“Where is Cilla?” I ask as I walk from room to room.
Every brother I meet gives me the same answer. They don’t know and they haven’t seen her. When shouting is heard in the kitchen I head that way.
“Where is Cilla? She only went to put trash in the dumpster,” Bessy is asking someone.
Opening the kitchen door, I see Bessy standing with her hands on her hips, giving Trix a nasty look. “Yeah, I’d like to know where Cilla is too.”
“Cilla went to the dumpster, Finger. She was throwing in the trash and should have been back twenty minutes ago. But I saw the club women all giggling and looking out of the window where the dumpster is. They know something and are finding it amusing, whatever it was.” Bessy is ready to launch herself at Trix, and I step in front of her, bringing myself close to Trix.
“Get the others and get to Pres’ office,” but when she doesn’t respond quickly, I bellow, “NOW!”
Jerking, Trix turns and runs out of the kitchen. I turn to Bessy. “We’ll find her. But you hear anything you let me know.”
Bessy agrees with a nod, then turns to the smoking, foul-smelling pan on the stove. I can’t help but think that our supper is going to be lean tonight.
Stepping into Tracker's office, I step beside his desk and state quickly why we are here. “Pres, Cilla is missing. She went out back of the kitchen to throw trash into the dumpster. She’s not been seen since. But these four were standing at the window watching something going down and were laughing about it. Now, we need to know what they saw.”
Tracker slowly stands to his full height, which causes all four of the women to take a step back. “What did you see? And don’t fuck with me because we’ve already dealt with one asshole this morning, and I can and will make that five if necessary.”
Now, it sounds like a gaggle of geese when they all start speaking at once, and you cannot tell what any of them are saying. Before I can speak, Tracker bellows, “QUIET!”
You guessed it, they all shut their traps immediately. “Flick, tell us what you all saw,” Tracker states, giving her a look that tells her not to fuck with him.
“Cilla threw the trash in the dumpster, but before she could turn, someone came up behind her and hit her on the back of her head. She fell like a dead weight.”
“And you all thought that was funny?” I snarl, then look from one to another.
“No, it was not that which was funny. It was the ugly guy who picked her up. He tried to throw her over his shoulder, andhe couldn’t do it. Another guy came up and helped him, but you know, Cilla isn’t that big of a woman, so it means he was weak as shit,” Flick narrates, but you know what? I don’t find that funny either.
Tracker leans forward to say something, but before he can we both notice a small flame lighting in midair. I look at Tracker and he has a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Pyro!” we both say at the same time, and right before the flame lights up in front of each of the women. They all four scream and run out of the office, leaving Tracker and me laughing under our breaths. “How the fuck has Pyro managed to do that?” I ask.
Tracker snorts, “I don’t know but it’s fuckin’ cool.”
“I’ll tell the brothers to make their lives miserable for a few days. But we need to find Cilla.” Tracker nods in agreement, and we both head out of the office. That’s when we hear shouting.
“PRES! CILLA IS HERE.”
I push past Tracker and run out of the front door in time to see Cilla drop to her knees. I spring to her and pick her up, before turning and rushing back inside and right to Scalpel’s medical room.
“I’m okay, Mason,” Cilla says as she wraps her arms tightly around my neck. “I’m just tired and have a headache from the bump on my head.”
I lay her down on the bed in medical and kiss her forehead. “You scared the shit outta me, Cilla. What happened? Where have you been? And how are you back here?”
Tracker slams the door in everyone's faces, leaving Scalpel, himself and me alone with Cilla. Cilla quickly tells us what happened and how she escaped. She even told us Mrs.Worthington picked her up on Eastfield Road and dropped her here at the gate.
“Tank and Pyro helped you?” Tracker asks, and he then tells her about the flames in the office and the women running, which has the desired effect of making Cilla giggle.
“Pyro has been practicing his poltergeist energy, so you can expect him to pop up now and again. He’s a typical dead being, that doesn’t want to stay dead,” Cilla laughs, but you know I can imagine that being true.
“When I die, I want to be Pyro!” Tracker mumbles as he walks out of medical. Which has Cilla giggling lightly, Scalpel snorting, and me closing the door thinking the place always was a madhouse, but it’s even worse now.
Chapter 18
FINGER
“Do you have any injuries other than the bruises I can see, Cilla?” Scalpel asks, and I study Cilla’s face as she answers to make sure she doesn’t whitewash over anything.