Reunion Series-

 

THE NEXT CHAPTER BOOK IS

 

Bits of Jack Lost Sons’ Book 2

A lone motorcyclist rode into Killeen. His long black hair waved behind him and his eyes were covered by the aviator sunglasses he wore. When he pulled up to the pumps outside Jack’s garage, he got off his bike and slowly reached up to take off his glasses, revealing his dark blue eyes.

The hot Texas sun didn’t seem to bother him as he caught sight of Jack bent over the hood of the car he was working on.  

Jack paused and looked a little closer at the other man’s clothing, taking note of his cut.

The man wore a Denim vest covering his t-shirt with some patches on it but he couldn’t read what they said. His lower face was covered in a short dark beard.

As a Lost Son, the very fact that he was in their town showing his colors Jack wasn’t sure what it meant. He straightened his stance and grabbing his rag, he began wiping the grease from his fingers. Jack slowly walked toward the other man while squinting against the sun’s bright light. “You look like you’re a little lost,” Jack told him.

The man smiled, showing off his white teeth. They stood out from his darker skin. He wasn’t black but he was Native American. “Not lost, just stopping for gas and a little bite to eat.” He held his hands out. “Don’t mean anybody any harm.”

Jack stared at him for a moment then nodded at his cut. “Those colors might get you in trouble.” 

“Not looking for any trouble friend. Just gas and food.”

Jack looked into the other man’s deep blue eyes and read the truth. He was a little older than his own thirty-one but not by much. He saw the tats on his arm. They were a mix of military and free style. One of them drew his attention and he stared at the small mark on his wrist. Then he raised his gaze to see the man staring back at him. They stared at one another for another moment or so, then Jack turned and walked back into the shop.

When he turned around again, he saw the other man coming toward him. Jack braced himself for the worst.

 When the guy got closer, he stopped and stared at Jack.

“What?” Jack asked.

“You were staring at my tats, just wondering why?” He shrugged.

Jack didn’t say anything for a long time then his curiosity got the better of him. “I recognized one of them and was just wondering what it meant. Nothing more than that.”

The other man looked down at his arm. He thought he knew which one Jack meant but he needed to know for sure. “Which one?”

Jack pointed out the one he meant.

“Why that one?”

“Like I said, just curious.” Jack shrugged.

“That one is a tribal tat, proclaiming me a member of the tribe,” the other man explained. “Each kid born into our tribe gets one. There is a ceremony on their second birthday. They are too young to remember the pain of getting the tat but they are marked for the rest of their life as a member of the tribe. That way, they can never get lost or misplaced. Some white people think that’s barbaric but for us, it’s an honor to be welcomed into the tribe.”

“What tribe do you belong to, if I may ask?”

“I am only half Indian but that part of me is Apache and I am very proud of that fact.”

Jack nodded. “What’s your name?”

“My proper name is John Jackson but my road name is Renegade.”

“And your MC?”

Renegade shrugged. “At the moment, I don’t belong to an MC. That’s one thing I’ve never tried before. My colors, as you put it, belong to the Apache tribe.”

“You served in the military?”

“I did at least for a little while.” Renegade nodded. “You are observant.” Then he shrugged. “Last six months of my two year term I served in military jail for a misunderstanding between me and my commander but that was a long time ago.”

“So what are you doing now?” Jack asked.

Renegade shrugged. “Trying to find someone, someone I’ve missed for a number of years now, someone I hope is still alive.”

Jack felt an odd dread deep in his soul at the other man’s words. He didn’t know why but for a fraction of a moment, he thought about Kalinda. He recognized the tat on Renegade’s wrist because she wore that same tat on her wrist. Kalinda didn’t remember getting it or what it even meant but Renegade knew. “Who are you looking for?” Jack asked. “And why?”

“Why are you asking?” Renegade stared back at him.

Jack shrugged. “Just curious.”

“You heard the saying haven’t you? Curiosity killed the cat.” 

Jack shrugged again. “No harm, no foul right?”

Renegade stared at the other man. Then he turned and walked back to his bike. Turning on the engine, he revved it a few times then took off. 

Jack watched and waited until he was out of sight before he picked up his cell phone and called his brother. “Creed, we might have a problem.”

~*~

Creed and Bear rolled into the garage a few minutes later. They dismounted their rides and stomped into the garage. “I’m here now tell me what this is all about.” Creed growled.

Jack sat on a stool and ran his fingers through his hair. “God, I don’t even know where to start.”

“At the beginning is always a good place.” Creed raised a brow at him.

“Ok, ok… I met Kalinda three years ago…” Jack started.

Creed interrupted, “Wait, this is about Kalinda?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah and she might not appreciate my sharing her story with the both of you but I don’t have a choice.”

“Just get on with it. She’s one of us now. She’ll have to get used to it. If we are to survive there can be no secrets between us, a secret might get us killed.”

Bear stood beside him and nodded in agreement.

“When I met her three years ago, I fell head over heels in love with her at first glance,” Jack explained. “I never knew a person could actually do that, but I did. She was having car trouble and she stopped in Beaumont where I was living and working. She didn’t know where she was going but she had dreams of becoming a graphic artist and she was pretty good too. The more I got to know her the more I wanted her in my life.” Jack paused and this was where things got a little sticky for him to explain. He knew Kalinda wouldn’t want her entire life on display for everyone to hear about. “I’m telling you this so you understand how sensitive she is about this.”

Creed nodded and motioned for him to go on. 

Bear just stood there and listened without saying a word.

“Kalinda has no real recollection of who she is or where she came from. The first thing she remembers about her childhood is being driven to an orphanage when she was about three. Her life before then is a blank. The rest of it she just doesn’t remember all that much. She has nightmares about two people fighting and a bunch of screaming but she doesn’t know who the people fighting were or what they meant to her.” Jack took a deep breath and exhaled. “She claims her name is Kalinda Grace but there is no birth record for Kalinda Grace. It was a name the sisters who ran the orphanage gave to her. They told her all she knew when she got there was her first name. The only real identifying mark she has on her is a tattoo on her wrist.” He looked over at his brother. “She doesn’t remember getting it and it looks about as old as she is. Only problem with that is I ran into another guy today that has the same tattoo. When I asked him about it, he told me it was an Apache tribal tattoo. The children of their tribe go through a ceremony when they’re two years old when they get accepted into the tribe. It marks them as a member of the tribe and it’s something they carry for the rest of their lives.”

“What’s this guy’s story?” Creed narrowed his eyes as he stared at his brother. 

Bear perked up and listened to what Jack was saying.

Jack shrugged. “He said his name was John Jackson, though his road name is Renegade and he’s only half Indian and he was proud of it. He said the tribe he belongs to is Apache. I asked him what he was doing here and he said he was looking for someone he lost a long time ago. That somebody might be Kalinda, I’m afraid.”

“Did he say what he wanted with this someone he was looking for?” Bear finally broke his silence.

Jack shook his head. “No he didn’t and that’s what’s making me nervous. There is a danger surrounding this guy, one that makes me think there’s more to him than meets the eye. He admitted spending some time in the slammer while he was in the military and that tells me he doesn’t like following orders.”

“What else did he tell you?”

“That he ain’t looking for trouble but I think he doesn’t have to look that far to find it.”

Creed turned and looked out the double doors in the city they now called home again. He had a feeling that somewhere out there was a man he needed to deal with. Like Jack said, a man who didn’t have to look far to find trouble.

“He did say he was only here for gas and food,” Jack offered.

“What’s he riding?” Creed asked.

“A red Harley Fat boy. He rode down toward the diner on Bridge Point Road.”

Creed nodded. “I’ll have a look and maybe a parley with the boy.”

Bear snorted, “You mean we might have to have a parley with him, don’t you boss?”

“Not such a boy anymore. Might be as old as you are,” Jack reminded his brother. 

“Brother, I’m older than I look.” Creed snorted.

“I know exactly how old you are.” Jack growled. “It ain’t a secret ya know?’

Creed smiled. “Older than you are anyway.”

Jack just stood there and watched as his brother and a good friend rode away, looking for a man who might have come looking for his woman.

Renegade tapped his grandfather’s number and greeted the old man in his native language, “Hello grandfather, how are you?”

Micah Wolf chuckled. “As well as an old man like me can do. How are you?”

“I’m good,” Renegade answered. “Grandfather, I am calling for a reason… a reason you may not want to hear but I would like some information if you have it.”

“What kind of information?” The old man sounded leery now.

“I need to know if you’ve heard anything about Joshua Moon recently?”

Old Micah was silent for a full minute, then he cleared his throat and replied, “Joshua Moon finally got his parole last week. He will be a free man within the month. Since no sign of his remaining daughter has been found in nineteen years the Elders have given him an early release.”

Renegade tightened his hold on his phone. “How the hell did that happen? He murdered his wife and child in a drunken rage.”

“Son, the only one who knows what happened that night is still missing as far as we know,” his grandfather reminded him. “No one saw who took her away and we haven’t been able to find her despite our many searches.”

“What if I can find her?” Renegade asked. “If I can find her and bring her home to tell her tale? What then?”

“Have you?” His grandfather asked.

“I don’t know yet, do I?” he told the older man. “But what if I could find her?”

“Then I would fear for not only her life but yours as well,” Micah admitted. “I’m afraid if Michael Moon or any of his sons hear about her still being alive and coming back to testify against Joshua? They will not allow her or you to make it back here.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The Moon family business has never been quite what it should be. No one knows exactly what they do for a living. It is understood that they run the saw mill but they haven’t worked that mill for some time now. Yet, all four of them are driving brand new trucks and their house is a fortress. Michael owns two hundred acres of brushland, not enough land to make a decent living for a family of four, yet they seem to do it and they seem to do it very well. People come and go from their property all hours of the day and night. Fancy cars, most of them but no one can see what they are doing inside his gates because they have built a wall around their property and no one from town is welcome.”

“What do you think it means, Grandfather?” Renegade had to ask. “You are a shaman of the tribe, have you had a vision about the Moon family?”

“How did you know?” his grandfather asked.

“I know you,” Renegade replied. “I know you, out any of the tribe, would be able to see beyond the walls.”

“Yes, I have had a vision and I have seen what they seek to hide,” Micah Wolf  explained. “Michael has turned his back on everything he knows about being Apache, about being one of the people. He holds the Coyote in his heart and the coyote has taken his soul. His four sons have followed his example. They are waiting for Joshua to be free before they act but when Joshua comes home, I see nothing but death.”

“Grandfather, you have to get out of harm's way,” Renegade urged the old man. “You are all I have left now and I can’t bear to lose you.”

“Grandson, I am an old man and my life is coming to an end. I have lived on this earth for ninety two years and I am tired. If you have found Kalinda Moon, you keep her safe and don't come back here. If you are here when Michael releases his hell, you will be caught up in the flames and this is one fight you cannot win. The Coyote will win this fight. I have seen in my mind's eye what will happen.  Michael and his sons have sold their souls to the Coyote for money and power. The Coyote always gives just enough to make them want more then he takes it all back, leaving those he tricks with nothing. That is what the Coyotes does and Michael Moon will find that out the hard way. My soul is clear and I will welcome death. Your father and grandfather and my own beloved wife await my arrival and I will join them gladly. But you my grandson, you have to protect Kalinda and her children.  True Apache blood runs in her veins and that of her son and daughters. You must teach them the old ways the same as I taught you. You must find the woman of your dream quest. She is your true mate. With her, your soul will be safe and you will know unlimited joy. She will give you three strong sons and one of your sons will be the next shaman of this tribe.” Micah paused and then said, “This will be our last conversation my grandson but all will be well. This ending was written a long time ago and things have to play out the way the dreams insist. Fate is a fickle bitch when she’s tested and while some of us will die, we will go to the ever after with our souls intact. I can’t say the same for Michael and his four sons. They will burn in the afterlife for the remainder of forever. They will pay for their sins in the pits of hell. Which is what fate has in store for them.”

“I can’t let that happen to you. I’m coming home.” He growled.

“I forbid it.” The old man growled back. “Your place is not here, your place is to protect Kalinda and her children. If you leave her alone, they will find her and take her to hell with them. She has to live, as do you. Fate has not yet decided your ending or hers but if you return here, you will have no choice in the matter at all.” Micah paused then added, “Remember me with kindness and caring in your heart. I have taught you well of the old ways and what it means to be Apache. Pass those lessons on to your own children. We are a forgotten people now but our history tells us we were once a proud people. We need to bring that pride back to our people. To give our children and their children pride in their history and culture. They call you Renegade for a reason because no one can put you in a box, no one can tame the spirit our ancestors put in your soul. That same spirit will live on long after I am gone. I have seen this in a my vision quest.”

Renegade was all set to argue with the old man but suddenly the call was cut off. He tossed the cigarette butt to the ground and rubbed the hot coals out with his boots. He turned to leave.

Creed and Cobra stood there. 

His scowl deepened as they stared at him. “What?” he asked.

“Who the fuck was that?” Cobra finally broke the tense silence.

“My great grandfather,” Renegade replied. “I called him to find out what I could about Joshua Moon.”

“And what did he have to say?” Creed crossed his huge arms over his equally huge chest.

“He told me Joshua Moon has been granted parole. He’ll be out of prison within the month. Michael has been waiting until his son gets out to bring hell down on the people. He told me if I found Kalinda, I was supposed to protect her and her son and daughters. He told me to stay away. What is about to happen has to happen or fate will not be appeased.”

“What does he think will happen when Kalinda’s dad gets out of prison?” Cobra asked with no expression on his face.

“He said fate will play a role and Michael will bring death to his own people. He doesn’t expect to live through it and he thinks it’s the way it should be played out. I offered to bring Kalinda back home to testify against her father but he told me to stay away. He is ready for death but if I or Kalinda dies, then we will mess up what fate has in store for the people.”

“And just how does your grandfather know all of this?” Creed asked with skepticism.

“My great grandfather is the Shaman of the tribe. He has visions but he never tells anyone what he dreams about. The fact that he told me is astonishing.”

“Do you think he could be telling the truth?” Cobra asked.

Renegade nodded. “Absolutely.”

A month later…

Renegade joined Jack as they sat on the porch.

Finally, Jack looked over at Renegade. “You know, you aren’t so bad. You gave my woman something she didn’t even know she wanted. I thank you for that. But I also have to ask you, why? I’ve been watching you since you got here and I’ve seen the way you’ve looked around this place. What are you really doing here?”

Renegade shrugged. “Maybe I’m looking for something here too. Maybe I want to start over and maybe I found a place to do that right here.” He looked over at Jack. “Would that be so wrong?”

Jack stared at him for a moment then said, “No I guess that wouldn’t be so bad. Is that what you really want?”

Renegade nodded. “Yeah, I think it is. I’ve done my time in the service of my country and I’ve drifted around waiting to find a place to call home. When I left Alpine, I thought I left all my troubles behind, but I realized I needed to find my own place. I think I can find that here.” He nodded at Kalinda.  “This way, I can keep an eye on her too.”

“She’s my woman, sunshine.” Jack growled. “I don’t need any help from you to keep track of her.”

Renegade shook his head. “You don’t understand something here, big guy. I know all too well you’re in her corner and I’m not messing with that at all. I’m glad she’s got you and you’re the type of man to step up and take care of her.” He paused, then told him, “I don’t know if I can explain this in a way you’ll understand or not. But in my culture, every young man goes on his Vision Quest. It’s a right of passage in our tribe. The quest you have is what helps shape the type of man you are for the rest of your days. My quest confused me for a long time. I thought it was telling me that I would meet the woman of my dreams in a place far away from the tribal lands our family lives on, but I’ve come to realize that  wasn’t the message my quest was all about anyway. I had to come here for her but she wasn’t the woman I dreamed about. Kalinda was only part of the dream. My woman is still out there and I have a feeling she’s very close to here.” Renegade shrugged. “Maybe I’m completely wrong but this place feels like home to me and I’d like to see if this is what I dreamed about.”

“Ok.” Jack shook his head. “I don’t know that I understand all that but ok.” 

“I love what you guys stand for,” Renegade told him. “Most MC’s are in it for the power and the glory but not you guys. You guys are a family, a good solid unit and that’s what it should be. That’s what I’ve been looking for all along. Would you have any objections if I asked your brother if I could join this group?”

Jack shook his head. “I wouldn’t mind at all. I think you fit in with us quite well.”

“Good then I’ll ask him soon.”

Jack grinned at him. “Welcome to the family.”

“I hope so. This is a place I’d be proud to call home.”

Chapter One

Three months later...

