by Xander Hades
The crowd had missed an epic fight in the park. This was their chance to see it again in miniature. When Krocker walked out, he was met with boos and cat-calling. It was a Bandit that trashed one of the most important bikes in history. It was a Bandit that was arrested for stealing the bike. Krocker was the enemy.
Rocky was the knight in shining armor. It was his group that tried to save the bike, and that had rescued the girl (despite the fact that she’d done a fair share of the rescuing herself). There was enough chivalry in the crowd to harken back to the idea of chivalry, of knights on mechanical steeds that roamed the wilds of the interstate to protect the innocent, and to defeat the villainy.
Inevitably, there were those who sided with the aforementioned villainy. These were in the minority, however, and anyway, it was about to be played out behind chicken wire in a cage between two men who dedicated themselves to fighting and fighting dirty.
Rocky took the mouth guard and Hoodoo laced the gloves. Not too tight, not too loose. Somewhere in the crowd, a good ways back and shaking her head at the whole affair was Tracy. Hoodoo wondered if she’d stay for the duration of the fight. Whether she’d still be there when it was over. Despite her declarations of love, despite everything that had happened, they hadn’t had time to really talk. There was still stuff between them that needed settling.
As though reading Hoodoo’s mind, Rocky smashed the gloves together and winked. Hoodoo grinned.
Rocky entered the cage and stretched, walking to his opponent with an easy confidence and grace. Seeing Rocky face Krocker was like watching a boulder roll up to a sequoia. Krocker stood as tall as Mad-dog and tried to lean over Rocky for intimidation. Rocky, although just under six feet, flexed and the effect was like a solid brick or fireplug. It was Krocker that broke the stare-down first.
“I know about your deal.” Rocky spat the mouth guard into his mitt so that his words carried just enough for Hoodoo to hear.
“What deal?” Krocker said through his.
“The one where you arranged to have a motorcycle stolen because you have the delusion that it’s some damn family heirloom. Did you include kidnapping with that? What did you tell them to do with her when they were done? Where you going to kill her? Dump her body somewhere?”
“You’re insane!” Krocker said, spitting his guard out too. “I don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about!”
“Really? You and your damn babbling the whole way from the airport, you kept on and on about your fucking ancestor and his great bikes.”
“Yeah?”
“Its spelled wrong, asshole.”
“It was changed.” The argument was weak, the look or belligerent defiance on Krocker’s face worth the price of the ticket. The crowd, getting a sense of the conversation quieted, hanging on every word.
“Bullshit. You saw an opportunity and went for it, what were you going to pay, huh? How much were you giving them for grand theft and kidnapping? How much were you going to pay for my friend’s girl?”
“You can’t prove a damn thing.” Krocker spat. “All you have is the deluded ramblings of a crazy little man in a hospital bed.”
There was silence. Hoodoo watched, as did the largest group of bikers in history, riveted as the two men realized that although no one could hear them clearly, the announcer had finished and the entire rally watched them as their faces grew red and angrier as their words were passed back by those closest to the cage.
“Trial by combat,” Rocky said, putting his guard back in.
“Remember, guys, this is an exposition,” the referee said, “I want a clean fight.”
“Trial by combat.” Krocker agreed. He clamped down on his guard.
Hoodoo felt Val next to him. Her knuckles were white on the railing that separated Rocky’s “corner” from the cage.
“Boss,” she said in a strangled voice, “what are they doing?”
Hoodoo looked in the general direction of where he’d last seen Tracy, knowing she was too far away to hear the combatants, or to even see the clearly. Hopefully.
He couldn’t help it. He worried about her. Even knowing she could take care of herself just fine, he worried about her.
“Being true to themselves,” Hoodoo said.
“Listen up!” The referee said, clipping his words. “This is not…”
If Krocker’s swing came before Rocky’s kick it was by a matter of moments. The ref was barely able to jump out of the way before both men exploded into action. Hoodoo had never seen anyone move that fast before in his life.
Val gasped and ogled the two of them. Even compared to her lightning-fast speeds, the two of them were fast. Krocker countered Rocky’s kick by bringing up a knee. Rocky stepped into the punch while on one foot and spun, deflecting the fist that was coming for his face.
Krocker skip-jumped and brought up a knee, Rocky stepped back and Krocker turned it into a full-on kick. Rocky deflected it with his shin and sent a left hook crashing into Krocker’s chin. Krocker took the blow, although the sound of it was deafening.
The crowd began to scream and yell for their favorite. The fighter were all speed and power and the referee was blowing his whistle, but neither of the combatants cared for his judgement.
Rocky spun and mule-kicked Krocker. If it had connected, it would have shattered the man’s knee. Krocker spun and dodged and connected to Rocky’s solar plexus and threw his weight behind the blow. Rocky bent over, spitting blood and spinning to put his foot in his opponent’s face.
