Athena Sisterhood

by Dharma Kelleher

  Dragon turned and pulled a card out of her cut. “You want my name? I’m Rebecca Li, attorney-at-law. Here is my contact information. The Athenas are my clients. So unless you plan to arrest any of us, I suggest you contact me in the morning with any further questions. Are we clear?”

  Aguilar examined the card and frowned. “We’re clear.” He put away his notebook and signaled for the other deputies to follow him back to their patrol cars.

  “Thanks, Dragon.” Shea felt some of the tension release as she let go of a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  “No problem. But we’re going to have to figure out what to do about the Thunder. This is the second time. And from what I’ve seen, the sheriff’s office doesn’t seem as gung ho as they once were to prosecute them.”

  Shea watched the sheriff’s cruisers disappear up the road. “I’ve noticed that, too.”

  Chapter 17

  “You wanted me to join a women’s group,” Shea explained to Jessica after they put Annie to bed. “The Sisterhood is a women’s group.”

  Jessica sat beside her on the love seat. “I didn’t mean one where you get beaten up all the time by the Confederate Thunder. Especially with Annie around. What’s to stop that guy Monster from just taking her?”

  “Me!” Shea slapped her chest. “I would stop him.”

  “You can’t be with her all the time. He could grab her from school or when she’s with me.” Jessica stared at the floor, arms folded across her chest. Fear crept into her voice. “Those guys fucking scare me, Shea. And they have a real hard-on for the Sisterhood.”

  “I know.” Shea put a hand on Jess’ back. “They scare me, too.”

  “I don’t want to be watching over my shoulder all the time, afraid some redneck biker is going to come after me to get to you. I can’t live that way. I will move out before I let that happen.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “Like hell I don’t. It’s bad enough being black in this goddamn redneck county. But I will not have the Confederate Thunder breathing down my neck just so you can ride with your friends.”

  “That’s not why I’m doing it and you know it.”

  “I don’t care. I really don’t. My mama didn’t raise no fool. I love you and I love Annie, but I will leave if you put me in that situation. And if you love me, if you truly love me like you say you do, you won’t force me to make that choice.”

  Shea let out a hard breath. “I get that. I do. It’s just that I feel something when I’m with these women. Something I ain’t felt in a while.”

  “What?”

  “A sense of family.”

  “Shea, we’re your family.” Jess faced her, cradling Shea’s face in her long, delicate fingers. “Me and Annie.”

  Shea felt herself drawn into the warmth of Jess’ chestnut eyes. “You are, I know. It’s just…I don’t how to explain it. I ain’t good with words.”

  She closed her eyes, struggling for a way to explain. “Growing up around the Thundermen and their families, it was like its own community. Anytime somebody needed something, it was taken care of, you know? When a Thunderman went to jail or got killed, his old lady and kids never worried about paying bills or having enough to eat. The club provided. Always.”

  “Shea, are you listening to yourself? They’re criminals. Drug dealers. Gunrunners. Racist, sexist, homophobic thugs. How can you miss that?”

  “But that’s my point, Jess.” Shea met her girlfriend’s gaze. “The Sisterhood isn’t like that. They’re a motorcycle club without all the bigotry and violence. They could help baby-sit for us. We could go out, just the two of us, more than once in a blue moon.”

  “But they’re dealing drugs.”

  “So far, I haven’t seen it. Except for Pipes, the girl who OD’d the other day. But she was an addict. I think Rios is wrong. The Sisterhood isn’t dealing drugs.”

  “Why does Rios think they are?”

  “She’s one of Buzzkill’s drones. They get some bogus tip that claims the Sisterhood’s dealing and they treat it like gospel. Honestly, my money’s on the Thunder. They stole the hex from the Jaguars. Then they recut it with rat poison to increase their profits. They don’t care if people die because of it. They’re only interested in the Benjamins.”

  “Which brings us back to my main objection. Every time you get together with them, those damn Thundermen show up. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You look like you lost a boxing match to Muhammad Ali.”