Kalinda sat out on the patio, wrapped up in a blanket. No one else was awake yet and she appreciated the early morning quiet. The compound had a few changes lately with the four new houses they were building. Tate and Nita had built their own house along with Kimber and Bear, then Harry and Annie.

Renegade’s house was almost done too. He had decided to stay. Creed and the others had welcomed him and he was now a part of their family as well.

Andrew and Glory had come to visit, often making up for the time Kalinda had been missing and slowly she was getting her family back. Her unborn baby was growing within her and all was good. Her nightmares were gone now as the truth was now known. The Tribe back in Alpine had welcomed her back with open arms and everything was settled now as they knew the truth about what Michael and his boys had been hiding all this time. The Tribe laid claims to the gold mine and had cleaned out the drug part of Michael Moon’s domain. They had found Michael’s body in a ditch near Austin. Joshua, Craig, James and Travern had all been sentenced to life in prison and they were out of sight, out of mind now. 

She drew in a cleaning breath and the air was sweet with the scent of being totally free now. The sun was just peeling over the eastern horizon when Kalinda narrowed her eyes. There in the distance stood two women. One of them had grey hair and she held the hand of a younger woman. The other woman had long red hair and they were both just standing there. staring at her.

Kalinda caught her breath and she slowly stood to walk to the fence that separated them. When stopped, she stood there looking at them for a long moment then she asked, “What do you want here?”

“We are looking for a woman that goes by the name of Kalinda Moon,” the old lady stated. “We understand she lives here. Is that correct?”

“What do you want with her?” Kalinda asked, still huddled under the blanket.

The older woman smiled. “We are not here to harm her, if that’s what you are worried about.”

“Then what are you here for?” Kalinda asked. She had a shiver of awareness wash over her.

“My name is Crysta Moon and I was married to Michael Moon for twenty years before he threw me out of his house. I had to leave four growing sons behind when he shut the door on me. I had nothing but the clothes on my back and bruises from his fists. He never thought I would survive that and I almost didn’t. But this girl’s mother helped me when I had no one else. From what I understand, this young woman Kalinda is my granddaughter and I just wanted to meet her. That’s all.”

Kalinda gasped as she took a step back.

 The woman cocked her head as she heard Kalinda step back. “My dear child, I’m not here to harm you. I heard through the grapevine that this is where you were. I know you have the choice not to speak to me. I would understand if you didn’t want to know me, but I think I am your grandmother and I wanted to at least meet you.” 

Kalinda noted that the older woman was blind as she replied, “Michael is dead and his sons are all in prison.” 

Crysta nodded. “I heard that too and I can’t say I’m surprised by that news. Michael always was a fool and time made him a dangerous fool. Someone bigger and badder than he thought he was must have caught up with him at long last. I can’t say I’m grieving over that news.” Then she paused and tilted her head as asked, “Was Michael’s death painful?”

Kalinda nodded. “Yeah, he didn’t die easy. But when you try and cheat one percenters you play stupid games and you win stupid prizes.”

“Good.” Crysta nodded. “He deserved at least that much for all the bad he did when he was alive. I was sorry to hear about your mother though.” She shook her head. “No one deserved what Joshua did to her that night.”

Kalinda didn’t say a word. That wound was still healing, at least for her. She finally knew a little about her mom and it still hurt to know she would never make her own dreams come true, not in this life anyway. “So how do you know so much about the recent happenings anyway?”

Crysta smiled. “I still have some friends on the reservation. Michael might have kicked me out of his house but he couldn’t stop me from visiting my friends.” She shook her head. “He might have thought he was a big man around Alpine, but he burned too many bridges back then, bridges that mattered. Only he thought they didn’t. I guess he found out differently over the years, when he needed them and they weren’t there for him.”

“We watched from afar because we didn’t want him to know we were there,” the younger woman told her

Kalinda turned to her and asked, “And you are?”

The younger woman smiled. “My name is Augusta Lomen. My mother isn’t here today but we found Ms. Crysta beaten and unconscious on the path to our house about twenty five years ago. She’s been living with us ever since.”

Suddenly, Renegade and Jack showed up and they stood on either side of Kalinda.

“Who are you women and what are you doing here?” Jack growled.

 Kalinda noticed he held a rifle in his hand.

Augusta frowned and touched Crysta’s hand. “Maybe we should go. We aren’t here looking for trouble.”

Kalinda glanced at Renegade and then did a double take. He was staring at Augusta like he knew her but his eyes were glazed over. She reached out and touched his hand and his skin felt cold. “Renegade, are you alright?” she whispered.

Renegade shook his head slightly then looked down at her and said, “Invite them in,” he whispered. “Please invite them in.”

Kalinda nodded slightly and turned to look at the women. “Would you like to come in and chat for a moment?”

“Wait just a damn minute.” Jack growled. “We don’t know who the hell these women are or what they want here.”

“Husband,” Kalinda spoke quietly. “The older woman is Crysta Moon. She’s Michael Moon's ex-wife, and my grandmother. I think we should hear what she has to say.”

Jack swung his eyes toward the older of the two women and studied her for a moment then he reluctantly nodded. “If you say so, but I’ll be watching them.”

Kalinda turned back to the women and told them, “Please come around to the main gate. Someone will show you to the house.” 

Augusta nodded then Crysta lifted her hand to rest on Augusta’s arm. Augusta led her back to the car they had waiting.

Jack turned to Kalinda and asked, “Are you sure this is wise? I mean we don’t know what they came here for in the first place.”

“They don’t mean any harm,” Renegade said quietly.

“What do you know about them?” Jack demanded.

Renegade shook his head. “I don’t know anything yet but I saw her once upon a time, in my vision quest. She was the woman I rescued. I know I was meant to help her. I know she wouldn’t want to bring her troubles here if she didn’t have a choice. I know that much.”

Jack looked confused as he wrapped his arm around Kalinda’s waist and led her back to the house. 

Jack went to get his dad and Daniel then they all made their way over to where Kalinda and Renegade waited for the women to show up.

Everyone filed into the house and Kalinda took off the blanket then poured some coffee. 

Crysta sat at the kitchen table along with Augusta. 

Augusta looked nervously at the men standing there. “We didn’t come here to harm anyone. We came here to meet Crysta’s granddaughter.”

Kalinda sat down beside Crysta and reached out to hold her hand. “Why did you come? After all this time, why now?”

Crysta looked in the direction her voice had come from and she spoke hesitantly, “This was the first time I’ve known where you were. There was no way I would be welcome in Joshua’s house. I knew that the moment Michael threw me away. I know he would turn my sons away from me, but after Joshua killed your mother and baby sister you simply vanished and no one could find you for the longest time. Then we heard about the trouble here, about the arrests of my sons and Michael’s death. I’ve been wanting to come for the longest time to meet you and last night Augusta said let’s go, so we came.”

Kalinda patted her hand. “They came here to kill me, you must know that.”

Crysta nodded. “I heard the rumors after your men stopped them and you allowed the truth to be told finally. I’ve known Michael Moon most of my life and he was always a hard man. He used and abused me for twenty years until his sons, our sons were old enough to do things for themselves then he beat me up and threw me out into the cold, without even a jacket. I fled into the night and got myself lost. I was in pain and I walked until I couldn’t take another step. I just laid down on the ground and prayed that the night would take my soul and my pain would be gone. But instead, Augusta’s mom found me and she dragged me back to her house. They nursed me back to health as best as they could but Michael’s beating had taken its toll and when I woke up I could no longer see. The doctors told me his beatings had caused a rupture of my optic nerve and that my sight would never come back.” She paused and shrugged. “There was nothing I could do, so I was waiting to pass but Mira and Augusta wouldn’t let me. They badgered me day and night not to give up and let Michael win. Then I began to learn to live with my blindness.”

Augusta nodded as she sat next to her. “And boy, did she learn. She’s as stubborn as a mule when she wants to be.” Then the smile faded from her face. “I think we should tell them.”

“Tell us what?” Tate, Jack’s father asked.

Crysta sighed heavily. “Michael might be dead but before he left the reservation, he made a deal with a big money man. This man had high expectations and he showed us Michael’s signature on a contract that gave him 49 percent of the rights to the gold mine. His contract isn’t legal as Michael can’t sell tribal lands to anyone outside the tribe but this man wants his money or he says heads will roll and he doesn’t care who dies.”

Kalinda gasped and raised her hand to cover her mouth.  

Jack glared at the women and replied, “Michael didn’t find that mine, the Crockett boys did. He had no right to sell it in the first place.”

Crysta snorted. “That’s Michael for you. Yeah, the tribe found that out but this guy doesn’t care. He’s owed money and he isn’t going to stop until he gets paid.”

“How much money does he want?” Kalinda asked.

Augusta shook her head and said, “Fourteen million dollars.”

Chapter Two

“What the Sam hell?” Tate growled.

Augusta nodded. “Yeah, it's insane.” She looked at Crysta and urged, “Tell them the rest.”

Crysta sighed hard. “Michael put a note in the contract that if something happened to him, then me, as his wife, would pay off the balance.” Shaking her head she added, “I didn’t think he even knew or cared that I had survived. I haven’t seen or heard from that man since he tossed me out of his house twenty five years ago.”

Kalinda clenched her hands into fists. The more she learned about Michael Moon the less she liked the man. “If he didn’t know you were still alive, then how could he add that clause?”

Crysta snorted. “That was his backup plan no doubt. He didn’t know I survived and that’s what he was counting on. He took this man’s money and he didn’t have any expectations of ever paying it back. He sold a deed that didn’t belong to him and he knew that. He just took the money and ran with it.”

“Did the tribes tell this man that the contract isn’t legal?” Renegade asked.

Crysta nodded. “Yeah, they did but again, this man wants his money back and he doesn’t care one way or the other if it's legal or not.”

“Who is this guy?” Bear wanted to know.

Augusta sighed hard and glanced at Renegade before she answered, “His name is Matthew Conrad.”

Kalinda gasped and got up, backing away from the table. 

Jack frowned at her actions and asked, “Honey, you know this guy?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know of him anyway. He’s a monster and he stays down around the Austin bay. Everyone I know stays away from the man and his operation. They say he’s one step away from insanity and he doesn’t care who he hurts to get his own way. He’s also got the reputation of administering his own brand of justice to those he thinks have wronged him. Even if the justice is totally in the wrong, in his mind he just doesn’t care. He’s also paying for top security so no one can get close to him without eating a bullet.”

Jack glanced at his dad and grandfather then he just shook his head. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Augusta shook her head. “Nothing about this mess is good and Matthew Conrad is definitely not a good man. I heard he threw a fit when the Elders met with him and told him Michael Moon made a deal he couldn’t follow through on. He almost shot one of them when he was told he had no legal right to the lands on the reservation.”

Crysta nodded. “A friend told me he did shoot a dog that day. It was just laying on the Elders lawn and when he walked out Matthew drew his weapon and shot the poor thing. He’s definitely loco.”

Tate narrowed his eyes and studied Kalinda for a moment before he asked, “How is it that you know so much about this man?”

Kalinda stared back at him and explained it, “I grew up in Austin, remember? I heard the whispers as he grew to power. He came there about fifteen years ago now. He made his base there. He  recruited thugs and wannabe thugs from the area. His base grew and people began to fear him even then. Now he’s well established in the area and everyone has grown leery of crossing him in any way, shape or form.”

Renegade just listened for a moment then he asked, “Have you seen this contract in question?”

Crysta shook her head. “No, I haven’t…. she paused. “Well, I’m blind so I will never see it to be honest.” She smiled a little. “But my friends have only told me about it.”

“It might help us if we knew exactly what it said.” Renegade shrugged.

Crysta tilted her head then nodded. “Yeah, I think it would as well.” She turned to Augusta and asked. “Do you still have my phone with you?”

“Yes.” Augusta dug it out of her pocket.

“Because I want to call a friend.” Crysta smiled. “My friend might be able to get us a copy of the contract from the Elders.”

Augusta placed the phone in her hand and helped her to make the call. Kalinda gave Augusta a number and Crysta asked her friend to fax the contract to Kalinda’s number. After she assured the friend that she was okay, she handed the phone back to Augusta. “It will come in a few minutes.” She nodded her head. “Kalinda, is it true that these guys are actual bikers with an actual Motorcycle Clubhouse?”

Kalinda chuckled. “Yep. Guys with leather cuts and patches. They all ride too.”

Crystal grinned. “Sexy!”

Augusta gasped as she had been staring at Renegades cut at that very moment.

He smirked at her.

Kalinda laughed as did the others who heard her remarks.

“I heard of this but I never knew if it was actually a thing.” Crysta laughed.

“It’s been a thing for a long time,” Renegade spoke up.

Five minutes later, the fax machine on the table against the wall printed out a few pages. 

Tate walked over and took the pages off the printer. He read them and shook his head. He walked over to the others and gave them to Jack. 

Jack glanced at them then handed them over to Renegade. “You would understand these more than I would.”

Renegade read the papers and shook his head. “This contract isn’t worth the paper it's written on. First of all, the gold mine is on reservation land. While the Elders can sell that land to someone in the tribe… that same someone cannot include the land to a non tribe member. Michael would have known this.”

“And he wouldn’t have cared one whit about whether it was legal or not.” Crysta snorted. “As long as he could benefit somehow, he wouldn’t have cared who got hurt.”

“But did he actually take the money?” Kalinda asked. She stood and went around the table to look at the papers. Then she turned to Crysta, “Was Michael left handed?”

Crysta paused and then shook her head. “Michael could barely read and his signature was more of a scrawl than a proper signature.”

“Well, this document was signed by someone left handed.” Renegade stated as he looked down at the contract. “Were any of your sons left handed?”

“Joshua was,” Crysta whispered. “He always hated that he was different that way. He tried so hard to be the same as every other kid and he learned to write with his right hand but his letters were always better written with his left hand.” 

“Was there a trait in his handwriting that you knew about?” Kalinda wanted to know as Renegade passed the pages back to her.

Crysta nodded. “He always doubled down when he dotted his I’s. He would always put two dots.”

Kalinda showed the paper to Tate and Jack, pointing out the double dotted I in Michael’s name. She sighed hard. “Michael didn’t sign this contract, Joshua did.”

Crysta gasped and asked, “He double crossed his own dad?”

Silas snorted. “More than likely he doubled crossed his whole family and tribe.”

“But why?” Crysta asked. 

“Probably because he felt they betrayed him first when his family allowed the Elders to put him in prison,” Kalinda explained in a somber voice. “Renegade brought my memory of this back when he came here… 

Three years ago when Renegade arrived….

“Do you know this guy?” Jack had asked her.

Kalinda looked up at the man standing behind Jack. She thought she knew him but it had been so long since she’d seen him, she couldn’t place him. Shaking her head, she whispered, “I might have at one time but I don’t know him now.”

“I am your cousin, John Jackson,” Renegade told her. “I am Hunting Wolf’s son.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t know those names,” she admitted, shaking her head.

Renegade tightened his lips. “Where the hell did you go all that time ago? No one knew and we looked for you for a long time after you disappeared.”

Silas stepped closer. “What the hell are you talking about, boy?”

Renegade shook his head. “This happened a long time ago. We were both just kids at the time. I was about eleven or twelve. I remember that much. Kalinda would have only been about three, maybe four at the time.” He began to pace back and forth as he told them what he remembered of a time a whole lifetime ago, “I wasn’t sure myself what happened that night but we were gathered for the passing of an elder in the tribe. Our people celebrate death with a passage ceremony as the soul leaves the body and begins its journey to the afterlife. I remember my father telling your father not to drink so much but your father wasn’t listening. He and your mother were fussing about something.”

“Wait, you knew my parents?” Kalinda asked in confusion. 

Renegade turned to face her with sadness in his eyes. He nodded. “Your father was, umm…. is Joshua Moon. Your mother’s name was Luna, and you had a baby sister named Rachel.”

Kalinda raised her hand to her mouth. “Was? You said my mother’s name was… what does that mean?”

Renegade closed his eyes. When he opened them, his eyes were glittering with tears that he never let fall. “That night something your mother said set him off and he began hitting her. Rachel was crying watching him hit her then he picked her up and he threw her against the wall. When she crumbled to the floor, your dad lost it. I don’t even think he realized what he’d done yet, he began pounding on your mom and before he knew it, people were rushing in trying to stop him. When everything was said and done, both your sister and your mother were gone and no one could find you. You were just gone. We haven’t seen or heard from you since that night, nineteen years ago.”

This fight between her parents had left both her mother and her baby sister dead.

