Brinks snorted.“He realized he’s about to have a very bad week.”
“Life,” I growled.
A few sharp chuckles cut through the tension, but nobody was really amused.
“The Prez of the Northbound Reapers just ghosts us?”Thorn said.“That’s his play?”
“Guess the Reapers aren’t too brave when the blade’s pointed back at them,” Pipe said.
“Northbound Reapers,” Slayer scoffed.“Sounds like a weather pattern, not a motorcycle club.”
That got a laugh.
I leaned forward with my forearms braced on the table.“What about the camper?”
The humor evaporated.
Mason straightened.“Thorn and I went back up there early this morning.Searched the area around the pipeline site.Found a clearing where somethinghadbeen parked.”
“Had been,” I repeated.
“Yeah,” he said.“Ground was churned up, tire marks, and boards tossed into the brush.Someone didn’t want to leave anything behind.”
“So it’s gone,” I said.
“Gone,” Thorn confirmed.“Could’ve been hauled.Could’ve been driven out.Hard to say, but it wasn’t there anymore.”
My jaw clenched so hard it ached.
“That’s where they were keeping her,” I said.Not a question.
“We think so,” Mason replied.“Fits the terrain.Remote.Quiet.Close enough to the pipeline that no one would question traffic, and right by where you found Clove.”
Fits perfectly.
“What are we doing?”I asked, the words sharper than I meant them to be.“Because I’m not real big on sitting around while these assholes scatter.”
A few heads turned my way.
“These guys hurt Star,” I continued.“They grabbed Clove.They beat the hell out of both of them.We took care of one, but there are still three breathing.And now their Prez knows what his guys did and suddenly he’s gone quiet?”I shook my head.“That doesn’t happen unless he’s either scared or complicit.”
“Or both,” Brinks muttered.
Basil leaned forward with his elbows on the table.“Then we take the fight to them.Road trip to Northbound territory.See how brave they are face-to-face.”
Wrecker held up a hand.“That may happen, but not blind.”He straightened, and his eyes scanned the room.“We’d be riding into another club’s turf.We don’t know their numbers, their alliances, or how strong they are.”Then he pointed.“Brinks.Thorn.Nickel.”
They all looked up.
“You three head to St.Paul.Scope it out.I want to know where they drink, where they sleep, how many bikes they’ve got, and whether they’re still flying colors.”
Nickel nodded.“We’ll get eyes on everything.”
Kingston leaned back and crossed his arms.“For all we know, they’re a half-dead crew.Might’ve packed up once they realized their guys crossed the wrong club.”
“Even if they did,” I said quietly, “we’ll still find them.”
The room went still.