“He’s the guy who’s getting his ass shot off protecting you now shut up so I can think here.”
I open my mouth to argue, and then decide it’s better not to distract him. We’re still not out of danger. Cade pulls out of the alley and onto the street paralleling the street my house is on. My aunt turns to say something to me when we take a sharp left and she ends up in my lap.
“What the fuck?” I yell to Cade.
He ignores me and continues to drive like a wild man. He hits the brakes, makes one more sharp left and nearly runs down a man with his back turned to us. The guys turns around and levels what looks like some riffle at us.
“Cade!” I shout as I duck, keeping my aunt’s head down in my lap.
I hear the impacts of bullets on glass then hear and feel a loud thud and a crash. We must have run the man down. Suddenly Cade hits the brakes and we come to a screeching halt! I hear our door open and feel someone getting into the front passenger seat. I keep my head down until we’re out on the main road and out of apparent danger. I look up and gasp. The front windshield is shattered and amazingly though is still intact. There’s a large smear of blood across the middle of the windshield where it must have taken the brunt of the hit on the body. I swallow back bile and close my eyes. My aunt actually seems to be relatively calm. I guess Alzheimer’s has its advantages. I open my eyes again as we make a sharp turn onto a gravel surface. We’re in the back of an old house. There’s an old Honda Accord in the driveway. Cade and his buddy get out and while Cade keeps lookout his buddy, Ratface busts the car’s driver’s side window and gets in. Sixty seconds later we’re in the new car driving where I have no idea, but hopefully to a place to hunker down and rest. At some point all this crap is going to hit my aunt and she’s going to freak! I don’t want to be speeding down the highway in a stolen car when that happens.
“Where are you taking us?” I finally ask.
“The Compound of course.”
“What? No fucking way. You can’t take my aunt there. It’ll drive her nuts.”
“You talk like that hasn’t already happened.” He says, and then flashes a quick smile. “She’ll be fine. She’s probably saner that half our brothers. And besides, Ratface here needs medical attention.”
“What? He’s shot? I didn’t know that.”
“He just winged me.” Ratface growls.
“And you need that cleaned or it’ll get infected.” Cade replies.
I look across at my aunt. She staring out the window and seems to be talking to herself. That’s better than freaking out. But I have a decision to make here. Is taking her to a biker lair, during a war, really the best place for her? No fucking way! So the question is, is it better taking her back to San Diego and the retirement community or is it better having her with me at home at a time that I may be targeted for violence? As much as I love my aunt, as much as I wanted to do the right thing and have her spend her final days with someone who loves her…I have to admit, taking her back to the home is the saner decision. Fuck!
“Cade…I have to take her back.”
“Back where?” He asks.
“To San Diego, to the retirement home. I can’t be putting her life in danger when she has no say in this. If she was lucid and could make the decision that would be different. But she’s not so I have to make it for her. Take us back home.”
“What the hell? Are you fucking kidding me Morgan? Excuse my French Ms. Swift, but I have to talk some sense into your…niece here.”
My aunt doesn’t reply. She just looks out the window and mutters under her breath.
“I’m totally serious Cade. Take us back.”
“Okay, you’re not thinking this through. We were just shot at protecting you. My brother here took a bullet protecting you and your aunt. No way-”
I interrupt him. “Protection that I never wanted.”
“Oh so it would have been just fine to leave you to your own devices when the dudes with automatic weapons came knocking? Now you’re starting to sound like your aunt; no offense ma’am.”
“Non- taken.” She replies, then returns her attention back to somewhere outside the car.”
Whoa…that was weird.
“I am not endangering you, your aunt, or Ratface here by taking us back to your house. What I will do is this. You come to our compound, and after things settle down I’ll personally drive you both to San Diego to the home or even your own home if that’s what you want, but not before this war settles down. It’s for your own good Morgan.”
I guess that’s fair. It probably would be suicide to return to my house after we just got shot at.
“Sure,” I finally answer. But we’re not staying more than a week…ten days tops. And you’d better put us up in one of your apartments well away from everyone else. I have to minimize the craziness here.”
“Done.”
We fall into silence the last ten minutes to the compound, only occasionally punctuated by moans from the injured Ratface. As we pull up to the biker sanctuary someone slides back the twelve foot high chain link fence. As we drive in I spot at least six brothers armed with what I’m pretty sure are AK-47’s or something similar. These guys really are prepared for war.
Farther into the compound someone has set up a makeshift playground and there are a half dozen kids accompanied by several adults and three gun toting guards. The kids seem happy to be there. For them it’s probably an adventure. For my aunt, who knows what it will be like in her head.
Chapter Fifteen
Sanctuary
Cade takes us to an apartment in the far end of the compound, about as far away from the road and the hubbub of the clubhouse as possible. For our safety he has posted a pair of armed guards at the front door. They greet us pleasantly enough and let us in with smiles on their faces.
“As soon as I can spare the men we’ll send someone by your house to collect your clothes and any personal items you think you can’t live without. Maybe you can give me a list? I’d imagine your aunt here has meds or something she takes? When would she need them?”