Now with tears in her eyes, Kalinda went on to explain to Crysta and Augusta, “He  actually expected the tribe wouldn’t do anything about the two lives he took that night. He claimed he was blind drunk and he expected them to overlook his crime because he was drinking. When that didn’t work out for him, he expected his family to raise hell on his behalf. But he still went to prison and served almost twenty years.” Kalinda made her way slowly back around the table and she sat down hard. “But it had been discovered that he hadn’t been drunk at all. He hadn’t even had one drink before he lost his everlovin’ mind and beat my mother to death and threw my sister's tiny body against the wall. He lied for twenty years. Claiming he was drunk over and over again when he knew damn well he wasn’t.”

“So where is the money?” Renegade asked. “Where is the money he got from this fucker? The money Matthew now wants back with interest.”

Harry growled and stood from the table. “I think we can find the answer.” He left the house.

Kalinda took this opportunity to refill coffee mugs and then she sat back down. They all sipped at the hot liquid.

“This is wonderful coffee, Kalinda,” Crysta commented.

“It really is,” Agusta added.

Renegade smiled at her. “It’s the same kind that we had at the Reservation way back. I found where they ordered it from and I get it for the club. Kalinda get’s it delivered to her house every month as well.”

“Damn good stuff,” Tate mentioned.

 It had taken about twenty  minutes, but Harry returned. He carried his laptop and Annie was with him. She also carried a laptop. They set up at the other end of the table and began digging into Jousha’s life. 

Kalinda and Augusta helped Crysta to make it to the bathroom. Then they helped her to make it through the hallway to sit back down. 

During the wait, Jack called for a large order of pizza to be delivered. Tate wanted it to be on his card so he got on the phone too. They had to have Tate clear it at the gate of the Club first as well.

They all had pizza an hour later.

Two hours had passed then Harry looked up from his monitor. “When exactly was that contract dated?”

Kalinda held up the papers in her hand and noted the date on the forms. “Two days after he got out of prison. According to this paper, he made this deal between the day he got out and before he came home again. Either this is a total rip off or Joshua hid the money on his way home.”

Augusta shook her head. “That low down scum,” she muttered under her breath.

“Well…Hello,” Annie called out softly from her laptop. “What is this?”

Harry looked over at her. “What did you find, babe?”

Annie raised her gaze from the screen to announce, “It seems Joshua did make a stop after he got the money. At the First Avenue Bank where he rented a safe deposit box.”

“So the money he got from Matthew could be sitting in that bank?” Renegade questioned.

Tate nodded. “Yeah, it could be but that presents another problem altogether. We can’t get to it either. Banks require that only the one on the account can access the box itself.”

Jack shook his head. “First thing we should do is verify exactly who got the money then we can find out what he did with it.”

“We can’t exactly ask Michael, can we?” Silas reminded them. “He’s beyond the scope of asking. Since he’s dead and all.”

“No, we can’t ask Michael but we sure as hell can ask Joshua.” Renegade growled. “But we have to move before they transport him to Huntsville.”

“Do you honestly expect him to tell you the truth about this?” Kalinda asked with incredulity. “He wouldn’t tell the truth if the devil himself asked him a question. How can we take anything he says as gospel?”

Crysta frowned as if she were trying to remember something. “Joshua has a tell, if you guys are interested.”

Tate narrowed his eyes at her. “What kind of tell?”

Crysta began tapping her fingers, drumming them on the table as she replied, “I know when he was little he would lie all the time. His right eye ticked a lot and it was only when he lied. Then he would clench his jaw when he insisted his lie was the truth. Then if it still didn’t feel right he would clench his hands into fists. That’s when I always knew the little shit was lying.” Shaking her head she admitted, “His dad would always believe every word that kid ever tried to spin his own way. Nine times out of ten, he was proved to be lying and Michael would never get it. He always believed what his boy was saying and he tried to tell me they wouldn’t lie to me or him. Then when it all fell apart, he would shake his head and belt them in the mouth and tell them to never lie to him again. He just couldn’t admit even to himself that his sons were nothing but liars. That was one thing they learned from their dad. Never tell the truth when a lie will get you what you want. Michael could never be honest either. Not with me and not with anyone else either.”

“We should get our plan settled first,” Tate suggested. “Then we can go and confront Joshua. We need to know just what questions to ask and how hard to push him.”

 “We can start by asking him what he thinks of his dad doing business with the likes of Matthew Conrad,” Silas stated. “Make him think we don’t really know who signed the contract and what his dad was thinking when he sold tribal lands. They should rile all the brothers up some. Then we can tell him that his dad listed his dead mother as a guarantor on the loan.”

Renegade shrugged and replied, “If he knows his mother is still alive there should be some recognition there. He might even let it spill that he knows she’s still on this earth and from there we might get more information. Then and only then do we let him know that we know about the bank box. He might be willing to give it up if he can make a deal.”

Kalinda rose to her feet. “A deal? What kind of a deal are you talking about here? After everything that asshole did, he doesn’t deserve a deal of any kind and you know it!”

Chapter Three

At her outburst, Jack and Tate shook their heads. 

“No honey,” Tate said as he stared at Kalinda. “We’re not going to make a deal with Joshua, only make him think we’re willing to deal with him but before we do, we have to hear what he has to say first. If he doesn’t want to even try, then we walk away. We’ll tell him that we’ll just pass a message along to Matthew where his money is sitting and he can deal with the bank to get his money back. Then he can deal with Joshua for the interest.”

“Joshua will know exactly how much trouble he’s in when one of Matthew’s men visits him in prison,” Renegade explained. He smiled but the glee never met his eyes. “Joshua may not think we know where the money is, but when we mention the bank, we’ll see his face. Then when his brothers know about the deal as well, we’ll see how brave he is then.”

Jack agreed, “You know once Matthew finds out where Joshua and the rest of his brothers went, he’s gonna get someone in there and if Joshua doesn’t play nice Matthew will teach him a necessary lesson. A lesson he might not get away from learning the hard way.”

Crysta visibly shivered

Kalinda sat back down next to her and saw this. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Shaking her head, the blind woman whispered, “He can’t know that I’m alive. Whether it was Michael or Joshua, he wrote that clause in there that made me responsible for that debt.” Swallowing hard, she said, “I don’t have that kind of money and if this Matthew is so bad, I never want to meet him.”

Kalinda knelt beside her. “You won’t get close to that man. You can stay here with us, both you and Augusta.” She turned to Augusta and said, “You can call your mom and have her come here too, if you like.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” Augusta asked.

“No, ask her to come here, if you like.” Renegade nodded. “All three of you need to be safe. You’ll be safe here.”

Augusta stared at him for a moment then nodded slowly before she asked, “Why? Why would you invite us all to stay here? Why would you protect us? You don’t even know us.”

“Because that’s who we are.” Tate growled. “We don’t treat women badly around here. And we always look out for one another. Besides, Crysta is Kalinda’s grandmother. Which makes her family and that makes you family as well. We are all about family here.”

“We have good reason to feel that way,” Silas spoke up. “It is a long story but the short of it is. Our family was almost destroyed due to a bad member of our MC. He made it look like my son Tate here was dead and he held him captive for many years. They tried to kill me when they gave me the beating of my life. They ran Jack and Harry out of town and they framed my other grandson Creed for a crime he never committed. We were all separated.” 

The two women looked stunned and horrified by this story.

“But our family bond kept on going and we eventually beat that sonsofbitches.” Tate looked fierce as he stared at  her. “Nothing is more important than protecting your family.

Augusta studied him for a silent moment then she nodded as she had been convinced that they meant this. “I’ll call mom to come here until this is over. This whole thing is scary as hell and I don’t trust this Matthew character to leave us alone.”

“Neither do we.” Silas growled. “I’ve known men like him. He'll lie straight to your face, so that you will turn your back on him. That’s when he’ll stab you in the back as you’re walking away. Just like the monster in that same story. You better call your mom quick and get her here soon before he realizes the connection she has to Crysta.”

Augusta nodded. Grabbing her phone, she walked outside to make the call. 

Crysta folded her hands in her lap as she sighed heavily. “This is so messed up. I knew Michael was a bastard of a man and I figured he would teach his sons some of his bad habits but I never thought one of them would pull this. I haven’t seen my sons for twenty five years now but I didn’t think they would have so little feeling for me.”

Kalinda reached over to pat her hand. “The more I learn about Michael the less I want to claim him as family. Seems like the only one Michael ever cared about was Michael.”

Crysta nodded. “You got that right. I think I knew all along just who he was and what he was. He could sweet talk a woman when he was younger. He was so good looking and he had some wild dreams. He talked a good game about what he wanted but he never quite had enough good going for him, you know? He could talk a good game, but he was lazy and he drank when he figured his dreams were never going to be enough. He always claimed I was the one dragging him down, but I never did that. With him, he always had some get rich quick scheme in his head. He would make some money from them but it was never enough for him. I had to go to work just to pay the bills. He had to stay home with the boys. The money I brought home I spent on rent, groceries and bills before he could get his hands on it. I gave him what was left but I learned the hard way to make sure I paid the bills before he got it. If I didn’t, he would drink it all up and then there would be no food in the house.”

Kalinda just shook her head. “That so sad.”

Crysta shrugged. “Life for our tribe has always been hard. For generations, no one ever had enough. We were living in the poverty zone but we were always a proud people. The government always tried to keep us down and some of us drank a lot. I know the color of your skin probably held you back too, sweetie. It's not right and it's not just but people are what they are.”

Kalinda nodded. “Yeah, I know. I may not have known who I was or where I belonged but people always looked at me and tried to keep me down. It wasn’t comfortable growing up that way. But the kids in that orphanage were the worst.” She stayed quiet for a moment then she whispered her secret shame, “They would call me a breed, all the time. They never called me by my name, always by the slur of Breed. They would ask me where I belonged. Then when I was fourteen, one of the older boys got some beer and they dragged me outside. All of them took me into the woods where they held me down and forced me to drink. I told them I didn’t want to and to just leave me alone. But they held me down and poured it down my throat. When they let me go, I could hardly stand, then they began to chant for me to do a dance, a rain dance. They started to throw rocks at me. When I jumped away from them they continued to throw rocks and chant…Rain dance, rain dance.” She raised her hand to her face. By her hairline she carried a scar from that night. Her eyes were filled with tears as she recalled what happened next, “The oldest of the boys was weeks from aging out of the system and he was the loudest of them all. He threw a rock at me that hit me in the head. When I started bleeding, he laughed and told me I would end up living on the streets, begging for money so I could drink my supper.” She shook her head. “When they got caught, the priest asked me what was going on here. I could have told him what happened but instead, I just stared at him then I walked back to the dorms. There was no way I was going to expose myself to any more ridicule. I woke up the next morning and I stayed quiet. I did what I was supposed to do but I didn’t talk to anyone. I did my school work but I never spoke to anyone again. I found a way to ignore them and I did just that. I remained silent and cold with people that could bully a girl like that.”

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder as the rage could be seen in his eyes.

With a sigh, Kalinda went on, “Then one of the other kids there that night went to the priest and confessed about what really happened. He told the priest about the slurs I had endured, about the beer they forced me to drink, about the rocks they threw at me. The priest couldn’t believe it. He brought me in and tried to talk about it but I wouldn’t tell him anything. I just stood there and wouldn’t say a word. Then he brought the biggest bully in and that man just sneered at me. He expected me to have told the priest everything but I just stood there. The priest had to call the police, that place didn’t tolerate abuse and when the police dragged him away, he shouted that he would find me one day and he would finish what they started that night and he would leave me bleeding and broken when he walked away.”

Jack’s rage now showed on his face as his hands clenched into fists. 

Tate’s eyes were filled with rage as well as Silas’ and Renegade’s. 

No one said anything for a long moment until Silas’ voice broke the tension by asking, “What’s his name, honey?”

Kalinda just shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. That was a long time ago.” She shrugged. “I grew up and got out of that place in one piece and  moved on from what happened.”

Crysta felt around on the table then reached up to pat Kalinda’s arm. “I’m glad they couldn’t break you, my dear. Apache blood is strong and you did your ancestry proud. They tried to break you and you held it together.The tribe would be proud of that.”

Kalinda turned to look at her. “But I didn’t know where I belonged. I didn’t even know my own name. But there was something I did know. Ever since I was little, I could hear someone whispering in my dreams. It was a woman’s voice telling me to be brave, that someday I would come home and reveal the truth. She would tell me that I had to survive and not to give up. Someday I would know my past, I would know who I was and where I belonged.” She turned her head to look at Jack. “She was right. The day I met you, I knew where I belonged. My home was in your arms.” Tears rolled down her face as she whispered, “In your arms I felt safe, protected and loved from that first day. And that feeling never left me. I’m proud to stand at your side. Never in front of you or behind you, but right at your side. Just like the voice had told me. I know my place now.” She turned back to Crysta and said, “I believe that voice in my head, the one who haunted my dreams was my mother. From the afterlife she protected me, guided me and when I met Jack, she told me I could be myself with him just as the fates decided. He is the other half of my soul."

Renegade cleared his throat and admitted, “I was drawn to this place for a reason. I was looking for you all those years and I never gave up the hope that I would find you. But I also came here for another reason. The fates guided me here to help someone else as well.”

Tate raised his gaze to stare at him in confusion. 

But before he could say anything, Augusta came back inside. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she was sobbing.

“What’s wrong?” Renegade asked as he hurried over to her. He grasped her shoulders gently to ask, “What happened?”

Augusta looked up at him as she wept. “I just spoke to a friend of mine…S-someone—kidnapped my mom when she got off work. T-they dragged her to a van, kicking and screaming. They pushed her in and the van took off. It all happened so fast that n-no one could stop it. No one knew the men or what they wanted.” She looked up at Renegade and whispered, “M-my mom left a message on my cell.” She turned her phone around and showed him the text left by her mom’s phone number.

 ‘I want my money, you have forty eight hours or the woman is dead.’

Renegade read the message silently as he looked disgusted then handed the phone to Tate. 

When Tate read it, he passed it along to his dad Silas as he glared at Renegade. “Matthew Conrad. She’s with Matthew Conrad.”

Chapter Four

Tate turned toward his son Harry and his daughter in law Annie. “Find this motherfucker. Get as much information as you can on him. I want to know about the life he’s had since the day he was born. Find me something I can use against him.”

Harry’s mouth went tight and he nodded. “We’ll track him down.”

“Damn right, we will.” Annie growled.

Kalinda looked worried as she spoke up, “I got some friends in Houston that might be willing to see if they can find out where Mira is located. Conrad is really stupid, vicious but stupid.”

“Call them and get eyes on him. We don’t have much time to get her away from him.” Tate growled. Then he looked at Silas and said, “We have to be righteous about this. We can’t move too fast, we need to know just how to hit these guys and I won’t put an innocent at risk.”

Silas nodded. “That ain’t how this family works anyway. Let Harry and Annie find us a way inside. We can wait until tomorrow to visit Joshua and his brothers. We have to speak to them first.” He shrugged. “They might not give a damn about Mira’s life but I have a feeling they will care that Josh has fourteen million he never told them about.”

Tate agreed, “Yeah, they might care about the green which to me is one fucked up way of thinking. I would never put green above the value of an innocent’s life. Mira never deserved this.”

Crysta shook her head, “No, she doesn’t, all she did was help me when I needed it. She saved my life at a time when I gave up on living. Her and Augusta gave me a reason to breathe. They gave me the time to realize what Michael really did to me. How he used and abused me and made me think I needed him. I never did need him. In fact, I was better off without him. They helped me to see that.”

“He only gave us 2 days,” Augusta whispered as tears flooded her cheeks.

Renegade walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Only then did he feel the shock her touch gave him. His eyes went wide as his heart pounded in his chest. He knew then he was connected to this woman and he knew that connection was deep. But he didn’t say anything just then, this wasn’t the time for such revelations. This was a time for standing with her through the worst thing she could face, he hoped she wouldn’t lose this fight. “We’ll get her back,” he whispered. “You just have to believe that. This group of men won’t fail you and neither will I.”

Augusta nodded and buried her face into his chest. She seemed to be taking deep breaths and Renegade just let her. When she was calm she peeked up at him. In her eyes, there seemed to be questions he had no answers for.

Then everyone began talking softly. 

Augusta moved back to sit next to Crysta. When she saw Crysta was getting tired, Augusta looked up at Kalinda and said, “Crysta is very weak these days. Do you have somewhere she can maybe have a nap?”

Kalinda nodded. “Sure, she can have the guestroom.’ Kalinda motioned at the rest of them, “These guys might be here all night.” She went over to her grandmother and knelt in front of her. “Come on Crysta, let's find you a bed.”

