Page 19 of Freeing Souls

When I click on the box, an encrypted message pops up. Once I am able to get it open, I freeze.

You take from us, we take from you. You started this war.

I will end it.

“Harley, get back here with the guys now,” Ryker says before dialing Rage and asking him to come to the tech room.

We never left a footprint when we cleared the warehouse. We made sure of it. Nerds and I scanned for cameras when we watched the place for months. We made sure no one got away. So unless someone who helped us, turned on us for whatever reason, or maybe Vance decided to— I shake my head,no.I know how I felt when I talked with them. I refuse to believe my instincts about people are that far off.

So they had to of known the girls we saved were brought here if they sent this message to us and not one of the other MCs or the Brooks Family.

Rage opens the door as soon as the idea hits, and I jump to my feet. “Where’s Oakley?”

He pauses. “Upstairs in the same room from before. Why?”

“Come with me.” I bolt past him and run through the club, drawing attention as I go for the stairs, hearing footsteps behind me and cursing from Ryker. Heading to the room Oakley is in, I lightly knock and tap my fingers on my thigh until she finally says come in.

Walking in, I find her sitting on the bed with an open notebook in front of her while Raven sits in a chair off to the side. “You good, Grayson?” Raven questions as she glances at whoever comes in behind me.

Forcing myself to calm down, I walk towards the large bed in the center of the room and gently sit on the corner as far from Oakley as possible so I don’t startle her. “Oakley, do you remember the people at the warehouse ever cutting you…or maybe doing some kind of small surgery?”

Frowning, she thinks on it and then shakes her head. “I don’t remember, but honestly, I don’t think I would because of all the drugs.” Her face flushes with embarrassment.

“Okay, I need a huge favor from you. If you don’t want me to do it, Raven can help.”

She stares at me, waiting for me to continue, her face perfectly blank. “I need to feel your skin, around your neck and arms. Maybe even legs. I think—” I glance back at Rage, who is standing by the door with an out of breath Ryker, “I think they might have put trackers in the girls.”

“In–in me?” Oakley’s voice pitches high as she starts to scratch at her arms.

Raven jumps up and grabs her wrists, stopping her. “Oakley, babe, look at me.” Her wide, terrified eyes fly up to Raven. “If they did, we can find it and get it out of you, and then you can personally take a sledgehammer to it, okay?”

She nods slowly and then glances at me. “You can check.”

“Are you sure? Raven can do it, if you’d prefer.”

“It’s okay.” She glances at Raven. “Stay with me?” Raven nods and rubs her back before stepping back.

Once Oakley stands, I tell her everything I am doing as I check each arm, feeling for a hard, square device embedded right under the skin. When I find nothing on her arms, I move to her neck, and when my fingers press down on the back of her neck, right at her hairline, I feel it. Glancing at Rage and Ryker from where I stand behind Oakley, I nod once.

Ryker curses while Rage’s face hardens. “Okay, Oakley. I found something. I’m going to call Doc and ask him to come see if he can get it removed. Will you be okay staying with Raven?”

She nods and tears well in her eyes. Raven steps forward and wraps her in her arms, quietly soothing her. Walking out of the room, Rage and Ryker follow me, the former pulling the door shut behind him.

“Fucking trackers?” Rage seethes. “The explosion?”

I grimace. “It was intentional. We got a message. They knew it was us who saved the girls. I didn’t think anyone who helped us would have wanted to betray everyone that way, so the next option for them knowing it was us specifically would be trackers, since all the victims we saved were here."

“Fuck, the others,” Ryker barks.

I nod. “Yeah. Can you call Doc for Oakley? I’m going to get in contact with the other victims.”

“I will.” Rage nods. “Make sure you let them all know that if they feel unsafe where they are now, we will pay to get them moved wherever they want. We have to figure out who the fuck did this.”

Heading back downstairs, Ryker is huffing and wincing with each step. “Will you please go rest?” I beg.

He shakes his head. “No. I’ll sit in the office and won’t get up again.”

When we get to the hallway, I stop and glance over at Ryker. “Please? For me? I’ve already been scared out of my mind. The last thing I want to deal with right now is you passing out on me.”

---