Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (Book 3)
Savage Dawn (this book - Book 4)
VIOLENCE WARNING: The two stories in the Savage Gang saga, and especially the second story, involve a gang practicing extreme violence toward everyone — women, the elderly, the protagonist, etc. The stories contain mature sexual content and violence as well. I am placing this warning on all chapters, including those without such violence, so you can choose whether to continue.
CHAPTER 23
Olivia Lockheed hovered over the twenty-something brunette, licking her lips and brushing the ends of the cat o' nine tails over the woman’s naked body. The girl, moaning through her gag, was face-down on the bed, hogtied, with her wrists pulled up to her ankles. Red welts marked her skin in several places, thanks to Lockheed’s pent-up frustration.
As Lockheed pondered what to do next, a device vibrated on the nightstand. Lockheed ignored it at first, mistaking it for one of the pleasure devices she had brought with her, until she realized the vibration came from her mobile phone. It was after midnight, which meant one thing — the Savage Gang had struck again.
With a growl, Lockheed climbed off the woman and ambled to the nightstand, grabbing the phone and seeing a notification for an encrypted message. She unlocked the phone, opened the FBI’s messaging application, and read a message from Dave Michaels, the other agent in town.
Six more gang members now in police lockup downtown. Looks to be the work of Sapphire Angel.
Lockheed nearly crushed the phone in her hand. How was this woman always one step ahead of her? She spun to face the bed and went to work, unfastening the bonds on her plaything’s wrists and ankles.
“Get out,” she hissed. “Use the hotel's back stairs.”
The woman groaned as she stretched out on the bed, but she didn’t argue. Within three minutes, she had thrown on clothes and was rushing from Lockheed’s hotel suite. Three minutes after that, Lockheed was dressed and hurrying for the door, having grabbed a business suit from one of the five garment racks clogging the bedroom.
She met Michaels at the police station and found him speaking with a police sergeant.
“Well?” Lockheed said with a scowl, seething at how long it had taken the police to notify the FBI of the night’s events. Maximus Savage himself had probably learned of his men’s defeat before Lockheed did.
The sergeant replied by giving the FBI woman a rundown of the investigation at Chase Bentley’s mansion, from discovering the six bound men, to identifying the flex cuffs on them as the type used by Sapphire Angel, to finding no other evidence at the scene except for a thick wooden log, which Sapphire Angel appeared to have used to take out at least two of the men.
“Was the leader one of the six?” Lockheed asked, unsure which answer she wanted to hear. The local leader, who the FBI believed was the second-in-command of the entire gang, was a lethal combatant, and it would be good to get him off the streets. It also would strike a blow to the gang’s campaign of terror, as the man was almost as feared and renowned as Savage himself. But Lockheed didn’t want Sapphire Angel getting credit for his apprehension.
“No, he wasn’t with them. Sapphire Angel might have found herself on the losing end if he had been. He’s a scary dude. Some say as tough as Savage himself, although I don’t believe it.”
Lockheed nodded as she imagined the ruthless gangster pummeling the famous superheroine into submission.
“Are the prisoners talking?” Lockheed asked.
“Of course not,” the Sergeant replied with a sigh. “Would you like to try?”
Lockheed thought back to her last attempt at questioning a prisoner, which had almost ended her life.
“No,” she snapped. “It will be a waste of time. We have something we need to check back at our office, anyway. Let me know if you learn anything else beyond the worthless information you’ve given me.”
She spun on her heel and stomped toward the elevator, with Michaels scurrying after her. A minute later they were marching through the empty city streets toward the Ronald Reagan Federal Office building. The building was quiet at this early hour, and they didn’t need to wait for an elevator.
After reaching the office and collapsing into their chairs, they sat in silence for twenty minutes, tired and dispirited. With every passing minute, Lockheed’s anger grew. This investigation was not going as it should, and Sapphire Angel was making her look bad. With a muttered curse, Lockheed picked up the remote, and turned on the small television in the corner of the spartan office, flipping from one channel to the next.
The morning news shows had just started, and the coverage focused on the events of the previous night, with all the hosts lavishing praise on the city’s superheroine. Lockheed sat back and took it all in, clenching her fists. Michaels sat nearby, watching the television in silence.
“Who the hell does she think she is?” Lockheed asked, looking away from the television and casting a sideways glance at Michaels.
