Brick, p.5
Brick, page 5
Walrus grunted and peeled another long strip. “This have anything to do with that pretty waitress at the diner?”
“I’d be lyin’ again if I said it didn’t. I’ve been watchin’ and waitin’ for her a long time. She belongs to me, but I can’t call myself her man until I make it truly safe for her to be my woman. I ’spect you would understand that feeling more than most.”
Walrus cut the wood curl from the piece and let it drop. “You’d be right. Whatever goes down, I got your back. You decide when to make your play and I’m there.”
The jangling ring of the old telephone reached Brick’s ears from inside the cabin. Walrus grumbled as he hefted himself up to go take the call. He barked a rough, irritated “Yeah” into the oblong handpiece. “Are you shittin’ me? When? Now? Fuck.”
Walrus slammed the phone handset down. “We gotta go. Jesse done called a meeting, and it sounds bad. Somethin’s going down, and it ain’t pretty.”
Brick nodded. He had been expecting something to break soon. The tension was too high in the club to do anything else.
Seven
Same day…
Brick felt a sense of déjà vu as he watched the two combatants circle each other, arguing and cussing. It was only a matter of time before one of them lunged and the real fight would be on. He glanced over at the other side of the room where Raul Ochoa stood in his suit and tie with three heavily armed bodyguards. Brick didn’t know him, but he had heard the name from Jesse. He was the money guy for the cartel the club had been running for all these years. He was here to collect, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t happy. Brick was a little surprised the man hadn’t ordered his goons to open fire and kill everyone. Instead, he was content to let Jesse handle this confrontation
“Where’s the money, asshole?” Jesse spat, keeping his eyes trained on Blackjack.
“I know where it ain’t.”
“I know either you or one of your boys took it.”
“You ain’t got no proof it was me or either of my boys.”
Brick could taste the tension in the room. Blackjack, Spade, Moth, and two younger prospects faced off with Jesse, Bear, Taz, Walrus, and him. Bugs and Scottie stood neutral, torn between the two fighting sides. Raul watched with a bored expression on his face.
Bear spoke up. “I saw your boy, Blackjack. He was loadin’ something in his saddlebags. I asked him what it was, and he told me to fuck off. Brother or no brother, that little shit ain’t gonna talk to me that way. ’Specially ’bout club business.”
“Ain’t none of your business what my boy does.”
“If it’s club business, I got a right to know. So does every other brother here since it affects us all. Your boy’s fucked up too many times. We got the cartel people sittin’ right here, breathin’ down our necks for the money that’s supposed to be in that safe. We’re lucky they ain’t killed us all. Yet.”
Brick agreed but kept his mouth shut and his eyes open.
Blackjack sneered at the man. “What are you, Bear? A fuckin’ coward? We survived in Korea. You think that fucker over there can compete with that? Find your balls.”
“We were lucky, motherfucker. Plenty of people done left pieces of themselves over there, and I’d just as soon not have that shit follow me home,” Bear raged. “I’ve got another grandson or granddaughter on the way, and I wanna be alive to see ’em grow up. Where’s the goddamn money?”
“I got one on the way too. Spade knocked up some girl in Dillsboro. Don’t mean I’m gonna roll over and play jolly ol’ fuckin’ grandpa. This is the life. We make our own rules and fuck all the rest. That includes the fuckin’ cartel.”
“You should think before you speak, sir.” Raul’s soft accent drew everyone’s attention. “Someone will pay today, with money or with blood. Maybe both.”
Walrus spoke up. “Ratchet is sitting in jail and won’t be gettin’ out anytime soon. Isaac died from a bullet to the head. I’ve lost both my woman and my boy to this life. Now I’m sittin’ here watchin’ brother fight brother with the goddamn drug man watchin’. This ain’t what the life is supposed to be. This ain’t my club.”
The clubhouse door flew open. Deuce swaggered in followed by Bagman, the newest prospect.
“What the fuck is going on?”
Jesse turned on him. “What the fuck is right. Where did you hide the money, you little shit?”
Deuce grinned and crossed his arms. “What money, Uncle Jesse?” He spotted Raul and laughed. “Who the fuck is this clown?”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about! Where is it?”
