Chapter 12
“Tell me again what happened?” Petra asked around nine Sunday morning, and listened intently when Paul explained what had happened in the bar a few days prior. “And Warren wants to come here for...” she let the sentence trail off as she looked at him with a lifted brow.
“He said he wanted to get to know both of us. Sally’s coming with him, and he wants to meet you, knowing that you are also ATF, and will have Sally’s back if and when needed.”
“Got it, and just how much are we going to reveal about our operation?”
“I’d like to tell them almost all of our plans.”
“Why?”
“Say something comes down from what happened at Last Chance with the kid. Who from the locals will have our backs? If Warren knows about our plans, then I’m hoping he can actually help us when push comes to shove.
Maybe he can tell us if any local cops, either at the town, county, or state level, are on the take, who can we trust, we can’t be too sure of who would have our back, can we?
” Paul studied her and frowned when he saw her expression.
“Talk to me, Petra, what has you worried?”
“What if Sally thinks I only applied to get to know the locals? What if she thinks I’m using her for my ATF job?”
“Are you?” he asked bluntly.
“No, I really wanted to work outside the house. We both discussed this, and I didn’t want to be locked into the same ole, same ole.
I believe being a waitress at the local diner will give me, or rather, us, the perfect opportunity to learn of things happening in the neighborhood.
” She shook her head sadly, then released a pent up breath.
“Besides, I didn’t want the locals to wonder where we get our money from if neither of us work outside the home.
Granted, it’s none of their business, and you’ll have the bike shop, but still, I don’t want to bring unwanted attention to us.
It’s bad enough that we have our bank accounts in the next town over. ”
“Then tell her that if she questions your intentions for working for her. I’ve always felt that honesty is the best policy, when it helps us.
I will be honest in telling anyone, meaning Warren, Sally, and the other men when they arrive what we are about.
Other than them I feel that the locals don’t need to know.
I’m hoping Warren will be our go between with us and local law enforcement. ”
“Let’s hope so, and maybe they, both Sally and Warren can give us some insight as to who to trust, or who not to.
” Petra refilled their coffee cups with a nod.
“Also, who the bad people in the area are. Which club to watch out for. The guy that attacked me, or rather, tried to attack me runs with a club called Iron Men. I have the computer working downstairs and a file started.”
“Yeah, I had a run in with someone at Warren’s bar,” Paul admitted and told her what had happened.
By the time they cleaned up from their breakfast, they were outside working on the yard when they paused to look up and see two motorcycles pull into their drive.
They had heard them coming before they saw them.
With time to put their hand tools away, Petra and Paul stood as a united front as the two bikers rode in, and Paul only pointed to the area where his own motorcycle was parked.
They waited until the new arrivals shut everything down. It was Sally who spoke first.
“What an absolutely beautiful place,” she said as she looked at Petra.
“Thank you,” Petra nodded, then pointed to Paul. “It’s his place and he rented it out for a few years. The tenants moved out a few weeks back, and because of what we’re going to be doing, we moved our base of operations here.”
By the time she was done talking, both riders had dismounted and walked forward. Paul invited them into the house, and Petra hurried around to get the coffee or cold drinks, along with some snacks. They all settled at the kitchen table, and Warran was the first to speak.
“What exactly is your operation?”
Both Paul and Petra told them about their undercover work and how they helped take down the Devil’s Scorpions, and the roles they played in the club. Along with the other men that would be joining them shortly.
“Why aren’t they here now?” Sally asked.
“We felt it was best for them to go to their home state and clean up any unfinished business they may have. Personally, I had something to take care of, and I was able to complete that before getting Petra on board to come here for this operation.”
“Why here?” Warren asked.
“Our sources say that there are at least fifteen different biker clubs in the surrounding area, at least in a hundred mile radius, that are either already classified as one percenters, or are trying to make a name for themselves. We’re starting our club here to take them out.
