Jack

by KJ Dahlen

  They met after Jack moved to Beaumont six years earlier. He’d had to leave his hometown due to Bandit’s threats. He’d been there a few years already when she came into his life. Jack had taken a job as a mechanic and was working in a garage when she’d pulled her car in. When she stepped out of the car, Jack fell in love with her right there on the spot. He never believed in love at first sight but he believed it that day and ever since.

  Because Bandit was still looking for them, he took a different name for a while. He’d used his mother’s maiden name which had been Danton. Her car needed a lot of work and she hung around while he worked on it. They had ordered some of the parts and it would take them a few days to get them in. When he did as much as he could for it that day, it was late so he invited her to dinner. Much to his surprise, she’d accepted.

  As she was new in town and didn’t have a place to stay, he invited her home with him and again she accepted his invite. Jack had been nervous the whole time they’d been together that day and he flat out asked her why she would come home with a total stranger. Kalinda smiled and told him she knew she would be ok with him and that for the first time in forever. she finally felt safe.

  He had no clue what she meant by that but over the next few days, he found out. She knew she was Indian but not much else. She’d grown up in the state orphanage under the name of Kalinda Grace. She didn’t know if she had family alive or not, she was only three when she ended up in the orphanage. She was or wanted to be a graphic artist as she had the gift of drawing. She was quite a few years younger than his twenty eight, she thought she was around nineteen years old. As she didn’t know her last name, they hadn’t been able to find her birth records.

  Her past never bothered Jack but he knew it bothered her. These nightmares she had spoken of held violence and some of it had been towards her. He hated that. His father and grandfather raised the boys to never strike a woman in rage. You never hurt the ones you care about.

  These nightmares of hers were no joke. They left her jumpy and disorganized for days. Every year since he’d known her... at this time of year she struggled with an increase of the nightmares, it was almost as if karma wanted her to remember her past.

  Jack often wondered if there was something there that could affect their future. “Which one was it this time?” he asked softly.

  “This one was different,” she admitted in a whisper. “This time, I’m seeing a baby, maybe two years old and someone grabs her, lifting her up in the air he starts shaking her. He’s screaming at her blaming her for something. I’m so scared and he throws her across the room. The baby hit the wall and several men rushed into the room. I remember another kid coming toward me, I was trying to hide myself in a corner of the room, he’s just a kid, but he’s older than I am. He’s maybe twelve or so. He holds me in his arms and tells me not to look.” She paused and looked up into Jack’s eyes. “I knew him and he held me safe then he was gone. I was alone in a room I didn’t recognize with people I didn’t know. I was so scared.” She ducked her head into his chest and sobbed. “Why can’t I remember? Why don’t I know my past? It’s like I get bits and pieces of it but not the whole memory.”

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know sweetheart.”

  Kalinda wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m scared Jack. I’m so scared. I have a feeling something is coming but I just don’t know what. I don’t know if it’s a threat to me or what I need to finally remember the past.”

  He tightened his hold on her. “I got you sweetheart. I ain’t gonna let anyone hurt you. I love you and you belong to me, to the Lost Sons and we don’t give up on our own,” he vowed.

  “I know,” she assured him. “But if I got trouble coming, I don’t want to pull you into it. For some reason, I have a feeling what is coming isn’t going to be good, not for me and not for the MC. I don’t want anyone to get hurt but I can’t stop it either.”

  Jack knew she had a gift of knowing things. She got vibes before Creed and the family showed up. She told hum his family was coming. He couldn’t figure out how or why they would be at the time. Then they all showed up, determined to go after Bandit and The Sinners. “You and Rosa are my family and family means something to me. I’m not giving up on either of you,” Jack assured her. “Whatever is coming, we’ll face it together as a family.”

  Kalinda hugged him closer.

  Later that same day, a lone motorcyclist rode into Killeen. His long black hair waved behind him and his eyes were covered by the aviator sunglasses he wore. When he pulled up to the pumps outside Jack’s garage, he got off his bike and slowly reached up to take off his glasses, revealing his dark blue eyes.

  The hot Texas sun didn’t seem to bother him as he caught sight of Jack bent over the hood of the car he was working on.

  Jack paused and looked a little closer at the other man’s clothing, taking note of his cut. The other man had a Demin vest covering his t-shirt, with some patches on it but he couldn’t read what they said. His lower face was covered in a short dark beard.

  As a Lost Son, the very fact that he was in their town showing his colors Jack wasn’t sure what it meant. He straightened his stance and grabbing his rag, he began wiping the grease from his fingers. Jack slowly walked toward the other man squinting against the sun’s bright light.

  “You look like you’re a little lost,” Jack told the other man.

  The other man smiled, showing off his white teeth. They stood out from his darker skin. He wasn’t black but he was Native American. “Not lost, just stopping for gas and a little bite to eat.” He held his hands out. “Don’t mean anybody any harm.”

  Jack stared at him for a moment then nodded at his cut. “Those colors might get you in trouble.”

  “Not looking for any trouble friend. Just gas and food.”

