Part 6 (1/2)

CHAPTER EIGHT.

VINCENT.

I walk into the FBI building and scan my pa.s.s. It's my day off, so I'm dressed down in jeans and a t-s.h.i.+rt, but it's not unusual for me to stop in for something unexpectedly.

When my phone rang earlier, I wasn't expecting the news so soon. h.e.l.l, I thought they might never find the guns. But with the higher ups cracking down on the local motorcycle clubs, they're looking for any reason to get at the Five Aces. Now they have a couple of them, both in the hospital, not looking like they'll be able to answer any questions any time soon, if they even make it.

Looks like some of their luck ran out. Stupid f.u.c.ks got pulled over for a routine stop when they were trying to move the weapons in some beat-up van. They tried to run. The chase ended with them and the guns laid out on the highway. f.u.c.king mess, but maybe I could use that mess to my advantage.

When the chief of ballistics calls and says he's just had a s.h.i.+t load of guns dropped off to his lab, I know what he's talking about. He called me asking for a hand since we're good friends and he's short staffed at the moment. Mark says he just needs someone to help him test the weapons and scan them into the system for a.n.a.lysis. Basically he wants me to help him see if any of the guns they confiscated in the raid were used in a murder.

I hustle down to his department and scan my pa.s.s three more times before entering the testing room. It's soundproofed, and isolated, considering they discharge weapons in here pretty often.

”Hey Mark, how's it going?” I say, and set my backpack down on the table.

”Thanks for coming in, man. I appreciate it. Let's get started so I won't keep you here long,” Mark says, and nods his head over to the pile of weapons that he's got to go through.

”No problem. Not like I can do any questioning on them right now anyways.” I got lucky. ”Stephanie must have had the baby,” I say, and start looking over all the weapons.

”Yeah, a week early, but she's doing good. I think they have someone set to fill in while she's out on maternity leave, but they won't be here until next week.”

”No, worries. Glad I could come in and help. Let me do the scanning and you do your thing. I messed up my knee running the other day and I think I need to keep off of it if I can.”

”I keep telling you, exercise is evil. One day, you'll listen.”

I fake a laugh and pull a chair up to the table. My knee feels just fine, but I need to be able to sort through the weapons and see if Mackenzie's is in here. It may not be, and I'm hoping it's not, but I can't take that chance.

I start with all the large weapons and we work our way down to the handguns. I enter in the information on the gun, pa.s.s it on to Mark to shoot, and catalogue the casings of the bullets for further a.n.a.lysis.

It takes Mark longer to go through the process of shooting the weapons and pulling the casings than it does for me to scan them, so he's got a few waiting to be used while I move to the smaller guns and sort them out. There are five handguns, and I eliminate those right away knowing that she shot him at a distance. That leaves me with two other weapons, both long-range rifles, one of which could be Mackenzie's.

I enter in the information on the first one, and nothing pops. That doesn't mean it's not a dirty weapon, it just means the serial number on it isn't showing us anything. I look over my shoulder and see Mark still working on one of the larger semi-automatics. I check the second weapon.

I take a deep breath, enter in the information, and wait. It pops up being registered to an Air Force base in Atlanta, Georgia, and my heart stops.

”Hey, Ca.s.sano, this last one is jammed pretty bad. I'm going to grab my tools out of the front closet. I'll be right back.”

I lift my chin at his exit, and take this as a sign from G.o.d. I grab my backpack, and pull out the rifle I brought, along with forged doc.u.ments to go with it. I knew this day would come at some point, and I had this prepared already. It's a random gun that was confiscated at a raid I worked about ten years ago. I switch out the weapons, dismantle Mackenzie's, and drop it in my bag, putting it back where it was before Mark walks in. I thank G.o.d they don't have cameras in this area of the building.

I'm deleting the search information on the computer just as Mark walks back in. I submit the weapon as the one found at the scene. Luckily for me, I was the one who entered in this gun ten years ago, so I can go back and change the catalogue.

I lean back in my chair and play it cool for the next hour as we finish with the weapons.

When I exit the building with my backpack over my shoulder, I breathe a sigh of relief. I just did the dirtiest thing an agent can do, and I never had a second of hesitation. There are some real pieces of s.h.i.+t out there in the world, but my Mackenzie isn't one of them. She's not a criminal. She is just a victim getting her own justice, and I can't say I blame her.

