by Rae B. Lake
We all take our seats, and Vado jumps right into it.
“Ja, we have three pieces of business to discuss. First, Azriel, did Pooh get you that information on the twins we have holed up on the other side of the compound?”
“No, not yet, though I haven’t checked with him yet tonight. I’ll make sure to stop by his space and see what he has.”
“Good, I want to make sure they are who they say they are. They seem to know too much about our ways. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are part of an MC over in the states. I just want to know who’s sleeping under my roof.”
I nod, accepting this directive.
“Second, our brothers in the Maryland chapter have reached out to us about a potential business deal. It seems they are branching out into the porn business. They want to know if we have any girls we are willing to let go of.”
“Porn? Humph, why didn’t we think of that shit?” Garro, the club treasurer, says as he leans back against his chair.
“Well, right now, we don’t need it,” Lobo speaks up this time.
“Anyway, the VP, Mammoth, will come down here in a few days to see if any of the girls are a fit. Do you think we’ll have any takers?” Vado sits back and waits for an answer.
“Flora and Benita,” Digger says confidently.
“What? Why would you say that?” Lobo answers back, a bit annoyed. He is a little taken with Flora; they get together every once in a while, but they never seem to work. They have about the most toxic relationship I’ve ever seen. They cheat on each other constantly, just to one-up the other, and they are jealous people. They usually end up taking it out on each other physically. The one and only time I had ever seen Lobo hit a woman was when Flora charged him with a machete. Even as he smacked her down, he was full of remorse. They fucked for the rest of the night, just to make it up to each other.
Lucky for us, they decided to call it quits for good about six months ago. At least so I thought.
“Well, both of them are looking to go to the states, but they don’t want to get a nine to five. They were asking if I knew of any escort or porn businesses. I gave them a few escort companies I knew of, but if our brothers are going to be running a porn business, then maybe it’s better if they go there, where they can be protected.” Digger says, looking at Lobo, trying to gauge what the fallout is going to be. Either Lobo is over Flora, or he isn’t.
“Yeah, I guess.” Lobo nods his head a few more times before he lets out a breath and sits back, “Yeah, you’re right, that would be a great fit for those two. I’m sure Coca won’t have trouble finding girls to replace them over at Seda. Fuck, we can make this an ongoing thing depending on Gamble’s need.”
“Alright, I’ll speak to Coca and tell her to speak with the girls, make sure they want to go. Number three, we have a new visitor. A woman by the name of Cariña has requested sanctuary. She has given this as payment.” I reach in my pocket and pull out the small pouch I was given earlier and slide it over to Garro. He picks it up and drops the large jewel in his palm.
“Holy fuck! Is that real?” Digger asks, leaning over from his chair and staring at the jewel.
“That, we don’t know, though I hope she isn’t stupid enough to try to buy our help with fake diamonds. Garro, that’s for you to find out, though.”
“Yeah, Vado, I’ll make sure it’s good,” Garro says as he puts the diamond back into the little pouch and then into the small pocket on the inside of his cut.
“With that said, Azriel, we didn’t get much information from her. So see if Pooh can pull something up, find what she doesn’t want us to know. That’s the only way we can know what we are dealing with.”
“Ok, when I meet up with him about Vale and Storm, I’ll tell him to look around for information on Cariña.”
Vado looks around the room, “Any other business to attend to?”
There’s no answer. We all know what we have to do.
We have to make sure the sheep we let in are not the wolves we are trying to keep out.
After church closed, I made my way to Pooh’s space. Even though he isn’t a patched member, Pooh has one of the largest spaces in the entire complex, mostly because his IT equipment could probably fill a damn soccer field.
I check my phone and see it’s almost two in the morning. Most people sleep at this time, but not Pooh. He is usually up all hours of the night, says his brain never sleeps. His sleep apnea makes it hard for him to get a good night’s sleep anyway, so he might as well get some work done.
I knock once before I open the door and walk in. “Pooh, you better not be watching porn in here.” It’s dark and cool in the room, the only light coming from the many computer screens turned on.
“AZ, estamos jodios.” He shakes his head and reaches over to grab a sheet of paper from his desk, not even bothering to face me. His fingers continue typing furiously on his keyboard.
“What do you mean, how are we fucked? What did you find out?” I walk over to him and look over his shoulder. He has a few screens up, one I know from the layout is the screen for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fuck, I don’t know what he found, but if it led him to the FBI, we are fucked. “Pooh, what is this shit? Start talking now.”
“Azriel, I did some digging into the twins, as you asked. The base of their story checks out. The location they were born, and that they used to be in an MC Club called the Tears of Chaos. It’s also true that the club folded. What they didn’t tell us was another club picked them up. Ellos.” He pushes a picture over to me. It’s a group of men, a large clubhouse behind them, and their cuts are worn proudly. I squint to see what it says on their vests but can’t make it out.
“Who are they?”
“The Wings of Diablo. They are actually a strong outfit. Their President is this one right here,” Pooh points to the man in the middle of them, a sinister look on his face that not even the flash of a camera can erase. “They call him Wire.”
“Wire?” I scoff at the strange road name.
