Beginning of the Reckoning

by Vera Quinn

  “How could you tell how tall the man was?” I ask. “When he came up the stairs, he stopped at the top and turned towards the camera and he was up against the wall for just a few minutes and I went and looked at it and he had to be close to six feet tall.” Sounds reasonable.

  “What makes you think one of them could be a woman? I saw the pictures the PD have, and I am telling you Brother, not many women could do that damage.” Tito looks convinced of his statement.

  “Did you see all the crime scene photos or just the one our guy in the PD could get?” Devil asks Tito. “I hacked and got all that are available so far. I have them for everyone to look at. I just didn’t want to send them out. The PD also did a rape kit.” Tito gets up and walks to Devil with his laptop and Devil takes it and looks at the screen. I slide over so I can see and the pictures are horrific. I have seen a lot of death in my time, even caused some of it, but this is brutal. I have seen enough. I sit back up.

  “Hacksaw, why would you think a woman is involved?” I look at Devil and he looks back at me but I answer the question. “I just find it odd that it has been quiet for a while now and just when the woman from Texas shows up, we have problems. I just don’t like to leave unanswered questions. The message on the wall was addressed to the Feral Steel MC. Becky worked for us. Becky also lived in apartments owned by us. It’s not going to be long before the PD is knocking on our door and asking questions. I want to get a jump on answers and even if the Texas woman has nothing to do with it then we still need to ask and answer that question. Just to watch our own asses,” I answer but then I need to add the last part in my mind. “I think it is a long shot she would have anything to do with it but we can’t be too careful with this. One woman is already dead.” I see the brothers shaking their heads in agreement.

  “The woman’s name is Joy and Tara and I have spent some time with her since she has moved here and I don’t think she has anything to do with it. Joy just wants a fresh start,” Rome says. I know the brother sympathizes with the woman, since Rome himself wanted a fresh start not that long ago, but now is not the time to ignore anything or any possible lead.

  “I agree with both of you ,” Devil speaks up. I smile at him because I never thought he would admit it even if he thought it. I should have known that Devil wouldn’t let a question go unanswered. “I have known Joy a while before she ever moved here and I don’t think she is involved but we do need to cover our asses and make sure. That goes for anyone who is new to us. Employees, hang arounds, and prospects included.” Devil hands the laptop back to Tito. “I want all of you to get with Tito later and look at these photos. Whoever did this had a rage inside them and you need to see what these people are capable of. Look at them close to see if you might see anything you find as out of place or strange.” Devil thinks about what he said. “Stranger than crime photos. We are at a big disadvantage because none of us knows much about Becky or her partner. Rome, ask Tara if she’s ever been in their apartment. They were friendly, weren’t they?”

  “They had coffee a few times a week. I don’t want Tara looking at those photos.” Rome sounds set on his decision.

  “If we can get around it then it won’t happen but Tara may have seen something in the apartment we wouldn’t know,” Devil tells Rome.

  “Joy was friends with her too,” Rome answers back. “If it comes down to it , maybe when the cops release the crime scene we can do a crime scene reconstruction so the women don’t need to look at the pictures.” We all look at Slick. “What?” Slick is our oldest member and never says much anymore so we pay attention when he does.

  “What are you talking about?” Creole asks him. “The cops do it all the time. We look at the pictures and set the apartment up exactly like in the pictures then walk the women through it. See if they pick up on anything different or off. That way they don’t see the pictures. It’s not like we don’t own the damn place. We’ll have it cleaned a bit first.” Slick sounds like this is an everyday thing. I laugh.

  “I like that idea better than Tara having to look at the photos,” Rome says. Tara is new to the biker life and I am sure Rome thinks this might be the thing that sends her running. Tara is made of stronger stuff than that. She is Bourbon Black’s daughter and he is one tough biker. She may have just found out they are blood but his blood is in her DNA.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Devil says.

