Page 11 of Joker
Prez bangs the gavel again to get everyone’s attention.
“Wire here has been doing some digging, and some hacker extraordinaire has agreed to help us. But he wants a marker from the Sons in return.”
I sit upright in my chair, and Reck also sits straighter, both of us eyeing the brothers, daring them to say no.
“A marker is a serious commitment and needs to be put to a vote. Need you all to really think about this clearly. Sons are men of their word. We give this marker we agree to one deed, no questions asked.”
I know Prez has to cover all his bases, but I’m pissed by his speech. By the look on Reck and Tank’s faces, so are they.
“Right, let’s vote,” he says to end our thoughts.
I can feel the nerves racing through me as the vote goes around the table. I know Prez said to trust in my brothers, but that still doesn’t help. As the vote goes around the room, everyone seems to be voting yes. The vote gets to Wolf, and he takes a few moments, and his gaze flits from me to Reck. After what feels like a lifetime, he votes yes. It continues around the room until it reaches Bull and Prez. Bull votes yes, giving me a wink. Prez brings down the gavel.
“Vote is a yes. We owe this Webbie a marker. Make it clear though Wire, nothing illegal. I won’t put the club at risk.”
Wire nods his head and leaves the room. Reck turns to me, and I can see the relief across his face.
A few days later, we’re all sitting around the bar when Wire comes rushing into the room with a load of papers in his hand.
“Webbie came through!” he shouts, causing me to leap from my chair and rush to meet him.
“CHURCH NOW!” Prez bellows, and everyone moves.
I’m first in my seat while everyone else gets in. Prez is huddled in the corner with Wire. I know he would want to brief Prez first before the rest of us. Prez hates doing anything blindly. Getting the table to order, Prez starts.
“Wire’s hacker friend has come through and managed to get hold of the foster file. Boys, you’re not going to like it. Seems after being in a few foster homes, Carrie was released back into the care of Julie.”
This news causes Reck to lose his shit.
“Calm down, Reck, there’s more!” Prez says in a menacing manner. “Seems they allowed this, as Julie married some guy who seemed stable a few counties over, and they wanted to be a family. Wire is getting everything he can on where they may be now and what’s happened since then. We’re getting closer.”
The atmosphere in the room is a mix of rage and disgust that any Child Protective Service would release a child to some druggie. Being with Mom is not always best.
The wait to see what Wire and Webbie find feels like the longest of my life. We spend days just sitting around doing nothing. I try to find things to keep me occupied and work in the garage we have at the clubhouse cleaning and servicing my bike. Tank and I spend some time in the gym and in the ring sharpening my skills. I also hang out with Reck and Bull at the range the club owns. It feels good to let off some steam and reconnect with Reck.
Finally, they have a few addresses. The addresses are a few towns over. As if she could have been this close all this time. That thought makes my rage increase. Prez starts to team us all up and then hands each team an address. In my team, it’s me, Tank, Reck, and Wolf. The other two teams are led by Prez and Bull. With our instructions given, we head to our rooms to gear up. I make sure I’m dressed in black and packing my trusty Glock. Just as I’m heading for the door, I think twice and step back to grab my knife. You never can be too careful.
Making my way out to my bike, I can see the boys are ready. Reaching my bike, I look over at Tank. He looks straight at me and gives me a chin lift. He knows how much this means to me. I need my girl back. Prez makes his way outside and to his bike. He raises his hand, and everyone quiets down to listen.
“We know in this life nothing is forever, but be careful tonight brothers and come back safe.”
With his speech over, he makes a fist, and all bikes start up.
The noise of all the bikes together is deafening, but also an amazing sound that settles my soul. Prez then extends his finger and makes a circle with it, which means we’re off. Each team makes their way to the address they were given.
The ride takes around forty-five minutes, and we pull over a few miles out so we don’t introduce ourselves too early. We want the element of surprise. Pulling off the road, we hide our bikes behind some bushes on the edge of some woods.
“The address is just through these trees,” Tank says while consulting the GPRS he has. Each team has one, which allows us all to track our position and also each other.
Tank takes the lead, and we follow him through the woods, trying to be as careful as we can. We don’t know what’s in these woods. We walk for a few miles and then come to the edge of a property line. Getting into position, we scope out the area. Wolf climbs a nearby tree with his rifle on his back. He gets into a good position and uses the scope to view the property. Wolf is a fully trained sniper, the best.
Sitting in the dark, waiting for Wolf to do his thing, is nerve-racking. My adrenaline is pumping. Wolf’s deep voice comes through the comms.
“All clear looks deserted. Move in!”
With that, we slowly make our way toward the buildings. Coming around the back of what looks like a barn, I peer in the window. The place is dark, but I can make out an old car and some farm machinery. Moving around to a door, I test the handle and find it open. Using my flashlight, I make my way inside.
Looking around, it does all seem to be farm machinery—all rusted and outdated. The place gives me the creeps, and something feels off about this place. I keep looking, and toward the back, an area has been cleared. Plastic sheeting covers the walls and floor. A metal table is off to the side, with a bunch of bloody tools scattered across it. In the middle is a metal chair with restraints attached. The hairs on the back of my neck are now standing at attention. What the fuck is this place?