  “Aw, baby, that’s just my look,” said Shea, hoping to lighten the mood. She tried to smile but it made her face hurt worse.

  Jess smirked. “I’m sorry, but black eyes are not a good look for you. I prefer you with a little less color.”

  Shea sat for a moment, just holding Jess’ hand, letting ideas bubble up in her tired mind. “What if…what if the Thunder wasn’t a problem?”

  “What do you mean? They are a problem.”

  “I know, but what if there was a way I could make them not be a problem anymore. Then would you be okay with me being a prospect for the Athena Sisterhood?”

  “You’re not planning on gunning them all down are you?”

  Shea chuckled in spite of the pain. “Tempting, but no.”

  Jessica took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You really think we could go out more often, just the two of us?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you said prospects are at their beck and call twenty-four-seven.”

  “Orphan told me it isn’t that bad with the Sisterhood. Not like what the Thunder puts their guys through.”

  “Well…in that case, I guess I could live with it. But how will you keep the Thunder from being a problem? They’re adamant about breaking up the Sisterhood. And Monster seems determined to see Annie.”

  “I know where the Thunder keeps their stash of drugs and guns that they sell. Or at least where they used to. I just need to verify they still keep it there. Then it’s just a matter of calling Rios and having them bust the Thunder.”

  “Why haven’t you given Rios this information before?”

  Shea shrugged. “It’s kind of a nuclear option. There’s a chance, however slim, they might’ve moved their stash. And even if they haven’t, once I turn over the info, they will probably suspect I’m the one that snitched. Unless they stay locked up, there could be consequences. But right now, I don’t see any other choice.”

  “What if they catch you?”

  “I’ll be careful. Maybe I can get some of the Athenas to help me.”

  Jessica sat silent for a moment, clearly processing the situation. “If they put the Confederate Thunder behind bars, then I’m on board with you joining the Sisterhood. Otherwise, you either stay away from the Athenas or stay away from me. That’s all there is to it.”

  Shea embraced Jessica as a tide of gratitude and want washed over her. “I’ll find a way to make it happen. I promise.”

  —

  The next morning, after a quick stop at Iron Goddess, Shea walked into the Cortes County Sheriff’s Office Ironwood substation. Her face was still swollen and deeply bruised, but the pain was subsiding. In the light of day, the potential blowback from using the nuclear option seemed too risky. She hoped that by talking with Rios, she could get the Confederate Thunder Motorcycle Club thrown in jail for the previous night’s brawl.

  The desk sergeant, a woman with a weathered face and a name tag that read DVORAK, took one look at Shea and said, “What the hell happened to you?”

  “I need to talk to Detective Rios,” said Shea, minimizing her jaw movement. Speaking, as it turned out, was still painful.

  “Yeah, what about?” Caution tempered the sergeant’s tone.

  “She’ll know.”

  “Listen, lady, no one gets past me unless I know who you are and why you’re here.”

  Shea struggled to keep her cool. “Fine. I have some information about a case she’s working.”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Dvorak
picked up the phone, her hand hovering over the keypad. “Your name?”

  “Shea Stevens.”

  Dvorak punched in the extension. “Detective, I got a Shane Stevens wants to see you.”

  “It’s Shea. Like the stadium.” Frustration made the throbbing in her jaw worse.

  Dvorak rolled her eyes. “I got a Shea Stevens to see you. Says she has some information on one of your cases.” She nodded and hung up. “Take a seat. Rios’ll be up in a bit.”

  Shea plopped down on one of the molded plastic chairs and absently watched a handful of people come and go through the lobby. Shea caught a towheaded six-year-old boy staring at her like she was a circus freak. Shea flipped him off. He returned the gesture and turned away.

  It occurred to her this was one of the few times she had been here and not been handcuffed. She hoped to keep it that way. Being beaten up, however, was still par for the course.

  Twenty minutes later, Rios opened the door leading to the rest of the station. “Shea? What the hell happened to you?”

  Shea shuffled up to within a few inches. “We need to talk,” she mumbled.

