Chapter TWENTY-SEVEN
MITCH TOOKthe takeaway coffee cup from Ross, grateful he’d brought it to the meeting at the safe house. He sunk into the seat and took a reviving gulp. Ross slid a paper bag with muffins across the table before making a call. Within moments the teleconference was established.
“Hi, Rowena. So what have you got for me?” Mitch spoke into the speakerphone.
He couldhear her rifling through some papers. “Got some more detailed background on some of the Soldiers including Warren Jones. He’s one messed-up son of a bitch. I’ve got no idea how he’s managed to stay out of prison.”
“He hasn’t done any time? It doesn’t make sense, not for someone like him.”
“Arrested, not convicted.”
“He’s one lucky motherfucker,” Ross said, glancing up from his laptop.
“Yep,”Rowena agreed.
Ross picked up a page from the manila folder in front of him and passed it over the table to Mitch.
He scanned down the list. When he reached the bottom, he was astounded. “How the hell hasn’t he been convicted? This is a goddamned A to Z of crime.”
Rowena snorted, the sound loud through the phone. “That man’s like bloody Teflon—nothing sticks.” Once again there was the soundof papers rustling as he assumed Rowena referred to her notes. “He and Rocky are similar in many ways. Rocky is a classic example of narcissistic personality disorder—self-important and needing to have others look up to him. His sense of entitlement makes him appear controlling, intolerant, and selfish. If he can’t get his own way, he resorts to anger, which can have devastating consequences. Druguse would only exacerbate his irrational behavior and violent tendencies. Warren—Stack—has clear psychopathic traits. He’s quieter, more controlled and disciplined.”
Ross pushed the laptop away and dragged a hand over his tired face. He focused on Mitch. “Couple Stack with Rocky, and the whole club is a recipe for disaster. Imploding isn’t a possibility; it’s inevitable.”
“Thank God things arecoming to a head, then,” Mitch replied.
“What has me most concerned is what happened to Pete. We haven’t found the white Commodore yet but assume it’s one of the Brute Riders. We’ve checked CCTV footage and canvassed the local area, but no luck getting the plates. We’ll keep digging, and it’s only a matter of time. Did Lucky Reed come close to catching or identifying them?”
Mitch shook his head.“He had to stop the chase when he saw a police car heading toward him. It was heading to the scene of the accident. Anyway, he didn’t want to draw attention to himself and the bike, so slowed down. By the time he could give chase again, the Commodore had gotten away from him.”
“Is there any word on the location for the shipment delivery?” Ross asked.
“Not yet. But as I told you, Rocky wantsme to step in, fill Pete’s shoes on the job. I’ve been doing a bit of driving for him as well as taking Finn to and from work, and there’s a meeting on Monday. I’m hoping I’ll get more details then. It’s hard to get access to Rocky’s office, and anyway, I don’t think it’s the type of info he leaves lying around. I managed a quick sweep and came up empty-handed. Finn keeps his computer completely lockeddown. I think it’s been drummed into him to never leave it accessible, so it’ll be up to Lana to crack that one.”
“She’s on it,” Ross confirmed. “I hope you’re right about the meeting. With Pete in hospital and out of the picture, we don’t have anyone on the inside to pass us the information.”
“I’m working on getting them to open up more. After what happened with Pete, they trust me more. Ijust don’t want to ask too many pointed questions.”
“What about working on Finn some more? From what you’ve said, he doesn’t like Rocky.”
“That’s an understatement. He’s also been pretty clear he doesn’t like the direction the club is headed. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any loyalty and would take direct action against them. After all, he was brought up in the club and it meant a greatdeal to his father and other brother. If we approach Finn and he realizes how close the task force is, it might backfire. The risk is too high. Especially when I can keep a close eye on him regardless.”
Ross looked up from his keyboard and leveled his gaze on Mitch. “You know best. But if there’s any chance—”
“I’ll keep an eye on him and see what else he knows, but I think he’s passed on whateverRocky has told him. Monday will be D-day. That should give our guys enough time to set things up on this end.”
“I hope so.” Ross finished typing something and clicked his laptop shut.
“Do you guys need anything more from me?” Rowena asked, her voice cutting into the conversation “If not, I’ll leave you to it.”
“All good,” Ross said. “Thanks, Ro.”
Mitch used Rowena’s departure from the callas a chance to stretch his legs. It had been a long and frustrating morning already. He paced the small apartment before returning to his seat to finish his coffee.
“Has there been any word on Pete? I’ve only had the clinical update. How are his parents doing?” Concern was evident in Ross’s voice. “And more importantly, how are you doing?”
“It’s been a couple of days, and Pete hasn’t deteriorated,so that’s the main thing. He’s still in a coma, but there hasn’t been any additional brain swelling. I’m not sure when they’re looking to try to bring him out of it, but I think the intention is to keep him in a coma long enough for him to start healing.”
“And the Crowleys?”
