“I ain’t done him no harm. Just doing my job,” Jack replied. He ran his hand through the short buzzed strip of his brown hair. “I guess you fellas are here just to back him up. I’m kind of surprised. Wouldn’t have guessed Johnathen hung out with bikers.”
Saul grinned slightly and leaned forward on the window seal. “It’s not exactly that. You see, a gryphoness friend of ours has really taken a liking to Thyra and Johnathen. So that makes us friends by association.” Saul reached into his pocket and withdrew a cigarette pack. “Mainly, we like to look after those that can’t look after themselves. We like to think of it as a kind of charity. Helpin’ those that need protection.”
Saul handed Carl a cigarette and light one up himself. He took a deep breath and blew the smoke into the cabin of the van, but Jack did not seem fazed. He glanced back and saw Johnathen and Keith walking in their direction, and held up a hand to stop them.
They halted before reaching the van and Saul gave them a serious look. He did not need them to come over and start yelling at Jack. It would only stir up more trouble.
Jack looked up to Saul and then to Carl. “Does your friend talk much?”
Saul glanced at Carl, before turning his attention back to Jack. “None, actually. I asked him why, once. He told me, for the first and last time, he doesn’t believe words are greater than actions. And that was it. Hasn’t said a word since.” Saul took another drag of his cig and blew it into the cabin once again. He stared directly into Jacks black eyes. “Now, I don’t want to let him express himself the way he knows best, so I was hopin’ you and I could come to an agreement.”
After a couple of long seconds, Jack leaned back in his seat and gave him a nod. “Listen. I was just hired to watch Johnathen and report what I saw. I’m not here to stir up trouble.”
Saul nodded. “I get you. And I can see your quandary. Your problem though is that, in our opinion, following our friend around and reporting his business? That’s the very definition of stirring up trouble.”
“I understand.” Jack reached for his keys and clicked the ignition on. The diesel engine grumbled to life and Jack put the car in drive. “The pay ain’t worth dealing with you fellas. I’ll take my leave.”
Satisfied, Saul stepped back from the vehicle. “I appreciate you going quietly.”
Jack glanced back over and rolled the window back up. The van slowly drove away, leaving Johnathen and Keith to gawk at the two bikers.
“Really? It was that easy?” Keith asked.
Saul shrugged his shoulders and put his helmet back on the bike. “The Carl speech works most of the time. Somethin’ about a big man that doesn’t speak unsettles people. But honestly, Carl is a big teddy bear. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Saul stuck his rugged hand out to shake Keith’s hand. “Don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Saul, and this here is Carl.”
Keith shook his hand and went to shake Carl’s. “Nice to meet you. Uh, how do you know Johnathen?”
“Well, as I said to Jack, we are good friends of Isabell. And since Thyra and Isabell are pretty good friends now, Johnathen just ended up lumped in with em.” Saul laughed and walked over to Johnathen, giving him a rough slap on the back. Johnathen tensed up from the slap and Saul chuckled. “Oh, I’m just kidding. We’ve grown to like Johnathen, even though he can be a stick in the mud.”
Saul flicked his cigarette into the street and looked over to Carl. “Well, seeing that our work here is done, we’re going to go get some shuteye.” Carl nodded with agreement.
“You all don’t want to come in for coffee?” Johnathen asked.
Saul turned around to look back at Johnathen. For the first time, Johnathen noticed the dark bags under his eyes. Clearly, the biker was extremely exhausted.
“Gonna take a rain check on that, pal. We’ve been with Isabell all night, and I’d like to take a shower and sleep in my own bed.”
“Hey, I really appreciate it,” Johnathen stated.
“Any time. Let us know if that fella comes back, but I don’t think he will.” Saul smiled and walked with Carl towards their bikes.
Harley engines exploded to life with a fury of sound as they took off down the once quiet neighborhood street. Moments later, the sound of a hawk scream came from Johnathen’s pocket and he pulled out his phone.
“You have Thyra’s text tone as a hawk scream?” Keith asked with a slight chuckle.