It won’t be overnight, but we are in it for the long haul. ”
“What qualifications do you have?” Warren demanded. “What makes you better than the police that have been trying to take them down for decades?”
Paul grinned, leaned up on his hip and withdrew the wallet he had shown him a couple of days prior.
Petra did the same thing. “These are our shields. I am double certified for ATF and DEA. Petra is ATF. The rest of our club members will be either ATF, DEA, or like me, both. When we’re ready to start taking people out, all we have to do is call our bosses in Washington and tell them that we need things. ”
“Like?” Sally asked as she handed the shields back.
“Drugs or weapons. As I said, we’ll have to get established first, but once the first dozen men arrive, enough for them to be officers in our club, then we’ll start by having dice runs, pig roasts, poker runs, any type of event that would bring in a big batch of bikers.
We’ll have different stops on some of these runs, and Warren, I would like to use your bar.
We can eventually put feelers out for these one percenters to come to us if they want to purchase large quantities of drugs or guns.
” He shrugged with a grin. “Who cares if a phone call is made a few days later, after the sale is made, and the product picked up, that a raid is done on these particular buyers.”
“Ah, I get it, and you’ll spread it out enough that people won’t suspect it’s you?”
“Yes, or at least that’s our plan for now.
However, right now we’re waiting for others to arrive.
Since the factory closed, and people moving out of the area to find work elsewhere, our bosses have been slowly buying up the empty houses in the area.
Our men will move into them, and I’m starting a motorcycle repair shop out back here.
They will work here, and eventually, it will be a lucrative business.
We’ll just be doing the set ups once we’re established. ”
“Damn,” Warren said with a respectful nod. “I never would have thought of something like that. Do you have a club name yet?”
“Yes, we’re going to go by Tainted Shield Motorcycle Club.
We all carry shields, but they are just a little tainted around the edges.
I’ve done some things in my life I’m not proud of, and I’ve made amends for them.
That’s why the guys are going home to do what they have to settle any amends they have to make, talk to family, because there’s no telling how long this operation will last.”
“Will your bosses in Washington be coming here?” Sally asked in concern.
“No. During my debriefing from the Devil’s Scorpions aftermath, I told them about my plan to form Tainted Shield. Oh, if anyone comes to town, anyone, looking for a Peter Randall, contact me or Petra immediately.”
“Why?”
“That was my name while I was undercover. My legal name is Paul Rankin.”
“Ah, I understand,” Warren said and looked at Petra. “What was your name while you were undercover?”
“Patty Tomlin. Legally, I’m Petra Thomas. Our bosses wanted to keep our undercover names as close to our real ones so it wouldn’t raise any flags if we didn’t answer when someone called us.”
“I understand.”
“For your question about the brass coming here, the answer is no. I informed them what I had planned, and that they only had to answer my call.” Paul shook his head and gave them a wry smile.
“I might have been a little pissed when I told them they had no say in what I was going to do. When they tried to say that I had to follow the company’s rules, I actually laughed in their face.
I told them that they were only paper pushers in Washington, DC, and that they weren’t in the trenches.
I was literally sitting in their office in DC when I told them this.
They didn’t see what we did, they didn’t walk the walk, or talk the talk on how to be a biker.
When I laid out how I would be taking them down, yes, we will be setting them up, but if we do it correctly, then they can’t scream entrapment at the top of their lungs.
I told Flynn and Kessler that we would contact them when we needed to make a sale, then call them once it was done and where to go to make the raid. ”
“Are you thinking that if the raid is a couple of days later, and miles away, then it won’t blow back on you?”
“Yes, that’s what we’re hoping.” Paul turned to Petra and when she nodded, he turned back to Warren and Sally. “We’re hoping with our computer equipment and government programs, we can find people with outstanding warrants, so it won’t look like the club is targeting them.”
“Ah, I can see that. If they have a warrant, let alone a federal one against them, then they are already in the system and tagged for being bad.”