by Parker, Kara
He had driven around the town, to the next town over, and into the desert, but he had always circled back, waiting for the AC text—all clear. It finally came when David was two hours into the desert with no real direction in mind. “AC,” the text said. It mean that whatever had gone down was over now, and they were free to pop their heads up out of the sand and see who was left.
“X” was the next message. This was the code for the safe house on the outskirts of town. It was a ramshackle shed that had belonged to a member who died with no heirs. He had left the house to the club, and they used it anytime they needed to not be seen. There was no way to know if this was a real message or a trap set by the cops. The text itself had come through on an unknown number, but that part wasn’t so strange since almost all of the members used burner phones. It could be anyone.
David stopped in the middle of the road. There was nothing but desert and rock outcroppings in every direction. He didn’t have to go back; he could just drive. Just keep going, leave this place behind like he had left behind so many. But Marina’s Crest was his home. He could leave, but he could never stay away.
If only Olivia Waters wasn’t in Marina’s Crest. If only he had never met her, never slept with her, never allowed her into his life, never trusted her. She had ratted on the club. David had no proof of this, but it was the only thing that made sense. She must have done it; she was the only cop to have any interaction with God’s Reapers. He didn’t know how she had figured out the warehouse on Marigold Street was where the drugs were stored. Someone must have said something, Hillary maybe. Or maybe Olivia had just figured it out. She was smart; he had to give her that.
As he turned his bike and headed towards the safe house, David thought about Olivia, how she had tricked and used him. They had slept together, and he had foolishly thought that it had meant something, that they had a connection, but clearly they didn’t. He couldn’t understand how she could betray him like that, especially after the night they had spent together. It had been the best sex of David’s life, and she had turned around the next day and destroyed him. If it were up to Olivia Waters, David would be wearing a prison jumpsuit right now, too. It was pure luck that he hadn’t been at the warehouse when the hit happened. They had a sighting on Paul, the junkie who had beat up Joey, and David had gone to investigate. Twenty minutes after he left, the cops showed up. He knew how that would look to the other members.
David took the long way to the house. He knew there was a bluff that overlooked the area, and he rode his bike up it and looked down at the house. He was looking for cop cars or vans or anything that might tip off that this was a trap, but he didn’t see anything suspicious. There were a handful of bikes outside, but that was it. After waiting half an hour, he finally drove his bike down the long lane. He parked his bike outside and walked up to the front door, surprised that no one had greeted him yet.
“Traitor!” someone yelled, as David opened the door. The wind was knocked out of him, as someone punched him right in the gut. He doubled over and gasped for breath, unsure of what was happening. He felt hands grab both of his arms. David tried to free himself, but the hands on him were strong, and it didn’t take long for them to have him trapped.
“Hey, what are you doing!?” David demanded, and he was answered with a solid punch that landed right in the center of his face. He heard a sickening crunch, and then pain exploded in his head as his nose began to bleed, the blood dripping into his mouth. David spit the blood to the side and looked up to see who had hit him.
“What’s the deal, Angel?” he demanded. Angel was a full-fledged member of God’s Reapers. David had always considered him a friend, but clearly something had changed.
“You told the fucking pigs,” Angel spit.
“No, I didn’t,” David yelled, a hint of panic in his voice. He struggled against the men holding his arms, but they just held on even tighter. “I didn’t tell the cops; I swear I didn’t. Do you think I would have come here if I did?”
“Maybe you’re working with them right now. Maybe they’re just sitting on the other side of the bluff, waiting for your signal.”
“Well, they’re not doing a good job, seeing as how I’m getting the shit beat of me for no reason. I didn’t tell the cops.” Angel shook his head and reared back, David tried to avoid the punch as best he could, but it landed right below his left eye. He saw stars, as pain on top of pain pulsed through him. The next hit from Angel landed right on David’s ribs. Again there was that sickening crunch, and David wondered how many bones had been broken in such a short amount of time.
“Enough,” a stern voice said. David managed to lift his head, and he saw Mike and Rick standing a few feet away from him.
“Thank God,” David whispered. Mike had gotten away, that was what mattered. They still had their leader; everything would be ok. David watched as Mike walked toward him, surprisingly lithe for such a big man.
“David,” he said. But he gave no order for the men who were holding him to let him go. Instead, Mike brought his right hand up and backhanded David across the face. David’s head jerked to the left, and he tasted blood as his teeth cut the inside of his cheek.
“Didn’t Mike...I didn’t rat...swear it.” David’s head hung down, his face and ribs were throbbing with pain. He watched as his blood dripped from his face and pooled on the floor.
“I know you’re not a traitor, David,” Mike said, and the men around the room grumbled. “But I did put you in charge of keeping the cops away from the warehouse. You failed in that task. Let him go,” Mike whispered, and David fell to his knees on the floor. “We put so much faith in you, David, and this is how you repay us?”
David knelt there, his head hanging down. Mike was right; this was David’s fault. He had one job to do—to keep the cops away—and he had failed. Now, his brothers were in jail, and the remaining free members of God’s Reapers were hiding in some crappy shack out in the desert.
“I’ll make it up to you, Mike,” David said. He managed to lift his head and look up into Mike’s eyes. “Anything, Mike. I’ll do anything.
“Yes,” Mike said. “You will.”
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