I pull out my phone and call to make sure the Five Aces guys haven't come to yet. I find out one died and the other is still in surgery. I send another agent down to wait for any new news.

Next I send Mackenzie a text letting her know I'm on my way back to her place. After just a second my phone hits back with a message that reads 'Unavailable'. Thinking something must be wrong with her phone, I pull up her number and hit call. When the voice comes on telling me the number I'm trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer in service, I grip my phone so hard, it nearly cracks in two.

I pull up to the gate of the club and hit the code I've seen Mackenzie enter in a hundred times. The iron gates open up and I hit the gas. I fly down the driveway, and when I reach the house, I turn the wheel, and slam on the brakes, causing me to screech across the pavement.

All the brothers come flooding out of the house at the sound of my entrance, and I jump out of the car.

”Where the f.u.c.k is she!” I shout, looking over two of the brothers' shoulders at Lucias standing in the back. He's got his arms crossed over his chest, and his jaw is hard. He's not going to tell me s.h.i.+t. Abe and Knox stand in front with their fists clenched, and both of them look ready for a fight.

Good.

I reach in my s.h.i.+rt and pull out Mackenzie's dog tags. I grit my teeth and let my anger flow through me. ”You see these. This means something to me, and it means something to you. Now someone tell me where the f.u.c.k she is.”

The guys look around to one another in surprise, but no one says anything.

I've haven't lost my temper that often in my life. I'm usually a cool-headed guy, because I've been trained to be. But right now, my girl is gone and someone needs to start talking.

I look at Abe and take a three steps to him so we are nose to nose. I want the biggest motherf.u.c.ker in here, and then I'm going to tear him limb from limb. I feel Knox slide up beside me, but I don't give a s.h.i.+t. Let them all come at me, I'll burn this G.o.dd.a.m.n place to ashes.

”Easy, Scribe,” Lucias calls, and Knox backs off. He's not stopping me, but he's not interfering either. I guess he isn't worried about Abe taking me in a fight.

He should be.

Abe's a big guy. He's got scars down the side of his face, which make his road name, Savage, all the more menacing. None of this intimidates me because I've got more on the line than he does. I don't stand to lose a friend if I can't find Mackenzie, I stand to lose my soul.

I grab him by the cut and his eyes narrow.

”You tell me where she is, or I'll start with you, and then take every one of your brothers after until I get some answers.”

He gives me a wicked smile, and it p.i.s.ses me off. He goes to reach up and grab my hands, but I catch him off guard by pulling back and slamming my forehead against the bridge of his nose, hearing it crack.

”f.u.c.k!” he yells, and staggers back. I've still got a hold of his cut, so he doesn't get far. I let go with my right hand and give him an uppercut to the ribs, and at the same time feel his own fist come down on my face. I taste blood in my mouth, but it fuels my rage, and I keep going.

I give him a left hook across the jaw, and he counters with a punch to my side. I grab him by the head and pull him down, kneeing him in the chest. It knocks the wind out of him for a second, and I throw him to the ground and get on top of him. He lands a few punches on me as we tussle, but I manage to pin his arms down with my knees and punch his face a few more times, before one of the brothers pulls me off.

Abe leaps up as soon as his arms are free and lunges after me.

”That's enough, Savage,” Lucias yells, and gets between us. Knox and one of the other guys are holding me, and I'm breathing heavy, but still trying to get free.

Abe has blood on his face and Lucias looks at him in shock. He turns to look at me, and I'm sure I look just as bad.

”You're the first man I've seen to get a hit in on him,” Lucias says, and I look over to see Abe wiping the blood from his lip, looking at it like he's never seen it before.

Lucias looks between us a few more times and then comes to stand in front of me. ”If she gave you her tags, then you obviously mean something to her. And if you can get a hit on Savage you're worthy of protecting our girl.”

He looks over to Abe and they have a silent conversation for a moment. Abe nods and Lucias turns to Knox. ”Where is she, Scribe?”

Knox gives him a c.o.c.ky grin. ”You're in luck. She's still on the property waiting for the car she was planning on taking to be fixed. She's in the cabin by the lake.”

Lucias looks at me. ”Did you take care of it?”

”It's done. n.o.body will ever come looking for her again.”