  “With all this going on are we still recruiting? We need to get our numbers up for the security on all our businesses,” Bowie asks. “If your nephew is still wanting to prospect and you and Crockett are both willing to sponsor him then send him to see me tomorrow. Anyone else outside of family is on hold until we see what is going to happen. This may have nothing to do with us and someone is trying to send the heat away from themselves so they put the message on the wall so the PD would look at us. I hate this happened but that would be the best scenario for us. I have an appointment with the PD tomorrow for a sit down. Our attorney is going with me to make sure it is all on the up and up,” Devil informs us.

  “Can I sit in on that interview? That way if they show you anything to get a reaction out of you and I haven’t seen it I can get a look at it,” Tito asks Devil. “I was going to ask if you wanted to. I’ll get the suit to arrange it with the PD ,” Devil answers. “As of right now we need to keep our eyes open. No one goes out alone and eyes on our families. Every family member gets a prospect or member on them if they go anywhere. Oz, I want you to get a few new cameras installed on all our properties. I want you or Tito to take care of it personally. No one outside these doors know about it. Do it inconspicuously over the next few days. If you need help then take Creole or Thrasher and use a cover story if anyone asks questions.”

  “Does that include ol’ ladies and extended family that don’t know?” Rome and Devil both look at me. “What? It’s a legitimate question.” “Brother , if you have shit to say spit it out because the shitty remarks are wearing on my last damn nerve,” Devil yells at me. I turn sideways in my chair and level him with a glare. Devil is my President but no man disrespects me.

  “All you had to do was ask!” I give Devil a straight look. “You and Rome have both taken ol’ ladies and even though you don’t share all the Feral Steel business with them they have more access to the goings on in our club than anyone else has before. I’m not saying I don’t like the two women but they aren’t members of the Feral Steel MC. It is true that Callie comes from the club life but she has an entourage that wasn’t in the life before. These people are in and out of your home and the clubhouse so they can hear anything that is said.” I see when Devil gets what I am talking about but his eyes tell me he is still pissed but I press on anyway. “Speaking of Callie’s little entourage, we are stretched manpower-wise just keeping eyes on all our businesses and our own family and these people are taking more eyes that we just don’t have right now. Then we add Joy to the mix, more manpower. Something has to give until we recruit more prospects and you just put a hold on recruiting.” I look at Rome and he is as mad as Devil. Club first brothers, that’s the way it is. I see that Devil is thinking before he says anything. I glance around the room at the rest of the brothers and they are waiting for Devil to go off.

  “Hacksaw, we have been brothers for many yea rs. We prospected together and we were friends years before that. I have not ever put this club in danger since I put the president patch on.” Devil’s voice is quiet and calm. I start to respond but he cuts me off. “You’ve had a stick up your ass for a while now. If I need to reach out to another club for help then that is exactly what I will do but right now we are just taking precautions. If any of you think I cannot do my job then I shouldn’t be wearing this patch.” He points to his president patch. “If anything is said where anything can be heard at my home that is on me. Do you think I would risk this club? If you have a problem with me Hacksaw, you need to man the fuck up and spit it out.” Devil never raises his voice but I know I have gone ab
out this all wrong.

  “I know you would never intentionally risk us and I don’t have a problem with the way you handle your position and you have my respect, but mistakes can happen.” I don’t know what my problem is but I am trying to rectify it the best I can.

  “Don’t blow smoke up my ass, Hacksaw. Apparently, you have a problem with something that is going on. My house is tight. I share nothing with Callie that can get her or my children hurt. I trust everyone in my home and as far as that goes, I trust Callie’s friends. They are family and have earned my trust but I would never bring them into my confidence on anything that would put the club at risk. Feral Steel members only means just that. Only who is in this room, means just that. You have had a problem ever since Joy arrived. Tomorrow night, church and we update after my interview with the PD and we vote on how we proceed and what we are going to do with Joy.” Devil hits the table and stares me down. “Joy is under my protection and if the club decides not to extend its help because of the circumstances then I will protect Joy myself. If I need to move her into my home, then that is exactly what will happen. Do we understand each other VP?”

