by KJ Dahlen
“And Sydney’s going to be free of her past as well,” Deke assured them. “We put things in motion for that just this afternoon.” He shrugged and smiled. “Of course, we wanted to stay away from the blood bath, so we handed it off to the Blue Devils. It is their territory after all.”
“And if they take over Flynn’s blackmail?” James asked.
“They might at that but I have a feeling Ryder will do the right thing for his men. If not, it’s not my business and I mind my own business.”
“Ok, let’s get Sydney in here and figure out what we need to do to get the ball rolling,” Theo suggested.
James left the room and returned a few minutes later with Sydney. He could see she was nervous so he held her close. He sat her down on the sofa and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“We need to ask you some questions,” Deke told her. “You have nothing to fear from us. We just need to know everything you know about Oden Connors.”
“Why?” Sydney asked.
“Because he’s a threat to my woman and I won’t have it.” Theo stated. “He’s a pig of a man and he threatens her peace of mind. I plan on sending him the pits of hell.”
“Do you promise?” she whispered.
Theo paused in confusion at her request. “Yes, I promise you that. Him and his three sons.”
She looked up at him. “Then I’ll help you. You’re right when you say Oden Connors is a pig and his three sons are not far behind him.”
Theo nodded in total agreement. “Then tell us what we need to know so we can make plans for how we are going to bring the bastard down.”
Chapter Seven
Sydney began telling them what they wanted to know. The more she told them the more they knew Oden and his three sons. When Deke asked her straight out whether she’d seen, the inside of Oden’s safe in the basement, she didn’t hesitate to be honest with them. Reaching out to take James’s hand, she told them, “Yes, I’ve seen his safe.”
“And what exactly did you see?” Sam asked.
She took a deep breath and let it out. “I saw everything. He has a set of books in there, books that hold payments made to him from a couple of hundred people for payoffs and payouts. Everyone from politicians to cops to business men, looking for zoning to go their way. He’s also got money in the safe. A lot of money. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t told anyone about the money either. Not the IRS and not even his sons.”
“Where is this safe?” Theo asked.
James answered this, “It’s in the basement in the far corner hidden behind a false wall.”
“And how do we find it?” Bastian wanted to know.
James nodded. “I know where it is.”
“Ok. Good.” Bastian nodded.
Sydney held up her hand. “You do know that he’s looking for Sarah in order to use her arrest and trial for a stepping stone to send Jeremy into politics, right?” When they all nodded, she went on to say, “But do you know Clayton has plans that if she’s ever arrested, she’s not going to make it to her trial? He’s already picked out a man that will kill her while she’s behind bars. One of his minions will do the deed, I think his name is Harrison?”
“And of course, Noah won’t prosecute Harrison,” Deke growled viciously.
Sydney shook her head. “No he won’t. I overheard them one night when they thought they were alone. Noah offered to pay the man himself.”
“Well so far, we got him for blackmail. I wonder what else is in his books?” Bastian wondered out loud.
“How about plain old fashion murder?” Sydney whispered.
The men were silent for a moment then Theo asked, “Who did he murder?”
“One night well after midnight, he left the courthouse with his son Noah. They found a woman of the night and after they had their way with her, they left her hurt in an alley. They chose to walk away leaving her in pain but what they didn’t see or didn’t care about was they weren’t alone in that alley with Sally Anne. There was another man there. Granted, he was homeless but he made the mistake of calling them out. Before the homeless man could raise too much of a fuss, Oden snapped his neck. Then he did the same thing to Sally Anne. He didn’t want her to tell anyone anything.”
“And you were witness to all of this?” Theo asked.
Sydney nodded slowly. “I was in the shadows too sort of? I was just coming out of the corner store and went past the alley to get to my car. I hid then when they weren’t looking, I hustled to my car. I had seen Sally Anne on that corner every night, that’s how I knew her name.” Tears filled her eyes. “She wasn’t a bad person, you know?””
“Why didn’t you report them?” Sam asked.
“I did. I called the police anonymously and when I told them what I saw, the dispatcher told me I was crazy to think Oden or Noah would even think to do what I was telling them was happening. The police were covering one of their own. I waited for an hour in my car for someone to come but they never did.” Tears rolled down her face. “It doesn’t matter who they were, they were still people just looking for a way to survive. The streets aren’t easy but no one deserves what they did to them.”
“Did anyone find the bodies?” Mountain asked.
Sydney nodded. “Three days later after, it made identifying them impossible as they had burned the bodies.”
“Well hopefully, we can find enough evidence to crucify them all,” Bastian said. “Each and every one of those bastards, including the cops that covered their asses.”
“In a red book in his safe, there is a list of the people he uses to cover his butt. He lists the payments he makes to them as well.”
Theo nodded. “If it’s still there, we’ll find it.”
“It was there a day ago.”
Theo nodded. “Ok, we’ll look for it then.”
“There’s another thing you might want to know.” She tightened her grip on James’s hand. “He does business with the MC in town. When they need something to go their way they call him, most of the time it’s harmless stuff but there were a few times when he broke the law and went under the table for the MC. He always told his boys it never hurt to have friends in low places.”