“You must be gettin’ senile, Uncle Jesse. No one saw me take anything.”
“Bear saw you load up your saddlebags with something, and now the safe is empty. Where did you hide the money?”
Deuce cocked his head to the side; his glassy eyes moved from Raul and focused on the raging man. “Well now, did Bear actually see me put money into my saddlebags? Maybe I was loading something else.”
“You look like you’ve been loading all damn day. How much blow did you skim from your last run?”
“Enough for me to deal with this bullshit. Maybe you should look for your money closer to home there, Jesse. Might be right under your nose or better yet, right under… the… closest… Brick.”
Deuce leaned over and jutted his chin to where Brick stood, arms rigid at his side.
“That’s a fuckin’ lie and you know it, Deuce.”
Deuce threw up his hands and danced in a circle. “Yuppers, that’s me. The fuckin’ bullshit liar. Tell me something, Brick? Would I be lying if I said I was bangin’ your girlfriend an hour ago? I had her singing sweet baby Jesus as I was stickin’ my cock in that sweet pussy of hers.”
A lightning bolt of white-hot rage struck Brick with the intensity of a thousand volts. He took three steps toward the man who was once his best friend, intending to beat the smug look off his face. He stopped short when Deuce pulled out his gun and pointed it straight at Brick. “Slow down there, Brickie-boy.”
The cascading percussion sound of guns being pulled and cocked filled the room. Deuce was either too high or too focused on Brick to notice the barrels pointing in his direction. “In case you hadn’t figured it out yet, this ain’t just a church meetin’ about missing money. It’s a fucking takeover. Seems like the current president and his stupid son don’t have big enough balls to run this club.”
“Deuce, we aren’t ready for this yet.” Blackjack’s tone was rough, but there was an underlying fear to it. “This ain’t how we planned it.”
“I know, but plans change sometimes. I think it’s time we say goodbye to the old and hello to the new. Whaddaya say, Jesse? Brick? Time for you to go. Leavin’ town and not comin’ back is a great idea. The Dragon Runners don’t need your kind of leadership. You decide you wanna stick around? Well then, my daddy's old sniper rifle has a few more shots in it.”
The air froze. Jesse's angry voice dropped to a deadly volume. "Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin? Did you shoot Isaac?"
Deuce grinned. “Might be I did, though you can’t prove nothin’.”
Brick’s gut burned with a thousand stabbing knives. The concept of a Dragon Runner killing another Dragon Runner was unthinkable, and he couldn’t get his head around it. He looked into his father’s bloodless face and saw the same disbelief, followed by sheer white-hot rage. Jesse lunged at the younger man, and Brick instinctively dove to catch him. A shot rang out, and Deuce jerked back with a look of surprise. He grabbed at his shoulder, and a growing red spot appeared on his white shirt.
All hell broke loose. Blackjack pulled a gun and fired randomly. Brick felt Jesse’s body shudder with the impact of bullets as he tackled him to the ground. Shouts and curses of pain blasted out, along with bullets hitting the walls. Brick felt a burn across his back and shoulder as he covered his father. The cracking sound of guns cocking and hammers falling filled the room, and Brick clenched his body tight, expecting the next shot to find its way to him. As he waited for death, his thoughts went straight to Betsey.
Sorry, sweetheart. I tried. God knows I tried. Please forgive me.
As fast as the gun battle started, it was over. Brick gritted his teeth against the pain of the bullet graze. He looked up, his ears still ringing with the phantom sound of gunfire. Scottie lay on his back, unmoving. Bugs slumped over and clutched at his side. Bear crawled on his elbow and cursed in short grunts. Blood poured from Blackjack's head and side as he lay still on the floor. Two of the bodyguards were down. A third was on the ground with his lower leg shattered, the bones showing through his torn skin. Raul was crouching behind his two dead guards, yelling in Spanish. Everywhere Brick’s eyes touched, there was chaos. His mind couldn’t process all of it, and the sour taste of panic traveled up the back of his throat, threatening to spew out.
Except… where was Deuce? Had the fucker run off in all the confusion?
