Chapter 6
Digging For Information
Rip walked into the room and surveyed the scene. Pulling over a rolling cart and a chair he began to unload his gear. The thunk of his case and the clanging of metal rubbing against metal always got their attention if they were still conscious. Both of these men were awake and eyed him with trepidation. He reached down to the bottom shelf of the cart, retrieved two large metal containers and placed a square basin carefully under each man. He saw it in their eyes the very moment they realized the basins were designed to catch blood during a butchering session. Hunters sometimes used them to dress deer. Today he would be using them for a similar purpose.
He lit a cigarette and settled back in his chair. The entire scene along with his aloofness was designed to illicit a fear reaction. He was an expert at getting inside his victim’s heads. Not that he was a particularly evil bastard. He felt guilt for the things he was forced to do some days. Today was not one of those days.
These men had been stalking children today. Once a man does something like that all bets are off. No matter what he chose to do to them, it was thoroughly justified in his personal opinion. It didn’t matter, their lives were forfeit anyways. The older man would know that. The younger one, may not.
He tore the duct tape from the younger man’s mouth. Then gave the larger man a swift punch in the head, rendering him unconscious. He wanted one talking and the other in no position to interfere.
Rip sat back down and took another puff off his cigarette.
“God, I hate killing young people. How old are you, twenty five?”
“Twenty four.”
“Chances are good you’re going to die in this room today. Do you know that?”
The man swallowed and Rip watched as his Adam’s apple slid up and back down his throat.
“You might have a chance, if you tell me every single thing you know. I want to know about your club and why you were outside that school today.”
“I don’t know anything, I swear.”
Rip stood up, grabbed a small hammer from the cart and approached the man.
“Do you know there are over 200 bones in the human body? This is what it feels like when one of them breaks.”
Rip brought the hammer up cracking a lower rib. The man screamed in pain repeatedly. Having had a rib broken in much the same way, Rip recognized it as an excessive amount of noise over one broken bone. That led him to believe that perhaps his new friend had a low tolerance level for pain.
“Calm the fuck down. You’re going to get to experience that 200 more times before the damn day is out, unless you start talking.”
“What…what do you want to know?”
“Why were you at that school today?”
“I’m not sure. I was told to go with Juan and do whatever he told me to do. I’m not patched in yet, so they don’t tell me much.”
“What happened when our president rode up this morning?”
Juan got on his phone and told Miguel. I didn’t hear what Miguel said but Juan got off the phone. It made me think we were there for the gringo not the kids. Except when the gringo left, we didn’t follow him. It worried me. I’m not trying to get involved with messing around with kids.”
“Do you think Juan was there to sell drugs or anything?”
“Maybe, but I think probably not. He didn’t have a stash jacket.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“We have stash jackets. It’s made of denim and has a lot off tiny pockets sewed on the inside. We fill them with packets of crystal meth and…”
“Each time the dealer empties a pocket of drugs, he fills it with a tiny wad of cash?”
“Yea man, that’s how they do it.”
“Do you know anything about our shipment getting confiscated by the police?”
“Word around the Grim club is they tipped off the cops. I thought they just heard about the arrest and decided to claim bragging rights. That happens a lot with our guys.”
Rip methodically worked with the young man for a few hours to ensure he got as much information about the Grim operation as possible. He took a little more prodding with a couple of implements to come off with what he knew but he did. Unfortunately, he just didn’t have a lot of information to share. Getting him to draw a sketch of the Grim club house and grounds was a good move. Setting it aside, he could see it might prove helpful at some future point in time.
Rip moved him to an adjacent room and locked him in a huge bare knuckle boxing cage for safe keeping. The man stood staring at him with his hands wrapped around the bars.
“What’s going to happen to me?”
“Don’t know. Hammer may work out something for you since you didn’t go there to stalk kids but then again no one likes a rat. We’ll have to talk it over.”
Rip returned to the main room and turned his attention to the more challenging task at hand. Gathering intel from the Grim’s Sergeant at Arms would be no easy task. His soul responsibility was to protect the club and his brothers from exactly the kind of retribution Hammer was likely to hit them with. When he walked in, the man was still out cold. Rip rummaged through his clothing, pulling out his wallet. Ensuring the door was locked securely behind him, he headed for the bar.
