Page 16 of Stranger Gifts

“Code, we need to see that footage from the grocery store,” said Gaspar. Code shook his head.

“No. No, you don’t.”

“Code, we do,” said Nine.

“Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He looked around the room at the other me and his eyes landed on Trak. “Don’t rush out of here and do something stupid. You know what this is going to look like.”

The grainy security footage came into view and they could see that there were at least twenty, maybe thirty other people in the store. Jenna was in the produce aisle choosing tomatoes when the bikers walked into view. Other patrons scattered as she turned.

She seemed calm and unfazed by the men, simply nodding at them and trying to move around them.

Code looked at the men in the room, watching as their fists opened and closed, opened and closed. As predicted the one that worried him was Trak. Standing stiff and straight, you could see him glaring at the faces on the screen, embedding them into his memory.

What he didn’t expect and should have paid more attention to, was Nash, silently weeping at the end of the table.

Gripping Jenna’s arms, two men held her to the floor while the third ripped off her habit and brutally raped her. The men switched placed, laughing as they brutalized her, beating her face and body until the color blended with the crushed tomatoes.

When they were finished, they threw the vegetables on top of her, spitting on what they most likely presumed was a dead body. Then they made a crucial error. They turned, looking directly into the cameras realizing that they’d been filmed.

The footage disappeared from the screen and the men said nothing, only hearing the sniffs from Nash.

“Brother, we’ll get these men,” said Ghost. Nash nodded.

“I know that,” he said. “I know we’ll get them. It’s just that she is, was a nun. A woman filled with so much kindness and goodness. She didn’t hurt anyone. She didn’t do anything to any of them. She was brave enough to offer protection and safety to those that were abused.”

“That was enough to anger them, Nash,” said Ghost. “We’ve seen men like these before.”

“I’ve seen them before,” said Winter standing in the doorway.

“Winter, honey, how much of that did you see?” asked Nine.

“Enough. Enough to remember what it was like when my own grandfather did those things to me,” she said swallowing. Nash frowned at the woman, shaking his head.

“I’m so sorry,” he said in a cracked voice.

“Don’t be. It brought me here to these beautiful people and to my amazing, wonderful husband, Hiro. I have a wonderful life, Nash. Jenna will have a wonderful life too. I think I can help her if it’s alright with all of you.” Ghost nodded with a sad smile.

“Check in with Bree and Ashley, sweetie, but I think you can help her as well.”

“Nash? When you’re ready to talk about this, come and see me,” said Winter. “I’ll tell you what that was probably like for her. What they said to her. I know. I’ve been there.” She walked away and Nash just shook his head.

“Do we know where they are?” he asked.

“We will by the end of the day,” said Code. “Once I can get a drone above them and see if I can find any sign of Samantha Bolchek, we’ll get in and get her out.”

“We can use the stealth netting,” said Ghost.

“You can,” nodded Kane, “but remember that we have Griffin and Juan.”

“Juan shows up naked in their clubhouse and he’ll be dead, brother,” said Gaspar.

“Maybe not,” said Juan, suddenly staring at them. It was only his head, but he was staring at them in the front of the room.

“What the fuck?” muttered Angel.

“It’s the stealth netting, modified a little bit,” smiled Juan. “It seems I can strip off my regular, synthetic clothing and carry this with me. It works.” He lowered the netting around his waist and Nine held up a hand.

“That’s far enough,” he smirked. “I believe you. Alright, we’ll send in a few of our own boys to create a distraction, draw them out of the clubhouse and you guys get in along with Tailor, Alec, and…”

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