Satan’s Fury MC - Memphis

by Wilder, L.

  “Could you call them or something?”

  “I already did.” I could tell from Darcy’s expression that she wasn’t thrilled about the idea. “They were just a few blocks away, so they’re on their way here. But, don’t get your hopes up. Like Rider said, I’m not sure if they’re even still friends with the guy. It’s been a while since I’ve spent time with my brothers.”

  I had a feeling there was a reason why she hadn’t spent time with them, but I didn’t push. I was just relieved that she and Rider were willing to try and talk to them. Hopefully, they might know something that could help find Katie before Mr. Coburn did something we’d all regret. “Even if they don’t know where he is, I really appreciate you asking them to come. It means a lot to me.”

  “Of course.”

  “I really should call into the office and let them know that I’ll be late.”

  “Okay. Do whatever you need to do,” Rider replied. “It’ll be a few minutes before they get here.”

  “Great. I’ll be right back.”

  I left the family room, then rushed down to Clay’s room to get my things. When I reached for my phone, I saw that I’d already missed a ton of calls. Several from the office and Mrs. Hawkins, and even more from Danny. I listened to their messages, and it was clear that they were just as distraught by Katie’s kidnapping as I was. Knowing how she hated to be put off, I called Mrs. Hawkins first. As soon as she answered, she snapped, “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for over an hour.”

  “I know. I’m really sorry. I didn’t have my phone with me.”

  “Considering what happened yesterday with the Strayhorns and the break-in to your apartment, that’s simply unacceptable, Landry,” she fussed.

  “I know, Mrs. Hawkins, and I apologize. With everything that’s going on, I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  “I’m sure you didn’t.” Her tone softened as she asked, “Did you see the Amber alert for Katie?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I just can’t believe it!” I swallowed hard, trying to push back the tightness in my throat. “I just don’t understand how he could’ve found her.”

  “I’ve been wondering the same thing myself and we will figure that out, but right now, we need to focus on getting Katie back.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I completely agree.”

  “Good,” Mrs. Hawkins clipped. “So, when will you be getting to the office?”

  “Shortly. I need to return some phone calls, and then I’ll be on my way.”

  “Be sure to call Officer Michaels. He’s called here twice looking for you.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m about to call him now,” I assured her.

  “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

  I knew I needed to call Danny back, but I was eager to get back to the family room to see if Darcy’s brothers had arrived. I wanted to be there when Darcy spoke to them, so I grabbed my things and headed that way. When I walked in, even more of the brothers were there, and they were all standing around talking to one another. It was difficult not to feel a little overwhelmed, especially since Clay wasn’t around. Considering all the guys seemed to be here, I found myself wondering where he might be. The thought quickly slipped my mind when I spotted Rider talking to Gunner. As soon as I walked up to them, I asked Rider, “Did Darcy’s brothers make it yet?”

  “Yeah, they just pulled up. Darcy went out to get them.”

  “Okay, great.” I glanced over at the door. “Is she bringing them back in here?”

  Rider glanced around the room at all his brothers standing around talking as he said, “Yeah, but we should probably go somewhere a little more quiet so we can talk.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” A feeling of urgency washed over me as I stood there staring at the door. “Do you really think they’ll know something about Chris?”

  “Won’t know until we ask them.”

  Damn. That wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Darcy walked in with two men following close behind. They all made their way over to us, and I could tell Darcy was feeling uneasy as she said, “Hey … They made it.”

  “I see that,” Rider answered. “Why don’t we head into the kitchen where we can talk a minute?”

  “Sounds good.”

  While I wasn’t sure I was supposed to be included in this conversation, I followed them all out of the family room and down to the kitchen. When we walked in, I was relieved to see that it was still empty. I glanced over at Darcy’s brothers, and while they had their similarities, they looked quite different from her, like they’d lived a rougher life or something. Their clothes were more rugged and worn and somewhat disheveled, making me wonder if they’d fallen on hard times. I was still trying to make sense of them when Rider turned to the two men and said, “Eddie … Danny, this is Landry Dawson.”