Crysta reached out her hand and cupped Kalinda's cheek. “I’m glad I finally got to meet you my dear. You grew up so far away from the rest of us and I guess that was probably a good thing. Michael and your dad couldn’t hurt you anymore and that was a blessing, for sure. You didn’t deserve the isolation but it was the one thing that probably saved you. I’m so happy I found you again.” Crysta lowered her head. “I’m ashamed of what my son did to you though. I knew his father would turn him against all I tried to instill in my sons, Michael turned them all into monsters and for that, I hope he rots in hell.”

Augusta waited to help her to her feet then she guided Crysta. Along with Kalinda, they helped Crysta to get ready for bed. 

When they left the room in silence, Crysta finally fell asleep but her dreams weren’t good dreams.

Sometime in the middle of the night, she heard someone calling her name, over and over again. The sound finally broke through her dreams. Crysta gasped and sat up in her bed. “Who’s there? She called out while feeling afraid.

“Please don’t be afraid, I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Then why are you here and who are you?” Crysta called out softly. 

He chuckled. “They used to call me, Micah Wolf. I was the Shaman for your tribe. I used to watch over you and the others.”

“Micah Wolf?” Crysta frowned. “I met you when I married Michael. But you died some time ago.”

“Yes, Crysta I did,” he admitted.

“Then why are you in my dreams?” Crysta asked softly.

“I don’t mean you or the others in this house any harm, but I need the truth to be known.”

“What truth?” She wanted to know.

“The truth about who killed me,” Micah assured her.

“Killed you?” Crysta’s hand flew to cover her mouth as she gasped.

“Yes, Crysta. I was murdered before they set my house on fire. They used fire to distort the findings, so the law would label my death as an accident.” 

Crysta felt tears fill her eyes as she whispered, “It was Michael, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was Michael and all four of your sons. They came to me in the middle of the night, but I was waiting for them. I knew they would come for me.”

“How? Why?” she had to ask.

“Because I knew what they were hiding behind that great wall they put up around their house. I had seen what they were doing, what they were selling. In fact, I’d seen everything they did all these years. I saw in my visions what Michael did to you the night he threw you out of your house and out of his life.”

Crysta raised her head. “I had his children and when they were old enough to get by without me, he threw me out after beating me senseless so he could begin his own special training. Without me around he could train them better. He taught our sons how to rob and cheat people. He made them into his image or rather, he taught them his horrible beliefs. Everything was meant to be taken, cheated and ruined by him and his sons. He went against tribe teachings and the Lord’s teachings as well.”

Micah agreed, “Yes, he was all of that and so much more. But in the end, he realized that I knew what he’d been hiding for years. It wasn’t just the pills or the gold anymore. That was only part of the things he had done. He still had so many secrets.”

“What kind of secrets?” Crysta asked the voice, since she could not see him. 

“I told my great grandson I could see the Coyote riding his back,” Micah explained. The Coyote kept whispering his chaos into Michael’s ear. But Michael did what he was told to do. He was in it for the money and that’s all that mattered to him. That night, I was waiting for them and they came. It was after midnight when they opened my door and walked inside like they owned the place. Michael told me they were leaving town that night but before they left, they had to come and settle me. I told them I knew what they were doing behind those walls they were hiding behind. Michael looked rattled by that but he didn’t stop what was going to happen. I could see the Coyote’s face behind his face. I told him that but Michael didn’t believe me. He said the Coyote wasn’t real but he was wrong. I told him the Coyote wouldn’t stop until Michael had no more to give him. Michael told me to shut up and not to spread my lies. Then he drew a knife while his son Joshua broke open a bottle and began to spread the liquor all over. Then he lit a match as Michael pushed a knife into my ribs. I lived long enough to tell him that he and his sons were on their way to the fires of hell.”

“So why are you here?” Crysta asked. “Do you want revenge or justice?”

 “I don’t want either. I just want the truth to be told. Michael killed me and his sons didn’t try to stop him.”

“Michael is already sitting in the fires of hell,” Crysta told him.

“I know and his death was not easy.” 

“But it was too quick, he was supposed to suffer!” Crysta cried out. “He should have spent years suffering, not days.”

Micah whispered to her from closeby, “He was a coward right up to the end of his life, he tried to make a deal with the devil here on earth, then he went and tried to cheat him, but the devil found him out and he did feel the pain he caused.”

“So again I ask, what am I supposed to do with this knowledge?” Crysta asked.

“I want the Elders to know how I died. I need Renegade to know as well. I want the truth to be told. They think I died by fire but the fire never reached me. I was dead before the fire took my house.” Micah went on, “I am stuck in limbo because I never got the truth out before I died. Only the truth will free me to reach the other side.”

Crysta nodded. “I am sorry to hear that. Renegade will be upset too. I will tell everyone what you told me. Then hopefully, you can move on. It probably won’t do anyone else any good but the truth will be told. Michael is dead already and the boys are going to prison. The only difference now, is they will do time in the white man’s jail. Their crimes were off the reservation so the tribal police don’t have anything to do with this.”

“That will make all the difference,” Micah replied. “Joshua isn’t going to have any privileges in this prison. Not like he had before. They will suffer greatly in that place. You have to harden your heart, Crysta… because one of them will never come out of there.”

Crysta gasped then after a long moment, she nodded. “It was inevitable wasn’t it? They lived a hard life and none of them regret anything they did. At least until they got caught. Then I imagine they pointed fingers at each other and began to babble, casting blame on everyone but themselves.” Shaking her head, she told him, “They never ever admitted any wrong they did. I knew they lied. Michael always believed everything they said, but they would lie straight to his face and when it would be proven that they lied, he would rap them in the mouth and tell them to never lie to him again. He should have known better, after all, he’s the one that taught them how to lie.”

“Believe in these men you are here with,” Micah said. “They will go the extra mile to get your friend out of danger. Renegade will be right beside them as well. I am also hoping you stay around here and get close to Kalinda and Renegade. She’s going to need your help with her children. They need to know the old ways as much as she will. She lived away from the tribe for too long. No one ever taught her how to be Apache. She’s going to need you and so will her children.”

Crysta cocked her head to one side and when she couldn’t hear his voice any longer, she felt he was gone. She’d known Micah for a brief time. He had been highly revered by the tribe and when he passed, the tribe all felt the loss. With a long sigh, she laid back down. With her blindness she couldn’t see Micah but that talk had told her a lot. Closing her eyes, sleep found her again but this time it was a quiet sleep, a healing sleep.

 

Chapter Five

The next morning everyone gathered in the kitchen.

Tate looked over at Harry and Annie to ask, “Were you able to find out anything more last night?”

Harry glanced at Annie.

She gave him a firm nod.

 He looked back over at his dad and nodded. “Yeah, we found out that Kalinda was right. Matthew Conrad is on the verge of insanity and he rules the Houston docks with fear rather than anything else.”

“I made a call last night,” Kalinda told them. “I made some friends in the orphanage I was taken to.While not everyone did well there, most of us just stayed long enough to age out and then we disappeared into the shadows of the city. Life is hard and without money you learn to live on the streets. You also learn to watch the people around the hardest part of the city. One of those people could have been me, but I had the wherewithal to want something better for myself. I also learned the hard way to hide the money I earned, because someone always wanted it more. I wasn’t old enough to have a bank account by myself. But I always hid it from the older kids who wouldn’t think twice about taking it.” She paused and slowly shook her head.

Jack laced his fingers with hers to hold her hand.

With a sigh, Kalinda went on, “Anyway, one or two of the other kids living there got out early. They just didn’t come home from school one day. They chose to live on the streets. One of those kids was Justin. He was smart and he learned the hard way to stay hidden.When I aged out of the system, Justin found me. He taught me a lot of things and it was only when I learned all I could that he let me go out on my own. It was like I was his little sister or something? In fact, it was Justin that told me about Matthew Conrad. He’d been watching him for many years and he learned a lot about how Matthew did business. So last night, I spoke to Justin and let him know about Mira. How we think Conrad took her to get his money. Justin said he would have a look around. He was going to call me later this morning if he found something about her.”

“So we might have someone looking for her already in the city?” Tate asked.

Kalinda nodded. “And believe me when I say that if anyone can find her, Justin can and he will get her to a safe place.”

Augusta looked shattered and tired like she hadn’t slept all night. She was shredding a napkin in her hands. But at Kalinda’s words she paused as she looked hopeful. “Do you really think he can find and keep her safe?” she asked hesitantly.

Kalinda turned to face her and nodded her head. “Yes honey, if anyone can find her Justin can.”

Crysta cleared her throat and announced, “Something else happened last night. You may not believe this, but a man visited me in my dreams. He told me his name was Micah Wolf.”

Renegade stood up so fast that his chair slid across the floor making a screeching sound. He stood there, staring at her with his fists clenched at his. “What did my great grandfather say to you?”

“Son, calm down,” Tate stated. “We all need to hear this.”

Crysta slowly turned her head in the direction of Renegade’s voice. “He told me he was murdered. He said he didn’t die in the fire that took his home. Michael and our four sons walked into his home like they lived there. He said he already knew they were coming and why. He said he was the Shaman of our tribe and he saw in his visions what Michael and the boys were doing behind that wall they built to hide their crimes. That he could see the Coyote on Michael’s back and the Coyote was laughing at him behind his back. He said he tried to tell Michael about the Coyote but that Michael didn’t believe him. He also told me that he was caught in the space between our world and the afterlife because no one knew the truth about what really happened to him. I asked him if he wanted justice or revenge and he said he wanted neither. He told me he needed the truth to be known so he would be free to enter the afterlife. He just wanted the Elders to know what really happened the night he died.”

“And just what really happened the night he died?” Silas finally asked.

Crysta turned her head again toward his voice now and her words were whispered, “He told Michael he knew why he was there, what he was hiding from the world. Michael just laughed at him. Then while Joshua splashed a bottle of booze around the room Michael himself slid a knife between his ribs straight into his heart. He just wants the truth to be known, that’s all.” Crysta took a deep breath and added, “He told me he needed me to stay to teach Kalinda and her children the ways of old.” She turned her head back to Renegade and said, “He told me both you and I needed to teach Kalinda and her children the ways we were taught.”

Renegade nodded. “He told me the same thing. That Kalinda was kept away from the tribe for so long that she’d forgotten her heritage but that she would need to learn it again.” He turned to look at Kalinda and said softly, “He said your children, your son and daughters.”

Kalinda gasped. “My son and daughters? As in more than one daughter? And a son as well?”

Renegade nodded. “He said son and daughters.” Renegade walked over to kneel beside her and reached out to take her hand. “He also told me that your son would become the next Shaman of our tribe and that he would need to be schooled in our beliefs. I know it's hard to understand right now because he isn’t even born yet, but the Shaman of our tribe has a big job. He will guide us and have visions no one else will have. Micah was 92 years old. He knew a lot of our history and our customs. Hell, he lived through a lot of it. If you think about it he was with the tribe for almost one hundred years. He even knew the elders when he was a child.”

Jack looked between them then said, “But he’s right honey. You and the kids have an honorable heritage. It’s the same for every family. You do need to learn about your tribe and your family. Not only the bad but the good as well. And there’s always something good. You met your aunt and your grandfather, they seem to be good people.”

Kalinda nodded as she remembered that visit. Her mother’s father and her sister came to meet her. Andrew Hunter was her grandfather’s name and his daughter’s name was Glory. They had spoken a few times on the phone after she found out where she had come from after being orphaned as a child. Andrew complained that phone calls weren't good enough. He wanted to meet in person. So Andrew and Glory came to meet Kalinda in person. Jack had stayed home to meet her family. Renegade had asked if she would mind if he was present and she’d told him she was hoping he would be there. It had been wonderful. She had actually felt like she had family when they came.

Renegade looked angry. “Mira saved Crysta’s life. If not for her and Augusta, we would have never met her. We have to get Mira back and Matthew Conrad gone for good.”

Annie looked up and sneered. “Don’t worry about putting Matthew down, he’s gonna do that all on his own.”

Tate snapped his gaze over at her to ask, “What does that mean?”

Annie smiled. “Let’s just say certain things have reached certain ears and he’s about to face another double cross he was first in line to do. One of his deals isn’t so kosher. Actually, more than one but this one is just the first one to come up.”

“We need to get down there and get Mira out of the line of fire.” Silas growled. 

“Please give Justin enough time to find her and get her out of there,” Kalinda pleaded. “I know he can do this, all he needs is the time to do it right.”

Tate looked over at Annie. “Do we have time?”

She shrugged. “I think so? I’m unsure but this could happen within a couple of days.”

Augusta sobbed and looked up at Kalinda. “Can he really do this? Can he really get to my mom and get her free?”

Kalinda nodded. “Yeah, he can do it, he hates Matthew as much as anyone in that city. He told me over the phone that Matthew is so corrupt, he doesn’t even know who’s on his payroll and who isn’t. He thinks all he needs to get by is a stack of hundred dollar bills. He thinks everyone has a price and if they don’t, he’ll just shoot them. He’s not done with the tribe either. He’s made it known that he will never be denied something he wants and he wants that gold more than anything.”

“Well, it isn’t his gold to claim.” Renegade snarled.

“He doesn’t see things that way.” Kalinda shook her head. “Joshua took something that he never should have. And now he thinks he’s safe and the money will still be waiting for him when he walks out of that prison. He’s a fool, a cheat and a liar.”

“Speaking of Joshua, I think it's time we spoke to him and his brothers,” Tate stated as he stood from his chair. “I spoke to the sheriff this morning and we have to speak to him today because they are being transferred tomorrow to Huntsville. I asked to speak to all the brothers and he agreed.”

Tate, Silas, Creed and Renegade all got ready to go and soon they were all riding out.

 Kalinda watched them from the door.

 Jack came up behind her and put his arms around her. “Don’t worry, babe. They won’t come back until they get what they need.”

Kalinda shook her head. “I know how stubborn they are, but my dad and his brothers can look you in the eye and lie to you straight faced. They can make you believe every word they say, then laugh as you walk out the door, thinking you are so gullible. They wouldn’t know how to tell the truth. Michael taught them well.”

“Michael was always a fool,” Crysta spoke up as Augusta had helped her to the door. “That Coyote has been riding his back most of his life. He never once worked a job, but always talked a good line about get rich schemes. He never failed but instead he always talked about the next scheme, the next time he would cheat and lie his way to the money.  He taught his sons that way too.

Kalinda nodded as she replied, “I just wish that one of them would finally grow a pair. Kick that Coyote away.”

“Only the righteous have courage, my dear,” Crysta stated sadly.

When Tate and the others parked in front of the police station in town, he found the sheriff standing on the steps waiting for him. He got off his bike and the others joined him. Together, they mounted the steps.

 The sheriff led the way to the interrogation room. He turned to Tate and said, “We got them all here.”

Tate nodded. “Good, we have something to tell all of them. You might want to watch this ‘come to Jesus’ meeting.”

The sheriff nodded. “I’ll be behind the two way glass.”

Tate nodded back, then reached for the door to step inside.

All four of the Moon brothers were waiting on the other side. They all wore hand and ankle chains while tethered to the table in front of them.

Joshua’s head snapped up and when he saw who was walking inside he growled. “Now what the hell do you want? You didn’t get enough justice when you turned us over to the cops?”

Tate smirked and came to stand on the other side of the table. “You got bigger troubles now, Joshua.”

Joshua snorted. “What’s worse than spending the next fifteen years in a white man’s prison?”

“Well let’s talk about that for a moment.” Tate sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the table. “Something has come back to possibly bite you in the ass.”

“Oh, yeah?” Joshua snapped. “And what would that be?”

Tate reached inside his cut and pulled out the copy of the sale of the gold mine. “Seems you were busy between the time you walked out of the Tribal prison and the time you got home.”

Joshua scowled at him. “What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t do anything in that timeline.”

“Really?” Tate asked with a grim smile.  He smoothed out the paper and slid it over to him. “You sure about that?”

His other brothers all looked confused as they stared at the paper then up at Joshua.

Chapter Six

Joshua didn’t even look down. Apparently, he knew exactly what the paper was.

 However, his brother James did look curious and he gazed down at it. 

His other brothers Craig and Travern looked as well. 

They all noted the signature on the bottom and they all paused, but not one of them said a word.

Joshua held Tate’s gaze and asked, “What’s this?”

“Oh, I think you know very well what that is,” Tate called him out. “You signed it, after all.”

“What the hell is he talking about Joshua?” James asked.

Joshua shrugged. “I don’t know anything about…whatever it is.”