Shelby whined, “Can’t you wash up before you come upstairs. You stink of blood.”
Reaching over he grabbed her by the throat, pulling her forward. “This is my club. I’m working on club business. You’re just whoring around here. Maybe some of the men find that damned mouth of yours entertaining. I’m sure as hell not one of them. Talk to me like that again and I’ll have every prospect cram his dick so far down your throat you can’t talk for a week. You got that?”
She nodded at him with wide eyes.
Get me a fuckin’ cold beer.” Shoving her back forcibly, she scrambled away and was back with his drink in a flash.
He motioned over his shoulder to two of the prospects. When they approached he flipped open a wallet and pulled out the Grim Crew member’s driver’s license. Handing it to them he gave clear instructions. “Grab a burner phone and pay this address a little visit. This is an info gathering mission only. Don’t engage with his family or anyone else without my permission. Call me when you get there and I’ll tell you what to do.”
Once they were gone, he jerked his chin to Shelby. “Make me a burger and some fries.”
She immediately went to the kitchen to comply. He followed her in and watched her make his food. He must have freaked her out because she was jumpy and didn’t maintain eye contact with him. As she slid his plate in front of him, he spoke softly.
“It’s not the suggestion that got you into trouble with me. It was the disrespect. We take good care of you girls. You got a roof over your head, good food to eat, and all the booze and sex you want. You can always turn a brother down. Not many clubs allow that. I know the guys are generous with money and gifts. You got a good set up. If you want to stay around here you need to watch that mouth of yours. If you don’t then you need to walk before something really bad happens to you. Understand?”
She nodded her head and left him to eat in peace.
Before he was halfway through his meal, the prospects called. Cam was the more experienced of the two. We got a nice little apartment, in the suburbs, three bedroom, two baths, no one home at the moment. Looks like he’s married, bed smells like sex, the other two bedrooms look like they belong to little girls cause their all pink got flowers painted on the walls. Don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, Rip.”
“You did good work. Go through the mail. Looking around for anything that says Maria.”
“Looks like she works for the state tax department. I got her new health insurance cards in my hands.”
“Shake down their bedroom and tell me what you find.”
“Mal’s doing that now. I’m headed in that direction. You got to be kidding me. Fucker’s got a bondage closet. Lots of kinky shit in here brother. Fuck a duck, the man’s taking boner pills just like from the commercials. We taking bets on whether it causes an erection lasting four hours or longer?”
“Shut the fuck up and get serious.”
“Damn Rip, the man’s got a whole box full of drugs and money. Mal just pulled out a duffel back with some strange vest and a bunch of guns. Shit there has to be close to a hundred grand in here.”
Rip lit a cigarette. “Looks like our boy has been skimming off the top of his drug deals. Bring the drugs, money, and guns. That vest is important, so bring that as well. It’s something special they came up with to facilitate dealing drugs. I want Hammer to have a look at it.”
“Shit Mal, put that the fuck down.”
“What’s he found?”
The fucker’s old lady has this big bottle of perfume. It’s expensive shit and the only one on her dresser. Mal can’t get his nose out of it.”
Rip thought the situation over for a minute as he took another drag. “Bring the sheets, the perfume and an a few outfits from her closet. Grab the body wash she uses from their shower and bring that too.”
“You’re shittin’ me, right?”
“No prospect, I’m not shitting you. Haul ass back here right goddamn now. Time is money dimwit. And bring a photograph of the wife and kids.”
“Sure thing, Rip. Whatever you say brother.”
Rip walked to the bar and Shelby sat another beer down in front of him.
“Thanks, girl.”
“About what you said. I’ll remember.”
“Glad to hear it. Why are you pulling two days this week? Don’t you girls normally take turns?”
“Gonna go visit my momma next week. Sharon’s covering for me, so I picked up today for her.”
“Don’t’ know how the brother’s would get along without you gals.”
She smiled wearily at him as she wiped down the bar.
“Want to make an easy five grand today, helping out the club? Might come in handy for your trip.”
“I’d like to help. What did you have in mind?”
“Help me wring some information out of a rival gang member.”