Johnathen shrugged his shoulders and began to type away on his smart phone. He finished up his text and locked his phone. “Thyra’s done with practice. She said she had to go to the team’s therapist because her wings were sore and now she can’t fly home.”
“So, is she staying up in Athens again?” Keith asked and followed Johnathen back inside the house. He shut the door behind him and deadbolted it shut.
“No. I’ll go get her. Plus I would rather tell her about all this mess in person. She’s not going to be-.” Johnathen was interrupted by a phone call. He glanced at his phone and then showed the screen to Keith. It was their boss, Dean Homer.
Excitement grew in Keith’s eyes and he motioned for Johnathen to answer. With a deep breath, Johnathen answered and put the phone to his ear.
“Mr. Homer… I’m well, how about you?...So they finally dismissed the case?... Yeah, that is really good news… I would love to… See you Monday then?...Alright, have a good weekend.” Johnathen hung up the phone and pumped his fist in the air. “I’m back on the job!”
Keith laughed with him and threw his arms around Johnathen in a quick hug, slapping him on the back. “Hell yeah! What did I tell ya!”
Johnathen let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God! It’s about time. Funds were starting to get pretty low around here. I mean, all I did was punch that guy in the face. I didn’t know it would turn into this. But I’m just glad to be back.”
Keith walked over to the dry bar and pulled out two crystal glasses and a bottle of whiskey. “Well this calls for a little celebration.” Keith popped the cork off and poured a generous shot for the both of them.
“This early in the afternoon?” Johnathen teased and took the glass that was offered.
Keith chuckled and clanked their glasses together. “Its five o clock somewhere.”
“True.” Johnathen downed the shot and put his glass back down on the bar top. “Alan Jackson always did know best.”
Keith took the glasses and started to pour another one. He gave Johnathen a questioning look. “I always thought it was Jimmy Buffet.”
Johnathen quickly shook his head and pulled his empty glass away. “Only one right now. I have to go get Thyra.” He put his glass in the sink and turned to Keith, who slammed back another shot and let out a content sigh.
“Fair enough. Well, maybe we can grab dinner tonight,” Keith suggested before walking out to the garage.
Johnathen followed behind him and nodded. “I’ll talk to Thyra. She may be too tired, but we’ll play it by ear.”
Keith gave a thumb up and opened up the door to his black BMW. “Sounds good. If nothing else, I’ll see you Monday.”
***
“What do you mean, ‘they ran you off?’ Did they pull you out of the van and beat you? Did they try to chase you down and you fled?” Daniel ranted and rubbed his temples.
Jack leaned against the Van and took another drag of his cigarette. Clouds began to roll over the empty church parking lot, followed by a cold breeze.
“Like I told you, these bikers made it clear that I wasn’t to be around them anymore.” Jack looked over to Daniel expressionless and shrugged his shoulders. “It ain’t worth the pay to deal with a biker gang.”
Daniel thought for a minute, standing in silence. “Matthew isn’t going to be pleased, but you’re right. Just lay low for a while and I’ll see what we can do.”
Jack dropped his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. “Sounds like a plan.” He opened the door to his van and hopped inside.
Daniel walked back towards the church building as the
van drove away. He entered through the double glass doors and into the welcome hall, then proceeded down the long hallway off to the side that led back into Matthew’s office. Letting out a sigh, he knocked on one of the sturdy wooden doors.
“Come in,” came Matthew’s voice from the other side. Daniel stepped inside the low lit office and shut the door behind him. The old preacher didn’t look away from his computer monitor. “Do you have an update for me?”
Daniel sat down in the one of the chairs opposing the desk. “Yes. The cops were called last night, as expected.”
Matthew turned his attention fully on Daniel and folded his wrinkly hands. “And?”
“The report was a simple house burglary with minimal damage. Nobody will look further into it,” Daniel assured him. “I spoke to the police chief to make sure it wouldn’t get any further than that.”
