by KJ Dahlen
“What is the Sheriff’s name?” Pat asked.
“Jackson Munroe. Why?” Ajax asked.
Pat Jones, the US Marshall’s officer just shook his head. “Because that man is about the worst local Sheriff I’ve even known. He’s also dirty as hell.”
“He might also be blackmailing the Zetrans,” Wynette informed them.
Jerry shook his head. “The Justice Zetran I know would never allow that to happen.”
“He would if he were in on the plan,” Joel finally spoke up. “All he ever wanted was to be someone. I grew up with the man in the same school and knew him pretty well back then. Ever since he was a boy and poor as hell, he wanted to find a way out of poverty. To build an empire no one could take away from him. That was his dream as a kid.”
“Well, his dream came true at least for a little while.” Jerry shook his head. “But now, it’s time to rip it right out of his hands isn’t it?”
“May God bless our efforts because no one else will.” Joel made the sign of the cross.
The room grew quiet again.
Randall looked over at Wynette.
She met his eyes and gave a small nod.
“There is also a deposition that needs to be taken down,” Randall informed the law officers present.”
“For what?” Stephans asked.
“For a murder,” Wynette answered.
Stephans turned his curious eyes to her. “The one you were accused of?”
“No.” She shook her head.
His brows rose.
Wynette explained, “I was a teen when I saw it, so it may not mean much today.”
“There is not a statute of limitations on murder,” Jerry interjected.
Fireball moved closer. “Can you all take her statement here? Or does it have to be at the State Trooper’s office?”
The four law men all paused.
“That is how it needs to be done,” Jerry Ryker answered this. “At the office with all the legal paperwork and the proper witnesses. As when it goes to court, it has to all be done through official channels. Or their lawyers will think they have a way to get it thrown out.”
Ajax shook his head. “She is not safe out there.”
The lawmen looked over at him.
“We are the law in this state,” Stephans said as he glanced over at the other three law officers. “We can guarantee her safety.”
“Can you guarantee mine too?” Karly spoke up.
Fireball grabbed her hand while looking concerned.
Stephans and the other lawmen looked over at her. “And why would we need to do that?”
“Because I witnessed a few things and was told by Liam and Carlson about murders they committed, of how they disposed of the bodies. I was also beaten by this prison guard, Carlson in and out of prison....” She paused and looked over at Wynette. “And I wasn’t his only victim.”
Wynette was trembling as she met Karly’s gaze.
“It’s time,” Karly spoke a bit louder. “Wynette, we need to show them.”
Wynette stared back at her. “If we do this, we may lose our lives, Karly.”
“So!” Karly shouted. “We spent years in prison for something we did not do! And that is the least of it. There are more girls, young ones on the inside, Wynette! Remember Betsy? Huh, or Laney?”
Wynette let out a sob. “Yes, I remember them.”
“Well, they are next. If it hasn’t happened already.” Karly was crying now.
Wynette crossed the room and took her hands. “You’re right. We have both hidden their sins for too long.”
Stephans looked at them, then over at Fireball and Ajax.
The two MC men looked upset.
Wynette turned to the lawmen. “Please come over to this corner, Officers.” She pointed at the far side of the room.
The three men stared at them then at each other. They all went over to where she indicated.
Ajax motioned to Player, Moon, Jackman, and Stinger. “Go and stand with your backs facing the women.” He went over to join his woman, Wynette.
The brothers looked confused for a moment, but then went across the room, following the law men and Ajax.
Fireball went with Ajax to stand with Karly, though he was still puzzled by the women’s actions.
Wynette and Karly waited until the law men stood with them and the four brothers turned their backs to block out any view of what they would do next.
Ajax motioned for Fireball to get in front of Karly as he did with Wynette. He then met Wynette’s gaze. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She looked scared and nervous. “No, I really don’t want to, but I need to.”
He bit at his lip and nodded at her.
Both women then lifted the t-shirts they wore as the lawmen stood facing the women’s backs.
As they bared their lashed and scarred skin, representing at least 15 welts crisscrossed, marring their backs, the law men gasped.
Karly’s was fresh and still healing as the bruises she sported dotted her entire back as well.
The two women then lowered their shirts. Turning in unison, they stared at the lawmen with glittering eyes full of tears.
Stephans tried to speak, “Those...” He cleared his throat. “...scars, you got them from a prison guard?”
They both nodded.
“It happened at least a dozen times over the eight years I was there,” Wynette admitted as tears fell down her cheeks.
“Mine happened over a two year time period,” Karly added.
All four lawmen looked enraged as they stood stiffly.
Stephans gave Ajax and Fireball a nod. “We will take them to the station and take their statements. We will be calling in the State Attorney General on this.”
“Only if we accompany them,” Ajax spoke up. “Me and my VP.”
“That will be all right.” Stephans nodded. “Then we will be putting surveillance on this warehouse, if Karly can give us the directions.”
“Wait!” Fireball stepped close. “Can you guarantee that Karly won’t go back inside?”
“No, they can’t, but I can,” Jerry Ryker spoke up, “They are material witnesses. I will also put in a plea with the Attorney General that she has to be protected as a potential murder witness as well.”
