Where Souls Spoil (107 page)
Authors: JC Emery
Table of Contents
History of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club
Forsaken Charter Spotlight: Fort Bragg, California
Club Recruiting & Voting-In Procedures
Dear Reader,
Your enthusiasm and support over the Bayonet Scars series has been wonderful. No matter the twists and turns that are thrown my way along this journey, you’re always there. I strive to always remember that without your trust and excitement over my work, I couldn’t do what I do.
The Bayonet Scars universe is complex and it can be difficult to keep track of everybody and their individual and shared histories. This guide is intended to be a fun supplement to the books with never-before-seen content and facts about the characters and the club. There are no spoilers if you have read the first three volumes, but rather quirky facts that you may not know about our Forsaken men and the women who love them.
Happy reading.
Thank you,
JC
History of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club
THE Forsaken Motorcycle Club was founded in late 1946 after the end of World War II when U.S. soldiers returned home and found themselves unable to deal with the normality of their world. A group of six soldiers retreated to the wilds of Nevada where they eventually formed the club, through a shared love of riding, a few months later. By 1950, Forsaken had four charters and thirty-two members across three states: Nevada, California, and Arizona.
The “mother charter” as it’s called is now the home of most of the “retired” club members who are too old to do much of anything but bitch, including Rage—Ryan’s grandfather and Jim’s father. Forsaken now operates in the following states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
Rage, Ryan’s grandfather, was the second president of the Fort Bragg charter until his “retirement” to Nevada. He was also the 31st member of the club, having patched-in in 1949.
Forsaken is the largest grower, distributor, and transporter of marijuana on the West coast with distribution to four states, with the Fort Bragg charter being in charge of the primary growth and overseeing the transportation of the goods. Forsaken is a true “1%” outlaw club, though they do not wear the “1%” patch on their cuts as they believe that everybody should know who they are.
Forsaken Charter Spotlight: Fort Bragg, California
FORT BRAGG, California is a small town of approximately 7,273 people. In the Bayonet Scars universe, the town is slightly larger with 7,723 residents. The increase in population from reality to the fictional town could be attributed to the club’s presence in the fictional world. Or it could be that the author read the number backwards (as she is prone to do).
The town rests along the Northern California coastline, in the heart of Mendocino County. Mendocino has the least people per capita in the state and borders Humboldt County on its south side. Its green environment makes it prime real estate for Forsaken’s most profitable business enterprise.
Fort Bragg is ideal for the club because of the narrow, windy roads in and out of town. It offers a sense of security and seclusion they would not have elsewhere. The gorgeous ocean views don’t hurt, either.
Each of the locations present in the Bayonet Scars universe are inspired by or directly borrowed from real-life establishments. As a courtesy, the names have been changed. But if you ever visit Fort Bragg, you’ll be sure to run into a familiar place or two.
Club Recruiting & Voting-In Procedures
FOR PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS
Become a hang-around:
Hang around the club, pay attention, and get to know the members. Be seen, not heard, and honor the code of silence
Get yourself invited to club events:
Don’t invite yourself to private events, don’t bring a friend when invited to an event, and don’t talk about events with outsiders
Get invited to prospect:
A minimum of eighteen months of service is required before the club can consider patching a prospect. Your freedom ends now. Always be available to any member at any time all the time
Get patched in: Don’t fuck it up.
For Prospective Old Ladies
Formal request during Church:
Member requests review period. You can’t simply marry in, you must earn your title.
During review:
Learn your role, support the club, don’t talk.
Voted-in:
Respect the club, your Old Man, and other family members. Do as you’re told, and trust that the club has your back. Not severed by dissolution of relationship with club member.
Patched Members
Jim- President "Pop"
James Stone, b. 1966 in Fort Bragg, California to George “Rage” and Silvia Stone. Married to Ruby Stone (nee Buckley)
Fun Fact:
Jim spent months begging Ruby to let him take her home, earning him the now-defunct nickname “Whino.”
Wyatt- Vice President “Wy”
Wyatt Strand, b. 1980 in Detroit, Michigan. Abandoned at birth, raised by adoptive mother Clara Strand. Currently unmarried and unattached.
Fun Fact:
Wyatt was originally patched in with the Detroit charter, but made the move to California after a nasty break-up.
Grady- Sergeant-at-Arms “Bloody Knuckles”
Sterling Walter Grady, b. 1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Lisa Grady. Father deceased in infancy. Ex-wife Layla Grady resides in Redding, CA. Old Lady: Holly Mercer.
Fun Fact:
Grady knows all of the words to every song in Tangled (his daughter’s favorite movie). His name was inspired by two of the author’s favorite TV anti-heroes—Sterling Archer of the animated show, Archer; and Walter White from the show Breaking Bad.
Ryan- Road Captain “Trigger”
Ryan Stone, b. 1988 in Fort Bragg, California to an unnamed and long-forgotten hooker and Jim Stone. Girlfriend: Alexandra Mancuso. Sports “Angel of Death” patch because he’s such a good shot.
Fun Fact:
Ryan’s favorite cartoon is Wyle E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. He once shot a TV because he wanted to catch the roadrunner just once.
Ian- Treasurer “Sin”
Ian Buckley, b. 1989 in Tampa Bay, Florida to a biker named Road and Ruby Stone (nee Buckley). Currently unattached.
Fun Fact:
Rage may be old and mean, and Jim and Ryan may both be a pain in the ass, but the only actual person any of the members fear is Ian.
