by KJ Dahlen
Chapter Four
“Well, that can’t be it,” someone spoke from the doorway.
Zipper looked up to see Sam Bones Tory standing there.
He strode over and stood by one of the empty chairs. “I mean they wouldn’t be doing this.”
“No...I never said that,” came Nicky’s voice from the phone.
“Pappy is a soldier, a leader of men. He works even today to stop terrorists on our soil.” Sam looked angry and defensive. “He wouldn’t damn well be involved in a thing like this.”
“Dad,” Deke defended. “No one is a saying Pappy or his crew did anything.”
“The only link that could be found was that one,” Serenity’s voice came over the phone. “That is all we are saying. It could mean the bad guy is linked to Hell’s Fire Riders as well.”
Sam still looked troubled. He took out his phone, tapped it, and raised it up. “Stone.” He listened. “Yeah, it is about that. I want you in on this.” he paused. “Yeah, it is a ways. But for now, you are to be in on this. Speaker phone,” Sam announced to everyone as he stood up and set his phone next to Nikoli’s.
“Well, not sure how that’ll work.” Zipper smiled. Speaker phone to speaker phone. He shook his head.
“We need a screen set up,” Nicky’s voice came over the line.
“It is what it is,” came Pappy’s voice from Sam’s phone. “So what the hell is going on?”
“We found the link to Yuri and I,” Deke replied.
“Yeah,” Sam added. “And it is you.”
“Me?” Pappy asked.
“The Hell’s Fire Riders, actually,” Nikoli added.
“Nikoli, is that you?” Pappy asked.
“Yes, Mr. Masterson it’s me.”
“Well damn, been a while. And Mr. Masterson was my father.”
They all could hear his chuckle.
“Seems we gotta have your group on this,” Sam stated.
“It might be a good idea, in fact,” Deke interjected. “Your group is the best there is when it comes to getting at what is really going on.”
“Yeah, seems that way,” Pappy replied. “We will be heading over. Take a few days though.”
“I could send a jet?” Nikoli offered. “It will take on the bikes too, just not more than five.”
Deke stared at him.
Zipper whistled.
Nikoli looked up at them. “What?”
“Well, not all normal people got jets that can pack bikes and that many men,” Sam explained.
Nikoli shrugged. “Not many do what we do. Not many have to...” His voice fell away.
“Dad, it’s okay. I mean you are used to the rich life. Not everyone lives that way.” Nicky chuckled from the phone speaker.
Pappy broke in, “I already got the Phantom on this. As soon as Deke called me I did that.”
Gasps could be heard in the room. Zipper’s and 2 gasps from Nikoli’s phone.
Zipper stared down at Sam’s phone. “You cannot mean THE Phantom?”
“I mean that yes.”
“Well, fuck me!” Nicky exclaimed from the phone speaker.
SMACK.
“Oww,” Nicky muttered.
Cassie chuckled. “Got a great hand slapping reflex there Serenity.” She glared at Bones. “I know someone here that needs some proper vocab lessons.”
Sam looked over at her. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Zipper bit his lip, so he wouldn’t laugh aloud.
Deke moved forward with the conversation, “Did this Phantom find anything?” he asked Pappy.
“Not yet and that is a shocker. Usually... this person finds anything at all in mere minutes.”
“Same with us,” Serenity came over the phone.
“If there is anything out there to be found, the Phantom can,” Zipper added. He knew of this ghost on the net. No one could ever track him or her. He had even tried himself out of curiosity.
“That is another thing,” Pappy came back from the speaker. “Zipper, how did you find out that Yuri had anything to do with what happened to Deke?”
“I wondered this too,” Serenity added.
Zipper sat forward. “Some other umm...” he paused. “...hacker.”
“What?” Nicky and Serenity asked at the same time.
“Yeah, they broke through my firewall,” Zipper admitted.
“Really? You had state of the art,” Serenity said.
“Not really, if you all crashed through it,” Zipper grumbled.
