MC: Callahan (18 page)

Little Ben and Ricky take the clams to Nancy at the fire pit. Everything is cleaned and ready. Danny took the quahogs up to make the stuffing. The kids are painting shells under the deck. By the looks of them not much paint made it to the shells. We have a while, so I take Nancy for a walk then into the water. “It’s daytime, Tiny, people are out and walking the beach,” she says like I’m going to consider it being a reason to turn around.

“Yeah,” I answer, pulling her further out. I watch the rocks and beach to make sure we’re covered, then pull her close to me.

“If you weren’t so tall we wouldn’t have to go so far out,” she says with a smile.

I growl, sliding her bottoms off her. “If this fuckin’ bathing suit wasn’t so small we wouldn’t be out here.”

“I was wondering if you noticed. I did have a cover up on.”

“It’s see-through!” I slide her bottom over my foot and slam into her. “All afternoon I’ve been behind tables and sitting. I washed tons of fuckin’ clams so I wasn’t seeing you, just to calm my hard on. Fuckin’ suit should have a warning.” She’s making noise and not paying attention to me. The cool water makes her pussy feel hot and I take it all, bobbing her in the water, then I lean her back. She cries out and I pull her up, taking her mouth so she doesn’t call attention. “Right on my cock, babe. Fuckin’ hot juice. Feels good.” I hit her twice more and empty what feels like a gallon into her. When she moans again I slide out and hold her, hoping the waves will clean her up. “Fuck, I needed that.” She grunts. I love that she has no words. Every time she has no words. I smile and think that if she could talk I didn’t do my job right. I help her get her bottoms back on; she stands alone until I kiss her, letting her know I love her.

Walking out of the water we see Cloud and CJ walking toward us. Nancy puts the wrap thing back on and smiles at CJ. Cloud is scowling. “New suit?” he asks.

I nod and walk away. Fuckin’ women.

“Geek has everything to get the pussy, but we have to wait for him to put the site up.”

“We should let the Little Brothers help,” I tell him.

Little Ben straightens up but doesn’t say anything. Patches does. “No, we shouldn’t. We did the trafficking information and they all looked sick. Knowing someone that had to live like that is different than learning it. They’re too close. It’s personal on a level they don’t need to know as kids. I’m not even sure they should have gotten as much as they did.”

“He’s right, Uncle Tiny. Jeremy is affected by what he saw. He’s taken to shielding Diego. The other kids are more tuned in to him too. It was a lot to take in, but they’re all doing everything they can to make his life easier, happier. I don’t think we could do this as an Op, not objectively, and that leaves room for something missed or dropped.” He looks down as if embarrassed.

“I know, Little Brother.” I wipe my hand down my face. I don’t want to say it. “It’s just, it feels like we’re running out of time.” Everyone makes noise. They agree.

“Baxter’s are helping. Kevin is hooked in with Ops. As soon as they get anything we’ll know. Mitch said they have the cached files from Diego’s bidding but need the site live to get into messaging and email. Everyone has it as a priority, Brother,” Cloud says. I nod but have no idea what the fuck he just said.

Pres looks around the table. “Any other old business?”

“Yeah, Associate Dave’s sister tried to commit suicide. She’s in the hospital. Brothers and associates are being supportive, but we’re not sure what to do other than shuttle and doing activities with the kids,” Alan says.

“If anyone has ideas, get them to Alan. I’ll ask Kate to talk to Rowan.” He looks around. “Anything else?” No one has anything. “How is Diego doing?”

I smile. “Aleena comes every couple of days. He’s making more sound. She thinks it’s just a matter of time and he’ll be talking.” I’m not going to tell them about her concern until we find out. “He’s got more confidence. Yelling makes him nervous, but he’s not hiding in his safe room anymore. He’s doing good.”

“He’s not clinging and he went to Patches the other day to learn how to sew a patch on his denim cut. He usually stays away from the men, so it was noticed,” little Ben adds.

Pres smiles. “What was the patch?”

“Sign language. He’s got over three hundred words.” Patches looks proud.

Danny laughs. “He
is
doing good.”

“Little Ben, call the Brothers in so we can get out of here today.”

Thank God Church goes by quick. Everyone is anxious to get in the wind. There are over one hundred Brothers going. We walk out to see a bunch of old ladies waiting by the bikes. Danny and Rich follow me out then home. We have all the kids today.

Nancy’s taking Sheila, Joey, and Ally to the movies with the girls from the city house. Danny tells Alex he’s the oldest, so he needs to watch for the little ones. He gets a big smile then screws up his face, thinking. I laugh and pull him into a hug. “We’ll be right here. After swimming we’ll take you to the park.”

He signs ‘thanks’ and ‘towels’ then runs into the house.

“He so fuckin’ cute,” I tell Danny.