Silas sat back and smiled. “Don’t you? According to this document, your daddy got a loan from someone he never should have known about. Matthew Conrad. But it wasn’t really a loan either, was it? No, according to that paper, your daddy sold half a gold mine to Matthew, a gold mine that is located on tribal lands. Now that was stupid because as you all know, an Apache cannot sell any part of Apache land to non Indian. And Matthew Conrad doesn’t have one drop of Apache blood in him.”

“A fact he found out when he went to the Elders and presented his claim,” Renegade told them. 

Joshua shrugged. “So? Dad made a mistake.”

Tate snorted. “Michael didn’t sign that contract, you did.”

“Prove it. Prove it was me that signed it.” Joshua snarled.

Renegade set another piece of paper down on the table and pushed it toward Joshua.

 Joshua stared at him then he peered down at the new paper and he paled slightly.  But he said nothing as he raised his head to glare at the four men on the opposite side of the table. 

James leaned over to read the second piece of paper. It was a copy of an application to a bank safety deposit box. The bold writing was Joshua’s signature. The lines and slant were the same as the name on the bottom of the contract in his father’s name. Even to the point of the double dots on top of the I in Michael and the I in his middle name. 

James looked up at his brother and exclaimed, “You signed Dad’s name to a contract that sold Tribal land to Matthew Conrad, knowing the contract wasn’t legal?” 

“Were in prison James, so yeah illegal,” Craig pointed out. “But what I want to know is how much money are we talking about here?” 

“Fourteen million dollars,” Renegade told them. “He got the cash and then he deposited it in a safety deposit box at a bank between Houston and home. He even paid for the box for several years in advance.”

Craig, James and Travern all looked pissed as the full picture became clear in their minds. 

“You motherfucker.” Travern finally growled. “Were you ever gonna tell us?”

Joshua shook his head. “That was my retirement. Mine and mine alone.” He shrugged and then said, “I was going to wait a few years then slip away, get the money and live by myself. I was going to get a new name, a new life and finally live the life I wanted. I sure as hell never expected to be in here, waiting to go back to prison.”

“Didn’t you?” Renegade asked calmly. “You, most of all, knew the kind of man your dad was. You should have known that he would try and run out on you and your brothers. But damn, he left a mess behind for you to take the fall right?”

Joshua turned his head and glared at him. “Yeah, I knew the type of man my father was. I knew he wouldn’t wait for us to get back to where he was supposed to meet us. Why do you think I took more than half of the money and the gold like I did?”

“Did you know or care that your dad got caught and that Digger dealt him a death sentence for trying to cheat him?” Tate asked.

Joshua shrugged. “Dad knew what he did wasn’t right but he did it all the same. He didn’t give a shit about us, so why the hell would we care what happened to him? He got what he deserved.”

“Did you boys even care what happened to your mother after the night your dad threw her out of his house?” Tate finally asked. “Did you know your brother wrote a codicil on the contract he signed Michael’s name to? A codicil that said, if anything happened to him and he couldn’t pay the loan back, she would be responsible for the money.” Tate gave him a sneer as he added, “He didn’t know or care if she survived that night.”

“Your dad never cared either,” Silas added. “Damn, she was the mother of his children at the very least. But like a monster, he drop kicked her right out the door. Injured and almost dead.” He raised his gaze and said, “In fact, I’ll bet Joshua didn’t care one way or the other about his own mother. If she lived, she would have been responsible for the money, if she didn’t, then he would have screwed Matthew. But Matthew isn’t one you want to screw over, especially when it comes to money.”

“Oh, cry me a river old man.” Joshua scoffed. “I knew my dad was a bastard but she wasn’t any better. She never came back for us, did she? She never fought to have us in her life. She just left us there with him.”

“He damn near killed her, you fucking idiot.” Renegade growled. “He would have killed her if she went back and I’ll just bet if Michael didn’t, one of you boys sure as hell would have ended her. You all are heartless motherfuckers at best. You told us the night you got arrested that you were just doing what you were told. That Michael was the leader and you were just following orders. Hell, Joshua along with the rest of you were willing to kill a member of your own family because your daddy told you to. What the fucking hell kind of pussy ass men are you anyway? Don’t you have a single thought of your own? Are you all really that stupid that you can’t think on your own?”

Not one of the four men said a word. They all just stared down at the table between them.

“And just look where y'all ended up,” Silas added. In this luxurious hellhole.” He spread his arms out wide. “About to go to the Hilton of penitentiaries, no less.” He leaned forward and  slowly shook his head at them. “Crime doesn't pay, you fucktards. But I guess it’s just a little too late to realize that.”

Tate smirked at his dad then turned to look at the fucktards. “And guess what else, boys? Matthew wants the money back. He feels like he was screwed out of a hell of a lot of money. He doesn’t even care that Michael is no longer alive. When he finds out that the four of you are alive and going to prison, he’s gonna figure that one or all of you know where the money is. And what’s more, he won’t let the fact you’re behind bars stop him from coming after you. He’ll have you taken out one at a time, maybe all four of you at the same time.”

“But we’re going to prison, he can’t get us there,” James tried to reason.

Tate snorted. “Yeah, you would think so, wouldn’t you? But you might be wrong about that. A man like Matthew? He has his ways of getting to someone inside and they are more afraid of facing him than looking at a few years in prison. So in the end, you’ll be dead fucktards.” Shaking his head he said, “Over what? Money? That’s just paper sitting in a bank that no one can get to. Money you won’t ever be able to spend. And it's all under Johsua’s name, Joshua’s signature. He’s got fourteen million dollars and when he doesn’t come for it, it will be turned over to the bank or his next of kin which is Kalinda.”

“That bitch will never get her greedy little hands on that money!” Joshua snapped. “That’s my money, not hers, never hers.”

Tate leaned back in his chair and smiled at him. “But Joshua, if you go and get yourself killed in prison, she’s your closest next of kin, isn’t she? She’s listed as your daughter after all.”

Joshua growled. 

Renegade glared at him. “Then there is the truth about what you and your father did to Micah Wolf.” He growled.

Joshua snapped his gaze over to glare at Renegade. “What did we do to Micah? We weren’t even there that night.”

“Oh, really?” Renegade crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t remember going into his home that night? You don’t remember him telling you about the Coyote on Michael’s back, how the Coyote was laughing as he watched you spreading booze all over the house? You don’t remember watching your dad take a knife and sticking that same knife into my great grandfather’s chest? Or the blood that welled out of his chest when Michael pulled the blade out and wiped it on my grandfather’s pants?” Renegade got up and began pacing the other side of the table. “None of you remember any of that? How about when Joshua threw the lighter down on the floor and flames he caused began burning everything. Or did you all just walk out to your truck and drive away without looking into your rear view mirrors?”

The four chained men looked at each other, pale and sweating. 

Finally, James whispered in a hushed voice, “How did you know all that?”

“Micah told me what happened,” Renegade told them quietly. “The night he died he came to me, he told me what happened, he also told Kalinda and last night he told someone else. He wanted the truth to be known so he could cross over to the other side. He’s stuck in limbo because no one knows the truth. He didn’t want justice or revenge, just the truth to be known so he could have peace.”

“I think there’s something else you should know,” Tate added. He stared at the four men on the other side of the table and said, “Matthew Conrad was so mad the day he left the reservation that he shot the dog sitting in the yard of the Tribal Elder’s meeting room. Then in the next few days, he took a hostage, an older woman that has nothing to do with anything. He took her hostage and is holding her in Houston. He gave her daughter two days to find the money and give it back to him or he was going to kill an innocent woman over something Joshua took from him.”

The four men remained silent, what Tate just told them meant nothing to any of them.

After a couple of minutes, Tate growled and stood from the table. “Well boys, good luck when you get to Huntsville. I wonder which one of you will take the first hit? Since innocent lives mean nothing to you, how will it feel when you lose your own brothers? Apparently, as much as losing your dad meant, huh? Not a damn thing. But not to worry, when we tell Matthew exactly where the money is and why, he’ll figure something out. I think you boys will have a lot to think about when you’re settling into life at Huntsville. Joshua, you spent some years in a tribal prison, but I think you’re gonna learn a white man’s prison is no picnic. That’s a whole different experience altogether. But don’t worry, with each lesson you learn behind those bars, you’ll finally get the kind of education your dad should have taught you a long time ago.”

Silas got to his feet as well and gave them all a nod. “We’ll make sure to get a hold of Matthew real soon and let him know about this fraud pulled on him. He’ll want to welcome you to life behind bars too. I just hope you boys are ready for that. He might decide to play with you at first, but every day he doesn’t get what he wants he’s gonna get a little meaner. A little less refined, which means you’re gonna be getting a little more bloody, you might feel those hit a little harder. But not to worry, you fucktards are tough, aren’t you? You all can take a few punches, right? Isn’t that a fucktard thing? Never learn until you get kicked down.” Silas grinned at them then turned his back and walked toward the door.

“You can’t just leave us like this!” James shouted out.

Chapter Seven

Silas just stared at the four men sitting there, chained to the table. “Yes, you fool… we can just leave you to your new life. We got more important things to do right now, like contacting Conrad and telling him exactly who fucked him over and where the money is. But not to worry, he’ll get his money back one way or the other and he’ll collect his interest from the four of you. One way or another. You boys have a good time while time is still on your side. I have a feeling it won’t last and you know something? The men inside that prison are a whole other kind. Men like that, they don’t forgive or forget nothing. Your life is gonna change and I don’t think that change will be anything you’ve ever seen before. But if you're smart, you’ll learn quick how to survive another day.” With a shake of his head, he walked toward the door as he said one last thing, “But you ain’t my circus, you’re just the clowns.” When he stepped out of that room, Tate and the others followed. 

When Renegade hit the door he turned to look at Joshua and said, “You know that Coyote that rode your dad’s back all those years?”

Joshua just glared at him. “What about him?’ He finally growled.

“He’s now on your back and he looks hungry,” Renegade said quietly. “A beast like him feeds on money or blood. Guess he’ll have to survive on the blood of you and your brothers. When he’s bled you dry, he’ll go to the next brother until he bleeds you all dry. That’s just the way he works.”

Craig looked like he was shaking as he snapped, “He isn’t real.” 

Renegade smirked. “You’ll all find out the hard way I guess. The Elders tell those stories for a reason. A warning if you like. The Coyote is very real. He’s laughing at you boys right now and soon you will all feel his bite. I do know right at the end that Michael felt it.” Then he walked out the door. 

When the four brothers heard the heavy door clang behind him they simply stared at the door for a couple of tense minutes. Finally, they looked at each other. The scent of fear began creeping into the room.

Travern was the first to speak, “Well Josh, you really fucked up, didn’t you? Did you really think we wouldn’t find out? You really thought you could keep all that money a secret, just slip away from the rest of us and collect it. Then be on some beach, sipping a cocktail, alone?”

Joshua snorted. “Well, I planned to have a babe sitting next to me in a slinky bikini, but yeah that was the plan.” He then leaned back in his chair as his chains rattled. His eyes narrowed as he glared at his brothers. “I’ll even tell you why.” He began, “I spent almost twenty years sitting in a cell all alone. Not one of you bastards came to visit me when I was in prison. Not one of you ever fucking wrote to me or called  me when I was inside tribal prison. No, you just did what dad told you to do, didn’t you? You just followed his orders, like they said. I was out of sight, out of your tiny minds. I had a long time to think, a long time to plan what I was gonna do when I finally got out of that damn place. I also had a long time to realize just what Dad was gonna do too. I knew what he was building outside while I was stuck in that damn hell hole. I knew what he was setting up. The drugs and the gold and I knew he would be ready to put his big plan in motion as soon as I got out.” He shrugged. “Yeah I knew everything. I had my orders too. One of the guards in that place was his messenger the whole time. So yeah, I made my own plans. And that money? That was my ticket out.”

James snorted. “Well a whole lot of good it did you! Your grand plans just went up in smoke didn’t they? Those fucking bikers are gonna take your stash and give it back. Then the four of us are gonna be the interest. Just like that ole Silas said.”

Joshua leaned back in his chair and smiled. “They have to get the money first, then they have to get it to Conrad in one piece.” He shook his head. “They can’t touch that money. It's my name on the account, not theirs. Conrad can’t get it either.”

"You can’t get it either,” James pointed out.

“And you got twenty to life coming to you,” Craig pointed out.

“Then I guess Mom will have to pay it.” Joshua shrugged.

The other brothers just stared at him for a moment then looked at each other and back at Joshua. 

“Mom?” Craig asked. “Is she even still around? Dad really did a number on her that night.”

Joshua nodded. “Yeah, she’s still alive. But like I said before, she never came back. Never fought for us when we were younger, never stood up for what was right. We were her sons too, you know.”

“And you know what Dad was like the whole time,” Travern said quietly. “She knew too. Micheal never would have let her take us and you damn well know it.”

Joshua nodded. “Yeah, I did and you know what? By that time, I didn’t fucking care. She was worthless then and she’s even more worthless now. Let her struggle to find the money, if she even can.”

James just shook his head and grumbled, “Just look at how far apart we all are now. We aren’t a family anymore and we haven't been for a long time. If we were at all and that is not Mom’s fault. She tried when she was around, I remember her as being warm and kind.”

“Yeah, we all know who the devil really is,” Craig added. “And I hope Renegade told the truth. That our dad paid for what he made of us all.”

“And just what did he make us?” Joshua scoffed.

“FOOLS!” Travern yelled. “His fucking pansies. We had no chance to be good men. And now it’s too late.” 

~*~

At home, Kalinda paced the floor. The situation she found herself in had no easy way out. Each and every time she turned around, she was hit with another disaster. She almost wished she had never found out the truth about her family. That it was still locked down, somewhere far away. But she also knew the truth never stayed silent and there would be more than one way for it to find a way to come forward.

She remembered why she was even able to be standing here today. He had saved her life at the time. She’d never told anyone about it. That existence before Jack, seemed like a lifetime away now. Maybe it was time to allow the rest of the story to come out. Most of it had already. She paused, then closed her eyes and prayed the world was ready for the rest of the truths yet to come. But right now they had more to worry about. They had a missing woman to find, hopefully before Conrad could hurt her too badly. Then they could get her back to her home. Augusta's mother saved Crysta’s life and her reward shouldn’t be death because of what Joshua had done.

Kalinda thought about what she could do to make this happen. She had one ace and she wanted so badly to play it but she had to follow the lead. Wait and see if they could find another solution. She turned to look at Augusta. 

The poor woman looked wrecked. Her eyes were red rimmed and she could barely sit still. Her poor skin on her hands were red as she nervously wrung them repeatedly and her fingers trembled. She refused to rest or even eat now. It was taking a huge toll on her too.

Kalinda couldn’t take it anymore, so she turned and walked down the hall to her bedroom. She checked on Rosie first, then slipped into her room and closed the door behind her. Pressing the lock, she took a deep breath and went to sit down on her bed. Now her hands trembled as she reached for her phone and tapped a number she hadn’t called in years.

When the call was answered by a low hard voice, she swallowed heavily and spoke, “Hello Darrin, this is Kalinda. I need your help.”

For a moment, there was nothing except breathing on the line. 

She waited, holding her breath in anticipation.

Then his voice softened as he asked, “Girl, are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. But before you answer, I think you should know this involves Matthew Conrad. He’s the one you’ll be going up against. If you want nothing to do with this, I’ll understand.” 

A silence fell on the other end of the call.

She swallowed hard again. Just the name Matthew Conrad would put off most people in the city. Everyone knew what kind of man Matthew was and not many people wanted to go head to head with him. But Kalinda hoped Darrin would. In fact, he might be the only one that could and still walk away from the ruins.

“What do you need?” Darrin finally asked her.

Kalinda let out a long relieved breath then she explained the situation they found themselves in. About the contract and why Conrad took the woman. That Joshua was in jail and that he would refuse to help most likely. 

When she finished, it got quiet again.  

Then Darrin’s chuckle came over the line. “So your dad sold him half a gold mine on tribal lands? And Conrad took it? Damn, is he really that stupid?”

“Yeah, I guess he’s really that stupid,” she acknowledged. “Both of them are. My father knew better and greed got to Conrad, but then doesn’t it always? That man is bleeding everyone dry and he still wants more.” With a scoff she added, “Conrad thinks no one can stand against him and maybe he’s right. Not many have even tried. But those who have, don’t have your street smarts either.”

“Is that why you called me?” Darrin asked. “Because of my street smarts?”

“No brother, I called you because you are the only one in that city I can trust. You and me? We were always different from everyone else in that cesspool. We cared about more than just ourselves. We were both too young to even be there, yet we survived everything life threw at us. No one else living on the streets ever went out of their way to help us.” She paused then said, “This could also be your way out of all that crap. I have a good life here and a family I can trust. You could just walk away and leave that kind of life behind if you wanted.”