“Yeah, he used to be the enforcer or pain manager as they call it, for the club. Apparently, barbed wire was his weapon of choice.”
I cringe and put the photo down. Barbed wire? What the hell can you do with that shit?
“Ok, so you think these cabrones are here to gather intel to bring back to them?” My hand instinctively goes to my piece. I have to fist my hand to keep from pulling it out of the back of my jeans.
“At first, I did, but then I kept digging. Turns out, a member of the Bolivian Cartel kidnapped Vale and flipped him. He did some real damage to their unit too. His brother, Storm, stayed with the Wings and was even interim treasurer for a while. The Wings were able to track down Vale, but before they could pass down punishment, both Vale and Storm fled. They abandoned their patches and ran away like pussies.”
“Motherfuckers, I have no fucking sympathy for either of them.” Abandoning your patch is almost as bad as shooting your mother. It’s just something you don’t do.
“Hell, me neither. The Wings will find them, though, I’m sure of it. Their reach is far and wide. They have ties with the Croatian mob, the FBI, chapters in New Orleans, and Maine, not to mention their original chapter. They are allies with a few other MC’s, one of which is that all-female club that has been doing all that damage, Eve’s Fury. Finally, the kicker, they are cross over patched with the Spawns of Chaos.”
That last bit caught my undivided attention. The Spawns are a one percent club and deal with all the heavy and hard shit. They have been funneling drugs and strung out women down here for the longest time. We have tried to get them in our pocket so they would stop dealing to our competition, but so far, it hasn’t worked out. If we do the Wings a favor, though, maybe that would be the edge we need. It’s quite an interesting development.
“Get this Wire’s number. I think he’s going to want to know that we just sent the twins packing. They can pinpoint them from there.”
“Got it already, toma.” I take it and
shove it in my pocket. Now it’s off to get these traitorous bastards from under my roof. They don’t deserve to be comfortable with my brothers, not after they abandoned their own.
I take long strides to where I know Vado is. I don’t want him to go to sleep, and these fuckers be allowed another good night’s rest.
Lobo is on his way to his room, but he sees me rushing to get to Vado. “AZ, you need me?”
“Absolutely.” If I know Vado, these bastards will get their asses kicked before the night is up. I knock on the door to church, where I’m hoping Vado is still sitting.
“Come in.” Vado answers.
I open the door quickly and walk in, Lobo right on my tail. I start talking before I’m even in the room. “Vado, you were right. These fucks are from another club.”
He clenches his teeth and shuts his eyes before he slams his hand down on the table in front of him. “Coño, I knew it. Which one? Manos?” Vado asks, standing from the table.
“No, much further. They are part of a crew in the states. The Wings of Diablo. Vale flipped on them while Storm abandoned his patch. Pooh says they got people looking for them. The best part, the Wings are crossed over with the Spawns of Chaos.” I raise an eyebrow in his direction.
His eyes light up slightly as he gets the drift of what I’m trying to say. This could be the break that we need.
“You got the number?”
“Right here.” I pull the paper out of my pocket and hand it to him.
“We calling church again?” Lobo asks from the side.
“Nah, we can call this. Besides, I don’t know one brother in here that wants deserters under their roof. You know different?” Vado shoots Lobo a look with the question, but Lobo is quick to deny it. We both know that Vado is right about this.
Vado pulls out the phone and dials the number. It doesn’t even matter; it’s past two in the morning. He dials the number and puts the call on speaker. It rings a few times, and then the line picks up.
“Speak.” A man’s deep voice comes through the line.
“I’m looking for the President of the Wings of Diablo Motorcycle Club,” Vado says.
“Who the fuck is this?” The man says on the other side.
“Cálmese, this is Wire, no?
“Yeah, either speak your piece or get the fuck off my jack. Who the fuck is this?” The music playing in the background lowers, and we can hear Wire more clearly now. No doubt his team is closing in around him to see what their president is upset about.
“Bueno, I’m Malvado, the president of the Royal Bastards MC here in Ponce,” Vado speaks with authority and strength.
“Ponce, where the hell is that?” Wire asks, and another voice answers where he is. “Puerto Rico. Someone is calling you from Puerto Rico?”
“Yes, he’s right. I’m in Puerto Rico, and I have something I’m sure you want.”
“Hold on.” Wire says gruffly. I hear him call out church and some ruffling going on with the phone. I assume he is doing the same thing that Vado is here doing with us. He wants to keep his club informed. “Alright, the only reason I’m even entertaining this call is because you say you’re a brother. So make whatever you have to say quick and worth my time.”
“Of course, I believe you are looking for two members of your crew? They pussied up and ran, abandoning their patch.”
“Vale! That piece of shit! Did you take him on! Hold him there. I’m going to kill that fuck-” There is a scuffle, and the person who was just yelling is silenced.
“My bad, that was my enforcer, Ink. He has some unfinished business with Vale. Are you telling me they are now part of your crew?” Wire nearly growls through the phone. I can tell he’s doing his best to stay calm. Whatever these twins did to them must have really cut them deep.