A hand grabbed his shoulder, and the sudden pain centered him. He gazed down at Jesse, who lay on his back. Red foam frothed at the corners of his mouth, and he coughed up more.
“When your mom died, there was a big piece of me that died with her. I wasn’t a great father. There’s things I shoulda done better. I shoulda been a stronger man. Shoulda been a stronger president and this shit woulda never got outta hand.” He coughed and more blood appeared. His breathing grew shallow and labored. He raised his hand to clasp Brick’s. “You’re a good man, son. A t-tough one and a smart one.” Jesse gasped and choked, growing weaker. The sound of his struggle filled Brick’s ears until nothing else remained but his father’s fading voice. “T-take care of this brotherhood and give it the leadership it n-needs. It ain’t gonna be easy, but you’ve got the b-balls to handle it.” Jesse’s body relaxed into his son’s arms. “Gonna… gonna go see your mom now. Never said it m-much, but I love you, son. I’m p-proud of the man you’ve become and the man you’re… you’re gonna be.”
Jesse’s grip on Brick’s hand loosened as life left him. Brick’s heart wrenched, the pain in his back nothing compared to the pain in his chest.
“Brick, we got work to do, son. We’ll grieve later. Right now we gotta get this shit under control.” Walrus squatted next to Brick as he spoke. “Taz and Spade didn’t get hit. Moth got a bullet to the arm. The two prospects have flesh wounds but nothing serious. Through and throughs. We still got the moneyman over there to deal with. How do you want to play this?”
Brick swallowed the pain of his father’s violent end and stood up. His back flamed in agony, and he clenched his jaw against it. He was reeling from his father’s words, the trust placed in him, and hearing for the first and last time that Jesse loved him. He looked around at the faces of the remaining Dragon Runners. Confusion and pain stared back at him, seeking a direction. Brick felt his spine snap into place and turn into rock-solid iron. He could either lead or quit and run.
I ain’t no fuckin’ quitter.
Brick’s eyes tracked the rest of the room and his mind scrambled and sorted. The third bodyguard was bleeding out and wouldn’t be around much longer. Raul whimpered in the corner at the slow death of his last protector. Brick stared hard at the sniveling man whose power had just shriveled to nothing. At least nothing at the moment.
“Walrus, you know how to get rid of a dead body so there’s no trace?”
Walrus pulled at his mustache. “Yeah, I do. Get ’em on my truck.”
Brick nodded. “Raul, I don’t know you and you don’t know me. I figure this wasn’t what you were intending when you showed up here this morning. I’m guessing you were here to collect the money and kill everyone as an example of what happens when your bosses get crossed. Is that right?”
Raul’s teeth chattered and his dark eyes were wide with fear. “Si. That was the instructions of my boss, but I didn’t follow them exactly. Right, amigo? I was to get our money, but I would not kill all the Dragon Runners, just the ones who betrayed us. Blackjack and his sons. Just them.”
Brick didn’t believe that for one second, but the groveling man held the key to the future peace of the club and his hometown. “Well, seems to me you got your orders done. Blackjack is dead, and his son soon will be. Taz, take Bear and Bugs to the medical center in town. Get Doc Swaim outta bed or get his new guy, Holbrook, I think his name is. Walrus, I’ll load your bike an’ the bodies of them two bodyguards on your truck. Spade, you get Moth and them other two outta here. Go to the hospital over in Sylva and tell them you were in a hunting accident. Leave your cuts here so the club don’t get implicated, and don’t say nothin’ ’bout us. As far as you’re concerned, you didn’t know ’bout none of the shit that went down here tonight. Blackjack and Deuce went rogue, and you had nothin’ to do with it. Stick with that story no matter what. You don’t, and all of us will be sitting in jail with Ratchet.”
He looked at Walrus. “We can’t just lose this many members and the cops not find out about it. We’ll say it was a takeover attempt by Blackjack and he shot first. Had no choice but to return fire. Self-defense. Think that’ll work?”
Walrus rubbed a hand over his bristly cheek. “I don’t know. I gotta think on it some, but for now, it’s as good a story as any.”