  “Hey,” Eddie replied. “Nice to meet ya.”

  “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

  Eddie looked over to Darcy as he asked, “You wanna tell us why you called us here or what?”

  “Yes, Eddie. I was just about to get to that,” Darcy grumbled, clearly displeased with his abruptness. “You both were pretty close with Chris Coburn back in the day, and I was wanting to know if you’ve seen or heard from him lately.”

  “Chris?” Danny asked. “Why you wantin’ to know about him?”

  “Because I need to know … I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important,” Darcy pushed. “So, have you seen him or not?”

  “Yeah, we’ve seen him, but it’s been a while,” Danny answered. “He was down at the pool hall, and he was fucking wasted, even more than usual, and from what I can remember, I’m pretty sure he had his fucking kid waiting out in the car for him.”

  Darcy winced as she glanced over at me. She was clearly thinking the same thing I was as she listened to her brother’s recollection of their last meeting with Chris. Hoping for clarification, I looked over to Danny and asked, “What do you mean by it’s been a while? Was it a few days ago … a few weeks?”

  “About two weeks ago, I guess.” Danny looked over at Eddie. “Isn’t that about right?”

  Eddie glanced up at the ceiling as he tried to recall the exact night, then a goofy grin crossed his face as he answered, “Yeah, it was the same night that you got into with Big Tony over that chick in the short mini-skirt and the big tits so, yeah, I’d say two weeks ago is about right.”

  “No need to bring that shit up, dickhead,” Danny fussed.

  Trying to get them both back on track, I asked, “And you haven’t seen him since that night?”

  “Nah … We used to see him all the time, but he don’t come around as often since his ol’ lady ran out on him and left him with the kid. Now, he just shows up when he needs to blow off some steam.” Danny’s eyes narrowed as he studied me for a moment. “Seriously … What’s this all about? He in trouble or something?”

  “Yeah, you could say that,” I scoffed. “Last night, he kidnapped his daughter.”

  “What the fuck?” Eddie grumbled with a disgusted look on his face. “How can you kidnap your own goddamn kid?”

  “She was removed from the home by the courts and was staying in foster care.” I normally wouldn’t have revealed such private information, but since it was plastered all over the news, I didn’t see any point in keeping it from them. “He broke into their home last night and took Katie at gunpoint.”

  “Holy shit. I had no idea,” Danny replied, seeming completely caught off guard by my response. “So, he’s on the run with the kid?”

  “He’s hiding out somewhere, and we were hoping you might be able to tell us where we could possibly find him.” Darcy crossed her arms as she continued, “We really need to figure out where he’s taken her, so if there’s anything you could tell us, I’d really appreciate it.”

  “His brother is a president of some MC. If he’s trying to hide out, I’d bet money that he’s there.” He thought for a moment, then Danny turned
to Eddie as he asked, “What was the name of Kory’s MC? The Rebels something?”

  “The Fallen Rebels,” Eddie answered. “It’s not a big club. Just ten or twelve of them, but they don’t take no shit. If he’s taken the kid there, they won’t make it easy to get to them.”

  “Well, we’ve got to at least try,” I replied. “Where is this clubhouse?”

  “It’s out East … about forty minutes from here,” Rider answered. “I’ll talk it over with Gus. If he gives the okay, we’ll gather up a few of the guys and go over and check it out.”

  “No,” I argued. “You can’t do that. I have to follow protocol, and having Satan’s Fury getting involved is definitely not following protocol.”

  “You’re not going over there alone,” Rider growled. “It’s too fucking dangerous.”

  “I won’t go alone. I’ll call and get a police escort,” I assured him. “I just need an address, so I can tell him where we’re going.”

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Rider replied.

  “This is my job, Rider. That little girl is my responsibility, and god only knows what Coburn has done to her over the past twelve hours.” I knew Rider meant well, but I simply couldn’t risk letting the club getting involved—at least not unless there was no other option. “I hope you understand.”