  Rios studied her for a moment. “Okay, let’s go into one of the interview rooms.”

  Shea followed her down a brightly lit hallway papered with an assortment of notices, historic photos, and memorials to fallen officers.

  Rios paused when they reached the interview rooms. “Crap. They’re all three occupied at the moment. You want to talk at my desk?”

  “I want the Confederate Thunder arrested. Every last one of ’em. Else I’m done being your snitch.”

  Rios sighed. “Well, let’s see if we can’t work this out.” Rios led her farther down the hall and through a door marked VIOLENT CRIMES DIVISION. They skirted past several large cubicles and stopped at the last one. Inside were two adjacent desks. One looked like it had been pared down to the essentials—a phone and a computer. The other had a few knickknacks, a couple of photos tacked to the wall, and a small sky-blue-and-white flag crammed into a stuffed pencil cup.

  She sat down at the empty desk, feeling like she was walking on somebody’s grave. “This where Edelman sat?”

  A shadow of regret passed over Rios’ face. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before meeting Shea’s gaze. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”

  “You hear about what happened last night?”

  “Why don’t you tell me.”

  Shea gave her a quick rundown of the previous night’s events. “I want them all arrested. Not just a few of them, but every fucking one of them. And no bail. Otherwise they’re gonna keep coming after the Sisterhood and putting everyone, including my family, in danger.”

  “Shea, I can’t just arrest them even if I wanted to. I have to have proof they committed a crime.”

  Shea set a thumb drive on the desk. “Here’s the security video of the parking lot from last night. I woulda thought Aguilar would’ve asked about it, but he didn’t seem too interested in going after the Thunder.”

  “Well, let’s take a look.” Rios inserted the thumb drive into her computer and pulled up the video. “It’s really grainy. Between the bad lighting and the camera angle it’s hard to make out any faces.”

  “But you can see the Confederate Thunder is attacking us. That’s Mackey,” said Shea, pointing to a blurred figure on the screen. “There’s One-Shot. And the big guy there is Monster.”

  “Detectives Morris and Bello are working that case. I can give this to them, but I can’t guarantee the DA will press charges, much less be able to have them held without bail.”

  “Tell me, Rios. How many of you are on the Thunder’s payroll?”

  “Shea, it’s not like that.”

  “Like hell it ain’t. It all makes sense. The Thunder wants the Sisterhood disbanded, so they send you to do it for us, using me as your snitch, no less. And if I get killed in the process, or my niece or my girlfriend, you couldn’t care less.”

  “Shea, I do care about you.” Rios put her hand on Shea’s. “And your family.”

  Shea was tempted to pull away, but too many conflicting thoughts and emotions were crowding her tired brain. “If you want me to infiltrate the Sisterhood, I need you to put the Thunder in jail and keep ’em there.”

  “I’d love to. It’s just that we need more than a low-quality video to do it. Especially on assault charges. If you had something more solid on more serious charges…”

  The nuclear option was looking more and more like her best option. It was dangerous, possibly suicidal. But if it worked, Thunder would be behind bars and Rios would know they were the ones dealing hex.

  “You want your something solid? I’ll get you something solid.” Her legs protested as she stood. “And when I do, I expect you to lock their asses up.”

  Chapter 18

  When she reached her bike in the parking lot, Shea pulled out her phone and called Deb.

  “Professor Raymond. How can I help you?”

  “Hey, Deb. I mean, Labrys. It’s Havoc.”

  “Hey, sweetie! How’s your face?”

  Shea cringed at the word sweetie. “Swollen, but it’ll heal. How’s everyone else?”

  “Okay, from what I’ve heard. Mostly bumps and bruises. You showed some real grit out there, girl. You sure I can’t talk you into becoming a prospect?”

  “Well, that’s part of why I’m calling. But first I need a favor.”

  “Sure, anything for you, baby.”

  It took all of Shea’s willpower not to let herself get distracted by Labrys’ game playing. “I think the Confederate Thunder is behind these hex poisonings. Including Pipes.”

