Chapter 33
“Well, now I’m not sure. I can tell you the rumblings about a new MC are true. Odin Steele can give you more information since we’re still figuring it out. We are currently in LA. Long story, you’ll get it when we get back, but the Dragons are trying to join forces with a MC that’s got a national reputation, or building one, for taking out rival MCs to take over areas. We know them as the Golden Fangs, and they are deadly. They took out the Red Dragons in NY, so San Diego is trying to be preemptive and join forces with them to stay alive.”
Viper listened as Pratt informed her brother of what they knew so far. There were too many moving parts that made little sense to him. He looked over at Jacko, who had the same expression on his face that he did.
“Dom, it’s Jacko…”
“Hey man! You’re in LA too?”
“Yeah, like your sister said, long story. Are you guys positive it’s the Black Moon he’s associated with? Even with them in jail, any rumblings should have sent red flags up the chain. Their mail, visits and phone calls were being monitored heavily because of certain rumblings before Showalter sent their boss to prison. They don’t have enough manpower much less brains amongst themselves to have someone on the inside.”
“Jacko is right.” Showalter agreed, nodding over at Jacko. “While the Black Moon has years together, most of their people are in jail or dead. I was only with their prez a couple of months before he found out laying a hand on me was a painful reaction. He thought to get with me because I worked in the jails back then, but that was it. He didn’t even know my connection to Odin.”
“Jetson has to be connected to a different MC. Even from my knowledge, the Black Moon hasn’t had a strong foothold in the MC community for a while. They make appearances and try different things now and then, but back out because they get beat at their own bullshit. Too many people know who they were and how they were.” Viper spoke up, stepping forward.
“I agree.” Jacko replied, getting nods from the rest of the group of Red Scorpions in the room.
“So, what’s the game plan?” Diesel asked, looking around the room.
“We need to find out who Jetson and Sampson were with. We need to get a meeting with Raven’s parents and find out about this other girl she was with. I do not want anyone making an appearance in the club until we know what the hell we have going on. Is that clear?” Captain Irby decided for the group. “My team is to come home, all of you in one piece. I get you may have a few dings here and there, but you better come home on your own two damn feet! That’s an order ladies!”
Once Captain Irby disconnected from the video chat, the four teams discussed their options. Diesel pulled out her phone once everyone quieted down and contacted Nadia to set up a meeting with Raven’s parents.
“Hello?”
“Hi Nadia! It’s Cheryl. How are you?” Diesel replied softly into the phone.
“Ah, Cheryl! How are you? Have you made it to Los Angeles yet?”
“Yes. I’m here with my team now. I need to set up a meeting with Raven’s adoptive parents to find out more information about her disappearance and the girl she went missing with. Can you set that up for me?”
“Yes, I am with them now. They say that is fine and can meet with you tomorrow morning. Is that doable?”
“Yes. Thank you. Have them get a recent photo available and if they know anything about the other girl or have a photo of her, I will need that too. I would like to have a meeting with the other girl’s parents set up for my team sgt if possible.”
“Oh, she didn’t have parents. She was staying in a group home.” Nadia answered right away. “I can set up a meeting with the group home for your sgt. tomorrow once you’re done with Raven’s parents.”
“She was living in a group home?” Sgt. Brocard asked, interrupting the conversation. “Ma’am, I’m Sgt. Helen Brocard. What was the girl’s name she went missing with?”
“Her best friend’s name was Katrina Barlow. She started going to the same high school as Raven about two years ago when she was taken from her mother, who is in prison for killing Katrina’s father.”
“Drug related or domestic?” Sgt. Brocard asked, looking over at Diesel with a tilt in her head.
“Neither…well for the mother, she was a druggie and a prostitute. That’s all I know. I think the director of the home will have her file and can give you guys more insight on that than I can.”
“Thank you, Nadia. I will see you in the morning and I’ll have Sgt. Brocard with me. We can go to the group home from Raven’s parents and talk to them,” Diesel decided, keeping eye contact with Brocard.
“See you in the morning.”
When Diesel disconnected the call, she looked over at Oz who held up a finger telling the two women to hold on for a minute. “She seemed off guard when you asked about the other girl.” Sgt. Brocard mentioned, sitting back down and leaning back in her seat.
“You caught that too?” Diesel asked, running her hand over her face.
“What is it, babe?” Viper asked, looking between the two women.
“Nadia seemed off. I don’t know why. She knew I wanted to see Raven’s adoptive parents since before we got out here. She was there with them now. We’ve been back here twenty-four hours, and she waited for me to contact her to request the meeting. Yet, when I asked about the other girl, Katrina’s parents, she got silent for a minute, like it was a surprise I’d want to know about that girl. Nadia’s been a cop for well over twenty years. Something’s off with her.”
