“The guy that tried to attack Paul is a prospect.The Iron Men are the type of club that they earn their patches by killing someone.If that kid had put Paul in the hospital, he would have moved up from being a prospect to a striker.If he had killed him, gotten caught, and done his time, when he was released, he would be given full patches.”
“Damn, that’s messed up,” Petra said with a shake of her head.“What about women?Do the men go after women?I mean do I have to watch out about being raped?Will I have to dust off my butterfly knife to carry on me at all times?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but they do share their women.This is with only club members.It’s my understanding they don’t do it with women not explicitly associated with their club.Unless you’re married.If Paula isn’t married to her old man, then the other club members have the right to take her to bed whenever they want, and her man has no say in the matter.However, if he marries her, then she’s off the table.”
“Damn,” Paul said this time.“What else?I remember with some clubs that if someone owned property, like a house or even went out and purchased a new vehicle, the President of Devil’s Scorpions had a will drawn up thathewas the beneficiary in the case of that patch holder’s death.At the time of the raid, he owned seven houses and at least ten vehicles that he received in their wills.And like what you just said about Iron Men, the members had no say.I believe the wives of those men were also taken, used by the men, then sold.Along with any children.That’s why we infiltrated them to begin with.”
“Shit, you’re talking hardcore, hardcore then?”
“Yes.I don’t know how Petra got in, but I was allowed in because I was a friend of one of the patch holders.Turns out, he was undercover, he should be here soon, and because of our friendship, I was allowed to strike, then become a patch holder.I didn’t have to be a prospect, and when I got my first set of patches, it was both the top and bottom rocker.Six months later, I received my center patch.”He looked at Warren with a grin.“I hadn’t met Vulture until he came to Washington to debrief me on the tatts I had to get to prove that I had killed someone, or done time.There was another undercover agent at that tattoo parlor getting his gang affiliated tattoos with his handler.I believe his name was Gator at the time, but don’t quote me on it.”He lifted his sleeve and pointed out a couple of tattoos that were buried amongst the others.
“Do you have a club name?”Sally asked.
“Yes, I go by Psycho.”He reached up and rubbed the scar in the center of his forehead.“My initiation with Devil’s Scorpions was when they held me down and tried to make this scar look like a swastika, like Charles Manson.Because of the way it looked, I got the name Psycho, don’t get me wrong, I like tattoos, but not in the center of my forehead.Thankfully, after I was debriefed, and went home to clean up my own mess, I was able to get this tattoo removed.”He again rubbed the center of his forehead.“Let’s just say I received this scar from a very, very bad experience when I was undercover before Devil’s.”
Petra snorted a laugh, “That’s not the only reason why you got the name Psycho.”She looked at Warren and Sally with a grin.“It’s probably out on his bike now, or in the shop, but whenever we went anywhere as a club, he wore a freaking log chain around his neck.If he ever whistles and tells you to duck, trust me, duck.”
“Why?”Sally asked.
“Because he welds that chain like a whip.I’ve never seen anyone use something that heavy and encumbersome like he does.”She shook her head as she looked at Paul.“It’s actually poetry in motion if you get to watch and not have to stay out of the way.”
“Well, if you hadn’t actually pointed out that tattoo,” Warren said.“I never would have noticed it.It blends with your coloring.I’ll take your word about the log chain.”They sat there in silence for a few minutes, then Petra spoke,
“Warren, Paul said you’re semi-retired?”
“I am.I don’t work for the locals, but I do work for the State police.”He sighed heavily, shook his head, then leaned forward to cradle his empty cup between his hands.“I probably should tell you this now, here at the beginning of all this.”
“What’s that?”Paul asked when Warren hesitated.They all saw Sally reach over and grip his forearm and give it a gentle squeeze.When Warren remained silent, Sally took over.
“Warren works for the state police, and he’s on a special task force to take out the bikers around here.Especially, the Iron Men.On a scale of one to ten, they are about a one hundred on the bad scale.”
“Yeah,” Warren said with a nod.“We’ve been trying for years to get something on them, but nothing sticks.When we think we have something, they get wind of what we’re trying to do, and they’re not where they were supposed to be when the raids are being made.”
“Do you think the locals might be warning them off?”Petra asked.“If not the locals, then someone in your own department?”
“Yeah, I do, so do the others.Ihave my suspicions, but I don’t have any solid proof to do anything about them.”He shook his head and looked directly at Paul.“We’ll talk later.”
“Do any of the men you work with ride?”Paul asked.He shrugged when Warren gave him a funny look.“What’s to say that they, your co-workers, can’t join Tainted Shield and help take these guys down that way?No offense, but I’m sure people that come to your bar know you’re not only a biker, but also a cop, so I won’t ask you to join the club, at least not for now.However, do the Iron Men really know everyone on your task force?Where is your office based on where the club’s territory is?”
“About fifty miles apart,” Warren admitted.“Let me go into work tomorrow and throw it by my boss.Maybe I can have you come into the office to talk to them, discuss what exactly you’re trying to do, and what part do you want us to do.If you want to have a pissing contest here, which I don’t, I’m just stating facts, but you have jurisdiction over me.You’re federal, where I’m only state level.”
“True, but I’m not going to pull rank.I want to come across as a local guy starting a club, and we’re just easy-going guys.I think I told you this already, each guy that joins us will be just like Petra and me.We all carry a badge and we are all classified as undercover.I also would like to hold off for a bit about meeting your boss.Let me get the lay of the land, so to speak, then I can go see him.At this time, you and Sally will be the only one that will know that we’re undercover agents.I don’t want anyone else to know until it is absolutely necessary.I feel if people learn this, it will defeat the entire purpose of starting Tainted Shield.We would be dead in the water before we even started.”
“What about their women?”Sally asked.At the confused looks, she smiled.“The men that are coming to work for you, these other agents.Do they have any Old Ladies coming with them?”
“No clue if they have someone in their lives or not.I do remember overhearing some of them talking about going back home and talking with someone.I don’t know if it’s a wife, girlfriend, fiancee, or if it’s someone they are interested in dating or marrying.That’s why they were told to go back home and clean up any loose ends there.There’s no guarantee when they will get a chance to go home again.We are treating this as an undercover assignment.Also, like Petra said earlier, it might be a couple of years before we could be operating to our full potential.”
“Why is that?”Sally asked in confusion.
“I don’t want to have the locals think I’m coming in, taking over, then all of a sudden arrests are being made.The rumor mill for bikers is as quick, if not quicker, than any other walk of life.I feel by letting my men arrive, we establish the shop, then start setting up runs, then we’ll have some experience under our belts before we take it to the next level.”
“Build the ground work for being reputable.Though you are, you’ll be able to deflect any suspicions if you’ve been around for a couple of years before things start happening.”
“Correct, and I might even have a time as for when my people start arriving.Let the locals know that we’re older, and not going to cause any trouble.”
“Ah, and then when you have the runs with the drugs and guns involved, people won’t think it’s you.”
“Correct, but it’s all about timing, and who we have in our corner.”He held up his hand and shook his head to stop anything they might have said.“However, if it’s warranted that someone is to be taken down now, then I will do it, but it won’t be blown back on me.”