“Yeah, but there are maybe three people that can do it,” Serenity informed them.
Deke leaned forward with interest at this statement. “And who are these three?”
“Phantom, me and one other.”
“And who is this other?” Zipper asked.
“She calls herself Manhattan Girl,” Serenity replied. “He or she’s as good as I am, maybe better?”
“What did this Girl say?” Nikoli asked while staring at Zipper.
Zipper looked up at him. “I cannot pull it up now.”
“Sorry,” Serenity called out in apology for his burnt laptop.
“Yeah, it’s ok...” Zipper shook his head. “She said something like. ‘You have to save them. They are going to be killed.’ When I asked what she meant as in they she typed Yuri’s name.”
“Then what?” Nikoli asked.
“Then nothing,” Deke replied. “That was about it. I had already been hit. Then Nikoli arrived and he informed us that Yuri had a sniper hit on him.”
“Okay, now that we at least have a name, I have Phantom on her trail,” Pappy added.
“Oh, my god!” Serenity exclaimed, “Is Phantom right there with you?” she almost gasped the words.
“No,” Pappy stated. “I’m online with Phantom.”
“Well, can you tell this person something for me?” she asked.
“Is it important, Serenity?” Nikoli asked, as he looked a bit annoyed.
“Yes, it is,” she replied in a huffy voice. “Tell them Silver says hello.”
“Silver?” came a female’s voice over Sam’s phone.
Silence reigned in the room as they all sat still.
“Why did you go and do that?” Pappy said.... probably to the Phantom.
“Phantom?” Serenity asked. “Oh, gosh! It is you!” Her voice rattled nervously.
“Yes,” came the reply. “I never got to thank you for what you did.”
“Never needed to but I will let 5 digits slip on the neighbor’s fence.”
Zipper blinked his eyes. He knew part of this code but not all. “To the dark and slip in through the—”
“—neighbor’s fence,” Nicky added.
Deke and Nikoli looked puzzled.
“What the hell does all that shit mean?” Sam asked.
Zipper chuckled “Never mind but damn... is it fascinating.” On the dark web, there was a site. No one knew who’d created it. But only the best in IT could locate it. He had and apparently, so had these three others.
“Okay, well. All we can do is look,” Pappy added attempting to get back on the subject.
“I will send the jet to you,” Nikoli stated.
“Okay,” Pappy replied. “But... we are in a small town and I’m not sure where the nearest—”
“I know where they can land and pick up,” Phantom spoke.
“Alright.” Deke stood up. “We have all of you looking for this link. Then...” He looked over at Zipper. “You need to find your Manhattan Girl.”
Zipper nodded, though she wasn’t his... Per say.
“Again, good luck with that,” Serenity spoke. “If someone like her doesn’t want to be found. She won’t be.”
“I can find her,” Phantom spoke again.
Zipper paused. “You can?”
“I think so but it may take some convincing to get her to answer. Poor girl is as flighty as a butterfly.”
“Well, get a dammed net,” Sam grumbled. “We need this girl to tell us what she knows.”
“Hey Sam, watch yer tone,” another voice came over Sam’s speaker.
Sam looked shocked then said, “Dewey is that you’re sorry ass butting in on the fucking conversation?”
Smack.
Everyone in the room looked over as Sam turned his head to glare at Cassie. He stared down as at his arm where she had apparently smacked his arm. “What the hell was that for?”
Cassie crossed her arms over her chest as she replied, “Nuthin’ ”
Zipper tried his best to stop it, but a huge laugh burst through his lips.
Sam growled as he stood up.
Cassie stood too. There was no fear in her eyes. In fact, she looked ready to take the huge man on.
Zipper shook his head, as he had no doubt that Bones would end up on the floor too, with one of Cassie’s moves and he would be staring up at the ceiling in three seconds flat.
Deke called out, “You two knock it off.”
Nikoli stood up. “I see you also have family tussles.” He smiled.
