Oh my God.
Tears start blurring my vision.
Tse.
Tse
“You’ve gotta eat something.”
Lisa sets a plate with bacon and eggs in front of me, along with a mug of hot coffee.
It’s been over seven hours since we found the Jeep.
It didn’t take long for some of my brothers to show, and after that the cops and the feds. We spent most of that time searching the woods, knocking on doors, calling in favors, anything to try and get a sense of direction. Some kind of clue where to start looking.
The only thing we found was a small piece of fabric stuck on what looked to be a wild gooseberry bush. Same green color as the T-shirt Ravi was wearing. I tried taking Van, hoping maybe he’d pick up a scent, but he did little else than growl. Either because of the number of people, or the thick tension in the air, but the dog clearly felt threatened so I put him back in the truck.
The general consensus seemed to be Ravi witnessed something, managed to take off, and is hopefully hiding. But if Sophia had been out there with him, I’m positive she would’ve tried to go back for her vehicle, or at least her phone. No, someone took her. I could feel it in my gut.
Brick finally got me to agree to wait for morning light to go back out there—just a few of us—and try again with the dog.
I look out the window and notice the sky is lighting up a bit. Waiting and doing nothing has been hell. My imagination has had a chance to work overtime, thinking of Sophia, who has her, what’s being done to her. Maybe I should eat a little because I can’t fucking wait to go out there and do something.
Seven fucking hours.
“Just talked to Trunk.” I’m just taking a swig of my coffee when Ouray walks into the kitchen. He’s been holed up in his office, making phone calls, since we got here. “Lea is stable. They’ve inflated her collapsed lung, repaired the nicked artery, and stitched up the cut on her cheek and her forearm. She’s expected to make a full recovery.”
“Bless her heart.”
This from Lisa, who was waiting anxiously when we got back to the clubhouse earlier. No one seems to have gotten a lick of sleep, other than the boys in the bunkhouse. I guess Trunk must’ve gone to the hospital to take Luna’s place when she got called to the scene up on the mountain.
I’m grateful Lea’s gonna be okay, don’t get me wrong, but my fucking woman is still out there under God knows what circumstances. That is, if she’s still alive.
“I talked to the Moab Reds, Mesa Riders, and the Amontinados. Had to call in a few markers, but they’re keeping an eye open and an ear to the ground.”
They’re all clubs we were at some point affiliated with, sharing a thriving drug trade in the region back in the nineties. Arrow’s Edge got out, but the others still have at least a partial interest in that business and might have an idea who we’re dealing with.
“Anything from Luna?” I ask between bites, forcibly swallowing the food down.
I haven’t really kept track of what the cops and the FBI were doing, but there were still some cars at the scene when Honon drove us here.
“Yeah, she’s on her way to the clubhouse. I was gonna let her tell you herself.”
I shake my head. “Give it to me now, because in five minutes I’ll be gone. Ravi is out there somewhere and he saw something. He’s our best bet. I’ve gotta find him.”
“Fair enough. They figured someone must’a been watching Sophia’s place. She’s not a stupid woman, so she would have to have had a good reason to pull over. That takes planning.” Lisa hands Ouray a coffee and he takes a sip. “Found a wireless trail camera up in a tree across from the driveway. They could see anyone coming and going.”
I slam my fist down on the table so hard the dishes rattle and my coffee spills.
“Easy, brother.”
Honon, who’s been quietly sitting at the table with me, puts a firm hand on my forearm. Probably a good thing, because I was about to hurl my plate at the wall.
“They’ve been waiting.”
“Would seem so,” Ouray confirms. “Probably saw the security cameras on the house and simply waited for a time she’d be coming down that mountain by herself. When they saw you leave—”
“They set a trap,” I finish for him. “They’re organized.”
Ouray nods. “Yup. Luna says they’re gonna try and access the feed. See if they can pin down an exact time she left.”
“How the fuck is that gonna help?” I snap, my patience run out. “She’s already gone. Why the fuck aren’t they out there looking for her, instead of wasting their time on a goddamn camera?”
I forcefully shove my chair back from the table and get up.
“Time line,” Ouray states calmly, blocking my exit. “They’ve got access to traffic cameras and such. If they know the time she was taken, it’ll be easier to find and track the vehicle that took her. It could give us a fucking roadmap to where she is.”
I nod at him. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
He claps me on the shoulder.
“Take Honon with you.”
By the time I walk with Van out of the clubhouse to my truck, I don’t only have Honon but Paco, Wapi, and Yuma following me.
In my hand I have a Ziploc baggie with a pillowcase from Ravi’s bed.
Not sure if it’s gonna do any fucking good, but I have to try.
CHAPTER 26
Tse
HER JEEP IS gone.
A Durango PD SUV is parked in its spot.
I cross over the median
