things in Rivergreen have calmed down since law enforcement have started taking it to the Centralas, but they're still out there and so is there mole." thought Mark as he heard the front door of the lake house open and the sound of the Sergeant in question called him from downstairs.

"On the way." said Mark as he grabbed his new dog tags, rings, and backpack before digging through his top draw and pulling out a small razor blade hidden at the bottom.

"You can take my guns and my knives but you can't take all my blades." thought Mark as he slide the razor in his back pocket before making his way downstairs where he noticed Sergeant Harper waiting.

"Come on before you're late." said Harper as Mark nodded his head before following the woman out of the lake house.

"You know you spend more time getting ready than a girl right?" asked Harper only to receive silence from Mark as the woman turned her head and noticed Mark looking around the forest that surrounded the house.

"We're not alone." thought Mark as he continued to look around after feeling a presence somewhere before giving a low growl.

"Is something the matter?" asked Harper as Mark turned to her.

"Nah, thought I heard something." said Mark as he followed the woman towards her car.

"Are you sure you're not just paranoid?" asked Harper as the duo climbed into the car.

"Kinda hard not to be paranoid when you're me." said Mark as he put on his seat belt Harper started the car and drove away from the lake house before turning her gaze to Mark and noticing him sipping her coffee.

"So how have you been feeling?" asked Harper as Mark took another sip of her coffee.

"Lonely!" said Mark earning a nod from Harper.

"The only time I can talk to people is during the day after that I go home to a large empty house where I hear my own echo." said Mark.

"I know you're having a hard time readjusting, I talked to Quin about it and he mentioned how situations like this makes you a little antsy but remember you pushed me to this." said Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"I'm aware and I'm not gonna waste my time begging for forgiveness because I know it's useless." replied Mark earning a sorrow felt look from Harper.

"Hey how about this weekend we pack up your things and move you back into your apartment?" asked Harper as Mark nodded his head.

"I'd like that." said Mark as a smile spread across Harper's face before she pulled up in front of the school.

"Have a good day." said Harper as Mark turned to her.

"Hey can I ask for a favor?" asked Mark.

"I'm not taking that monitor off Marcus." replied Harper as Mark shook his head.

"That's not what I'm asking for, I'm asking if you could spend the night with me." said Mark to Harper's surprise.

"I know we said we had to stop the thing between us and I'm not asking for that. I'm asking can you come and keep me company tonight, I don't like spending the night alone in that empty house." said Mark with a seriousness in his tone as Harper looked away from him.

"I'll think about it but no promises." replied Harper earning nod from Mark.

"Be safe." said Mark as he exited the woman's car before making his way inside the school where he noticed the usual Halloween decoration of pumpkins, skulls, spiders, and monsters as he made his way towards his locker and noticed Maya, Buck, Daryl, and Jordan.

"There's our convict." said Daryl as he smiled at Mark.

"How's house arrest been?" asked Daryl as Mark shook his head.

"Horrible especially when you have nobody to talk to." said Mark.

"That's what you get for thinking with your fist Marcus." said Jordan the group started to chuckle.

"Only way to think." said Mark as he put his hand on Buck's head.

"How are the others?" asked Mark.

"They're doing well, they say nothing much has been going down aside from the arrest."replied Buck earning a nod from Mark as the school bell rang out.

"Damn!" thought Mark.

"Looks like we gotta talk later." said Jordan as the group went their separate ways Mark found himself approaching Maya who had been giving him the silent treatment since the highway assault.

"Still mad?" asked Mark as Maya remained silent.

"Come on please talk to me I need to interact with someone before I cut my wrist." said Mark as Maya looked at him.

"Yes I'm still mad at you, when you and Lee said you had to do something you failed mention a highway shooting." said Maya.

"That's actually what I didn't want you to find out about." said Mark.

"You both had me worried and scared." said Maya.

"And I'm sorry for that but like I promised everyone got home safely including myself and I'm paying the price for it with this house arrest shit." said Mark as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Feel lucky you're not in jail right now Mark ." said Maya as the duo entered their first period class.

Hospital

The drive to the hospital wasn't long for Harper as the woman walked into Quin's room and noticed the man standing up trying to walk with Aniyah beside him.

"You sure you're ready for that so soon?" asked Harper as Quin started to chuckle.

"Don't care I'm getting sick of being in this damn bed." replied Quin as struggled to take another step.

"Take it easy dad." said Aniyah as Quin planted his foot down.

"If you keep this up you won't be going home soon." said Harper as Quin chuckled.

"On the contrary, the doctors say I'm medically clear to go home this weekend, but it might be a while before I can put the badge back on." said Quin.

"But thankfully I know King County is in good hands right now." said Quin as Harper nodded her head with a smile before Aniyah eyed her.

"How's Mark?" asked Aniyah as Harper took a deep breath.

"Struggling, being that he's in that cabin by himself he getting paranoid and apparently lonely."said Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"I told him we'll move him back into his apartment this weekend and he seemed a little bit happier." said Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"I still think you should take that ankle monitor off him and let him run free." said Quin.

"Yeah and we know what happened the last time he ran free." said Harper as Quin eyed the woman.

"Don't be so hard on him, he had good intentions he just handled them wrong." said Quin.

"Like he always does." added Aniyah.

"So you believe there's a moles in King Counties law enforcement?" asked Harper as Quin nodded his head.

"Yeah, and it's starting to add up just think about it. The Centralas have been operating in Rivergreen for well over a year but the other gangs and law enforcement just got wind of them a few months ago, a police scanner was found in the cars captured at the crime scene, majority of the Centralas that were arrested last week are now in Protective Custody in prison because they're being killed off by their own, and to make it more obvious why out of every city across Washington would they house their guns in King County, why are they not being arrested frequently in King County when we both know what they're doing? I'll tell you why because someone in King County is coordinating them." said Quin earning a nod from Harper.

"But who could it be?" asked Harper.

"I don't know me and Mark were looking into it. We were hoping with the incarceration of Cesar this guy would stick his head out, but so far he's just leaving his men on a sinking ship." said Quin as Harper nodded her head.

"So what do you think we should do?" asked Harper.

"Let me talk to Mark." said Aniyah earning the attention of both Quin and Harper as they looked at her confusingly.

"What?" asked Harper.

"Let me talk to Mark, I know things about the Brothers that Mark has kept entirely secret from the both of you. I know plans and resources he he's had hidden up his sleeve since we were kids and I know one of them that can get you your mole." said Aniyah as both Quin and Harper.

"Alright I'll drop you off at the lake house before I pick him up." said Harper earning a nod from Aniyah as Quin watched the two girls leave with a serious look on his face.

Seaside High School

The day was coming to an end for Marcus as he sat in his last period class watching his teacher give a speech while dressed up as a famous wrestler earning a few laughs from a few of the students with the exception of himself as he kept his gaze outside the door where he noticed an unknown Hispanic man dressed as a janitor pushing a trash can while looking back at him.

"Some people might call me paranoid, but I've seen that same man five times today and he's always walking past my class with a trashcan, an empty trashcan." thought Mark as he turned his gaze to the teacher.

"I told myself I'd never kill someone here but maybe I have to." thought Mark as the school bell finally rang out he was slow to rise while the other students rushed out of the classroom before he felt a hand on his shoulder and noticed Daryl looking down at him.

"Bell rang dude." said Daryl earning a nod from Mark.

"Sorry I got a lot on my mind today." said Mark as he followed Daryl, Jordan, and Maya out of the classroom.

"You gonna be able to join us tonight?" asked Jordan as Mark started to chuckle.

"Aren't we a little old for trick or treating?" asked Mark.

"Duh, I'm talking about the Halloween party?" asked Jordan as Mark shook his head.

"Sorry I can't be outdoors after four with this thing." said Mark.

"That sucks, hope the dude you beat up was worth all of this." said Daryl as Mark nodded his head before taking a look around for the man who seemed to be out of sight.

"What's got you so distracted?" asked Maya as Mark eyed her.

"Nothing, I gotta go to the bathroom but I'm afraid if I go now my ankle monitor will go off." said Mark as Maya nodded her head.

"Just go I'll tell Harper you're in the bathroom." said Maya earning a nod from Mark.

"Thanks!" said Mark as he began to walk away from the group and turned a corner without noticing the janitor following after him while reaching inside of his trash can as he entered the bathroom.

