Chapter Eight
Frankie had followed the truck all the way here. He’d seen Cassie in the front seat and she didn’t seem to be struggling. He shook his head. “She hadn’t been struggling because she’s been out cold. He knew what they looked like and he growled at the sight of her being carted away.
He’d followed them here and then he waited to see if this was really the place they were staying at or just a stopping place to gather the troops.
Finally, he dared to peek inside the windows.
He’d gasped when he saw Cassie tied to a chair.
He let a tear fall down his face and he prayed she wouldn’t remember her past. They all knew what haunted her.
She had been taken before and she almost didn’t make it.
He left the building and found a safe place to let the others know where she was. He tapped Amos’s number and when Amos answered he told him in a whisper, “I found them.”
Amos caught his breath and asked, “Where are they?”
“The old Palm Leaf furniture warehouse,” Frankie told him. Then he growled in anger. “You tell Deke there are fifteen of them here. I saw their bikes, so they are MC. I see one or two of the bikes and they have a large falcon on them. So maybe he knows them?”
“We’ll be there soon enough,” Amos vowed.
The call ended and Frankie sat back against the tree as his eyes never left the building a few feet from where he was sitting.
They just better not lay a hand on her or they will answer with their lives.
He thought to himself. Deke would fight the devil himself to protect Ms. Cassie.
She had him and all the men to help her too.
The homeless Vets she got to come help her achieve her dream.
They would never forget that. Her kindness, her not looking down on them, giving them a second chance when the whole world had already turned their backs on them.
Her dream of Redemption House had quickly become theirs.
Helping all those poor women and their kids.
She had made it very clear to the whole that they were part of her dream and her dream had then become theirs.
The sky was beginning to lose its color and shadows were sneaking in when Frankie felt the air shift around him.
He smiled. The feeling he was experiencing was the fact that his friends were nearby.
Then he paused as a new feeling hit him.
Someone else was close by too. He shifted as his eyes scanned the area.
Then he found the disturbance. Deke, Iceman, Bones and Gator stood in the shadows.
They all stared at him then Deke turned his head to the warehouse.
Frankie saw his lips move as if he suddenly whispered her name.
Frankie got up and made his way over to where Deke stood.
He nodded at the other men. “When I looked in on her before they had her sitting on a chair. Her hands were tied behind her back and they were talking to her. One of them smacked her. Her mouth is bleeding but I think she’s okay. ”
Deke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he opened them again and let his breath out slowly. “How many men inside?” he asked.
“About fifteen...” Frankie paused. “They parked their bikes inside too and I saw a few had these falcons on them.”
Bones stared at him. “Like with the head up and wings spread out?”
Frankie nodded.
Bones muttered, “The Screaming Falcons.”
Frankie shrugged. “I don’t know them but that’s what I saw.”
Bones muttered to himself and then he paced.
Finally, Deke looked up and asked, “What do you know about the Screaming Falcons, Dad?”
Bones returned his glare and replied, “I know Boxer from the days when I lived in Quincy. He was just starting out back then. Like everyone else he thinks he’s a tough guy.
He had some trouble about ten years ago and one of his boys went to prison, said he wasn’t guilty of course but the evidence said otherwise.
What the hell does he want with Cassie?”
Deke shook his head. “I don’t know or care. They will pay for this.”
Frankie reached out and placed his hand on Deke’s shoulder. “Boss, they might hurt her if you just bust in there with death on your mind. You’ve got to be smart about this.”
Deke nodded. “I know, I couldn’t bear it if she got hurt.” Then he swallowed hard. “Is she ok, really ok?”
Frankie nodded. “You know I think she is ok. I think your little spitfire is just waiting for you to come get her.”
Deke sighed as he nodded his head. “She knows I’m always going to come for her.”
Just then Raine joined the group. “And I’m here to make sure she’s ok afterward.” He looked over at Bones.
Bones scoffed at him. “Everyone here knows I was never going to hurt her in the first damn place.”
Deke rolled his eyes. “Yeah Dad, we all know that now, but remember Cassie didn’t at the time.”
“Hell, son that was years ago and I think she knows by now that I’m not quite the asshole everyone told her I was.
Let’s just move on,” Bones grumbled. “What I’m saying here is that Boxer is an ok kind of guy, he’s not the best nor is he the worst, but his actions this morning wasn’t one of his finest moments and he has to learn that lesson.
You just don’t mess with someone’s woman. ”
Gator just shook his head. “I’m surprised she hasn’t obliterated them all on her own yet. Remember what she did to Wiley when he grabbed her in your office, Deke?”
Deke nodded. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t have believed it.”
“She took on three of them. He and the others had busted noses, cuts and bruises. I think Wiley had a concussion if I remember right?”
“Well, she hadn’t been tied up back then. Frankie says she’s tied to a chair.” Deke hadn’t taken his eyes off the warehouse as he spoke. “Maybe she can’t get herself free? They better not have hurt her.”
Every man standing there growled and clenched their hands into fists.
Gator came up and told them, “Zipper has info on the Screaming Falcons. I texted him to find what he could. He tapped the phone and said, “Go ahead, Zip.”
“It ain’t good boss,” Zipper’s voice came over the speaker.
“The Screaming Falcons had a top man who went to prison. Virgil Rogan. Road Name is Banger. Seems they believed he attacked some woman and stabbed her. Carved the word whore into her back. He claimed he never did that as he’d gotten drunk and was passed out, the victim was lying next to him.
Blood was everywhere and the knife was covered in his fingerprints.
Robbie Pierce as we know was the one who murdered women with that same MO.
So somehow, this has something to do with Robbie.
We are all aware that Cassie knew a lot of old lady Pierce’s secrets.
So do you really think she doesn’t know Robbie’s as well?
Virgil just got out of prison after spending ten years behind bars and we know those ten years really belonged to Robbie.
I think I’d be pissed too, but Robbie isn’t here anymore.
You all took him out six years ago. Now all they got is Cassie and Peaches to take their rage out on. ”
Raine cleared his throat. “But she would go out of her way to protect Peaches, everyone here knows that as well.”
Iceman froze, then he swung his gaze to glare at Raine. “You think that’s what they are really doing here? You think they will come after Peaches too?”
“We don’t know if it is revenge yet,” Gator tried to calm Iceman down.
Amos moved away. Skirting around the trees he walked up to the back of the warehouse, peeking into the windows. He took in three windows before he stopped moving and just stared into the room.
After a few minutes, Amos then broke away from the back of the warehouse and rushed over to where the others were. He looked at Deke and said, “They are all talking in there and some of what they are saying is about Cassie.”
“What are they saying about her?” Deke asked.
“That she does know what Robbie hid. It sounded like he stole something from them.” Amos shook his head.
“But most of them look upset in there. Like they do not want to be here. The bulk of the group are in the very back, gathered around their bikes as if they want to leave. Then at the front, there’s four men.
They are a bit older and they are having a deep discussion.
But if Cassie goes full out spitfire on just a few of them, that ain’t gonna help.
Nobody can control what she’ll do or say.
That girl has a mind of her own and you know that. ”
Deke nodded. “Yeah, Amos everyone here knows that, but I also know she wouldn’t do anything to get herself hurt.”
No one said a word and the possibility of what could happen was settling into rage.
“Let’s go get her.” Deke seethed. “Those fuckers don’t get to keep her.”
The whole group turned to face the warehouse.