Brick nodded. “Taz, you call it in at the medical center. Call Tambre too and let her know what’s happened. The cops will come and ask a bunch of questions. If they haul you down to the station, keep with the self-defense line.”
“What about the cartel people? We get caught around them, it’s over. We’ll go to prison, and I won’t see my kids until they graduate high school.”
“Walrus and I will take care of the cartel shit. You take care of Bear. Go, now.”
Brick turned back to the cowering cartel man. “Get in your car and go to the Rose Tree Inn off Route 19. Stay there tonight, and I’ll bring you your money in the morning.”
“How do I know you’ll do this?”
Brick met the man’s eyes with a hard stare. “I could kill you here and add your body to the pile for disposal. That ain’t gonna do nothin’ but start a war between your people and mine. They’ll just send more men with more guns and more people will die. I aim to avoid that. I give you my word, I’ll get your money. Then we’re through. This club is done runnin’ for you. The men who ran this club before, including my father, are gone. You and I? We have no agreement save for me getting to you what’s yours. You understand?”
Raul ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it back to its slick shape. Brick noticed his hand still trembled, but he looked braver now that he knew he was safe. “I don’t know if that’s possible, amigo, but you get the money to me, I’ll see what I can do.”
A while later, Brick heaved the last dead body unceremoniously in the back of the old truck. Walrus came to his side and placed a hand on Brick’s healthy shoulder. “I’m sorry ’bout your daddy, son. He was a good man to have at your back. I’m sorry he lost his way when your mama passed.”
Brick pressed his lips together and held back another rush of emotion. “I gotta go find Deuce and get him to show me where he hid the money. Then I gotta find Betsey and make sure she’s all right. She’s probably madder ’n hell I ain’t made it to the diner yet.”
“She’ll forgive you. Bet he's gone back to his house to get his stuff and bug out. Start there. Good luck, Brick.”
“You too, Walrus.”
They shook hands and left the clubhouse. Brick watched as Walrus climbed in his ancient truck and drove off, his heavy three-wheeler in the back with the bodies of the dead cartel men. The faint sound of sirens echoed in the distance. Nothing like bullets and blood to get the cops moving fast.
Brick’s back had gone numb, and he was pretty sure the bleeding had stopped. He mounted his bike and disappeared into the night.
Eight
Same night…
The trash bag thumped against the side of the dumpster as Betsey tossed it in. She wrinkled her nose at the sour smell and brushed her hands over her work apron. The dinner rush was well over, and the diner was empty save for her, Moses, and a young teenage couple on a date. Her pocket had a nice pile of tips, and she was eager to get home and add more to her stash. Brick had made his declaration only a day ago, and with the growing amount of her hidden savings, she was itching to start a new life. She was conflicted about leaving her mother and siblings but had no trouble imagining a life without her father.
“I’ll build you a kingdom and a castle and make you a queen.” Brick’s words resonated in her mind and she shivered, remembering the hungry look on his handsome face. Maybe he would help her mom and brothers as well. She closed her eyes and prayed for patience. “Not too much longer. Lord have mercy, not too much longer.”
The chugging sound of a motorcycle hit her ears, and her heart jumped with joy. It fell flat when she saw who rounded the corner of the diner. Deuce pulled up close, blocking her path to the diner’s back door.
“You seen Brick or Walrus?”
Betsey raised her chin at the rude tone. “No, I ain’t seen ’em.”
“You sure?”
Betsey took a good look at Deuce’s face. A knot of fear bloomed in her middle, and her nerves flamed to high alert. His dilated eyes showed no color and darted around frantically. He was breathing heavy and sweating even though he wore only a white T-shirt and jeans. Blood covered his shoulder, and his club cut was missing, which was unheard of for a Dragon Runner. She glanced down and spotted the gun tucked into the front of his pants. He’s high, out of his mind. High and hurt and dangerous.
“I said are you sure, bitch!” Deuce jumped off his bike and let it crash on its side. His yell coupled with the sound of the bike hitting the hard gravel shattered Betsey’s trance, and she made a run for the kitchen door. Deuce grabbed the back of her uniform and jerked her back. The dress tore, and Betsey lost her footing. Her back hit the ground, and the impact cut off her scream as the breath was knocked from her.