Darrin chuckled. “Honey, it isn’t that way anymore. I have a few brothers now. We run these streets and people are beginning to see us now.”

Kalinda paused then said,. “Damn, I’m happy for you. I really am. Those streets there are brutal.”

Darrin chuckled. “Yeah, and that’s still true. I know you’ve thought this out, so tell me your plan.”

Kalinda caught her breath. Darrin was willing to help her! “I think he’s holding her down by the water. He probably tossed her in a room and walked away. He wouldn’t be concerned about anyone coming for her. He thinks he’s too tough to touch. You need to find her and get her out. Then find a place to keep her safe and let me know where to pick her up.”

“Is that all?” Darrin quipped. “You thinking I’m superman or some shit?”

Kalinda actually laughed and replied, “Of course.”

Another chuckle then he asked, “Tell me where you are and I’ll deliver her right to you. And maybe you’re right, it is time I got out of this fucking cesspool.” He paused, then asked, “Can I bring my brothers with me?”

“Hell yes,” Kalinda told him quietly. “We’re in Killeen. Under the Lost Sons MC protection. If you can get here, you’ll always have a place to lay your head.”

“Well, let's see what we can do then,” Darrin told her. “Wish us luck.”

Kalinda felt grateful tears of relief roll down her face. “You don’t need luck my brother, you got this.”

Darrin paused then said, “Girl, you know what this is all about. And so do I. If she’s alive, I’ll get your friend home again, but this won’t be over until Matthew Conrad is lying face down, busted beyond repair and bleeding out. It won’t be done until he breathes his last and his name is forgotten.”

“I know. No one lives forever and Conrad has made more than his fair share of enemies. It’s probably going to happen when he least expects it. Godspeed to you and your brothers.”

“I’ll call ya.” He ended the call.

Kalinda swiped her phone and tucked it into her pocket. Wiping her tears away, she went to the door and opened it. She headed back down the hall then into the living room. Pausing, she looked up at her cousin Renegade. They’d just returned from visiting the jail. 

Renegade stared at her as he studied her face. He raised a brow then asked, “What did you just do?”

 

Chapter Eight

Kalinda stared back at him and said, “I have a friend in the city, one I trust completely. I would and have trusted with my life. In fact, we grew up together. He's seen me at my worst and at my best. I reached out to him to ask for his help.”

 “You don’t think we can do this?” Tate asked.

Kalinda turned her head to look over at him. “I have every belief that you can. That’s just who your family is.” She turned to Jack with tears in her eyes. “Yes, you and your family could go in and start a war against Conrad. You’ve gone to war before, but I realized that maybe there is another way. Darrin and his friends live in that city. They can get into Conrad’s compound, find Mira and get her out without any bloodshed. They know all about Conrad and his dealings. In fact, they know Conrad only too well. Calling them was not a stain on you all but just another way to do this.”

Jack went over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He just held her. “You were worried about us?” 

Kalinda planted her face in his chest. “Matthew Conrad is a skunk, a smelly little rodent with no morals, no conscience, he’s barely a man in my book. He’s nothing but a monster. Everyone that really knows him knows about his backstabbing ways. He wouldn’t think twice about cheating and he has absolutely no honor. You guys would have thought to talk to him first, but that’s not how Conrad works. He just starts shooting and asks questions like never. He’s the kind of man that would push his men out in the front and let them take the bullets then turn and run to get you the next day. Maybe even slit your throat while you sleep. He has no one loyal to him, they are all paid to work for him. That’s the kind of man Matthew Conrad is.”

“Then my mom is dead already, isn’t she?” Augusta tearfully called to her from where she sat.

Kalinda moved away from Jack to face her as she answered honestly, “There is a possibility of that, yes. I’m not going to lie to you about that. But there's also a possibility that he tossed her into a locked room and just left her alone too. My friends will check that out. They are very good at what they do. They can get in and out without alerting the other side. That’s why I asked them about this. They know all of Conrad’s properties in the Austin metro area. And that’s what I’m hoping they will find…her, just locked away. Once they get your mom out, Darrin said they would bring her here to us.” She paused to look over at Tate and Silas. “And I told them they would have a place here to start over. If they get this far. I hope you understand that? I have to keep my word. That city has become a cesspool of corruption and greed. I offered Darrin a place to breathe, to start over.” She shook her head. “Not to worry, I have the money to set them up and help them get settled. I can use the tribal money.”

Tate and Silas walked over to her.

 Tate cupped her face in his hands. “Baby girl, if they get her here we will find a place for them within our ranks if that’s what they want.”

“That’s right,” Silas added with a nod of his head.

Kalinda stared at them both with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. I know what they are doing is going to cost them. This isn’t going to be a walk in the park for anyone who goes in. Conrad is just that kind of man. And the people he employs are just as bad. They are going to need everyone’s prayers tonight.”

Suddenly, Crysta began to chant softly in the old language of her tribe and each round got a little louder. When she was done her voice faded away and she went quiet. 

Kalinda went over to her and knelt down in front of her. She reached out, took her hand and whispered, “Thank you, grandmother.”

Cyrsta reached out with her other hand and cupped her cheek. Tears ran down her face and she said, “Augusta and her mother saved me when I thought I was alone in the world. They nursed me back to health and they never left me. They always stood beside me, they held me up when my knees were weak. My prayers are the least I owe them.”

Augusta reached out and patted Crysta’s shoulder. “You never owed us a thing, you silly woman. We gave but you gave us something valuable too. Your friendship and that meant more to my mom and I than we can ever tell you.” She paused then whispered to Kalinda, “I just hope your friends can get my mom and get her out of there. I pray that none of them will be harmed.”

Kalinda looked at her and said, “If anyone can get her out of there, Darrin can.”

“How exactly do you know this guy, that you have so much faith in?” Silas asked.

Kalinda took a deep breath. She knew one day she would have to tell this story. Jack already knew about it. It was just a small part of her life but it might have been the roughest part. She looked over her shoulder at Jack then at Renegade. She grasped her grandmother’s hand and turned to tell them about Darrin, “When Micah Wolf dropped me outside the orphanage, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. He just left me outside. There was no one there, no one opened the door and ushered me inside. I just stood there crying, holding my teddy bear like he was all I had left, which was basically true. Finally, the door opened the next morning. A Sister of the cloth came out. She asked me who I was and what I was doing there all alone. She didn’t take me inside like I thought she would, instead she called the local law. They tried to speak to me but I was too scared to even tell them my name. The Sister finally took me inside and when the heavy door closed behind us, I was even more afraid. I think I was still in shock. She showed me to a small room and told me to present myself for breakfast in an hour. I just sat there on the edge of my new bed, unable to move for the rest of the day. No one came to get me and no one showed up at all until it was lights out. Then the Sister from earlier came in and told me I missed breakfast, lunch and supper. That if I was hungry it was my own fault and I should try to do better tomorrow. Then she shut off my light and closed the door behind her. I didn’t move except to lay down on my bed but I couldn’t sleep.”

Augusta stared at Kalinda in shock and whispered, “Oh, how horrible.”

 Kalinda slowly nodded and let out a long breath. “I met Darrin the next morning. He opened my door and looked at me, then he left but when he came back, he had an apple in his hand. He gave me the apple and sat down beside me. He told me his name and gave me his first advice… that if I didn’t want to starve, I would have to show up for meals at least. I told him I didn’t know where to go. He took me under his wing and soon, I learned the ropes of that place. Children should be quiet and not make a mess. They should just do what they were told and not think. We should never talk back or ask questions. I lived in that miserable place for twelve years. I tried to follow the rules, I really did but there comes a time and place when you just can’t take anymore, you know? I think I was fourteen when it happened, the first time. Darrin was fifteen and he broke the rules. The sisters were ganging up on one of the other girls there. She didn’t do anything wrong but they never liked her. Darrin stood up to them on her behalf and that just never set right with them. They began shunning him, they wouldn’t let him into the cafeteria at meal times. They made him work out in the hot sun every day and if he was late for the evening meal, well that was just too bad. We began to sneak food to him when we could, but if we were caught then his punishment became ours too.”

“Often those churches were so hard on children,” Crysta said. “They were supposed to do God’s work.” She shook her head.

Kalinda paused to look at her as she nodded. “You would think they would be kind, but they weren’t.” She then went on, “So when Darren turned sixteen, they threw him out, saying he was old enough to make his own way. Before he left, he told me to be careful and that he would watch over me. He would be waiting for me when they did to me what they did to him. According to him, the sisters were watching me and a couple of other kids that didn’t follow them. Well, a few days later I found myself locked out. They threw me out the same way, telling me I wasn’t welcome there anymore. Darrin was waiting for me. He’d found a safe place and a job, so he could support us both. It wasn’t much but at least we had a roof over our heads and prospects for a good life beyond those walls.” Kalinda paused to answer the question in everyone's eyes. “No, Darrin and I were never a thing. We were just two kids thrown to the wolves before we were ready. We were like brother and sister, I can say that.”

Jack smiled at her. “I’m grateful you had him.”

 Kalinda smiled back at him. “I am too. I wouldn’t have survived if not for him. Well after that, he and I were pretty much homeless for the next few years. But we stayed together. Then something happened that shook us. The police came around, asking questions. About me. I think that was when the first accident happened. I was mugged on my way home. I didn’t want to bring trouble back with me, so I called Darrin and told him what happened and I thought maybe there was something in my past I couldn’t remember. I figured it might turn bad in a hurry. I told him I didn’t want to but I felt it was time I left the city so I wouldn’t bring my troubles to his door. He told me we would face it together but I said, no. I wouldn’t bring him into my drama. I couldn’t trust my past. I think that was the first time my dad’s family found me. They couldn’t chance it. I knew too much. I tried to stay away but Darrin wouldn’t let me go either. Then one day, he got hurt on my behalf. He ended up in the hospital and I knew then that I had to leave. I collected my things and tried to leave town and that’s when my uncle pushed me off the road. Only problem was he didn’t kill me. When I recovered, I got the hell out and shortly after that, I met Jack. I didn’t remember anything still but I think I’d always known that they would keep coming. My dad, his brothers and my grandfather. They couldn’t help themselves, they had to stop me from telling anyone what I knew.” She paused again then stared at the floor. “Then when I did finally remember everything, it stopped them cold in their tracks, didn’t it? It was only after Micah was killed that I even had a clue what they had done all those years ago. Maybe if they’d left me alone, I wouldn’t have remembered anything, but they had to push it, they had to try to hurt me again and again.”

“They get that from their father,” Crysta told the room. “Michael always was his own worst enemy. He gave the orders and he taught them the hard way to follow his orders. Without question, without even thinking for themselves. Just do as he said or suffer the consequences. Well, in the end, it was the consequences that got him, wasn’t it? Consequences got them all. They can’t cry now that it's not fair they got caught.”

“They weren’t saying much when we went to visit them,” Silas said.

“No, and I hate to say it,” Tate spoke up. “But Joshua wasn’t a bit sorry he did this. He said he deserved that money. Wanted to live in the tropics and enjoy himself.”

Jack scoffed. “Well, he might enjoy being someone’s bitch now.” Then he gasped and looked over at Crysta and Augusta. “So sorry, ladies.”

“Sorry?” Crysta snickered. “Well, I'm not. I hope that is exactly what they all get.”

 

Chapter Nine

 

The rest of the day and the night seemed to stretch on forever. Most of the men went on with their duties.

 Kalinda, Augusta and Crysta sat there worrying over things happening in another city altogether. 

Jack and Renegade checked in from time to time but there had been no word from Houston. 

Kalinda tried to keep herself busy, but nothing went right for her the whole day. She tried to fix supper but ended up burning the meal. 

Jack rushed inside when he heard the blaring of the smoke alarm and saw smoke rolling out of the kitchen window. “What is going on in here?” he shouted over the fire alarm blaring. 

Renegade, Tate and Creed also came inside. 

Creed shut the alarm off.

Renegade and Tate began airing the house out. 

Kalinda just stood there sobbing.

Jack led her out of the kitchen. 

Renegade turned on the water while the meat she burned sizzled in the sink.

Jack sat Kalinda down on a chair and knelt in front of her. Taking her hands into his, he asked, “Baby, we’re all worried about your friend tonight but what do you know about this that we don’t?” He stared at her tear stained face. “If there is something we need to know, you need to tell us.” 

Kalinda stared at him, her crying ending in hiccups. She leaned forward as he wrapped her arms around her and just held her for a moment. Then she sat back and stared at him. “You’re right, there is more to tell you about that time in my life. I just didn’t want to say it out loud, you know? It's like if I actually say it out loud, that means it's true and I don’t want to admit that to anyone.”

Jack reached out and cupped her face with both hands. “Babe, I’m here for the long run. Nothing you tell me will change how I feel about you… ever. I love you.”

Kalinda nodded and whispered, “God knows I love you too. You brought light into my dark world and you came into my life when I needed you the most.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “The night the sisters threw me out of the orphanage, Darrin was waiting for me. What we didn’t know then was the local sheriff was also waiting for the both of us. You see, Sister Kristina was the one I met that first day. She had been watching me and Darrin all those years. But not for the reasons you might think. We didn’t know it then but we found out after the first few weeks that Darrin was being set up for a crime he never committed. Sister Kristina and the sheriff were biological brother and sister. And they were playing a dangerous game. She liked to gamble and she was on a losing streak. But she wasn’t just gambling with her own money, it belonged to the orphanage. The very funds used for food, lights and everyday stuff the kids who lived there needed. To cover the shortages the Sister was looking to set Darrin up for stealing the funds. That way, the sheriff could arrest him and new funds would be issued to cover the difference.”

Jack slowly shook his head as he moved to the couch and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Sniffling, she went on, “The only problem was Darrin never took anything and the sheriff couldn’t find us to take him into custody. Instead, Darrin and I proved the Sister took the money and the sheriff was corrupt. When the issue came to light, the church quickly covered it up but Sister Kristina was asked to leave. She lied over and over again to try to make the lie come true. That’s when the sheriff ran Darrin and I down. Darrin and he fought and the sheriff tried to shoot Darrin.” 

She paused then looked at Jack. 

He patted her hand and nodded at her to continue.

“Darrin was probably the only friend I had in the world. I couldn’t let a corrupt asshole take him away from me. I couldn’t lose him, I just couldn’t. He was my brother, the only family I really had. Before the sheriff could pull the trigger I stabbed him. We were in a barn on the outskirts of the city. I’d picked up a pitchfork and stabbed him with it. In the back. The shot went wild but the sheriff fell to the floor. Me and Darrin just stood there for a moment, then Darrin came over and took the pitchfork out of his back and rolled him over. There was blood coming from the sheriff’s mouth and he was already dead. You could see it in his eyes.” She took a deep shuddering breath and admitted, “I killed a man, I’m not going to hide it anymore. Now Darrin is going against a man that is worse than that sheriff ever was. We both grew up and now have our own lives to live. “

Jack leaned forward and kissed her gently. He then just held her until she calmed down. “You did what you had to do in that circumstance and that sheriff got what he deserved in the end. Although I’m surprised, you usually wouldn't hurt a fly.”

“Darrin literally saved my life in that place, I couldn’t just stand there and see him shot down for nothing. That sheriff would have made it sound like he didn’t have a choice other than to shoot him. I couldn’t let Darrin die, not for that pig of a man.”

They both looked up to see Tate.

“You did the right thing, sweetheart. For both you and Darrin.” Shaking his head Tate admitted, “No one here is going to mind what you did. In this family, we fight for what’s right. You were standing up not only for Darrin but for yourself too. You know the same as we do that you would have been blamed for something maybe even worse if you hadn’t protected Darrin the way you did.”

Kalinda turned to look at him.

Tate could see the tracks of her tears on her cheeks. “You stood up for your friend. Nothing wrong with that. Loyalty like that you can’t buy it if it isn’t there to begin with.”

Kalinda nodded at him. “I hope with everything I got that Darrin can find Mira and get her away from that monster. I pray that he and his boys can finally break free of that hellhole and live free.” 

“If and when they come here, we will accept them,” Tate told her. “If this Darrin chose his men then they must be good ones.”

Kalinda nodded, then let out a sigh. “So what are we gonna have for dinner?”

“I already called for pizza,” Silas finally spoke up as he had been there in the room. “Got your favorite too. Ham and pineapple.”

She snorted. “Wow, and I know how you feel about ham and pineapple being on a pizza.”

Silas laughed. “Sacrilege…You know it, but I want you to eat.”

