Page 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: CHROME

Returning to my office, I close the door and face the Capo di Tutti Capi. “The men who kidnapped your daughter and the others are in our cells. Did you want to deal with them now or talk first? We didn’t question the men. I knew you wanted to be there when we did. How do you want to play this? My SOA has experience with extracting information…”

“My son, Bishop, has as well. We can keep it friendly by having them work together.”

I nod in appreciation for his sensitivity regarding our situation. It spares me from insulting his honor and creating tension between our organizations.

“Maybe once we conclude this unpleasant business, we can discuss more pleasant topics. I’ve long admired your organization. Especially, your contacts. You have multiple chapters across the nation, correct?”

I nod. “Our original chapter is in San Diego, but we have chapters throughout the United States.”

“You have relationships with cartels, too?”

I stare at him without confirming or denying our connection to other organizations. He chuckles at my silence.

“I understand. I wouldn’t share details about our business either. I won’t pry, but I am interested in learning more. Our organizations may benefit each other, especially since you're with Cicely. Are you with Cicely? Because my son, Marco, said you two seemed to be having trouble.”

“We’ve worked through it.”

The Third stares at me for several long seconds before he nods. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it. Especially after what Cicely said. So, let’s get on with business. What have you learned about the men who dared manhandle my daughters?”

“We know they weren’t after Cicely or Lily. The two women were at the wrong place at the wrong time. The men were after the young girl who was with them. Her name is Margo. She’s the daughter of a doctor Cicely works with and a friend of Sammy’s sister. Sammy is a prospect and is currently under our protection. He’s testifying against a priest who attempted to molest his sister. We just discovered this priest is Theodore Jordan, who has a reputation for kidnapping and abusing women.”

“You believe these men work for Theodore Jordan? Have you learned anything more about them?”

I frowned when I realized I hadn’t heard from Byte yet. He was going to run a background check on the men. “One of my men was looking into them. I should have heard from him by now. Hold on.”

I exit my office and jog upstairs. I knock on Byte’s door, but I pound harder when he doesn’t answer. Mode exits his room to join me.

“Have you seen Byte?” I ask him. “He was running background checks on our guests in The Shed.”

“No. I haven’t,” Mode responds before reaching for the doorknob. He twists it open. “His door isn’t locked. That’s unlike him.”

We enter the room to find Byte passed out on the floor. Mode and I lift him to place him on the bed. Mode rushes into the bathroom and grabs a glass of water. He tosses it into Byte’s face. Byte sputter and wakes, but he’s still groggy.

“What the fuck happened?” Byte asks, rubbing his hand down his face. “I feel like shit.”

“What do you remember last?” I ask.

“I was coming up here to research the kidnappers,” he starts, then stares at me. “I don’t remember anything else.” He absently rubs the back of his head. “Fuck, I think someone knocked me out.”

“Get Stitch,” I tell Mode.

A few minutes later, our medic enters the room. He examines Byte’s head and confirms a knot formed on the back of his skull.

“I’ll get a compress,” Stitch offers.

“You think whoever attacked me attacked Byte?” Mode asks.

I slowly nod. “Someone didn’t want us to learn more about those men. Shit. You get to work on identifying the men. I’ll be in The Shed.”

Before I re–enter my office, I check the common room and signal Bush and Piston to join me.

“My tech guy is still running searches, but let’s go ask our guest some questions,” I tell the Third.

“Let’s go.”

I led the men out the back and over to the few remaining structures on the property. It once served as the nightwatchman’s home when our clubhouse was a factory. The building looks innocuous. Anyone who enters it sees what we want them to see: a former home we now use as storage. The clutter hides the entrance to the basement, where we question club enemies.

I maneuver my way through the clutter until we reach the far wall. A series of old file cabinets covers the entrance to the basement. Opening the hatch, I rush down the stairs when I spot a body lying at the foot of the stairs.

“Scorch!” I shout as I kneel next to the bloody and bruised body of my VP. He doesn’t respond, but I’m grateful to see the rise and fall of his body. He’s still breathing. “Call Stitch.”

Bush yanks out his phone and calls Stitch while I examine the damage. Scorch’s face is a mass of bruises. Both eyes are swollen shut. Blood flowed from his nose and mouth into a puddle under his cheek. His right leg is at an odd angle. Dusty footprints tell a story. Someone, or more than one someone, kicked and stomped him when he was prone. Anger swells in my chest. Glancing up, I see the cell doors open. The place is empty, except for Scorch. The fuckers escaped. But how? They couldn’t have gotten out alone; someone let them out. But who?

“Get Mode to check the cameras. See who the fuck let our prisoners go.”

“Chrome…” Scorch’s rough voice grabs my attention. I glance down to see him looking at me through slitted eyes. “Trigger… betrayed… prisoners… sorry.”

I lock eyes with Bush, who heard Scorch’s words. A sound from above has me glancing up to see Stitch and Mode rushing down the stairs.

“Fuck! What the hell happened?” Stitch exclaims as he kneels beside Scorch while I shift out of the way.

“Don’t know. Mode, check the security cams.”

Mode opens his laptop and starts typing. Several minutes pass before he glances up at me and shakes his head. “Someone shut down the cameras. We’ve got nothing.”

I pick up a wrench sitting on a table and hurl it at the wall.

“Wait, Byte put up additional cameras. The feed is going to his laptop. Let me see if I can find anything to tell us what happened.” He glances at the empty cells. “The prisoners escaped. You think they’re the ones who attacked Scorch? Was Scorch guarding them last night? I thought you had Mouse on them?”

“Fuck. I forgot about Mouse. He should have been here. Spread out and look for him. He might be injured, too.”

“We should get out of your hair unless we can help,” Third offers.

“Could you contact Lily and Cicely? Let them know these guys are out there? They need to watch their backs.”

Third nods. “That's a good idea. Fourth, you and Bishop assign men to the girls. Frodo is at the hospital; he can inform the doctor whose daughter they kidnapped.”

We shake hands before Piston walks them out.

“Piston, bring me back a stretcher,” Stitch calls out.

“What do we do?” Bush asks me.

“We need to see if Byte’s cameras caught anything, but in the meantime. Where the fuck is Trigger?”

“He’s on a run with Bulldog and Flash. They’re making a delivery to the Vegas chapter.”

I dial Trigger, but it goes straight to voicemail. “Call Bulldog. See if Trigger is with him. He won’t suspect anything if you’re calling. If Trigger isn’t with him, press him. Something’s wrong.”

Bush nods and pulls out his phone. I half-listen to him as I watch Stitch tend to Scorch’s injuries.

“He’s not with you? Where is he? Yeah? When are you heading back? Tell him to call me as soon as you see him,” Bush says before ending the call. “He said Trigger couldn’t come to the phone right now.”

“Call the Vegas Chapter and ask them about the delivery.”

Bush steps away and makes the call. A few minutes later, he returns with a stern expression. “Talked to Puma. He said they got the delivery and had no problems. However, they were surprised that we only sent two guys this time. Bulldog and Flash. He said Trigger wasn’t with them.”

Mode comes rushing back downstairs carrying a laptop that I recognize as Byte’s. “His cameras caught everything. You won’t fucking believe who let out the prisoners and attacked Scorch.”

“Trigger.”

Mode looks surprised. “Yeah, how did you guess?”

“Things are falling into place. I think Trigger is our rat. Or at least one of them. We need to find him and ask.”