Matthew nodded and leaned back into his leather chair, causing it to creak and moan. “Chief Adams is an easy one. He usually accepts the bribes without hesitation, as long as the pay is substantial enough to fit the crime.”
“My tail man reported that Johnathen went to visit the gryphoness, Isabell, in the hospital. If that is worth noting,” Daniel went on.
Matthew waved his hand off and snorted through his nose. “I still can’t believe they let those filthy creatures into the hospital with regular human beings. It’s insufferable. Anything else?”
Daniel twiddled his thumbs and nodded. “Yes, it seems my tail man ran into some trouble today. He was confronted by a biker gang.”
Matthew raised a curious eyebrow to this. “A biker gang? What business did they have with your man?”
“It would seem they are friends of the gryphons, and Johnathen,” Daniel explained.
“You need to get rid of them, especially if they are the same ones that assisted in the rally,” Matthew said in a serious tone. “I do not want them to gather more disbelievers and spread lies to slander this church.”
Daniel sat for a minute, trying to figure out what to say next. “How do you suggest I get rid of them? Because if you are insisting on physical harm, that is something we are not prepared to do.”
Matthew slammed his fist down on the desk and pointed a finger at him. The look of rage that instantly came over the man’s face caused Daniel to freeze in surprise. “If you can find another way of getting them to back off, then so be it but you will do what I ask! I hired you to deal with this. Do not force me to find your replacement.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll find a solution to this,” Daniel responded quickly.
Matthew’s wrinkled angry face returned to its usual passive state once again. He sat back in his chair and waved Daniel off. “Then we are done here.” He turned his attention back to the computer, ending the conversation.
Daniel stood up slowly and turned to leave.
“Do not fail me,” Matthew warned one last time.
“Yes, Sir,” Daniel replied and closed the door behind him.
“Asshole.” He muttered under his breath and pulled out his phone. This was not what he had been hired to do. Sure, he was used to the job changing from time to time depending on what the client needed, but inflicting harm was going too far.
Daniel thought for a minute and pulled out his phone. He would have to go consult with the bikers himself. Scowling, he walked out of the hallway and through the double doors before starting a text message to Jack and Cassie.
Matthew wants us to ‘get rid’ of the bikers. I told him what he was saying was ridiculous, but he demanded it. I don’t know what else to do besides going to talk to them. We need to see where they hang out at, and approach them there.
This was all becoming a huge headache and Jack’s words came back to him. Daniel repeated the phrase out loud to himself. “This isn’t worth the pay.” Not only that, but he was being asked by a crazed man to do whatever necessary to get rid of innocent citizens.
Daniel sighed and unlocked his Acura before getting a message. He sat down inside and pulled his phone out to check the message from Cassie.
Fine. I’ll assist. You will need a pretty face anyways, but this doesn’t go any further.
Soon after, a message chimed from Jack.
Same. This is getting to be too much. I’ll find where they hang out, but I ain’t speakin’ to them fellas again.
Daniel locked his phone and sat back in his seat, rubbing his temples again. The only thing he could hope for is this conversation going over smoothly. It would be unlikely these bikers would take a bribe to abandon their friends, but it was worth a shot. It was the only angle he had.
Chapter 12 Beasts In The Lord’s House
“What!” Thyra screeched in the cramped car. Johnathen winced and covered his right ear as the piercing sound vibrated inside. “They broke into our house?!” Thyra’s hackle feathers rose up in irritation. She clicked her beak and stared dead at Johnathen. “Why did you not tell me yesterday?”
“I didn’t want to distract you from the game and worry you. I just…”
“They are the ones that should worry! I swear to the skies I’m going to rip out their damn throats! Every last one of those Gathering creeps is dead!” Her beak clicked again as she huffed through her nares.
Johnathen reached over to stroke Thyra’s neck as they drove down the interstate. “As much as I would like to see that, I don’t want to see you in prison for the rest of your life.”
He felt Thyra pull away from his hand. She stared out the window. The sun was slowly setting in the cloudy sky, casting a dark shadow on the rolling hills. “And they have a tail on you too? Watching everything we do?”
