Page 1 of Gold Rush
Chapter One
Theyweregone.Likethey’d never existed. It was a miracle, but a sinister one.
The BBC or the Blue Badge Cartel, a group of law enforcement officers, retired, fired, and still active, who had formed a crime organization. Murphy’s employees were not only bartenders but an elite band of criminals, too, stealing high-dollar goods when and where they could. The two organizations had clashed, and they’d been worried the BBC would come after them.
They were working with an FBI agent and an undercover cop to take the BBC down, being that they didn’t just steal paintings or cars, they sold drugs and trafficked human beings. That was against everything the men at Murphy’s Pub believed.
Murphy had them all sitting around the table, and he told them what Sonny, Taran, and the other law enforcement officers had let him know.
Tally, Murphy’s sister, sat with Ryan, Murphy’s son, and both sighed with relief. “We can bring the kids home,” Ryan said.
“Not yet,” Eazy, Murphy’s husband, said. “Not until we’re sure.”
“What I think,” Cosmo said, “is that they’re laying low. They know the heat that’s on them right now. They may have sent the traffic to other cities, or they’re done completely, at least for now. I’d say they wouldn’t dare fuck with us, hurt us, while they are laying low.”
Hippy agreed, “I think he’s right. If you’re laying low, the last thing you want to do is fuck with a family. That would send up fireworks as to what they’re doing.”
Murphy smiled and said, “I know you all miss the kids. I do too, and if this looks legit, they’ll be back as soon as I can drive them here. Let’s just give it a bit.”
“Does this mean we’re laying low, too?” Mims asked.
Murphy hummed, “Mmm, I don’t know.”
Gold Rush, AKA Goldie, AKA Thomas Marion, said, “I have leads on three pieces of art, on a car, and on a batch of gold coins that are making my palms itch. I’m just waiting for the word that we can hit any of them.”
Murphy sat hard in his chair and said, “Listen, men. I get it. We might miss the thrill of it, and the money too, but even though Taran and Sonny aren’t after us, maybe it’s time we retire? We all make good money from the pub. Maybe it’s time.”
Cosmo groaned, “As soon as I get here.”
“Sorry, Cos, but the rest of us have been at this for years.”
Cosmo wasn’t happy with that. “I’ve been with Taran a while now,” he started, and right away, Goldie and Abs both glanced at Hippy to see his eyes drop. They knew, as did most of the guys, that Hippy had fallen hard for Cosmo, but Cosmo was with the sexy fed, Taran.
“Taran isn’t after us, and if the feds were, he’d tell me. He’s not going to let me go down for theft or anything else if he can help it.”
“Sonny, either,” Mims said of his boyfriend. “He’s…well, he’s not exactly in the loop anymore.”
“I’ll think about it. I get it isn’t fair to Cosmo that we quit before he’s got a sizable nest egg for himself. But we must be sure that those fuckers aren’t waiting for us to get a job going to come back and squash us.”
That was a real concern. The BBC wanted to have a monopoly on all the crime in Denver where they were located. And they had the backing of a lot of their brothers and former brothers in blue to do it.
Goldie told them, “Why don’t I stake them out, and if I get any hint of the BBC or their people, I’ll come on home and tell you all to forget it for now at least?”
They all agreed that was the best way to go, being Goldie was terribly thorough in his part of the jobs.
As they adjourned, Abs sidled up to Goldie, his best friend, and whispered, “Want some help?”
“Are you between boyfriends and bored?”
“I don’t have boyfriends. I have men who pass the time.”
“So, you’re between those and are bored.”
“Yeah,” he said in a chirp. “Do I wear all black and slink around outside of places, taking pictures with micro cameras?”
“Only if you want to really draw attention to yourself.”
“So, what do I wear?”
