Burn by Rayna Bishop Read Free Book Online Page B

to the Rattlers.   Finally, they needed a rest.   They stopped off into a bar for a beer.

    “I don’t like this at all,” said Mercer.   “Every time we hit a new place on this map, we find less.”

    They drank their beers.   A thought was coming to Mercer.   Something was bothering him, had been bothering him since Casper.   “We found a fucking arsenal in Billings,” he said.   “That was a hell of a lot of firepower for the Rattlers.”

    “How you figure?” asked Cruz.   “Wouldn’t they want a lot of guns around?”

    Mercer shook his head.   “Not that many.   Doesn’t make any sense for a club that size.   They want some, sure, but they were sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of firepower.   The smart thing would be to keep enough for the club and sell the rest, but they were hanging on to all of it.”

    “Maybe there were just keeping it until they lined up a buyer?”

    “No, that stuff was hidden away in the middle of nowhere.   If they were waiting for a buyer, they’d make it easy to get in and out, to move the stuff quick.   This was like they were expecting to need them all.”

    Mercer finished his beer and went to the bar to grab another for the both of them.   He came back and took a big pull.

    He continued, “It’s not just the weapons.   That place outside of Casper, why mark an empty building on a map?   And in both places, there were no markings.   It took me a while to figure out what was wrong about those places.   Not a Rattler logo on the whole lot.   Nothing that tells anyone to go away.   Shit is wrong here.”

    Cruz polished off his burger.   “Maybe.   But I think you’re running on fumes.   I think you’re tired from looking for Danni and shit is starting not to make sense anymore.   She’s missing and you’re scared, so you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

    Mercer nodded and took another drink.   He figured Cruz was right, but there was a bad feeling he couldn’t shake.

    Outside the bar, they heard motorcycles.   Being around them so much, their ears were tuned to the sound.   They could pick the sound of a Harley-Davidson XL 1200N Nightster in a crowded football stadium.   Mercer looked out the big window of the bar and saw big, bald man in a Rattler cut ride by.   He was riding slowly, swinging his big head back and forth, looking for something.   Whatever he was looking for, he was clearly on a serious mission.   He saw the Black Ice bikes parked out front and gave them a second look, but kept going without stopping.

    “That was Big Mike, that Rattler,” said Cruz. “If the Rattlers are here, I think we’re close to Danni.”

    They walked outside to see where the Rattler was heading.   He turned the corner and was out of sight.  

    “Come on,” said Mercer.   “We’re going to follow that asshole.   He’ll either lead us to Danni or we’ll beat it out of him.”

    They mounted their bikes when the sound of the engine returned.   Big Mike had turned around and was coming right back for them, gun in hand.   He took aim and fired on them.   Mercer ducked behind his bike while Cruz threw himself back into the doorway of the bar.   Both members of Black Ice pulled their weapons and returned fire, but Big Mike was gone.

    “Guess that means they know we’re here,” said Cruz.

    They redoubled their efforts to find the place marked on the map.   It took them a half an hour, and asking several people in town, but finally, they were pointed in the right direction.   The information actually came from an old man.

    They found him by accident.   The men had been all over town, asking the local residents and shop owners if they knew where the bikers hung out.   It was clear everyone knew the answer, but they were all too afraid to say.   There was look of fear in their eyes that Mercer hadn’t seen since Tank took over Black Ice.   Finally, they were in a gas station, asking the