“Hey, Kristie,” I said cheerily, wishing there was time to gossip right now, but I knew this was about business. “How are things going up there in Cincinnati?”
“Mostly, everyone’s a nervous wreck waiting for you to give up any information. The bureau is whispering about you going rogue. Please, tell me you have something for me.”
I scoffed. The bureau was always going to talk about me like that, but I had nothing to worry about unless I failed to give them the information they needed. So far, I had never failed an assignment despite my unconventional methods of getting the job done. “I do have something for you. We purchased three girls, and these girls gave us quite a bit of information. I am not sure yet if it will be enough to do anything. One of the women may be cooperative. She’s joined the Vipers, and she’d been with the cartel quite a while.” I was still sure she would be our smoking gun, especially now that she was loyal to me as the Prez of the Vipers. I knew she had to know something of use.
“Well, that’s better than I expected. I will let the bureau know to go pick her up at the Vipers headquarters in Texas so they can talk. I’ll make sure she knows she’s totally safe, and I won’t let them blow your cover. I’ll just say because Kimberley was a minor, we are investigating the whole incident.” I agreed, knowing Kristie and her team would know just how to handle this. I wasn’t really worried about that. But this sleazy cartel was really bugging the shit out of me, and I knew they had the power to take me down if they knew what I was doing.
“Just keep things quiet. I don’t need the cartel getting wind of this.”
“I agree,” Kristie said, and I could hear her typing in the background. “That’s exactly why I don’t think you should give up any info over the phone, even on this phone. You need to come back to the office and give John and I all you know. And please, don’t bring your boyfriend this time. That created quite a frenzy. Plus, it’ll look funny if both of you suddenly disappear again. We want to keep all of you own there as safe as we can.” I didn’t like what she was suggesting, and Reed wouldn’t either, but I also knew Kristie was right. I was getting into dangerous territory, and I needed to be more careful.
“He’s not going to like it, but I get it. When do you want me there?” I asked, already knowing the answer. It was probably going to be soon because the bureau just loved their open and shut cases. The longer something took to solve, the more nervous and demanding they got. It was a bureaucratic annoyance, but it was part of the job. So, I had to go with their flow.
“As soon as you could get here would be great. Just don’t be suspicious about it, and make sure there’s always someone protecting your people, Elena. This is serious.” Kristie was talking as my friend now rather than my handler. She must have realized how much this assignment had turned into real life for me and how much I cared about these MC members. I hadn’t even thought about what I would do once I was released from this assignment. I couldn’t help but tear up just a bit at the thought.
“I’ll make some arrangements and leave as soon as I can. I want to be here for the next shipment of girls if I can, so I’ll need to check with Reed.”
“Alright, Elena. I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up the phone and laid back on the bed just listening to myself breathing. It hadn’t ceased to amaze me over the last several weeks and months since arriving in Tennessee how much of a 360 my life had done. I was still left dizzy from the change. I was on the marriage track before with a corporate, buttoned-up man who had apparently been using long hours at work as an excuse to cheat on me. My career was boring me, and I kept my wild side under wraps for the potential of a new life on the mommy track with a nice picket fence. Now, I was the Ol’ Lady to a damn hot MC Prez and was an MC Prez myself. My lousy ass father was long gone from this Earth, and revenge was mine. I was back undercover, and it felt like me all over again; someone I could look at in the mirror and recognize.
I must have dozed off like that because I woke up to a knock on my door. I went to it and unlocked it, finding Reed standing there, looking amused. “For a minute there, I was afraid you had another man in there,” He teased, looking around as if he might find someone hiding in the closet. I slapped his shoulder playfully.
“No other man would put up with me,” I told him, pulling him down onto the bed with me in a flurry of giggles. “Besides, no other man can turn me on like you do.” He grabbed a chunk of my ass and squeezed. I liked how we were light and fun, but I knew I had to tell him about the call with Kriste.
