Chapter 12
FINGER
We are having an officers meeting with Tracker in his office. This is going to be a daily thing until we are clear of the mess that is going on. Cap rubs the back of his neck, then speaks, “I’ve spoken to Cilla, and Pres, you are gonna want to talk to her.”
“Why is that?” Tracker asks, but we all know he was going to pump Cilla for information about her ghostly friends.
“She has Bono, Tank, and Pyro speaking with her now.” That is all I say before Tracker chortles, which takes me by surprise, and everyone else by the look on their faces.
“Does she now? That is interesting...” Tracker's expression is one I’ve not seen before, but if I had to describe it, I would say a mixture of interest, amusement, and usefulness. “Is she going to help you, Cap?”
“Yes, she is Pres,” Cap replies before nudging me with his elbow. “I reckon Cilla will have her hands full dealing with Tank and Pyro.”
Nodding because honestly, I can’t help but agree. They were crazy assholes alive, so what they get up to knowing they are already dead could be totally mind-blowing.
“The prospects have cleaned up Cilla’s house, Pres,” I throw this out to change the subject from Tank and Pyro because none of us want Tracker locked on to the fact he can organize dead people. “Keys has fitted extra locks and has cameras placed.”
“Are you okay with Cilla’s house being secure now, Keys?” Tracker asks, and we all turn our gaze to Keys, who is tapping on his keyboard as he replies.
“Yep, all is good at her place, and anyone trying to get into the house now, I will be alerted.”
“Now, about the tattoo shop. I’d like to speak with Scribe, Pres, if you allow me to take a brother with me.
It will be easier for me to speak with him personally, and then I can speak with Lulu.
I don’t want us to buy the place blind. We need to know we’ll have an artist to work the place if we purchase it.
No point having a tattoo shop and not having an artist,” Coin throws in for discussion.
Agreement rumbles around the room, and Hot Rod chuckles. “Can you imagine taking bookings and saying, well we don’t have an artist yet, but we can pencil you in for when we do.”
“Yeah, that would suck,” Rides laughs.
“Take Finger with you. He more than likely has to give Cilla a break, because she is bound to be pissed that he is following her around everywhere.” Tracker we all know, is going to be doing his best now to get into and stay in Cilla’s good books.
I shake my head at him because I’m following her around under his orders.
Sometimes our Pres can pass the blame when he feels it’s in his interest. But I would rather him try to talk to the dead than me doing it.
I want nothing to do with dead people. Brothers or not.
In my opinion, once you are dead, you are dead and need to stay dead.
“I’ll go with Coin. Not a problem. But you all need to watch Cilla because she is going to try going to work. Oh, and contact Shelby because she’ll need to know Cilla cannot get into work,” I throw the last in the mix and someone else can deal with it.
I get ready to head out with Coin when I see Rita peeking around a door watching someone. Looking in the direction she is watching, I see it is Violet. Now why the hell would she be watching Violet?
“What are you doing, Rita?”
Rita screeches whilst whirling around in shock. “Finger, you scared me to death.”
“Why are you watching, Violet?” I ask.
Rita looks a little shifty when she replies, “No reason, Finger.” I watch as she rushes away but turn and glance at Violet for a moment myself. Seeing nothing untoward, I shrug it off and go check if Coin is ready to head out.
TRACKER
“Cilla, my office,” I keep my voice as light as I can. I have a deep voice, so sometimes it sounds gruffer than I mean it to, but there is nothing I can do about it.
Cilla closes the office door, then I point to the chairs near the window. I take one seat and Cilla takes the other.
“What can I do for you, Tracker?” Cilla asks, and I give her my best smile, but when she flinches slightly, I’m not sure it was as comforting as I hoped it would be.
“I’m curious how your ability works. Can you see and talk to all the dead people?” I ask while leaning forward in my seat.
Cilla looks at me with some surprise but answers me quickly enough.
“Well, I only see the dead that want to speak to me. Usually, they want me to help them in one way or another. Like a few weeks ago, I had a lady wanting me to stop her niece from being killed. I rushed to the park where she told me the child was, and I got there just in time to stop her from running into the road and getting killed.”
“That is incredible,” I respond genuinely, thinking that it is incredible she saved a child’s life. “So, why Bono?”
Sighing, Cilla looks to her left as she replies. “Bono came to me and said he was a service brother to you and wanted to help however he could. He is a menace and a bit of an asshole, but he loves you and your brothers.”
I nod in understanding because we all love each other after serving together, or having served. “He was a brilliant brother, and we all miss him.”
“He misses all of you but was thankful he had the opportunity to help you. He is a very determined character, and thanks to Finger we now have Tank and Pyro on the team,” Cilla rubs the bridge of her nose, showing she is a little frazzled.
“The three of them have gone for now and are looking for the bomber, and exactly where ZeBach is hiding. But you know your grandpop keeps following you around.”
I smirk because my grandpop was a bastard.
A tough cookie who didn’t suffer fools. He would have shot you as soon as look at you, and how my grandmama put up with him, I don’t know.
“Tell the old fool to go with Grandmama and I’ll see him again one day.
I don’t need him following me around and seeing what I’m doing.
