by Zoey Parker
“Uh-huh,” Hunter said. He looked from Missy to Cain and back to Missy, brow furrowed, head tilted to one side in thought. After a moment, he shook his head and said, “So what's the story with the motel?”
Cain and Missy spent the next twenty minutes going over what Missy had heard from Christina, and the plan she'd come up with. Hunter listened without interruption, nodding occasionally. When they'd finished speaking, he thought for a moment before responding.
“It's a damn good plan,” Hunter agreed. “In fact, it sounds like it's basically the only move left for us to make.”
“It is,” Cain said, “and I want in.” Hunter started to shake his head, but Cain continued relentlessly. “You need me, man. You need every Eagle you've got on this. And you know I deserve a chance to get back at those shitbirds for what they did to me.”
“Yeah, but your ribs, an' your arm...” Hunter began.
Before Cain could reply, Missy jumped in. “He's actually been doing a lot better over the past day or so, Hunter. He's moving around a lot more easily, he's doing more for himself without my help, and he hasn't even needed the pills as much. As long as he's got Gooch's bike, I'd say he's got as much right to be part of this thing as anyone.”
Cain stole a glance at Missy, and she could see the gratitude in his eyes.
“He's still not a hundred percent better yet,” Hunter replied, “an' a firefight ain't no small thing to walk into without the use of both arms. It's a hell of a risk.”
“It's my risk to take,” said Cain.
Hunter sighed. “Okay. Fine. I don't like it, but if you feel like this is how it's gotta be, I accept that.”
“Thank you,” Cain answered.
“Good, so that's settled,” Missy said. “Now, when we head to the Teepee, I'll need something to ride. Since Cain's going to be on Gooch's old hog, I figured I could ride Cain's regular bike...”
“What are you, fucking nuts?” Cain balked. “You're not going.”
Missy stared at him, gobsmacked. After she'd gone out of her way to vouch for Cain and ensure he was included in this raid, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. “The fuck I'm not!” she yelled. “I've got just as much right to be there as you do. More, even, since I've got two working arms.”
“You've still never been involved in this stuff before,” Cain said. “It's too dangerous. You'll get hurt.”
“Oh yeah?” Missy shot back. “What about the club prospects, huh? A lot of them haven't been part of brawls and shootouts before either, but you won't be telling them to sit this out, will you? No, because they're fucking men! Well, I can ride, I can shoot, and like you just said to Hunter, you guys need everyone you can get!”
“Every Eagle, I said,” Cain answered stoically. “You're not an Eagle. This isn't your fight.”
“Hey,” Hunter said to Cain sternly. “Maybe she's not a fully-patched Eagle, Cain, but after the way she's handled things over the past few days, I gotta say, she ain't exactly not an Eagle, either. She's got more balls than half the dudes I've seen come an' go in this club, an' even though I don't love the idea of people tossin' bullets in her direction, there's still no one I'd rather have watchin' my back 'cept maybe you. So if she wants in, then that's it, end of discussion.”
Hunter paused for a moment, then added, “Personally, I'm gettin' pretty fuckin' sick of the idea that good people got no place in clubs like ours just 'cause they happen to be girls. But screw it. That’s a topic we can save for when we ain't about to get ourselves killed.”
Missy expected Cain to speak up again, but instead, he simply looked at the floor and nodded. She could see that he was sorry he'd spoken up against her, and her anger began to dissipate. It had been a betrayal, true, but at least she understood that it came from his concern for her.
“Sis, can I talk to you in the next room for a minute?” Hunter asked.
Missy nodded, following him into the bedroom. He shut the door behind them, then turned to look at her with a playful smile.
“So, you an' Cain, huh?”
Missy was taken aback, and felt herself stammering. “Um, what do you mean, 'me and Cain?'”
Hunter stifled a laugh. “Come on, you've got that same look on your face from when you were twelve an' I found your diary an' read about your crush on Tony Molinari. You had it the second I showed up. You guys were gettin' it on before I got here, right? That's why you had the curtains drawn, huh?”
Missy sighed. “Okay, look, I'm sorry. I know that wasn't how things were supposed to go while I was here...”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Hunter said reassuringly, “you've got nothin' to apologize for. I guess it was weird for me to ask you to stay here an' take care of him without thinkin' anything like this might happen. An' besides, we've all had death hangin' over our heads since the thing at the Teepee, an' I know how that can make people do crazy things.”
“Thanks for understanding,” Missy replied, relieved.
“Sure. I ain't dad, y'know? You're a grown woman. You can do what you like with who you like an' it ain't none of my business. Just tell me this, though—is this, like, some kinda random thing between you two, or is it more serious than that?”
Missy opened her mouth, then closed it again, unsure of how to respond. Finally, she said, “I don't know. I think it could be kind of serious, though.”
Hunter nodded. “Okay. I've got a funny feelin' you two might be good for each other. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to find out once all this shit is over.” He thought for a moment and added, “For now, though, I'm happy for you, sis. This is a good look for you.”
Missy hugged him. “Thank you,” she said again.
“Don't mention it,” Hunter answered, hugging her back.
They walked out of the room and Cain looked at them, his eyebrows raised. “Everything okay?”