  Jack looked into the other man’s deep blue eyes and read the truth. He was a little older than his own thirty-one but not much. He saw the other man’s tats on his arm. They were a mix of military and free style. One of them drew his attention and he stared at the small mark on his wrist.

  His own eyes narrowed as he recognized the symbol on his skin. Then he raised his eyes to see the man staring back at him. They stared at one another for another moment or so, then Jack turned and walked back into the shop.

  When he turned around again, he saw the other man coming toward him. Jack braced himself for the worst but when he closer he stopped and stared at Jack.

  “What?” Jack asked.

  “You were staring at my tats, just wondering why?” He shrugged.

  Jack didn’t say anything for a long time then his curiosity got the better of him. “I recognize one of them and just wondering what it meant. Nothing more than that.”

  The other man looked down at his arm. He thought her knew which one Jack meant but he needed to know for sure. “Which one?”

  Jack pointed out the one he meant.

  “Why that one?”

  “Like I said just curious.” Jack shrugged.

  “That one is a tribal tat proclaiming me a member of the tribe.” The other man explained. “Each kid born into our tribe gets one. There is a ceremony on their second birthday. They are too young to remember the pain of getting the tat but they are marked for the rest of their life as a member of the tribe. That way, they can never get lost or misplaced. Some white people think that’s barbaric but for us, it’s an honor to be welcomed into the tribe.”

  “What tribe do you belong to, if I may ask?”

  “I am only half Indian but that part of me is Apache and I am very proud of that fact.”

  Jack nodded. “What’s your name?”

  “My proper name is John Jackson but my road name is Renegade.”

  “And your MC?”

  Renegade shrugged. “At the moment, I don’t belong to an MC. That’s one thing I’ve never tried before. My colors as you put it, belong to the Apache tribe.”

  “You served in the military?”

  “I d
id at least for a little while.” Renegade nodded. “You are observant.” Then he shrugged. “Last six months of my two year term I served in military jail for a misunderstanding between me and my commander but that was a long time ago.”

  “So what are you doing now?” Jack asked.

  Renegade shrugged. “Trying to find someone, someone I’ve missed for a number of years now, someone I hope is still alive.”

  Jack felt an odd dread deep in his soul at the other man’s words. He didn’t know why but for a fraction of a moment, he thought about Kalinda. He recognized the tat on Renegade’s wrist because she wore that same tat on her wrist. Kalinda didn’t remember getting it or what it even meant but Renegade knew. “Who are you looking for?” Jack asked. “And why?”

  “Why are you asking?” Renegade stared back at him.

  Jack shrugged. “Just curious.”

  “You heard the saying haven’t you? Curiosity killed the cat.”

  Jack shrugged again. “No harm, no foul right?”

  Renegade stared at the other man. Then he turned and walked back to his bike. Turning on the engine, he revved it a few times then took off.

  Jack watched and waited until he was out of sight before he picked up his cell phone and called his brother. “Creed, we might have a problem.”

  Chapter Two

  Creed and Bear rolled into the garage a few minutes later. They dismounted their rides and stomped into the garage. “I’m here now tell me what this is all about.” Creed growled.

  Jack sat on a stool and ran his fingers through his hair. “God, I don’t even know where to start.”

  “At the beginning is always a good place.” Creed raised a brow at him.

  “Ok, ok... I met Kalinda three years ago...” Jack started.

  Creed interrupted, “Wait, this is about Kalinda?”

  Jack nodded. “Yeah and she might not appreciate my sharing her story with the both of you but I don’t have a choice.”

  “Just get on with it. She’s one of us now she’ll have to get used to it. If we are to survive there can be no secrets between us, a secret might get us killed.”

  Bear stood beside him and nodded in agreement.

  “When I met her three years ago, I fell head over heels in love with her at first glance. I never knew a person could actually do that, but I did. She was having car trouble and she stopped in Beaumont where I was living and working. She didn’t know where she was going but she had dreams of becoming a graphic artist and she was pretty good too. The more I got to know her the more I wanted her in my life.” Jack paused and this was where things got a little sticky for him to explain. He knew Kalinda wouldn’t want her entire life on display for everyone to hear about. “I’m telling you this so you understand how sensitive she is about this.”

  Creed nodded and motioned for him to go on.

  Bear just stood there and listened without saying a word.

  “Kalinda has no real recollection of who she is or where she came from. The first thing she remembers about her childhood is being driven to an orphanage when she was about three. Her life before then in a blank. The rest of it she just doesn’t remember all that much. She has nightmares about two people fighting and a bunch of screaming but she doesn’t know who the people fighting were or what they meant to her.” Jack took a deep breath and exhaled. “She claims her name is Kalinda Grace but there is no birth record for Kalinda Grace. It was a name the sisters who ran the orphanage gave to her. They told her all she knew when she got there was her first name. The only real identifying mark she has on her is a tattoo on her wrist.” He looked over at his brother. “She doesn’t remember getting it and it looks about as old as she is. Only problem with that is I ran into another guy today that has the same tattoo. When I asked him about it, he told me it was an Apache tribal tattoo. The children of their tribe go through a ceremony when they’re two years old when they get accepted into the tribe. It marks them as a member of the tribe and it’s something they carry for the rest of their lives.”

