Raging Barons MC – Book Three – Silver

-:- MEAT -:-

The warehouse was a success in my mind. We freed the women that this Tommo had taken to work in his whore house and some of them were in a pretty awful state, but none wanted the authorities to know, they just wanted to get back to their lives. Seems odd to me, as I would have wanted to do more than to disappear and forget it happened. Maybe they were not as innocent as we think.

Breakfast is over and I’ve beef stew in the oven, slowly cooking for tonight’s meal. Biscuits made to go with that. I’ll just warm them through later. Now I’m going to try this cake making shit.

Looking at the recipe that Mia gave me, I take out all the ingredients and grease six cake pans. Mixing the first of the ingredients which I have had to times three as one will not feed this lot, pouring the batter into the pans equally. I place them in the oven to bake. I’m pleased this kitchen has two ovens, as it makes for easy organizing when different temperatures are needed.

Cleaning the kitchen, I set the coffeepot back on as no one seems to bother doing that, but are quick to shout, where is the coffee. Life in a kitchen is always busy, but I enjoy being busy so it’s okay with me.

I make the cherry filling and frosting, and place them in the refrigerator, then head up to my room quickly to freshen up. I’m thinking of going hunting later, so I want everything to be organized in case I disappear for a while.

Back in the kitchen, the cakes are on the cooling racks and I wash up the cake pans, placing them in the cooling oven to make sure they are dried out.

Pouring a coffee for myself, I’m standing looking out of the kitchen window when I notice a massive tree quite a way into the compound. Now why have I not noticed that before?

Turning, I rinse my cup and place it in the dishwasher, then finish the cakes. Placing the filling on three of the cakes, I place the other three cakes on top. Then I coat the frosting onto the top of each one, place a few cherries on and Tada, all done. I place them in the pantry where no fucker will find them, and I head out to the compound to look at this tree.

Reaching the tree, I walk around and give it a good looking at. Then reach up and grab a thick branch. Testing how strong it is, I’m pretty pleased that it shows no signs of rot. Climbing, I’m half way up easily and I can see the tree is in great condition, it’s thick trunk is going to be ideal. The branches are thick and strong and the leaves are a good color. This tree is going to be perfect. Jumping down, I head back to the clubhouse.

I knock on Axel’s office door, but when no-one responds I crack it and see it’s empty. Walking to the next office, I see Specs is behind his desk, as always, glued to a computer screen. Tapping on his open door, I grab his attention, “Hi Meat, what can I do for you?”

“Going out. I’ll be back for the evening meal.” I state, then turn and leave, as I don’t want him asking questions or trying to stop me.

Straddling my hog, Stitch appears next to me, “Where are you going?” he asks, but I start my baby up and pull out of the compound, nodding thanks to Petey who opens the gate for me, what I didn’t expect was Stitch to ride up beside me.

Reaching Eden’s home, I park and study the surrounding houses. A couple of curtains twitch, but I take no notice. I’m looking for anyone watching the place and at first glance I can’t see anyone.

Walking up to the front door, I pick the lock and enter, looking carefully at each room. I can see instantly they have ransacked the place and entering the kitchen I place my hand on the kettle and it still has warmth in it. Taking out my weapon, I step into the lounge and listen carefully for any movement anywhere else in the house. Stitch is now in the same mode as me. He’s standing near the door, weapon at the ready and his head tilted slightly, listening. When no movement is heard after a few minutes we make our move to climb the stairs.

Slowly we ascend, making sure we keep our backs to the wall, stepping up in a sideways motion. Stopping every couple of steps to listen again. On the landing, we carefully move toward the first door, and as Stitch pushes it slowly open, we see it’s the bathroom and no-one is inside. We do the same for each of the bedrooms, taking note someone has ripped them apart, but no-one is here.

Putting our weapons away, we walk around each room, checking carefully for any signs that could help us find Tommo or even one of his men. But unfortunately, we find nothing of benefit to us.

Back downstairs, Stitch locks the backdoor and we know it won’t keep them out, but it will slow them down or have them making enough noise that will alert neighbors to them breaking in.