“So, I ordered another five women,” he told me, and I kissed him five times for that. “Does that make you happy?”
“It does,” I told him, but then I gave a faux pout. “But what doesn’t make me happy is what I have to tell you. I talked to Kriste, and she and John need me to come to Cincinnati to give them the info. They’re afraid of me giving things away over the phone. They want me to get both MCs protected, and they’re going to take Cecil for questioning. They don’t want you to come with me. I think I have to follow the orders this time.”
“You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, Siren. I love ya either way. I just don’t like the way they’re always putting you in danger. But I’ve got the MCs covered, and I can handle picking up the women if that happens while you’re gone. You don’t worry about a damn thing.” I felt a slight comfort at his acceptance of the situation, but I still had this nervous feeling I couldn’t explain. Call it intuition, but something wasn’t right.
***
I looked around my place with a smile on my face. I had to admit that as much as I missed Reed and Daisy, I loved being allowed to be back home for a little bit. Tennessee had its beauties, such as getting to see the mountains every day, but Cincinnati had better weather for me. I loved the cold; the complete contrast of the southern city I grew up in. Maybe one day we could move the headquarters for the Vipers and the Skulls Renegade up here. It was probably wishful thinking, but a girl could dream, right?
My phone began to buzz, and I picked it up, knowing what it must mean. It was around lunch time, and Kristie had finally sent the text I had been waiting on.
We’re ready for you
I stood up and took my time, walking through every room and looking around. I doubted I would be sticking around to come back here again after I told them what I knew.
I went out to my rental car and climbed in, having opted for typical transportation and a more appropriate outfit this time. I hadn’t totally ditched the leather, but I left my cut in the car and opted for some flats instead of my boots. I didn’t think John had been too thrilled with my bad ass biker chick get up the last time I had been here.
I pulled up to the office and walked in, feeling a bit of deja vu as I headed up to a familiar room. I was quickly escorted into the office where John and Kristie were waiting.
Kristie stood up to give me a hug, happy to see me. It looked like John wasn’t giving her any more shit since I had shown up to make good on my promise to give up what I knew.
“Alright, so start with what you know about the girls, and then you can go from there. Any names and details of these people would be great. A sketch of the vehicle. Anything at this point could lead us to crack down on this cartel.” John was matter-of-fact and cold in his speech as always, but I gave him a dazzling smile anyway. I loved being a smart ass.
Then, I began to relay all I knew; the story of the three women we had picked up, including the minor and where she had been kidnapped. I let them know Juan’s name as well as Rafael’s, who was their apparent leader. John seemed to be particularly interested in the two other women since one had a family with business dealings with the cartel and the other might have direct inside information that they could use.
“So, what do you think? Is this going to be enough to go on?” I asked, looking over the notes he had made on my statement.
“Technically speaking, it’s not a ton to go on, but it’s a good start. These two women might be a good find, and then the fact that the
y kidnapped and sexually assaulted a minor is a big one. It might be easier to get Mexico to extradite at this point or at least cooperate on charges and prison security.”
I nodded along, hoping he was done being frustrated with Kristie and me.
Then, Kristie’s phone rang, and she looked down at it with a strange expression. “For some reason, your boyfriend is calling me,’ she said before answering it. Why would Reed call Kristie’s phone and not mine? I only gave that to him in the case of an emergency. That had to mean something had gone wrong.
I sat on the edge of my seat as I watched Kristie’s face droop with concern. “Alright, we’ll do all we can to keep her safe. We’ll see you soon.” Kristie hung up and looked up at me with a pale face.
“Your cover’s been compromised with the cartel. Reed’s coming to meet you. You’re going to have to go into hiding.”
Chapter 16
Reed
I kept looking around nervously as we approached the border between Texas and Mexico near Laredo. It was only Seamus and me who had taken the van down to pick up the five girls we would be taking home this time. I also strapped my bike to a trailer on the back just in case. For some reason, even though I made a trade like this many times since becoming Prez of Skulls Renegade MC, I had this bad feeling in my gut. Seamus kept telling me it was because my Ol’ Lady wasn’t with me, but there was something more to it than that. It just didn’t feel like every other time.