  “Crystal clear, Brother,” I tell Devil. I need a damn drink.

  “Joy has my protection too,” Rome states solemnly.

  “Anything else we need to cover?” Devil asks. No one says anything. The quiet in the room is almost unbearable and I can feel the tension. “Let’s get a drink then.” Devil bangs his gavel. The brothers are up and out the door. Crockett is hanging around the door and Bowie stands by the table where our phones are. Rome and Devil don’t move. I know I need to clear the air. Devil is my oldest friend and I trust the man but no one can control everything happening around them.

  “Devil, I just want to go into this carefully and not miss anything. I trust you and you know it. You are my oldest friend and I respect you as my brother and president.” Devil seems to relax a little.

  “That’s good to hear, Brother, but the words you said before did not relay that. What is your problem with Joy? She seems to be the trigger to all this shit storm from you.” Devil has me there. I look around the room and I see Bowie and Crockett by the door with smirks on their faces.

  “I don’t know what it is that sets me off about the woman. I’ve had one conversation with her and everything about her gets under my skin in a bad way.” Rome laughs. I look at him. “Do you care to share what you think is so damn funny?”

  “ Maybe you should look at your shit a little closer instead of spouting off about all of Callie’s friends and insinuating Devil would be careless with club information. Tara has no one here to include her in the conversation. She is my ol’ lady and that comes with protection. That is not cool, brother.” Rome has an irritating smile on his face.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask Rome. “Seems to me it wasn’t that long ago you were giving me shit about trying to push Tara away any way I could. Maybe this dislike you seem to have for Joy is more along the lines of pushing her away because you want to get closer to her.” Rome is serious but he must have lost his mind. No way I want this bitch anywhere near me.

  “I’m not giving my balls to any woman. This is just about club securi ty and manpower available.” I sound rattled even to myself. “Maybe I expressed my thoughts the wrong way but that is all it is. There are enough club girls here to keep my dick sucked so I don’t know where you got this stupid idea.” Devil laughs this time.

  “I don’t know Hacksaw, something has you wound up. We have been brothers a lot of years and friends even longer but do not ever bring my judgement into question again. The Feral Steel MC is my life along with my family. I intend to make sure that my sons have a club to belong to when they get old enough and my daughter has its protection. I will lay down my life for this club or any of my brothers and when I don’t have that dedication then I will take this cut off and let someone else step up. Do we have this clear?” I see the truth in Devil’s eyes.

  “Abso-fuckinglutely.” I let Devil know I do trust and believe him. I need a beer, a smoke, and some willing pussy. Maybe then my head will be clear.

  “Then let’s get a drink,” Devil says. We all stand up and I look at Rome. Yeah, he’s still smirking.

  “About damn time,” Bowie says behind us. I need to get my shit straight. I have been helping Tara in the office at the apartment complex today since Rome is insisting that we stay together so they only have one prospect keeping an eye out for the two of us. Rome informed me that until the gym is reopened I will be helping Tara at the complex so it will free him up to help at the clubhouse or where he is needed. I have been busy doing credit checks and personal references. I guess I was a little naive because I didn’t even know that anyone even checked personal references. Maybe the Feral Steel club is just being thorough but it seems like something they would have a tech guy doing. It’s a boring job anyway. Most times all I get is a voicemail and I am not supposed to leave a message. Tara said if they want to call back they will and if we can’t verify everything then just mark the application and they will catch it in the second go around at the clubhouse. I thought I would enjoy this job more than the gym since I won’t need to see Hacksaw but this is about to bore me to sleep. I must admit that I didn’t sleep very well last night after the visit from Lisa yesterday. I have seen death. Being around the BlackPath MC it was inevitable, especially with everything that went on a few years back but it just seems unusual when the woman had no enemies. There was something nagging at me last night and I couldn’t put my finger on it until right before I fell asleep early this morning. Why would Lisa come to my apartment for someone to talk to? I haven’t lived at the apartment complex that long. I had barely run into Lisa at all. She’s always gone on assignments. I had coffee with Becky a couple of times but Becky had known Tara longer and surely there was someone that Becky had known better than myself. Becky was an energetic bubbly type of person. She talked to everyone that walked by her. She seemed familiar with most people in the apartment complex, giving me the down low on all my neighbors, so why me? I feel guilty for the thoughts even crossing my mind. I am glad I could help Lisa even a little bit but it seems odd. I guess it’s just my groggy mind playing games with me. I get up from my desk and walk over to the coffee maker. I pour me another cup hoping it will help to wake me up some. The longer I am in this office the more I am beginning to think that maybe I am not cut out for office work. I hear the door to the office open and I watch Tara walk in. She looks like she is feeling bad. She goes to the other desk and sits down.