“Yeah…she does. They’re in the medicine cabinet of the bathroom off the spare bedroom, not the other bathroom. If she has to she can go a couple days without them but not more than two or three at most.”
“I think we can sneak someone in there tomorrow night. Just write what you need here.” He hands me a tattered notebook and pen. “I’ll get everything I can on that list. Just try and keep it to things you can’t live without. Keep in mind if need be, we can always do some shopping for you too.”
I take the pad and pen, grateful for the offer. I hadn’t even thought about our things yet and especially not my aunt’s meds. That could have been a problem. After I hand him my list he leaves with the promise of keeping it quiet here. If we need anything at all we can come to the clubhouse, call him, or let one of our guards know and they’ll get ahold of me. I thank him and turn my attention to my aunt. Hopefully the last hour of craziness doesn’t affect her. She seems calm and okay as far as I can tell.
“Come on Auntie; let’s see what’s on TV.”
I take her by the hand and lead her into the living room where there’s a nice sized flat screen TV. I guess it’s too early to watch daytime soaps that she used to like, but maybe there’s some interesting news on CNN. I flip the TV on and tune into CNN. I settle down to watch TV hoping my aunt will follow suite. What a crazy start to the day it’s been.
My aunt remains withdrawn the rest of the day and sleeps all through the night. No one comes to bother us and Cade doesn’t call or show up either. I guess his plate is pretty full right now. There’s not much to do so Auntie and I end up watching CNN and a marathon of Antiques Road Show. I never really watched the show but whenever it comes on my aunt seems interested so we keep watching. Three hours later she is still entranced by the program so I decide to just keep it on. It’s a pretty interesting show. People from all over bring their collectables, antiques, and whatever else they thi
nk holds a value and the show’s appraisers tell about the item and give it a value. It’s pretty amazing what some junk can actually be worth. Much of the stuff I wouldn’t have given a second look until the appraiser put a quarter of a million dollar value on it.
The next night we’re deep into another episode of the show when there’s a knock on the front door. I freeze in place and my heart pounds, and then I remember we are well guarded here. Maybe it’s Cade with our stuff? There’s another knock, then I hear the front door opening.
“Morgan, you here?”
It’s Cade.
“In the living room. Come on in.” I holler.
A minute later he walks in carrying two suitcases. What a relief. Now I can shower and get out of this smelly shit I’ve been wearing. My aunt can have her pills and she can have a fresh change of clothes as well.
“Is there somewhere we can talk?” He asks me.
“Here’s fine.”
“Um…I’m not sure you want your aunt in on this.” He replies mysteriously.
“Okay…let’s go into the kitchen then.
As we go into the kitchen I notice he has another smaller bag in his hand. We take opposite seats at the kitchen table and he opens the bag and pulls out several bottles. My heart sinks. Shit! I totally forgot.
“You mind explaining these?” He asks me.
On the table in front of me is two bottles of pre-natal vitamins. I was not prepared to tell him yet because I really don’t know what to say or how much involvement I want him to have in my baby’s life. This is really bad timing!
“These are for you right?” He asks.
I nod.
“Is it mine?”
Again I nod.
“Have you decided what to do?”
I nod my head.
“Geeze Morgan, were you ever gonna tell me?”
I nod.
“What’s going on with you?
“I suppose you feel you should have had a say in whether or not I kept the baby?”
“Hell yes…I mean, yeah I think so…If you have that child, I have a certain responsibility here to not only provide financially for the child and for you, but I would want to be a part of any child of mine’s life.”
“Sorry to tell you Cade, but I’m not sure you should be in any child’s life.”
“And why the hell not?”
“Are you kidding me Cade? After what you just put my aunt and me through you have to ask that? Just imagine the chaos if there had been a child in the mix the other day when you ‘rescued us. Do you really think it wise to expose a child to your lifestyle?”
“There is nothing wrong with my lifestyle. It’s not my fault that we’re at war right now and it’s not something that happens every day. I would be a great father! I am well prepared to provide for you and the child and I am emotionally available whereas when it comes to you I have my doubts.”
“Your doubts?”
“Yes I have my doubts. You’re like a human cyborg Morgan. Do you really think you can connect with a child on an emotional level? Having a baby is more than just providing for physical needs. Your baby will feel your emotional absence even more than I feel it. He should at least have one parent connected to him on a feeling level.”
I hate to admit it, but he has a point. But I have changed as well. He needs to know that.
“Look Cade, I am well aware of my shortcomings when it comes to…to feelings. I know I haven’t been able to feel like normal people and I am working on that. I’ve been going to a psychiatrist and am making progress. I am changing my life Cade. Why do you think I took my aunt out of the home? I would not have done that if I didn’t think I could be emotionally available to her.”
“I get that you’re trying to change and I think that’s great, but do you think this is the time to bring a child into your life?”
“No…it’s not the best time but it has happened and I am going to keep my baby!”
“Wow…when did you decide to keep the baby? Don’t you think you should have consulted me first?”