Juan had never gotten the girls to me this fast after an order, and he seemed desperate to get these girls off his hands. His tone on the phone had even been different than before. I knew I had told Elena that I could handle this by myself while she headed up to Cincinnati to take care of business with the FBI, but I was regretting accepting the meeting now.
Like always, I was given a specific road to pull off. This one led me into an abandoned neighborhood that looked like it used to be a booming industrial district, Now, it looked like one of those ghost towns you saw on the news occasionally. It was a pretty creepy setup with warehouses and dirt blowing all around. There was even a gas station that hadn’t been visited in so long that the sign showed a gallon of gas as being under a dollar.
The place was dead quiet even though it was the middle of the day, and I hadn’t even seen a cop in sight. Maybe it was the ideal halfway point if someone was coming in from Mexico illegally. I suspected I might see a starving and squatting Hispanic family or two if I hung around long enough. But I wasn’t planning on being there any longer than I had to be. I was good at putting on a poker face, even with the worst of men, but the more women we got from Rafael and Juan, the more it made them seem like the lowest scum of the Earth. And it was hard to hold back the urge to squash them.
“Now, I’m feeling uneasy, boss,” Seamus commented, as he pulled into an old covered parking spot under a jagged piece of metal. We were at the back of an old warehouse that looked like it was once painted white but was now covered in brown dirt. The dust clouds were blowing in my face as I exited the van.
I felt for the Glock hidden in my pocket, and I peeked over to make sure Seamus had his too. This place was fuckin’ eerie, and I was going to be certain if I made it outta here alive I wouldn’t be meeting with Juan to grab the girls here again.
I walked in the dark and abandoned place, mostly open and empty besides a few abandoned boxes and packing supplies. There was still one conveyor belt shoved into the corner. Other than that, my only company was Seamus, dirt, and the shit eating monster that was waiting for me at the other end of the large, haunting room.
He was alone, which worried me even more. I knew something wasn’t right. I nodded to Seamus to give him a signal, and I saw that he tensed up around his own pocket, ready to strike if need be.
“Where are the girls?” I barked as I approached Juan with his rotting smile. He looked like a smug supervillain.
“Calm down, gentlemen. They are all in the car on the other side of the building. All five that you asked for are there. I thought that your associate here could go and load them out while the two of us had a little chat, man to man.” I narrowed my gaze at him, having no idea what shit he was playing at, wanting to talk and to separate us, but because he was alone, I decided to make the priority the girls.
“Seamus, why don’t you go see what this guy is talking about and see if you can’t get these girls into the van without a fuss. Can you handle that?” Seamus nodded, and let go of the tough grip on his gun after passing an upset glance between the two of us. I could tell he didn’t want me to be alone in there with Juan with the mood he seemed to be in, but we didn’t really have an option. I had to play this game well, whatever it was, to make sure all seven of us were going to make it back to the bar safe and sound.
“So, what’s this all about?” I asked, nodding towards Juan. I wasn’t in the mood to wait for him to get through a roundabout explanation. I didn’t take a fight stance, but I let him know he owed me an explanation.
“I came in here alone for a reason, Reed. It’s because I respect you, and I trust you. We have been business partners for a long time, haven’t we?” I nodded, not liking the way he was still insisting on going around in circles. “You see, I want to give you the benefit of the doubt here because I believe you to be totally innocent as far as in or business dealings. It doesn’t matter to me what you do to or for these women once you have them, as long as you give me the money I ask for and keep your mouth shut about what we do here.”