“Sure, everything's great,” Hunter said. “You just take care of my sister, okay, Veep? Don't go breakin' her heart or nothin', or I'll break your other arm an' a couple legs too while I'm at it. Got it?”
Cain smiled. “Got it.”
“Now I'm gonna head back to the Knife,” Hunter said. “An' once I'm done pourin' bleach in my ears to wash the thought of you two doin' the nasty outta my brain, I'm gonna round up every Eagle we've got an' we'll come get you on the way to the Teepee. Shouldn't be more than a couple hours, tops.”
Cain and Missy nodded, and Hunter left, hopping on his bike and riding off.
Chapter 35
Hunter
Hunter couldn't wait to dish out some damage to Gaspar's guys. But if the Eagles were going to have a hope in hell of surviving this fight, then first, he had one more stop to make.
He pulled his bike up in front of the Dipper County Sheriff's Office and shut off the engine, dismounting it. He brushed some road dust from his jeans, straightened his cut, and walked in. A cluster of rusty bells jangled above the door as it opened.
Deputy Condell sat at the front desk, typing up a report on an old electric typewriter and fiddling with the carbon paper as he swore under his breath. Condell was a skinny, rat-faced man with a lazy eye and the thin wisp of a mustache.
“Stupid goddamn machine,” Condell hissed, ripping the sheet from the typewriter and crumpling it up. “Every other sheriff's office in this fuckin' state's got computers an' I still gotta screw around with this prehistoric lump of shit...”
“I guess your boss feels like spendin' all those bribes on somethin' else,” Hunter said, leaning against the desk. “Hookers for himself, maybe, since he can't get none without payin' for it.”
Condell scowled at Hunter. “What the fuck are you doin' here, peckerwood?”
“I've got business with the sheriff,” said Hunter.
“Oh yeah?” Condell sneered. “What kinda business?”
“I saw your sister bein' walked in public without a leash an' I'm filing a formal fuckin' complaint,” Hunter replied. “Now go get the sheriff for me before I yank that star off your chest an'
jam it up yer hole sideways.”
Condell stood up quickly, his face turning bright red. “Just who the fuck do you think you are, punk, talkin' to the law like that?”
“You're no more 'the law' than I am, Condell” Hunter said menacingly. “You're just a thieving fuckin' lowlife in a uniform.”
“Ah, but what a smart-looking uniform it is,” Hemmick rumbled, stepping out of his office. “This is a surprise, Hunter. I don't think you've ever actually come to my office before. What's the occasion?”
“I'll tell you,” Hunter said, “but I'd like a little privacy.”
Hemmick raised his eyebrows and gestured for Hunter to step into his office. Once they were both inside, he shut the door and sank his massive frame into his chair, putting his feet up on the desk. “Take a seat, if you like.”
Hunter shook his head. “I'd prefer to stand, Sheriff, thank you.”
A grin spread across Hemmick's face, exposing the gaps between his teeth. “'Sheriff,' he says, and 'thank you,' at that. No insults this time, none of that 'Ham-Hock' jive. Whatever's on your mind, it must be pretty damn serious.”
Hunter gritted his teeth, hating how much Hemmick was loving this. Still, as far as he was concerned, he didn't have much choice. If he was going to lead his Eagles into a battle like this, he owed it to them to have this conversation first.
“Yeah, it is,” Hunter conceded. “It's like you said the other day at Cain's place—we've been dealing with each other a long time. It's worked out damn well for both of us, an' my club has always kept our business low-profile an' off your desk. We deal some weed to bored teens, we deal a few pills to guys with pain problems who can't afford 'em otherwise...”
“Sure, your Eagles are as harmless as a troop of Cub Scouts roasting marshmallows,” Hemmick chuckled. “When you're not popping off guns all over the place and doing hit-and-runs in shopping centers, why, you're a regular team of do-gooders.”
“That's what I tried to tell you before,” Hunter insisted. “Gaspar provoked all that, an' he ain't done. We found out he's got all his guns, his coke, his meth, his heroin...all stashed at the Teepee. He's plannin' to pull some straight-up apocalyptic shit. He's gonna ride in, blast all the Eagles to kingdom come in a single fuckin' night, an' take over the whole damn town.”
Hemmick shrugged expansively. “That sounds like your problem, not mine.”
“Really?” Hunter jabbed a finger at Hemmick. “Put aside the people who are probably gonna get wasted in the crossfire. Like I said, the shit we deal don't cause you a whole lotta problems. But how do you think things are gonna be around here when you've got legit cokeheads, junkies, an' meth tweakers runnin' around, rippin' people off to pay for their next fix? What do you think that's gonna do to the crime stats, huh? Or your chances at re-election?”
Hemmick thought it over. “Okay. You have my attention. What do you expect me to do about it?”