“What do you mean?” he replied, raising an eyebrow.
Lockheed swiveled in her chair to stare at him.
“You’re not that stupid, are you?” she snapped, her voice dripping with contempt. “I’m talking about Sapphire Angel, or whatever her real name is when she’s not dressed up in that costume. She doesn’t have a badge, and she’s out there interfering with my case. She’s way out of line, don’t you think?”
Michaels opened his mouth, paused, and shrugged his shoulders. Lockheed cleared her throat in disgust.
“Someone needs to show her who is in charge,” Lockheed snarled. “Maybe it will be me.”
Michaels stared at her and said nothing.
“Check the secure messages again,” she ordered. “Maybe the gun results came in during the morning cycle.”
Michaels turned to peck away on his laptop before looking up at the screen. He made a few mouse clicks, and the printer near Lockheed whirred to life.
“We’ve got it!” he said, his voice rising with excitement as he jumped from the chair. Lockheed bent over and snatched the papers before he could reach them. He frowned and sat back down to stare at the laptop screen instead.
As she studied the printout, a grin spread across Lockheed's face.
“They’ve traced several of these back to the same gun shop!” she exclaimed, her entire body quivering. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
Michaels nodded. “It’s just down the interstate in York, which is one county to the south,” he noted as he scanned the laptop screen. “Do you want to pay the shop a visit?”
Lockheed sat back, tapping her lips in thought. She shook her head.
“Not yet,” she said.
“Why not?” Michaels asked, a quizzical expression on his face.
She frowned at him, the same way a teacher might look at a student after a disappointing answer in class.
“Think about it,” she began. “We have a bunch of weapons, traced to the same shop. That means one of two things. Either they came from a good customer who bought them from the shop and delivered them to the gang, or the shop is directly involved. If it’s the former, the people at the shop will be hesitant to help, because they won’t want to sour a relationship with a good customer. Or if the shop is involved, it means zero chance they’ll talk.”
“So you want to do nothing?” Michaels asked, contorting his face in confusion.
Lockheed sighed in exasperation. “No, I don’t want to do nothing. I want to get my ducks lined up, and decide if we have enough to get a warrant, or see if they'll cooperate.” She thought back to the admonition from her boss, Howard Vincent, telling her she needed to reign in her personality if she wanted to get help from others. She didn’t agree, as strength and forcefulness were the best traits to get obedience from those in subordinate roles. But she might take his advice, just this one time, to get the leverage she needed over the shop owners.
“What do you want me to do?” Michaels asked.
“Find out everything you can about that shop and who owns it. I want leverage over the owner or owners. And see what the Harrisburg cops know. Probably also the police down there."
"Will do."
"No, no, wait," Lockheed said, holding up a hand. "Just have the Harrisburg and York cops show up at a meeting, and I can ask them then in person. Probably the York County District Attorney, too. Don't tell them why I want them there.”
“Won’t it be better if they know why they’re coming to a meeting?”
“You’re missing the point, Michaels,” Lockheed said, condescension in her voice. “I want them to know we’re in charge. I want them to know they need to come running when I ask.”
“If you say so,” Michaels said with a sigh.
“Don’t tell them why you’re asking, but don’t let them beat around the bush. I want to get my ducks lined up, but I want to do it quickly. Shoot for a meeting in a couple of hours.”
“A couple of hours?” Michaels asked, his voice rising a couple of octaves. “Isn’t that a bit short notice for them?”
“Not with this gang about to tear their cities apart,” Lockheed said. “If they complain, remind them that their mayors are thankful the FBI is here, and could make their lives unpleasant, as could we.”
Michaels frowned and stared at Lockheed.
“What are you waiting for?” she hissed. “Make the calls.”
Michaels’ face flushed red, and he spun back toward the table, keying in a search for the police and district attorney in both cities. Lockheed opened a web browser and performed a search for T.L. Grim Gun Shop, the name on the report. As she clicked over to the third result, her jaw dropped.
The article was from the Radiance Online website, and was the second story in a multi-part expose on the gun industry and the gun lobby in Pennsylvania. The author had interviewed T.L. Grim, the owner of the gun shop, who had been extremely forthcoming with her. Lockheed knew the reason for his loose lips. The writer was Beth Harper, who exuded an innocent charm many men found to be irresistible.