“I’d be lyin’ again if I said it didn’t. I’ve been watchin’ and waitin’ for her a long time. She belongs to me, but I can’t call myself her man until I make it truly safe for her to be my woman. I ’spect you would understand that feeling more than most.”
Walrus cut the wood curl from the piece and let it drop. “You’d be right. Whatever goes down, I got your back. You decide when to make your play and I’m there.”
The jangling ring of the old telephone reached Brick’s ears from inside the cabin. Walrus grumbled as he hefted himself up to go take the call. He barked a rough, irritated “Yeah” into the oblong handpiece. “Are you shittin’ me? When? Now? Fuck.”
Walrus slammed the phone handset down. “We gotta go. Jesse done called a meeting, and it sounds bad. Somethin’s going down, and it ain’t pretty.”
Brick nodded. He had been expecting something to break soon. The tension was too high in the club to do anything else.
Seven
Same day…
Brick felt a sense of déjà vu as he watched the two combatants circle each other, arguing and cussing. It was only a matter of time before one of them lunged and the real fight would be on. He glanced over at the other side of the room where Raul Ochoa stood in his suit and tie with three heavily armed bodyguards. Brick didn’t know him, but he had heard the name from Jesse. He was the money guy for the cartel the club had been running for all these years. He was here to collect, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t happy. Brick was a little surprised the man hadn’t ordered his goons to open fire and kill everyone. Instead, he was content to let Jesse handle this confrontation
“Where’s the money, asshole?” Jesse spat, keeping his eyes trained on Blackjack.
“I know where it ain’t.”
“I know either you or one of your boys took it.”
“You ain’t got no proof it was me or either of my boys.”
Brick could taste the tension in the room. Blackjack, Spade, Moth, and two younger prospects faced off with Jesse, Bear, Taz, Walrus, and him. Bugs and Scottie stood neutral, torn between the two fighting sides. Raul watched with a bored expression on his face.
Bear spoke up. “I saw your boy, Blackjack. He was loadin’ something in his saddlebags. I asked him what it was, and he told me to fuck off. Brother or no brother, that little shit ain’t gonna talk to me that way. ’Specially ’bout club business.”
“Ain’t none of your business what my boy does.”
“If it’s club business, I got a right to know. So does every other brother here since it affects us all. Your boy’s fucked up too many times. We got the cartel people sittin’ right here, breathin’ down our necks for the money that’s supposed to be in that safe. We’re lucky they ain’t killed us all. Yet.”
Brick agreed but kept his mouth shut and his eyes open.
Blackjack sneered at the man. “What are you, Bear? A fuckin’ coward? We survived in Korea. You think that fucker over there can compete with that? Find your balls.”
“We were lucky, motherfucker. Plenty of people done left pieces of themselves over there, and I’d just as soon not have that shit follow me home,” Bear raged. “I’ve got another grandson or granddaughter on the way, and I wanna be alive to see ’em grow up. Where’s the goddamn money?”
“I got one on the way too. Spade knocked up some girl in Dillsboro. Don’t mean I’m gonna roll over and play jolly ol’ fuckin’ grandpa. This is the life. We make our own rules and fuck all the rest. That includes the fuckin’ cartel.”
“You should think before you speak, sir.” Raul’s soft accent drew everyone’s attention. “Someone will pay today, with money or with blood. Maybe both.”
Walrus spoke up. “Ratchet is sitting in jail and won’t be gettin’ out anytime soon. Isaac died from a bullet to the head. I’ve lost both my woman and my boy to this life. Now I’m sittin’ here watchin’ brother fight brother with the goddamn drug man watchin’. This ain’t what the life is supposed to be. This ain’t my club.”
The clubhouse door flew open. Deuce swaggered in followed by Bagman, the newest prospect.
“What the fuck is going on?”
Jesse turned on him. “What the fuck is right. Where did you hide the money, you little shit?”
Deuce grinned and crossed his arms. “What money, Uncle Jesse?” He spotted Raul and laughed. “Who the fuck is this clown?”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about! Where is it?”