Ajax stared over at Stephans.
Stephans nodded. “That can be done. I’ll call for another Trooper to bring an extra car in for this.”
Chapter Eight
Racer’s sister, Harlow had been called to get some decent clothes for Wynette and Karly to wear after being given their sizes. She brought those in and Racer then escorted her back home.
After Ajax called for church and explained to the club what was about to go down and what they all needed to do, the extra trooper car showed up.
Jonas from the DEA would ride in the front with the trooper who brought the extra car. Karly and Fireball were in the back. In the other car, Stephans, the US Marshall, Pat Jones, and Wynette rode with Ajax.
Jerry Ryker, the US Attorney, called a cab and had went ahead already to set things up at the State office.
In two cars, they all headed out.
Fireball sat in the backseat of the cruiser with Karly. “I never thought to be in one of these without handcuffs,” he joked.
Karly chuckled. “Well, I have been and I am glad not to this time.
Fireball took her hand and leaned in to her ear to whisper, “Just remember, I will be here with you the whole time.”
She shivered as his hot breath passed along her ear and neck. “Can I ask why?”
He blinked then spoke into her ear again, “Because I want and need to protect you.”
“You said this before,” she whispered back. “But it doesn’t answer my question. Why?’”
“Just something about you. Maybe the look in your eyes. I...” He sighed as he kissed the shell of her ear. “I feel like we are meant to be together.”
Karly blinked her eyes this time. “An
d you knew this when?”
He chuckled and glanced up to see if either lawman in the front seat was listening before he spoke again, “The first minute you woke up and looked at me.”
“At the ditch? Where you found me?” She felt so stunned by this news.
He nodded.
“So, didn’t you see how beat up and filthy I was? It’s not like you saw me coming down a damn runway.” She scoffed.
“It isn’t about that, not that you aren’t curvy as fuck. No, it’s just the feeling I get when you’re near. Do you feel it too?”
She slowly nodded. “It scares me though.”
He shook his head and again, breathed in her ear, “You never have to feel afraid again, Karly.”
She shivered some more. “Wow...”
“What?” He grinned at her.
“A romantic biker? Never heard of that one before.”
Fireball chuckled.
The cruiser slowed down.
Ajax and Karly looked up and tried to see why they had slowed.
The road ahead seemed to be blocked off.
The trooper driving shook his head and grabbed for the radio mic.
Jonas stuck a gun up to his head. “Don’t touch it.”
Ajax and Karly froze in the backseat.
“What the...?” The trooper stammered.
“Oh, no...” Karly gasped.
“Oh yes.” Jonas gave them a cold smile. “Now Mr. Trooper, turn off right over there. Go around that dark car on the right.”
The trooper sat there.
“Do it!” Jonas growled. “Or there will be yet, another funeral for a dead cop!”
The trooper did as he was instructed.
“Oh, my God!” Karly exclaimed. “You work for them?”
Jonas shrugged. “It’s how they have gone undetected with the designer drugs. Having me in the DEA.” He turned his head to glare at her while keeping the gun aimed at the driver. “Until you and that other bitch just had to interfere!” He glared over at Fireball. “And your fucking bike club.” He directed the trooper down a side road.
The couple was behind glass in the backseat so neither of them could do anything, not that they really could have. Fireball hadn’t been allowed to carry his weapon when getting into a state police car and in the station once they got there. But now, it looked like they wouldn’t be arriving there at all.
Karly clung to Fireball as she looked around at where they were currently. “Oh, my God, we are going to that warehouse,” she whispered to Fireball.
Suddenly, the trooper hit the brakes and they were all thrown forward.
The gun went off, then something crashed into the side of the car, T-boning it. Metal and glass seemed to be blown all around them as the roar of the crash tossed them all around.
Next, the car rolled over and over as Karly screamed.
“What the fuck happened to them?” Fireball yelled from the backseat of the second cruiser.
“We don’t know,” Stephans replied. “There seemed to be something blocking the road. A truck or something then by the time it moved...they were gone. My man was right there and he couldn’t figure it out.”
“Your man?” Ajax asked.
“Hell yeah,” Stephans stated in a tense voice, “You think I’d make a move like this without a tail on them?”
Ajax’s cell rang, so he fished it out of his vest. “Speak.”
“It’s Stinger, Boss. Something odd happened.”
“I know, so are you on it?”
Stephans turned in his seat to stare at Ajax.
“Yeah, we found the car,” Stinger replied over the cell.
“Damn...” Ajax let out a sigh. “And?”
“You’d better come here,” Stinger stated. “I’m texting the GPS.”
“Damnit,” Ajax swore as he ended the call and read the incoming text. He then passed the phone to Stephans. “Hand it to the driver.”
Stephans did then raised his brows at Ajax.
“Yeah, so? I had tails out too,” Ajax quipped as he met Stephans’ gaze. “You think I trust cops?”
Stephans shook his head.
Wynette grabbed Ajax’s arm. “Did they say anything about Karly?”
He let out a breath. “No.”
She bit at her lip and clung to him.
He patted her shoulder and took her hand to squeeze it.
