“You do you,” Quinn says, “We’re gonna head out once we divvy up the booty anyway.”
“See you guys later,” I say, heading for the office.
“I like her,” Rachel whispers to the others as I retreat, “Too bad she doesn’t dance. She could bring in big money, I bet.”
“Money we know how to get,” Blaire replies, “It’s exposure we need.”
“Besides, she’s Leo’s,” Emma points out, “No way she’s getting anywhere near a pole.”
“Lucky girl,” Quinn sighs, “I wouldn’t mind having him to myself.”
“Lucky girl,” I hear them chorus, as I slip into the office and close the door behind me.
I need to be careful around those girls. Their ballsy attitudes and persuasive arguments might lure me further into this club than I can afford to go. Better keep my head down and figure out where Kassie is before I get in over my head. Or lose my head entirely.
“Let’s see what you’ve got for me,” I mutter, plunking myself down in front of the ancient computer.
To my surprise, the thing is actually turned on. I guess that the Wraiths aren’t totally analog, after all. Anarchists they may be, but I guess everyone is on the grid these days. I roll the wheezing office chair closer to the screen and wipe away a thin layer of dust that’s settled there. Forget an IT girl, this place needs a cleaning service. But something tells me that cleanliness isn’t exactly next to godliness around here.
“Alright,” I murmur, taking a deep breath, “Here goes nothing.”
Alone at last with the Wraiths’ computer system, I start digging hard. I have no idea what I’m looking for, exactly. I just need some little scrap of information that might lead me to Kassie. Or failing that, something that can help me understand why the Wraiths went so far as to abduct her. And now that they have her, what are they planning to do? Where do they stand with the Nine, now?
Thankfully, it seems that none of the Wraiths are very big on digital security. Their files and data are practically at my fingertips. I don’t even need to bust out any of my high school hacking knowledge to get inside their records. The first thing I come across is personnel and accounting information. MC bookkeeping, as it were. The names and photos of each member of the Las Vegas Devil’s Wraiths MC are mine to study. And study I do.
I already know Mac, the white-haired president. I find out, after a little reading, that he’s the son of a founding member of the Wraiths. After World War II, Mac’s father helped build this club from the ground up. Pretty impressive. Mac is the oldest member of the Las Vegas MC, and has been the president for years. His criminal records read like a novel, and I’m slightly alarmed to find that he’s been to jail for nothing less than murder. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but damn...these guys are not messing around.
I’ve already met two other members, Sparky and Fiver. They weren’t kidding about their names being job descriptions. Sparky, the red-bearded brother, has been locked up for arson more than a few times, as has Fiver for grand theft. Sparky serves as the secretary of the chapter, Fiver as the treasurer—I have to smile at the black humor, there.
The Las Vegas chapter’s sergeant at arms is a grizzled, barrel-chested bear named, well, Bear. He and Mac served in the army together, and he has quite the less-than-legal track record himself. The chapter’s road captain, Tyke, is the youngest of the crew, an Iraq war vet with a blonde crew cut and intense eyes.
Two of the newest members I recognize from the night Kassie was abducted. Buck, the big southern guy, looks like an overgrown farm boy. He transferred from a Texas chapter of the Wraiths not too long ago. Dewey, the one who spoke so intensely, turns out to be quite the brainiac. He actually got through two years of law school before running in the entirely opposite direction and joining up with the Wraiths. Hey, I’m sure a bit of legal counsel goes a long way around here.
That just leaves the chapter’s VP, my very own Leo. I save his files for last, nervous about spying on him. But in the end, that’s exactly what I’m here to do. I take a deep breath and get to work, pulling up everything I can about the man who’s claimed me for his own. There’s not as much information to be found on Leo as the others, but I certainly learn a thing or two.
For one, it turns out that Leo is his real name. Leo Bane. He’s thirty-three, only seven years my senior. He doesn’t appear to be married, divorced, or a widower. So that’s good. But he does seem to have spent a bit of time in jail for assault. I was afraid of that. But hey, I don’t have to marry the guy. I just have to be his fuck buddy for a few days while I help sort this mess out between the Wraiths and the Nine. His past is his own business.
Once I gather some intel on the eight members of the Las Vegas chapter, it’s time to track down some correspondence. These guys may lead pretty computer-free lives, but everyone uses email. In no time at all, I figure out a way to access the messages coming and going from this computer, and the others in the Devil’s Nest. And it’s not because of my computer skills that I’m able to sneak in like this. It’s for no other reason than that the Wraiths don’t seem to understand the concept of signing out of their accounts or ever clearing their internet histories.
“Jackpot,” I mutter, as I find my way right into Mac’s email account.
I scroll through a bunch of junk, sifting through Viagra and penis pump offers, looking for something I can actually use. Searching through his sent messages, I start to find some interesting exchanges. He’s sent out quite a few requests to other chapters lately, asking different parties if they have any extra “storage space”:
Got some new cargo need a safe place to stash her.
“Stash her?” I mutter to myself. Could he possibly mean Kassie?
I sort through the responses to his requests, but none of his correspondents seem to have offered up their services. But one message, sent to Buck, Dewey, and Leo himself, might just contain some answers.
Bring the cargo back here tonight. I think I’ve found a place for her. It’s not as far away as we wanted, but it’ll have to do. Make sure you don’t bruise her along the way.
So Kassie is relatively close, and ostensibly not bruised. All of this is good news. I glance at the clock on the computer before I keep digging. Hours have already passed as I’ve dredged up what dirt I can on the Wraiths. For all I know, Leo could be back any minute. Better make sure I’m not in the middle of sorting through Mac’s email when he gets here.