Her Father's Sins (Hell's Fire Riders Book 5)

by K. J. Dahlen

  The man didn’t say anything for the longest time. “I’ll find you.”

  When the line went dead, Calico looked around the room at everyone’s faces. “He’s coming here.”

  “Well fuck,” Pappy swore softly. “Let’s get ready for him then.”

  Dewey and Reaper shook their heads.

  Calico had never seen them looked so scared. Scared? He shook his head. Well, he didn’t give a good god damn, the man was just a man to him.

  Chapter Four

  Bastian glanced over at Jim. He’d been staring at the monitor carefully. This hideout had almost the set up as home. Plotting his course and watching the red dot, Bastian checked and rechecked the area around the red dot. He noted the waterway and the terrain.

  “That’s a rough part of town boss,” Jim told him.

  “I know. There are too many places to hide.” Sitting back in his chair, he looked at the other man. “According to what Calico told me, this Tomas Barrone has a small but ruthlessly brutal crew. They wouldn’t mind slitting your throat just for the fun of it.”

  “What are you going to do?” Jim asked.

  “I don’t know. As much as I just want to go ahead and rush into the situation from what Calico told me I can’t. She’s carrying my child Jim.”

  Jim’s eyes widened and after a moment, he smiled. “Congratulations.” Then he paused and added, “What are you going to do now? I mean you can’t go on the same way you have been, can you?”

  Bastian closed his eyes. “No, I can’t.” Shifting in his seat, he looked at the other man. “This changes everything.”

  Jim nodded then smiled. “But is that a bad thing? You know we’re both getting older and maybe it was time to do something different. Even though at forty-three, I don’t feel old.”

  Bastian laughed out loud. “No it isn’t a bad thing just different. I guess I never planned for retirement.” He shrugged. “I mean who retires at our age.”

  “Nobody but who can say they’ve seen what we have?” Jim pointed out. “You and I have seen and done more than the average Joe.”

  “That’s true,” Bastian agreed. “But I doubt there’s too much work out there for our kind.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s not like either of us need more money.” Jim snorted. “We could live quite comfortably for the twenty years and not even touch the real money.”

  Bastian nodded then looked back to the screen. His gut was on fire. His Sawyer was in bad hands. “I think I need more information on this guy.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Jim asked.

  Bastian turned back to the screen. “They seem to be in the waterway behind a park. They can come and go without drawing attention to themselves just by blending in with the locals. I need you to go in under cover and pinpoint where his men are hiding. Calico tells me there are only ten men at the most. There will be at least one or two on the boat itself. Everyone else will be outside.”

  “You need to know how many and where they are,” Jim stated as he knew the score.

  “Yeah, that would help.” Bastian nodded. “I’m going out to the compound and talk to her father. He’s worked with this guy before and I need to know him better before I go up against him.”

  “I’ve been looking into this group her father is with,” Jim admitted.

  “Why?”

  Jim rolled his eyes. “You know me. I never go anywhere without knowing what and who we’re up against.” He shrugged. “Anyway, they call themselves the Hell Fire Riders. They are all ex-military, very highly trained. Word around town is nothing but good, given the fact they are also considered a biker club. They’re led by a man called Pappy Masterson.”

  Bastian turned to stare at the other man. He’d heard of Pappy Masterson. In his line of work, he knew information about a lot of men and women. “Ok, well before I go I need to run some info down on this man Tomas Barrone.”

  Jim shook his head. “I haven’t heard that name in a long time.”

  “You know him?” Bastian asked.

  “Yeah, I know of him. He ran a small crew in New York area called El Diablo quite a few years ago. He and his brothers, Jose and Enrique thought they could never be brought down. They were running drugs and guns up and down the East coast for one of the cartels south of the border. Then they got stupid and lost everything.” Jim went over to his computer and fired it up. Moments later, he brought up the file he’d compiled on El Diablo.

  Showing the screen to Bastian the other man read quickly the information Jim gathered over ten years ago. The info ended with the shoot out that all but wiped out his gang. Only three survived the battle. Enrique had been wounded but escaped leaving behind his brother, Tomas and one other man who were arrested and sent to jail supposedly for the rest of their lives.

  “How the hell did he get out of jail?” Bastian asked under his breath. Moving over to his own computer, he clicked a few keys and brought up a connection to the prison systems. Going back, he entered the name Barrone and found what he was looking for. He printed off the information he found and folding it neatly, he stuck it in his pocket.

  Then he noticed something he hadn’t seen before. It was so subtle he never would have seen it if he didn’t know what to look for. “By the Christ,” he swore. Turning his head, he stared at Jim. “I think I’m being hacked.” Then he turned around and began typing. Throwing up firewalls and rerouting his info to more secure lines, he and the unknown hacker battled for the next twenty minutes. Finally, he was smiled and shut down his computer.

  Jim just stood there watching him for a moment. “What the hell was that all about?”

  Bastian grinned. “I think I was just battling someone known as the Ghost. This hacker is good, I mean very good. Whoever he or she is they are the best I’ve even seen.” Turning back to the screen, he hit a few keys to back trace the hacker.

