Hell Fire Riders MC: The Complete MC Series, page 43
Michael nodded.
When they looked over at Judson, he shook his head. “I flew commercial, remember?”
“I have an extra piece,” Michael volunteered. “We’re about four hours away.” He glanced at his watch. “I do have an old safe house in Falls Church. We can all meet there and Kenn can get us into DC.”
Gage and Judson nodded. Gage then looked over at Willow and Phoebe. “Are they going to go along with the plan?”
Michael quickly glanced at the two women. “They don’t have a choice. I’m not going to chance that the Vipers don’t know about them by now. If they find out who Willow really is, they will come after her for sure. I have a feeling the real reason they killed her entire family hasn’t been revealed yet. The Vipers wouldn’t hunt down an entire family for no reason. Even if it’s a gun deal gone wrong. They took two years to find grandpa and when they did, they killed him and everyone with him. We need to know why. We have to protect her until we know.”
Gage sighed. “So I’m not the only one who thinks there is more to her story.” He glanced over at Willow. “I’ve got Trudy looking into it. If there is anything to find, she’ll find it.”
Michael turned to look at Gage. “Seems to me, Willow will tell you. Since you are the first person she has spoken to in all these years.”
Gage paused and stared back at his friend as this fact never occurred to him. He gazed over at the petite woman and he felt a warmth while just looking at her. He tried to shrug the feeling away, but it remained.
An hour later, they left Pittsburg. Willow and Gage were on his bike as Judson drove Phoebe’s car while Phoebe and Michael drove away in the black truck. All three vehicles took alternate routes and Michael and Phoebe got to the safe house first.
Michael waited before he called Kenn to check in.
An hour later, Kenn walked in.
Michael reached out his hand. “Kenn, long time no see.”
Kenn smiled and shook his hand. “And you my friend. Man, it’s good to see you again.”
Michael he stared at his old boss. “We’ve got a situation.”
Kenn frowned. “What kind of situation? Say what was that thing with Ben Malloy this morning? I didn’t send him after you.”
Michael sighed. “Yeah, we know and he’s part of the problem we find ourselves in.”
“Tell me,” Kenn demanded.
“I found out the Bleu Vipers have been here a lot longer than we thought.”
“How much longer?” Kenn asked. “They came up on our radar about six years ago for the first time.”
Michael nodded. “That’s what I thought too, but I found out different today. They have been here almost eighteen years.”
“What the hell?” Kenn exploded. “Are you sure?”
“Do you know the name Jonah “Dogwood” Connors?”
Kenn’s frown deepened. “I haven’t heard that name in a very long time. If it’s the same man I’m thinking about, he died about sixteen years ago. Led an MC in Massachusetts, if I’m not mistaken.”
“That would be the man I’m talking about,” Michael replied. “He and his MC ran guns back in the day. The ATF and DEA could never find anything when they searched his place, time after time, even when they knew he picked up a shipment and were able to track it back to the MC. Once it got to his place, they could never track it. Eighteen years ago, old Jonah lost half his family in a shooting. He lost a son, a daughter in law, his own wife, two small grandkids and some of his men. He and his other two sons and the rest of his men got away that day and they were able to drop out of sight for two years. Then someone found him and finished what they started. Murdered everyone there, or so we thought.”
“What do you mean we thought?”
“There was one witness that got away that day,” Michael informed him.
“Who?” Kenn frowned.
“Jonah’s eight year old granddaughter lived through the shooting. She was the only one that made it out of the bloodbath.”
Kenn shook his head. “How the hell did an eight year old live through that?”
“Jonah hid her away that day. He told her she couldn’t call out no matter what she heard or saw. To stay put and be quiet. She saw everything that happened. More importantly, she saw what happened after the shooting stopped. She saw the men that came inside to make sure the job got done.”
“And they were?”
“Bleu Vipers.” Michael confirmed.
“How can she be sure?”
“She drew the tattoo she saw on their wrists. She also saw it again yesterday. On the wrist of the man that left me this.” Michael motioned toward a small box on the table.
Kenn walked over to the table and peeked in the box. His eyes widened when he saw the bomb Michael had taken from under his truck. “What the hell?”
“She knocked on the door very early this morning,” Michael explained. “We hadn’t gotten more than a couple hours of sleep after driving most of the day yesterday when her pounding woke us up. When I opened the door, she and her friend rushed in and her friend began telling us there was something wrong. Her friend told us what Willow saw.”
“Why didn’t Willow speak for herself?”
Michael shook his head. “From what I understand, Willow hasn’t spoken a word since her grandfather hid her away sixteen years ago.”
“What did this girl see?”
“She was inside the back of the truck and she saw three men approach. One man stood guard while another guy slipped under the truck. She heard him doing something but more importantly, she saw his wrist. She saw the tattoo and she remembered seeing it on the men that shot her family. She came to warn us about the bomb. She was so scared, Kenn.”
“What happened then?”