  “I’m sorry Rome stuck you with those applications. I hate that job and that is why Rome does it. I don’t know why we even need to do it. Oz goes over them again before anyone comes in for the final interview and walk through of the apartment,” Tara tells me as she is going through the stack of papers on her desk.

  “You don’t look like you slept any better than I did.” I could really use a nap. “I think I may have gotten a stomach bug. I’ll try not to breathe in your direction so maybe I will keep my bad germs.” Tara gives me a weak smile. “I can handle the office if you need to rest for a while. There is nothing going on at all. No one has come through that door since Rome left earlier. The phone rang a few times but Rome told me to let the machine get it until the Feral Steel have a statement ready to give to the tenants about what happened to Becky. He said that if anyone came asking questions to get the prospect in here to take care of it. I am to say nothing to anyone.” It seems to me it would be better if the club presence wasn’t as visible right now but that is not my decision to make.

  “Trust me, I have heard the exact same thing. Devil is making a statement at the police department today and I am not to say anything about the subject until it is approved by the club, end of subject,” Tara says the last part with a sigh. “I am not to ask any questions about it again. Sometimes, that gets old, but Rome says it is for my own protection.” I can see that it annoys Tara but I also know there is nothing she c
an do about it.

  “Can I ask one questions?” I look to see Tara’s reaction. “You can ask it but I am not sure I can answer it. I don’t repeat anything that Rome shares with me and Rome is sharing no more than what I just said on this subject.” I can tell Tara is being truthful.

  “It has nothing to do with the club.” I see Tara relax a little and she is wai ting for me to continue. “Did you find it a little odd that Lisa came to my apartment yesterday?” Tara looks like she is thinking about it so I continue. “I mean, I have only seen Lisa a couple of times and Becky and I only had coffee a few times. I mean, we were friendly but it just seems odd. I am glad I could be there for her the little I did but I just wish I could have known them better so maybe I would have known something better to say or do.” Now I feel bad for even voicing it.

  “I haven’t really interacted with Lisa much but I met Becky the first day I moved in. She came in and introduced herself. I don’t think the woman ever met a stranger and she put me right at ease. I have never had a lot of female friends or friends at all, so it felt good to talk to her. Becky’s the one that got me drinking coffee every morning. She would come in with an extra mug every morning for me and I finally bought a coffee machine for the office,” Tara tells me. “I’ve never seen Lisa talk to a lot of people around here. She’s gone so much for work so maybe she just came to your apartment because you were the one Becky had been telling her about when they talked.” That makes sense. Now I feel silly. I decide to change the subject.

  “So how far along are you?” The shocked look that comes over Tara’s face is priceless.

  “I’m not pregnant. Why would you say such a thing? I thought you liked me.” Tara is laughing.

  “So, you don’t want a little Rome or little Tara running around?” I watch Tara’s face turn red. “Someday, years down the road. I’d like to be living in a house we own before we have children and be more settled.” Tara sounds like she is sure about what she is saying.