Hearts of Iron

by Day, Laura

  Katie wasn’t sure why they needed to meet everyone. She thought turning up at church or throwing a council meeting might have been a better way to introduce themselves than interrupting them on their work day, but still. What did she know? “Okay. I’m afraid Miller isn’t known for ‘big business,’ but there are some great little shops and a couple of very productive farms. Yes, here in Miller you can stock up your shelves with wholesome food, get your hair cut just dandy, get your old shoes heeled and polished, and flesh out your wardrobe, no problem.” She added a sunny attitude to her words, trying to beef up Miller’s limited commercial viability. Like one parent might inflate their child’s talents to another parent.

  “What about something a little less…” The sheriff wasn’t impressed. “Or maybe a little more like a car dealership or auto-repair shop, or insurance offices?”

  She didn’t want to mention the auto-repair shop, and his attitude became annoying, “You want to buy a car, Sheriff Clancy?” Do you need insurance?”

  He huffed. “Not exactly, but…”

  “Then I’m unsure why the lack of those options on your doorstop would cause you concern.” Deflection mean she didn’t deny the existence of an auto-repair shop, but didn’t reveal one either.

  “Are there any big families around here then, or… a lawyer’s office? A drug store? That sort of thing?”

  What’s his game? “The drug store is located in Grace Hospital. Everything one needs of a medical nature can be found there. We’re very proud that Miller has the only hospital for miles in all directions. It’s nothing fancy, but my family built it many years ago and it now has one of the highest-achieving graduates in the country working there.” She was of course referring to herself, whether they realized it or not. “So, no, Miller doesn’t offer insurance or have law firm established, but people who need them find those services out of town or online.” She couldn’t help herself. “Are you familiar with the internet, Sheriff? Miller is connected.”

  The three deputies looked silently at the sheriff, who grew red in the face. Her first meeting with her lawmen was officially a disaster.

  “I’m sorry about my little joke, Sheriff. It’s been a very stressful day and I’m sure we’re all tired after our journey.” She doubted they’d even care that she travelled the same distance as they had, hours before them. “Shall we go?”

  If for no other reason than to save face in front of his brainless deputies, the sheriff laughed lazily. “Of course Sweetheart, time to go.”

  Katie, Sheriff Clancy, and his three deputies, all fortunately plain-clothed, moved from one house to another, visiting all of the wealthiest families and businesses in and around town. There was only a handful—not including Katie, who was the wealthiest of all of them. But she had no reason to mention that, and they hadn’t asked.

  Besides, they had already met.

  They also visited those farmers who still earned a good living from their produce, but left those who just got by. The sheriff clearly only cared about Miller’s income and those who were responsible for it. She steered them away from the auto-repair shop, which fortunately did not have bold shop front position in the town. Indeed, you needed to know where it was to find it. Katie had also avoided town, and the burger bar—so far, so good. But as she took them back to their station, things would change drastically.

  ***

  The sun seemed to die quickly that evening, leaving the bluish hues of a clear nighttime sky to replace the day’s sunshine, and several families were out for a meal, or singles were out to play, replacing the hustle-bustle of a busy work day.

  “So, you drink beer, Doc?” asked the sheriff as they approached his office.

  “I’m a little tired…” Katie yawned.

  Pete shot her a look. “Hey, it’s our first night here in Miller.”

  “Yeah. Join us for our first beer in our new hometown,” added Martin.

  The sheriff made a big sweeping gesture and rested his sweaty hand on her shoulder. “Think the boys want you to join us.”

  Katie hadn’t much taken to the sheriff, and his deputies were his windup toys, but she had played holy-hell to get them there, she had to offer them a welcome. “Just one. I start work early tomorrow.”

  One of the deputies, introduced as Stew but referred to as Junior, said, “Saw a mean looking burger joint up the street. You can hear the music from here.”

  “Err, no! They don’t sell beer, I mean.” Katie’s stomach churned, but she offered a sad face.

  “I need a beer, boy,” sniped the sheriff. “Get in line.”

  Katie silently thanked god for quick thinking and thought it a little odd the way Sheriff Clancy spoke down to his deputies. Like a bad father to unruly children.

  And just like that child, Junior got in line. “Yes sir, Sheriff.” Strange, because Junior was twice the height of the sheriff and Junior’s feet were bigger than the sheriff’s head.

  They crossed the street to the only bar in Miller. A big, sprawling hall, on one side it had a large, fully stocked walnut wood carved bar with twenty bar stools, mirrored backsplash with gold swirls, and optics lining the wall. On the other side of the hall were several tables and chairs, a few large leather sofas, a small dance floor, and a juke box. Toward the back were two pool tables and three intimate booths.

  Katie had had some great times in that bar, but when outsiders passed through Miller, that was where trouble usually started. Especially when people heard there was no law in Miller to prevent it. Although, just thinking about it, Katie couldn’t recall the last time she’d heard of anything more than a beer-fuelled domestic in there for over a year.