“It’s my body Cade, I-”
“And it’s my child too as much as it’s yours. I should have had a say in this too.”
“You’re having a baby?”
My aunt’s soft voice, tinged with wonderment silences both of us. What a time for her to suddenly be lucid. She takes a seat beside me and takes my hand in both of hers. Her eyes are clear and she seems totally aware of what‘s going on here.
“Yes Auntie, I am having a baby.”
She squeezes my hand almost painfully tight. “Who’s the father? This young man?”
I nod. “Her name is Alexa.”
“Geeze Morgan, you know the sex of the baby too?” Cade asks.
“Well it hasn’t been confirmed, but it came to me in a dream and in that dream I had a ten year old girl named Alexa.”
“How do you know that dream was about this baby and not one you had in the future?”
Shit… I didn’t think of that. I was so sure in the dream and just as sure when I woke up that I didn’t even question it.
“I’m a mother,” I finally say. “Mothers just know.” I turn to my aunt. “This young man, I’m not sure he should have anything to do with my baby. He-”
“Is the father.” My aunt concludes. “A child should grow up with his daddy unless his father is some kind of child molester or serial killer or something.”
He’s not far from a serial killer I say to myself. “Did you not see any of what we went through the other day? The mad dash from my home being chased by gunmen?
“Of course I did, and what I saw was a man doing anything to protect his pregnant girlfriend even though he didn’t know at the time that she was carrying his baby. Who wouldn’t want a man willing to go to any lengths to protect his family? That’s not a bad thing Morgan.”
“But he’s a…” I was going to say killer but for some reason I don’t say it. Better her looking at Cade through rose fucking colored stain glass windows if I am going to let him be in my child’s life. Instead I end up saying he’s a member of a biker club.
“You know Morgan, I’m not blind. I saw the guards at the gate out there and I saw the guards at our front door. Who lives behind a ten foot fence protected by machine gun toting men? I can only think of two types of men. You’re man here is either a member of a drug cartel or some kind of outlaw biker gang. Anyone else facing the threat he faces and now you, would have already gone to the police and there would be police and FBI agents around here instead of tattooed bikers. Your son needs a father Morgan. Enjoy this moment of clarity right now because I’m told I don’t have many of them.”
Chapter Sixteen
Charity Ride
I hadn’t seen Cade for several days when he comes knocking on my door and I find I have actually missed him.
“To what do I owe the…paltry pleasure of this visit?” I ask him.
“How’s your aunt?” He asks.
“She’s back to her usual delusions.” I reply. “It was nice while it lasted though.”
“Sorry to hear that. It occurred to me that you have probably been a little stir crazy so I thought I’d look in on you and make an offer.”
“I’m more than a little bored. I’d be nice to have some adult conversation for a change. Most of the time I feel like I’m talking to a child.”
“We are doing a charity ride this Saturday and it occurred to me that you might like to come along.”
“Oh wow! Then the war is over and we can leave?”
“Unfortunately it’s not over but this is one event we can’t afford to miss. The positive PR we get from this will last the rest of the year and the goodwill we’ll earn pays off in spades. In short, we can’t afford to not do this one. We ride from San Francisco to Monterey and back again. It’s a short ride but well publicized. A lot of rich benefactors live in Monterey and Carmel and we need the support of the wealthy there.”
“Are you sure it’s safe?”
>
“Absolutely! There’s no way anyone’s going to attack us with the press following in hot pursuit. You’ll be safe and it’ll be fun. So what do you think? You up for seven hours on the back of my Harley?”
“Your Harley?”
“What? You didn’t think you’d be riding in a truck did you?”
“A limo actually.”
“Good one.”
“What about my aunt?”
“A couple of our old ladies are nurses. I’ll have one of them stay with your aunt until we return.”
“How many days will I be gone?”
“We leave at eight Saturday morning and return Monday night, so just the one night. You think she can manage without you for that period of time?”
“Yeah…the way she’s been the last two days I doubt she’ll even realize a nurse has taken my place. It’ll be fine. Besides, if I don’t get out of here I’m going to end up sounding less sane than my aunt.”
“That’s the spirit. I’ll pick you up in two days.”
“Hey… do you have to go now? Can’t business wait for a few minutes at least? I mean it’s nearly eleven, what kind of business would you be conducting at this hour?”
“The defense of our compound… but yeah…they’ll hold down the fort. I doubt we’ll be attacked in the next hour so sure, we can chat.”
“You want a beer or some wine?”
“Beer’s good, unless you’ve got something stronger.”
He takes a seat in the living room while I poke around in an unfamiliar kitchen looking for something other than beer and wine. Finally I come up with a bottle of some type of scotch or something. The label is Russian I believe so maybe it’s Vodka.
“Hey I got something in Russian here. You want ice?”
“Sure.”
When I return to the living room I find he has placed himself strategically in the middle of the couch so I have to at least sit within arm’s reach of him unless I take the floor or the chair on the other side of the room. I take the couch. After all, he doesn’t bite and his bark is quite nice.
Old Lady (Iron Disciples Book 2) Page 13