Johnathen nodded. She huffed and ruffled her feathers, slumping back into the seat.
“This is ridiculous!” Thyra said, then grumbled something and closed her eyes to calm herself. “We have to do something. We can’t just let them step all over us like this anymore.” Thyra exhaled and leaned into Johnathen’s hand and rubbed her beak along his palm. “They’ve gone too far.”
Johnathen rubbed along Thyra’s beak for a moment before returning his hand to the steering wheel. He turned on the turn signal and merged over to take the next exit. “Well, I got Saul and Carl to scare the guy off anyways. I don’t think we’ll see him again.”
“How can you be so sure?” Thyra questioned.
He hesitated for a couple seconds, focusing on the road. The car came to a stop at a red light off the exit ramp, and Johnathen closed his eyes. “I can’t.”
He drove on down the road as the light turned green. The car was silent for a couple minutes more as thoughts raced in their heads.
“I’m going down there tomorrow,” Thyra said, breaking the silence.
Johnathen shook his head. “No. That’s not a good idea. We need-.”
Thyra’s voice quickly turned into a screech once more. “We’ve tried everything else! What the hell are we supposed to do now?! Roll over and let them stomp on our throats? I’m tired of it!”
Johnathen grit his teeth and clenched on the steering wheel tighter until his knuckles turned white. “NO!” he yelled.
Thyra pulled her head back and stared at him blankly. He never lost his temper with her. She narrowed her avian green eyes and stared back at him as he glanced over.
“I said no,” he said more calmly. “I’m not having you go down there and stir up more trouble with that bastard.”
“Damn it, John! That’s why they walk all over us! We act so weak and…”
Johnathen pulled the car over to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. She gasped and the seat belt tugged at her chest, making her wince. Johnathen looked over to her and bit his lip, pointing at her with a finger. She realized that his expression wasn’t filled with anger, but with fear.
He laid his hand on her foreclaw and sighed before looking back up into her eyes. “I…I don’t want anything to happen to you. I can stand to lose my job, our house, and all our possessions, but I can’t lose you.” He touche
d the wedding ring on her finger, then brought his hand up to cup her cheek. “I don’t know what they are truly capable of, and if you waltz into his sanctuary, his home, the territory he controls most, I don’t know what he will do.”
Thyra looked back at him, and her eartufts folded back against her skull. Her brown and white plumage sank close to her body and she looked away for a minute. “I don’t know either. But we have to do something.”
Thyra took a deep breath and looked back over to Johnathen. He gave her a nod and put the car back into drive to proceed back down the road.
“We will figure it out. But we can’t go marching into there.” Johnathen turned into their neighborhood and putted down the road. “It would make us seem desperate too,” he added as he pulled into their garage. They both unbuckled and threw the car doors open. “Let’s just drop it for now and enjoy a nice dinner. Sound good?”
Thyra’s beak slowly curved into a smile and she nodded. “Yeah. It’s just nice to be home with you.”
She followed behind him, talons clicked along the concrete floor as they entered the house together. It had felt like ages since the last time she been in her home. The familiar smell of cinnamon filled her lungs from the automatic fragrance dispenser that was always plugged into the wall.
The house was spotless and the granite countertops gleamed from the light. Thyra looked around. “I guess I figured this place would still be a mess.”
“Keith came over to help me out the next day. They didn’t break too much, but it still took all day to put everything away again.” He opened the stainless steel doors and pulled out a package of steaks, wrapped in brown paper. Thyra perked her eartufts as he unwrapped them. “I went to Zach’s butcher shop today and picked this up for you.” He said, changing the subject.
“How is Zach, anyway? I haven’t seen him in a couple weeks.” Thyra said, her beak already watering.
“He’s good. Cracking jokes and always laughing, as usual. Asked how his favorite beast was. Told him all about you getting the position for the gryphball team and he gave us these steaks to me as a congratulation present.” Johnathen said.
The Gryphon Generation Book 2: A New Era Page 13