  A few minutes later, he got his answer.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” He rubbed his chin. “The Ghost is residing at the compound. I wonder if they know they have a world class hacker among them?”

  Jim snorted. “I doubt they wouldn’t. I mean that’s not a talent you can hide. Why would you?”

  Bastian shrugged. “I don’t know but I’ll certainly ask.” Glancing at the clock, he got to his feet. “I need to find a way inside and then talk to Calico.”

  “You be careful getting in,” Jim warned him. “I’d hate for you to get shot. These men take their own protection to another level.”

  Bastian reached up and patted the other man’s shoulder. “You watch your back. If they see you, you could end up with a bullet in your back.”

  “I’ll mark their positions and find a way on board the boat.” Jim assured him as he walked over to a small trunk they kept on the plane. Inside were a multitude of weapons and tracking equipment they had used in the past. This was Bastian’s go to trunk, it went wherever they did.

  Bastian left to change his clothes while Jim dug out what he thought Bastian would need.

  When he returned, Jim handed Bastian a small handheld scanner along with a pen like pointer. Bastian was dressed all in black. His clothes were form fitting but not tight. His pants had more than the usual pockets and Bastian slipped the scanner in a side pocket. He slipped his phone in another pocket along with a small knife.

  He then slipped on an over the shoulder holster and loaded a 9 mm Glock into it. Then he fitted a headpiece with a microphone over his head and black beanie over the top of that. He reached inside the trunk and grabbed a watch. Fastening it around his wrist, he checked the unit and synced it with the one on Jim’s wrist.

  Bastian looked over at the other man and said, “You be careful out there. Let me know when you get there and take note of their positions. Don’t get caught.”

  Jim nodded. “I will. You be careful too. We don’t know what their agenda really is and these guys are bikers.”

  Bastian nodded. Then turned and made his way out to his vehicle. It took him twenty minut
es to get as close to the compound as he wanted to, then he climbed a tree and began to watch. As hurried as he felt, he took the time to scout his location. He liked knowing what he would be up against when he infiltrated the perimeter.

  Slipping on a pair of night vision goggles, he noted where the heat signatures were located. He took careful note of where the men were stationed and how they were armed.

  Then he saw the front door open and a woman came out. The night air was cool and she just walked around not really paying attention to anything going on around her. Then a man joined her. Bastian recognized his by the color of his hair. This was Sawyer’s father. They both shared the same hair coloring.

  Bastian pulled the pen from the scanning outfit and marked the woman. Pulling out the scanner, he noted the green glow on the screen. He watched as they both went back inside and he watched as the green dot went to one of the first level rooms.

  The scan picked up the structure of the building showing him the room layout. This scanner was something he’d built himself. He knew what he needed in order to do his job and he was well versed in putting together his own equipment. Most of his items weren’t out there on the market and never would be. They were only for his use.

  Bastian sat patiently waiting for the people in the compound to settle in for the night. Taking out another handheld unit, he pressed a button and the screen lit up showing him blobs of red. The heat signature of each blob told him where everyone inside was located.

  Checking the other screen, he found the green blob in the same level one room. He checked over the outline of the building searching for a way in. This was part of his normal routine and something he did on every job.

  When he was ready, he moved into position. Using the cover of darkness, he made his way to the back window. He took a moment to search the area carefully. The hall looked dark and there was no one walking around. Checking the heat scanner, he noted where everyone was again.

  Bastian lifted the window and slipped inside. Lowering the window, he paused and listened carefully. When he didn’t hear anyone he slipped down the hall to the room, he was looking for. Opening the door, he let his eyes adjust to the darkness within.

  When he could see the couple laying on the bed, he took a moment to search the rest of the room. Nothing was out of place, so Bastian moved over to the bed on Calico’s side. Removing the knife from his pocket, he carefully placed the blade against the other man’s throat.

  As soon as the cold metal came up against his warm skin Calico’s eyes snapped open.

  “Don’t move and don’t scream,” Bastian warned them quietly. Jolene’s eyes snapped open as well. “I’m not here to cause trouble I just needed to talk to you.”

  Jolene nodded and backed away slowly. She scooted away from Calico but didn’t leave the bed.

  Bastian slowly raised the blade from Calico’s throat.

  Calico glared at Bastian but didn’t move. “What the hell do you want?” he growled.

  Bastian squatted next to the bed. “I need to know why Barrone would hold Sawyer hostage and what he will do to her. You said he has a grudge against you. I need to know how far you think he will take it.”

  Calico nodded. “I’m going to sit up, so I can talk better. Then I think we should take this out to the common room.”

  Bastian backed away and waited for them both to get up. “As long as no one there tries something stupid.” He held his hands out. “Like I said I’m not looking for trouble, only information.”

  Calico nodded and assisted Jolene out the door.

  As they walked down the hall, they heard more doors opening and footsteps were coming toward them. Everyone congregated toward the common room. Lights came on and Bastian watched the room fill with other men and a few women.

  They were a tough looking bunch of guys. Some had longer hair while others had short military cuts. A few women stood off to one side. Bastian held his arms out to show everyone there he wasn’t a threat. They could plainly see he was armed but didn’t have anything in his hands.