Lockheed had first-hand experience with Harper, from Lockheed’s prior job with the Pennsylvania Office of Corporate Oversight, or OCO. The OCO had investigated the sale of a nuclear power plant, and Harper had weaseled her way into the middle of the investigation, helping to uncover an elaborate plot to assassinate the president of the United States. The OCO’s failure to stop the sale could have proved fatal to Lockheed’s career, but she and her father had manipulated the details of her role in the investigation, parlaying it into her current FBI job.
Lockheed’s ex-boyfriend, who had worked for Lockheed at the OCO, had taken a liking to Harper. This, and Harper’s refusal to bow to Lockheed’s authority, had caused the two women to butt heads from the beginning. In the months since, though, Lockheed’s opinion of Harper had changed. The little blond girl was annoying, yes, and someone needed to put her in her place. But the FBI woman understood why Conner had fallen for her and ended up dating her. Harper was a pretty little thing and had the type of confidence Lockheed found intoxicating.
“I found somebody who might have some inroads with the owner of the gun shop,” Lockheed said, turning to Michaels. “I’ll make sure she comes to this meeting with the police, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
Forward to Chapter 24 (link works after Chapter 24 goes live)
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (Book 3)
Savage Dawn (this book - Book 4)
So Lockheed wants to meet with Beth Harper, that could be akward. I will be curious if the police convey the same distain for Sapphire Angel that Lockheed has, and that materializes into something? It would be bad PR for the police to have anything to do with Sapphire Angel being harmed, but with Savage pushing buttons, who knows what they will do. I also wonder if Olivia will want Beth to take the place of her most recent captive so she can get out her frustrations. Would be difficult to over come if she found out Beth's secret!
I am interested in Savage's next move, and Rocco's, as he really needs a win. Sapphire Angel has proven to be tough, and getting smarter about her battles. However I feel like things are really starting to work against her. It will be interesting to see what happens the next time she is in action.
Oh well, here is to wishing away another weekend!
Olivia Lockheed at it again with her weird obsessions......she abducts these victims randomly and subjects them to her “treatments”, right? I can’t imagine they willingly agreed to go through with these. I can tell you that I wouldn’t want to be in that unnamed person’s position, that’s for sure......in fact, if that were me, I’d be begging for death to come and claim me quicker rather than suffer more pain at the hands of someone with a lot of pent-up frustration. Not only do those kinds of injuries take a while to heal, but they hurt. They hurt like a TRUCK.
I feel so bad for Michaels, man......having to work alongside someone as rough and unaccommodating as Olivia Lockheed must be utterly draining on his psyche. That moment when he printed out the results, only for Lockheed to quickly snatch them away from him, was a little chuckle-worthy, though, but I know how he feels. To have that sliver of happiness and excitement, only for someone or something to swoop in and abruptly take it from you. Happens a lot when you’re me, actually.
I don’t know why I thought this, but going into this novel, I initially thought Sapphire was going to be the one to get the lead that pointed to the gun shop. Though it ended up actually being Olivia, this meeting is going to be awkward with a capital “A” whenever that police meeting comes up. Olivia knows both Beth Harper (from the prior OCO case) AND Sapphire Angel (from all the news reports and her progress on the Savage Gang), but she doesn’t know that they’re one and the same, right? Or at least.....not yet? Her name isn’t “Conner”, “Ethan”, or “Stanley”.....or “Raven”, for that matter.....so I’m hoping Lockheed never makes the connection......? Oh, Raven Tristaaaaaaaaan! Your drugs and brutal interrogation methods could be REALLY useful right about now!
When this meeting happens, I’m gonna give those two women ten seconds before they’re at each other’s throats, either figuratively or literally. I can’t imagine Beth or Olivia like each other very much after the StarPrime campaign......but I don’t know......maybe they can try to come to an agreement? They are both against the Savage Gang, after all. Beth reports on the crimes and interviews people, Olivia handles the FBI and the logistics---with Detective Michaels assisting her---AND Sapphire attacks and takes down targets at key locations across Harrisburg, while receiving occasional support from Mick Mullens. And who knows, maybe we might throw Stanley and Connor into the mix as well. All together, they’d be a force unparalleled to the Savage Gang. Too bad they’re currently at odds.
Worst comes to worst, they get into a brutal physical fight in the middle of the conference room and both of them have to be dragged away by security.
Let’s get going!