v Ashley: Golden Trail

When Ryker’s shoulders started shaking, Cal stepped away, Merry looked to his boots but Layne crouched beside his friend.

He wrapped a hand around his thick neck and got close.

“Colt told me, since they used God, maybe He’d be motivated to help out.” Layne murmured, put pressure on Ryker’s neck and released him. “Apparently, He was motivated.”

Ryker nodded to his lap.

Layne straightened and Merry and he moved two feet to Cal, giving Ryker time.

“Anything new?” Layne asked.

“Rutledge is still in surgery. Towers is bein’ transported, no clue there but we’ve got her on identity theft, multiple counts of underage prostitution, multiple counts of statutory rape, blackmail, kidnapping and, any of her boys’ guns match the bullets you took, brother, they roll and say she ordered the hit, conspiracy to commit murder. She lives after you drilled two into her chest, she’ll never take another free breath.”

“What about her other girls?” Layne asked.

“Too soon, they’re bein’ transported to the Station to get questioned. Though, one gave up the location of at least one of her stables. They’re puttin’ together a raid now. There might be more. Each of those rooms had three or more girls in it, Tanner, and early info says these girls are not all she’s got,” Merry answered. “She left some behind.”

“Jesus,” Cal muttered, the word heavy with disgust. “It’s this big, how can this be under IMPD’s radar?”

Merry shook his head. “Don’t know, outside the bitch was smart. But I reckon we’ll find out.”

“My source says she worked the foster care angle,” Layne reminded Merry.

“Yeah, and we checked that out. She did that but, like Youth Group, she recruited through a front, a fall guy, or in that case, woman. The woman who acted as her agent is currently serving a nickel but Towers never let her close enough, in fact, the woman never saw Towers. She handed over to a member of Towers’ crew who disappeared after Social Services cottoned on and started their investigation and never was located. The girls were never recovered except to surface later as prostitutes, porn stars, bikers’ bitches and equally limiting professions. That angle died seven years ago.”

Ryker’s presence hit their group.

“I wanna see Alexis,” he announced.

Merry looked at him and nodded. He turned to a uniform who was standing with a plainclothes officer and whistled.

When he had the uniform’s attention, he nodded his head to Ryker. “This guy is guardian to Alexis McGraw, the redheaded girl in room twelve oh three. He wants to see his girl.”

The uniform swept his eyes top to toe on Ryker and then they narrowed on Merry. Ryker looked like guardian of the gates of hell, not guardian to a pretty, fourteen year old redhead.

“He’s cool,” Merry assured.

“Merry, are you gonna talk to the girls now or can they go home?” Layne asked and Merry turned to him as the uniform approached.

“They wake up, they’ll be disoriented and since they were probably roofied, won’t remember much. We can talk to them in the morning,” Merry answered.

Ryker was moving away with the uniform, his hand in his motorcycle jacket but he called to Layne, “You’re our ride, bro.”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” Layne called back.

“I know, but you comin’ or what?” Ryker returned.

Layne glanced through Merry and Cal, nodded and followed Ryker. It would seem big, scary, badass, looking like a raving lunatic Ryker needed his BFF.

Fuck.

He heard Ryker on his phone when he stopped beside him at the elevator. “Liss, baby, she’s okay, she’s good. They found her. She’s all right. I’m goin’ to her now. We’re gonna be home soon. It’s all good.”

The elevator opened and Colt with a variety of cops walked out. Colt clapped Ryker on the shoulder as they switched places but his hand came up to Layne, Layne took it and looked in Colt’s eyes.

“Cal called, ran it down. Remember us when you’re a big Hollywood action star,” Colt remarked.

Layne let his hand go muttering, “Bite me,” through his smile.

Then he moved to the elevator.

Layne pulled into Lissa McGraw’s driveway and the front door on the house was opened before he came to a complete stop.

Lissa was running out but Layne saw Jasper, Tripp, Keira and Seth Cosgrove standing in the yard, each with a can of pop in their hands.

Seth broke away and slowly approached the Suburban as Ryker hopped down. Layne exited the other side and watched Rocky wander out behind Lissa, Devin on her heels. By the time Layne rounded the hood, Ryker had Alexis in his arms. She was awake but not herself. She slid her thin arms around his huge shoulders just as Lissa collided with them, her arms spanning them both, she burst into tears.

Rocky moved to him and took his hand.

“Somehow, Seth heard word. Paige is inside too. Jasper tried to get him to go but he wouldn’t,” she whispered, leaning in close.

“He’s a good kid,” Layne whispered back, eyes on Seth who was hanging back but his gaze was intense on Alexis.

“Lissa told us she’s okay. Is she okay?” Rocky asked and Layne looked at her.

“She’s good,” Layne answered.

“Totally good?” Rocky pushed, her eyes as intense as Seth’s and she was holding her body funny – guarded, alert.

“She’s fine, baby, she woke up just when we got to her. She doesn’t even know what happened but no one got a chance to touch her.”

“Tiffany?”

“Tiffany too, it’s all good.” He leaned down and put his hand to her neck. “ Totally good, Rocky.”

Rocky nodded and her eyes moved to Ryker who was shuffling Lissa back while carrying Alexis to the house. Layne and Rocky moved with them. Layne nodded to Devin then his eyes cut to his sons.

Finally, he looked at Seth and stopped. “It’s good you’re here, Seth, but let me scope this out, yeah? Stay out here with Jas, Keira and Tripp.”

Seth nodded. Layne nodded back, swept his eyes through his boys and he and Rocky went inside.

Vi, Feb, Josie and Paige were there. Coffee mugs were everywhere but Vi was collecting them. Angela was asleep in Paige’s arms. Jack was sitting on his ass on the floor, sucking on something purple and edible that he’d gotten all over his face in a way that gave evidence to the fact it was sticky. Layne could see through a wide opening and Feb was in the tiny kitchen, doing something at the sink. Josie was wiping down counters. Lissa, Ryker and Alexis had disappeared, likely down the back hall.

Layne went to the mouth of the hall and waited.

Ryker came out five minutes later, walked to Layne and stopped.

“Your call, brother, you want company, they’re here for the long haul. You don’t, I’ll get them gone,” Layne offered.

Ryker stared at him, said not a word, then turned and disappeared in the room he came out of. Two minutes later, he was back.

“Liss likes to hear people in her house. Alexis is asking about Seth. Your crew is in for the long haul.”

“Right.” Layne nodded. “I’ll call Reggie’s and order pizza.”

Layne turned to move into the living room but turned back when Ryker said, “Bro.”

“Yeah?”

“She was wakin’ up when we got to her.”

“Yeah man, I was there.”

“She was wakin’ up when we got to her,” Ryker repeated.

He had something to say so Layne waited for him to say it.

Ryker finally spoke. “She had less than an hour.”

“Ryker –” Layne began.

“You hadn’t called that location, bro…” He trailed off and stopped.

“Well, I did.”

Ryker held his gaze.

Then he whispered, “Yeah, you did.”