They all smiled for the first time today.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening passed minute by minute. And damn if those minutes didn’t drag on and on. Nerves were frayed and tension was tight. They all knew it could be hours yet before they got word on the extraction and then hours before Darrin could even get here. If he even got away from Conrad’s compound.

It was late before anyone left Jack’s place and even later before Jack came out to find Kalinda standing at the window, looking out into the shadows. “Kal, you should get some rest,” he told her quietly.

Kalinda shook her head, not daring to look at him. “I just can’t. I have this cold spot in my gut that I just can’t deal with.” She leaned against the glass and whispered, “I never should have called him. I should have never asked him to risk his life, not for me.”

“Baby…” Jack gathered her in his arms and her tears almost broke his heart. “You didn’t ask him to risk more than he was willing. You would never do that. He never would have agreed if he believed he couldn't take this guy on.”

Kalinda looked up into his eyes. “He told me he has a small number of men working with him now. Working to keep the city a little safer. Keeping the people with no hope a little safer. I was so happy to hear that. He continued the quest he always said he would. I know he’s been working behind the scenes and he would never admit it but his endeavors in the past two years have been slowly turning the tide with the people there. I know it's his accomplishments but no one will say his name as no one living there knows who’s behind the movement. But that's just how Darrin is. He’s not afraid of hard work. Hell, growing up the way we did, none of us were afraid of working for what we wanted.”

Jack nodded then rested his chin on the top of her head. “Yeah, I know men like that. Creed is one of them, but so is my dad and grandpa.. Tell me something…”

She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. 

“Do you really think he can do this?” Jack asked her.

Kalinda nodded slowly. “He would be the only one I could trust to do something like this. He’s got like eyes in the back of his head. He knows what he’s risking by going against a man like Conrad. He also knows how to get in and get out without being seen. If he’s training others then they will know what the stakes are and they will watch his back. He said he’s got friends now, but I know they will be the family he never had before. He went to the orphanage when he was four. His mom dropped him off for the chance at a better life without a kid trailing behind her. Shaking her head she admitted, “I don’t know if she ever got that better life but once he was there, he didn’t care about her anymore. Or at least that’s what he claimed, but I think he did care. I think he tried to find her when he got booted from the orphanage. He would never admit it though.”

Jack nodded. “If he wants, we can do a search for her when he gets here.”

“You will?” Kalinda asked.

“Yeah baby, we can do that much, but whatever we find, he might not want to know,” Jack warned her.

Kalinda nodded. “If she made good without him I think that would be hard for him to know. We kids in that place had no one to step up for us, no one ever came to see us, no one ever offered us comfort when we weren’t feeling well and certainly no one ever told us they were proud of us. It was the little things we all missed, little things that every child should have but none of us did. That’s what we all missed.”

Jack shook his head. “I can’t pretend to know what that was like. I had a family even if someone came along and split us up for some years. As soon as we were able, we fought back and we have our family again.”

“And I am so grateful I’m part of it now,” Kalinda said. “It made me forget about that place, that town and the orphanage from hell. Until I talked to Darrin, then it all came back.”

“He can have a new life here,” Jack told her. “Him and his men, if he wants. We will see.” 

Just then, Kalinda’s phone pinged with a text message. She held the phone in her hand and gazed down to read the message, then she slowly raised her tear filled eyes to look at her man. 

Chapter Ten

“What is it?” Jack whispered softly.

“It's Darrin,” she replied. “He found Mira and he’s almost here. Said he was about an hour out yet. He doesn’t think anyone followed him.” She swallowed hard and went on, “He did it. He got in, found her and got out. But at what cost?” She went over to the table and sat down hard. “I have a feeling that things didn’t go as smoothly as he wanted.”

Jack went over and sat down beside her. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered in his ear, “Baby, you don’t know that for sure. All we can do is wait and see when he finally gets here.”

Kalinda shook her head. “He might never tell us, that’s the thing about Darrin. He tries to be so strong but it all catches up to him. He’s like most guys. But emotions just aren’t for women. Everyone has a breaking point.”

Jack hugged her close. “Sometimes a man just needs to know he’s not alone and it sounds like he’s spent too much time alone already. We can help him if he allows it.”

Kalinda stared at him, then she asked, “And you would be okay with that?”

Jack smiled. “Kal, you are my heart and I know this guy means something to you. He’s been there for you since you were four years old. I’m okay with it. If I weren’t, I would have let you know. Hell, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have ever met you. He saved you when you were a kid.”

Tears welled in her eyes and Kalinda leaned against him, when she heard his heartbeat beneath her ear, she closed her eyes for a moment. “I love you more than life itself Jack. I have since the first time my eyes met yours over the hood of that truck when we first saw each other. I love how you and your family have such a deep sense of honor. Not showy, you guys don’t look for thanks or a hint to remind people about what you do, you just do things quietly, never looking for any kind of recognition. People just know you’ll be there and you are.” She tipped her head up to look in his eyes. “You don’t look for recognition but you stand in silence, knowing you did right.”

Jack nodded. “My dad and grandpa raised us right and believe me when I say, Silas was right there for us, teaching us the meaning of life. Even when we were full grown, if we did something wrong he let us know about it, usually with a slap to the backs of our heads. And that man can slap hard when the occasion calls for it.”

Kalinda smiled. “I love your family. I never had one before and they welcomed me with open arms, made me feel at home from day one. That’s rare.”

Jack leaned down and whispered in her ear, “You are important to me, your heart beats within mine and my heart beats only for you. Like my dad said earlier, if Darrin is looking for a home, then he’ll have one here with us.”

Kalinda snuggled back into his chest. Then she whispered, “Thank you. Being here with your family has shown me that life isn’t all bad. You have given me more than just your love and a home. You’ve given me hope that I never had before. I was so lost before I met you and now I have everything I need but more than that, I finally belong. That’s also something I never had before. From what I remember of my father and the living among my people, all I can really remember is not something a child should ever feel. There was no love in that house, only fear, harsh words and the only time I ever felt safe was at night when my father was gone and it was just me, my mom and my baby sister. And even then Joshua stole that away the night I disappeared. He took my mom and my sister away from me in violence.” Shaking her head she admitted, “If Micah hadn’t gotten me out of that house I’m sure he would have ended all of us and dismissed it all as a drunken rage. And I think Michael would have cooperated with his claim. By that time they knew he and his sons knew they couldn’t be exposed. They were building their empire and even if my dad did go to prison, the others would continue. They knew Tribal prison wouldn’t be so bad.”

Jack sighed and agreed with her, “And that’s exactly what they did, wasn’t it? Michael and your uncles got the gold and began their drug distribution. Meanwhile, you suffered.”

Kalinda shrugged. “Yeah, it was hard but I survived it with a little help from Darrin. Then when I met you, I was finally safe. I could finally breathe. Before you, I lived from day to day. Now, I wake up in the morning and breathe without worrying. I can tend to my husband and my child and not have to worry that something bad is coming.” She smiled and the glow from her eyes warmed his heart.

Renegade came into the room and looked around. When he spotted Kalinda and Jack, he came over. “Can I join you?”

They nodded.

“Have a seat,” Jack said.

Renegade sat and let out a sigh. “Have you seen Augusta?”

They looked over at him.

“Not yet,” Kalinda told him.

“Ok, I just wondered how she is. I know this must be really hard for her.” He looked into Kalinda’s eyes. “I’ve wanted to help her, but I just don’t know how.”

Kalinda stared at her cousin and advised, “Just be there. Listen if she wants to talk. Maybe hold her hand?”

He raised his head and stared at her.

Jack chuckled. “It won’t burn you,” he teased.

Renegade shook his head. 

Just then, Augusta came from the hall and she looked tired. Her eyes were red and her face was pale as she asked, “Have you heard anything yet?”

“Yes, they got in and got out. They are headed here right now.”

“My mom’s free?” Augusta asked. “Is she alright?” 

Kalinda nodded. “He said she’s okay.”

Renegade stood and looked at Augusta. “Do you need anything? Some coffee, maybe?”

She swung her gaze over to him and her eyes softened. “Yes, that would be great.”

He nodded and took her hand in his. “Let’s go get you a cup.”

They went into the kitchen.

“Well damn,” Jack said.

“Yeah, I never saw Renegade shy before.” Kalinda grinned.

“He seems to really like Augusta.” Jack nodded.

“Wouldn’t that be awesome?” Kalinda chuckled. “He needs a woman.”

Jack actually laughed. “Yeah, he might?”

“Might what?”

They looked up to see Augusta again.

“Um…” Kalinda smiled at her, then her phone pinged. She looked down to read the text and smiled. “Yes! They’re at the front gate.” She gazed up at Augusta. “Darrin just got here with your mom.”

Renegade set their coffee mugs down on the table. Then he took Augusta’s hand. “Let’s go see.” He paused and warned her, “Just know that she might have some bruises, so I want you to expect that but we’ll take care of her, ok?”

With luminous eyes, Augusta nodded at him. 

They all hurried out, rushing past the main clubhouse as everyone was gathering at the gate. 

Darrin stood beside the truck he drove and was staring back at the group on the other side of the gate. When he saw Kalinda, he nodded then got back inside the truck and started the engine.

The gate slowly opened up and He drove through as the two other trucks followed him. 

Kalinda went to the driver’s door as he parked and she stared at the man sitting there in the driver’s seat. 

Darrin slowly turned his head and looked at her. Then he opened the door and slid out. In the few years since she left, Darrin hadn’t changed much. His face held scars she hadn’t seen before.

 His eyes looked haunted and his jaw was clenched. “Is that really you, Kalli?” 

Kalinda nodded. Then she opened her arms.

Darrin reached for her. He wrapped his arms around her and pushed his face into her hair. “God, it's so good to see you again.” He pulled away to look at her face. 

Kalinda nodded. “It's so good to see that you didn’t get hurt.”

“I am glad to be here.” He nodded as he took a step back and motioned to the truck’s interior. “Conrad had beaten her badly and just left her alone the whole time she was there. She’s hurt but she’s alive.” He turned back to the truck and opened the back door. 

Everyone else gathered behind them.

Augusta gasped as Darrin lifted her mom out of the backseat. “Mom?” she asked with a gasp.

Creed and Harry stepped up.

Darrin passed her to Creed. Shaking his head, he told them, “I don’t know how bad she’s hurt, but she’s been sleeping the whole trip.”

Harry took a look at her. “Let’s get her into a bed. Augusta? You will need to help us to get her cleaned up some.”

With Mira in his arms, Creed turned and headed away.

Renegade and Augusta followed.

Most of the group turned and followed Augusta, Renegade and Creed as he carried Mira. 

Tate stepped forward and said, “A doctor is on his way out even as we speak.” Then he put out his hand.

 Darrin stared at it then he shook it.

“Darrin,” Kalinda spoke up. “I want you to meet Tate Young, my father in law.” She motioned to him. “And this is his dad, Silas. This is my husband, Jack. ”

Darrin nodded at each of the men. He stared at Jack. “Man, I am so glad she has you. I worried about this girl a lot. She took off, alone. Then I didn’t hear from her for a month. When she finally calls me, she told me a little about you. I’m honored to meet you.”

The two men shook hands.

“I feel the same honor,” Jack said.

Dropping Jack’s hand, his men had slowly gathered behind him, so Darrin turned to introduce them, “This is Will, Jax, Carter, Benson and Coop. You might remember some of them.” He nodded at Kalinda.

Kalinda nodded. “Yeah, I know Will, Jax and Coop.” Then she looked troubled as she stared at one of Darrin’s men. “Coop, what's wrong with you?”

He shrugged. “I guess I got too close to Conrad’s men and took a bullet in my arm. Fucker couldn’t shoot too well though as he took a bullet in the throat.”

Kalinda looked over at Darrin. 

Darrin just shrugged and explained his man’s statement, “He got what he was willing to give. Conrad lost five men tonight when he should have just left good enough alone.”

“Well, you all are welcome here, for as long as you want to stay,” Tate announced. Then he nodded at Darrin. “Harry has medic training and he can look at your man’s bullet wound.”

Kalinda stared at him. “At least that’s all that happened, right? No other injuries?”

Darrin crossed his arms over his chest and explained, “That was due to Conrad’s own stupidity.”

“What do you mean?” Tate asked him.

“He tried to ambush us, but he should have let his men handle it,” Darrin explained. “We were on our way out before he even noticed we were there. The damn fool just started shooting.” He shook his head. “Shooting wildly too, not even aiming. Conrad might be the boss with all the power and the cash, but he can’t shoot worth shit. Then the man who shot Coop was shot by Conrad himself and he walked away while his man bled out. Conrad didn’t even care, not about his men, not about innocent people in the way. Hell, that man is a murdering menace. Not to mention killing his own damn men. Who the hell does that?”

Kalinda shook her head and asked, “Did he try to follow you?”

Darrin shrugged. “Once we were out of his compound, everything went to pure chaos so it covered our escape. We got away clean but you can bet he’ll find your place.”

“We expected that.” Tate nodded. “We’ll have to go on lockdown until he gives up.”

Darrin shook his head. “He isn’t the type to just give up. It might take him a few days but you can bet he’ll be here. He wants his money back with interest.”

“Well son,” Silas said. “His money is sitting in a bank in Joshua’s name. Joshua made the deal, not Michael and that boy is on his way to Huntsville for the rest of his life.”

Darrin shook his head. “Damn… Conrad isn’t going to wait for that. Does he know?”

Tate shrugged. “We haven't had a chance to speak to Conrad.”

“Yeah,” Silas interjected with a snort. “He's sort of been busy tangling with you and your group.”

“Well, buckle up because that menace to society isn’t going to let this slip.” Darrin growled.

 

Chapter Eleven

 Mira didn’t wake up for hours then just as dawn came she began to stir. She had been cleaned up some and was now in a soft bed with clean sheets and a warm blanket.

Augusta, Renegade, Kalinda and Jack were all in the room with her. 

Anita and Tate were over at Jack’s house watching over Rosie. While the others slept, a few men were watching over the compound.

Augusta saw that her mother was waking up and she reached out for her mother’s hand. 

Mira frowned then tried to open her eyes. Her right eye was swollen but her left eye opened slowly. She looked around the room but of course she didn’t recognize anything around her. 

Augusta whispered, “Mom.” 

Mira slowly turned her head and tears rolled down her cheeks when she recognized her daughter. “Augusta? Is that really you, honey?”

Augusta nodded. “Yes, it’s me, Mom. I didn’t think I would ever see you again,” she whispered, bringing her mom’s hand to her lips. “Thank God, they got you out of that place.”

Mira paused and looked lost. “I think I remember the men who came for me. I gave up thinking I would ever get out of that place.” Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Matthew Conrad always was more than a little crazy.”

Augusta felt confused as she glanced over at Renegade then back to her mother. “You know him? Seriously?”

Mira opened her good eye again and nodded slowly as she explained, “Baby girl, I am so sorry. I never told you much about that part of my life. I never told you about the man I fell in love with or what happened to him. I guess I didn’t want to say it out loud, I mean if I did then I couldn’t deny what really happened. It was real if I ever talked about it. I never wanted you to know about your dad because what happened was just too heartbreaking for me to acknowledge.”

Augusta swallowed hard. She had a sinking feeling in her gut and a cold spot was growing in her chest. “My dad? Please tell me it isn’t Mathew Conrad. For all that’s holy, please tell me it isn’t him.”

Mira stared at her for a moment then slowly shook her head. “Not Matthew Conrad.”

Augusta closed her eyes and her shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank goodness.”

Mira reached out and raised Augusta’s chin. “Not Matthew Conrad, his brother Travis. Your father is Travis Conrad.”

Augusta stared at her mom. “If that’s true, where the hell has he been all my life?”

Mira sighed hard. “Everything was such a mess at the time I didn’t know what to do. Please understand that. Before you judge me for what I did back then. You just have to know that it was a different time, a different place. I did things I wasn’t very proud of back then. Instead of facing everything, I chose to run away. I ran away from heartbreak. I didn’t do anything wrong but I didn’t stand up for what was right either. I met your dad around that time and boy did I fall for him hard. His name was Travis Clark or so I thought. In a very short time he came to mean the world to me and I thought he returned those feelings. Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t. We were together for about six months by the time the world came crashing down around us and what was left was a world of hurt I didn’t think I would survive. You see I found out that Travis wasn’t the man I thought he was and while I never liked Matthew, Travis finally told me he and Matthew were actually brothers. His last name wasn’t Clark, but Conrad. And he and Matthew were in business together. Matthew had just turned on him and this was a real betrayal. Matthew left Travis to take the blame for something he did. Travis was going to jail for his part in a crime ring and when the trial was over, we found out it was going to be years before he got out. Matthew let him stand alone and Travis was headed to prison. The day after he was put in there, I gave evidence to the D.A. that proved his innocence and then I ran away. I didn’t stick around to see if what I left had any impact on the truth or not.”

