Atone (The Disciples 2)

“So, it took me a little longer than expected, but I got all the deleted messages from Roach’s texts, and I got his voice messages.” He looks around the room. “Can we turn on some light?”

Axel snorts but doesn’t move, Blade keeps drinking from the bottle, and Edge is in a heated conversation with Dolly. I guess, since that’s the one time I see any real emotion on his face.

“Jesus.” I stand up and flip on the light switch causing everyone but Frosty and me to yell.

“Sorry, but I have expensive equipment.” He looks at everyone.

I’m amazed at how calm I am. I’ve waited so long for any little break. And finding the kid through Reed’s FBI files means something.

“Why do you think Roach didn’t destroy his phone?” I ask the room. Frosty found something. I can feel it. The scars on my arms where I used to shoot up tingle.

Frosty is busy hooking up wires to the control center but says over his shoulder, “So, this definitely was his personal phone.” He holds up the old black flip phone as he plugs it into his computer.

“It’s got all his girlfriends, drug contacts. I mean, this guy had his hand in a lot of stuff. He was smart about using code words, and he deleted everything. But yeah, he had this phone for a while. I’ve got all kinds of stuff for you to look over.” He turns and reaches for his backpack, which is stuffed full. “These are all his deleted texts for years.”

Axel finally rouses himself. “I’m with Poet. Why would he keep a phone for so long? I get rid of mine every two weeks.”

I look over at him. “Every two weeks?”

“Fuck yeah, man. I hate modern technology.” He reaches into his pants pocket and brings out the purple glass pipe he uses to smoke that crazy weed he grows himself.

“And since you don’t even have a phone, let’s not pass judgment,” he grumbles.

He’s right. Other than the occasional burner, I don’t always have a phone for numerous reasons. There are times when I don’t want anyone to be able to get a hold of me that way. If you need me, you can eventually find me.

“Are you going to be able to handle all this?” Axel brings me back to the now and I want to punch his pretty boy face. Fuck, with as many fights as he’s been in, you’d think he’d look much more fucked up.

“Um… well, this was thirteen years ago. We didn’t exactly have such easy access to burner phones back then. Also, I think he figured if he was careful and deleted everything, he was fine.”

Blade slams the bottle on the table.

“Easy man, that’s new,” Edge says as he rubs his hand under Blade’s bottle, checking for marks on the table.

“It looks like he planned to kill himself. I recovered deleted texts of him and some girlfriend wanting to end it together. Go out in a blaze of glory, he called it. He was addicted to your drug, Blade.”

Frosty nods at all of us. “The last text he got was from the girlfriend saying she decided against it because her three-year-old son got sick with the flu.”

“Jesus.” Blade stands.

“Crazy shit, right?” He hands Axel a big folder, then hands one to me, and I hand one to Blade who is rubbing the back of his neck. He motions for me to leave it.

“What the fuck is wrong with people?” Axel looks at me. “I mean why have kids if you want to kill yourself?”

“Why are you looking at me? I’ll never have kids again,” I snarl as Tabatha’s sweet face appears and disappears when I blink.

“What you got for us, man?” Blade sits again, flipping the folder open. He looks tired. I know putting his drug back on the street is a huge risk since the FBI has been stopping by letting us know they’re watching. Along with the supply-and-demand situation, he sleeps about four hours a night. He also has a family and a baby on the way.

“I want to play his deleted messages. Two are interesting. I’m still working on trying to get them cleaner.”

Three hours later, four pizzas and two bottles of Jack are spread out on Edge’s new table.

“Fucking, Satan’s Seeds. I always thought it was them. But since we weren’t that close in territory, I didn’t think they would try to take over LA.”

Blade leans back in his chair. “I want us to get their big warehouse. I want it blown up, gone. With that big of a hit, the money will make them weak. Half the guys will bail and Victor is such a stupid fuck—I’ll put a bullet in his head while he sleeps.”

Blade says all this as he stands. “I want Church tomorrow. There’s a rat in our family. Satan’s Seeds were stupid enough to follow whoever betrayed us. He’s the one who gave them the time, location, and who was going to be at the lab that day.”