  “What’s this guy’s story?” Creed narrowed his eyes as he stared at his brother.

  Bear perked up and listened to what Jack was saying.

  Jack shrugged. “He said his name was John Jackson, though his road name is Renegade and he’s only half Indian and he was proud of it. He said the tribe he belongs to is Apache. I asked him what he was doing here and he said he was looking for someone he lost a long time ago. That somebody might be Kalinda, I’m afraid.”

  “Did he say what he wanted with this someone he was looking for?” Bear finally broke his silence.

  Jack shook his head. “No he didn’t and that’s what’s making me nervous. There is a danger surrounding this guy, one that’s makes me think there’s more to him than meets the eye. He admitted spending some time in the slammer while he was in the military and that tells me he doesn’t like following orders.”

  “What else did he tell you?”

  “That he ain’t looking for trouble but I think he doesn’t have to look that far to find it.”

  Creed turned and looked out the double doors in the city they now called home again. He had a feeling that somewhere out there was a man he needed to deal with. Like Jack said, a man who didn’t have to look far to find trouble.

  “He did say he was only here for gas and food,” Jack offered.

  “What’s he riding?” Creed asked.

  “A red Harley Fat boy. He rode down toward the diner on Bridge Point Road.”

  Creed nodded. “I’ll have a look and maybe a parley with the boy.”

  Bear snorted, “You mean we might have to have a parley with him, don’t you boss?”

  “Not such a boy anymore. Might be as old as you are,” Jack reminded his brother.

  “Brother, I’m older than I look.” Creed snorted.

  “I know exactly how old you are.” Jack growled. “It ain’t a secret ya know?’

  Creed smiled. “Older than you are anyway.”

  Jack just stood there and watched as his brother and a good friend ride away looking for a man who might have come looking for his woman.

  He then walked over to the sink and began washing the grease and grime off his hands. No matter what Creed did he wasn’t going to risk losing Kalinda and the baby. That meant he was going to use any means possible to hold her to him.

  He closed up the shop and drove home. Once he pulled into his driveway, he jumped out of the truck and went inside.

  Kalinda looked up from the sofa startled when he barged in through the front door. “What’s wrong?” she called out.

  Jack went over to her and cupping either side of her face, he kissed her hard. She kissed him right back and they were both breathless when they ended the kiss.

  Kalinda looked up at him with a question in her eyes. “Not that I don’t like it, but what are you doing home at this time of day?”

  Jack looked down at the woman he loved with every fiber of his being. “I want us to get married.”

  She frowned a bit looking puzzled at this sudden announcement. “OK. When?”

  “Right now, today. I don’t want to wait any longer.”

  “Why?” she whispered a bit startled.

  Jack looked away from her for a moment then he met her eyes again. “I have something to tell you.” He motioned for her to sit down. When he sat down next to her, he reached out and took her hand. Turning her wrist to the front he explained, “I didn’t know if I wanted to tell you this before we got married but I vowed to always tell you the truth, didn’t I?”

  When Kalinda nodded Jack went on, “I met someone today. He was like you but again not like you. He was wearing what I thought at first were MC colors and that could have backfired on him in this town. I gave him a word of warning and he acknowledged it. Then I noticed his tats. One of them was this symbol.” His thumb rubbed over the tattoo on her wrist.

  Kalinda stopped breathing for a moment and looked down at her wrist. Growing up, she never understood
why she was so marked. Now it seemed she was about to find out what it meant. “Please tell me,” she whispered.

  “He said he was half Apache and this was his tribal acceptance mark. Every child born into the tribe is so marked when they are two years old and then they are accepted into the tribe. At least that is what he said.”

  She peered up into his eyes. “Did he say anything else?”

  “He said he was looking for someone he lost a long time ago,” Jack reluctantly told her.

  Kalinda titled her head to one side and stared at him. “Did you think he was looking for me?” she asked him quietly.

  “Well if he was, he can’t have you. You and Rosa belong to me.” Jack glared at her stubbornly.

  Kalinda burst out in laughter at the look on his face. He reminded her of a child that had been told no, he couldn’t have whatever it was he wanted.

  Jack flushed then smiled shortly. “I’m sorry but I don’t want to lose you and we’ve waited long enough. I do want to marry you today though.”

  Kalinda cupped his jaw and turned is head toward hers. “I would be proud to marry you today. I would never leave you and Rosa willingly, I hope you know that. I also don’t think anyone out there is looking for me. It’s been too long. Whoever I belonged to, it was a lifetime ago. They’ve had nineteen years to find me and now, well it’s just too late now. I have found the life I want right here with you and our daughter. Your family has accepted me and I know I’ll never want more than I have with you.”

  “I still want to give you my name,” Jack whispered feeling determined. “Grandpa was right I should have done it a long time ago.”

  Kalinda looked at him with tears glittering in her eyes. “I would be proud to carry your name.”

  Jack stood up and held out his hand. “Then let’s do this. I’ll give the family a call and they can be witness, but I am marrying you today before God and family.”