“I'm takin' the Eagles down to the Teepee tonight,” Hunter said. “We're gonna ride out in force, since we've heard Gaspar's only got four to six guys coverin' the place at any given time. Obviously, we'd love to just fill the whole building with bullets, an' we already told the lady who runs the place an' her daughter to get outta town before this shit jumps off. But accordin' to our sources, there's still one guy stayin' in a room at the end of the motel, an' that's a wild card I ain't overly fond of. So the way I see it, this could all be ended a hell of a lot sooner—and less bloody—with you backin' our play. We take 'em down, the Eagles get to make off with some of the firepower they've got there, an' you get to arrest whoever's there an' confiscate the drugs. Gaspar knows not to fuck with us again, you get to be a big hero, an' everythin' goes back to normal around here.”
“Sounds like you've considered every angle,” Hemmick said. “You're smarter than I'd have given you credit for. All right. You’ve got a deal. I'll park a few blocks away from the motel with my guys, and we'll wait for your signal to move in.”
Hunter nodded. “Good. Thank you. I'm glad we can work together on this. I'll see you there in about an hour.” He hadn't expected Hemmick to agree so quickly, but then again, he figured Hemmick valued his own political survival above all else.
“You got it,” Hemmick agreed as Hunter left his office.
As Hunter left the office, he heard Hemmick say, “Get the boys together and start handing out the shotguns and body armor,” he said. “We're gonna have some good old-fashioned fun tonight.”
Chapter 36
Missy
After Hunter left Cain's house to ride to the sheriff's office, Cain stepped out into the garage, closing the door behind him. Missy heard him talking to Keith and the others about the situation and the plan for that night, and a few minutes later, he poked his head back into the kitchen.
“Do you still have my spark plugs?” he asked Missy. “Plus, y'know, everything else you yanked off Gooch's bike so I wouldn't ride off with it?”
Missy nodded. “Yeah, give me a sec.” She went out into the garage with him, walking down the driveway to her car and unlocking the trunk. She'd stashed the plugs there after showing them to him, along with the fuel pump and ignition fuse. She carried them back into the garage and quickly re-attached them to Gooch's bike.
Keith and the other Eagles looked on, impressed.
“Hey, I got some stuff on my bike that needs fixin', too, if you've got some spare time sometime,” Matches said. “I've been workin' on it for months, but from the look of it, you could sort that shit out in about fifteen minutes.”
Missy chuckled. “Maybe after we're done with Gaspar,” she replied. “If you ask me nicely.”
She went back into the kitchen and toward the living room. Cain followed. As they both sat down on the couch, she noticed that he was avoiding eye contact with her.
“Hey, I hope you're not too freaked out that I ended up telling Hunter about us,” she said. “I mean, he basically knew anyway, and when he blurted it out, I really couldn't think of anything else to say, so...”
“Nah, that's cool,” Cain answered. “I guess it's a little weird that he knows, but then, this whole fucking thing's been pretty weird when you think about it.”
“That's certainly true,” Missy acknowledged. “Are you nervous about tonight?”
She expected him to deny it immediately, since she'd rarely met a biker who'd admit to fear in the face of a fight. But instead, Cain nodded. “Yeah. I am.”
Missy put a hand on his shoulder. “You've survived plenty of firefights before.”
“Sure, I have,” Cain agreed. “But like I said, you haven't.”
Missy felt a flare of rage again. “Look, I told you, just because I'm a woman doesn't mean...”
Cain held up a hand for her to stop. “Just let me talk for a minute, okay? It's not because you're a woman. It's because you're...I mean, I'm...” He stopped and took a breath, trying again. “I never said this to anyone before, so bear with me, all right?”
Missy cradled Cain's face in her hands, looking deep into his eyes. “Hey. Whatever it is, just tell me. I promise it'll be fine.”
Cain's expression softened. “I'm...falling...for you. You know? And it's fucked up, and I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with it. All I know is that the thought of something happening to you...I mean, if I lost you...I don't think I could take that. Even the thought of people shooting at you is freaking me out. And it's not like I'll be able to watch your back properly, because I'm not exactly in peak condition right now and it'll probably be all I can do just to make it out of this in one piece. But if you get hurt, or worse—”
Missy kissed him on the lips, stopping him mid-sentence. “I understand,” she said. “I really do. But Hunter will be looking out for me, and so will Keith and the other Eagles. Just like they do for each other, and just like they've always done for you. And on top of that, I'll be watching my back, and yours too. And if something does happen to me, well, then you'll just have to deal with it like you would if it were Ma
tches or Burger. Beyond that, none of us have any guarantees in this life.”
Cain's eyes were filled with affection, but more than that—respect for her, and pride as well. “I'm pretty sure I can guarantee I'll never meet anyone as strong, smart, and surprising as you are,” he said. “And that I'll probably love you 'til the damn stars burn out.”
Missy could feel her heart melting in her chest. She'd never seen such desire and devotion in anyone's face before when they'd looked at her, and in that moment, she believed she could easily spend the rest of her life with someone who looked at her like that and never get tired of it. No matter how infuriating he could be.
“I love you too, Cain,” she said.
Their lips met again and they sat like that for a long time, holding each other on the couch and kissing. Missy didn't know whether they'd be alive tomorrow, but she knew that she wanted to spend every available moment curled up with him while they still could. She felt like she'd found something she'd been deprived of—perhaps even deprived herself of—for her entire life, and now that the rest of her life might only extend to a few more hours, she wanted to savor it as much as she could.