“You must be gettin’ senile, Uncle Jesse. No one saw me take anything.”
“Bear saw you load up your saddlebags with something, and now the safe is empty. Where did you hide the money?”
Deuce cocked his head to the side; his glassy eyes moved from Raul and focused on the raging man. “Well now, did Bear actually see me put money into my saddlebags? Maybe I was loading something else.”
“You look like you’ve been loading all damn day. How much blow did you skim from your last run?”
“Enough for me to deal with this bullshit. Maybe you should look for your money closer to home there, Jesse. Might be right under your nose or better yet, right under… the… closest… Brick.”
Deuce leaned over and jutted his chin to where Brick stood, arms rigid at his side.
“That’s a fuckin’ lie and you know it, Deuce.”
Deuce threw up his hands and danced in a circle. “Yuppers, that’s me. The fuckin’ bullshit liar. Tell me something, Brick? Would I be lying if I said I was bangin’ your girlfriend an hour ago? I had her singing sweet baby Jesus as I was stickin’ my cock in that sweet pussy of hers.”
A lightning bolt of white-hot rage struck Brick with the intensity of a thousand volts. He took three steps toward the man who was once his best friend, intending to beat the smug look off his face. He stopped short when Deuce pulled out his gun and pointed it straight at Brick. “Slow down there, Brickie-boy.”
The cascading percussion sound of guns being pulled and cocked filled the room. Deuce was either too high or too focused on Brick to notice the barrels pointing in his direction. “In case you hadn’t figured it out yet, this ain’t just a church meetin’ about missing money. It’s a fucking takeover. Seems like the current president and his stupid son don’t have big enough balls to run this club.”
“Deuce, we aren’t ready for this yet.” Blackjack’s tone was rough, but there was an underlying fear to it. “This ain’t how we planned it.”
“I know, but plans change sometimes. I think it’s time we say goodbye to the old and hello to the new. Whaddaya say, Jesse? Brick? Time for you to go. Leavin’ town and not comin’ back is a great idea. The Dragon Runners don’t need your kind of leadership. You decide you wanna stick around? Well then, my daddy's old sniper rifle has a few more shots in it.”
The air froze. Jesse's angry voice dropped to a deadly volume. "Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin? Did you shoot Isaac?"
Deuce grinned. “Might be I did, though you can’t prove nothin’.”
Brick’s gut burned with a thousand stabbing knives. The concept of a Dragon Runner killing another Dragon Runner was unthinkable, and he couldn’t get his head around it. He looked into his father’s bloodless face and saw the same disbelief, followed by sheer white-hot rage. Jesse lunged at the younger man, and Brick instinctively dove to catch him. A shot rang out, and Deuce jerked back with a look of surprise. He grabbed at his shoulder, and a growing red spot appeared on his white shirt.
All hell broke loose. Blackjack pulled a gun and fired randomly. Brick felt Jesse’s body shudder with the impact of bullets as he tackled him to the ground. Shouts and curses of pain blasted out, along with bullets hitting the walls. Brick felt a burn across his back and shoulder as he covered his father. The cracking sound of guns cocking and hammers falling filled the room, and Brick clenched his body tight, expecting the next shot to find its way to him. As he waited for death, his thoughts went straight to Betsey.
Sorry, sweetheart. I tried. God knows I tried. Please forgive me.
As fast as the gun battle started, it was over. Brick gritted his teeth against the pain of the bullet graze. He looked up, his ears still ringing with the phantom sound of gunfire. Scottie lay on his back, unmoving. Bugs slumped over and clutched at his side. Bear crawled on his elbow and cursed in short grunts. Blood poured from Blackjack's head and side as he lay still on the floor. Two of the bodyguards were down. A third was on the ground with his lower leg shattered, the bones showing through his torn skin. Raul was crouching behind his two dead guards, yelling in Spanish. Everywhere Brick’s eyes touched, there was chaos. His mind couldn’t process all of it, and the sour taste of panic traveled up the back of his throat, threatening to spew out.
Except… where was Deuce? Had the fucker run off in all the confusion?
