Chapter 19
Two weeks later, Petra looked up from weeding the flower beds, sat back on her heels and frowned.
She pulled her phone from her back pocket and sent a text to Paul, who was out in the shop.
By the time Paul joined her, she had rose from her position, dusted off her pants, and they both watched as the two motorcycles moved slowly down the driveway, followed by a pick-up truck.
“Who’s that?” Paul asked as he studied the new arrivals.
“No clue, that’s why I called you. Is it your guy? Gator?”
“No, he still has thirty days before he’s due to arrive. Shit,” he said as he got a look at one of the guys that removed his helmet. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that Flynn on the bike, and Kessler in the truck?”
“Shit, I think it is. What are they doing here?”
“No clue,” Paul said and remained beside Petra, letting them come to him.
“Rankin,” Kessler said as he climbed out of the truck, and walked over to him. He stuck his hand out and shook his head. “Did you know that you are out in West Bum Fuck Nowhere, Iowa?”
“Yep,” Paul laughed as they shook hands, then he shook Flynn’s.
“This is Special Agent Jerry Cassidy, from the Des Moines office. We thought it would be better to come out here with him to introduce you guys.”
They shook hands and the agent nodded. “You can call me Cass, that was my club name when I was undercover.”
“So you know what we’re trying to do here?”
“Yes, and I agree with it one hundred percent. When I was approached by my boss to take this assignment, I jumped at the chance.” He looked around, then back at the couple. “I’ve been behind the desk for too long.”
“Were you compromised?”
“Yes, out in Los Angeles. I was stuck here in Des Moines behind the desk to keep the heat off.”
“How long ago?” Petra asked.
“Too fucking long if you ask me, but it’s been two years. I’m not saying I’ll be breathing down your neck, but I’ll be your representative in Des Moines. Like you, Rankin, I’m both DEA and ATF. Unfortunately, the DEA office shut down a few years back, so it’s just us.”
“Do you have access to a lab?”
“We do. I was led to believe you have drugs and don’t know which kind?”
“Correct, let’s go into the shop.” Paul turned and waited until Petra was beside him, and he led the way to his shop.
Inside, they waited for their eyes to adjust and he explained.
“When the others start arriving, this will be a real motorcycle shop. This will give us an excuse to be together all the time. You know, to discuss cases and what not. Also, there’s room in the back for the guys to store their bikes in the winter.
That is, if they don’t have a garage.” He snapped his fingers, looked at Petra, and at her nod, he turned to Kessler and Flynn.
“What?” Kessler asked.
“Did you do a background check on Laci Heller?”
“Yes, and she passed.” He looked at Cass to explain. “She’s the girlfriend of agent Victor Thorn, aka Gator. They should be here shortly, within the month. Unfortunately, she’s an exotic animal veterinarian, but I don’t know of any places around that she could work at.”
“There aren’t,” Petra said. “I’ve looked into it, however, I have a suggestion.”
“What’s that?”
“Just how many houses did the agencies purchase when you knew we were coming here?”
“Sixty-seven.”
“Okay, and I’m assuming the incoming agents will have a chance to purchase them?”
“Yes.”
“What if we suggest to Laci to get her real estate license to sell them to the agents? They’re going to stay with us until they can find the home they want.”
“Really, you wouldn’t want that task?”
“Not really, like I told Paul, I love working at the diner. The locals are accepting me and they’re starting to open up around me. There’s nothing concrete yet, but I’m learning things of the local clubs.”
“Okay, it’s a thought. When I get back to DC I’ll reach out to Gator and make the suggestion.
She can probably take some on-line courses to get started.
I know I was going to suggest you do that if you wanted to be in charge of the houses.
Would you mind if I send everything we have here, so it will be here when they arrive? ”
“What’s everything?” Paul asked.
“The listings, address, photos, keys to the locked boxes on the front door.”
“Ah, I don’t have a problem with it.”
“Neither do I,” Petra said and walked with Paul as he went to the back of the shop. They stopped when Cass snapped his fingers and went back toward the truck and bikes. Kessler and Flynn joined him. The couple exchanged looks when they saw each man carrying two extra-large hard sided suitcases.
“Trust us,” Kessler said as he used his chin to indicate that they should proceed. Paul shrugged and went in the direction of the barn. As soon as they all entered and their eyes adjusted, he reiterated what he had said a few minutes ago.