  Katie said “hi” to Dan, the barman, as she escorted the law into the bar.

  “Hi, Doc! Go take a seat. I’ll bring them over while it’s quiet.”

  “Thanks Dan.”

  Only two bartenders (none in the day, because the bar’s closed until six) were ready to serve the entire town at any given time at night. It ensured people got served eventually, but if the place was busy, no one got served quick enough to get too drunk. If there was trouble, Dan told the committee he had a list of volunteers who could be relied upon to get there quick and help out.

  The former owner, Jack Harvey, died some time back and left the place to Miller because he had no kids. The community committee, led by Katie since her father died, now looks out for it. But Dan and his trusted staff deal with the hands-on running of the business.

  Sheriff Clancy wasn’t pleased to hear this. Katie couldn’t see what business it was of his either way.

  She led them to a booth and Dan soon came over to take their order. “Fiver beers, please, Dan,” said Katie. “Oh guys, meet Dan, who I told you about. Dan, meet Sheriff Clancy and his deputies. They got here today to look out for Miller.”

  Dan frowned, keeping his attentions on wiping the table.

  “Dan?” Kati hoped for a better reaction than that. “Everything okay?”

  Dan looked up at Katie, clearly uncomfortable. “Everything’s great, Doc. Err… let me just get those beers before the rush starts.” Dan left, looking shifty and pressing buttons on his phone.

  “Seems to me like he has a problem with the law,” sniggered the sheriff.

  “I assure you, Sheriff, that Dan is a good man.” She remembered Lance and wondered if Dan was worried about the trouble that might come when the bikers found out about the lawmen arriving. And just like that, Katie wanted to leave. “Maybe he’s just not feeling well.”

  “You’ve gone pale.” The sheriff observed, and then he scoffed. “Don’t worry yourself, we can deal with worse than a dodgy barman.”

  She didn’t like the way he said that. Dan wasn’t dodgy!

  “So, tell us about your circumstances. You’ve managed to avoid the subject all day.”

  Nosey! “As you know, I’m the doctor.”

  “Yes, but as well as that, you are chief of the town’s community committee and you run the hospital.”
<
br />   “I inherited the lead status of the committee, yes. But we all have our say. It’s not just me.”

  “Yeah, but you’re also the wealthy daughter of the former Mayor of Miller, and the wealthiest citizen in Miller and surrounding areas, by all accounts.”

  How dare he! “By whose account, Sheriff? And where is this leading?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. We ran a few checks before we took the job. Needed to determine the troublemakers. Any possible… opportunities. You understand?”

  She didn’t understand what her wealth had to do with him.

  “We’d like to think we—that is, you and us—could be mutually beneficial in some way.”

  Katie’s instincts finally went off like fireworks. “Okay…” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “How exactly could that happen, gentlemen?”

  The sheriff smirked. It wasn’t pretty. “Just a little… business.”

  Katie’s stomach lept up to her throat. Lance had said the law was corrupt—but this? Was she wrong to hope for better?

  “You run a hospital,” said Deputy Martin. He raised his eyebrows hoping for the idea to click in Katie’s mind.

  She remained nonplussed on the outside, hoping she was mistaken. “Um?”

  Junior became impatient. “He means drugs, Doc. We can come to some arrangement about drugs.”

  Katie’s fight or flight response kicked in and she actually felt herself jolt.

  The sheriff looked at her shocked expression, then at his stupid deputies, and grimaced. “Let me do the talking, dimwits.” Then he tilted his head at Katie. “He means you have ingredients we will need to access and you will get a nice increase in some donation fund, or wherever you’d like the profits to end up.”

  Katie couldn’t believe her ears. She’d gotten these guys in to restore law and order to her beloved Miller, and here they were trying to secure a drugs exchange from its doctor.

  Katie’s thoughts were disturbed when several rowdy strangers entered the hall and walked—or rather staggered—up to the bar and demanded more to drink. Dan advised them to move on, to go sleep it off somewhere. One guy grabbed a glass of beer out of another patron’s hand, mid-gulp, and threw it at Dan, screaming, “Get me a fucking whiskey, you son of a bitch.”

  The room silenced and Katie was grateful only a handful of people were in the bar besides herself and the law. Dan looked over at the sheriff, who seems uninterested in the commotion and continued to stare at Katie.

  “I think that’s your cue, Sheriff.” she said, hoping to prompt him to do his job. Surely, he’d have to at least be a sheriff while ripping people of and selling drugs? “Isn’t it your job to deal with his kind of menace?”

  “I say what my job is, and I decide when the law needs enforcing. So, you can either work with us or against us, Doc,” He snarled, becoming even uglier. “Which is it?”

  The rowdy strangers moved closer to some single women out for a beer and a dance. One thug said, “Hey slut, fancy some decent cock to ride tonight?” And then he was grabbing his crotch. His mates roared with laughter, clearly enjoying their intimidation.

  The women attempted to ignore them, but the drunks just kept on. One of them, tall and red-faced, said, “Hey, come ‘ere. Let me eat your snatch.”