He nods while driving the little ones toward the beach like they are cattle. I like seeing everyone do that. We set up under the gazebo. Security is with the boys, fishing on the raft Danny had set up about three hundred feet away from shore. Alex runs through dropping towels, making us laugh. Diego comes in and sits by me. “Everything okay?” I sign and say.

He signs, ‘When can I ride like Ricky?’

I laugh. All the big boys are on the run. “Ricky has a license, he had to be sixteen and take a test.”

Danny signs to him, ‘Ricky practiced for years to ride. He’s good because he practiced so much. You are learning now. Soon you’ll just go to practice with the big boys.’

He signs back, ‘Okay,’ and leaves to play with the boys, making sand castles. I smile the whole time.

“Are you going to keep him?” Danny asks me, wiping the smile off my face.

“He’s not up for adoption.”

He waves that away. “It’s just red tape holding that up. He will be as soon as they get a court date.”

“I need to talk to Nancy.” I’m not sure about how she’ll take that. I already pushed it with Ricky, but he’s grown and doesn’t have the problems Diego has. I’m glad he doesn’t say anymore.

Rich comes out with a stroller and all the babies. We help him get them settled in the play pens and spend the afternoon watching the kids at the beach then the cone and the park. I think we wore Security out. HS is on the run with Chase. Jeremy and Jacob give them a run for their money. Chase usually has those two, but he was broken in by the Baxter’s two boys. He thinks Cloud’s kids are easy. Security doesn’t look like they agree, making me smile.

I’m just finishing up paperwork when Danny walks in. “Want to take a ride with me? I need to go to the beach house.”

I look at my watch, close down the computer, and pull my phone. “Babe, I’m going with Danny to the beach house.” She tells me she’s out early today, so she’ll get the kids. Steve meets us in the lot and we ride. The trip is much easier without weekend traffic. As we turn on the road I see the yellow tape. Holy shit! The house is a burnt out wreck. You can smell the burnt wood from down the block.

We park by a truck. A guy gets out and shakes Danny’s hand. “I’m calling it a complete loss. There’s nothing you had that can be salvaged. An arson investigation has been opened. If you have any information that would be helpful call the number on the back of my card.”

Danny puts one hand up and the other in his pocket. “Here’s the video of the two guys that set it.” He hands the guy a flash drive. Steve hands Danny a paper and he passes it to the guy. “This is the information on one of them. The arson investigator already has this.”

The guy looks shocked. I bet I do too. Why’d he want me to come with him? The guy looks up the street. “Your neighbor torched your house?”

“According to the video, yeah. All our property is under surveillance. The cameras are on the telephone poles and under the eaves. We got some good shots of them.” He smiles.

“You’re luckier than most. You can put in a civil suit against him too.” The guy walks back to his truck.

Danny nods and walks toward the house. “I need Prospects to pull out and clean up the tools. Nothing else is worth anything,” he says to me.

“You already knew?”

He smiles. “Yeah, got the call when they were lugging gas in.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you stop them?”

He looks at me with a smile. “I hate this fuckin’ house. We live on a beach. When we go away, I want to look at something other than a different beach with fuckin’ neighbors up our asses. Besides, with gas already all over the attic and second floor there is no way I’d put my family back in the house. You can’t get gas out from between walls and floors. The insurance wouldn’t pay to rebuild if the house was standing. It worked out for the best.”

I nod. “That makes sense.” I wouldn’t put my family in it either. “Is Pres pissed?”

Steve laughs. “Nah, looking for a house on a lake near mountains.”

“He was pissed until I explained about the gas they already had down before surveillance caught it. He counted four, five gallon jugs,” Danny says, still smiling.

“Why’d you want me to come with you?” It can’t have been for the insurance guy.

He smiles and walks back to the bikes. I follow. We ride up the street and park at the pussy’s house. He walks up to the door and rings the bell with a smile like he’s selling vacuums. The pussy opens the door, then tries to slam it, but Steve stops him and pushes him far enough so we can walk in. He doesn’t say a word, but he’s shaking like a leaf. “Relax, buddy. I wanted to shake your hand and thank you,” Danny says, sounding genuinely happy to see the pussy. He even puts his hand out to shake. Fuckin’ guy is crazy. “The good news is I didn’t like the house, so torching it was a blessing to me. The bad news is the house is under twenty-four hour surveillance and we have good cameras. The adjuster just left with the video from all those cameras. It’s too bad you didn’t think to wear a mask or something. I would have.” He looks at Steve. “VP and Tiny would have too, wouldn’t you?” We both nod with smiles. He slaps the pussy’s shoulder. “So thanks again. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, and the police, and the arson investigator. Oh yeah, the media too. Right about now Channel Six News has the story and video.”

I laugh, following them out. Fuckin’ Brother covers everything if he covers one thing.