“No, they came to me for sanctuary. They had the money, so we took them on. Of course, that’s until we found out they’re traitors. We don’t want them in our house, and before this night is done, they will feel my fist against their faces. I guarantee you that. I can’t allow them to stay here any longer, so the option of holding them until you come is off the table.” Vado moves forward in his chair. Now he’s getting to what we want. As closed off as the man can be, sometimes it’s amazing just to watch him work. The man is a calculating machine. He knows he has something the Wings want, and now it’s time to get paid.
“I respect that. I don’t want them in mine either.” Wire replies, the gruff animosity that laced his tone seconds ago gone.
“I can offer you intel on their location for the next couple of days, at least until they leave the island.” Vado looks up at Lobo. Vado is a very solitary leader, but he knows when it comes to making club decisions, it’s best to have someone backing you up. Lobo nods his head in agreement.
“How will you be able to do that?” Another voice questions.
“Who are you?” Vado barks back.
“My fault, I’m Clean. The information manager for the club and the VP.” The man answers, and Wire speaks when he’s done. “I know this isn’t customary, but we have been searching for those two for a long time. To get a call like this out of the blue has taken all my people by surprise. We mean no disrespect.”
“Entiendo, I know I would feel the same. Like I was saying, we can give you intel until they leave the island. I have more than a few street soldiers who will keep close tabs on them for me and get you the information. I assure you the information will be valid and up to date. Of course, when they leave the island, there is nothing more that we can do.” Vado offers.
“What do you want in return?” Wire asks quickly.
“Nothing much. We need you to put in a good word with the Spawns. I know you are cross patched with them.”
“What kind of good word?”
“They supply out here. We don’t want any of the hardcore shit to ourselves, but if they agreed to supply only us with Blue Bunny, we would buy equal, if not more than what they would be selling to the island by splitting it up. I’ve tried to reach out to Rooster a few times, but we don’t always see eye to eye.” Vado explained.
“Blue Bunny is their business, so I can’t guarantee me asking will get the response you want.” Wire says.
“Of course, I understand that, but it’s worth a shot.”
“Ok, What else?”
“Nada mas. Just as a heads up, I’m going to have to make an example out of them. We don’t tolerate deserters here.”
There is a long pause on the line. Maybe Wire is having second thoughts. “Make the pain last.” When he speaks again, the gruff sound to his voice is back.
“You got it, brother. I’ll make sure my people keep in contact with you regarding their whereabouts. Good to know you.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you too. Who knows, maybe one day we come out to visit. My family needs a vacation.”
A slight smile appears on Vado’s face, “Ah pues, Puerto Rico is paradise. Come see for yourself. Our door is open.”
“We’ll see. Thanks for the heads up. Talk to you soon.” Wire says, and they both hang up the phone. Only time will tell if it has the effect we want.
“Bastardos!” Vado calls out loud. Both Lobo and I are on his tail. This is the right decision. Not that Vado has to prove himself to anyone, but sometimes the guys are a little harder on him than usual. They're always waiting for him to crack under the pressure of being put in this position instead of earning it.
Doors slide open around the compound, and those here come out to see what’s going on. It seems like this is the night that will never end.
“You need me?” Oro speaks from the prospect room right by the main entrance.
“Yeah, I need you to get in touch with Vicente and tell him that his goons have work,” Vado speaks clearly. Oro nods and goes to do what he was asked.
“What’s the word, Vado,” Digger asks, pulling a t-shirt over his head.
“We got a beat down to deliver, Azriel, fill them in.”
I step forw
ard and tell the boys exactly what went down. By the time I get to the middle of the story, I can see the anger in their faces. They are ready to beat the hell out of them.
“Vado spoke with Wire to see if we can get a good word with the Spawns. No guarantees, though. Either way, they know we’re about to teach those boys a lesson.”
“Fuck, yes!”
“Let’s go! Vamos!”
“Pussy motherfuckers.”
The entire room erupts with hostility. It’s been a while since we had a legit beatdown. This is going to be fun. “Alright, boys, let’s get this done,” Vado says and starts walking to the back where we have them set up in one of the rooms, the same way I have Cariña set up in Garro’s room. She hasn’t made a peep since I left her. Part of me wonders if she is ok, but not enough for me to stop what I’m doing now. The crew rushes around and grabs bats and knives, some pulling out iron knuckles and even a few guns. It doesn’t seem like Vado will say anything about it, but then again, he could be in his own little world.
I take a few steps in front of the growing mob. “Boys, I respect the enthusiasm,” I smirk and point to the various weapons in their hands. “But we aren’t here to kill them, just to teach them a little lesson. They still need to be able to get the fuck out of here tonight. I doubt Wire and his boys will hold up their end of the deal if we kill them for him.” I say, trying to appeal to their nature.
As the Sgt. at Arms, it’s my job to make sure we do shit right, even though everything in me is down to snatch the life out of these fucks. There are rules to follow. “Yeah, we want to keep the wings friendly, no?” Lobo leans over and looks at Vado for further affirmation. Vado nods at him, “Put the weapons down, boys. Let’s not kill them, no matter how much we want to.” I fall back into line.