After about ten minutes, they arrived on the scene.
Stinger and Moon were already there, off their bikes and attempting to get into the upside down cruiser as it smoked.
“Oh, my God!” Wynette covered her mouth with her shaky hands when she saw the wreckage.
The car looked like it had been crushed like a can of soda. Glass and twisted metal wrapped it up in a smoking mess.
“Let me out!” Ajax yelled at the driver of the cruiser. “Unlock this fucking thing!”
Stephans reached over to the console and did so.
Before the car even stopped, Ajax hopped out and was running to the wrecked car.
“Fireball is in there,” Stinger told him. “But we can’t get him out.”
“Yeah, boss,” Moon cut in. “And the driver is knocked out too...It looks like.”
Stephans went around to the other side and peeked into the car. “Fuck!” he swore.
“Yeah, looks like your DEA friend is dead? Not sure,” Moon added.
Wynette came running up to the wrecked cruiser. She looked terrified. “W-what happened?”
No one answered her as the men tried to get the car open.
Ajax took her hand. “Baby, please go back to the car, okay? You are out in the open here.”
With a pale face and tears in her eyes, she looked around then nodded at him.
The driver of Stephans’ car came over and took her to the other cruiser.
Stephans turned away as he was on the phone.
Finally, Moon took his gun and tapped out the glass where the DEA agent was hanging upside down. He reached over and hit the release button for the backseat doors.
Ajax stared in through the back windshield at his VP Fireball who had his eyes closed, hanging upside down inside the car. Blood ran down his face. “Fuck, hurry up!”
Stinger opened the door and crawled in. “Come on Moon, I’ll hold him, while you unbuckle him.”
Moon crawled in and just as he reached for the belt, Fireball opened his eyes. “Ffffuuucccckk!” he shouted and started to struggle “Karly!” he yelled. Fighting both men as he ranted, “Get the fuck off me! Karly!”
“God dammit Fire, calm down!” Moon griped as he tried to unbuckle the swaying belt.
“Fuck you! I’ll kill you!” Fireball shouted back.
“Fuck! Boss, get over here!” Stinger yelled for Ajax.
The prez stuck his face in through the busted up window. “Angus! Quiet down!”
Fireball stilled then he groaned.
“Ok, Moon, I got him!” Stinger said.
Moon clicked the seat belt loose.
Stinger helped to lower Fireball. “You are fucking heavy, man!”
Moon helped to tug him out.
They sat him down on the ground.
Just then, a firetruck pulled up and an ambulance. Stephans headed over to talk to them.
Ajax pushed his two men away and knelt down to Fireball. “Man, what the fuck happened?”
Fireball held his head as he groaned in pain. “The DEA agent...” he paused then tried to stand up. “Give me a gun Stinger!” he growled. “I am killing that Jonas fucker NOW!”
“Now Angus, calm the fuck down!”
“What happened here?” Stephans stepped closer. “I got a dead DEA agent and an injured trooper.”
“Good! About the agent, he was working for the Zetrans!” Fireball sneered.
Stephans’ eyes rounded. “What?”
“He pulled a gun on your driver, then made him...” Fireball looked up at his prez. “...where’s Karly?”
Ajax shook his head. He turn
ed to look at Stinger and Moon.
Stinger shrugged. “She wasn’t here when we came up.”
Fireball went quiet—except for a low growl emanating from deep in his throat.
Ajax’s eyes widened as he suddenly stood up and moved away from Fireball.
Stinger and Moon both looked alarmed as they too, stepped back.
“Aww fuck,” Ajax swore as he knew the man was gonna blow.
Chapter Nine
“The Fuck!” Fireball roared as he stood up. “Where the fuck is she?”
Stephans was the one who didn’t have the sense to note the other men’s actions in avoiding Fireball. “We have an APB—”
Fireball reared his fist back and clocked him in the jaw. “You are all crooked! The fucking lot of ya!” Fireball shouted.
Stephans went flying back.
“Angus! Stop!” Ajax grabbed Stephans up and shoved him over to Moon.
Moon caught him and moved them both back.
“I need your gun and your keys!” Fireball turned on Stinger.
Stinger was just as big and as strong as Fireball, but he made no protest as he swiftly took both his gun and keys out then handed them to him.
“Wait! Wait!” Ajax stepped over to his VP. “You’re bleeding man! You don’t even know where—”
“The hell I don’t! Give me your phone!” Fireball demanded.
Ajax let out an uneasy breath but took his cell out and handed it over to Fireball.
A paramedic came over and spotted the blood all over Fireball’s face and T-shirt. He stepped closer.
Fireball let out a guttural sound as he tapped the cell phone screen.
Moon grabbed the paramedic by the arm and tugged him back. “No, no. Why don’t you check this man out?” He pointed to Stephans.
Stephans held his jaw as he glared at the poor paramedic. “Nah. I’m uninjured.”
Fireball tossed Ajax the phone. “I know where it is.” He then swiped the blood from his eyes with his sleeve and hopped onto Stinger’s bike. Kicked the stand up and roared away.
Ajax nodded at Moon. “Go!”
Moon jumped on his bike.