“Like I mentioned earlier, this will be a motorcycle repair shop. We’ll work on our own bikes, but we’re not going to push to work on others. If it happens, it happens. This shop will be our cover, giving us the excuse to be with each other all the time.”
“What about the women?” Cass asked.
“I work at the local diner with a woman that knows about us. Sally Ward. It’s been a little over two months, and the locals are starting to open up around me.
I’m getting snippets of information here and there.
If I have any questions, I discuss it with Sally, and she talks with them to confirm or deny what I’m hearing.
Nothing’s panned out yet, but I’m learning.
Oh, and there’s a big run coming up at the end of the month. ”
“What type of run?” Cass asked.
“A Toys for Tots run. Larry Emmerson and the Bastards MC is putting it on.” She looked at Paul and shrugged. “Sorry, I only learned about it just before we closed last night. I was going to tell you about it.”
“That’s fine,” Paul said and squeezed her hand.
He turned to the others. “I’ve got a file started on what members I know from different clubs.
I have Iron Men, Bastards, Vultures, Road Hogs, Road Runners, and Road Rash.
” He looked at Petra with a shrug. “Warren’s been calling me with information about the clubs from his task force.
” He turned to the others. “People of interest, they, the task force, hasn’t really done anything with them.
Personally, I think it has something to do with Dawson. ”
“The Commissioner of the State Police?” Cass asked in shock. “Kessler and Flynn filled me in when they arrived at the Des Moines office to talk with my boss. They told me everything you have so far. One question.”
“What’s that?”
“Have you seen Brickman since the day you left him unconscious in that field?”
“No, I did help his girlfriend, Paula, unknown last name to me, pack her van and watched her leave.”
“She’s safe,” Kessler said. “I had her looked into. Three days after she left, she arrived at her brother’s place out in Reno. He doesn’t belong to a biker gang, but he rides with a couple of buddies on the weekend. Nothing like what Eddie was involved in, or what you’re planning.”
“Good, so he knows about one percenters.”
“Correct, I even reached out to him, as a concerned friend of Paula’s,” Flynn grinned. “I stated I helped pack up her van. He thanked me for getting her things, and said she was doing good.”
“Good,” Paul nodded and headed to the back of the shop.
As he walked, he talked, “Years ago,” he said as he looked directly at Flynn and Kessler.
“Back when I still had some memory loss. I hopped on my bike, the one I left in New York for my cousin, and just rode. Trying to clear my head, or get my memory back. As I was riding, I saw a for sale sign out at the rode, and paused to look around. I actually drove back here to check it out, and it was empty. After a couple of days, I couldn’t get this place out of my head.
I contacted the realtor listed on that sign, and he met me out here to give me a tour.
Within two months, the paperwork was final, and I was the sole owner. ”
“I did not know this,” Kessler said, impressed.
“Yeah, I knew you guys wanted me to come work for you, but not until I had regained all of my memory. This place helped calm the voices in my head.” He looked at Cass with a shrug.
“Not bad voices, nothing to put me in a mental ward, just snippets or flashes of memory. Anyway, back then, I had a vision of doing what I am doing now. I had this room installed in the back of this shop back then. I’m talking five years ago.
” He paused outside a regular door, and looked back at them.
“This is a multi-purpose room.” He turned back to the door, opened it, flipped a switch, and walked through. He waited for the others to join him.
“I don’t see anything,” Cass said as they paused in a hallway.
“That’s because this was set up that no one but me knows what’s here.
” He walked forward, fiddled with something in the wall, and a large panel slid to the side.
Behind the panel was a state-of-the-art security lock.
Everyone watched as Paul used his ring finger on his right hand, and the eye scanner at the same time.
At the click, he turned the dial, which looked like it belonged on a safe, and pulled the heavy steel door open.
“Inside this room will be where any agents that arrive has any extra weapons they want stored can keep here. We will also keep the drugs and weapons we contact you about until we can set up the buy. Also, the things I pulled from Eddie’s bag are in here.
” He walked through the door, and the others followed.
Paul noted that the men still had the heavy cases with them.
Everyone turned in a circle and it was Petra who asked, “Will the other agents have access to this room when they finally arrive?”