by KJ Dahlen
Bastian took it all in within seconds, his eyes recording the facts. Then his eyes began to search the room for signs of Sawyer, but all he could see where dark red stains. He knew what those stains were but he wouldn’t admit it to himself.
Flipping on the lights, his eyes surveyed the room again. He went over to the bed and saw the red stains on the sheets. It wasn’t a lot of blood but he knew it was Sawyer’s blood. Smoothing his hand over the pillow, he knew she had laid her head on just a few hours before he felt a crinkle of paper. Lifting the pillow, he found a note to Calico.
Skimming the note, he got to his feet. Without another thought, he left the room and strode angrily down the hall. Everyone was gathering in the main hall when Bastian got there. He moved straight through to where Calico, Jolene and Jordan were standing.
He pushed the note into Calico’s chest and growled, “They got her. They took her from right under our noses. They may have started this war but I’m going to finish it. I’m going to destroy the Barrone Cartel and wipe out anyone who claims title to the name.”
“Whoa son, hang on there a minute,” Pappy called out as he came through the front door. He and the others came in the room. Pappy, Dewey and several of the others came over to where Bastian was standing with Calico. “What’s going on here?”
“Tomas and Enrique’s father and brother came to find them. Apparently, Enrique called them to tell them he found Calico and they want their pound of flesh for Jose’s death. They don’t know yet about Tomas and Enrique. They got in here and took Sawyer. Her room is a mess and there’s blood on the bed. She must have put up a struggle.”
“How the hell did they get in here?” Dewey asked.
“The window at the back of the hall was open when I went to the room,” Bastian told them.
“You found her once,” Jolene cried out. “Can you find her again?”
“Maybe. Last time I had a little help. I don’t know if she’s still wearing the pendant or not.”
Pappy snapped his head around to glare at Bastian. “The pendant had a homing device in it?”
Bastian nodded. “I just couldn’t let her go. I hoped she would keep the pendant on, so I would always know where she was. It was the only way I could protect her if she ever got in trouble.”
“It was a good thing.” Calico slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s hope she still has it on.”
Bastian didn’t feel glad about anything. His future was now in peril. His woman and his baby. He just got her back from the clutches of death. He stood still and tried to get a hold of his rage. He needed to be The Priest right now. He thought he’d buried that persona, but apparently, it cannot be done.
Jim rummaged through his go bag and brought out a scanner. Attaching it to his computer, he typed in the link he would need to show the scanner results on his screen. With his mouse, he was able to scan the whole town and nearby places. Everyone waited with bated breath, as Jim scanned the city with no red dot showing anywhere.
He turned his head to catch Bastian’s eye and began shaking his head when the corner of his eye caught sight of the red dot. “I think I found her.”
“Where is she?” Bastian asked his friend.
“She’s at an address on West Juniper Avenue.”
“That jives with what I was able to find out,” Trudy told them. “I had some of my friends checking out the new arrivals in town. One of my friends just called me and said there were about twenty men staying at an abandoned motel on West Juniper. It’s in a not so great a neighborhood but he said he didn’t think anyone would bother them. They have men with guns walking the perimeter. No one around here is dumb enough to want a cut of that action.”
Jim got to his feet. “Let me go in and see if I can find her. If she’s there, I’ll let you know and you can come in and get her.”
“You aren’t going alone,” Pappy informed him. “You can take a few men with you.”
Jim looked at him and knew better than to argue. “They can come but they have to stay out of my way. I’ve been doing recon for most of my adult life, so I do know what I’m doing.”
“Granted, you are good but you can’t watch your own back. My men can watch your back while you get the Intel we need to go in and get our girl.”
“My girl.” Bastian growled.
Pappy raised an eyebrow at Bastian’s growl but he bowed his head. “Your girl.”
Bastian turned to Jim. “Find her and report her position. We’ll come in under the cover of darkness.”
Dewey glanced over at Pappy for a moment then looked at Bastian. “This is gonna be a take no prisoners deal isn’t it?”
“Yup. None of these bastards are gonna make it back to Mexico.”
Dewey cracked a smile. “That’s all I needed to know.”
“When we go in there, I’ve got something to say to Maximillian and Paco Barrone,” Calico stated.
Jim gathered his tools while five other men checked their weapons. Among them were Dewey, Caine and Big Mike. Pappy was staying behind to secure the compound. Reaper was going in with Calico and Bastian.
Before they left, Bastian told his friend, “Keep her safe for me. As soon as you tell me she’s there, I’ll be there. God speed my friend.”
Jim grinned. “And to you. I had hoped the Priest would be able to die a quiet death but as long as there is a need, you will remain alive.”
“But this time, he does it to protect the woman he loves, not because he’s getting paid.”
“I guess there is a difference.”
“The reward is much better,” Bastian replied.
“Then let’s go get your woman.”
Jim and the men at his back moved into view of the hotel in silence. When they were close enough, Jim indicated he was going up higher into the tree. One by one, the other men melted into the background to keep them all safe.
Jim settled in the branches of the tree. Putting the mic in his ear, he began relaying intel to his team on the ground and back at the compound. “I see men roaming the exterior of the hotel as well as the roof. I’ve got seven men on the ground and three on the roof. All are armed.”