Augusta felt shocked to hear all of this. She’d never known the truth.

Mira laid her head back on the pillow as tears rolled down her face. “Mathew Conrad told me what happened after his brother went to prison. In fact, he was proud of what he did to his brother. God, it was so messed up.” She raised her arm over her head and stared at the ceiling.

“What happened, Mom?” Augusta asked. 

“Matthew told me that he made sure Travis would have ‘an accident’ in prison. He sent one of his own men behind bars with the order to make sure Travis never made it to parole. He told me Travis died behind bars, because he tried to turn the tide and get the truth out.” Mira turned her head and stared at Augusta. “But that wasn’t Travis honey, that was what I did. And Matthew said he didn’t care. He told me Travis was dead and he was still free.”

Augusta caught her breath and tears ran down her own face. Her father, a man she didn’t even know, was now far beyond her reach. She had always wondered about him, but growing up her mother would never speak of him, she just said he never knew about her and that was better for them both. Now she had finally told her and Augusta didn’t know what to believe.

Mira turned her head and looked at her daughter, then she reached out her hand and took Augusta’s hand. “You have to be very careful now, honey.”

“Why?” Augusta asked. “What’s going on now?”

Mira swallowed hard for a moment then she whispered, “Matthew knows about you and he’s coming here to take you back with him. He thinks he can use you the same way he used your dad.” She looked at Renegade then Jack. “You have to tell your dad that Matthew is coming for his money and his niece. He’s bringing an army with him and he’ll kill everyone that stands in his way. He’s completely insane now, thinks he can’t be touched and he’s pissed because he got sold half a gold mine he can’t even claim. But he’s gonna claim my daughter and he’ll use her then he’ll spit her out and leave her broken and bleeding.”

“The hell he will.” Renegade growled. 

Mira shook her head. “You don’t understand…He thinks he can’t be stopped. He’s got lawyers and cops he pays to protect him. He thinks he can’t be touched and that it gives him the status as a king. He thinks all he has to do is want something and he’ll get it. He loaned Michael Moon money that transferred half a gold mine to him and when he went to claim it, he found out that he was gypped.”

“Except it wasn’t Michael Moon he gave the money to but Joshua Moon,” Renegade told her. “Joshua put the cash in a safety deposit box in a real bank under his name. Now Joshua is going to prison again and no one can get the money. And this time he’s going to a white man’s prison and he’s gonna die behind those walls. Hell, he doesn’t even care how much Conrad whines about the money. No one but him can get it.”

Mira shivered. “Then he’ll make Crysta pay it out.”

Jack shook his head and replied, “No he won’t, it's not her debt to pay. Joshua made the deal, Joshua sold him the gold mine he can’t get to. Joshua will have to pay it back. Hell, Joshua didn’t even know his mother was still alive when he put that clause in the contract.”

“That isn’t going to stop him from trying,” Mira told them. “He’ll send in his men first, let them take the bullets and he’ll stand in the back waiting for the fire fight to end. Then he’ll walk over the bodies, both his and yours, just to claim a prize that he didn’t earn.”

Renegade scoffed. “He won’t claim anything he didn’t earn. These guys aren’t stupid, they know how to fight and I’ll bet they are a lot better at shooting than Conrad’s men are. They didn’t start this war but they aren’t going to let some little upstart shoot at them and not fight back either. They are fighters.”

Mira nodded. “But you don’t know Matthew Conrad very well either. I knew what he was like twenty odd years ago. He was reckless and rude then but now he’s stepping over the edge into insanity and he doesn’t seem to mind. Yes, he has a lot of money now but God only knows how he got that money. He seems to think he can do whatever he wants and there are no consequences for anything he does. Travis wasn’t like that, not when I knew him anyway. He didn’t much care for the things his brother was doing but that didn’t matter to Matthew. He just forced his opinion on everyone around him. Always a vicious, pushy little bastard.” She paused, then sighed. “And he killed his own brother for just saying he’d had enough. I’m truly afraid for Crysta, Augusta and the rest of you.”

Renegade leaned forward and took her other hand into his. “I had a vision quest when I came of age. It’s a right of passage for every young warrior in our tribe. But my quest gave me more questions than answers. It told me I was supposed to find and save a woman of my blood. My grandfather then told me to go and find her. He told me that her family…Joshua and his brothers were coming here to kill her for Michael. It turned out to be Kalinda. She was in great danger, but when I found her, she was already under the wing of the Lost Sons MC. Protected by Jack.” He motioned to the man. “I was supposed to be here though just as my grandfather told me and we got her through all of that. But part of that vision was that my fate was also here. I’ve waited here for the woman I have seen in my dreams to show up and...” He paused to look over at Augusta. “You are that woman. I felt it in my heart the moment I saw you and since then you have been under my protection. You and everyone you care about.” He turned his gaze back to Mira. “That protection extends to you as you are her mother.” 

Mira stared at him. “You really seem to be a good man and that is all I want for my daughter.”

Augusta raised her gaze to Renegade’s. Her cheeks went red. “I-I don’t know what to say.” 

Renegade smiled. “I know it’s a lot. But I’m always honest. After we deal with Matthew Conrad, we can see what you may have to say.” He smiled. “But I will protect Crysta, you and your mother. You will never walk alone again.”

Tears filled Augusta’s eyes.

Mira squeezed her hand. “This will be a wonderful thing, Augusta. I hope it works out that way too. If we survive this attack that is coming.”

“Mira,” Renegade spoke up again. “This MC is more than you think it is. I’ve been here long enough to have learned that they will not allow this Conrad to step over anyone’s body to get to anyone here. They can outshoot his men and outsmart Conrad. The man is finally going to learn that…no…means No. And it is about time he learned that.”

Mira stared at him, then looked around at their faces.

Jack gave her a nod. “We all know what being betrayed is like. Some men tried to destroy us. Destroy our whole family in fact. They set my oldest brother up to go to prison for the death of a young woman when he was innocent. They ran me and my other brothers out of town. They took our MC compound over. They beat up my grandpa. We thought they’d killed our dad, but they had him imprisoned instead. We went through hell but we beat them finally. So we know how being kicked down feels like. We took it all back and our family has survived and thrived.”

Mira gazed at him and then at Renegade. “I can only pray that you are successful again.” She let out a sigh and leaned back onto her pillow. “I will pray…” She then fell back to sleep.

Chapter Twelve

Leaving the three women under Renegade’s watch, Jack went to find his father and brothers. 

He sat down at the table and explained what Mira had said. Jack looked at his dad and told them about Augusta’s situation, “Conrad is Augusta’s uncle. And he wants to get her too. We don’t know why, I mean he turned on family already. Mira had been going out with his brother, Travis. After a bit, Matthew backstabbed his own brother, literally. He got sent up for something Conrad did. Matthew let him stand trial alone and Travis was headed to prison. The day after he was put in there, Mira gave evidence to the D.A. that proved his innocence and then she ran away, afraid of Conrad. While this is all news to Mira, I think the fact that Matthew ordered his brother’s death in prison was tough for her. She never knew the man who fathered her but it's still gonna be hard for her to understand any of this mess.”

Tate nodded. “Damn and that’s what sucks about all of this. Conrad might not care but that doesn’t matter anymore. What does matter is the fact that he doesn’t get inside the compound to get his dirty hands on her.”

“Conrad is a psycho,” Silas agreed. “If he thinks he’s coming here and leaving us dead in the dirt, he’s just so wrong that it'll be pitiful. He may own judges and cops down South but he don’t own any up here.  If he comes here, he won’t walk away clean.”

“Dad…” Tate groaned. 

“What?” Silas growled. “You gonna let some mealy mouthed bastard come here to shoot up the place? You shaking in your boots, boy? If so, you aren’t the man I raised.”

Tate just rolled his eyes at him. “Of course, I’m not going to just let him come in and start shooting up the place. I never said that but we gotta take the time to think this out. There’s more at stake here than just Matthew Conrad. We got women and children here. That’s all I’m saying.”

Silas nodded. “I get that but we’ve got saferooms for them. And we know more about this place than anyone else. We built it from the ground up, remember?” Silas smiled. 

“What are you saying, Dad?” Tate wanted to know.

“Maybe we should divide and conquer,” Silas commented. 

Jack looked totally confused as he asked, “What the hell does that mean, Grandpa?”

Silas went over to the hutch in the main room and pulled out a map. He came back over and placed it on the table.

Tate, Creed, Jack and Harry all joined him then looked down at it. 

Silas pointed at the compound’s map and said, “Ok, we’re here at clubhouse and while we got some numbers, we don’t have enough to take on the army Conrad might bring with him. We don’t know his numbers but maybe we can get more men on our side. Like say, we have a separate army waiting in the wings so to speak, we might have a chance to get the drop on him.” 

Tate smiled at him. “We could have the second wave waiting in the tunnels.”

Silas nodded his head. “Now you’re getting it.”

Jack and Harry just studied the map. 

Harry looked up at the men. “So where do we get this second wave of men?” 

Creed crossed his arms over his chest and suggested, “I hear Cobra is visiting the Savaged Souls right now. He also doesn’t travel without four or five men from the Soldiers Of Hades, plus we got Darrin and his bunch. They hate Conrad with a passion.”

Silas nodded. “True enough, but we have to remind Darrin and his men that we can’t just shoot these guys down in cold blood. We have to shoot to wound, we disarm them, then we let the police handle them.”

Tate looked at him then at Creed. “If we have enough fighters, we put men outside the compound and just inside the entrance of the tunnels, where the women will be hiding. We can have men on the roofs and at the fence line, up and down the way. We’ll secure our line in the sand and the enemy can’t break in.”

“We just make sure we tell them to wound only,” Silas added. “But the law says we have the right to protect our own land and our own lives.” 

One by one, the women joined the men and one by one, the women got silent.

Anita and Midge shook their heads.

 “And if we don’t want to be hidden away?” Midge asked. “We can shoot too, you know.”

Silas looked over at her and smiled slightly. “I knew you would say that, honey.” He nodded. “Yeah, you can shoot. We might even need that too. But some of the women and the kids still need protection. Kalinda’s grandmother is blind and Mira is hurting but the women that want to help surely can.”

Midge looked at her husband, then she gazed around as she said her peace, “Someone will more than likely get hurt here, no one is bulletproof. So while we’re aiming to wound them, they sure as hell won’t be doing the same for us. Are you guys ready for that?”

Tate and Silas both nodded. 

“We have to be, don't we?” Silas replied quietly. “All we can hope for is that nobody is killed. We just have to be careful, that's all.” 

Everyone nodded. 

“Maybe we should just have the guys in the woods, not in the tunnel,”Anita pointed out. That way, if anyone is standing back to watch they won’t see them coming out of the tunnels. That’s sort of the secret of this place, isn’t it? If anyone sees where it comes out, it won’t be secret anymore.”

Silas pondered this for a moment then nodded. “You’re right, it's how we got the compound back in the first place.”

The rest of the brothers had joined the main family. Also, Darrin and his boys sat there listening to the chat. 

Midge remembered something then. “We got some deer hunting hides, don’t we? What if we get them set up in the trees and the guys can hide in those?”

Silas’s smile grew bigger. “Damn, that’s a helluvan idea.” He nodded at his wife. “Woman, you shoulda been a general.”

Midge gave him a smirk and a salute.

Everyone laughed.

Silas saluted her back then said, “We can get those set up high enough and hide the ladders, so no one notices them. Being higher up than the ground will also give us an advantage Conrad won’t have.”

“Ok, let’s get busy,” Creed stated. “Before Conrad gets here.”

Darrin looked at his men around him.

They all nodded at him. They were willing to be part of this. They knew firsthand what Conrad did and how he would fight. It would be down and dirty from the beginning to the end but they were more than willing to join in. 

Darrin and his brothers stood from the table. Darrin called out, “We’ll fight this battle with you.”

Tate, Silas and Creed looked over at them. All the Youngs did. 

Silas nodded slowly. “We’d be more than happy to welcome you boys into our family.”

Darrin stared at him and asked, “Why would you do that?”

Silas shook his head and smirked at the man. “Son, you’ve more than earned a place here. Not only did you help Kalinda survive her childhood, but you stepped up when Mira was taken. You went out of your way to get her out of a situation where she could have been killed and you brought her back here. Kalinda vouched for you and that’s all we need.”

Darrin held his look then he looked around at his men.

They all nodded without saying a word. 

Darrin then held out his hand and Silas reached out as well. The deal was cemented by their handshake. 

Darrin smiled and said, “Let us man the tree stands. You and the others need to protect your home and families.”

Silas cocked his head at him. “This is your home too now, son.”

Darrin froze, then he said,“It's been a long time since we called anywhere home.”

Silas nodded. “Yeah, we all know that feeling, kid. We all lost ours for quite a few years. Cheated, lied to and chased out by force. We all lost our home. It was hard. But we Youngs always stick together and we never turn our backs on those that matter to us. This isn’t gonna be no damn picnic. Instead, we are protecting our home and family against someone who is willing to wipe us off the map. We ain’t about to let that happen, not ever again. So let’s get ready and win this fight.”

One of Devin’s men, Coop, spoke up just then, “There’s something else we saw before we left that you should know about.”

“What’s that?” Tate asked him.

“We spotted another man watching Conrad’s camp,” Coop explained. “He didn’t bother us or try to stop us but he was there watching all the same. He stayed in his hiding spot, wearing a flat brimmed hat and a long black duster coat. We couldn’t see him too well but he didn’t try to interfere either.” 

Tate looked around the room and shook his head but didn’t say a word. Then he looked back at Darrin and asked, “Any idea who this guy is?”

Darrin shook his head. “No idea but he didn’t seem to be our enemy.”

Will nodded. “But when we got Mira out and were loading her in the car the stranger stepped up and stared at us closely. I saw his face in the moonlight. He had some bad scars and his eyes were cold. I ain’t never seen anyone’s eyes that cold before. Finally, he turned and walked away.”

Silas glanced at Tate then said, “That’s not good. Have you seen him since then?”

“Yes, did he follow you?” Creed asked him.

Coop shook his head. “No sir, and we watched our backs all the way here.”

Silas shrugged. “I’m glad you told us about him. If he does show up then we’ll deal with him. We’ve got to get the tree stands up and secure them before Conrad gets here.” He clapped his hands together and called out, “Let’s get the show on the road, boys.”

Tate loved how Silas always acted in charge, so he too, saluted his dad.

Silas growled as he scoffed.

Tate and his sons all chuckled then headed out.

 

~*~

Everyone headed outside and got busy.

A couple of men went up to the roof with rifles and scopes to watch over the area. 

Creed, his brothers and Darrin’s men got the five tree stands attached into place.

Renegade worked with Darrin on one tree stand and he watched him. 

Darrin finally looked over at him and asked, “What’s on your mind?”

Renegade paused, then told him, “I’ve heard some of Kalinda’s story, just wondering how bad it was in that place? You know, the orphanage?”

Darrin paused then looked into the distance for a moment, without looking at Renegade he spoke quietly, “Yeah, it was that bad. And the church let it all happen. They were aware of what was going on and yet they did nothing to stop it.” He shook his head. “I was two steps from running away when they pushed me out. But I didn’t stay away. I was waiting for them to do the same thing to Kalinda. I knew they wouldn’t let her stay too much longer. I think Sister Grace was setting her up for something. Kalinda even knew that much. The night they pushed her out, I was there. I grabbed her and we ran. The Sheriff  finally found us a couple of weeks later. We were in an old barn. He busted in and tried to handcuff me, calling me a thief and saying he hoped I would run so he could shoot me in the back. I didn’t run, I hadn’t done anything wrong.” Then his voice faded away and the silence was tension filled.

Renegade glanced over at Darrin and said quietly, “Yeah, Kalinda told us what happened then.”

Darrin stared at him and asked harshly, “Did she tell you what she did for me?”

Renegade nodded. “Yeah, she told us. You were her only friend and she protected you and herself. It was justified.”

Darrin  sighed and looked away again. “No one ever did anything like that for me before.” His words were soft. “No one ever stood up for me. My own mother walked away from me when I was five and the Sisters abused us all. Yet, Kalinda stood up for me. She’s the best friend I ever had and Jack better make her happy or he’ll be getting a visit with my fists one day.”

Renegade smiled at him as he shook his head. “Hell man, if he ever hurts her, you might have to stand in line to get a punch in.”