Page 29 of Big Easy
Once we clear the last step, there is a small space toward the back of the room, dimly lit from the streetlights outside filtering through the small narrow window.
"There are no signs the son of a bitch is here," I say as Grim's flashlight scans the small space cluttered with boxes, some old cane back chairs, and broken picture frames.
I pull my own phone from my pocket. Using the light, I canvass every inch of the dank basement.
"Easy. Come take a look at this." Riggs snags my attention. Walking over, he's looking at empty camera boxes—small cameras used when you don't want them seen. I dig through the larger box they sit in, finding receipts.
"These were bought three weeks ago." I shuffle my feet and kick something that sounds like metal. Shining my light to the floor, what appears to be a medium-sized tin box. Slipping my phone in my pocket and tucking my weapon away, I pick it up. "Shine your light on this," I instruct my brother. Flipping the small latch, I open the box. What I find sends chills down my spine—snapshots of Sutton. I thumb through the stack of images. There are pictures of her leaving work, driving in her car, shopping, and on the back of my bike. My body goes numb when I look at the following images. Sutton is in her apartment, changing clothes. Beneath the pictures, a scrap of lace catches my eye, and I tug on it, revealing a pair of black panties. I fist the photos, crumpling the evidence in my hands, indicating that Sanders has been stalking Sutton. Pent-up rage leaves my body as I throw the tin box across the basement.
"Prez, we need to get back to her apartment and find those cameras. The fucker is probably watching the men as we speak," Grim states.
"He took my woman." I fight hard to keep my shit together.
Riggs looks at me. "We'll find her, brother."
A short time later, we are back at the apartment complex, barreling through the busted front door.
"Sanders took her," I growl. "The bastard has cameras hidden throughout the apartment." I begin to search as well. "I hope you're listening, motherfucker. I'm going to find your sorry ass. When I do, I'm going to kill you," I roar, wanting the son of a bitch to hear the wrath of my words and fear what's coming for him.
We begin tearing the place apart.
"Found one," Grim announces while I continue to search Sutton's bedroom. He appears in the doorway. "It works off batteries, which means he would need direct access to the apartment to retrieve the memory card and change them."
Frustrated, I stare at the ceiling. The flicker of red in the air vent overhead catches my eye. Son of a bitch. Dragging a white armchair sitting nearby across the floor, I stand on it. Taking out my pocket knife, I work the screws loose, keeping it in place. Inside the air duct sits a camera attached to a cable wire. "It has to lead somewhere." I pull on it but don't get much slack.
"Anyone live next door?" Riggs asks, and I look at him, then look at Grim, who rushes out of the apartment with Catcher right behind him.
The rest of us follow, entering the apartment after Grim busts the door open. A pizza box and bits of trash sit on the kitchen counter. "Someone was here recently," I say, noticing the pizza is half eaten.
"Back here," Catcher's voice echoes down the hall, and I'm rushing in his direction, where he's crouching over a bound and gagged Maci, her eyes wide and wild, rimmed red from crying.
Catcher takes a blade from his pocket, cutting Maci loose, his eyes scanning her trembling body. "You hurt anywhere?"
Maci shakes her head, her hands trembling as she tries to gather herself.
"Where's Sutton?" I ask, my voice heavy with worry.
"I don't know," Maci whispers, her voice quivering, and tears stream uncontrollably down her face. Her voice breaks into sobs.
My stomach knots tightly, a surge of dread rising in my chest. "Who did this?" I manage to keep my tone steady while struggling to keep my composure as my mind races for answers.
"I don't know. The man's face was covered." Maci says softly, her eyes searching mine desperately. "I got home before Sutton. The moment I stepped inside, I was shoved forcefully to thefloor. I tried to fight back, to scream or run, but he was stronger—so much stronger than me. He backhanded me so hard I blacked out. When I came to, I was in here." Maci frantically scans the empty bedroom.
"The rest of the apartment is clear," Wick shouts, stopping just outside the bedroom door.
The blood in my veins runs cold. Sutton is in trouble.
"I did find this." Wick enters the room, holding a piece of paper, and hands it to me. "Credit card receipt for a motel."
I take in Sanders' signature at the bottom of the receipt, along with the name of the motel and a room number scribbled on the bottom. "The Refuge. It's over on the other side of town, near Jerry's Stop-n-Go." Like it or not, this is the only lead we have. I look at Grim. "Get Maci to the clubhouse and let the women watch after her."
"You got it, Prez." Grim moves toward Maci. "You good to ride?" he asks her, and Maci nods.
I lock eyes with Brewer. "You're with me, brother."
Without hesitation, Brewer nods sharply. "Let's burn pavement."
"Catcher, hit the road with Grim." Riggs barks, and his man falls in behind my brother, heading out of the apartment. Riggs turns to me, a cold glare in his eyes. "Time to find your woman."