Locking the front door, I head to my hog and straddle, but wait for Stitch to come back. He is knocking on doors and speaking to some neighbors, letting them know Shirley died and the place should be empty unless one of the MC brothers comes over to clean up. He also gives them our cellphone numbers as a first contact.

The last neighbor seems to talk more than the others and Stitch seems to take in what he’s saying with a set look on his face. Maybe we got lucky, and this fucker knows something to give us a lead at last.

Stitch returns to his bike and looks over at me with his nasty smirk on his face. “Come on Meat, we’re goin’ hunting.” Before I can ask him what he knows, he takes off and I’m left to catch him up.

We’re heading out of town and turn up a dirt track. It’s not much wider than our bikes, so not a well-used track, which could be to our advantage.

Near the end of the dirt track, Stitch pulls up and turns off his engine, turning to me as he steps off his bike. “Come on, the rest of the way is on foot. We need to be behind the house, if you can call it that. There is a rundown barn and we need to get into that. We should find someone in there if we’re lucky.”

“Is this what the neighbor told you?” I ask him, because if it was, he seems to know a lot which has me suspicious.

“Yeah, he knows all about Tommo. His sister was a crackhead and Tommo took advantage and pimped her out. She died of an overdose, same as Shirley. This guy has tried to get help to take Tommo down, but no one will stand up with him, so he’s happy to let us know if the fucker turns up at the house and if we need any more information, he’s happy to tell us all he knows.”

We make our way down the rest of the track, around the house, and we see the barn. No one appears to be around, but we are more than careful as we make our way down the side of it, listening and watching for any movement.

The side door to the barn is slightly ajar. We head to it, Stitch behind me and we’re back-to-back, covering each other. Hearing talking, we stop and listen as best we can.

When are you coming back?

We hear mumbling.

I’m not sitting here waiting for much longer, Tommo.

More mumbling.

I told you I didn’t want to be involved in your shit and I’m outta here today. You can sort your own mess out.

We now hear shouting and it must be from a phone: You’re not leaving, you’re in this the same as I am.

No, I’m not in this with you. You dragged me to this fucking barn not telling me what the hell you were into and I’m not involved and not getting involved, you’re a piece of shit and if you come near me again, I’ll not think twice about shooting your ass.

Before we can enter the side door is flung open, and a man storms out, straight into me and I punch him once and he’s down and out. Grinning at Stitch, he shakes his head but bends down to grab this fuckers’ feet while I grab him under his arms and we carry him back into the barn and tie him to a pillar that holds the roof up.

“We were lucky that rope was on the table Meat, but it makes me wonder why? Have you noticed it looks like this barn has been sectioned into fucking cells?” Stitch asks me as he walks over to the side of the barn and checks it out.

Walking over to him, I can see what he means as each of these sections has bars all around, and a barred door. Inside there is a bucket and an old, dirty and disgusting mattress. This is where that fucker has been keeping the women that he’s stolen off the street, I think to myself, and I can only imagine the fear they felt being locked up in that cell.

Turning to the man we tied up, I see he’s coming around. Rubbing my hands together, I know it’s time to get some answers and he’ll give me what he knows or he’ll end up buried on this property.

Stitch stands next to me as we stare at the man, who’s shaking his head to wake himself fully. When he sees us watching him, he stops and squints, trying to figure out who we are, I suppose. Before he can ask anything, I say quietly, “Okay, now you’re awake, you need to talk because if you don’t, I’m gonna bury you outside and no one will ever find you.”

“Who are you? What do you want with me?” he stutters, and if I’m honest looks like he’s gonna cry.

“Just call us death.” I state and give him my best evil grin and crazy eyes look; I think it works ‘cause he just pissed himself.

Stitch slaps my shoulder. “Now, we just want information. You give us that and we deem you okay, then you get to go home.”

“What do you want to know? I don’t know nothing,” he stammers.

“Where can we find Tommo?” Stitch asks, and it looks like he’s doing the talking, so I continue giving the crazy looks to this guy.