Duke- Secretary “Duke”
Joshua Wilcox, b. 1988 in Oakland, California to an unnamed member of the Mississippi Forsaken and Hazel Wilcox. Old Lady: Nicole Whelan.
Fun Fact:
Duke doesn’t know who his dad is, but Ruby and Jim do. He’s a member of the Mississippi Forsaken. If either thought the man would be any good for Duke, they’d tell him. In high school, he ended up with the nickname “Josh Will Suck Cocks” courtesy of Nic.
Darius “Diesel” Mitchell
Fun Fact:
Diesel once won a gaming competition when he was in high school.
Kyle “Bear” Bukowski
Fun Fact:
Bear earned his nickname because of his excessive body hair. Originally a native of Portland, Oregon, he is a big fan of flannel.
Solomon “Fish” Banks
Fun Fact:
One of the newer members of the Fort Bragg Forsaken, Fish is still learning the ropes and sometimes crosses the line both personally and professionally, but at the end of the day he is an integral part of the club. He’s also a sleazy asshole.
Charles “Chief” Phillips
Fun Fact:
Chief was born and raised on an Oklahoma reservation as a high-standing member of a large Cheyenne Indian tribe. He left the tribe in favor of Forsaken when he butted heads with one of the Elders. Chief recruited Grady, who was eighteen at the time, after the idiot kid robbed a gas station for a measly one hundred bucks, but Chief saw something in him.
Incarcerated Members
Edward “The Butcher/Butch” Whelan
Place of Residence: San Quentin Maximum Security State Prison
Sentence: Undetermined. Numerous infractions incurred inside.
Fun Fact: Butch hooked up with Robin Sills back in the ’90s and immediately fell in love with her little girl, Nic. Butch formally adopted Nic in 1995, shortly after his son, Jeremy was born. Butch is disturbingly ecstatic to be the grandfather of infant, Robin (via Nic and Duke).
Todd “Torque” Kramer
Place of Residence: Mendocino County Jail
Sentence: One year.
Fun Fact: Torque earned his name through his awful temper. He also serves as the primary tattoo artist when he’s not locked up.
Prospective Members
Jeremy “Baby Boy” Whelan
Jeremy was born in Fort Bragg, California in December 1995. His mother, Robin Sills, left he and his elder half-sister with his dad, Butch in early 1997.
Fun Fact: Jeremy visited the clubhouse about once a week prior to prospecting—and Nic had no idea.
Misc. Prospective Members
Aaron- “Tall”
Rob- “Squat”
Dunce
Rink
Series Information & Volume Titles
Title Meanings & Character Line-Up
The titles in the Bayonet Scars series are intended to represent an emotion or general theme of the novel. Some titles are more literal and others are more symbolic of the characters’ journey. Take a look at the titles and see what you think.
Bayonet Scars
A bayonet knife is a knife used by the U.S. Army from the Civil War through World War I. It also holds special significance for one of the members.
Ride-
Ryan “Trigger” Stone and Alex “Princess/Cub” Mancuso
The road trip from New York to California plays a significant part in Alex’s journey.
Thrash-
Josh “Duke” Wilcox and Nicole “Robin” Whelan
A violent crashing—Nic and Duke’s relationship is turbulent to say the least.
Rev-
Sterling “Knuck” Grady and Holly “Sweets” Mercer
The revving of an engine. Rev propels the story forward at a fast pace.
Crush-
Jeremy “Baby Boy” Whelan and Cheyenne “Miss Priss” Grady
The symbolic emotional crushing of first love. This is the end of the beginning.
Vow-
Ryan “Trigger” Stone and Alex “Princess/Cub” Mancuso
A promise of love and loyalty.
Burn-
Ian “Sin” Bucley and Mindy “Bean” Mercer
Almost nothing is fireproof. This novel burns everything to the ground so that it can be re-built. This is the beginning of the end.
Crave-
Darius “Diesel” Mitchell and Elle “Legs” Phillips
Desiring, craving, needing something.
Haunt-
Wyatt “Wy” Strand and Amber “Mugs” Wallace
Feeling the loss or trauma or something significant in life. The memories “haunt” the club.
Cease-
Jim “Pop” Stone and Ruby “Mama Bear” Stone
The end of an era, no longer existing.
Tragedy cuts deep. Revenge burns deeper.
The blood of enemies coats the leather of their vests and a trail of bodies lie in their wake, but the Forsaken Motorcycle Club isn't done yet. Carlo Mancuso still needs to pay for his sins. Nobody knows that more than Ian Buckley, the Treasurer for Forsaken.
Ian prefers his pleasure mixed with pain and he's only ever at peace when he's doling out justice. Convinced that he's too unstable and sadistic to take an Old Lady, he keeps his trysts, like all of his relationships, brief and anonymous. But with his club at war, and the stakes being so personal, Ian's feeling the events around him more deeply than he expects.
Mindy Mercer is the sweet daughter of Fort Bragg’s most respectable cop. At least that’s how the town sees her. Very few people know the Mindy who hides her tracks and battles her cravings by lying to everyone around her. She thinks she has control of her addiction until she suffers an attack that leaves her searching for a way out of her own personal hell.
Mindy has never been more desperately in need of a savior and Ian has never seen a more beautifully destroyed creature in his life. Their attraction is intense, but their damage is extreme. Some scars never heal, and some people never get better.
Love is never more painful than when it can kill you.