  “Yeah, I get it, but I’m gonna tell you now … Clay isn’t gonna be happy about this. Not one bit,” Rider warned.

  “I’ll handle Clay. For now, I need that address.”

  After I got the address from Rider, I gathered my things and rushed out to the parking lot. Once I was in my car, I took out my phone and called Danny, letting him know what I’d found out about Coburn and the Fallen Rebels. As soon as I was done telling him everything I knew, I pleaded, “We have to get over there and check it out.”

  “Hold up,” Danny huffed. “You want to go check out some biker club?”

  “From what I understand, it’s just a small club… just a few guys, and…”

  He cut me off before I could finish by saying, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Landry. Not without backup, especially since it was Coburn who broke into your apartment.”

  “What?”

  “That’s why I’ve been trying to call you all morning,” he explained. “I was checking the security footage I got from the guard, and sure enough … it was him. I’m guessing he broke in to get the Hopkin’s address so he could get to Katie.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “It was him. Plain as day.”

  “I can’t believe it. I thought it was someone else altogether.”

  “You thought it was the guy from the coffee shop?”

  “Yeah, I thought for sure it was him, especially after the way he kept threatening me, but it all makes sense now.” I thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you think that’s why Coburn wanted the continuance, and that he was planning to take her all along?”

  “There’s no way of knowing for sure.” He cleared his throat before asking, “So, what’s the name of this biker group again?”

  “The Fallen Rebels.” I explained the situation a little further, then fussed, “I’m not wanting to bust up in there and cause trouble, Danny. I just want us to go check it out and see if there’s any sign Katie… If they give us any trouble, we’ll call in backup.”

  “Fine. Meet me at the gas station across the street, and don’t even think about going in there without me,” he demanded.

  “Okay, I’m heading that way now.”

  As soon as we hung up, I drove over to the address Rider had given me. When I got there, I was pleased to see that Danny’s patrol car was already parked at the gas station. I pulled over next to him and parked. As I got out of my car, an uneasy feeling washed over me the second I caught sight of the Fallen Rebel’s clubhouse. It was nothing like Satan’s Fury’s. Instead of it being a large, guarded building with a high fence and gate, it was a rundown building that was once a bar. The red exterior paint had faded, leaving the wood exposed, and there were bars on each of the windows and the name Rebels spray-painted on the side of the building. There were eight or nine bikes parked out front, but there wasn’t a soul anywhere to be seen. I was still staring at it when Danny came up beside me and asked, “You sure you want to go in there?”

  “No, but I don’t have a choice. I have to find out if Katie’s there.”

  “I can go check it out on my own. There’s no reason for you to—”

  “Danny, I need to do this.”

  “Fine, but stay close and let me do the talking.”

  I nodded, then followed him across the street. As we got closer, I could hear the low rumble of country music coming from inside the building, and it only got louder as we got closer to the door. I glanced over at Danny as I asked, “So, do we knock or just walk on in?”

  He shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  Fearing the worst if we just barged in, I reached up and pounded on the door. Seconds later, it flew open and revealed an older man wearing a red bandana and a leather vest much like the one the men in Satan’s Fury wore, but not nearly as intricate. He had a long gray beard, and his wrinkled eyes narrowed as he gave Danny a quick-once over. Clearly not happy to have a uniformed officer knocking at their door, he growled, “What in the hell do you two want?”

  “I’m Landry Dawson from the Department of Child Services, and this is Officer Michaels,” I answered. “We’re looking for Chris Coburn and his daughter, Katie. We were told they might be here.”

  “Hmph … You were told wrong. They ain’t here.”

  “Would you mind if we came in and had a look around?”

  He crossed his arms with an intimidating glare as he growled, “You got a warrant?”

  “No, sir. We were hoping we wouldn’t need one,” I answered calmly. “Maybe we could just have a quick chat with Chris’s brother, Kory. He’s the president of the Rebels, right?”