A hand grabbed his shoulder, and the sudden pain centered him. He gazed down at Jesse, who lay on his back. Red foam frothed at the corners of his mouth, and he coughed up more.
“When your mom died, there was a big piece of me that died with her. I wasn’t a great father. There’s things I shoulda done better. I shoulda been a stronger man. Shoulda been a stronger president and this shit woulda never got outta hand.” He coughed and more blood appeared. His breathing grew shallow and labored. He raised his hand to clasp Brick’s. “You’re a good man, son. A t-tough one and a smart one.” Jesse gasped and choked, growing weaker. The sound of his struggle filled Brick’s ears until nothing else remained but his father’s fading voice. “T-take care of this brotherhood and give it the leadership it n-needs. It ain’t gonna be easy, but you’ve got the b-balls to handle it.” Jesse’s body relaxed into his son’s arms. “Gonna… gonna go see your mom now. Never said it m-much, but I love you, son. I’m p-proud of the man you’ve become and the man you’re… you’re gonna be.”
Jesse’s grip on Brick’s hand loosened as life left him. Brick’s heart wrenched, the pain in his back nothing compared to the pain in his chest.
“Brick, we got work to do, son. We’ll grieve later. Right now we gotta get this shit under control.” Walrus squatted next to Brick as he spoke. “Taz and Spade didn’t get hit. Moth got a bullet to the arm. The two prospects have flesh wounds but nothing serious. Through and throughs. We still got the moneyman over there to deal with. How do you want to play this?”
Brick swallowed the pain of his father’s violent end and stood up. His back flamed in agony, and he clenched his jaw against it. He was reeling from his father’s words, the trust placed in him, and hearing for the first and last time that Jesse loved him. He looked around at the faces of the remaining Dragon Runners. Confusion and pain stared back at him, seeking a direction. Brick felt his spine snap into place and turn into rock-solid iron. He could either lead or quit and run.
I ain’t no fuckin’ quitter.
Brick’s eyes tracked the rest of the room and his mind scrambled and sorted. The third bodyguard was bleeding out and wouldn’t be around much longer. Raul whimpered in the corner at the slow death of his last protector. Brick stared hard at the sniveling man whose power had just shriveled to nothing. At least nothing at the moment.
“Walrus, you know how to get rid of a dead body so there’s no trace?”
Walrus pulled at his mustache. “Yeah, I do. Get ’em on my truck.”
Brick nodded. “Raul, I don’t know you and you don’t know me. I figure this wasn’t what you were intending when you showed up here this morning. I’m guessing you were here to collect the money and kill everyone as an example of what happens when your bosses get crossed. Is that right?”
Raul’s teeth chattered and his dark eyes were wide with fear. “Si. That was the instructions of my boss, but I didn’t follow them exactly. Right, amigo? I was to get our money, but I would not kill all the Dragon Runners, just the ones who betrayed us. Blackjack and his sons. Just them.”
Brick didn’t believe that for one second, but the groveling man held the key to the future peace of the club and his hometown. “Well, seems to me you got your orders done. Blackjack is dead, and his son soon will be. Taz, take Bear and Bugs to the medical center in town. Get Doc Swaim outta bed or get his new guy, Holbrook, I think his name is. Walrus, I’ll load your bike an’ the bodies of them two bodyguards on your truck. Spade, you get Moth and them other two outta here. Go to the hospital over in Sylva and tell them you were in a hunting accident. Leave your cuts here so the club don’t get implicated, and don’t say nothin’ ’bout us. As far as you’re concerned, you didn’t know ’bout none of the shit that went down here tonight. Blackjack and Deuce went rogue, and you had nothin’ to do with it. Stick with that story no matter what. You don’t, and all of us will be sitting in jail with Ratchet.”
He looked at Walrus. “We can’t just lose this many members and the cops not find out about it. We’ll say it was a takeover attempt by Blackjack and he shot first. Had no choice but to return fire. Self-defense. Think that’ll work?”
Walrus rubbed a hand over his bristly cheek. “I don’t know. I gotta think on it some, but for now, it’s as good a story as any.”
Brick nodded. “Taz, you call it in at the medical center. Call Tambre too and let her know what’s happened. The cops will come and ask a bunch of questions. If they haul you down to the station, keep with the self-defense line.”
