We had just come back from burning the Carnival building. I opened the door of our hotel room and noticed right away that Saranna looked very worried. “Storm said 6 men took Macey from her room and went out the back way!” she blurted out. “Go get them!” I said, and everyone went except Angel and Sigurbjorn who stayed behind to help guard us. Things keep getting worse all the time. “Did you get a picture of that vet?”

I asked Angel. “Sure did,” she said and showed it to me. “Send it to Annelie while I call her,” I said. I called Annelie right away and told her to check on the woman in the picture. I gave her name and said she was a veterinarian. It did not take long and she had the information. Seems this lady is a real vet, but has ties to a local gang called the Nighthawks. She had been in prison for 2 years and had been out for 2 years now.

Hmm, could she have called her friends? But why? They paid no attention to all of our paperwork, so why just take Macey. Unless they did not know about Saranna in the next room. But that would not make sense either. The others came back right then but they did not see anyone out there. However, they did bring a young woman with them who said she could help us if we helped her.

“What do you want?” I asked. “Get me away from the Nighthawks,” she said, “I cannot take anymore…” She broke down crying at that point. I told the girls to take her to their room and talk with her there. I then told the guys that Macey was likely taken by this gang called the Nighthawks and the vet was connected to them. “I figured she was calling someone like that,” said Carver, “can’t trust anyone.” He is about right.

I then called the Major and told him what happened. He said to wait a bit while he made some calls. He called back in about 20 minutes. “Those Nighthawks are a small local gang,” he began, “but dangerous, they are trying to get in with the big boys and will do anything. Someone may have seen Macey and wanted her, knowing she is my daughter. They have worked for Carnival a lot and are likely the ones that killed your friends.”

“We will get Macey back,” I said, “if they want to play with the big boys, then we will oblige them.” “Their leader is Cam Billings,” he said. Not much to go on, but it is something at least. The girls asked me to come to their room, Carver and John walked with me but stayed outside in the hall. This woman, whose name is Mya, wants out of that gang called the Nighthawks, but she is afraid to leave on her own.

A friend of hers tried last month and was found dead the next day. She knows where the clubhouse is located and would take us there. I asked her for the address and she would stay here under guard for her safety. I also said we would be glad to help her get away. We left her with Saranna, Angel, Ashley and Sigurbjorn. The rest of us went to the clubhouse. We parked a distance away from the place, which was an old house near the downtown section of the city.

We quietly, and quickly, surrounded the house. It had bars on all the windows, but the doors did not look any different than normal, but each had four locks. Crystal and Tracy went up to the doors quickly and put a little package by the locks and ran off. I pressed two buttons and those packages exploded, opening the doors, and our guys rushed inside. Storm went in with them to look for Macey. It was a fast paced fight with the clubhouse occupants.

Tiny was throwing guys around, Ralph, John and Carver were also doing well. They were big men too. Crystal and Kristina stayed close to me. Storm came running over and said that Macey was in the basement. The basement door was heavy wood and opened outwards. I put two packages by the hinges and blew the door right off. We went down to find Macey tied to a metal stake with a chain around her neck. That basement was a filthy place.

Upstairs all had gone quiet. I sent all the girls, except Kristina, back to the hotel with Macey. “Which one is the leader?” I asked. No one in the gang talked. I checked, but Cam was not among the guys there. That would make sense, he would stay somewhere safer. None of the gang members would answer any of my questions, I really did not think they would.

There was a couple cans of gas in the basement, we spread that all over the house and after we were all out Ralph tossed a match on the gas by the door. The house was soon in flames, including a large supply of drugs and money. The gang members ran out the back door. At least Macey is unharmed, but…

To Be Continued.

©2023 Steve McLeod.