Ten Minutes Later

"Where is that damn boy?" asked Harper as she watched Mark finally walk out of the school before sliding into her car.

"What took you so long?" asked Harper as Mark buckled his seat belt.

"Sorry wanted to get in a few more words before I go off to that empty house." said Mark earning a nod from Harper as she drove away from the school without the knowledge her car was being watched by a familiar man with wide eyes as he put his cell phone to his mouth.

"Where the fuck is Chewy?" asked Sergio.

"I don't know I haven't heard from him in a few minutes." said someone on the other end.

"Well then go find him use the GPS." said Sergio before things went silent on the other end for a few minutes before the man responded.

"Boss I found Chewy and I think you need to see this I'm at the back of the school." said the man on the other end as Sergio exited his car before making his way to the back of the school without being seen by the students then approaching a Hispanic man dressed as a student who had a trash can next to him.

"Where is he?" asked Sergio as the man opened the trash can lid and revealed a lifeless body resting in the trash can that caused Sergio;s eyes to widen.

"He got his throat cut and it looks like he was bleed out before tossed in here or there'd be a lot more blood." said the man as Sergio gritted his teeth.

"So Amsel wasn't kidding when he said this Mark kid wasn't gonna be an easy task." said Sergio as he balled his hands into fist.

"Call the others tell them we're gonna do a full assault on that cabin." said Sergio earning a nod from the man.

Lake House

The drive to the lake house wasn't long for Harper as she parked her car in front of the lake house just as Mark stepped out.

"Still thinking on my offer?" asked Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"Don't worry about it I know how busy you are." said Mark causing Harper to go wide eyes.

"Really you seemed so happy about me staying." said Harper as Mark shook his head.

"Yeah but I know you got better things to do. That's why I want you to go home and forget about me." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll be back later to check on you." said Harper as Mark nodded his head before taking a few steps back as the woman drove away from the home while Mark made his way inside but was shocked to see a familiar girl sitting on his couch with her arms folded across her chest and anger in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" asked Mark.

"I came to see my favorite convict." replied Aniyah as she rose to feet to approach Mark.

"This changes shit." thought Mark before he felt a sharp sting in the side of his face as Aniyah slapped him with enough force to send him stumbling back.

"Still haven't gotten used to that." thought Mark as he eyed the girl.

"I doubt I need to ask what that was for." said Mark as he eyed Aniyah with a smile.

"What the hell is wrong with you Marcus you could have gotten yourself killed." said Aniyah.

"But I didn't." responded Mark as he gave her an emotionless look.

"You haven't changed at all. I came here to see my father thinking he was hurt on the job only to find out he's on the top of some gangs hit list just above you." said Aniyah.

"Technically he's under me now." thought Mark.

"You haven't changed a bit Marcus, you're still doing the same old shit from five years ago. When the hell are you gonna grow up?" asked Aniyah as Mark looked at the ground.

"Look at me and answer me." repeated Aniyah as Mark eyed the girl.

"I honestly don't know." said Mark as Aniyah slapped him again.

"You don't know because you enjoy this shit, you get off on wars because it gives you an excuse to go out and unleash your anger towards whoever you see fit." yelled Aniyah as Mark eyed the her.

"Tell me I'm lying?" asked Aniyah as Mark shook his head.

"You're not I enjoy going out and hurting others and this does give me an excuse to do so." said Mark as Aniyah went to slap him again the youngest Roman quickly grabbed her hands to keep her back.

"Please stop hitting me." said Mark.

"You need to change Mark." said Aniyah as Mark looked up at her.

"This gang war needs to end right now." said Aniyah as Mark gave her a confused look.

"So what you want me to just lay down my fist and allow these guys to beat up old ladies like Ms. Greene again or try and kill good men like your father. This gang war is going to go on until the last man falls because as of right now I don't see an endgame." said Mark.

"Well I do." replied Aniyah bringing a confused look to Mark's face as he eyed the girl.

"I was in the room when Sergeant Harper and my dad talked about your mole and how none of you could find him and I think I know a way you can get your mole." said Aniyah as Mark eyed her confusingly before letting her hands go.

"I know you have connections to the gangs in prison and you use them to get to guys you can't get to." said Aniyah to Mark's surprise.

"I heard about it a few years ago when you were having problems with some dealer who got arrested and then days later he ended up dead at Washington State." said Aniyah as Mark continued to eye the girl.

"What are you getting at?" asked Mark.

"Use your prison connections to reach out to that guy that was arrested last week he's bound to know who's running things." said Aniyah as Mark shook his head.

"It's not that simple." said Mark as he walked away from Aniyah to take a seat on the couch.

"What's the problem?" asked Aniyah.

"My prison connect is Tucker." said Mark to Aniyah's shock.

"Buck's brother?" asked Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"Yeah him, Brynlee and a few other brothers that have been arrested over the years." said Mark.

"I know what you were thinking use my connections in the prison to get Cesar to flip on his boss but I don't want to do that. Tucker's got less than a year on his sentence left and I don't want to mess that up for him just to do things for me." said Mark as Aniyah eyed him.

"Besides Cesar's still locked up in Protective Custody in County and he won't be moved for a while so even if I do send Tucker after him it might be weeks until he gets to them and all the other guys that are locked up for the Centralas are either dead or in Segregation waiting to be killed by their boss." said Mark earning a low sigh from Aniyah.

"Well we have got to try something Mark because fighting to the last man isn't what anyone wants including you." said Aniyah as Mark nodded his head.

"I don't want it but it's the only viable option at the moment." said Mark.

"So what you're going to keep fighting until they kill all of you?" asked Aniyah.

"For right now we're not focusing on fighting them just sabotaging them long enough for us to find the mole that was the point of taking down that convoy." said Mark before turning to face Aniyah.

"I may be enjoying the fighting but I have unselfish reasons for doing this." said Mark.

"You always have unselfish reasons but you fight battles that aren't your own." said Aniyah.

"Look I'm not gonna sit here and lie and say I'll change or I'll stop fighting because I don't know what the future has planned for me. I'll admit I do see a much clearer future for myself but I don't know if that future is tomorrow, next week, or years from now. All I know is that I'm gonna have a future despite where I'm from, the things I've done, and who my family is." said Mark as he eyed Aniyah with serious eyes.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." said Aniyah earning a surprised look from Mark.

"I know you do what you do for the best of intentions but you have to ask yourself before it's to late. Is this the life your grandmother wanted for you?" asked Aniyah as Mark lowered his head at the mention of his grandmothers.

"I didn't realize it until after you told me about your past but the reason your grandmother was so overprotective of you was because she didn't want her grandchild to follow in his fathers footsteps." said Aniyah as Mark gave a low growl before taking a seat on the couch.

"I know you try not to be like your father or your brothers but that doesn't mean you have to become something worse than them." said Aniyah as Mark gave a low grunt just as Aniyah rested her head on his shoulder and began to rub his back causing an almost calming wave to wash over him as he wrapped Aniyah in his arms until the girl found herself sitting atop his lap facing away from him. As Mark pressed his head into the center of her back Aniyah turned to face him and rubbed his cheek with a smile on her face before the duo shared a kiss that was quickly broken up by Aniyah.

"Still with Blake." said Aniyah as Mark rolled his eyes before laying back on the couch as Aniyah layed on top of him.

"Will you always be such a tease?" asked Mark earning a chuckle from Aniyah.

"Depends will you quit fighting?" asked Aniyah as Mark gave a chuckle of his own.

"Good point." said Mark as he and Aniyah found themselves lying on the couch for hours as the sun started to dip down in the sky but their moment was quickly ruined by the sound of a car engine.

"That must be Harper." said Aniyah as she rose off Mark earning a roll of the eyes from the youngest Roman before following after the girl as she opened the door for her and to both their surprise see three trucks with armed gunmen dressed in military fatigue swarming out.

"SHIT!" yelled Mark as he quickly closed the door Sergio stepped out of his truck with a smile on his face while Aniyah watched Mark flip over the couch and see a small stash of weapons.

"You thought I'd really let them take all my weapons." thought Mark as he picked up an AKS-74U.

"Marcus Smith this is Ryan Hernandez of the Manada De Lobos here to accept your surrender." said Sergio.

"Mark who are those people what's going on?" asked Aniyah as she watched Mark pick up two Glocks along with one Hand Grenade and a Flashbang Grenade and a knife before handing her a Glock.

