Buried Treasure Ch. 06-10

"We're a law-abiding club, Detective."

"And I'm warning you we'll get a court order to keep you away if we have to. We're not going to let you get in a gang war in our town. Take your wife back to the Clubhouse and keep your men in check, or we'll have to do that for you." I looked at my wife and nodded. "I'll be back when she wakes up."

He left, and a few minutes later Tripod walked in. "They let you back here?"

"You're my brother," he said. "I finally convinced them in the waiting room that if I could come back here, I'd send some of the guys home. They don't like a room overflowing with cops and bikers." He walked over to stand by Three Tequila's bed. "How is she doing?"

"She'll be fine, she just has to sleep off the sedative that was used on her."

"Good, the men are on edge. Your text this morning didn't help either, another five chapters are sending men down and every Club is alerted to watch for movement of the Sons. There's a meeting of the National Council at noon, you need to be on that call."

"Harleigh may be being tortured right now, they may even have killed her," I said. "We can't wait long before we have to do something. What do our men in Ocala say?"

"It's quiet. The Sons have stayed in their rooms, all we've seen of them is a guy going out to get food. Cops are watching them too."

"Any activity earlier?"

"Some working girls showed up but bailed when they saw the uniforms around."

I nodded. "Go back and make plans. Have the guys coming from the other Chapters go to Ocala, not Orlando. The detective made it clear they are watching us and will intervene to stop a gang war. We can't roll out of here on a war footing or they'll stop us."

"It shall be done, boss. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get my woman back to the Clubhouse where she is protected, then I'm going to Ocala. I'll take the cut off if I need to, but I'm killing Jose, and no one is going to stop me."

"No," my VP said. "You're Club first, and you're not alone. I won't take away your revenge, but I won't let you throw your life away either. We do this right and you go home to Three Tequila because God help us if you don't."

I looked down at my woman and squeezed her hand. "I'll fucking kill you if you die on me," she whispers.

"Baby," I said as I leaned over her. She was trying to open her eyes but kept closing them. "Hit the lights, Tripod." He jumped up and turned them off, and she opened her eyes and smiled. "How are you?"

He eyes suddenly got wide. "Harleigh. Is she all right?"

I couldn't say anything, my heart caught in my throat and my mouth couldn't move. She read my expression, tears coming into her eyes as I fought against the truth.

It was Tripod who had to break the news. "Harleigh was kidnapped, Tequila. The person who drugged you had knocked out the cop outside the room, then vanished with her. We're looking for her but we have no leads."

"Oh god," she whispered and closed her eyes. Tears ran down her face and she squeezed my hand. "You have to find her."

"We will. You have to rest so I can get you home, love." I looked at Tripod. "Tell the nurse she's awake. The sooner she gets checked out the faster we can go home."

He ducked out and she turned her head back to me. I wiped the tears from her face as she sobbed. "I'm sorry. It happened so fast, I couldn't stop her!"

"Shhh... It's all right, baby. We'll get her back."

"I can't lose her, she's the only family we have left!" I leaned down and hugged her, letting her sob into my shoulder as the pain and loss came out. We were rudely interrupted by the nurse, who took her vitals and asked her some basic questions, then Doctor Reynolds. Ten minutes later, he was done. "When can I go home," she asked.

"As soon as you can go to the bathroom," he said. "Control of your bladder shows the drug has worked out of your system enough to be released. Take it easy the rest of the day, and call if you have any symptoms other than fatigue." He finished writing out the discharge instructions. "The nurse will release you when you are ready."

"Thanks, Doc," I said.

He left the room, and two men came in. "Good morning, I am Detective Jackson of the Orlando Police Department, and this is Special Agent Berquist of the FBI. Are you up to answering some questions?"

I looked at her and she nodded. "I don't remember much."

"If you could just tell me what happened, please."

She closed her eyes for a second, then looked back at him. "I was reading my book, 'It's A Mate Rejection Thang' by MaxD01. I have a thing for werewolf books," she said with a laugh. "I heard someone come in and looked up. It was a nurse I hadn't seen before. She came in and looked at Harleigh for a minute. I went back to reading."

"Can you describe her?"

"Young, mid-twenties maybe. Clear skin, bright blue eyes, blond hair straight to her shoulders. She was beautiful, really. Wedding band, no diamond."

"You saw all this?"

"I see a lot of girls come through the clubhouse, and I size them up in moments. I didn't sense anything wrong in this one until her hand was over my mouth, and a syringe was in my neck. I blacked out and woke up here. That's all I know."

He pulled out the surveillance photo. "Is this her?"

She looked at the blurry image. "It probably is, but that's not very clear."

The FBI agent took the photo from her. "If I arrange for a sketch artist to talk to you, could you work with her?"

"Call me and I'll arrange it, but not this morning," I told them. "She's still recovering, and I need to get her home." They left me their cards before they walked out. I looked down at my wife, she looked over at the bathroom. "Should I help you?"

"Please." Ten minutes later, she was being wheeled out. The Club members gathered around her, hugging and comforting her as I went to get my Harley. She got on behind me, her arms taking their familiar place around my waist and her chin on my shoulder. The rest of the guys pulled up behind us, and we headed back in club formation.

A formation that was short one very important rider.