Chasing Eve

by K. J. Dahlen

  “That works for me.”

  Stone noted the breaking dawn the next morning before he closed his eyes to sleep. His body felt tired but his soul was filled with memories of the night he’d spent in her arms. He knew then he would never get enough of her, no matter how long he lived.

  The next morning before they left, Stone found Calico. He held out his hand and when Calico took it, Stone told him, “If you ever do get down our way, give me a call. I could use someone like you in the network. We can give you a place to live and watch your family grow.”

  Calico smiled. “I might take you up on that man.”

  Stone smiled. “I hope you do. We can always use a good man.”

  Betrayed

  Hell’s Fire Riders MC

  BOOK TWO

  K.J. DAHLEN

  DEDICATION

  I want to dedicate this book to:

  My husband of 41 years, David. I have loved you for more than two thirds of my life and it just keeps getting better.

  Chapter One

  It was just becoming light outside when Stone walked from his cabin to the shop. The wind off the gulf was cold this morning and he felt glad he had his jacket on. Back behind the shop was another building they used to house their personal vehicles. The air still had its crispness from the cooling of the night. His footsteps echoed as he made his way from one building to the other. The shop was an industrial building housing the workshop he and his men worked out of. The landscape was coated in an early morning haze from the gulf that would burn off as soon as the sun came up. The shop and the cabin behind the chain linked fence were about a mile outside the town of Sabine Pass, Texas. Sabine Pass was close to the border of Louisiana and almost on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The days here in the summer were hot and humid, the nights were cooler but not by much.

  As he swung the huge doors open, he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw a figure standing at the gate.

  A young girl stood there waiting. On either side of her slight body stood two huge dogs. One dog was jet black and the other was pure white. Both dogs were massive.

  Stone hesitated then changed course and walked over to the locked gate. As he neared, the dogs gave a soft growl. The black beast he could see now was an Irish wolfhound while the white was a Great Pyrenes. Both were beautiful animals and Stone knew by how they alerted, they were trained to protect the girl between them. He stopped a few feet away and cocking his head to one side he asked, “Can I help you?”

  The girl raised her head and stared at him. Her green eyes took in his tall broad frame, her eyes traveling from his boots up to his dark colored denim jeans, then to his dark blue t-shirt under his lined denim jacket. They took his bulging thighs and ripped arms, then gazed at his thick neck and squared jaw line, shadowed by a white beard. Finally, they flashed up to the dark cowboy hat on his head.

  Stone watched as she swallowed and tried to speak. A small woman, he guessed she was barely over five feet tall. Dressed in an oversized flak jacket and jeans. She wore boots and a ridiculous big beret type hat. He couldn’t see what her face or hair looked like, hidden under the brim of the hat. He could see the straps of a backpack around her shoulders. At first, the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth, then she took a deep breath and tried again, “I’m looking for Dewey Mann, is he here?”

  Stone nodded. “Yeah, he’s here. Can I ask what you want him for?”

  “I need to give him a message from someone…In person.”

  Stone reached into his back pocket and brought out his phone. When Dewey answered, he let him know he had someone waiting on him at the front gate.

  A few minutes later, Dewey Stone’s VP of the MC came out of his cabin and met them at the gate. He was dressed like Stone, in boots, jeans and a hat.

  The girl looked him over carefully then asked, “Are you Dewey Mann?”

  Dewey glanced over at Stone. When he looked back at the girl, he nodded. “I am.”

  The girl reached into her jacket pocket and brought out an envelope. She pushed the envelope through the chain link fence. “I was asked to give you this message.”

  Dewey stepped forward and took the envelope from her. Before he opened the envelope, he pressed the code in to open the gate. Ripping the envelope open, he took out the paper inside and frowned as he began to read it. “Is this some sort of joke?” he growled.

  The girl shook her head.

  Reaching inside his pants, he pulled out his phone. Pressing the button on the side, he connected with the men in the other cabins. “I’m at the gate. Get your asses out here now.”

  Instantly, a door from a cabin opened up and another man came running. He wasn’t as tall as Dewey, but he was just as big.

  The girl took a step back and her eyes grew huge.

  One by one, three more doors opened and the men came to stand behind Dewey. Behind the first row of cabins was another row of cabins. More men poured out and soon, there were two dozen men standing there.

  Dewey turned to look at the girl. “I think you need to come with us for a moment.” He motioned toward the shop.

  “I don’t think so,” she protested, backing away. “I was asked to bring you a message and I did that. I have other places to be today.”

  As she turned to leave a truck pulled up behind her. Parker Wayne stepped out, still dressed in his police uniform. He stared at Dewey and the rest of the men standing there, then looked to the girl. “What’s going on here? Trudy, what are you doing here?”

  “Do you know her?” Dewey asked sharply.

  “Sure,” Parker admitted. “She’s a friend of my sister Janet.”

  “Well, your sister’s friend just brought me a message from a dead man and I have some questions,” Dewey informed him.

  Trudy gasped and whirled to stare at Dewey again. “What did you say?” she whispered. Her face paled and she looked as if she was going to faint.