“I don’t know. He was supposed to be here this morning, but he never turned up.”

“Where has he been staying?” Stitch is keeping calm, more than I am because I’m ready for all the answers we need.

“He’s been moving every twenty-four hours, so I can’t tell you where he is.” He’s looking from one of us to the other and you can see the panic written all over his face.

“What are you to Tommo? Why are you here?”

The guy shakes his head at us, trying to get our sympathy. I think, well it’s not gonna work.

“He’s my brother. He’s fucking crazy. He called me to come here, he said he had something serious to tell me. I argued with him. I didn’t want to come, but he was insistent, so I told him I’d come, but this was the last contact we ever had. I’ve had enough of him trying to drag me into his shit. He’s been nothing but trouble since he was born.”

“What did he want to tell you?”

“I don’t know what he wanted to say. He never showed up this morning. I’ve been here since 8:00 am and I was leaving as you caught hold of me.”

“We are trying to find him. He’s been taking women and pimping them out, selling drugs and causing death and destruction wherever he goes. The MC won’t put up with this. We are gonna take him down. Now you can either help us or go down with him.” Stitch states and eyes him strongly, making sure this guy knows he’s in deep, deep shit.

“I’ll help.”

“He can ride bitch with you, Stitch.” I state as I leg it out of there fast. No way am I having a guy behind me on my hog. Laughing as I ride away as I can hear Stitch cursing up a storm.

Back at the clubhouse I go straight to Axel’s office and thankfully he’s in, so I quickly fill him in that we have a guy who is the brother to Tommo and we can get some answers.

“Take him to the shed.” Axel snaps as he surges out of his seat and round the desk, shouting, “Buzz, with me!”

Buzz appears as if by fucking magic and I’ve no idea where he was, but he had to have been close to be with us in seconds.

We leave the clubhouse by the back door and we storm up the compound to the shed. Where we find Stitch and Target, who must have seen us arrive, pulling this guy inside.

Entering the shed, Target has the man sitting on a chair and is standing behind him, looking pretty frightening even if I say so myself. “Okay, what’s your name?” I ask.

“Charles.” He quickly responds.

“Okay Charles, you told us you’re Tommo’s brother. So, give us the story. Let’s get this over with quickly.” I say, taking a seat from against the wall and dragging it in front of Charles, straddling it and leaning on the back with my forearms.

“Tommo and I are half-brothers, same father, but we were not brought up together until his mother died when he was fourteen. He was a horrid piece of shit even then.” Rubbing his hands over his face, he continues, “My home life was good, my mother was a great woman, loved me and my dad, but when Tommo came to live with us it didn’t take long before she feared him. I don’t know what he did to her, but he did something.

“One day when dad was working, I had to go to school, and it left Tommo alone with her. When I got back, she was packing her bags. She kissed my cheek and left, just like that.

“I beat the shit out of Tommo, but he wouldn’t say what happened. Me and dad looked everywhere for her but never found her, not even to this day do I know where she went or what happened.”

I silently agree with him. Something happened, but leaving your son behind makes little sense either. “What happened after that?”

Charles looks from one to another of us. “My dad was never the same. He loved my mother and not being able to find her left him broken. We never found out what Tommo had done, but from the day she left, my father never spoke another word to Tommo. He died four years after that and left everything to me and nothing to Tommo. In fact, he stated he disinherited him.

“As you can imagine, it didn’t go down well and after a year of listening to his pissing contest about one thing or another, I threw him out. I really don’t think he’s right in the head.”

“Have you had any contact with him since you threw him out?” Buzz asks.

“No, that is why I came, I hoped it was a way of him trying to put things right, but when I walked into that barn and saw those cells, because that’s what they are, my stomach turned and I knew he was into something horrendous.” Charles’ face is set like stone by this point.

After we’ve exhausted all questions, we allow Charles to leave as it’s perfectly clear he has nothing to do with this, but he confirmed if Tommo contacts him with a place to meet, he’ll let us know. He vomited when we told him about the warehouse and what happened. It showed us all he was not made of the same stuff as his brother.