~ISSA
Iris coming over to my place had almost derailed the plan but we were back on track.
“We need Jamal and Miles for this to work,” I told Yulia.
I wished there was another way to do this but I could not think of anything else. I knew that I was putting her in harm’s way and Marianna would be rolling over in her grave if she knew what I was about to do, but I was tired of waiting in the shadows.
The last time I had ignored the growing signs of the witches’ uprising it had cost me my parents; it had taken my sister and almost taken Yulia when she was just merely a toddler.
I wanted blood, I wanted revenge and I needed this cult to know that they had no right to exist. Before I went over any of the plans with Yulia, we both waited for Jamal and the beta of my pack to arrive.
Yulia went up the stairs to have a hot bath, while I ordered pizza for the two of us. I was not in the mood for a home-made meal, nor did I want any of the maids anywhere near the house. I heard the sound of the moped coming closer to my suburban styled house and I knew that the pizza guy was here.
I left the kitchen and walked to the door, opening it before the pizza guy could knock. He was a young human and he was very startled by my abrupt use of the door that he stumbled back.
“Woah, dude! It was like you knew I was about to knock,” He exclaimed.
He had three boxes of pizza stacked on his arms. I took them off his arm and pushed a small wad of cash in his hand before I slammed the door in his face. I had no desire for small talk.
Yulia came down the stairs in a tight black jean that brought out the shape of her curvy legs. She was barefooted with her toe nails painted black and she wore a black tank top that showed off her flat stomach. Her hair was wet and curly. I swallowed hard as I gazed at her.
“Who was it?” She asked as he descended the stairs.
“Pizza,” I said huskily and placed the large boxes on the table in the living room.
“I did not take you for a pizza guy,” She mused with a smile. I loved it when she smiled.
“I am full of surprises,” I said.
I heard the door open right after and I knew that it was Miles. I knew he was the only one that entered the house without knocking. I could smell the scent of Jamal too.
“A pizza party?” Miles asked in his usual unserious humorous ways. “What is the occasion?” He asked.
“I am using my niece as bait to lure out some biker gang who I believe have some connection to the Cult of the Black Rose,” I said.
Jamal and Miles went silent with disbelief as they looked from me to Yulia.
“And you agreed to this?” Jamal asked Yulia with a disapproving tone in his voice.
“Do you have a better idea, detective?” I asked Jamal in a condescending tone. I did not need his concern. If he played his part well, everything would be fine.
“I am with the detective on this one, Boss, it sounds very dangerous,” Miles replied with a worried expression.
“Guys, I hate it when you talk about my safety like I am not present,” Yulia said with a heavy drip of sarcasm. “It makes me feel loved.”
“Sorry,” Miles muttered with a chuckle
Jamal sighed and shook his head. “Okay, I will bite, what is the plan?” He asked as he took a seat. Miles went to the pizza boxes and opened one.
I gave Jamal a file of pictures filled with four men sitting on expensive motorcycles. They all wore leather jackets with a black flame embedded boldly on the back of the jackets.
“They call themselves the Son’s of Darkness, and they are involved in all sorts of vices from drugs, human trafficking to prostitution,” I began as I also gave Yulia and Miles their own files.
“Biker gangs are more than four, Issa, they are close to twenty or more,” Jamal said.
“These four are our persons of interest because they deal with something different from the rest of the gang,” I said.
“Dark magic,” Miles added.
“What else can you tell us about them?” Jamal asked.
“The first biker is called Austin Jordan, went to prison for seven counts of rape and sexual assault, he was sentenced to ten years, now he is an enforcer for the gang and mostly deals in human trafficking,” I said.
“Scum,” Jamal muttered.
“And you want Yulia near someone like this?” Miles asked in disbelief.
“I can take him if he gets groppy,” Yulia said with an assured shrug.
I knew that my sister had taught her a lot of ancient and forgotten martial arts and that was one of the reasons I was confident in involving her.
“The second guy is Connely Gaines, convicted for involuntary manslaughter, sentenced to ten years but served six and was released early for good behaviour, he is the drug dealer of the group and he is the one distributing the enhancements.”
“The third guy?” Jamal asked.
“Chadwick Stones, ex-military, no crime records but he is not a saint, he is involved in illegal arms dealing,” I said. “A true merchant of death.”
“The last guy is Mark Verne, former cop, dishonourably discharged for corruption charges, served a two years sentence for planting false evidence on a suspect, he is also a kidnapper, and I suspect that he is the one behind the bodies that turned up tortured and displayed for all to see.” I finished the introduction.
“The plan is for the three of us to pay these men a visit.”