Deke snorted then shook his head as he stood with him. “We will escort you out. Then we will stay in touch.” He grabbed up Nikoli’s phone. “Thank you both for all your help,” he spoke to the couple on the line.
“No problem,” Nicky replied then a dial tone sounded.
Deke then tapped in his number on the phone and pressed send. His phone rang in his pocket. “Okay now, you have my cell.” He looked over at Zipper as he took his own phone and tapped the call to off. “My man will get with your IT...” he paused. “...Kids.”
Nikoli smiled as he took his phone from him. “Noka. We will be in contact. I will be flying Yuri and a few of his men in soon. We will have to work together to find a way to protect you and him.”
Deke nodded and escorted them out.
Zipper watched them leave for a few seconds.
Sam was still in his seat speaking to Dewy on his phone that was no longer on speaker but up to his ear. “I’m sorry man. Tell her I apologize. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Cassie glanced at Zipper then at Sam. “His mouth gets him into deep doo-doo.”
Zipper tried hard not to smile as he replied, “With a lot of F words.”
Cassie chuckled then took his arm as they both walked out. “You promise to keep me updated?”
Zipper sighed as he looked over at her. “If Deke—”
“Look Zipper. This is not someone else in the club. This is not about you or anyone else. They are out to kill my man.” Her emerald eyes nearly sizzled. “I gotta know. I mean it.”
He nodded. “I get it I do, but Deke will want to keep you safe and out of harm’s way.”
“Yeah and I want the same for him,” she retorted. “Have you ever loved someone, Baxter?”
His eyes widened at the name.
“Come on, I’ve been with Deke for years now. I heard him call you that.” She shrugged. “I like the name but that’s opinion I guess? But have you?”
He kept walking. “I thought so once...”
“Once?” she asked as they headed to his OP room.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t it, I suppose?”
She sighed as they got to the OP’s door. “It’s like this...” She tucked a stray red curl behind her ear. “If I lose him, it will feel like someone ripped my guts out while I was awake for it.”
Zipper stared at her. Yeah that sounded grisly.
“So, I need to know all of it.”
“All of what?”
They both turned around to find Deke standing there.
Zipper kept his mouth shut. These Sin’s women could get a man into trouble.
“Are you harassing my IT man?” Deke asked as he strolled closer.
Cassie bit at her lip. “Yes,” she admitted outright.
“Dammit Cassie. You need to stay out of it.” Deke came up closer and took her arm, turning her to fully face him.
Zipper gave a nod that neither saw, as they only saw each other now, and he stepped into the Ops room.
“I’m in it, Deke,” Cassie replied. “All the way. I have been in it all this time. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Zipper went to close the door as he felt like he wasn’t supposed to hear or see this.
When he turned to shut it, he heard her gasp. He looked back to see Deke had grabbed her up and was kissing her deeply.
Yep... He shut the door firmly. None of my concern.
Chapter Five
New Jersey, New York State
Zeta heard the pounding. She then rushed to get her laptop put away. Turning, she went over to the window where her easel was set up.
The door slammed open.
In he came, his usual stomping, pounding across her apartment floor just like it did all the way up the stairs.
He didn’t realize it always signaled his arrival.
Raising a brush and dabbing it into the paint, Zeta causally stroked the paint across the horizon she had already started.
“What are you doing?’ he asked in that thick accented voice.
She mentally rolled her eyes. Couldn’t he see she was painting? “I’m almost done with it Uncle,” she replied in a soft, calm tone. Any other tone and he might... She paused to control the tremble in her hand.
He marched over and took a look. “It’s nice. But why is it taking so long, dear Zeta?”
She let out a breath and tried to find an answer that wouldn’t make him angry. That wouldn’t reveal that she had again spent hours on her laptop. “I took a nap and I did fall behind. But see here...” She pointed with the brush at the skyline. It is almost like the picture you gave me.” She nodded her head at the open magazine with the entire Kremlin spread out on two pages. “Just one last building and then you can hang it.” She waited for whatever answer or reprimand that might be coming.