We make it back to our exit and Steve pulls over. We follow and wait for him to make a call. “On our way!” He looks at me. “Diego isn’t at the kids Center. Get to Security.” I follow Danny, doing eighty down Main. HS bikes are waiting, but I run into surveillance without seeing who’s going out. I stop two steps into the door. Diego is on the screen holding another boy’s hand in the Kids Club parking lot. They get in a car and are driven away.

“Where the fuck is Security?” I yell at Rich. He puts his hands up and starts talking to someone on his radio. Pres comes running in with VP.

“Danny, get changed and on your bike,” Pres says.

I’m standing here and my boy is in some car. “I can’t stand around watching this.”

VP looks at me. “Cloud’s pickin’ you up. They’re headed into RI.” I look up and see the highway on the screen. Fuck, we won’t be able to track them much longer. I want to hit someone. My hands are shaking with the need to bury my fist in someone’s face.

Mitch Baxter is on the speaker. Everyone quiets. “...got a quick message. The bidding is set for tomorrow. Two boys.”

“Diego was taken from the Kids Center by a boy a little older than him,” Rich tells her.

“Jamie is taking over, thoughts and prayers to his family, Rich,” she says then Jamie starts talking to VP.

I start pacing. Digs is trying to pull video from the highway, but he’s not seeing the car. I hear the chopper and run out the door. I don’t give Cloud a chance to land before I’m in and yelling for him to go.

We spend four hours chasing might be cars and I’m fuckin’ pissed every time it’s the wrong car. Cloud drops me at Security without a word; what can he say that would fix this? Tess is standing on the stairs with Patches. “You’ll find him tomorrow, Tiny. You’ll get him back, but not until tomorrow.” She has tears running down her face. I can’t ask her the one question I need answered. I hug her and turn her to Patches, then walk into the building. I hit the first wall I see over and over, asking if he’ll be okay until VP and Jake pull me away and into the roll call room. Pres, Chet, and Geek stand in front of the door. VP and Jake let me go at the table in the back.

“She said we find him tomorrow! He’s spending the night God knows where with some sick fuck raping him tonight!”

“No, biddin’ starts tomorrow,” VP says quietly. “Never got that the father hurt him, Brother. Not once.”

I sit in the chair, putting my head in my hands. “He won’t understand what’s happening, Steve.”

I hear the door open and Brothers leaving. Pres’ boots appear in front of me. “Brother, we get him back tomorrow. Both Tess and Christian say the same thing. We’re not giving up tonight. Everyone is still out there. We’ll get him back then deal with the fuckin’ father.”

I look at him and VP. “How did he walk out the fuckin’ door without Security?”

“Kid was playin’ at the pool with him. No one thought it was wrong. They went out the locker room door. Alarm alerted the guards, but he was gone,” VP says.

I stand up and pace. Any fuckin’ kid could have been taken. “Guards are useless. The hospital, then the Kids Club. Fuckin’ useless.”

“Not disagreein’. HS is back on family. Only HS.”

“Lot of fuckin’ good that does Diego right now,” I growl at him. My hand is throbbing and I notice the blood on the floor. Fuck. “I need my hand set again. Is Jake still here? I just got the fuckin’ cast off. This fuckin’ nurses.”

“Nurses?” Pres asks.

“Kids’ word for sucks. They all say it,” VP says, rolling his eyes.

“You calmer, Brother?” Pres asks.

“About as calm as you when Jessie was taken. I can’t beat the fuck out of the wall with a broken hand.”

“I’ll get a Prospect to get supplies from Doc’s,” he says at the door. I throw him chin.

“Stayin’ tonight. Got dormers set you need to sleep,” VP says.

I’m relieved they’re not throwing me out. “Thanks.”

Jake comes in with a first aid kit and has me sit at the table while he stops the bleeding and sets my knuckles. “Pretty sure your wrist is broke too.” I nod and clamp my teeth together while he messes with my wrist and hand. When he goes out to see about the casting supplies I call Nancy and tell her I’m staying at Security. Kate and Jess are with her. Heather is helping with the kids. She cries and tells me to find her boy and bring him home.

I don’t know for how long I sit, but Jake comes in and says we need to go upstairs to the kitchen so he can cast my hand. I follow on autopilot, letting him do what he needs to so I can get to surveillance. It feels like it’s been hours when I finally make it downstairs. VP is at the boards with Digs on the computer. I watch for an hour or so then hit the dorm room. When I wake up Rich and Sticks are at the boards. Half of HS is sleeping in a hotel. Danny is following a lead with three Brothers. I watch until it’s a dead end then pace the building.