“We can take the ones on the roof.” Dewey whispered. “I’m taking Jon with me.”
Caine’s voice came over the line, “I’ve got two in my sights.”
“Just take them out of action.” Bastian instructed. “Don’t kill them yet. I want them to know the reason they’re going to die tonight.”
Jim ground his teeth when he heard Bastian’s orders. He knew the man well. He also knew that to not take the men out could be trouble. Closing his eyes, he tried to talk to his friend, “Bastian, we need to do this…”
“Don’t kill them yet.” Bastian’s voice came over the line harshly. “I don’t want Barrone to know we’re there yet. He needs to learn a lesson and I’m going to give him that lesson.”
Jim took a deep breath and opening his eyes again, he continued to give his intel. He did encourage him to hold onto the Priest, so now what could he say? Looking into the inferred scanner and pointing the device at the three floor hotel he said, “Okay, I have three men in a room on the top floor. There are also three others in the next room over. One is in the bed, another is sitting on the floor, and there’s one at the door.” Moving the scanner over, he continued. Across the hall, there are three more. One is sitting, another is pacing back and forth, and the third is sitting on the bed.”
“What about the other men?” Dewey asked into the comm. “We’re still missing some men. We had a report of twenty men, with the two Barrone’s.”
“Okay, I can see five more men on the second floor,” Jim reported. “I see them in a room just under the one on the third floor.” Checking and rechecking the scanner, he finally found the remaining men. “I see three more on the stairs between floors two and three.”
Slowly, Jim watched as the men at his back brought the ten men down who were standing guard. When the last man went down on the perimeter, Jim notif
ied Bastian, “Ten down on the perimeter. Moving in for the men on the second floor.”
He gave the men moving in those directions and they moved swiftly to complete the tasks they had to, before Bastian and the others got there. Jim heard Bastian’s cold voice on the line. “We’re leaving here now. We’ll see you in a few minutes. Hold things until I get there.”
Sawyer lifted her head and tried to hide her pain. Her jaw felt on fire and she could taste blood in her mouth. The teeth on her left side ached. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was sitting in a chair. She searched the room she’d been taken too. It was an abandoned hotel on the wrong side of town.
The room itself was part of what was once a suite. It was a larger room with a TV, a king size bed in one corner, a sofa and three chairs in the other side. A busted up coffee table sat between the sofa and the chairs. Wallpaper hung in sheets, peeling from the walls and the entire room looked dirty and dusty. The air was thick with a musty smell.
There was an older man sitting on the bed glaring at her. Another man was pacing back and forth between where she sat and the door that was barely hanging on its frame that led to the hall beyond. Checking out the men, she could tell they were related to Tomas and Enrique Barrone. She sighed but didn’t say anything.
“So, you are finally awake,” the older man commented as he got to his feet and came closer to her. He grabbed her hair and wrenched her face up. He snarled. “Do you know who I am puta?”
Sawyer wanted to shake her head but he held her hair too tightly. She tried to wet her lips with her tongue but she had no saliva. Instead, she shook her head as far as she could within his grasp.
The older man bent down to her and she felt his hot breath on her cheek. “My name is Maximillian Barrone and this is my son Paco. Do those names mean anything to you?”
Sawyer’s eyes widened but she still couldn’t speak. Her throat was dry but her heart raced with fear.
“I can see that they do indeed mean something to you.” Max growled as he tightened his hold on her. “I came here looking for my sons, Tomas and Enrique. They told me they found the man responsible for the death of yet another son. After ten very long years, I was looking forward to taking my revenge on this man.”
Sawyer watched as Max’s eyes went from her face to her hair. The fear inside her upped a notch when he took in her multicolored locks.
“This man has brought nothing but trouble to my family,” he went on. “He killed one of my sons, put another in prison for the rest of his life, and wounded a third son. My hatred has had ten very long years to fester and now I see retribution at hand.” Maximillian threw back his head and laughed out loud. “I may not have him here right now, but I know he will be here soon.”
“What makes you think so?” Sawyer croaked out. Her voice was barely a broken whisper but it was loud enough for Maximillian to hear her question.
He leaned in closer. “I have his daughter and I know his most valued secret.”
“What secret?”
“I also have his son,” Maximillian told her.
Sawyer tried to shake her head. “My father doesn’t have a son.”
“Oh, my dear.” Maximillian shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, would you like to meet him? I can assure you he is Calico’s bastard. You do indeed have a brother. Of course, he’s younger than you but I assure you he is Calico’s son.”
Maximillian glanced over his shoulder and nodded to the door. His son left the room but returned a moment later with a struggling boy. He threw the kid down on the floor and when Sawyer saw his hair, she knew.
The boy, he couldn’t have been more than fourteen years old looked up at her. His eyes widened when he saw her, then he turned to the two men and glared. “What the hell is this anyway?” he asked bravely. His shoulders shook slightly as he struggled to be brave.
Paco reared back and silenced him with a kick to his ribs. The boy groaned and clutched his belly. “Shut the fuck up until you’re spoken to.” Paco sneered.
