After Avery headed to the bathroom and got dressed, they left the room.
Wearing a warm smile, Ryker met them in the hallway and escorted them toward the main area.
King and a few men happened to be standing there at the end of the hallway.
They looked imposing, so Avery stepped behind Ryker to hide.
Ryker gently drew her around to stand in front of him.“King, this is Avery Gentry.”
“Gentry?”he barked.“I thought Andy said her name was March.”
Andy shook her head.“That’s the name I knew her by as she’s been hiding for years under that name.”
Ryker stepped forward and then he told them about Trever, “She’s my best friend’s little sister.We were walking back from the Pizza Hut when we were caught in a shooting between two gang bangers.Trever caught a bullet and died right there on the street.I didn’t know that Avery was close enough to see it.She ran home.When the president of the street gang went to prison her family had to leave town.The gang threatened their lives.But five years later they found them again.”
Avery nodded at him.“They broke into my house and shot my parents in their own bed.They shot up my room in the dark, but I was hidden at the back of my closet.I had to run away.From that time on I was Avery March.The name was the only thing that protected me on the streets.”
King nodded his head at her.“Yeah, I get that.And I’m so sorry you had to go through that but you’re safe here now.”
Avery stared at him as if to see if he meant this and it seemed that he did.
Then King looked at her again and said, “Andy tells us if anyone other than Lester and Sarah knows anything about their business it would be you.”He paused, then asked, “Is that true?”
Avery just stared at him for a moment then she slowly nodded her head.“Yeah, that’s true.I kept the books and did her banking.Among other work.I worked for them for 14 hours a day, six days a week.Sarah said Sunday was sacred but she made me come and see her to discuss all the accounts on that day too.”
King nodded.“I believe you, she is not a nice woman.We have had run-ins with her a few times.We’re looking to bring her and Lester down and down hard.But we want to do it in a way so they can’t rebuild.Those two need a reality-check something fierce and we want to topple them off their petty thrones.”
Avery smiled and the determined look in her eyes told them she would help them, “Good then I can help you with that but only if you’re going to follow through and really end them.They deserve at least that much.The whole damn family is bad news.”
King nodded.“They are and some of them are already in our cells.”
“Good, that’s where they all belong,” Avery agreed.“ They are all small parts of this huge and cruel monstrosity called the Asher family.”
“ We found that out for sure.Can I ask why you didn't leave there?”King stared at her.
“Somehow, she found out that the Morales Gang was after me.She said she would make sure they knew my face as she had a current polaroid of me to give them if I left.I was safer when they had no idea what I looked like now as an adult.I accepted her offer of work in good faith.Honestly, she fooled me, or planned to.I was just eighteen when she found me.Said I could have a job as her housekeeper.I figured it was better than working at the shelter for a bed and spending half the time on the streets without a place to sleep.The streets got dangerous too, well once I...um, filled out.”Her cheeks flushed.“So, I had been in that household for four years now.I swore that if I got the chance I would leave.Then I would find someone honorable.Like a good cop not on the take and hand them the bombshell I have collected over the years.Because we have to be very careful about who we tell about this,” she warned.“If we tell the wrong person we will lose the element of surprise and they will hide behind the law men they have on retainer.And believe me, they are paying off a few lawmen, attorneys and judges.”
King ran his hand over the back of his head and grumbled, “Of course they are.How the fuck do we find out who they are paying?”
Avery smiled sadly.“I can give you their names if you’d like?”
King stared at her in surprise.“You can.How?”
“I have done their payments.It was done by using false names of course, but since I have a good memory I know all their real names and I never forgot those.In fact, I never forget anything I read.”
“Damn.”King growled softly.Then he nodded.“Yes, Andy mentioned that you have an eidetic memory.Damn, I forgot about that.”He grinned at his pun.“So will you help us?”
Avery nodded.“Heck yeah, I’ll help and I might have a name of a person you can ask for help too.Sarah and Lester don’t have anyone in the Marshals under their payroll.I researched everything and it seems they cannot be bought at least in this state.So I know of a Marshal who is known to be honorable and honest.I don’t know his real name but I’ve heard rumors about him, his name is Grizzly and he’s close to here.He’s with the Savaged Souls MC.”She shrugged and smiled at him.“As if I could forget that name?”
King paused and nodded.“Commando and I met the president of that MC when we went to a children’s charity drive in Houston.He gave me his cell number in fact as he had a specially made bike I was interested in.The man seemed to be upstanding and his VP as well.They work with the law as bounty hunters don’t they?”
Shilo nodded as he interjected, “They are on the up and up and have several connections to other MC’s.”
“Ok then, if this all pans out, we’ll parley with them.”King motioned to the table behind them.“Let's have a sitdown, girl.Then we'll figure out what we’re dealing with before we call in the cavalry.”
Avery reached up and undid her necklace that resembled the usual designs she makes.She pulled it apart and at one end was a small flash drive.“All you will need is this.Its record of their entire enterprise.All their dark secrets and greedy endeavors are on this drive.”She smiled at King.