Can you imagine having a good fuck and then thinking he could be standing somewhere watching? ”
Cilla giggles. “He wouldn’t stand and watch you doing intimate things.” Now, I am sure the old fucker said something because Cilla’s face turns a shade of red that you could call crimson, or tomato.
“Dirty fucker. Watching people like that. You need to get gone and stay gone.” Yeah, I go there with him. What can he do to me, he’s dead after all? “Has he gone, Cilla?”
“Yes, he has gone. It is nice when relatives come to check how you are, but your grandpop didn’t show any sign of embarrassment when you’re having relations was mentioned. In fact, I think he could have seen and watched in the past.”
“If he comes again, we need to get Grandmama to come and sort his ornery ass out. She’ll put him in his place without a second thought. I’ve seen her chase him with a skillet and a rolling pin.” I laugh to myself at the memory.
“I will try that if he comes back,” Cilla says, right before she looks over my shoulder and frowns. “Tank is here with us. He said to tell you he’s okay and you need to stop worrying.”
“That’s good to know,” I reply, feeling somewhat weird at the thought that a dead Tank is somewhere in the room with us. “Has he found the bomber, Cilla?”
“Tank said the bomber is coming tonight. He is sure he’ll come through the fencing on the south side. Be ready and don’t hesitate. The bomber isn’t going to hold back. He wants the job done, his money, then to disappear.”
“Does he know roughly what time?” I ask but was shocked when Cilla told me to speak to Tank directly. But you know, I do it, “Tank, what time are we talking about?”
“He said around midnight, or just before,” Cilla stands and walks over to me, pats my shoulder with a soft smile. “You keep talking and I’ll give you his responses.”
I get to my feet and look at the blank space that Cilla is looking at. I know Tank is there. I just wish I could see him. “Tank, where is Pyro?”
Cilla again tells me the reply, “Pyro is chasing ZeBach and apparently, he is having a great time. He said Pyro will be back within two days.”
“We have little time left, and we have to be ready. If you can keep speaking with the three of them, Cilla, we may be able to stay on top of what trouble this ZeBach can bring.”
“Tank says he will tell you everything he finds out, and so will Pyro.”
“Thanks, Cilla.” My gratitude to this woman knows no bounds. She is stepping up when we need her, and she appears not to be afraid either.
Cilla leaves the office, and the whole time she was walking out, she was talking about nasty ass attitude. Cilla doesn’t care how cute the ass is, she is not putting up with all their bullshit. My thought was good luck with that!
Cap walks into the office and takes a seat, waiting for me to update him on my conversation with Cilla.
But you know I’m not going to go over it all.
Why bother when I have more things to do?
“Tonight, all brothers are to be in their positions. Midnight, this fucker is coming to set the bomb. Tank has told Cilla we need to be ready and not mess around with him. Pyro is chasing down ZeBach. But Cap, one problem at a time. Let’s find this snitch... ”
“I’ve had a conversation with Cilla, and I’m hoping she can lead us to the snitch...” Cap is cut off from saying more when Finger walks into the office.
“I think it’s Rita.”
Now, that is not that much of a surprise to me, but why would she do that? “Why do you think it’s her, Finger?”
“She keeps watching the other club women. I’ve been watching her, and she seems to have a close watch on Violet,” Finger throws himself into a chair and rubs his hands together.
“What makes you think it’s her when she’s watching the others?” I can’t help but ask.
“It is shifty. She’s probably making sure they are out of the way when she contacts this ZeBach or bomber.”
Cap snorts. “You can’t assume she is snitching. Honestly, Finger, you need more proof than that.”
“Cap, bring all the club women here. I’ll speak to them,” I say this so calmly and clearly that Cap knows they'd better cooperate or they could find themselves in hot water.
Fifteen minutes later the five club women, or fluff as we used to call them walk into the office and line up in front of my desk. I give them all the look that means don’t fuck with me.
“Don’t mess with Pres. Speak truthfully and clearly, and you have nothing to worry about,” Cap tells them as he can see they have a hint of nerves, but if they do as he says, then they have nothing to worry about.
Finger speaks before I say more. “I’ve been watching you, Rita, and you have been spying on the other women. Why?”
Rita stands a little straighter and looks me right in the eye as she answers Finger’s question.
“I was watching Violet because I heard her speaking with someone in the pantry. She was telling them about the patrol along the north fence line. I have been trying to get proof of what she has been doing.”
Violet is shaking and starts to cry, and I mean the ugly crying with snot and all. Disgusting is what it is. “What’s going on, Violet?” I ask with a tone of steel.
“My sister has been grabbed. She is with this ZeBach man. He said he’ll kill her if I didn’t help him.
But I didn’t help him. I gave him information, but it was all false information.
He’s coming, and I didn’t know what to do because if he had my sister, I was worried that he may have someone else’s family member. ”
I’m surprised she could say all that through the tears, but it is said with such genuine emotion that I’m not questioning she is telling me the truth.
The next hour we question all the women and allow them to get back to work when we are satisfied that they are not holding anything back from us.
All we know extra at this point is the fact that Violet’s sister is held for ransom, and Violet has fed them false leads. How long she can get away with that I don’t know. But we need to get rid of the guy and get Violet’s sister back.