by Jayne Blue
“Where’d all this come from?”
“We showed the politician some very disgusting pictures and very concerning websites.”
“Really.”
“You know my friend who’s a hacker?”
“Raleigh Gibson?” Raleigh was dating one of the fighters at the Great Wolves MMA gym.
“One in the same. She helped me on that score. And Terry Stabler has gone to the press to announce he no longer believes his cousin was murdered. And without evidence like a gun or fingerprints, there’s no way to pin you to it. Berry Stabler killed himself and Terry Stabler’s political career is lucky he did.”
“Shit. That’s…. I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing. That’s what we do for each other. You don’t have to hide anymore. I’m sure it’s been rough, what with the surf and sand.” I laughed with relief. I still couldn’t believe how Sawyer and the club had gone to bat for me. From Michigan to Florida they had my back.
“Sawyer, a lot has happened. I’m a little wrung out.” I didn’t talk about my feelings. Especially with my club members. But I know Sawyer heard me. Understood. I may not talk about my shit, but I felt it. I felt all of it right then.
“Do me a favor. Check in with the Emerald Coast Wolf Den. We’re having a fucking end of March blizzard anyway. You may as well wait out of few days before you head back to Michigan. They’re hoping to open an MMA gym. Check their site and let ‘em pick your brain on how we do ours. You might run into a familiar face there.”
“Will do. And Sawyer thank you.”
“No, thank you. You sacrificed for this club and the club won’t ever forget.”
We hung up, and I felt strange, happy that it was over, but sad that what I really wanted was in Gold Cross. And I’d pretty well ruined that by not being honest. But how could I be honest? When I met Kara Ross, I thought she was a piece of ass. Something to get me through a night or two. What a fucking idiot I’d been about that.
I looked back at the town and then put on my helmet. Something was bugging me. I didn’t know what, but something. Maybe it was just the empty sensation I had without Kara.
I powered up the bike, which rode perfectly now, thanks to Jason. He really was a great mechanic. It was time to head to a Wolf Den. It may not be my home but it was a Wolf Den, and that was close enough. It had been too long.
Kara
Each day until the day my payment was due I went to the island. Each day I would dig. Find nothing. And dig again. My hands were beginning to split open, and it was becoming very clear that the one coin would be my only find.
There was nothing in the scrub of Ross Island that was going to help me save it from Kevin Potter. And if it was there I didn’t have the ability to find it.
The terrain was too dense, the dirt too packed, and my dreams too farfetched. When Stone drove away, I thought, dammit, I don’t need him, I don’t need anyone, I’ll find what my Dad had searched in vain.
I had pieced it all together. I’d taken one logical step after another. It should be up here. But the map was also my downfall. If I was really looking at it, I could see that it was scattered.
I stood in the center of the island, trees obscuring most of my view so it was hard to get a real sense of the land. I had a grid, I knew where I was supposed to dig but it I was running out of time. It took me hours to break the surface. And then hours more to move earth.
Not striking gold didn’t mean it wasn’t there. It just meant I didn’t have the resources to get it. I had two days left.
The island would very soon be Kevin’s.
I envisioned what he would do. There’d be a condo here, and I also know he’d take over Pontiacs, Slim’s, and Jason’s. He’d tear it all down. I knew that too.
This tip of Gold Cross wouldn’t be sleepy old Florida anymore. It would be like every other tourist town.
I walked out to the Cobalt and started the engine. I would probably come out here tomorrow. One last time. I supposed I would dig. But maybe not. The blisters on my hands had broken, and they stung. Maybe I’d just have a sandwich out here and say goodbye.
I parked the boat and went into Pontiac’s. I was twice defeated. Once with Stone and now with the pirate gold. Hope was something I’d taken for granted. And now it was gone.
“You look like you’ve lost ten pounds in the last week.” Estelle was feeding me, and she had a look of worry on her face. Neither of the Pontiacs was very happy with me.
“What’s going on?” Frank knew it wasn’t just heartache over Stone that had me ragged.
“You have been looking for treasure, just like Dad. You look just like Dad. You’ve been on that cursed island. Just like Dad.” Jason came up behind me, and he’d hit the nail on the head.
“Yes, I may as well tell you now. I’m about to lose the place.” I put my head down on the bar and tried not to cry.
“You know what this did to Dad, to Mom? How could you even think it would turn out any other way?” Jason was scolding me. It was the reaction I had anticipated.
“Honey, it’s too hot, miserable, and dangerous out there by yourself. I thought you were doing your counts for the Florida Fish and Wildlife job?” Estelle was keyed into my real job. She thought that was the way to go for me. She was shocked to learn I’d been doing much more.
“I was doing my counts. And searching.” I tried to defend myself.
“And let me guess you wasted your time and money and practically killed yourself for nothing,” Jason said. He had his arms crossed over his chest. He was only a few years older than me but sometimes acted more like a Dad then our treasure chasing actual father.
“Listen you guys I got so much farther than Dad.” The story poured out of me about the map Dad gave me and then finding the real key to the treasure on Ross Island.
