Tank, Ranger, Wildcat and Roller all embraced me. The spirit of camaraderie flooded back into my veins, but it didn’t stop me from worrying about Delphia. I couldn’t celebrate knowing that she was in trouble.
Tank read my mind. “I got a daughter and this is close to my heart. We all know what you’ve been through. What’s the first spot we gotta hit to go look for this girl you’re talking about?”
I nodded at him then faced all of them with steel in my veins. “Here’s what’s goin’ down. We got ourselves a recon mission. We are looking for a young lady named Delphia. She’s on the run from a guy named Rocky about the same size as Tank here. We need to get to her before he does. She has long black hair. She’s slender, tall, pale features and she’s a little on the shy side. You’re going to get your day trip after all. You know how we roll. Who’s in?”
My gaze fell on the group to see if anyone wanted to pull out. After all, they didn’t sign up for this. They came to have a nice, relaxing ride and enjoy themselves in Holbeck.
Every single hand went up as I approached my bike.
“I love a good recon. Let’s go get the girl,” Tank said as he pumped his fist.
“Yep. Let’s go get the girl,” Keys seconded.
“We’re gonna check her house first. So let’s ride. This warmth isn’t so bad, but it’s heating up out here.”
“I’m going to need a sweat rag. Holbeck heat is no joke,” Roller commented. His eyes drifted around the neighborhood and he wiped off his brow.
“You’re lucky you didn’t ride down when it was summer. It gets worse than this. Trust me. This is mild for Holbeck. Okay, keep in mind we might be a little early, so if she’s there, we might wake her. But I don’t fucking care. She shoulda stayed with me.”
My men all looked at me. They knew now that this was more than just a hunt.
“We’re following you, brother. Let’s roll,” Keys remarked.
That was my cue to flip down my visor and lead. In my element as road captain, I swept around in a one-eighty with six other men following me out on our mission.
Grabbing my handlebars with a curse, I cranked my engine and led the guys out to Delphia’s house which was blocks away from the gas station. As our bikes rolled through the neighborhood, people sneaked looks out of their windows and pretended to do yard chores.
At Delphia’s house, I tramped around the outside, desperately seeking clues and finding nothing.
“Easy, Bear. Come on guys, let’s check out back.” Tank, hit the left side.
“Me and Roller will hit the right like old times,” Keys directed. “Wildcard, Trigger and Ranger keep an eye out front.”
I wasn’t packing heat, but I had my gun in my bike bag if required. I knocked hard on the door to no answer as I called out, “Delphia! Are you in there? Delphia, answer me!” My voice was loaded with intensity, but it didn’t cross the threshold as it bounced off the house with no response.
I looked to my brothers frantically.
“She’s not inside from the looks of it. I took a look in a few of the back windows. No sign. What now?” Keys asked.
I sighed. “One more spot.”
We rode to the Holbeck gas station that I knew so well. A few of the crew took the opportunity to fuel up as I stopped and felt a brick hit my stomach. If she wasn’t here, then I’d failed Delphia again. With purpose, I walked inside the gas station.
Behind the counter stood a tired, fat man with a worried look on his face. “Hey, what pump?” The guy asked with a timid greeting. He did not want to be there, that was crystal clear.
“Hey, man. How you doing today?” I stated.
“I’m doing crappy, my best and most reliable staff member is out and I can’t get a hold of her either. So yeah. I’m not doing the best. I’m worried. She’s been under a lot of pressure lately. But that’s not your problem.”
“I’m Bear from the Rebel Saints MC. And it is my problem.”
“Appreciate you’re from the Saints.” The man looked confused.
The distraught expression on his face raised my blood pressure and confirmed my worst fears. “Delphia is my problem,” I confirmed as I slipped my leather gloves off. “She is in some real trouble. You know about the camera and the calls. Did you call that into the cops?” I asked hurriedly, my anxiety lifting like a rising tide.
“Sure did. Right when I got in. I explained everything and they thanked me. Said they had some other information. Man, I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve called her a few times already today because I hadn’t heard from her…” He paused. “Wait, you’re the guy who called?” Now the expression on his face took on real panic as his cheeks turned ruby red.
“Yeah, I am. She took off. She…” I shook my head. “She thought she would be protecting me.”