At four I go back to the dorm room. When I wake up there’s a stack of clothes on the chair. I shower with a bag on my hand and check in with surveillance. Nothing is happening, so I pace the building until a Prospect hands me a breakfast sandwich and coffee. I sit and eat then check surveillance. Little Ben is on the speaker. They found a hunting cabin belonging to a dead uncle. He gives the address and says he’ll be with Cloud. Thank fuck! Rich calls Cloud to pick me and Jake up at Security. “I’ll meet him at the chopper,” I tell him. He relays it to Cloud and nods at me.

We fly through town and I’m glad PD leaves us alone. We park at the club and run to the helipad behind it. Cloud and Little Ben are already here. They took the Club Kids elevator. When Jake closes the door Cloud lifts off. I sit and put some cans on, hearing VP in Ops. Rich has Danny holding until he gets the maps. Little Ben is talking to the Club Kids. I look back when I hear him growl at someone. He’s pissed, telling them to get the information to Rich. “Two locations, one in the grandfather’s name almost ten miles away,” he yells. I nod, looking at Cloud. He heard. Fuckin’ great.

VP guides Cloud to the first location. It looks empty but there’s a small barn at the back. There’s no place to land so Cloud looks for somewhere close by. HS is on the road, headed to the cabin. We watch them turn off. He hovers so we can watch them go in. The radio blows up. Everyone is talking at once. Driscoll has a boy that’s chained to the floor. Mitch has a lock on the computer and is sending it now. VP found a place to land.

Cloud: “Blackhawk landing on the road at the turn off. It’s the closest we can get and there’s no traffic.”

VP: “Roger, Blackhawk.”

Driscoll: “This isn’t Diego, LP2. Says his name is Chin. He doesn’t speak English well.” Fuck! I want to leave and find Diego, but we can’t leave this kid here.

Rich: “Roger, HS3 get him to the chopper. They’re waiting on the road.”

Driscoll: “Roger, LP2, I’m bringing him myself. He’s scared as fuck, LP2.”

Rich: “Get him to the chopper. HS, LB, and Jake are onboard.”

Driscoll: “Roger, transporting now.” It takes maybe five minutes that feel like years for him to show at the road. He’s cradling a small dark haired boy in front of him. Jake runs out and carries the boy back. Little Ben takes him and talks softly as Cloud lifts off. He goes back toward the cabin and I look at him. He’s pissed.

Cloud: “Blackhawk to C-Ops. Clear HS from the cabin, VP. Strike in five.”

VP: “Need a fuckin’ minute, Blackhawk.”

Cloud: “One.” He touches buttons. “Lock on for fifty-six seconds.”

VP: “Fuckin’ crazy Indian!” Rich is yelling at HS to get what they can and get out. All I can think of is getting to the other cabin. I look back at the boy. He’s Asian or some type of oriental. I wonder if we know anyone that can talk to him. Little Ben is holding him while Jake checks him out. Jake takes the shirt off him. It’s a Security T-shirt. He has nothing on under it. Driscoll must have put it on him. He’s got bruises on his back and arms. Little Ben is talking to him, but the boy isn’t understanding. From a bag on the side of him he takes out a shirt and slides it on the boy. He calms when he sees the underwear and shorts. Little Ben dresses him, talking the whole time. When he pulls out flip flops the boy smiles.

The chopper jerks back. I look forward and the cabin explodes. Cloud turns us and flies away. Holy fuck, he’s crazy when he’s pissed.

Cloud: “Blackhawk clear.”

VP: “Fuckin’ wait for the order on the next one.”

Cloud: “I did wait! I gave them three fuckin’ minutes!”

Jake laughs behind me. I look back and see him watching Cloud. “He’s crazy when he’s pissed. Not as bad as Knight but close. Knight wouldn’t have given extra time.” He laughs again. It was two fuckin’ minutes.

VP: “You should be gettin’ a visual comin’ up at two o’clock.”

Cloud: “Heavily wooded, I don’t see anything.”

VP: “LP1 is closin’ in on the house on foot.”

Danny: “LP2, let them know the back has a clearing.”

Rich: “Roger, LP1”

VP: “Northeast twenty degrees puts you at a clearin’.”

Cloud: “Roger, VP.”

We turn. Within a minute we see the clearing. Cloud sets us down and I’m out the door. Danny has the pussy with his knife on his neck. Bob is just going into the house. I follow Bob. A laptop is on the table open and running. Bob goes to one door and I go to the other. “Diego!” I hear him before I open the door. He’s making noise for me. When I open the door I stop. He’s naked and chained like a fuckin’ dog. He runs to me but falls when the chain runs out. He’s still making noise. “I got you, little man. Momma wants me to bring her boy home.” I move into the room and grab him from the floor. He holds onto my neck and doesn’t let go. “Sound good to you, Diego?” Following the chain, I find a ring bolted to the floor and pull it loose. Little Ben brings clothes in. “No, let’s get him out of here.” I’m not keeping him in this fuckin’ jail another second.