I opened my bag and showed them both maps. Frank was a history buff and let out a whistle. Even Jason was interested in the fact that I more to go on than Dad’s old stories.
But even with the maps, the reality bomb dropped on me just like it did for Daddy. It was the end of the road even though had gotten further on it.
“What if we could find someone to help you search,” Frank suggested. My jaw dropped open.
“It would be great, but it’s too late. It’s all too late. Kevin will take the island and I’ll get nothing. What I need is a team of people, dozens, I don’t have that. Everyone who lives here is either retired or here for vacation. Believe me, the four of us with shovels aren’t enough.”
“What about five?” Slim slid over to our conversation. He’d been spending more time at the bar drowning his sorrows about losing his business.
“Not that I don’t think you’re strong as hell Slim, but five isn’t quite it either,” I said.
“Darlin’, you get a good night sleep. Let us worry about all this for one night.” Frank said, and I wanted to do exactly that. Not worry. I didn’t think that was possible.
I used to worry about letting people know what I was up to. I used to worry they’d think I was crazy or try to steal from me. Now I just worried I’d missed something that could have changed the outcome.
“Look, I’m getting up at dawn and going out there one more time. The day after, by sunset I think it is, Kevin gets the keys. I’m sure there will be no trespassing signs up by then. You’re all welcome to come tomorrow. But it will be to say goodbye to Ross Island.”
I stood up from my barstool. More than losing the island I knew then I was going to lose this little ragtag family once all the business shut. We were going extinct.
Stone
I spent a few days in the Emerald Coast Wolf Den. Walker and the brothers there were good men and kicking back with them was a distraction from thinking about Kara.
My M.C. in Grand City, Michigan was kind of pioneering when it came to M.C.’s going legit. That was Sawyer for sure, but I had a hand in it too. Helping mold new ways to bring in cash that didn’t bring in the Feds was in my wheelhouse.
We had Great Wolves Security, Great Wolves Auto Body, and the Great Wolves MMA gyms. The gym in Grand City was one of the best, cranking out world champion fighters, and bringing in big money in membership fees and event promotions.
Florida’s chapter was, like the rest of the Great Wolves, working to find income, go legit, but stay faithful to the Great Wolves Charter. If I had expertise, it was this exact thing.
Walker and his Prez, Nash, drove me to a site they thought would work as an MMA gym.
“We think this is our spot, Stone.” Nash was a younger Prez, dynamic, southern, and eager to bring the rest of his club along. I liked him. And I knew he and Walker had been through their own wars for territory and with Kevin Potter.
“I like it. The best part about it is it’s in your downtown. You’ll get the neighborhood kids in, and those are the ones with the fire in their bellies. They learn how to use their fists the right way.” I said.
“Good, Walker, make sure the real estate agent knows we’re going to buy it outright,” Nash said.
“You got it, Nash.” We drove our bikes back to the den, and as we pulled in a familiar bike was in the parking lot. Shit. Ryder was here!
I was close to all my brothers, but Ryder and I had something more like blood. He brought a smile to most situations when I brought a scowl.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
He took his helmet off, and his floppy beach bum hair was gone on both sides.
“A Mohawk eh?”
“Yeah, Sawyer said I look crazier than usual.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to be sure were done riding alone. Thought I’d check out the Emerald Coast chapter too.”
“This is Walker and the Prez, Nash.”
“Good to meet you both. And Sawyer sent this along.” Ryder walked to the back of his bike and opened his bag. He pulled something out and walked back over. He opened his hand and there it was.
“My cut, I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I started hanging out with these guys.”
“Well let’s get that put back on brother!” Walker said.
“Our barmaid’s good with the needle and thread we’ll have it fixed up in two seconds.”
“True story, she did this here gash, and you can hardly tell.” Nash showed me a scar on his bicep. It did look pretty straight.
We walked into the Den, and I felt a little better. I was glad to see Ryder, to be officially back in, and relieved that there wasn’t a warrant out for my arrest.
But I still felt like shit. I didn’t want to leave Florida, not really, I didn’t want to leave Kara. Not at all. I wondered if she knew the truth if she’d take me back. The fact was I was still a murderer. I didn’t have guilt about that but for the first time, I regretted it because maybe it made me not worthy. And really, no maybe about it, she was too good for me. I had become dark. It was necessary. But it wasn’t what a beautiful light like she was she have in her life.
I had to accept that it was over. She’d made it clear. But it felt still felt unfinished in my heart. I feared it always would.
Ryder knew me too well. We sat at the bar in The Wolf Den, throwing back a few, and he nailed it.
“You got a woman back in Gold Cross. That’s it isn’t it?”
“How did you get so smart?”
“Weed, seriously I smoked a lot of weed as a teen, and it’s expanded my brain.”
“Great.”
“Where’s this woman? Why’d you leave her?”
“She’s pissed at me. Pissed enough to throw me over for good.”
“Find out about all this did she?” And he used a finger to circle the patch he wore.
“Not so much this, more like I lied to her about being on the run on a possible murder rap.”
“Which we took care of. It’s done.”
“Yeah, well, I think she might not be into being a biker’s old lady.”