That feeling in my stomach was back as he began to pace with great bravado. He may have looked like a filthy shithead that was just some poor peon, but I knew him well enough to know Juan was nothing of the sort. He was a ruthless middle manager in a cartel who had a sadistic need to boss around all these young women. He had no respect, mercy, or remorse. He was a cold, hard criminal. I got the feeling that my Siren may have underestimated him. But I continued to keep my body calm and listened. I didn’t want to incite him before I knew what I was up against.
“And I always do. I don’t give a shit what you do either, if you keep doing fair business with me, Juan. Look, what’s all this talk about? First, you have us meet you in this creepy abandoned town in an old warehouse, and then you send my boy out to get the girls while you say we need to talk. Just lay it on me, Juan. What have you heard?” I tried to play dumb like I knew nothing, but there was no way this didn’t have to do with my Ol’ Lady and what she did for a living. I had been giving Juan’s girls new lives for years now, and he hadn’t cared before. Something had happened, and the FBI was probably going to need to know this the moment I made it out of that warehouse. If I made it out, that is.
“See? This is why I like you, Reed. You’re straightforward. It’s why I wanted to talk to you instead of making my assumptions. It’s why I wanted to give you a chance to explain and handle things your way before I angered Rafael with this disturbing news.” Well, at least I knew we didn’t have the whole cartel on our ass, not yet anyway. But I didn’t like his tone, even though he was seemingly friendly. “That woman of yours, the one that is the president for the Vipers, there was something not right about her. I just knew it in the way she acted. At first, I just thought she was new to the game. She had obviously just inherited that renegade group from her ruthless father and wasn’t doing a great job filling his shoes. It happens. But when I dug deeper, I found out that my original instinct was right. And because we are friends, I thought you should know because if we go down, you will go down with us.”
Shit! He was about to blow Elena’s cover. I just knew it, and I had to think quick, especially as he was giving me the chance to play dumb like I had no idea about her. But I couldn’t let this make it back to Rafael. I knew that. Anything was better than letting this cartel know Elena was with the FBI. She would be as good as dead to the cartel and to the government. I wasn’t naïve about how that shit worked. Once you fucked up, there was no more protection for you.
“Why would either of us go dow
n, Juan? Look, this chick is hot and great in bed, that’s all I know. I guess I should be more careful who I take home with me. But, really, how bad can she be?” I played it up, making sure he thought I didn’t care for her and had no intimate knowledge beyond what her pussy felt like. I was hoping the sleazeball would buy it. I had made a good sleazeball myself when I first became Prez. Surely, I had been convincing.
“That woman is not who you think she is, Reed. She is an undercover agent for the FBI. She means to turn us all in for sex trafficking and who knows what else. My hope is that I told you in enough time for you to dispose of her before she gets too much information. I don’t want any trouble for having dealings with the wrong people, and I know you don’t ever want to meet Rafael.” There was a threat in there somewhere, but I could tell this Rafael person wouldn’t be happy with Juan if he had to come after two MCs that Juan made deals with to save his ass. There was a chance for me to get out of this unscathed and get to Elena before it was too late.
“You’re fucking kidding me?” I acted angry, forcing myself to turn red with rage. “That fucking cunt!”
“I know this must come as a shock, but she was chosen by the FBI for a reason.” I nodded, acting like I was cooling down and becoming grateful for his information. I pulled out my wad of cash for him and went to shake his hand.
“Thank you, Juan, for giving them the chance to deal with this before it’s too late. I have an entire MC full of people she could put in danger, all because I was thinking with my dick.” Juan held out his hand to shake, looking satisfied with my response, and that’s when I turned on him. It was the fastest I had ever pulled out a gun in my whole life. I shot him down in cold blood like it was the fucking wild west and ran for my life to the van, glad as hell that all the women were already in there.
“Fucking drive, Seamus!” I screamed. He looked at me with fear in his eyes. He had heard the gun shot. He took off like a bat out of hell as we saw Juan’s associate running into the warehouse to see what has happened. I got him within range and shot him. I didn’t look back to see if he was dead or only injured. We had to get the fuck out of there.