“Well that’s between him and the MC. They’ll have to figure that out for themselves.” Deke shrugged.
“That’s true but he’s got evidence that the MC is behind a lot of the thefts in town and the police didn’t even look into the matters. I know of at least two people that were ruined by what Oden did.”
“We can’t help them sweetheart unless we can find proof in the safe,” Theo explained to her gently.
“Ok, I get that but if Oden and or his sons go to jail that’s going to bring out everyone with something to hide.”
Theo smiled. “Yeah, they’ll be tripping over their own feet to protect their own asses.” Then he paused and asked, “Is there proof of any over state lines crimes? If there is, we can call in the Feds and they could dig deeper than the state police could.”
“Well, he has a fence he uses to resell stolen stuff in Maine. Would that help?” Sydney asked. “One of his contacts robs places and brings his goods to Oden. Oden then contacts his guy in Maine who moves the merchandise and takes a cut then pays his contact. He thinks no one knows about this.”
“Hmm, the charges are racking up,” Theo said.
Deke finally spoke up, “Your women can remain here.” He looked directly at Theo. “They will be safe.”
He nodded at Deke. “I noted the new building and all the tech. The front wall looks good as new.”
Sam laughed. “That’s cause it is new.”
Deke shrugged. “Just so you know, we help those who need it ...” He stared at Theo. “And those who’ve earned it.”
Theo gave a slight nod.
Deke then turned to Sydney. He handed her a large steno pad and a pen. “You can write down the safe’s code and anything else we need to know. Oh and after that, I want you to write down the code to your dad’s safe too. And anything w
e need to know about breaking into the room and into it. We need it to take him down too.”
Sydney took the pad and scooted up to the desk. In her hand, that pen was signing either death warrants or life sentences. But it also meant freedom for many people who deserved it.
Deke and the men stepped over to the window.
“So when are you going to do this?” Deke asked.
Bastian stared at James. “Tomorrow night. We already know how to get it in thanks to James. We have surveillance plugged in.”
Deke was curious. “Anything interesting?”
“We don’t know. I need to get the set up as we thought to do it at the cabin before I ran into Sydney. Now though, since...I found her, we have to accelerate this plan to get into that safe.”
“I got someone that can help. I think we need to know what their plans are.” Deke tapped his phone. “Hey, Zip. Can you meet us in the ops room. I got a man that needs to hook up his taps. Yeah and cue up Saratoga City for me. Yes, that part. Okay. In about fifteen minutes or so.”
“Ok,” Sydney interrupted. “This is all you need to know. I showed James how to get to the safe but to open it you need something that I’m not sure you have?”
They all swung their gazes to her.”
“And what would that be, little girl?” Theo asked.
At his hard gaze and even harder voice, Sydney gasped a little and looked a bit frightened.
James went over and placed his arm around her. “Sweetness, it’s ok. No one is going to hurt you.” He gazed up at Theo.
Theo let out a sigh. “I apologize. I’m... still working on my people skills.”
Sam chuckled.
Deke looked over at his dad. “And there are some men who never learn them.”
Sam’s smiled dropped and he grunted.
“O-ok...” Sydney began. “This is pretty tricky and I don’t know how you’re going to um...do it.”
Deke stepped closer. “Do what?”
“Well, you see...You will need the man himself to get in there.”
“What?” they all asked at the same time.
Sydney shrugged. “It opens with a code, but also his thumbprint.”
“Well, fuck a duck,” Sam swore.
“Wait,” James interjected. “If that’s so, then how did you do it?” He stared down at Sydney.”
“I got his print off a glass from his office and made it myself.”
“Clever girl,” Bastian said.
“And where is this thumbprint copy?” Deke wanted to know.
“At my apartment?”
They all shook their heads.
“So we go in and get it then,” Theo supplied.
Sydney looked alarmed. “I-I can’t go back there now. They know by now that I left and I can’t... I mean my dad is—”
“No, no.” James patted her hand. “Just give us your key and the address, babe. We’ll do the rest.”
Theo nodded. “Alright then. James, go get your set up and meet us in the ops room. It’s down the hall left of the lion.”
Deke and Sam turned to stare at him.
“How the hell did you know that?” Deke growled the words.
Theo stared back at them without blinking as he dropped his bomb in the room, “When I got a call from the only family member I had, I got the blueprints.”
“You what?” Sam roared while looking furious as he stepped closer.
Bastian, stepped in front of Theo. “And we helped.”
James stood up. “I’m the one who procured them.”
Deke was angry now. “How the fuck?” He shook his head. “No scratch that. Why?” He glared at the men.
Theo stepped around Bastian to face him. “When she called me, we didn’t know what all was happening. So, I needed to know how to get in here, in case I had to. Without being seen by whomever was hunting the Moores.”
Deke stared at him for a long tense moment.
“We would never use it for anything other than to help, Deke,” Bastian defended.
Deke let out a breath and shoved his fingers through his hair. “I don’t fucking like it. Why would I? I built this shit to be a god dammed fortress and you mean to tell me...Just anyone can get the prints and break through?”
