Page 43 of Protectors

“I don’t know. My dad is on his way here. He’ll help me go through everythin’ to ensure we figure out what the fuck is goin’ on and who messed with our security system. Because the cameras were tampered with, I haven’t been able to figure out which way Terrence took Alana. It’s definitely him though. I have footage showin’ him hittin’ Kian with a metal pipe and standin’ over his body as he crumples to the ground before turnin’ his attention on Alana. She’s frozen in place and the fear is evident in her face and the way her body is tremblin’.

“I’ve been searchin’ for any sign of a vehicle leavin’ the area of Phantom Ink and I don’t see any vehicle out of the ordinary. None is speedin’ away from the area or anythin’. We have no clue what he’s drivin’ at all right now. I’ve been trackin’ a few different cars, but they’re essentially goin’ about the city to various shops and shit. Those are definitely not the vehicles we want. Terrence wouldn’t be stupid enough to make several stops when he’s got Alana with him. Even if he’s knocked her out, it’s a risk too great for him to take. I’ve been searchin’ every camera around the tattoo shop and still haven’t been able to capture any sign of him.

“I’m at a fuckin’ loss. Is there anythin’ on Alana that would have a tracker? I know we haven’t even discussed usin’ one with her because of him implantin’ one without her knowledge. I haven’t even done anythin’ to her phone because of this,” King informs us as rage builds even more in me because without him knowing what to track, we have no way of getting an indication of where Terrence is heading.

“We didn’t do anythin’ like that because we’re not Terrence. She doesn’t have her rag or anythin’ either. It’s here and we’ve been waitin’ to claim her. With everythin’ goin’ on, it wasn’t the right time. Not to mention that if Alana wasn’t comfortable with us doin’ anythin’ to track her, we never would’ve done it,” Ghost speaks up, his voice raw and broken as he looks at me and I see how lost he is in his eyes. There’s almost nothing there as I take him in from top to bottom and see how distraught he is right now. I know I’m not doing much better, but to see my best friend completely broken this way only breaks something deeper in my soul.

“Okay. So we don’t have that option. Did you guys happen to find her phone or anythin’ when you were lookin’ at the shop for any signs of her?” Valor asks as King continues working on his laptop and several different images come and go on the TV screens for everyone to see.

“There was no sign of her phone. I don’t know if she has it still or if it was left in the shop after her panic attack,” Cage answers, burying his face in Skylar’s neck as Joker moves even closer to them and they hold one another while Pops gets out of his seat and stands behind them with his hands on the men’s shoulders as they comfort Skylar who’s sobbing uncontrollably.

“I’ll see if I can get a location from it. It’s not as good as usin’ some kind of trackin’ device, but it might lead us to a general area,” King says, his voice kind of distant as he types away in various programs he uses for this kind of situation.

The only sound in the common room is that of Skylar and Bailey as they cry. Bailey is standing in Grim’s embrace as he holds his wife in his arms and lets her sob. Like Skylar, her entire body is trembling and I’m waiting for her to break completely. When Bailey breaks over something like this, it’s not pretty. She’ll start by crying and once the anger takes over, don’t get in her fucking way. She’s a one woman wrecking crew and won’t hesitate to take out anyone in her path to get to her family member or whatever her mission is. It’s not often Bailey allows herself to get like that, but the few times it’s happened, it’s scary as fuck.

“Not sure if this even matters,” Beckett speaks up, hesitation filling his voice since he’s not usually in church with us and doesn’t know if he can actually speak up in this situation.

“What’s on your mind, Beckett?” Vault asks him, controlling his tone so he doesn’t sound as pissed off as what his face is showing.

“Well, with how hard Liz was tryin’ to get Ghost from Alana and puttin’ down Geek, has anyone thought of the possibility of her havin’ somethin’ to do with Terrence showin’ up right now? Could she have overheard somethin’ and gotten his contact information somehow and made a call to tell him exactly where Alana would be. She’d know she works at the tattoo parlor and the days she goes there. Not to mention it’s kind of odd that she showed up after they were all removed from the clubhouse just before the other clubs showed up,” Beckett says, giving us another angle none of us were really thinking about because Liz doesn’t register in our mind if we’re being honest. She’s simply a bitch at the clubhouse who has overstayed her welcome and will be dealt with when this is all over.

“Fuck!” Vault says, looking at King who only nods his head as he pulls up a different program and we watch as he puts in the phone number of Liz.

King searches her phone records and it doesn’t take long to realize she’s been in communication with someone who isn’t from Pine View. There’s a number she calls and messages multiple times a day that only stopped when she got locked up down in the cells. King highlights the number and puts it into a different window. Within seconds we see the number belongs to Terrence. He presses a few more keys before a screen pops up with the messages that were exchanged between the two of them.

Liz: This bitch is getting on my last fucking nerve. She’s standing between my man and me. I thought you were on your way here?

Terrence: I am on my way there. Had to stop for a day because I heard her family is on the way there. If they catch sight of me, it’s over and I won’t be able to get my property back. Be patient and stay the fuck away from Alana.

Liz: I’m not gonna stay away from her when she’s all over my man. What the fuck do you not understand about her being a homewrecking skank who is already spreading her fucking legs for him and his best friend. Why the fuck would you even want her back?

Terrence: Enough! That’s my property you’re talking about and I’m not gonna fucking listen to it. If you don’t stop the shit, I’ll make sure he never comes back to you. I’ll gut you and leave you bleeding out in the middle of the fucking road so you get run over.

“That’s enough!” Valor calls out, making all of us look up to find Skylar and Bailey reading through the messages shared between the two of them.

“I’m gonna fucking kill her!” Bailey screams, trying to get out of Grim’s arms as he doesn’t release her.

Bailey is kicking and fighting against her husband, not giving a fuck if she’s hurting him or anyone else around them. She’s like a feral cat who’s lost her shit and I know it’s because of the words being said about her niece. This is only a small portion of what I’m talking about when she lets her anger show.

“Calm down, Bailey. You can’t just randomly go the fuck off without us puttin’ a plan in place. We might need to talk to her if we can’t figure out where Terrence is gonna take Alana. You don’t want to make it harder to find her, do ya?” Grim questions his woman as she finally goes limp in his arms as he pulls her closer to his body and whispers something in her ear before she starts trembling once again.

“King, keep goin’ through the messages. The second you find anythin’, let us know. Get that screen off the fuckin’ TVs while you search through everythin’ else. We can help you comb through the footage from the various security cameras around the city. If you’re not helpin’, I don’t want you in here. Find somethin’ to do. Or better yet, go out and start searchin’ for any sign of them in the city,” Vault orders everyone as I remain in my seat and turn my attention to the screens in front of us.

Cage and Joker take Skylar out of the common room and up to the room they’ve been staying in here. Stryker, Slim, Pops, Playboy, and Killer remain with Ghost and me as we turn our attention to the TV screens and help search for any signs of a vehicle that stands out for any reason to us. I don’t know what the fuck we’re honestly looking for, but at this point, it’s giving me something to do so my mind isn’t circling around the possibilities of what’s being done to our girl. That’s the last thing I need to think about and I know Ghost is feeling the same way as me as he keeps his eyes glued to the screens.

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