"Take this." said Mark as he grabbed Aniyah's hand before pulling her into the downstairs room and moving a dresser where the duo noticed a large vent just as Mark opened the vent.

"Get in there and stay quiet if you don't hear anything for fifteen minutes you leave." said Mark as Aniyah stepped into the vent.

"What are you gonna do?" asked Aniyah as Mark looked down at her with a serious look on his face before he kissed her and locked her in the vent before pushing the dresser up against the wall while Aniyah began to dig in her pockets for her cellphone.

"I hate to tell you this Marcus but you have exactly five seconds to come out with your hands up or else we're gonna come in and drag you out." said Sergio just as Mark rushed upstairs and began to dig under his bed before pulling out a makeshift bow and arrow.

"When fighting a war never let your enemy know what you have cooked up." thought Mark as he slid open the window before aiming the arrow at Sergio.

"Three seconds Mark." said Sergio.

"Fuck you." yelled Mark as he fired the arrow only for it to miss Sergio's head and hit the man in the chest.

"Son of a bitch." yelled Sergio as he noticed the arrow sticking out of the right side of his chest after being lodged in his bulletproof vest.

"KILL THAT FUCKER!" yelled Sergio as his men knocked down the front door before entering an empty living room as they looked around without noticing Mark standing at the stairwell with his Assault Rifle and the Flashbang Grenade in hand.

"Well I always did want to go out in a bang." thought Mark as he tossed the Grenade in the room the men gave a loud yell before they were blinded while Mark ran down the stairs firing his Assault Rifle at the group.

Hours Later

The drive back to the lake house wasn't long for Harper as she rushed to the front of the lake house where she noticed dozens of cars parked out front as Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, and a crying Aniyah sitting on the front porch while Tina tried to comfort her as Harper rushed to the group.

"What happened here?" asked Harper the Brothers eyed her.

"Come see." said Mercy as the group led her into the house where Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, Calvin, and Eric were as the young Sergeant noticed the living room in ruins with bullet holes covering the walls along with the furniture and pictures as Harper noticed the group sitting around the undamaged television watching a video of a group of armed men entering the house before a flashbang went off and Mark rushed into the living room firing an Assault Rifle and shooting down the men before continuing to shoot at the group just as the picture changed to that of a group of men entering through the kitchen door until it switched back and showed Mark tossing a Grenade into the kitchen and blowing them away.

"I gotta admit Mark doesn't go down for shit." said Zach as the group continued to watch as Mark threw down his Assault Rifles before grabbing his two pistols and firing at two men trying to enter through the front door while he did a barrel roll and rolled into the kitchen and ran out the back door.

"That's as far as the camera go." said Mercy as Harper looked at the group with fear in her heart.

"Well where is Mark now?" asked Harper as Lee and the others led her through the tattered remains of the kitchen where she noticed Clyde and Tyler tossing the dead bodies of men into a large hole.

"We still haven't found him but we got guys checking every inch of the woods right now." said Lee as Harper turned her head and noticed members of the Brothers, 2nd Order, and Undertakers looking through the woods.

"But we did find these." said Trip as he handed the woman Mark's brother jacket as the woman noticed five bullets holes and blood on the back of the jacket and his ankle monitor.

"No!" said Harper as she took the jacket in her hands with tears falling from her eyes as Mercy wrapped his arms around Aniyah as the girl broke down.

"This is my fault I left him here alone without protection." said Harper as she pressed her hands to her face just as her tears started to fall along with everyone else as Reid punched the side of the cabin.

"I should have been here." said Reid as tears started to fall from his eyes everyone lowered their heads with anger and sorrow in their hearts.

"What's everyone crying about." came a somewhat familiar voice as the group turned their heads and noticed Mark walking to them with a limp as they looked down and noticed the blood leaking from his right leg and his shirt.

"MARK!" they all almost yelled at once before raising up to the youngest Roman as he lifted his hands before them.

"NO HUGGING!" yelled Mark causing everyone to stop as they watched him lift up his shirt revealing three bullets lodged in the front of his bulletproof vest with a large hole in the upper front before turning around and showing them five bullets in the back with blood leaking from a hole in the same place in the back.

"One of them hit me in the the back but I think it went through and came out the front of the vest.." said Mark as the group looked at him with wide eyes before approaching him as Harper shined a flashlight on the teens back where she noticed the end of a bullet sticking out of his vest.

"You are still one tough son of a bitch." said Zach as he ruffled Mark's hair.

"Quit being an asshole and get me some medicine this shit hurts." said Mark as Link, Davey, and Eddy ran in the house Mark turned his gaze to Harper.

"Worried about me?" asked Mark with a smile that caused her to smile her tears still falling as Mark turned his head to Aniyah.

"Glad you're okay." said Mark as Aniyah wrapped her arms around him tightly as Mark tried to ignore the stinging pain of the wound as his blood dripped on her shirt.

"I thought I lost you." said Aniyah as Mark chuckled.

"I saw them." said Mark earning the attention of everyone as they eyed him.

"My parents and my grandmother I saw them after I got shot." said Mark earning the attention of everyone.

"I don't know if I was dreaming or hallucinating but I saw them and we had a somewhat long conversation." sad Mark as Aniyah smiled at him before turning to the Brothers.

"I also saw Kozik." said Mark to the shock of Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Zach.

"I met him and a few others we all lost in Rivergreen. They say thank you for making their deaths mean something and making sure non of them are just a memory for all these years." said Mark earning smiles and tears from everyone as they eyed him.

"Nah uh can we go inside I sort of feel my insides getting cold." said Mark as the group helped him inside of the house as Mercy and Zach helped him to take off his vest where the group noticed the small bullet wound in his upper right shoulder as Link began to inspect the teen.

"You should feel lucky the bullet passed right through and missed all vital organs meaning we could treat you with a hospital but you should still probably get a doctor." said Link as Mark turned to Lee.

"Get my phone I gotta make a call." said Mark as Lee nodded his head.

"Mind telling us what happened to you after you ran out of the house and why we couldn't find you?" asked Zach as Mark rubbed his chin.

"After I ran out...oh I ran around the side of the house got shot in the leg, the same leg as my ankle monitor, then I hid behind a tree, cut my ankle monitor off, then somebody found me and shot at me while I was running. I got hit again that's how I got this wound." said Mark as he pointed at his injured side.

"Knocked the wind right outta me and I collapsed face first in the dirt and played dead while the asshole stood over me and shot me in the back five times." said Mark as he turned to his back revealing five large bruises on his back.

"Bastards took my rings, my hat, and my dog tags as well." said Mark as he showed everyone his ring less fingers.

"Do you know who did this?" asked Harper.

"Some guy he called himself Sergio Hernandez and I think he was military because his guys weren't just any ordinary hitmen they were well equipped and skilled. One of them tried to off me in the school." said Mark to Harper's shock.

"And you didn't tell me?" asked Harper.

"I just thought he was some average street guy he went down easily enough." said Mark as everyone eyed him.

"But anyways after he took my rings he said something about moving on to their next targets." said Mark as everyone eyed him.

"Who's his target?" asked Lee as Mark turned to Harper.

"Quin." said Mark to Harper and Aniyah's shock.

"By my guess they're already sitting on him as we speak." said Mark to everyone's surprise.

"Well why aren't we going after them?" asked Davey.

"Because I'm all banged up and as far as they know I'm dead and you guys are in the dark." said Mark as Reid and Zach started to chuckle at the North Valley teen.

"That brain of yours come up with a plan?" asked Reid as Mark smiled.

"Yeah but first I need you to make a call to Spokane we're gonna need some backup from another Chapter." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Well then what do you want us to do in the meantime?" asked Reid.

"Go home and act like nothing happened we don't want to tip these guys off." said Mark earning nods from the group before he turned to face Harper.

"Carla I want you to warn Quin and stay close to him because right now he's got a lot of heat coming his way." said Mark.

"Well where are you going?" asked Harper.

"I know a spot where I can crash and there's a doctor there for me. I'll heal up then after that we make our move." said Mark.

"I'm going with you." said Aniyah to Mark's surprise.

"I'm not leaving you and wouldn't it be safer for me to stick close to the guy nobodies hunting?" asked Aniyah as the group sent Mark confused looks.

"Alright, you can stick with me but you're dealing with your boyfriend when he gets pissed." said Mark as he turned back to the group just as Lee handed him his cellphone.

"Link, think you can give us a ride?" asked Mark.