“What about the cartel people? We get caught around them, it’s over. We’ll go to prison, and I won’t see my kids until they graduate high school.”
“Walrus and I will take care of the cartel shit. You take care of Bear. Go, now.”
Brick turned back to the cowering cartel man. “Get in your car and go to the Rose Tree Inn off Route 19. Stay there tonight, and I’ll bring you your money in the morning.”
“How do I know you’ll do this?”
Brick met the man’s eyes with a hard stare. “I could kill you here and add your body to the pile for disposal. That ain’t gonna do nothin’ but start a war between your people and mine. They’ll just send more men with more guns and more people will die. I aim to avoid that. I give you my word, I’ll get your money. Then we’re through. This club is done runnin’ for you. The men who ran this club before, including my father, are gone. You and I? We have no agreement save for me getting to you what’s yours. You understand?”
Raul ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it back to its slick shape. Brick noticed his hand still trembled, but he looked braver now that he knew he was safe. “I don’t know if that’s possible, amigo, but you get the money to me, I’ll see what I can do.”
A while later, Brick heaved the last dead body unceremoniously in the back of the old truck. Walrus came to his side and placed a hand on Brick’s healthy shoulder. “I’m sorry ’bout your daddy, son. He was a good man to have at your back. I’m sorry he lost his way when your mama passed.”
Brick pressed his lips together and held back another rush of emotion. “I gotta go find Deuce and get him to show me where he hid the money. Then I gotta find Betsey and make sure she’s all right. She’s probably madder ’n hell I ain’t made it to the diner yet.”
“She’ll forgive you. Bet he's gone back to his house to get his stuff and bug out. Start there. Good luck, Brick.”
“You too, Walrus.”
They shook hands and left the clubhouse. Brick watched as Walrus climbed in his ancient truck and drove off, his heavy three-wheeler in the back with the bodies of the dead cartel men. The faint sound of sirens echoed in the distance. Nothing like bullets and blood to get the cops moving fast.
Brick’s back had gone numb, and he was pretty sure the bleeding had stopped. He mounted his bike and disappeared into the night.
Eight
Same night…
The trash bag thumped against the side of the dumpster as Betsey tossed it in. She wrinkled her nose at the sour smell and brushed her hands over her work apron. The dinner rush was well over, and the diner was empty save for her, Moses, and a young teenage couple on a date. Her pocket had a nice pile of tips, and she was eager to get home and add more to her stash. Brick had made his declaration only a day ago, and with the growing amount of her hidden savings, she was itching to start a new life. She was conflicted about leaving her mother and siblings but had no trouble imagining a life without her father.
“I’ll build you a kingdom and a castle and make you a queen.” Brick’s words resonated in her mind and she shivered, remembering the hungry look on his handsome face. Maybe he would help her mom and brothers as well. She closed her eyes and prayed for patience. “Not too much longer. Lord have mercy, not too much longer.”
The chugging sound of a motorcycle hit her ears, and her heart jumped with joy. It fell flat when she saw who rounded the corner of the diner. Deuce pulled up close, blocking her path to the diner’s back door.
“You seen Brick or Walrus?”
Betsey raised her chin at the rude tone. “No, I ain’t seen ’em.”
“You sure?”
Betsey took a good look at Deuce’s face. A knot of fear bloomed in her middle, and her nerves flamed to high alert. His dilated eyes showed no color and darted around frantically. He was breathing heavy and sweating even though he wore only a white T-shirt and jeans. Blood covered his shoulder, and his club cut was missing, which was unheard of for a Dragon Runner. She glanced down and spotted the gun tucked into the front of his pants. He’s high, out of his mind. High and hurt and dangerous.
“I said are you sure, bitch!” Deuce jumped off his bike and let it crash on its side. His yell coupled with the sound of the bike hitting the hard gravel shattered Betsey’s trance, and she made a run for the kitchen door. Deuce grabbed the back of her uniform and jerked her back. The dress tore, and Betsey lost her footing. Her back hit the ground, and the impact cut off her scream as the breath was knocked from her.