“Did you give her a chance to find out?”
“No, never did get that chance.”
“Damn shame.” Ryder took a long pull on his beer.
“Stone, it’s time for the Great Wolves to step up.” The voice behind me startled me. It was Slim.
“Slim, what are you doing here?”
“I’m calling in a favor.”
“You know I’d do anything for you. No need to call in a favor.”
“Oh, not from you. From him.” And he pointed to an old man in the corner. One of the older Emerald City members. Also, I could see from his patches he was a Vet. Some of the patches were the same as Slim’s, along with his Great Wolves (ret) patch he had a Rolling Sunset Patch.
I’d thought Slim was all costume and not really in an actual club. But I guessed I was wrong.
“Chet and I go back to Nam,” Slim explained to me.
“Why exactly to we have to step it up? What favor do you need?” Chet had a tracheotomy. He’d smoked his voice box right out of existence, and he had to close the hole with a finger to talk.
“I need the whole chapter. A small army,” Slim said.
“Why, may I ask?” Nash chimed in on the conversation. His club was being called into action.
“We’re going to find buried treasure for a damsel in financial distress,” Slim said. Shit he knew about Kara’s island?
“How did you find out?” I asked him.
“She told us. And she also told us she needs muscle. So I’m here to bring it.”
“Well you heard the man, let’s gas up. Slim talks we listen.” Nash said.
Slim nodded as the club summoned the members that weren’t at The Den. The ones that were started closing up. And got ready to hit the road.
“Why do they owe you?” I asked Slim.
“Well, my bake sale had donated, uh, let’s see, over 75-thousand bucks to Chet and the other vets who roll with this club. We funded his cancer treatment with that muffin recipe.”
“What the fuck?” Ryder said.
“Yeah, my muffins are that good Mohawk boy. Come on we gotta ride. We need to be there before sun up soldiers.”
I shook my head. In the space of two minutes, Slim had rallied the Emerald Coast Great Wolves. They were headed to Gold Cross to help Kara find her treasure.
And I was going with them. Maybe I still had a chance with the Pirate Queen herself.
Chapter Fourteen
Kara
I read the email from Kevin.
“Potter Development will be picking up the debt and the option to purchase the Ross Island Property. Any materials or personal items will be forfeit to Potter Development by COB Friday. Any persons on the property who do not have prior authorization will be considered trespassers and will be subject fines and arrests.”
Kevin Potter, CEO
Gold Cross Savings and Loan
He owned the bank, he owned the development company, he owned everything. Well, he almost did. It was Thursday morning. I was headed out to the island today. I didn’t think anything would change between now and Friday night.
Maybe I’d just lay in the shack and cry for a few hours. Now along with the memory of playing on the beach, I had the memory of Stone and me in the shack. His hands on my skin and our time there. My first time would be seared into my memory forever.
I suppose the shack would be torn down by Monday.
I got dressed and put my hair in a ponytail. I grabbed a swimsuit. Maybe I’d float in the surf a while.
I was half tempted to leave my maps. Who was I kidding? They were nothing but disappointment and tangible proof of a second generation of failure. I looked up to the sky a moment and sent up a small apology to Caroline Ross. She’d somehow smuggled the maps out of the island under the nose of the U.S. Navy.
But I couldn’t finish the job.
It was dawn. Time to get one more full day on my island. As I walked down the steps from my apartment I had to blink to be sure I what I was seeing was real.
The Cobalt was
where I’d docked it, but every other slip in Pontiac’s Pier was also filled. There had to be a dozen boats. Each one was filled with half-a-dozen bikers. On the Cobalt stood Stone. My heart flipped over when I caught his eye. He should be on the run. He should be long gone and away from Gold Cross and Kevin Potter. But he was on the Cobalt.
There was a dude with a Mohawk hairdo, Walker from the other night, and a few other bikers I couldn’t name. I looked over, and Estelle, Frank, and Slim were on Slim’s little fishing boat.
“What? What is going on?”
Stone spoke up.
“Slim said you needed an army. We’re the army.”
“I can’t pay any of you. I don’t even know if we’re going to find anything.” I fumbled for the right words to say.
“If we can do anything to help you get rid of Kevin Potter, we’re in.” Said one of the bikers on the Cobalt. I didn’t even know who their names of faces but they were here.
“Thank you.” It was hardly enough.
I stood in one spot for, still not sure what to do next. Stone held out his hand.
“You’re with me. We’ll take the lead.” I slowly walked over to the boat, taking in the motley bunch of bikers.
“Get moving Kara, we have a lot to do,” Jason said. Jesus. Even Jason was in for my wild goose chase.
“Don’t worry honey I made over 200 sandwiches and Frank has one of these boats loaded with beer.” There was a cheer at that news.
I put my hand in Stone’s, and he helped me make the little hop on to the Cobalt.
“Alright then. We’re moving out,” Stone said.
“Do these guys all know what we’re up to?” I asked him as we sliced through the water. It was calm and looked like blue glass in the early morning.
“They know we’re digging for treasure. They know it’s yours, and you can trust each of them with your life. I do.”