"You got it!" said Link just as Zach helped Mark up to his feet.

"We should get going before someone sees us." said Mark earning nods from the group as they made their way out of the cabin.

"Be safe brothers." said Mark earning nods from the group.

"Heal up quick so we can bring the pain." said Reid earning a nod from Mark as Zach and Eddy helped him into Link's car.

"Don't die on us brother." said Zach as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"Don't plan on it." said Mark as Aniyah took a seat beside him just as Mark rested his head on the girls lap.

"Where are we going?" asked Aniyah.

"To meet someone who can help but you have to promise not to tell your dad." said Mark earning a nod from the girl just as Link hopped in the driver seat.

"Where to brother?" asked Link.

"Olympia!" replied Mark as Link nodded his head before driving off.

27: Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The I Love You

The Death Heard Around Washington

Two Days Later Sunday

The sun was shining bright over this day in Washington and even brighter for a certain blonde haired detective as he sat with a smile on his face in his living room while looking down at a pair of dog tags, a hat, and a set of rings that were placed before him like a trophy before he heard his front door open and watched as Sergio and three of him walked into his home.

"What do I owe this visit?" asked Amsel as he eyed the group.

"We've been keeping an eye on Quin, he'll be leaving the hospital later today and after that we'll make our move." said Sergio.

"What about Carla?" asked Amsel.

"We've been keeping a tail on her but so have guys from Mark's crew. They've been keeping close eyes on her and Quin." said Sergio.

"Of course they are, their leader is dead and now they're looking for someone to give them directions all the while my guys are gonna move in on their hood." said Amsel.

"Might want to hold off on that plan. Mark's dead and these guys are gonna be more hostile and blood thirsty." said Sergio.

"As well as without guidance, and it won't be long before they slip up." said Amsel as Sergio nodded his head.

"What about your guy in County?" asked Sergio.

"He won't be a hazard as long as he knows we have his little sisters, and if he does my guys on the inside will kill him." said Amsel as Sergio nodded his head.

"Well while you deal with that I expect more money for my services." said Sergio to Amsel's shock.

"The hell are you talking about we settled on a payment." said Amsel.

"I came here with twenty five guys Marcus killed fifteen on his own and I've lost one more yesterday night when one of my guys went to assassinate Quin and ended up being thrown out of a window." said Sergio as Amsel shook his head.

"Hey I told you first hand these people wouldn't be easy to kill. You just made the mistake of thinking they were a joke so this is on you not me." replied Amsel as Sergio gritted his teeth.

"I'll add in another two grand five if you can take out everyone today." said Amsel as Sergio slowly nodded his head.

"Deal!" said Sergio as he and his men walked away from the blonde haired cop as he continued to look down with smile at Mark's rings.

Olympia

Things were a little different for Aniyah as she woke up in an unfamiliar bed in a large room as the sunlight from the window beamed into the room and illuminated it with a bright glow before the girl quickly rose off the bed and began to make her way outside of the room and down the stairs into the living room where she noticed a man wrapping new bandages around Mark's tattoo covered torso.

"Good morning sister-in-law." said Martin as he everyone turned their gaze over to Aniyah who gave a half smile.

"Morning." replied Aniyah as she began to make her way over towards Mark.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" asked Aniyah as she kneeled down before Mark.

"So you wouldn't have to see my gross scars." said Mark with a chuckle as Aniyah rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad you're finally up breakfast will be ready in a few." said Martin earning a nod from Aniyah as she watched the eldest Roman walked out of the room.

"It's still a little weird adjusting to all of this." said Aniyah as Mark gave a low chuckle.

"Yeah it took me a while to adjust to my brother as well but you'll get used to it." said Mark just as the man behind him slapped his shoulder.

"Well Marcus you're not at a hundred percent but you've healed up rather well." said the man earning a nod from Mark.

"Well enough to fire a gun without hurting myself?" asked Mark to Aniyah's surprise.

"Probably but you should still take it easy on your left or you could dislocate your arm." said the man earning a nod from Mark.

"Alright thanks doc." said Mark as the man rose to his feet before walking away leaving Mark alone with Aniyah.

"Your families a lot nicer than you mentioned." said Aniyah.

"That's because my other brother isn't here, if he was you're probably be witnessing another murder." said Mark as he stretched his bandaged arm before grabbing a Pistol that was resting on the table.

"I'm gonna get dressed before the guys get here." said Aniyah as she watched Mark load a magazine into the gun before pulling the slide back.

"Alright I'll see you at breakfast." said Mark as Aniyah walked away from the youngest Roman before walking out of the living room while Martin walked in and slapped Mark across the head.

"The hell was that for?" asked Mark.

"Get your ass upstairs and deal with that." said Martin to Mark's confusion as he eyed his older brother.

"A few days ago your were shot multiple times Marcus, and that girl has been by your side since and all you've been worried about these last couple of days is getting payback." said Martin.

"What do you want me to do, she's got another boyfriend and she wants to move on." said Mark earning a chuckle from Martin.

"Does she Marcus she's been here with you these last couple of days despite her boyfriend, she's been sleeping in the same bed as you despite her boyfriend, and despite letting her father know she met me she put all of that aside just to be with you. That girl isn't a girlfriend or a wife Marcus she's your fucking soul mate." said Martin as Mark looked away from him.

"When I told you to fight her boyfriend I didn't mean to fight her for the fun of it, I wanted you to fight her boyfriend to let her know that you still care about her." said Martin.

"Today's her last day here before she goes away again, you better use this time wisely." said Martin as his youngest brother looked up at him before rising from the couch, tucking his gun into his waistband, and making his way upstairs.

"He's right and now I finally understand." thought Mark as he began to make his way towards his room before quickly opening the door and seeing Aniyah standing in the closet wearing only her bra and panties as the girl quickly tried to cover herself up with her hands.

"Damnit Marcus don't you believe in knocking?" asked Aniyah as Mark entered the room before closing the door behind him and turning his gaze to the floor.

"I put some clothes on the bed for you." she added as Mark turned his gaze to the bed and noticed an black sweater, black hat, and pants.

"Thanks!" said Mark as he continued to look at the ground earning a confused look from Aniyah as she folded her arms over her chest before turning to face him.

"Are you alright?" she asked only for the youngest Roman to remain silent before taking a quick glance at Aniyah only for her to step towards him.

"Mark...what's up?" she asked finally earning Mark's gaze as the youngest Roman noticed the serious look in the girls eyes before he took a deep breath and closed the gap between them before pressing his lips against hers just as Aniyah pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm sorry." said Mark to Aniyah's confusion as she watched him pull his gun from his waistband before unloading the magazine and tossing it to the floor and pulling back on the chamber to let out the last bullet and tossing the gun to the ground.

"I'm sorry, for putting my personal vendetta over you these last couple of days. You've been here, by my side worried about me and all I've been doing these last couple of days has been planning my next move and I'm sorry about that." said Mark as he took a seat on the bed just as Aniyah stood over him and looked down on him with confusion written across her face.

"And why are you telling me this?" asked Aniyah.

"Because I know you think I'm not gonna change but after today I'm gonna make a start today." said Mark as Aniyah looked at him with confusion on her face.

"I'm gonna let Lee and the guys handle things today and I'm gonna spent it with you." said Mark to Aniyah's surprise.

"Really?" asked Aniyah as she looked at Mark with wide eyes.

"Yeah, today's your last day here and I want to spent every moment of it with you." said Mark as he took Aniyah's hand in his own before looking at the surprised with a smile.

"I'm flattered by the offer but you're not gonna do that." said Aniyah to Mark's surprise.

"Yeah I am!" said Mark.

"No you're not because I don't want you to." stated Aniyah to Mark's surprise.

"What is this!" thought Mark as he gave Aniyah a confused look.

"When you disappeared I was scared because I thought I lost you and when I watched the tape of you taking those guys down, I realized you don't just do this for yourself... you do this because you're one of the few people who can. None of the others can get shot over ten times and kill fifteen guys in the process and walk away with only a shoulder injury and a clear conscious." said Aniyah as she rubbed Mark's cheek to the surprise of the youngest Roman.

"Are you saying you want me to go out and kill these guys?" asked Mark.

"Please don't say it like that." said Aniyah.

"Then how do you want me to say it?" asked Mark.

"That'll you'll go off, handle your business, and come back and spend some more time with me." said Aniyah as she smiled down at Mark.