“We tried to get more sleep but it didn’t work. She began having a nightmare and when she woke up, she’d flashed back to the day her grandfather died. She found her voice after sixteen years of keeping quiet and she told us what happened and why. She said her grandfather wanted the truth told. She identified the men that killed her family as Vipers.”
Kenn looked confused. “How could she know about the Vipers?”
“She saw the tattoos, she heard them speaking in their native language. Then we were almost ready to leave when Ben knocked on the door. When we asked who was there, Ben called out and Willow freaked. We put her and Phoebe in the bathroom and let him in. We spoke for a few minutes then he left. Gage saw him get into a car with three other men and drive away.”
“What was Willow doing while this went on?”
“She was seriously freaking out,” Michael told him.
“Why?”
“Because Ben’s voice hadn’t changed at all in sixteen years. She remembered him from the day her grandfather died.”
“How could she know him?”
“Because he was there at the cabin that day. He helped carry a dead Viper out of the cabin.”
“What the fuck?” Kenn’s face paled. “What do you mean he was there?”
“Ben is working for the Vipers,” Michael stated. “She identified him without seeing him. She told us about the scar on his cheek and the tattoo on his hand.” He ran his fingers through his hair and stared at Kenn for a moment. “I realize people change over time but scars and tattoo’s do not. The sound of his voice threw her back to when she was a child and her grandpa told her not to speak. She lost her voice again and I’m not sure she’ll get it back a second time.”
“Where is she?” Kenn asked.
“She left this morning with Gage. They are on his bike. We decided to split up. I brought her friend, Phoebe with me and Judson brought Phoebe’s car. We figured they couldn’t follow all of us. We’re supposed to meet later in Falls Church.”
“Is everyone safe?”
Michael nodded. “Judson is already waiting for us. Gage called earlier and said he and Willow were checking out a long shot. If they find anything, they will let us know.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what he meant by that but I wanted to inform you in person, that you have a traitor in your office as soon as I could.”
Kenn shook his head. “Yeah, always good news in this job.” He let out a disgusted sigh. “Since he left you, Ben hasn’t been answering his phone either. After your call this morning, I tried to call him to bring him back but he never answered.” He sneered. “It seems he’s joined the enemy and now, he isn’t trying to hide it anymore.”
Michal looked around the little house. “Yeah, I do know that we can’t stay here long. Ben or someone else in the office might know about this place. I need somewhere safe to go through all the stuff we had before and get caught up.”
Kenn reached into his pocket and brought out a flash drive. “This is what we’ve found in the last five years. I’m not sure now if the information has been compromised or not.”
Michael accepted the drive. “I can run it down. I still have a contact or two that I know I can trust.”
Kenn reached into his pocket again and brought out a key. “Harper gave me a place for you to go. I sure didn’t know you’d need it this soon. The house belonged to an aunt of hers. It’s been empty for a while now, so it should be safe. She said she would come when it was safe. No one at the office knows about the house.”
Chapter Five
Gage felt the hum of the engine between his thighs as they went down the road. Willow’s arms wrapped around him and it felt good. They hadn’t gone far when he felt her tap his shoulder and point toward the rest area. He nodded then pulled over. He rode around to the back of the building and shut down the engine. He watched as she got off and began to pace behind him. “Why did we stop?” he finally asked.
Willow paused then tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come. Tears welled in her eyes and she tried again.
Gage grabbed her and hugged her close. Whispering in her ear he said, “Take a deep breath. Now calm down and try again.”
Willow took a deep breath and felt herself calm. Grabbing her throat she whispered, “We have to go back.”
Gage frowned. “Go back where?”
“To my grandpa’s,” she whispered.
Gage cocked his head to one side. “Why? What’s there?”
Willow remained determined. “Maybe nothing but maybe everything. I can’t explain it but I have a feeling there is something there we need.”
“Whatever was there is long gone by now.” Gage shrugged.
She shook her head. “Or it’s been hidden for a very long time. You just have to know where to look.”
“So what do you think is there?”
Willow shrugged. “I don’t know but there was a reason my grandfather didn’t sell his merchandise to these people and there was a reason they killed my family. I think it’s time that reason was known. I have to know why they murdered my family. They could have stopped after the first time but they didn’t. They came back after two freakin years and killed the rest of them.”
He just stared at her for the longest time before he nodded. “Ok, let’s find out. As long as you understand whatever reason they had might no longer be there.”
Willow grinned. “You didn’t know my grandpa. When he hid something, it damn well stayed hidden, unless you knew where to look. Whatever they were after, they didn’t find it.”
Gage looked hesitant. “Yeah, but you were only a kid back then, what makes you think you can find it?”
“Let’s find out.”
He shrugged. “What else could there be? I mean you already got the book.”