  Dewey stepped toward her but one of the dogs growled another warning. “Are you okay?”

  Trudy nodded slowly and gave the dogs a signal with her hand. She went over to Parker’s truck and sat down on the front bumper. Taking a deep breath, she collected herself and pushing the brim of the hat back on her head she glanced up at the men standing there. “All I did was take a message. I don’t know anything else. I don’t know what more I can tell you.”

  They all could see her face now and she was pale. The only color she had was the vibrant green of her eyes.

  “I need some coffee, let’s move this into the shop,” Dewey suggested as he turned and made his way to the open doors of the shop.

  Everyone but Trudy followed him.

  Parker turned about half way to the shop and walked back to her. He didn’t get too close to her, having learned his lesson well the first time he attempted that little mistake. He did stick his hands in his pockets and stare at her. “He won’t hurt you, you know,” he spoke quietly. “None of us will. But he wants to talk to you. I think it would be best to just get this over with.”

  Trudy nodded. “I know that—but he’s just so big. They all are big. He scares me.”

  “He’s a big guy and scary looking but he’d never hurt a woman,” Parker agreed a he squatted down beside her. “You don’t have anything to fear from these guys. None of them will hurt you, I promise you.”

  Trudy turned her head and nodded. “I know, but I really can’t stay long. I do have somewhere to be.”

  Parker smiled and stood up. Reaching out his hand, he waited for her to take it. “Then answer his questions and he’ll let you leave.”

  Trudy took another deep breath and walked toward the shop. The dogs stayed behind her as Parker led her inside the building. The difference in temperature could be felt as soon as they entered. The shop seemed cooler than it was outside but the smell of motor oil and grease hit her nose. While the scent wasn’t unpleasant, it was overwhelming. She sneezed.

  Looking up, she saw the lineup of muscled m
en. They stood leaning up against the long table in front of her.

  Dewey stood behind them reaching for the coffee cups on the counter. Pouring from the large pot, he grabbed a couple of cups and turned to face her. He handed her a cup and moved over to another table.

  The men moved one by one to grab their coffee, then one by one they all sat down behind Dewey. Stone stood beside him.

  Dewey took a sip of the hot brew in his cup and motioned for her to join him.

  Trudy moved away from Parker and sat down. Taking off the backpack she carried, she sat down and stared down at the cup in her hand. “What do you want to know?”

  “Where did you get the message?”

  Trudy glanced at Parker and saw him nod. Licking her dry lips she said, “I was on my computer last night, in one of the chat rooms I go to when this guy started chatting with me. His online call sign wasWGN1214. At first he seemed okay, you know just asking routine questions, then when he found out I lived near Sabine Pass he asked me to go to another chat room and talk to him.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t going to, you never know who you’re talking to sometimes, but then he said something that made me want to know more.”

  “What was that?” Parker asked.

  “He asked me if I cared about men in the military. He told me he needed my help to save some lives. He told me if I could figure out the code he gave me I would be able to get into a secret chat room.” She paused to take a sip of her coffee. “The code was easy enough to figure out and my curiosity was peeked enough to find out what I could. When I got into the chat room, he asked me to get this message to you.”

  “Did he say anything else?” Dewey asked.

  “Just that he’d make contact again, tonight at 6:00.”

  Dewey stared at her for a long minute then called out, “Colten.”

  “Yo.” One of the men stood.

  Dewey handed him the paper without taking his eyes off her. “Can you decipher this for me?”

  Colten took the paper and hissed. “Damn, boss, is this for real?”

  Dewey turned his head and stared at the other man. “That’s what I need you to find out for me.”

  Colten walked to the kitchen area and began opening drawers in search of a pen and paper. Then he sat down at the other table and began deciphering the message Trudy brought to them. A few minutes later, he put down his pen and got up. Walking toward Dewey, he handed him the papers and moved back to his seat.

  Dewey read the translation Colten gave him and frowned. The note said exactly what he thought. He pushed the hat back on his head and rubbed the scars on his forehead. Exhaling loudly, he gazed at Trudy again. “Can you make contact with this man again?”

  She shook her head. “He said he would meet me back in the chat room at six tonight.”

  Dewey shook his head. “I need to contact him now, I can’t wait until tonight.”

  “I could try to track him down,” Colten suggested.

  Trudy snorted but didn’t say anything.

  Colten turned to her and scowled. “What? I can find him.”

  She shook her head and stood up. “Fine, you find him, I have somewhere else to be.”

  Dewey stood and moved toward her. “I’m afraid I need you here more than you need to be somewhere else right now.”

  Trudy backed up a step. “You said I could leave if I answered your questions. Well, I did that and now, I’m leaving.”

  “You need to stay,” Dewey insisted. “We may need your help. If this guy contacts you again, I need to get a message to him.”

  Trudy motioned toward Colten. “Let him get your message to this guy. He knows what to say more than I do.”

  Dewey cocked his head and waited. “I have a feeling you know more than you’re telling us.”

  Trudy backed up another step. “The message told you everything there is to know. I don’t know more than that.”