"Consider it done." said Mark as he planted a kiss on the girls hands.

"And what are you gonna do differently?" asked Aniyah.

"After this hit squads taken care of, I'm gonna go to school, graduate, go off to college, and let the authorities handle cleaning up the garbage in Rivergreen." said Mark earning a smile from Aniyah as the two shared a quick laugh before she pressed her forehead against his while Mark turned his gaze back to the floor.

"Look at me." said Aniyah with a hint of worry in her voice as she put her right hand under Mark's chin before lifting his head to look her in the eye.

"Don't make me go through these last couple of days all over again." said Aniyah as Mark noticed tears beginning to form in the girls eyes just before she looked away from him.

"I finally see it after all these years, I've been hurting her more than I've been hurting anyone else. The grief, guilt, and worry that I don't feel rub off of me and instantly fall on her shoulders, and I don't feel the urge to kill. I feel like I want to change myself for her even if it means dropping my blades." thought Mark as he grabbed the side of the girls head and forced her to look at him in the eye before pressing his lips against hers again just as Aniyah tried to separate she quickly stopped before falling into the kiss while wrapping her arms around Mark's neck just as the youngest Roman rose to his feet before laying the girl down onto the bed without taking his lips off hers.

"Got you now." thought Mark as he took his lips of Aniyah's before he started to plant kisses on the girls stomach earning a shudder from the girl as she ran her hands over the North Valley teens tattoo covered torso while Mark continued to plant kisses down Aniyah's torso until he pulled her legs off the bed and removed her underwear.

"Mark what are you-!" started Aniyah as she watched Mark lick his lips before forcing his head between her legs to Aniyah's surprise as the girl gave a loud yelp while Martin found himself standing outside the room chuckling.

"And all he needed was a little motivation." said Martin before he walked away from the room chuckling.

Club KO

The Brother owned dance club had now been converted almost into a shelter as Lee woke up from off the couch in the VIP area and noticed Mercy, Trip, Reid, Clyde, Calvin, Eric, Tyler, Buck, Maya, Chris, and Jenna sleeping around the club before he made his way into the kitchen area where he noticed Tina.

"So how long are we all going to be staying here?" asked Tina as she eyed Lee.

"If things go our way today will be the last." said Lee as he fixed himself a glass of water.

"What are you going to do another suicidal mission today?" asked Tina only for Lee to not respond.

"Did you only kiss me because you thought you were going to die or do you really have feeling for me?" asked Tina as Lee eyed the girl.

"Actually I kissed you because I had untold feelings for you and I thought that would have been the best time to tell you." said Lee as Tina chuckled.

"Really so what are we now a couple like Mark and Aniyah, you go off into battle while I sit here praying that you come back. Is that what we're gonna be like?" asked Tina as Lee looked away from her.

"We gotta go." said Lee as he walked away from the redheaded girl who watched him begin to wake up everyone.

"You know how to ruin a good dream brother." said Trip as he rubbed the back of his neck while eyeing Lee.

"It's time to go." said Lee earning a nod from Mercy, Trip and Reid as they rose to their feet while Lee turned to Calvin.

"Link and the Tacoma Chapter have been sitting on Quin all night in about an hour go relieve them of duty." said Lee earning a nod from Calvin.

"Alright but what about Mark?" asked Calvin.

"He's still in Olympia, once we get there he'll leave and make his way to the spot." said Lee earning a nod from Calvin.

"Alright but next time we're on this kill." said Calvin as Lee chuckled.

"See about that." said Lee as he patted Calvin on the shoulder before following Mercy, Trip, Reid, and Clyde out the door.

'Hey I can go on this one?" came a familiar voice as the group turned around and noticed Buck.

"Nah, sit this one out we need guys here who can take care of things." said Lee as the group walked away leaving the newest Brother who folded his arms over his chest in anger before he felt a hand on his shoulder and coming face to face with Tina who calmed him down.

Olympia

"Wow you never did that before." said Aniyah as both she and Mark walked out of the bathroom before entering the bedroom and beginning to get dress.

"Thought I'd try something new." said Mark with a chuckle.

"Did you do this with Sergeant Harper?" asked Aniyah to Mark's surprise as he looked down at Aniyah.

"How'd you know?" asked Mark.

"The way you talk to her and honestly I think she cried more at the cabin than I did." said Aniyah.

"And knowing that you still slept with me?" asked Mark.

"We broke up Mark, besides this way we both can say we cheated on our significant other." said Aniyah with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't really say significant." said Mark earning a chuckle from Aniyah.

"Don't act that way, you care about her a lot more than you tell yourself." said Aniyah with a chuckle as she finished dressing herself before helping him put on his shirt.

"Yeah, but she can't replace you." said Mark as Aniyah moved her hands to his belt and began hooking it up.

"She doesn't have to." said Aniyah as she and Mark shared another quick kiss that seemed to last forever before they were interrupted the sound of clapping.

"Yeah our power couple is back together." said Trip with a chuckle as Mark and Aniyah turned their heads and noticed Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Reid standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been standing there?" asked Aniyah.

"Long enough to notice the scratch marks on our brothers back." said Mercy with a chuckle.

"Bad timing brother bad timing." said Mark.

"Well now that all of you are here you can come down to breakfast." said Martin earning smiles from the group as they made their way towards the kitchen table to have a seat where they noticed plates of food already setup.

"Thank you, this is nice." said Trip as he started to eat along with the Brothers while Martin nodded his head before his eyes fell on the youngest Roman who was eating with his left while his right was locked with Aniyah.

"Everything setup?" asked Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"Yeah two cars are outside Harper's house right now." said Lee.

"Then that means we could probably have all of them together including their boss." said Mark with a chuckle.

"And that means today we can make our move and end this today." said Reid earning a nod from Mark as Aniyah eyed the group.

"Promise me that all of you will come back okay and don't try anything like a highway shooting." stated Aniyah.

"Don't worry getting blown off a motorcycle taught me a lesson." said Lee earning chuckles from the group as they finished eating before making their way out of the house.

"Thanks for the place to stay brother." said Mark earning a nod from Martin.

"Anytime and remember treat my sister-in-law right." said Martin earning a laugh from Aniyah as the two shared a quick hug while Mark turned to Lee.

"Drop her off at the hospital afterwards make your way to the spot." said Mark.

"You got it brother." said Lee as the group shared a hug before going their separate ways Mark turned his gaze back to Aniyah.

"Be careful." she said earning a smile from the youngest Roman.

"Be safe." replied Mark as the two shared a quick kiss before Mark watched the woman hop into Mercy truck and drive off with Reid's car following behind.

"That's one fine woman you got there little brother." said Martin earning a nod from Mark.

"Yeah, and I don't plan on losing her because of my own ways." said Mark earning a chuckle from Martin.

"Good boy!" replied Martin as he handed Mark his knife and MP7 Submachine Gun.

King County Sheriff's Department

The drive to the station wasn't long for Harper as she pulled her car into the parking lot of the station where a familiar blonde haired man was waiting for her as he noticed Mercy and the others with a smile on his face before waving at them while they flipped him off and drove away.

"You seem to have more friends than I expected." said Amsel as he eyed Harper.

"Yeah well they like to call me mommy since I look out for them instead of trying to throw them in prison on bullshit charge." replied Harper as she walked away from the man.

"Speaking of which have you heard from our favorite midget my guys have been looking all over him but can't seem to spot him anywhere?" asked Amsel as Harper shook her head with a smile.

"Maybe he skipped town in order to get away from the guy who's trying to throw him in prison." said Harper as she walked past Amsel who continued to smile at the woman before grabbing his cell phone and putting it to his ear.

"Those boys are on the move and they're moving in a pack follow them until they lead you to the other leaders once you see them all end them." said Amsel as the two black cars followed after the fleeing Brothers who each held sadistic smiles on their faces.

Hospital

The drive to the hospital wasn't long for the group as Aniyah walked into the waiting room and noticed Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, and Jude sitting in separate chairs across the room before she approached Link.

"How are things here?" asked Aniyah as Link smiled at the girl.

"Quin's out of bed and can't wait to leave." he replied earning a smile from the girl.

"Can you blame him I hate hospitals and I believe we've already established the fact that he's not safe here." said Zach.

"Yeah but did you guys really have to push him out the top window?" asked Aniyah.

"We had to make it look like a suicide." said Davey as the group each nodded their heads.