Her eyes flew open. “Hell, I’m no good at that kind of shit, Rip.”
“He’s a real piece of shit. Caught him stalking Jaden at his school. He’s hard core evil and ain’t gonna cooperate without extraordinary measures. I need to make him think I have his little wife. He’ll talk to protect his woman. If I can’t get someone to help me out, I guess that I’ll just have to grab her. You know the club doesn’t like gettin’ family members involved but since they started by stalking Jaden, I’m thinkin’ all bets are off. Still, I’d like to avoid that if I can.”
“What exactly do I need to do?”
When the prospects blow back into the clubhouse, they’ll have her shower gel, clothes and perfume. You fix yourself up real nice, and we have a little talk with the man.”
“He’ll be able to see I’m not his wife.”
“He won’t be seeing so well by the time I send for you. You just remember to groan and grab onto him acting real scared but you don’t say one goddamn word.”
“Hearing my voice would blow the whole thing. I see where you’re coming from.”
“You’d really be doing us a favor. It’d get you back in good graces with me and Hammer both. Making a little green on the side is just icing on the cake. I promise, you won’t get hurt.”
Her voice was shaking. “Al…alright. I’ll do it. I’ll do it for Jaden.”
“Good girl. You’re a star. This is the right thing to do. It’s better that he spill the information than I beat it outta him or get his innocent little wife involved.”
She nodded nervously. Rip felt something tug in his gut for the poor woman.
“You got the makins’ of a good old lady in ya, know that Shelby. I’m surprised no one’s snapped you up yet.”
“I’ve been waiting.”
“Maybe for the wrong person. Hammer ain’t never gonna be yours, darlin. Warning the other women off the way you do just pisses him off.”
She leaned over the counter. “You lookin’ for an old lady, Rip?”
He almost choked on his beer. “Me, God no. Noticed Mal’s taken a likin to ya. You seem to like him too.”
“He’s really wonderful, but he’s not even patched yet.”
“Don’t be short sighted. He’s top shelf. He’ll earn that bottom rocker soon enough.”
He watched her pondering his words a brief moment before she spoke. “Giving it all up for a prospect, don’t seem all that smart. I like having a good time.”
“Ain’t no man, prospect or patch, gonna claim a woman when he sees a different brother’s dick in her mouth every other night. Maybe you want to think about what’s important to you while vising you momma.”
She nodded uncomfortably, clearly uncertain how she felt about him telling it to her straight. He knew it was harsh, but he had just about enough empathy for her situation to take time of his life to help her.
As soon as the prospects walked through the door, he surveyed what they’d brought back. Sure enough there was a large duffel with a hundred and seventeen thousand dollars tucked neatly inside all bound and marked in ten thousand dollar bundles. All the way under the cash was hidden eight one pound bricks of meth. There was a stash of twelve small handguns of various calibers and four bricks of marijuana in another duffle. All appeared to be in good working order. He dumped out a smaller knapsack and discovered two hundred tiny cellophane bags of meth, another hundred packets of weed and about fifty little packets of pills he couldn’t readily identify. The denim vest was interesting. It had apparently been recently used because it still had an assortment of different packets of drugs and wads of cash in all the little pockets. He left it just as he found it for Hammer to look at. They had the sheets in one small bag and the female’s clothing and personal items in another. Amazingly enough the prospects had brought the man’s huge bottle of boner pills. Jesus, they were idiots.
“Shelby, here are thing tings we talked about. You know what to do.”
“Yes, sir.”
Taking the items she headed upstairs.
Turning to the prospects he ordered, “Take all this shit to Hammer. He’s in his office. I’ve already talked to him and he’s expecting you. Show him the vest first. You did well, though I’m not sure why you brought the boner pills.”
Cal looked confused. “You said bring all the drugs. Those are drugs.”
“I meant the illegal drugs but that’s fine. We’ll have them if we ever need them. Just a reminder. They aren’t for recreational use.”
The two prospects just stared at him.
Rip rolled his eyes. “That was a joke. What would a boner pill be used for, if not recreational sex?”
The two men chuckled uncomfortably.
“Get the fuck outta here, both of you.”
