Page 65 of Hell Yes

“Unlikely at this point, they’re keeping low,” Gage replied. “I say we send him back. He and Sage can tag team on the stalker. Sage can drive Sam back into town, and be his temporary waitress. Holy Sacrifice knows that Val works at the diner, so chances are, they’ll be hanging around there at some point. Sage makes contact or lets whoever it is overhear a conversation with Sam about Val’s whereabouts and what’s happening Thursday. We go from there.”

“I want to survey this op,” Dante demanded. “Just in case something goes to shit in town. I’m not leaving Sage alone.”

Gage nodded. “Do what you need to. Let’s get a mic on Sage to record what’s going on.”

The meeting was called to a close.

While Avery and Sage pulled Val aside to talk, Xander headed for his office to grab the mic, and Jesse followed.

“You think this is going to work?”

“We don’t have any other choice. And Sage can hold her own.”

“I know that,” Xander replied. “I just don’t like the idea of getting close to someone who’s unhinged.”

“We’re not going to let Sage or any of our crew, out of our sight. We got this,” Jesse reassured him, squeezing his shoulder tight.

Xander nodded and rummaged through his desk for a flat disk mic, a camera bug, and an ear comm. Once he and Jesse tested the device, they re-joined the others and got Sage fitted up.

Jesse left the clubhouse to get Sam from the bunker and they met up in the parking lot.

“Remember, let Sage lead the conversation,” Jesse warned Sam. “And if you see or hear anything strange, you type the code we agreed upon, you hear?”

Sam nodded. Jesse was still nervous about sending Sam back to his diner, but Gage had given the order, so it was done. Sage pulled Sam aside and a few minutes later, the man seemed calmer.

A half hour later, Sage and Sam took off in one of the club’s SUVs, with Dante trailing behind. Val headed off with Avery and Rochelle, while Jesse wandered back to Xander’s office. Xander opened his laptop and launched the listening software. They could hear Sage’s conversation loud and clear. He could also see everything around her thanks to the body cam.

“It’s all good,” Xander whispered.

Sage arrived in town ten minutes later and parked in front of the diner. Her and Sam got out of the car and walked into the diner. The place had been closed for days, and Xander could hear Sam talking about all the missed voicemails from his cook. Once he called and reassured her that he was okay, he and Sage got to work on opening up the diner.

An hour later, some of the locals started to trickle in, sitting down to order their usual meals. No one questioned why Sam had closed the place for days, why Sage was working here, or where Val was. In this town everyone minded their own business.

Xander always disliked this type of operation. Where he had to sit around and listen to conversation. No action. And he was worried that Val’s stalker might elude them.

Until an hour later, when an unfamiliar figure walked into the diner. But he was too far away to get a clear look at.

Sage turned to face the kitchen and whispered. “I think it's him. Never seen this guy before. Six two, in his sixties, with dark grey hair that’s receding, blue eyes, tan button-down shirt and khakis, black jacket, no visible tattoos or other markings.”

She then turned to face the customers again and headed over to greet ‘the customer’ with a big voice. Xander finally got a clear shot of their suspect.

“Holy shit, that’s him!” Xander blurted out. “That’s Simeon Darling. He’s here to claim Val for himself.”

Jesse

“Are you sure?”

Xander googled the leader’s name and up popped his picture. Sure enough, the guy in the diner was the same man. Fucking hell. Simeon was here to take Val back to Mosley, but that wasn’t happening. Not ever.

Xander frantically typed, letting everyone in the crew know what was going on and what the guy looked like.

“Why don’t we just have Sonny head into town now and he can pop this guy off when he leaves the diner?” Jesse asked.

“You know our rule. Not in town,” Xander replied. “The folks around here agree to look the other way as long as we don’t kick up any fuss in the town proper. Unless it’s absolutely necessary. An emergency.”

“This asshole is after our Val. I’d call that an emergency!” Jesse snapped. “And we did what we had to that day in the diner.”

“That was different. That was necessary. And no one got shot up,” Xander reasoned. “Now button it, I’m trying to hear the conversation.”