Krocker went down but leapt back to his feet. Rocky anticipated the move and laid in with lighting-fast punches. Krocker danced as Rocky drilled the man with left and right fists. The ref tried to intercede, to pull Rocky off of Krocker, but when Rocky would have stepped back, Krocker followed him and landed a devastating kick on Rocky’s’ groin that he couldn’t dodge because the ref was in the way.
Krocker grabbed the ref and threw him to one side and leapt on top of Ricky.
Rocky held his arms up over his face and Hoodoo could hear Val crying out as Krocker landed blow after blow on his opponent.
The crowd was pressing against the fencing that held the stage. Their shouts and screams and thrown bottles turned the match into an organized riot and in the middle of the pummeling, Rocky jumped and fell in front of Krocker in a push-up position.
Hoodoo stole a glance at Val who watched with wide eyes as Rocky lifted one foot into Krocker’s crotch and then, as his opponent fell, grabbing is groin, the other foot came square into his face.
Krocker flew backward and landed on his back. Rocky fell to one knee beside him and pulled the glove lacings free of his right hand with his teeth.
He grabbed Krocker with the gloved left and raised the right for a killing blow.
“Yield!” Rocky roared.
“Yield.” Krocker agreed.
Rocky let the man drop. He stood and staggered to his corner.
The crowd went wild.
Chapter Twenty Three
“On the other hand, it’s a quiet place to park,” Tracy said as Hoodoo stretched out beside the RV.
They were still in the patch of dirt behind the Buffalo Chip and next to the park. It was a narrow strip of land, the reason no one had claimed it yet was that it was too small to be noticed. After all the events of the day and the exposition fight to the death, however, no one had the balls to tell The Gilas to move. For the night, they were treated like kings. And a Queen, although she was tending to Rocky and making sure he was properly bandaged.
“None of that was admissible,” Loki said, still mourning the latest to come down from Hitman’s legal team. “You can’t take that into a court of law.” The rest of them, even Tracy, gave him a measured look. “Yeah, ok, I get it, not the point,” Loki held up his hands, “but it still galls me that he got away with it.”
“He didn’t,” Hoodoo said. “Rocky took it out of his hide in front of the entire world and there was nothing anyone could do about it.”
&
nbsp; But now it was late, the fight was won and the bike… the cause of all of this… was gone.
“I’m sorry,” Hoodoo said, turning to face Tracy, his eyes filled with regret. “If the cops were right, we did cause the bike to get wrecked.”
“What do you mean?” Tracy said, popping open a cold beer.
“Well, maybe the cops could have gotten it back in one piece. I don’ know, if I wasn’t pressing too hard, if I wasn’t tryin’ to be…”
“Mr. Testosterone?” Tracy smiled, handing him the can then taking one for herself.
Hoodoo smiled.
“Listen,” Tracy said, leaning against the RV, the can still unopened between her palms. “All I want is for you to let me handle my own problems once in a while. For the most part. I want you as part of my life, Hoodoo, but not to take it over completely. I want to share it, not give it up.”
“I know you can,” Hoodoo said.
“And thank you for saving me.” Tracy smiled.
Hoodoo stood and reached out a hand. “I aint gonna get this right,” he said as she took his hand and came to stand beside him. “I mean, eventually, I’ll figure it out, but I was raised that I needed to protect mine. I had lots of little brothers and sisters and they had me. Before we lived wit’ Momma Leonna, we had some hard times and some dangerous times. Even after Momma took us in, there were some close calls and the only thing that kept my siblings safe was me.”
“I’m all grown up.” Tracy pointed out with a hand on his chest. He looked down at her, and she swatted his arm when she realized what he was looking at. “My face is up here, big boy.”
“You might be grown up, no’ so sure I am.” Hoodoo said with a laugh. “Being big, you learn to protect people, people you care about. I’m still doing that, an’ I probably always will.”
“Then let’s make a deal?” Tracy said, looking up into his eyes. “Ask me if I need to be saved. OK?”
Hoodoo smiled. “I can try. I will try. I want to share my life with you, too.”
Tracy took his hand and led him to a spot next to the door. She climbed the steps until she was on the same height as Hoodoo. “Finally,” she grinned, “now my neck doesn’t hurt.”
“Then you gotta kiss me longer,” Hoodoo said, taking her in his arms.
“I can try.” Tracy said with a laugh. “I will try.”
Hoodoo pulled her in and placed a large hand behind her head. He pulled her to him, lips locked on lips, kissing her deeply and for as long as he could before he had to come up for air.
She breathed deep and held on to him, until she complained she was dizzy from the lack of air. Behind him she heard the others, his allies, but quickly becoming her friends, disappearing into the night, with murmured farewells.
Hoodoo swept her up in his embrace and carried her like a new bride through the door, although it took some maneuvering. Getting her through was easy, but doors were never a friend to Hoodoo, and she laughed as he went through various gymnastics to keep from hitting either of their heads on the frame.
Once inside, he kicked the door closed and his kisses became more urgent, more passionate. He pulled at her shirt and she whipped it off, begrudging the time it took away from his lips to pull it free.