Some people just had no sense of humor. Heading back down to the dungeon, Rip discovered that his prisoner was awake and pulling on the chains. The effort was proving a futile waste of time as he was tearing the soft tissue around his wrists and ankles, but making no headway towards escaping.
Rip didn’t bother trying to negotiate with him. Instead he walked up and began hitting the man in the face repeatedly. The goal was to black his eyes until they swelled shut, not beat information out of him. It was a good call, because the man wasn’t even tempted to talk. Instead he cursed a blue streak and threatened retribution by his club brothers. Soon he passed out again.
Rip went back upstairs and stood in the hallway waiting for Shelby to get ready for her part. Mal stormed up to him going chest to chest with him. This one was all fire and fight. Not a bad combination for a biker but he’d need to get that shit under control to earn his patch.
“What the hell are you thinking, taking one of our girls down to the dungeon during an interrogation?
Rip gave him a rough shove backwards into the facing wall. It was enough to leave a body sized impression in the drywall. Folding his arms over his chest, he coldly stared the man down.
“You can cut my nuts right of the day I begin answering to a fuckin’ prospect.”
Stubbornly insistent as ever, Mal continued. “Women don’t need to see that shit. If you needed help you should have let us know.”
“Since when is it a prospect’s business how a member uses a whore. The only one allowed to object is Miss. Shelby. She didn’t, so fuck off.”
“It ain’t right and you know it, Rip.”
“Get the fuck outta my sight, before I forget that you’re a little brother.”
Cam came up pulling the young prospect away but not before saying is peace. “Mal might be outta line, but he ain’t wrong.”
“What I do with club whores is club business.” Rip jerked his chin towards the empty hallway, indicating he wanted them gone.
About ten minutes after they stumbled away, Shelby descended the stairs. She looked and smelled fabulous. Wearing a white cotton dress and expensive perfume, she seemed every inch a lady.
Jokingly he extended his elbow for her lock arms with him. She smiled as she slipped her arm through his. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing, Rip.”
“I’m a former Army Ranger. They taught us how to get into the enemy’s head. That’s all we’re doing here, Shelby. Don’t over think this thing, okay?”
“Okay. Lead the way, Rip.”
Just outside the door, he threw her the sheet. “Wrap up.” His voice was a mere whisper.
“Smells like sex.” She kept her voice low, like his.
“He’ll recognize the scent. Don’t get squeamish on me now darlin. We’re doing this for Jaden, remember?”
She folded the sheet into thirds and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Ready?”
“Let’s just get this over with.”
He strolled into the room and threw a bucket of water on his prisoner as he shouted at him. “Wake up Coyote. Your prospect rolled over on you. I know you’re the Sergeant of Arms for the Grim Crew. Your sweet Maria filled in the rest.”
“What are you talkin’ about? Leave my wife outta this.”
“Poor little Maria cried big crocodile tears when I grabbed her. One good slap was all it took for her to spill her guts. Of course catching her on her lunch break wasn’t easy. Then again, those dumb asses at the state tax office are totally clueless.”
“Touch her and I’ll kill you slowly. I promise you’ll die badly, fucker.”
“You know the one thing I can’t figure out? Why the hell she’s so much in love with you when you beat her, tie her up, and have to use boner pills to get an erection? That’s the only real mystery here. She’s a pretty little thing”
“Leave her alone. We never mess with family members. Been fightin’ for years and never went there before.”
“You opened that door when we found your ass outside Hammer’s kid’s school. You did this to yourself. You little wife smells like heaven, know that? She begged us to take her and leave your little girls alone. Think we should do that after you stalked Hammer’s son?”
“Just leave them out of this, man.” The large tattooed man was beginning to sound desperate. Rip grabbed Shelby and threw her onto the chained man’s chest.
“Go ahead and explain to her how you brought this evil on her and the girls. I’m sure she wants to know. She’d tell you herself, but I taped her mouth shut.”
Shelby made noises like she was trying to talk through a gag and moaned softly as she clutched at his chest. One deep breath was all it took and the large man folded.
“Cut her lose, and I’ll tell you whatever you want.”
“I’ll put her in the office alone. If you tell me everything, I’ll consider letting her go.”
“Swear to me, she won’t be harmed.”
“I swear.”