War Bringer by Elaine Levine Read Free Book Online Page A

Five

    When Kelan and Val got back to the motel, Kit and Angel were already there. Twenty-three hours had passed since Fiona was taken. They’d come so close to getting her back that afternoon. Barely an hour had passed between when she first summoned them via her bracelet alert and when they got there, but in that time she’d been moved again, and the girls she’d been with were almost killed.
    It tore him up that the FBI had enough data on sex traffickers in the area to know that there was buzz about a big transaction, but they refused to share that info with the team.
    “What’s the word on that renter?” Kit asked.
    “He was arrested. Sounds like he was just leasing out his name. He got roped into putting it on a lease in exchange for having some gambling debt forgiven. I sent Greer the guy’s bookie’s name.”
    Kit nodded. “Good.”
    “Not really,” Val said. “The guy died a year ago. Max and Greer are checking to see what’s known of his network, if he associated with any sex traffickers.”
    “Owen got us some intel on the likely players in whatever big event is going down this weekend.”  
    Val frowned. “How’d he get it?”
    Kit shook his head. “One thing you learn about Owen is to never ask those questions. Let’s just roll with it. Whatever’s happening is going down this weekend.” Kit looked at Kelan. “Khalid got an invite from Jafaar to go to a wedding celebration for King’s daughter.”
    Kelan frowned. “Is Fiona his daughter?”
    “We don’t know yet. Jafaar either didn’t know where the wedding was happening or was withholding that info. Rocco and Selena are going to meet him tomorrow afternoon. Greer is going to follow them. In the meantime, we have to check out whatever the big transaction is that’s going down this evening.”
      Their phones buzzed. Max had sent a list of five targets. “Angel and I will take the first three. Kelan, you and Val take the last two. I don’t know if this big transaction is related to Fee or not, but I sure don’t like coincidences. My gut says the two big events this weekend are connected.”
    Kelan was glad they had something to work on. Also, it was a relief to know that whoever had taken Fiona was keeping her in town—if she was part of either event. He wondered again why her captors had driven out east on the highway. Maybe that was where their hidey-hole was.  
    “Which one first?” Val asked. “Biker bar or strip club?”
    “Biker bar.”

    * * *  

    Both establishments were on the east side of town. Four different rows of bikes out front, guarded by hang-arounds, said the bar was open to multiple clubs. Val parked their SUV in the side lot. A few of the guys out front gave them hairy-eyeball looks as they approached the entrance.  
    Kelan yanked open one of the double doors. The bar was dark inside. Took his eyes a second to adjust to the shift in light. A big, bald guy in a sleeveless tee and leather cuts stepped in front of them.  
    “Private bar,” he barked.
    “We have an invite from King,” Kelan said.
    “Whoever that is,” the guy scoffed, as if he really didn’t know.
    One of his friends came over and stood in front of Val. “You know, I’m thinking two of these guys are not like the others,” he said to his pal.
    Val’s brows lowered as he looked himself over. He and Kelan were wearing their standard operational attire: cargos, tees, boots. He looked at Kelan. “Are they dissing our clothes?”
    “Naw,” Kelan said with a shake of his head, his eyes locked on the guy in front of him. “He’s just announcing his education stopped at the Muppet level. Use small words with him.”
    The guy Kelan insulted roared and lunged for Val’s neck, which started his friend on the offensive. Kelan punched his forehead once, twice, moving him back a few feet. When he came forward again, Kelan swirled and delivered a kick in his chest that knocked the wind out of him and dropped him on the spot.
    Val threw a