Page 38 of Shattered Soulmates

Those who don’t survive the “elimination process” become fish food.

I’ve been called in today for a meeting with the acting Prez, Snake.Drágon and the vice president are currently on assignment at another motorcycle club and are not expected back for a couple of days. Snake, being the Sergeant at Arms, is third in line and is continuing our work in the meantime.

I pull up to the clubhouse and slide off my Harley. Taking off my helmet, I shake out my long, fiery auburn tresses and turn to the carrier on the back of my bike, where Nathan is strapped. Nathan is my adorable, reddish-brown Dachshund with a warm, rusty hue, reminiscent of cinnamon or mahogany.His smooth fur and long body contrast with his short, stubby legs.Before I unstrap him, I remove his motorcycle goggles and helmet and place them inside the carrier. Sitting him on the ground, he wags his tail and circles me excitedly.

As we walk inside the clubhouse, everyone begins to call his name. He’s a charming, loving boy and quite popular with the ladies. He rushes over to his favorite ol’lady, Melitta. She’s an older lady who’s married to one of the enforcers, Bulldozer. He runs heavy equipment with the construction company.

Nathan jumps up on Melitta’s lap and settles in, content to lie there and be spoiled as she pulls out a bag of dog treats.

“Snake said you were on your way, Lynsey, so I rounded up some dog treats for Nathan,” she laughs. “Just tell me Que’s not behind you because he doesn’t like me feeding him too many treats.”

“Que’s back at the office, working,” I put her mind at ease.“Is Snake in?”

Melitta nods and points to the back where the club offices are located. “Yep.”

“Thanks, Melitta,”I utter. “Nathan, you be good for Mel.” He wags his tail in answer as I walk to the back office and knock before entering. You have to be careful around here that you don’t barge in on anybody.

Snake is sitting at his desk, tapping on his old laptop. “Hey, Lynsey.”

“Hey, Snake. What’s up?”

“I got a special assignment for you and Que,” he states. “An extraction. We’ve got a drug dealer working as an elementary school teacher in one of the packs,supplying drugs and alcohol to high schoolers. We need to take her in and uncover the supply chain.”

“Where’s the dossier?” He hands me a file folder that I quickly flip through. “Have you checked these photos for authenticity?”

“Yeah, Byte looked everything over and said they looked credible.” Byte is our resident tech guru and owner of Primal Pack Digital Information Technologies. If it’s accessible online, Byte can find it. If you need a system hacked or something photoshopped or forged, Byte is the one to call on. “He said if it isn’t the real thing, it’s as good or better than what he could do.”

I nod. Byte’s word is good enough for me—he’s the expert. I scoff as I go over the photos again; they’re pretty incriminating. They show a young female exchanging a small baggie of white powder for cash. Not just one photo, but several, all involving teens.

“So, I’m assuming you want us to go pick up this female?” I snap the last word. Nothing makes me angrier than someone targeting our young like this. One of the reasons Drágon and I started this club was to stop the exploitation of the vulnerable. We had a younger sister who was taken by traffickers, and by the time we found her, she’d been mentally broken. Since then, we’vededicated our lives to caring for her and protecting those who are defenseless.

“Simple removal,” he says. “Bring her to the clubhouse basement, and the brothers will handle information gathering to shut down her operation. Since she seems to be a low-level player, it’ll probably just be a rough interrogation and then a relocation.”

“We’ll get right on that, Snake,” I growl. I take out my cell and text Que on my way out.

“Nathan, let’s go!” I call as I stride from Snake’s office toward my bike. “See you later, girls.” Nathan jumps from Mel’s lap and follows me as fast as his little stubby legs will allow. I suit Nathan up in his headgear and secure him in the carrier. Then, mounting my bike, I secure the chinstrap of my helmet and head toward Que, who I know is now loading up the “cage”—that’s what we call our cars—so we can pick up this miscreant and bring her to justice.

Byte has already punched into the surveillance camera feeds at the Wind Howl Pack and is currentlytracking the suspect, Paisley Woods. Most of the packs now have all their pack members’ records and medical files digitized, so it’s incredibly easy to access her information. By infiltrating the pack database, we discovered that Paisley meets with a mental health therapist, Dr. Robert Bishop. Her next appointment is conveniently scheduled with him later this afternoon, and Dr. Bishop’s office is located on the boundaries of the pack property. It’ll be a simple operation for us.

As we head north along the Can-Am Supernatural Highway, we’ll turn west, passing between the Bloody Paws Pack and Little Silver Creek Pack lands. After crossing the canal, we’ll reach the Wind Howl Pack. Throughout the journey, Byte will have us under surveillance, shutting down the internet and cameras to prevent us from being tracked as we pass. Thanks to his expertise, we’ve successfully completed numerous covert missions, and we’re grateful for the safety his skills provide.

The end goal here is to return safely with Ms. Paisley Woods so that she can pay for her misdeeds—courtesy of me.

Chapter 17 – Don’t Play Me for a Fool

Lynsey

Never underestimate me. My core beliefs are built on three foundational principles: perception, clarity, and justice. One of the things you should know about rare female dragon shifters is that we’re gifted. Not all gifts are equal or the same among us. I’m gifted with an innate ability to read people and situations accurately and with crystal clarity. I can quickly discern what’s true and what’s not. I have a strong drive to ensure that justice is served, regardless of the circumstances. And let’s not forget my fierce temper when I discover injustices or realize I’ve been played, like right now.

That’s where I’m usually underestimated.

I pull up to the clubhouse in our cage. “Que, bring our guest inside. I need to find Snake.”

He eyes me warily. Not a word has been spoken between us, but we never need words anyway. He knows me–he can sense the dragon beneath the surface and her overwhelming desire to burn down the world. “Okay, honey.” He touches my arm gently.

As he helps an unmolested, frightened Paisley from the car and guides her inside, I storm into the common room. “Snake!” I thunder. The entire room stills with shock. “Where is Snake?”

Snake steps from the crowd, a menacing expression on his face. “What’s this about?” He demands.

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