  “Yeah, but I can tell you now … he ain’t gonna let no pig in here. Not for nothing.”

  “Maybe, maybe not, but we won’t know unless you go let him know we’re here. Besides, if we leave now, we’re just gonna get that court order, and instead of one cop being here, there’ll be twenty or more. The choice is yours.”

  “Goddammit.” He flung the door open wider and motioned us forward. As we stepped inside, he ordered, “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Danny and me to wait for his return. I took a quick glance around the bar, noting how dim it was. It seemed eerie for it to be so dark with the sun shining so bright outside, but the two small windows weren’t letting in much light. There were a couple of neon signs hanging on the wall, each looked like they’d been there for years on end, and the ceiling fans were wobbling like they could fall at any second. The red leather on the stools were worn and ripped, and the place smelled of dust and feet. I was still soaking everything in when six burly bikers stepped into the room, glaring at us both as they scattered around us. These men seemed to be much older than Clay’s brothers, graying and weathered, not by the natural course of life, but most likely from years of hard living and substance abuse, and there was something about each of them that screamed danger—which didn’t make my nervous jitters any better. Danny leaned over and whispered, “You see Coburn anywhere?”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean he’s not here.”

  I’d just turned my attention back to the other men in the room when I heard a loud thud followed by Danny dropping to the floor. Before I could register what was happening, everything went black.

  CHAPTER 19

  Hyde

  Patience had never come easily to me, especially when I was struggling to keep my anger under wraps. After seeing the way that Strayhorn motherfucker had put his hands on not only his wife, but his kids, too, I was ready to rip his fucking head off. It only enraged me more to think about him threatening Landry and breaking into
her apartment, rummaging through all her stuff. I couldn’t wait to give him a taste of his own fucking medicine. Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to wait long. After about thirty minutes of sitting out in the truck, the piece of shit came back out of the house and got in his truck. I waited for him as he backed out, and when he started to drive away, I followed.

  It wasn’t long before he made his first stop. I pulled over a few yards back, watching as he got out of his truck and went over to some guy standing on the curb. They spoke for a moment, then the guy reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of something. They made a quick exchange, and then Strayhorn quickly turned and headed back to his truck, speeding off to his next destination. Just when I thought the guy couldn’t be a bigger piece of shit, I followed him up to a twenty-four-hour strip club. The place was a total dive with prostitutes lingering by the front door. With so many people around, I was worried that I might not be able to get to him without being seen, so I was relieved when he decided to park in the rear of the building, away from any onlookers. His need to keep his location hidden from his wife gave me the opportunity I was hoping for.

  Once he was parked, I whipped in behind him. Leaving Duchess locked inside, I jumped out of the truck just as he’d gotten out of his. He was so busy shoving his coke or meth or whatever-the-fuck into his back pocket, he hadn’t noticed that I’d come up on him. I gave him a hard shove as I snarled, “Going somewhere, Strayhorn?”

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Who I am isn’t important.” I reached up and grabbed him by the collar, shoving him against his truck. “But what I’ve gotta say is very, very important.”

  “I don’t give a damn about what you gotta say, so you best back the fuck off, asshole.”

  “Don’t wanna listen? That’s fine. We’ll go about this another way.”

  I reared my fist back and slammed it into the side of his face, jarring his head back against the door of his truck. Before he had a chance to recover, I plowed into him again and again. Losing his footing, he stumbled to the ground. I was about to go at him again, when he lifted his leg and kicked me backwards, forcing me to flail to my back. Next thing I knew, the guy was on top of me, punching me in the face and head. I could hear Duchess going crazy in the truck. I knew she didn’t like what Strayhorn was doing to me, but I wasn’t done with him yet. After he got in a couple of good blows, I managed to pull my arm free and rammed my fist into his throat, leaving him gasping for air. When he started to falter back, I heaved him off me, and with him still trying to catch his breath, I started in on him again. “You have a thing for preying on the weak … your wife … your kids. You think that makes you a real man?”