"How's Blake?" asked Aniyah.

"Wasn't to thrilled to find out you went to spend a few days with your ex." replied Eddy.

"Even though he knows nothing was gonna happen." said Link.

"Actually something did happen this morning." said Aniyah to the groups surprise.

"You...You slept with Mark?" asked Link.

"Alright Marcus, I knew you two would get back together." said Zach with a chuckle.

"Are you gonna tell the other guy?" asked Jude.

"I don't know our plane leaves tonight, I might tell him then just to make sure he and Mark don't get into another fight." said Aniyah.

"Tell him now just to create drama." said Davey with a chuckle.

"So are you and Mark dating again?" asked Link.

"Of course not." said Aniyah.

"Why not, you slept with him and by the way these guys talk about the two of you, you sound made for one another?" asked Eddy.

"We're just two different people Mark is someone who lives for the now while I think of the future and he sees Rivergreen as an obstacle to overcome while I glad to just see it in my rearview mirror." said Aniyah as Link nodded his head.

"I see your point I was happy to leave Rivergreen, but a few days after leaving I learned that you can't truly escape Rivergreen because the moment you do. Something gonna pull you back or the moment you start feeling like you can truly live Rivergreen hits you in the face." said Link earning a nod from Zach as Aniyah looked away from the group and watched as Calvin, Eric, Tyler, and Clyde made their way into the hospital and began to approach the group.

"Here to relieve us of guard duty?" asked Davey as the group nodded their heads.

"Yeah, Mark needs you guys at the rally point." said Eric earning nods from the group as they rose to their feet and began to make their way out of the hospital.

"Well it's been fun talking with you." said Link as Aniyah eyed the group.

"Link I need you to be completely honest with me right now." said Aniyah as Link looked at her with confusion in his eyes.

"I know Mark, Lee, Zach, and the others have killed before, I need you to tell me if you've done the same." stated Aniyah as she watched Link lower his gaze.

"I got my first kill a few weeks ago in Tacoma. One of my guys thought it be a good idea to start dealing drugs to his own brothers." said Link as Aniyah lowered her head.

"That so how did doing that make you feel?" asked Aniyah.

"Like I just broke one of the cardinal rules in life and I was less than a human, but Mark and ther others told me that it'd sting for a bit but I'll grow stronger from it." said Link.

"Did you grow stronger?" asked Aniyah.

"Honestly yes I feel like I'm one of those few people that aren't bound by the laws of life or religion almost like I'm an outlaw on both sides and I like it, but at the same time I hate it because the guy I killed...I knew him. I knew his name, his face, I've been to home, I even met his parents. I knew all of the that about him and still had the will to pull the trigger and take his life and that's what unnerves me." said Link as Aniyah nodded her head.

"Does that make me a bad person?" asked Link as he eyed Aniyah who put her hand on his shoulder.

"No it just means you're a kid for Rivergreen, and when you see Mark tell him to call me." said Aniyah as she walked away from Link while the blonde haired teen made his way out of the hospital where Zach, Davey, Eddy, and Jude were talking with Lee, Mercy, Trip, and Reid.

"About time you got out." said Lee as Link chuckled at the group

"Sorry I had a long talk with Aniyah about how I've now can be called a kid from Rivergreen." said Link.

"Take it that didn't go so well." said Mercy as Link nodded his head.

"Want to sit this one out?" asked Lee as Link shook his head.

"No, like Mark I'm a leader and have to be apart of things like this." said Link earning nods from the group.

"We better get going while our friends still think we aren't onto them." said Lee earning nods from the group as they climbed into their cars and drove away from the hospital without the knowledge that a familiar scar faced man was exiting one of the cars with two more men behind him carrying suitcases.

"We're gonna wait here for Quin, follow them and kill them when they get to their location." said Sergio as the men each nodded their heads before driving away from the man as he continued to watch the hospital as three police cars stopped in front of the building.

Outside of Seattle

The drive was somewhat long for the Brothers as they made their way up a hill to a large abandoned cabin with three cars parked out front as the group watched as the Rivergreen and Tacoma Brothers began to make their way inside of the cabin where they were greeted by a large brother wearing a Brothers hat with Spokane written on it.

"Looks like they're having a meeting Rivergreen, Tacoma, and Spokane. This might be a good opportunity to take out their leaders." said one of the men as he continued to eye the house.

"Call the Sergeant let him know we're-!" started one of the men before the group were cutoff by the sound of gunfire as a barrage of bullets hit the car from the front, back, and sides while the men inside watched as two men from each side stepped out of the car and began to fire on the two cars while Mark and Ryan emerged from the behind car with a smiles on their faces while the other three approached them.

"Well that was kinda fun." said one of the men who stood about six foot with short brown hair cut into a bowl as he gave a devil like smile at Mark.

"It's been a while since I've introduced a new brother just wish it wasn't this guy. The man is Shane Murphy, he's the Sergeant for the Spokane Brothers or Ryan's right hand man. Remember when I said Ryan likes to recruit his members from the Juvie that's were he found Murphy battling a murder charge that was thrown out even though we all know he did it and he's proud to admit it with a smile on his face." thought Mark as he eyed the brown haired teen who stood beside two larger men.

"And the two guys beside him are the Johnson Brothers Rockem and Sockem the two main enforcers of Spokane. These two are very violent and the definition of why recruiting guys of prison and Juvie have their faults. All three of these men do Ryan's bidding, he manipulates them so well to the point where they'd kill their own families for him and they'd do it with smiles on their faces." thought Mark as he eyed the group just as an African American man with a shaved head approached him.

"King County Brothers have the 2nd Order, Pierce County Brothers have the Undertakers, while the Spokane Brothers have the Flatline Crew. A mercenary group of hitmen that serve the Spokane Brothers and they're head by this man Terrance Keane aka Hitman T." thought Mark as he nodded his head at the man.

"When you said these guys were military, I thought you meant they'd be a challenge not sit in the car while we're shooting them down." said Rockem as Mark watched the Rivergreen and Tacoma Brothers emerge from his kill cabin.

"Whoever owns this place must love the color red." said Trip as the group walked towards Mark and the Spokane Brothers.

"Yeah I saw those paintings when I found this place a few months back." lied Mark as Ryan smiled at the youngest Roman while Mark looked away.

"We got a live one." said Zach as the opened the drivers side door of the second car and a pulled a man covered in blood and with three bullet holes in the chest as Mark approached the man.

"You're supposed to be dead." said the man as Mark smiled at him.

"Yeah I've been getting that a lot." said Mark as he looked down at the man.

"You mind telling us where your boss is?" asked Lee.

"Fuck you!" yelled the man.

"Figures!" said Murphy as he lifted his right foot and began to smash the man's head into the ground until his face was a bloody mess and his body stopped moving while a Link, Davey, and Eddy started to look away.

"Is this one of the reason why the Spokane Chapter is so bad?" asked Davey as Zach nodded his head while watching Murphy who continued to smile throughout the endeavor before grabbing his knife and beginning to scalp the man.

"Well that takes care of them how many more of them are left Marcus?" asked Ryan as he turned to Mark.

"Three including their leader." said Mark.

"He was with them earlier." said Mercy earning nods from the group.

"We're do you think he is?" asked Link as Mark began to rub his chin.

"Call Calvin and put everyone on alert we can't take any chances." said Mark earning a nod from Lee.

"And what about these guys?" asked Eddy as he eyed the group.

"There's a well in the backyard we'll drop them down there after that I want you guys to get back the Cul-De-Sac for when Quin get's home." said Mark earning a smile from Ryan.

"But what about you?" asked Link.

"I'm gonna let the guy who's got a price on my head know to get his refund." said Mark with a chuckle earning smiles from the group as they eyed him.

Hospital

Things were going somewhat good for Quin as he stood in the bathroom of his hospital room getting dressed while Aniyah stood outside the room with Blake by her side as the two chuckled with one another.

"This has been the weirdest experience ever." said Blake.

"Told you before we left there's never a dull day here." said Aniyah.

"You could say that again and I see what you mean by Mark and his friends always being in the middle." said Blake.

"Not really the middle more like the side that jumps first." said Aniyah as Blake eyed the girl.

"So what happened to him that had you spending days with him?" asked Blake.

"He got shot ten times." replied Aniyah to Blake's surprise.

"Jesus is he alright?" asked Blake.