Sawyer strained in her chair. “You don’t have to hurt him,” she stated. Her voice wasn’t loud but they both heard her.
Paco raised his hand and slapped her face. The chair held but tipped to one side before slamming back down on the floor. Her eyes flashed fire at him but she didn’t say a word. She could feel a trickle of blood roll down from the corner of her mouth.
Maximillian chuckled as he stared down at the two children. “I’ve waited well over ten years for this. We will wait for your father to get here and then I will have my revenge.” He went back over to the bed and sat down.
Paco went over to the window, looking down over the dooryard and began searching the shadows.
Sawyer gazed down at the young boy sitting at her feet. “What is your name?”
The boy glared at Maximillian for a moment then turned to her. Frowning at her for a moment his eyes went to her hair. “My name is Caiden. What’s yours?”
“Sawyer,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know about you.”
Caiden shrugged. “I’m not. My dad has never been part of my life. I wouldn’t know him if I passed him on the street.”
Sawyer snorted softly. “Oh, you’d know him. I guarantee you’d know him.”
“What makes you think so?”
Sawyer nodded at his head. “You and I share his hair color.”
Caiden rolled his eyes. “I may share his hair color but that’s all I know of him.” He leaned his head on his knees. “My mom fell in love with him a long time ago. When she found out about me, she wanted to get married before I was born.” Sneering he told her, “Calico told her then that he couldn’t marry her as he was married already. He broke her heart and she kicked him out of our lives. He never came back as far as I know.”
Sawyer closed her eyes at thought of her father’s betrayal. “How old are you?”
“I’m fourteen.”
Sawyer swallowed hard. “My parents were separated at that time. There was a dangerous situation going on and my mom made him leave. She asked him for a divorce but he never did it.”
“I don’t care what was going on in his life.” Caiden glared. “He still broke her heart and left me behind. I’ve never met the man.” He paused then looked away and whispered, “My mom still cries sometimes at night. I know she looks at me and still sees him.” He shook his head. “I thought maybe she finally moved on when she met Slammer. They’ve been together for a while now and I thought she was finally happy again.”
Sawyer’s heart broke at the words. She could remember her own mother doing the same thing. “Where is your mother?” she whispered.
Caiden snarled. “They brought her here too. She was in another room with me until he brought me in here.” He swallowed hard and turned tear filled eyes to her. “They beat the hell out of her when she tried to prevent them from taking me. They ended up taking her too.”
Sawyer closed her eyes slowly. “I’m sorry.”
Caiden shrugged. “Not your fault. Not my fault either. This is on your father. This is his mess.”
Sawyer shook her head. “I’m sorry they hurt your mom. I’m sorry they took you from your home and brought you here.”
Caiden shrugged. “The only god thing is now I get to meet the man who broke my mom’s heart and if things go my way, I’ll finally be able to bust him up a little bit.”
Sawyer quietly snorted. She knew what he was feeling but the thought of this young boy busting her father up was laughable. He was a big man and deadly too, when he had to be. She’d wanted to do the same thing several times in her life, so she knew his rage.
An hour later, Jim began sending pictures back to the compound. They had located in all twenty five people. Twenty two were well armed and the other three looked to be prisoners. The only problem was they couldn’t tell which of those three was Sawyer. Who the other two were they had no idea.
Through texts, Bastian told them, he and the others were on their way. Jim told them they would meet t
hem at the gas station over a mile away. They needed to plan their mission before they went in to rescue the girl and whoever else was there.
Jim and three of the men with him melted into the shadows, leaving two men watching the hotel. Twenty minutes later, Bastian and the others pulled into the parking lot of the abandoned gas station. Reaper, Calico, Gage and Michael were on their bikes Bastian drove his vehicle in case Sawyer was hurt.
Jim also had his car, but Dewey, Caine, Big Mike and Jon were sitting on their bikes waiting for the others to show.
Before they could get their motors shut down, six more bikes roared into the parking lot. They were all big men and they circled the others for five minutes before they finally stopped their bikes. Each of them was spaced out around the entire group and they all glared at Calico.
For a long moment, no one said a word.
Bastian slowly got out of his vehicle and joined the others. The six new men wore the colors of a different MC. Their cuts proclaimed they were members of the Saints and Sinners MC. The name of the town on their cuts said Cambridge, MA.
Bastian stared at them for a moment then asked, “What the hell do you want?”
One man turned his head to glare at Bastian. “We came here for my woman and her kid. They were taken from their home by force three days ago.” He turned his head to glare at Calico. “Since when do you deal with the Mexican cartel old man?”
Calico stiffened his stance and frowned. “Do I know you?”
The other man snorted. “Not yet, but I know you old man.”
Bastian looked from Calico to the other man and back to Calico. He turned to face the other bikers and asked, “I don’t know why you came here but you need to leave. We’re about to go up against those same cartel men and I don’t need any distractions.”
The man got off his bike and strode forward. He came to a stance in front of Bastian. “If you’re going up against the men that took my woman we’re going with you.”
Bastian shook his head. “No you’re not. I don’t want—”