  “Really?”

  “They’re the ones that stole a ton of hex from the Jaguars last summer. And I know where they used to stash their drugs and illegal guns. If I’m right, maybe I can get them busted and out of our hair for good.”

  “That would be awesome, Havoc. So what help do you need from me?”

  “Well, not you specifically. I was wanting someone from the club to go with me. Watch my back. That kinda thing. Someone with combat or fighting experience.”

  “I’ll come with you. Orphan, too. She’s here with me in my office.”

  “No offense, Labrys, but I was thinking someone more like Savage.”

  “Hey, just because I’m a college professor doesn’t mean I can’t fight. I’ve taken a self-defense class or two in my time. Besides, there’s nothing I’d like better than to shut those dumb rednecks down.”

  Shea thought about it. If everything went as planned, it could solve all of her problems. But if things went sideways, Orphan or Labrys could get hurt or killed. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. Orphan either, for that matter.”

  “Hey! You want to be a prospect? You gotta learn we stand with each other. So it’s either Orphan and me or you can forget joining the Sisterhood.”

  “What does Orphan have to say?”

  “Orphan’s a prospect. I’m the president. She does what I tell her. Don’t worry, she can hold her own.”

  Shea sighed. “All right. I gotta pick up a few things from home before I head up to their stash house. You want to meet somewhere in Ironwood in about an hour?”

  “Sure. How about LezBeans?”

  “As good a place as any.” Shea sighed. “See you in an hour.”

  Shea hung up and pulled on her helmet and gloves, imagining what life would be like as a prospect with Labrys as a sponsor.

  On her way to LezBeans, Shea stopped at home to put on her bulletproof vest and slip her .40-caliber Glock in a holster at the small of her back. Shea felt pumped. Once they confirmed the drugs were still in the old stash house, she’d take some photos, send them to Rios, and hopefully be done with this mess forever. That was the plan, at least.

  As she climbed back onto Sweet Betsy, her cellphone rang. Shea hoped it was Labrys calling back to say she had changed her mind. A quick glance at the screen revealed it not to be the case. The caller ID read
CORTES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. “What now?”

  She was tempted to ignore it, but feared something might have happened to Annie at school. Something like Monster showing up and taking off with her. Annie would probably be too happy to see him to not go.

  She pulled off her helmet and hit the answer button on the third ring. “Yeah, this is Shea.”

  “Ms. Stevens, this is Principal Everett Howell at Pineview Elementary School. We’ve had a situation involving your niece, Annie.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine. But we do need you to come pick her up right away.”

  “Why? What’s happened?”

  “It’s best if we explain in person.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Shea ended the call and immediately dialed Jessica at work.

  “Shea? I can’t really talk now. I’m at work.” Jessica sounded a bit frustrated.

  “It’s Annie. Something’s happened at school.”

  “She all right?”

  “I think so. Her principal says we need to go down and pick her up.”

  “And by we, you mean me. Yeah, I can’t do that. I’m tied up with a client right now. She’s your niece. You need to biker up, as you say, and handle the situation yourself.”

  “Come on, Jess. Just this once. I got something important to do.”

  “Oh really? And what might that be?”

  Shea did not want to tell her about her plans to visit the Thunder’s stash house. “Never mind. I’ll deal with it.”

  “I love you, Shea.”

  “Love you, too,” Shea grumbled before ending the call. “Fuck.”

  Shea called Labrys back. When she answered, Shea said, “Hey, change of plans. I can’t do this now.”

  “Shea, don’t even think about doing this without Orphan and me.”

  “No, it’s not that. My niece’s school just called. I gotta go pick her up.”

  “So pick her up and meet us at LezBeans. Orphan can watch her while you and I take care of business.”

  Shea stood there speechless for a moment. Leaving Annie with someone Shea had only met a few times while she and Deb rode off to a remote shed in the woods? What would Jessica say? But then, something had to be done about the Thundermen. “Okay, I’ll meet you two at LezBeans. Probably be closer to two hours.”