  “How do you know what the message said?” Parker asked. “It was coded.”

  Trudy glanced over at him and her face gave him the answer. She knew what the coded message said. “How the hell did you know?”

  Dewey’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Parker turned. “She read the message.”

  “Yeah so? She brought the message here,” Dewey reminded him.

  Parker shook his head. “She knows what the message is about.”

  Dewey turned his head and stared at Trudy for a moment, then he took a step toward her.

  She took a step back as something flashed in her eyes and she raised up to her full height, all of two inches over five feet. “Your message wasn’t all that hard to figure out.”

  “But it was a code we ourselves made up,” Dewey told her. “No one but a code breaker could figure it out.”

  “Didn’t take me long,” Trudy repeated.

  “Just who the hell are you?” Dewey asked.

  “Me?” she asked shrugging. “I’m nobody.”

  “Why do I doubt that very much?” Dewey asked nobody in particular.

  Trudy scooped up her pack and flinging it over her shoulder, she turned to walk toward the doors. The dogs stood and made their way to either side of her.

  Before she could get to the door, the men got there and barred her from leaving. Even Parker stood there, refusing to let her leave. His face set in stone. They all wore the same hard look.

  Trudy knew she wasn’t going anywhere until they had their answers. Answers she didn’t want to give them.

  A single set of footsteps came up behind her. They belonged to the biggest man here. She turned and stared at Dewey. He motioned for her to sit again, and Trudy moved back to the table.

  “Dewey,” Stone finally spoke up. “What the hell is this all about?”

  “That’s what we’re about to find out.” Dewey told him. “But to catch you up, when we were fighting in the sandbox, we had to come up with a way to communicate that only we knew. Too many of our messages were getting decoded by the enemy and we were black ops. We couldn’t afford our messages to get caught up in enemy hands.” He turned to look at Trudy. “She decoded a message from one of my men. A man we thought had died by enemy hands.”

  “Well shit.” Stone growled.

  Chapter Two

  When Dewey sat down beside her he asked, “Tell me more about this chat room again.”

  Trudy shrugged. “The chatroom was only a place to hold a private conversation.”

  Slowly one by one the others came to sit with them. Parker sat across from her and held out his hand. When Trudy hesitated then took it, she wrapped his fingers around hers. Dewey frowned at the gesture and Parker explained, “She has a thing about being around bigger guys. It freaks her out.”

  “So tell us about the conversation you had with Wyatt,” Dewey said quietly.

  Upon hearing his name, the others exploded in protest.

  Parker’s fingers tightened. “Are you sure it was Wyatt?”

  Dewey nodded.

  “Damn, he made it,” Parker whispered. Turning to Trudy he asked, “Is he here? Back in the states, I mean?”

  Trudy shrugged. “I’m not sure. For all I know, he could be anywhere in the world.”

  “What did he say?” Dewey pressed.

  Trudy reached for her pack and took out a couple pieces of paper. Handing them to Dewey, she waited for him to read it.

  Dewey scowled down as he read the words written there. When he finished, he passed the pages to the men behind him. He got up and went over to the main doors. Looking out over the compound, he didn’t see what was there. In his mind, he was back in Iraq remembering the day everything went to hell for him and his team. One man died a horrible death, he himself was injured, and two other men were missing. Sand and dust from the explosion still lingered in the air.

  Before his mind sank further into bad memories, Dewey turned and went back to the table. Glaring at Trudy, he snarled, “I need to find this contact of yours. I need to know for sure if he is who I think he is.”<
br />
  Trudy leaned away from the hostility in his voice.

  Dewey grimaced at the fear on her face. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He gritted through his teeth.

  Trudy swallowed hard. “I know that up here.” She tapped her head “But here, she brushed her chest. “I still feel the fear. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. Someday, you’ll tell us why that fear is there but for now, just know you are safe.” He turned his head and stared at his men. “Colten, I need you to find her contact, if you can. I don’t want to wait all damn day.”

  Colten got up and went over to a large metal desk in the corner. Opening the computer, he began to type. A few minutes later, he began to swear. Turning toward the other table, he announced, “We have a problem, boss.”

  Dewey stood and walked over to him. “What kind of problem?”

  “I can’t get in the chatroom she used.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s a member’s only kind of place. She needs to use her call sign and password to get us in there.”

  Trudy joined then and signed into her account.

  When Colten went to her private chatroom, he did a search for Wyatt’s call sign but didn’t get far. After a few frustrating moments, he turned to Dewey and shook his head. “This isn’t working. I can’t find any trace of him. It’s like he never existed.”

  Dewey stared at the computer for a moment then turned to Trudy. “Why can’t he find him?”

  Trudy shrugged. “One of the features of the chat room we went to is privacy. Whatever you chat about is erased as soon as you sign out. It’s a perk for those who know how to use it. You may meet someone and have a conversation with them but there is no record of it anywhere.” She motioned at the pages lying on the table. “That’s why I printed out the conversation we had last night. It’s the only copy anyone has of what was said out there.”

  Dewey sighed. “Can you help us find him?”