Theo looked right into his eyes. “Not just anyone. Only me and VIM. And we made sure to replace those prints with fake ones, in case anyone else ever got the same idea.”
Sam studied him with obvious doubt in his eyes. “So you’re saying you were protecting us?”
Theo nodded and then looked at a loss on how to properly explain his actions. “Look, I have real family inside this compound.” He looked troubled for a second before that cold look covered his face and eyes. “I lost most of the family I had, all while taking it for granted that I even had family or even knew what that meant. I sure as hell am not going to repeat that mistake.”
Deke stared hard at him.
The room was full of tension as this could make or break all that the men were hoping to do.
“Okay.” Deke slowly nodded. “That I can understand.”
“Well, damn,” Sam swore.
They all looked over at him.
He shrugged. “Who would ever thought that...” He paused to stare at Theo. “That a cat can change his spots.”
Bastian smiled. “Yeah. A deadly cat.” He patted Theo on the arm. “Now he works on the right side of the veil. Giving payback to those who deserve it.”
The men in the room all seemed to relax a little.
“Cats...Eh?” Sam raised a brow at Bastian and Theo. “Funny analogy, considering we already have Rufus and Diablo.”
Deke chuckled as he stared at his dad. “What’s really funny, dad...is the fact that you even know what an analogy is.”
The men in the room all broke out into laughter and the tension finally broke.
“Is that their names?” Sydney spoke up in a small voice.
Deke nodded. “My wife painted them. They were sort of like her protection when she was younger. An ideal but made almost real by faith.”
Sydney looked a bit in awe.
“Faith,” Theo whispered.
They all looked over at him.
He shrugged at the stares they all gave him. “I’ve been learning about that concept. I’ve been trying to understand it.”
Deke seemed to study him for a long moment, then he said, “I think with your actions over the last six months has shown that you do understand it.”
Chapter Eight
They all entered the Ops room.
James brought in his USB and portable scanner. “Wow.” He gazed around then down at the screens and the PC setup.
“Yeah, ain’t it the shit?” Zipper grinned up at him from his chair in front of the screens.
Deke and Sam moved closer as did the rest of the men.
Deke stared at Zipper. “Okay, how did you get that bruise on your jaw?”
Sam peered at him. “Yeah, that’s a new one. Let me guess...Manhattan Girl made you take her water skiing or some shit?”
“Manhattan Girl?” Bastian, Theo and James all asked simultaneously.
Zipper looked alarmed at this. “Um—well, it’s sort of her nickname?”
“The hell it is,” James argued. “Are you speaking of the hacker, Manhattan Girl?”
Zipper stood from his chair and looked fierce. “If you say that name again...”
James laughed. “Look kid, I meant nothing by it. We don’t sell anyone out.”
Zipper looked a little more relaxed.
Sydney looked around at them, while wearing a confused expression. “What is the huge deal over a name?”
James shook his head. “She’s legendary on the dark web and elsewhere.”
“Oh...” She still looked confused.
“Well, she saved Deke’s life actually,” Sam offered.
“Dad—”
“Well, she did. And never have I met a more sunshiny girl.”
Zipper sw
ung his stunned gaze over to Sam.
He shrugged. “It’s true. I mean ever since I met her, I never look at the sky the same way again, or a cloud.”
They all stared at the hard ass mean biker man with the skull tats and the steel look in his eyes.
“Oh, fuck you all,” he muttered.
Again, the men in the room all laughed.
“Okay.” Deke nodded at Zipper. “So go ahead... tell me how the bruise happened.”
Zipper looked a bit embarrassed.
“Oh, this will be good,” Sam noted the look while wearing a huge ass grin. “So sky diving, skiing? No, wait... Dune buggy!”
“Oh, shut the hell up, Bones!” Zipper snapped. He then sighed and mumbled something.
“What was that?” Deke asked.
“I said horseback riding, ok?” Zipper grunted.
“Horseback...” Sam then busted out into laughter.
“Shut up, Dad,” Deke admonished. Then he couldn’t help it, he too, laughed.
“The damn horse wouldn’t do anything I wanted then he pitched me out of the fucking saddle.” Zipper looked livid.
Deke patted him on the back. “Hey, you tried at least.”
“Yeah, I did. But you should have seen Zeta.” He shook his head. “She just rode like she was born in the saddle. Her jet black hair all down with the wind tossing it. Right across that damn prairie, free as the wind itself.” He got a dazed look for a minute.
Sam kept chuckling.
Deke cleared his throat and nodded at Zipper to get to it
Zipper nodded then tapped some keys and a video feed came on.
James stared. “It’s the City office buildings.”
“Yeah and I got zoom,” Zipper boasted then zoomed in through the widow to see several men in an office.”
“Damn, you could count their freckles if they had any,” Sam exclaimed.
“Ok, yeah,” Bastian peered at the screen. “That’s Oden and two of his sons, Noah and Clayton.”
Deke looked over at James. “Alright then. Just hand it all to him.
James hesitated.
“Go ahead.” Sam nodded. “He’s the best as you can see.”
James did as they said, giving Zipper all his tap hookups then watched for several quiet minutes as Zipper lined up the surveillance with his keyboard and some plugging into the USB ports.