  Another, beer gut and sweat patches galore, joined in by flashing a vulgar lizard tongue before saying, “Bet your cunt’s wet for me, huh?”

  Dan ground his teeth, staring outside the window, as if hoping for someone to come in who might help. Had he called his volunteers yet? Perhaps not, because while the scum were occupied, Dan picked up his cell phone, clicked a button (speed dial for a guess) and left it on the counter. Then he said, “Hey, come on, fellas. Leave the women alone. They’re not here for trouble. No one wants trouble.”

  The law Katie had brought in to help should have stood up and arrested them, or run them out of town. Instead, they drank beer, discussed illegal business deals, and ignored outsiders who intimidated women in front of them. She wanted to be sick, to grab one of their guns and threaten them with it. To run them out of town herself. Most annoyingly, she wanted to blubber like a girl.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Lance’s hair and beard dripped over his nakedness as he paced after a shower, feeling claustrophobic, thinking too much. Every fiber of his being needed something, whether it was the location of the sheriff, a furious word with Katie, or more of Katie’s special brand of fire. All of this meant he couldn’t rest because he’d removed all signs of his blissful afternoon. He missed her smell.

  He’d always said “no” to buying a house or apartment. Raised on the road, it was natural to feel reluctant to put money in bricks and mortar. But now that he joint-owned two businesses in Miller, a house seemed a natural progression. But he hated the idea of a big empty house almost as much as he had grown to hate the cramped confines of his trailer.

  He kept going over and over what happened that day. Between being taken for a fool by Katie and having the law move in on his home turf while he got royally shafted, he didn’t know what to break first. He’d even pissed off members of his own club, which was a bad move. They were his family, not her. What the fuck was he doing allowing a pretty piece of ass to knock him off his course?

  Josh called Lance’s contact and found out that Sheriff Clancy had been hired to work in Miller only yesterday, along with three deputies. They were due to arrive sometime either that evening or the following morning.

  Had Katie known about this while they were fucking? And, as he now suspected, had they arrived early and that’s who called her before she kicked him out?

  Lance checked his watch for the millionth time in the past hour. He decided that as it was after seven, it meant the law would arrive in Miller any time now if they hadn’t already.

  He picked up his phone from the bed and pressed a button, and after only a second of ringing, the call was answered. “Josh?” Lance asked.

  “Here, Cap.”

  “I’m thinking we meet up down at Dan’s bar and see what whispers are going around town. If those pricks show up anywhere, the news will reach there first. Plus, I’m in serious need of a beer and I drank all my Scotch.”

  “Funny you should say that, ‘coz I got me a raging thirst after this afternoon’s session with Stephanie.” Josh sniggered, pleased with himself. “I’ll meet you there after I finish up here. Gotta just check the spark plugs on this car. Should be no more than twenty minutes.”

  “Tell the others what we’re planning on your way.” Lance hung up. He wasn’t sure the club was too pleased with him, so thought the invite might sound better coming from Josh. Plus, he wasn’t sure anything would pan out until he knew the law had arrived.

  The call ended and Lance got on his bike. Something told him he was in for a night of cleaning up Katie’s mess. As pissed as he was with her, though, he couldn’t help but linger on thoughts of her, memories of being inside her, of her face, her touch, her smile. On how tough she was for a little lady, how compassionate she could be, how hungry and dirty she was between his legs.

  He revved his Hog and enjoyed the roar of the engine, feeling the call of the ride in his guts. On the road only one minute, he felt the vibration of his cell phone against his chest. It would have to wait.

  Hell, if Katie wasn’t so green and stubborn, she’d be damn near perfect.

  ***

  All of the sheriff’s enquires about Miller’s income now made sense to Katie. Opportunities. That’s what they wanted. Not to be lawmen, but to make money illegally from good people. She wanted to call Charlie, the hospital security guard. He at least had a gun and was a good negotiator. But she was scared the thugs might hurt him.

  They smirked at her, seemingly hiding from the thugs like cowards. Nauseating.

  When Dan stepped from behind the bar and the thugs laughed at him, ready for a fight, Katie instinctively stood to distract them, to move the trouble away from Dan and the women, and toward the sheriff. But the sher
iff pulled her back onto her seat before anyone noticed.

  “Please,” she said, tugging her arm, but she couldn’t free herself. Katie realized she had no control over anything anymore and her stomach clenched. “Okay, I’ll make the deal. Shake on it. Whatever. Just help them.”

  “Now she sees sense,” drawled the sheriff.

  “I do, just help my friends.” She believed lying was acceptable in some circumstances, but by the look on their faces, they were not convinced.

  “Maybe we need more proof.”

  “Like what?”

  They sniggered, their shoulders bobbing. Katie wanted to smack the smiles from their faces, then heard someone land a punch by the bar. She found Dan on the floor cradling his face while blood oozed from his nose. Katie shrieked, “Do your jobs, damn you!”