Julio sat back, studying him. “How did you get into her apartment?”
This time, Garrett peered sheepishly at him. “I…ugh…broke in.”
“There’s the problem in a nutshell. We bring the police in, and they’ll connect the dots, leading them to believe Garrett’s the last person to see Riley,” Julio informed them.
“No, Tara said Riley distracted the bikers, and they took her. Tara saw her last,” Garrett argued.
“Who do you think they’ll believe? The skinny girl in there or the bear of a man who gave her money. What does she have to gain? They’ll say you intimidated her, and your ass will be in jail by tomorrow,” Julio said, watching Matthew click keys on his keyboard.
“What do you have to say about all this?” he asked.
“We’re putting ourselves at risk if they associate him with the ranch,” Matthew insisted.
“I told you I quit,” Garrett snapped. “Do you plan on helping me or not? I’m not leaving the poor woman at the mercy of a biker gang.”
Mac shook his head. “Those two have butted heads from the moment he arrived. Calm down, Garrett. We work as a team here. We’re brothers. If you quit every time Matthew says something you disagree with, we’re not the right team for you,” Mac said quietly. “Make up your mind. When you showed up on our doorstep yesterday, you seemed determined to work here.”
“We won’t let this woman down,” Rebecca said firmly. “Do we know who even took her?”
“On the edge of town, some bikers took over a small bar called ‘The Snake Pit.’ The bikers wear jackets called the Western Serpents. They’re relatively new and hang out in an abandoned industrial factory about three miles out of town.The property shows a few buildings where they might live. The rest of the factory seems too rundown to use for anything,” Matthew reported.
Garrett sat back, regarding him. The man protested, yet he knew everything about the gang by clicking on the keyboard.
“How do you know they don’t use the factory for drugs?” Garrett asked him.
“It’s old, and the windows have been busted out for a long time. I’m guessing they’re staying in this building.” Matthew turned his computer, showing a scaled map of the area. He circled the area where he believed they might be squatting.
“How can you tell?” Garrett asked, leaning in to stare at the property.
“I requested satellite imagery of the place. Two buildings contain electricity while the others don’t. I imagine one acts as the clubhouse and the other they use for privacy.”
“Tara said Riley distracted them for her to escape. When I sat with her on the couch, she mentioned Riley slipped through the fence,” Rachel offered.
“We’re not waiting until nightfall,” Julio said, taking a few notes on a napkin. “I’m in charge here, Garrett. Matthew hired you on my orders, which means you take them from me.”
Garrett nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. I’m Phoenix around here on missions. Rebecca’s Hummingbird, and Jameson, we call Jameson. Matthew will go with us today, but he usually stays behind the scenes,” Julio explained. “Mac takes care of the ranch side of things.”
“You mean she’s coming with?” Garrett peered at Rebecca.
Julio turned and grinned. “Yes. She’s coming, too.”
“At this time of day, most of them will be at the bar or doing business. It’s the perfect time to strike. Do we want to go in guns blazing or stealth mode?” she asked.
“I say we do it quietly. The less they know about us, the better,” Julio said as Jameson entered through the back door.
Julio glanced at his watch and arched a brow. Jameson’s eyes appeared red, and dark bags circled them. The man’s face seemed gaunt, and his expression felt dark.
“You’re late,” Julio announced firmly. “I know you have other things on your mind, but an order’s an order.”
“Sorry, boss,” Jameson grunted as he flipped a chair backwards and rested his arms on the back of it. His chin dropped to his arms as he reported, “The Colorado route turned into a dead end. I’ll have to retrace their steps.”
Julio placed a hand on Jameson’s shoulder and squeezed it. “We’ll find her. Rebecca remembered a couple of things, and she wanted to share them with you. As soon as we return from this mission, we’ll sit down and see if it means anything to you.”
“I’ll chase any lead,” he said earnestly.
“You won’t be doing it alone,” Rebecca said, lending him her support. “We have a young woman in trouble. You seem to fit the biker standard these days. Why don’t you go for a drink? We need someone with their jacket.”