“I don’t know that we’ll find anything else but we have to look. My grandpa was a stubborn man. He had a reason for everything he did. He couldn’t always explain the why but for some reason, he didn’t trust this group. He trusted his instincts. He told me once just before he died that he hadn’t trusted them the first time he met them but the club wanted to do business with them, so he went along. Then when he should have delivered the guns, he went back on his word. He never broke his word before. He was known to be honorable that way but he didn’t go through with the deal this time. He told me that’s what got my parents killed. The Vipers murdered my family because he wouldn’t deliver the guns they wanted.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them away with angry hands as she remembered the past. “My grandpa took me and what was left of his family and disappeared. He wasn’t hiding but preserving his family. When the Vipers found them again, he knew his time was up, so he did the only thing he could. He hid me and made his stand. They were outnumbered ten to one that day but he took some of those bastards to hell with him. Before the shooting started, he told me something I didn’t understand back then. I’m not sure I understand it now either, but he told me to survive, to do whatever I had to, to live so I could tell the truth one day. Someone had to tell the world what the future had in store. Someone had to survive to cut the head off the snake.”
Gage studied her face as he listened.
She shook her head again. “I don’t know what that means but I have a feeling my grandpa knew something. He never told me what it was but he knew I would go back and try to find whatever he hid. He gave me just enough to make sure I did.”
Gage stared at her for a long moment then exhaled deeply. “Ok, let’s go find out if there is something there. I don’t know what we’ll find but I trust you. It’s a long trip there so we’d better get on our way.”
As the sun was going down, Kenn pulled into the driveway outside a house on Bryant Street. The house looked like any other house on that particular street. They’d just got out of the car when another car pulled into the driveway.
Harper Lamb jumped out of the car and grabbed Michael. She hugged him tight. “I’m so glad you came back!” She let him go and glanced at Judson, Phoebe and Kenn. “Sorry, I’m just glad to see him back. We need him to figure this out.” Then her eyes found Snickerdoodles.
Michael smiled. “I’m glad to be back, at least I think I am.” He turned to the dog. “Snicker, meet Harper.”
When the dog held up his paw, Harper grabbed it and shook it. Snicker licked her hand and wagged his tail. Harper chuckled, then turned serious. “I had the bomb squad pick up the bomb at the other house. They were very interested in it. They’ve have five other bombs like that go off in the past three years.” She stared at Michael. “They also said you were very lucky when you took it off the car. One wrong snip with your knife and it would have blown up.”
Michael smiled. “Then it’s a good thing I knew what I was doing, isn’t it?” He turned to Phoebe. “Phoebe, this is Harper. She works in the office I used to work at five years ago.” Turning to Harper he said, “Harper, this is Phoebe. We met her yesterday when she warned us about the bomb under the truck.”
Harper smiled at Phoebe. “Thank goodness you saw it before it had a chance to do its thing. Thank you for saving them.”
Phoebe blushed. “I didn’t do it, my friend Willow saw it. She’s the one that saved their lives.”
“Let’s get inside before we draw too much attention from the neighbors,” Kenn grumbled. When they were all inside, Kenn turned to Harper. “I want to keep this location between just you and I. I don’t want anyone else in the office to know where Michael is.”
“You got it,” Harper said. Shaking her head she commented, “I still can’t believe Ben is a traitor. He’s the last person I would have thought of doing that. There’s a box of office supplies out in the trunk of my car. I just grabbed what I could.” She turned to Judson and Michael. “I’ll run past the grocery store before I go home and pick you guys up some food. Just let me know what you like.”
Kenn shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It’s almost dark and we don’t want to draw too much attention to ourselves, so I’m going to take off.” He glanced at Harper. “Give me the keys to your car and you can take mine.”
Harper tossed him the keys and caught his in return. “I’ll meet you in the office in the morning.”
Kenn and Judson went outside and a few minutes later, Judson came back carrying a small box. He carried it into the kitchen and began to unpack reams of paper, several notebooks, pens, push pins and markers. He picked up one of the tablets and began a list of food they would need.
Harper glanced at Michael in the quiet interim. “I’m glad you’re back, I just wish it could have been under better circumstances.”
Michael grinned. “Me too.” He looked around the house. “Does your aunt mind us being here?”
“No…My aunt left it to me when she died six months ago. I just haven’t done anything with it yet. When Kenn called me this morning, I told him to bring you guys over here. I figured it was safe here. The house is still in my aunt’s name and no one at the office knew her.”
Michael turned to her and said, “Oh, I’m sorry to hear she died. And thanks. Judson was followed the other day all the way to Wisconsin and back and then we found a bomb under my truck in the middle of the night. I didn’t want to take any chances we’d be spotted again.” He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. “This is my email address. When you add it to your computer, don’t put my name on it. If whoever is watching your office taps into your email, I don’t want them to find it. Share it with only Kenn. I’m going to ask you not to come back here again. If someone is following you guys, I don’t want them to find us here.”
Harper glanced at her friend and nodded. “Okay, once I get your food and then I’ll stay away.”
Judson joined them and handed the list to Michael.
Michael looked it over and added a few more things then handed it to Harper. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. “Make sure the receipt is in the bags and when you come back, pull into the garage before you get out of the car. I don’t want anyone to see you. Be careful you aren’t followed here.”