"Alright and walking around, that's one thing about him you can hit him but not knock him down." said Aniyah.

"Does he know who shot him?" asked Blake.

"Yeah and he's probably digging graves right now." replied Aniyah.

"I see why you left him now." said Blake.

"Blake, there's something I gotta tell you." said Aniyah to Blake surprise.

"You slept with Mark." replied Blake as Aniyah took her gaze away from him.

"I assumed the two of you had been sleeping with each other all week, am I right?" asked Blake.

"No we only had sex once." said Aniyah earning a low chuckle from Blake.

"When did it happen?" he asked trying to fight tears.

"This morning, I'm sorry." said Aniyah.

"No I knew this was coming but was to stupid to see it happening." said Blake as he walked away from Aniyah who stood in silence.

Brothers

The sun was beginning to set over the mountain as Rockem, Sockem, Zach, Mercy, and Reid threw the bodies of the dead men down into the well while Mark stood beside Ryan who smiled at him.

"I'm surprised I thought you would have stopped coming here a long time ago." said Ryan as Mark chuckled.

"I tried but it just keeps pulling me back like a drug." said Mark earning a nod from Ryan.

"I still say you're a good person for doing your own killing, me I don't like to get my hands to dirty." said Ryan.

"So I've heard." said Mark as he turned to the larger man.

"Look I know me and you have our difference but I'm happy you were here today to back us up." said Mark as he outstretched his hand to Ryan only for him to bat it away.

"Of course I was here we may run our Chapters differently Marcus but me, you, and most of them have one thing we can agree on... Rivergreen. The people that live there and hurting those trying to hurt us and right now that's what we got." said Ryan earning a nod from Mark.

"So you're standing beside us in this fight?" asked Mark earning a nod from Ryan.

"Spokane and every brother in East Washington and the Flatline Crew is by your side." said Ryan earning a smile from Mark as he patted the shorter teen on the shoulder before Mark's cellphone started to ring.

"Who's that?" asked Ryan as Mark pulled his phone and looked at the number.

"Aniyah!" replied Mark earning a smile from Ryan.

"Then go handle brother." said Ryan as Mark walked away from the large Brother and entered the house before answering his phone.

"Hey!" said Mark.

"Hey how are things on your end?" asked Aniyah as Mark looked back at the group throwing bodies down the well.

"Things here are alright and we're making progress." said Mark as Aniyah's eyes widened.

"Are you okay?" asked Aniyah with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Yeah I just need to go checkup on someone, then I'll be in Rivergreen to send you off." said Mark as he heard a chuckle from Aniyah.

"There's something I want to talk to you about when you get to the Cul-De-Sac at your old place." said Aniyah to Mark's shock.

"Alright I'll see you there." said Mark as Aniyah gave her goodbyes before Mark hung up his phone and made his way outside and watched as Ryan, Zach, and Mercy put the lid over the well.

"Alright let's get going, Lee I need you with me." said Mark earning a nod from the Asian Brother as the group began to make their way towards the front of the house where they began to drive away from the house.

Hospital

After her conversation with Mark, Aniyah made her way back towards her fathers room where she noticed man sitting in a wheel chair being pushed out of the room by her mother while Blake and two uniformed officers in tow as the girl found herself smiling at the man.

"Let's go sweet pea." said Quin as Aniyah began to follow her father into the elevator without the knowledge that a scarfaced man was watching them from afar before they made their way into the lobby and noticed Calvin, Eric, Tyler, and Clyde following after them with smiles on their faces as the group made their way out of the hospital and began to enter a police car in the front and the back while Calvin and the Brothers hopped into their van before following the group as they drove away from the hospital while the scarred man hopped into a car with two other men inside.

"Follow them." said Sergio as the car began to follow after the group.

King County Sheriff Department

Things were somewhat a bustle of activity for the officers at the station as smiles were spread on the faces of majority of the officers after receiving the news that Quin was on his way home with the exception of Amsel as he sat in his office continuing to admire Mark's ring as they set on his desk.

"Stupid midget that's what you get when you fuck with-!" started Amsel before his eyes widened at the sight of two familiar North Valley teens entering the station.

"NO that's impossible." said Amsel as he watched Mark and Lee enter Harper's office with wide eyes and his mouth agape.

"There you are have you taken care of your problem?" asked Harper as Mark shook his head.

"We still got three missing including the leader as of right now I doubt he knows his men are gone but that won't be for long." said Mark with a smile as he looked outside his office.

"And then what?" asked Harper.

"He'll come for me sooner or later and I'll be ready." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"Alright well what are you about to do now?" asked Harper.

"We're gonna head back to the Cul-De-Sac see that Quin gets inside his home safely and that Aniyah get's to the airport safely, you should come." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"I'll be there later with a few of the other Sheriff when I get off." said Harper as she gave Mark a confused look.

"Marcus mind telling me where you got that hickey on your neck?" asked Harper earning a laugh from Lee as the duo watched Mark lower his head.

"Well see what happened was-!" started Mark as the group heard the door of the girls office opened as they noticed a familiar blonde haired man enter the room.

"Saved by an asshole." thought Mark.

"Hey detective asshole I heard you missed me so I came to visit." said Mark as Amsel gave a half smile to the North Valley teen.

"Yeah, thought you might have killed someone and skipped town." said Amsel earning a chuckle from Mark.

"Why would I skip town, you're in charge of the task force that supposed to bring me down, that means if you arrest me I'll be out by Monday." said Mark as Lee started to chuckle the duo rose from their chairs.

"See you at Quin's Sergeant." said Mark as Harper nodded her head.

"Oh and Mark!" said Harper earning the attention of both Mark and Harper.

"This conversation isn't over." said Harper as Mark and Lee walked out of the office.

"You alright you look you just saw a ghost." stated Harper as Amsel shook his head.

"Sorry just still wondering how about you and him." said Amsel as Harper eyed the man angrily.

"I don't think you have the right to ask those questions now leave." said Harper as Amsel eyed the woman angrily before leaving her office with his phone in his hands.

Cul-De-Sac

The drive back to North Valley wasn't a long drive for Quin as the Sheriff and his family noticed the familiar face of the residents in North Valley smiling, waving, and clapping at the car as they watched it go down the streets into a familiar Cul-De-Sac where they noticed the familiar faces of members of the Rivergreen, Tacoma, and Spokane Brothers standing outside their home clapping their hands and cheering for the family as they watched the cars park in front of the house as Quin stepped out with a smile on his face and was instantly greeted by members of the Brothers who helped the Sheriff setup his wheel chair.

"This is nice." said Aniyah's mother as her daughter nodded her head before making her way over towards Mercy and the Brothers.

"Where's Mark?" asked Aniyah.

"He and Lee are on their way they had to make a stop at a station." said Mercy earning a nod from the girl as she hugged Tina and Maya just as they watched a familiar car drive down the lane and park in front of Mark's old home as Aniyah watched Mark and Lee step out of the car before making their way towards the group.

"There's my boy." said Quin as Mark approached the officer and hugged the man.

"Glad to see you out and shorter than me." said Mark as he looked down at the chuckling Sheriff who sat in his wheel chair.

"For now give me a week and I'll be out of this chair towering over all of you." said Quin earning chuckles from the group as Mark felt a tug on his right arm before turning his head and noticing Aniyah , Tina, and Maya standing behind him.

"Remember that talk?" asked Aniyah as Mark nodded his head while Quin watched the duo with a smile.

"You better go see to that Mark." said Quin.

"Alright I'll see you in a few minutes because parties at your house tonight." said Mark earning cheers from the Brothers as Quin chuckled.

"We'll see about that." said Quin as his wife and a few others began to make their way into his house while Aniyah pulled Mark away from the Brothers.

"I'll see you in a few brothers." said Mark as Aniyah continued to pull him.

"Alright but wash up brother you stink like outside." said Mercy earning a chuckle.

"All of you stink like outside right now." said Tina as both she Maya covered their noses.

"Hey when you as active as we are you can't help it." replied Trip as Link, Zach, Davey, Eddy, Ryan, Reid, and Calvin all sniffed under their arms before pulling their faces back at their owns smell.

"She's kinda right thought this isn't to descent." said Mercy as Mark chuckled.

"Alright make your bath quick." said Mark as the groups started to break away as Aniyah continued to pull him towards his house before pulling him inside and closing the door on the duo.

