CHAPTER 23 - GRIZZ
The beat of the drums vibrate through me as the final performance rings out.
Monsters dart all around us, Jovie giggling on my shoulders.
After she discovered Axel inside one of the Krampus costumes, she kept pulling me down with theories about who was inside the other ones.
The guy from the ice cream shop? Maybe the librarian?
Eventually, I began to feel a little uneasy about the crowd pushing and swaying around us so I hiked her up on my shoulders, Mac and Blaze standing on either side of us.
Protected.
The drums increase and what feels like a thousand red flares and fireworks erupt all around us. Casting an ominous glow across our small mountain town. Looking around I try and find Brynn's face in the crowd, noticing a few familiar people, but not her.
How long has she been gone? Ten minutes?
Axel runs toward us, terrified screams crying out in the final moments of the show.
His costume is bulky. The shaggy long hair covering his body, topped with the fake blood dripping from his mouth would be scary in the right circumstance.
This however, is not that. Just as he’s about to reach us I see his knees bend and stop him before he jumps and takes a final swipe at Jovie.
His clawed glove barely making contact with my arm as I shove him back.
His body stops in mid air, as if it was hitting a brick wall and he falls flat on his ass.
His horned mask falling to the ground as he lands.
“Grizz, you asshole,” he grunts, rubbing his chest, laughing.
Jovie scrambling to get down from my shoulders.
The crowd cheers as a final roar echoes through the well placed speakers.
All of the Krampus monsters retreating back into the fog where they came.
Axel races to put his mask back on, catching up to them.
Jovie claps and jumps in front of me, Mac squeezing my shoulder as we all share in her excitement. I think as a whole, we all forgot what life was meant to look like somewhere along the way. Our individual struggles weighing us down for so long, we don’t even notice as we carry them with us.
People swarm the streets now that the parade has ended, the barriers quickly being cleared.
“That was amazing, Grizz!” Jovie yells, laughing as she races into my side and squeezing me. Her hug cementing another place in my heart. Such a small act that I've gone without for so long. Both Mac and Blaze look at her affectionately when she hugs them in thanks, too.
“You’re welcome, baby girl. How about we go find Axel and get something hot to drink?”
“Yes,” she squeals, taking hold of my hand and pulling me toward the clearing fog.
The guys walk with us, Blaze catching my attention when he nods in the direction of some of the food stalls.
The slight tilt of my head agreeing to meet back up when we're with Axel.
Hopefully, carrying some hot cocoa for Jovie.
It's a conversation that doesn't need words but shows the depth of our brotherhood.
“Fee-fi-fo-fum,” Axel growls, stomping his feet as we crest the small hill and find a gathering of half dressed Krampus actors.
“Axel,” Jovie giggles. “Krampus is not a giant. I've been reading up on the legend. Don't tell mom but…”
“Grizz, sorry to interrupt you on a family night out.” The fire chief says, distracting me from Jovie as she pulls at Axel's Krampus mask, brushing the fur from its hollow eyes.
“That's okay, chief, my kid wanted to see the parade, and I'm guessing you're not in the business of saying no either.”
My kid.
Because she is mine.
Chuckling, he looks over to where his family stands, his wife giving me a little wave before helping one of their sons with his beanie.
“I couldn't even if I wanted to. My wife gets annoyed by how much of a pushover I am, but I can't stand that sad face they make. I only have them for eighteen years, you know.”
“Yeah, I'm starting to think that way too, chief.” Looking over at Jovie, she's put the horned mask on now and is howling at the sky. I'm tempted to interrupt and say it's the wrong monster like she did to Axel. Wind her up a little before we head back to the cabin.
“Anyway, long story short, I'm going to contact Hades in the morning, but we managed to identify the accelerant used in the fire. I thought it would give you some extra thinking time in case it stands out for some reason.”
My brows rise, the chief getting my full attention. “We’ve been racking our brains over it because none of the liquor is missing, no broken stock or anything, nothing obvious we have lying around that someone could have used.”
“Well, if I'm honest, my wife was the one who found it out.” He says, rubbing the back of his head, sheepishly.
“We found ethanol on the scene. The strength is more commonly used in hospitals or laboratories. A naked flame would be sufficient in igniting it, but there was another substance we were a bit stumped on. These pink little beads were also found. At first, we thought about the hospital and possibly pseudoephedrine. Drug distribution, something along those lines–”
“Chief,” I growl. How dare he accuse the M.C. of doing drug anything. There are a lot of bad clubs out there, ones that operate in all manner of things we don't agree with, but to so blatantly accuse us of the thing we work so hard to avoid.
“Relax, Grizz. We didn't jump to any conclusions. Actually, it was Tim who said you all could be getting framed. That was the angle we were initially looking at.” He says, holding both hands up as if surrendering.
“Get to the point, chief. You're saying a lot of fancy words but not getting anywhere.” I'm angry and frustrated. This possibly should have waited for Hades to be told directly because I'm not exactly known for my patience.
“As I was saying, I had your file open when Megan dropped my lunch off, and she saw the scene pictures.” Gesturing to his wife standing nearby. “I was a little short with her, frustrated that we might have a much bigger problem than we first thought.”
“Chief,” I growl.
“Alright, alright. It's a hand sanitizer. She pulled a bottle right out of her handbag for me to see. We had the lab confirm it, but she said it's a popular one with a few of the well-to-do ladies about town. The pink balls are scent beads–”
“What's it look like?” I snap, my mind working a hundred miles an hour. “Chief, what's the hand sanitizer look like?”
He calls over his wife, who pulls out the familiar bottle of strawberry pink hand sanitizer. One that I've been shown several times to have on hand at the bar.
Victoria.
“How come we didn't smell it? That night, I mean. That shit smells like a strawberry getting its stomach pumped after a hard night on the town.”
“It would have all burnt off once the fire took hold, topped with the snow used to put it out. We were just lucky enough some of it was still present and stuck to the wall.”
Patting my pockets, I yell, “Tell Hades,” to the chief, trying to find where I put my keys as I turn back to the guys.
My hands tremble, everything crashing into me all at once. First, I need to make sure Jovie is safe, and then I need to go find my woman.
“Axel,” I bark. “Where's Jovie?”
I look around, but my eyes can't focus on anything. It's a blur of people when I see Axel's Krampus mask sneaking up to scare some kids, Jovie inside it.
Taking a deep breath, my anxiety eases a little knowing Jovie’s safe. I pull Blaze, Mac, and Axel into a small huddle, relaying everything the chief just said.
If Victoria lit the fire at the Gallows, and Brynn went off with her about thirty minutes ago now. Fuck.
“I need to find my woman,” I growl. “Jovie's playing, don't worry her, but keep her safe. Who knows what Victoria's capable of?”
Blaze grabs my hand, shoving his keys in my palm. “Take the truck, it's parked over there,” he rushes. “The bikes are over on Main, this will be quicker.”
“Brother.” Is all I manage to get out, my voice cracking as I race to his truck, coming up with a plan. I'll need to check Victoria's house for them and the Gallows. There's also the clubhouse, the hot springs. They could be anywhere.
Yanking open the driver's door, I slam it shut, white knuckling the steering wheel and letting out a roar so loud that several people nearby turn to look.
Fuck them.
My woman could be in trouble, and I'm not there with her.
Something thuds in the back of the trunk.
Nothing shows in the rearview mirror, maybe one of the many tipsy people out tonight.
Somehow, I managed to get the key in the ignition, bringing the engine to life.
Checking the rearview one more time before I fishtail out of the car park.
I'll tear this town apart trying to find her, she just needs to be alright when I do.