Hoodoo had her bra off before she realized it. The cool air caressing her skin was what told her she was bare-chested. She scrambled for his shirt and then fought the belt that cinched his waist. It stuck and she pulled on it with some desperation, trying to break it free.
He grabbed her ass, spoiling her attempt and lifted her leg in his large hands. Her belt gave easily to the slightest tug and her pants fell in a pool at her feet while she laughed at his urgency, tripping on the fabric as she kicked her feet free.
He backed off long enough to look at her and then pulled once on his belt. It popped open and hung there easily. Tracy growled at the stubborn thing and tore into the button on his jeans, tearing down the zipper. His pants would have fallen, but she grabbed them and tore them off his hips, snagging his underwear along the way.
The wonder of his manhood struck out from him, hard and throbbing and she grabbed it greedily, hungrily, a woman who needed it, wanted it, wanted him. She let him know that in the hard strokes she gave him as he tried to grab the panties she still wore, but she eluded his grasp, and had already dropped to her knees in front of him. He held her head as she kissed and licked and stroked him, massaging his balls and playing with him, while torturing the head with her tongue.
It was crazy violent passion, completely unrestrained. The tearing at the clothes only set the pace, as they met with a heat and desperation that surprised even her. All the fear and adrenaline of the last few days finally found a place to release, as he groaned and arched, caressing her hair as she teased him. As she moaned and writhed, when he stepped back and lifted her, carrying her into the little bedroom over the bed of the truck. Her need became frantic, and she begged him, calling his name as he pulled her panties off and laid her on the bed, spreading her legs. He smiled and she drew her legs apart, begging him to enter her, but he surprised her. He buried his head between her legs, resting his cheek on her thigh and began to dig into her sex with tongue and teeth and lips.
She gasped and arched and squirmed and grabbed the covers in tight fists and her legs began to shake and her feet to curl under his lashing tongue.
He spread her with his thumbs and his quick and clever tongue landed on her sweetest spot and the electricity shot through her from toes to her eyeballs. She nearly spent her self then but Hoodoo had other plans for them.
He lifted his head, leaving her cold and aching with need, crawling up her body, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses across her belly, her breasts, her neck. While he was nibbling her ear, she could feel him slip inside of her, the hardness deliciously filling and stretching her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in deeper, lifting herself against his back to impale herself on him again and again, only to fall back and repeat once again.
He sped up, his body caressing hers, filling hers. She welcomed him, needing him as her own release began to build. He thrust harder, deeper, going as fast and as deep as he was able.
When he called out in his release, she followed, spasm for spasm, cry for cry as they both shook and fell, replete and sated.
It took a long time for their heart rates to calm down, for their bodies to cease throbbing and spasming.
In the darkness, they lay side by side. Tracy’s head was on his chest.
“You can at least pay back your friend now,” Tracy said, making circles with her forefinger around the nipple nearest her, then leaning forward to kiss away her teasing.
“I think it’s only fair to offer,” Hoodoo said slowly, drawing her head back down upon his shoulder, his hand buried in her hair. “It’s one thing to be generous when you know you ain’t never gonna see the money, it’s another when the money’s there…”
Tracy smiled, but nodded.
“What are you going to do with it if he says no?”
“It was your bike,” Hoodoo said, “your insurance. It’s your money.”
“Our money.” Tracy corrected him, lazy with contentment. At peace for the first time in months.
They were quiet a while. “Are you going to miss the bike?” Hoodoo asked finally.
“I have a bike,” Tracy said, shifting so that she could look at him, her eyes meeting his in the semi-darkness. “I like the backseat of yours. It’s my place.”
“It’s your place,” Hoodoo agreed.
“You still want me there?”
“Forever,” Hoodoo said. “Till death.”
Tracy sat up and looked at him. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Hoodoo crossed his hands behind his head. “I’ve had that damn ring for months, now. O’ course, it’s back in Phoenix.”
Tracy squealed and landed on him, causing his breath to escape out of him in a violent explosion of air. With a mock roar he pulled her off of h
im, growling and complaining that she was too rough for someone as delicate as him.
Laughing, she attacked him again, only this time she knew where to grab to be the most effective.
It was a long time before either of them got any sleep.
Epilogue
When morning came, it brought coffee and doughnuts and the rest of the Gilas except for Val. Val was sleeping late. In Rocky’s trailer. “I don’t like it,” Loki said, as he reported this development. “We don’t know anything about the boy.”
Tracy laughed and poured the coffee.
The group sobered as a police car pulled up, followed by a stretch limo. Detective Harris stepped out of the squad car.
“I told you that your friend was sending a special counsel to take over your case,” he said and pointed a thumb at the limo. His look was pure delight.
The driver had gotten out and was holding the rear door open.
Hoodoo fell backward, his coffee and doughnut hitting the dirt. His eyes grew wide in fear. Tracy forgot how to breathe.