  The older man with white hair looked at Calico and said, “What’s going on here Calico?”

  Calico ran his fingers through his hair. “Pappy, this is,” he turned and looked at Bastian. “Hell, I don’t even know his name.”

  “They call me the Priest,” Bastian told the group.

  There was more than one gasp in the room.

  “How in the hell did you get in here?” Pappy asked as he studied the other man.

  “I came here for answers.” He ignored the question entirely. “My woman never made it home. Now I’m told she was taken by a man that would think nothing of killing her to get back at her father. I need to know more before I go after her. I hate surprises and I won’t risk her life or mine going into a situation I’m not comfortable in.”

  Pappy cocked his head and stared at Bastian for a moment. “Do you know where she’s being held at?” He shrugged, “We haven’t been able to locate her yet.”

  Bastian nodded. “Yes, I know where she is. But like I said, I need more information to go after her.” He looked over at Calico. “You’ve told me some of the story and from what I was able to uncover, I think I know what kind of individual I’m up against.” He carefully reached into his pocket and drew out a piece of paper. Handing it to Pappy he said, “This tells me even more about the man.”

  Pappy stared at the man for a moment then read the paper. After a moment he swore, “Sweet Mary, mother of God!” He looked up at Bastian and asked, “Is this for real?” He handed the paper off to his second in command.

  Dewey took the paper and read it. Without a word, he passed it along the line of men beside him.

  “Maybe you should ask your own ghost,” Bastian suggested.

  “Excuse me?” Pappy frowned.

  “I was hacked and the hacker was here, at this address. I believe he or she is known as the Ghost,” Bastian stated. “I was able to discourage the hack but the fact was, I was hacked. I have the best security in the world. Whoever it was wanted to know what I was searching for. Next time, please just ask.”

  Pappy nodded. “We just wanted to know more about you, that’s all.” Shrugging he added, “I figured we’d see you at some point and we wanted to what kind of man you really were. All we’ve heard about you is rumors.”

  “I can understand that.” Bastian narrowed his eyes. “Normally, you wouldn’t even know I was here but this situation isn’t normal. I came here to find Sawyer and now someone else has her. I find that unacceptable. I can get her back but I don’t need anyone else bungling things up. People get hurt that way. Now I find Sawyer is pregnant with my child and the need to rescue her has become more pressing. Especially since the man who has her won’t hesitate to kill her to save his own worthless life or simply because it will cause her father pain.”

  “You said you knew where she was,” Jolene spoke now. “Where is she?”

  Bastian turned his head and gave her a slight smile. “I need more info before I go up against Tomas Barrone.”

  “You aren’t going after him without me.” Calico growled. “The man was dangerous twelve years ago but this…” He lifted the paper that had been passed around then set it back down on the table. “This is over the top even for him.”

  The paper Bastian found on the prison break said that Tomas Barrone was taken to a local hospital for trauma due to being stabbed by another inmate seven times. After a three hour surgery to close his wounds, he escaped the hospital and authorities haven’t found him yet to return him to prison. That had been a year ago.

  Calico picked up the paper. “I wouldn’t put it past Tomas to have stabbed himself. I don’t think he would have trusted anyone else to do it right or not take his life. That and the fact that all his wounds were nonlethal. Barrone was a truly hated man inside the joint and outside.” He nodded. “There’s more than one man who would love to say they took him out.”

  “Do you know anything about his new crew?” Dew
ey asked. “We kinda like to know who we’re up against as well.”

  “I might have some photos by now.” Bastian nodded. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an iPhone. Checking the messages, he found several photos Jim had forwarded.

  A woman stepped forward and motioned toward the table. Bringing out her laptop, she asked him to forward the photos to her. As each photo was passed on, she printed it out and hung it on the wall they were gathering other information on. Each photo was transferred to a big screen television as well.

  Then she began typing something and started to run the photos in a facial recognition program she had.

  Bastian walked over and watched her for a moment. “So you’re the Ghost, huh?”

  Trudy froze and slowly peered up at him. She looked pale and fear showed in her eyes.

  Bastian shook his head. “We all have our secrets to protect, don’t we? I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine.”

  She nodded slowly and looked beyond his shoulder to meet her husband’s eyes.

  The man he knew was named Dewey, since he’d read files on this bunch, looked worried but she shook her head slightly. Bastian didn’t need to look over his shoulder to know Dewey was there.

  It was half an hour later when the computer began spitting out names to go with the faces. Jim had taken pictures of the eight men he found just outside the park. They had been circling one boat moored there. The boat was older tug boat, thirty one feet long. The red paint was faded and peeling but no one there overlooked who owned the boat.

  “It’s not much to look at is it?” Bastian commented.

  Calico scoffed. “Don’t let the outside fool you. If I know Tomas Barrone that boat has enough power to get away from a speedboat or the Coast Guard. And enough firepower to blow any coast guard boat out of the water.” He tapped the photo. “Even the name tells you something.”

  Bastian looked down at the photograph and noted the name painted on the back of the boat, Retribution. Not a good sign. The name on the side of the boat didn’t match the one on the bow though.