"So what do you want to talk about?" asked Mark as he eyed Aniyah who wrapped her arms around the youngest Roman for a hug.

"You were worrying about me even when you said I could put in work?" asked Mark as Aniyah rested her head on his shoulder before feeling something in the front of Mark's shirt before lifting it revealing the MP7 Submachine Gun.

"When it comes to things like this yeah." said Aniyah as she pulled the gun out of Mark's pants and studied the weapon.

"Jesus where'd you get this?" asked Aniyah as she turned the gun over.

"You know just found it lying around." replied Mark as Aniyah set the gun on the table.

"You were always a knife guy what changed?" asked Aniyah as Mark chuckled.

"Nothing changed it's just that I control myself better with a gun than with a knife." said Mark as Aniyah nodded her head.

"And we all know you could use some more control." said Aniyah as Mark chuckled before turning his gaze to the ground.

"I told Blake about this morning." said Aniyah as Mark lifted his head to her.

"Am I gonna have to stomp his head in?" asked Mark as Aniyah chuckled.

"No, he took a cab and went to the airport without me." said Aniyah as Mark eyed the girl with confused eyes.

"So what are we getting back together?" asked Mark as Aniyah started to chuckle.

"Hell no." replied Aniyah earning a chuckle from Mark.

"Worth a shot." said Mark with a chuckle.

"We can't be together now, maybe after you walk across that stage in a few months from now we can talk and see where things go." said Aniyah as a smile spread across both her and Mark's face as the two started to lean towards one another until their lips were pressed together as Mark felt his hands moving towards the girls waist while her hands wrapped around his neck as the duo then broke the kiss before holding each other with their heads on the others shoulder.

"Mercy was right you really need a shower right now." said Aniyah as Mark started to chuckle.

"It's been a hot day for once and all we been doing is moving around." replied Mark as Aniyah started to chuckle before giving him a quick kiss.

"You should take a shower if you're gonna be under me tonight." said Aniyah as Mark started to chuckle.

"Sure you don't want me to walk you back to your place first?" asked Mark earning a chuckle from Aniyah.

"I'm a big girl Marcus I can walk myself home." said Aniyah.

"But thanks for asking." said Aniyah as she gave Mark another quick peck on the lips before making her way towards his door before Mark gave her a quick pat on the behind.

"Niyah." said Mark earning the girls attention as she turned to Mark.

"I love you." said Mark earning wide eyes from Aniyah as she eyed Mark in shock before a smile spread across her face.

"I love you too." said Aniyah as she walked out of the house while Mark began to shake his head.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be I never expected myself to truly love someone not like I do her." thought Mark as he began to make his way to the bathroom of his home while Aniyah was walking to her home without the knowledge that she was being watched.

"What the hell do you mean Mark's still alive?" asked Sergio.

"That fucker was just in here a few minutes ago smiling in my damn face. You told me you killed him you son of a-!" yelled Amsel as Sergio hung up his phone before dialing another number.

"The others aren't answering." said Sergio as his two men eyed him.

"You think the brothers got to them?" asked one of the men as Sergio threw his phone to the floor of the car.

"Load up and prepare to unload everything you got into that house." said Sergio as the two other men began load their guns while another stepped on the gas petal of the car sending it speeding towards the Cul-De-Sac as Aniyah turned her head and noticed the car driving towards her while Mark began to put on a new shirt before the sound of gunshots pierced his ears causing him lift his head at the close proximity of the sound that caused him to rush out of the bathroom before grabbing his MP7 and rushing out of the house where he noticed a black car flying the neighborhood before turning his gaze to Quin's home and noticing a familiar women lying face down in the grass.

"NO NO NO!" yelled Mark as he ran over to Aniyah and crouched down next to her as he noticed a large bullet hole in the back of the girls head as her blood began to soak the ground just as everyone started to exit their homes.

"AHHH!" screamed Aniyah's mother as the woman caught site of her fallen daughter just as Lee, Mercy, Trip, Ryan, Reid, Link, Zach, Davey, and Eddy rushed over to the fallen girl with tears in their eyes.

"Call an ambulance!" yelled Mercy as he, Lee, and Trip ran towards the downed Aniyah as Mark placed a hand on the side of the young girls head as he felt a flurry of emotions wash over him but the biggest being sadness as the group watched as tears fell from the eyes of the Rivergreen leaders as the images of his mother and father flashed through his mind.

"Not this again please not like this." thought Mark as his tears hit the ground just as Quin emerged from his home still in the wheelchair as he collapsed beside his fallen daughter as Mercy and Zach began to pull Mark away from the girl as all the Brothers rushed over towards the teen as Mark collapsed to the ground in tears until ambulance and officers arrived into the Cul-De-Sac as Harper exited her squad car and noticed the body of Aniyah on the ground with Quin standing over her while before turning her eyes to Mark and noticed the North Valley teen sitting on the sidewalk with his head to the ground while a crying Maya kept her head on his shoulders as Lee, Mercy, Trip, Buck, and the other Brothers stood behind him with their heads to the ground as tears fell from all of their eyes.

"Marcus!" said Harper not getting a response from the North Valley teen or any of the Brothers as everyone from the neighborhood and surrounding Cul-De-Sac's came over and watched as the coroners placed a white sheet over the body of Aniyah as Quin broke down into tears while slamming his fist into the ground.

"Shit!" said Harper as he began to approach Quin just as two officers began to pull the man off the group noticed a news van park in front of the house while a familiar reporter stepped out.

Seattle

Things all seemed quiet in the home of Ms. Summers as she stood over the stove in the kitchen making dinner just as her cellphone started to ring.

"Hello!" answered the woman.

"Why what's on the news?" asked the woman as she began to make her way into the living room and turned her television to the news as a breaking news segment was going on.

"This is Susan Sampson coming to you live from the North Valley neighborhoods in Rivergreen where a murder just a few hours ago has shaken the town." said the reporter causing the woman to turn up the volume as she watched the video of Quin on his knee slamming his fist to the ground in anger.

"The victim nineteen year old Aniyah Parks the daughter of King County Sheriff Chief was shot down in a drive-by-shooting a few hours ago outside of her fathers home and her death his shook the entire neighborhood." continued the reporter as the cameras soon panned over to Mark, Lee, Mercy, Trip, Buck, Reid, and the other Brothers as they all stood on sat on the sidewalk with their heads down in order to hide their tears as Ms. Summers eyes widened at the group as she felt tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Aniyah is currently enrolled at the University of Southern California but came back to her home town of Rivergreen after learning of her fathers injuries and spent majority of her time in the hospital with her father but just minutes after coming back to her old neighborhood she found herself being another victim to the violence of Rivergreen." said the reporter as Ms. Summers lowered her head along with Ms. Smith as she stood in the living room of her home watching the news along with Daryl, Jordan, Aurora, and a number of other Seaside High students as they noticed the image of Mark, Maya, Buck, Chris, and the Brothers sitting onside the road with their heads down before watching as Mark lifted his face to look at the camera as everyone noticed the tears in his eyes as he rose to his feet earning wide eyes from Maya.

"Mark!" she said as Jenna kept her eyes on the North Valley teen as he sent looks to Lee, Mercy, Trip, Reid, and everyone else as Ryan put his hand on his shoulder and sent him a nod.

"This is barbaric." said Harper with tears in her eyes as she looked at the body of Aniyah before feeling her cellphone starting to vibrate causing her to take it out of her pocket and answer it.

"Ms. Smith!" answered Harper.

"What about Mark?" asked Harper as she turned her head and looked at the side of the road where the Brothers were sitting and noticed Maya, Tina, Jenna, and a few other girls left standing causing her to look around for Mark and the other members of the Brothers.

"Oh no!" said Harper as she continued to scan the neighborhood for any sign of Mark or any of the other Brothers.

"What this-!" started Harper just as the camera showed the image of a series of cars starting up as Mark and Lee sat inside of his car before leading a convoy of cars out of the Cul-De-Sac as Harper watched the departing Brothers with wide eyes and fear in her hearts just as Quin reached grabbed the woman's hand.

"Call out an APB on Mark and all members of the Brothers we need to get them off the street now." said Quin with tears in his eyes as Harper nodded her head before grabbing her Walkie Talkie and sending a message to the King County Sheriff''s Department where a familiar blonde haired man was watching the news with a smile on his face.

"Sergio you did better than expected." said Amsel as he gave an evil chuckle.