“You don’t think Krieger or Symon found out about her involvement with the underground thing and is using that against her to get to you, do you?” Pratt brought up a question running through both Diesel and Viper’s mind.
“Oz, I know you have several fires burning right now, do you think…” Diesel had asked, then stopped when Oz winked at her.
“Already on it. Now, I found it weird she didn’t give you the address for you to meet them yet said she would meet with you and the parent’s tomorrow morning. Text her to ask her where to meet, see if you guys can meet at the parent’s home.”
“She just sent me the address.” Diesel said, when her phone vibrated before Diesel could send the text.
Showing the text message to Oz, she waited as he inputted the address into his computer. Something was really bugging her about the whole thing. She’d talked to Nadia several times through the years and things have always seemed good. Could Nadia be worried about how she would react to Raven’s disappearance? Afraid she was angry at everyone?
“This is interesting.” Oz mumbled as he looked at an image on the screen of a house in a housing development.
“What is it?” Diesel asked, her nerves getting the best of her.
Instead of answering, Oz pulled up what he saw on Google Earth for everyone to see. Once it had been pulled up, several mutterings of ‘fuck’ sounded through the room.
“Oz, check into Nadia…the full workup. Houston…Kermit, I want you two to head out to that location. Recon only. I want to know who goes in and who goes out. Anything you can see,” Viper ordered. “Are you guys still bringing in this Toi and Angel?”
“Yep. They can go in. They are unknown to everyone. Red, who are you calling now?” Diesel asked when Pratt pulled out her phone.
“Dom has already made a call after the text I sent him myself because even to me, this Nadia woman seemed off. Oz, Dom just sent me a text saying that there will be someone named Gunner reaching out to you. Said he knew who you were from Afghanistan.”
“Yeah, he’s even better than me on the dark web. Has his own company already and is a mad hatter if you will. I’ll gladly work with him on this. Thank you.”
“Captain Irby says that Toi and Angel have agreed to work with us and will be here first thing in the morning.” Sgt. Brocard advised everyone. “With Nadia being off, I want everyone on their toes. Diez, turn your phone off. We don’t know if they had anyone tracing your cell. I don’t think so, but I don’t want to take any chances. Boys, be on your toes.”
“I agree, Sgt. Brocard. Goat, I need you and Cowboy on sentry tonight. Hercules, you and Texas go with the team tonight to do recon at the club with whoever goes in tonight. Highlander, can you get any of your guys up to help with anything regarding recon work?” Viper ordered his guys before turning to Highlander.
“Already requested. Mac, Doc, Snake, and Speedy will be here in the morning. They will meet up with Toi, Angel and Dom in the morning to all ride up this way together.” Highlander informed the group.
“Wait, Dom is coming up?” Pratt smirked over at her husband. “Please tell me we didn’t tell him about Angel going undercover?”
“He was at the bar crashing Angel’s date when the captain called her to request her presence here. He kind of invited himself.” Sgt. Brocard informed Pratt with a smirk of her own.
Pratt clapped her hands together, rubbing them with glee as she gave an evil laugh. “Oh, this shit is going to be so much fun! Showalter, you got to pick Angel to smooch if we can get you in!”
“Lass, ye are way too evil and enjoying it. Stop being mean to your brother!” Highlander ordered his wife, shaking his head as he laughed.
“Nope! Payback is a bitch, and it’s me. I’m that bitch, along with Angel!”
“Ok, I’ve connected with Gunner. We both have searches regarding Nadia, Katrina Barlow, Jetson Harrell and Sampson running. We have alarms on everything, and we’re also checking their financials and their communications. I’m hoping, between the two of us, we have something before the meeting in the morning, so you’re not walking into a trap.” Oz informed Diesel as he continued to type away.
“Thank you. I honestly don’t want to think she’s involved in this. I’m praying it’s more she’s being forced, or she’s worried I’m going to be angry that something happened to Raven. But all those motorcycles have me worried.” Diesel admitted, trying to be positive when her initial reaction is to be angry.
“Ok, let’s do this. The crew coming in from San Diego should be here by nine am. That should give Oz and Gunner time to do their computer wizardry, the club to do their recon for tonight, and Viper’s guys to do their recon at the house. Let’s plan on everyone meeting here at nine am and go over what they find before Diesel, Raso and myself head to the address Nadia gave us.” Sgt. Brocard suggested to the group, looking around at everyone.
“Works for me!” everyone said as she looked around at them.