“So, you haven’t spoken to anyone have you?” he asked in that gruff voice.
She dipped her brush. “No Uncle.” Who would I speak to? You keep me locked up here.
“Good. My plans were foiled but this next try will do it. They will pay for what they’ve done.”
Zeta just kept painting. She knew better than to reply at all.
His hand smoothed her hair. “Your raven locks remind me so much of her.”
Zeta had heard this many times and the one time she asked, she couldn’t see out of one eye for a week. He had socked her outright. Though she knew now, several years later who he had meant.
“Da. Very well dear girl. Keep painting and there’s cable you know? It has many of those chick movies and shows.”
“Yes Uncle, I watched one today. Thank you so much for the new TV.” She did not mention the last one he had hurled across her room and destroyed it after he caught her watching a documentary about organized crime. The TV bore the brunt of his rage that time and not her, so really she didn’t care.
Then the following day he had Anslem, his man at arms bring her another one. Zeta didn’t even turn it on nor touch it. She knew better, she waited for him to arrive a 6 pm like he always did then he lectured her on what she could watch.
She had nodded and said not a thing. He had given her the remote as he’d smoothed her hair and left. Then she knew it was safe to watch it.
Tonight, he did the very same thing smoothed her hair and turned to leave. “Goodnight my girl and dinner is being sent up.” He turned and stomped over to her door, then the lock turned after he went out.
Zeta let her shoulders fall as her breath came out in a huge sigh of relief. The man was certifiably insane and when he drank that was when she would get hit but along with that would be the truth...as he knew it. Over the years, she had put it all together. It had taken a very long time, through many slaps, hits and staggering recitals, but she finally felt like she knew the whole truth.
Zeta had been here, well, this was her third apartment. But she had been with her uncle since she was ten years old.
Yes, she remembered her mother and her father. She remembered a tim
e when things were sweet and happy. Then one night, it all changed.
Her parents never arrived home and her nanny told her they were killed in a car accident.
Then her uncle arrived that very same night in fact. Boris Zephany. He came and took her with him, telling her he was her only next of kin, being her father’s brother.
Life from then on... was a nightmare.
He was overprotective she had thought at first. Then after the first year with him, she realized he would never allow her to have her freedom. She had run away at twelve. His man, Anslem, her personal guard and keeper had caught her three blocks away.
She had been beaten with a belt then locked in a closet for a day.
Then some nights when he drank, he would rant and rave about her mother. Zelda Vonnic. How Zelda had been the woman he loved and that his brother Petrov had taken her for himself. But that it was another man’s fault too.
Then another year would go by of her watching life go by in the streets below her window. And another... She grew into a young woman, and had never been to school since she was ten. Never went anywhere in fact. Never saw anyone that wasn’t someone on the street below her window.
Just Anslem and the old housekeeper that was nearly deaf and she was Romanian that didn’t speak a word of English. Zeta saw her for 3 hours a week and that was it.
Zeta at times, grew desperate to be free. To be one of those people she saw strolling down the sidewalk. To even have a man next to her, strolling with her. They would laugh and talk. Be together. Maybe go to a movie or get some fast food. They were free...she was free.
But it was just dreaming...Yes, she knew she had rights as an adult after she turned eighteen but she couldn’t assert them without another bruise or a punishment. She also grew fearful he might think of her laptop and take it away
Then one night he came home and it was especially bad. He had said that he’d been lied to. One of his men had lied and her mother wasn’t dead.
Zeta was sixeen at the time and she was old enough to put it together with other things he’d said over the years. One time, he went on and on about her dark hair and big blue eyes, how she looked so much like Zelda. She even grew afraid that he might touch her. He never did though. Only if you counted the many slaps to her face or arms.
Her hands shook a bit, as she remembered some of the times, he took out his rage on her.