by Carly White
“I see you are finally up son. Are you ready for another day?”
Andre shrugged. He didn’t have a choice. His father had pushed the whole thing into action. Maxwell was always pulling the strings. He couldn’t help himself since he had been the boss for so long. Andre knew why they were there and while he agreed, he would have handled it differently and he wouldn’t have used the press and television. It was the one thing that he had talked out against, but he was to give their side.
Maxwell knew in his old age that the best way was always the way that gave them closure. If the Sheriff was killed, the cops would keep snooping around until they found something incriminating. Though the cops were everywhere, the sheer number gave them some protection and having the country hear about it changed the rules with so many eyes now watching everyone. There were not the normal number of reporters, he would have liked more, but even one was enough with technology and sharing capacity nowadays.
Andre got it. He just didn’t want to be a part of it, but he was bound, so there he was. The hometown that he knew and love was under siege from his own people. But there was to be no violence, he wouldn’t let it happen. So far, no one had been hurt and Andre wanted to keep it that way.
What he didn’t want to do was go talk to some thirsty reporter, looking to make a name for herself like the one that was nosing around. He had already talked to her once and Andre would have wanted anyone else but her. But she was the only one.
“I’m ready. Not happy about it, but I will do what must be done.”
Maxwell put a hand on his shoulder. “I knew that you would son. That is why you are the leader now. You will do it better than me.”
“But I still don’t quite know why. You want me to go give my reasons, explain why we have taken over the town. I don’t know why we are here. I know that you found something out recently, but said nothing about what it was.”
Maxwell shook his head. It wasn’t time for that now. If he told his son the truth, there was no way that he was going to go through with it. Maxwell knew his son’s temper well, so he kept most of it to himself. “I can tell you that David was part of a rival motorcycle gang before he went the cop route. You need to tell that reporter that we want that exposed and what he did while he was in it. That man shouldn’t be walking around and I will not have him running my home town. He has to pay for his crimes and doing it in the public eye is a way for us to get it done without going to jail.”
Andre sighed. It was as cryptic as before. There was something his father wasn’t telling him, but he was used to secrets, lived with secrets his whole life.
“I will do as you ask. You need to stay out of it today though. The guys that came in from Denver are getting rowdy and it isn’t even ten in the morning.”
Maxwell scowled at the news. It was the last thing that he wanted to hear. “I will be out there to make sure that nothing happens. We can’t have this falling apart yet. If there is any violence, we won’t have the time to see it to fruition and that is what must happen.”
He saw the hard look in his father’s eyes and Andre wondered why he was so upset. Why wouldn’t he just tell him what was really going on? Why they were really there.
Andre left the house that they were staying in. It was the first house he remembered from his childhood and Andre would never understand why his father wanted it all to happen there. They had moved for a reason, the memories too painful. It also brought them all into the spotlight and that didn’t make any sense to him. They shouldn’t be naming themselves so easily.
“Andre, that reporter lady is here again for an interview. Do you want me to send her away or?”
“Tell her to come here. Max wants the interview to be in front of the house.”
Jason gave him a look, but Andre wasn’t going to answer it. There was no reason to have it there, but his dad had been clear. “Alright boss.”
The tall, redheaded man started to walk away, but Andre stopped him. “Keep the Colorado guys in line. Tell AJ to keep their eyes on em. I don’t want any trouble. They are here to hold the line, that’s it. Anyone can’t understand that needs to go.”
Jason nodded and went off where he was first going. The man was Andre’s second and he wanted to tell him the why that even he himself didn’t know. He felt like a pawn in it all. When he had taken over, Andree had thought that he would actually be taking over for good, but that was not the case. At the moment, he seemed to be the figurehead of it all with no power of any consequence.
As Andre saw the dark-haired loud woman from before walking up through the gate, he groaned inwardly. She was one of those women that grated his nerves with every word she said and he just wanted to get it over with. “Will you please tell you cronies that I need to have my daughter here to hold the camera? They won’t let her past.”
“Let her in Jason.” Andre hollered from where he stood. “I guess this is to be a family affair then?”
Civ didn’t answer, waiting for Namadi to come in behind her. “For someone who requested the interview, your guys aren’t very friendly.”
“They are not used to having to deal with your type.”
Civ tried not to let her nerves show. They had frisked her, though she was wearing a suit that left nothing to the imagination anyways. It had left her a little riled up and the smooth man in front of her was just ruffling more feathers.
Andre’s attention turned to the daughter and he stopped, his mouth open to say something that he had suddenly forgotten. She was dark-skinned and haired like her mother, though her smile seemed warmer. Civ noticed the look and moved into his line of vision. “So where would you like to have the interview?”
He seemed to realize what he was doing and what he wasn’t supposed to be doing. “Right here is fine.”
Chapter 3
“Andre, can you tell us why you are here? Why all of this is happening in such a small town?”
“This is where I grew up.”
“That tells us why here, but why are you protesting the Sheriff election. What do you have against David Thompson?”
The woman had a way of asking one question after another, never giving him time in between. She was not someone Andre would have chosen to talk to. He was also distracted by the young girl holding up a phone, recording it all. She was tall and slender, much nicer to look at then Civ. “Andre?”
Trying not to get frustrated with the situation or the reporter, Andre tried to make as much sense as he could. He still wasn’t sure about it all, but he did as he was told, as he had done so many times before. “David is a crook and used to run with the Black Angels years ago. He has been pretending to be something that he isn’t and we are here to make sure that he is seen for the man he really is.”
“Can you be more specific on what it is that you think he has done?”
Andre wished that he could and for a moment, the smile on his face slipped. He had to remind himself that it was not the time. “I think you should do some of your own work and find out. The people didn’t vote him in, so there has to be more there. All I know is we are taking a stand against him and we want the world to see him for it.”
Civ was speechless, not really sure what to say. As she looked at the small camera pointed towards her, she had to imagine that there would be some editing. The man’s blue eyes looked over at her and it was hard to think. He wasn’t dressed as a biker at that moment, only in jeans and a white T shirt. But he was still a little scary looking. His arms were huge and the man towered over them both. She wasn’t that close, but she could feel the tension coming out of him. He had the presence of a caged rhino and Civ didn’t want to poke him.
“Is that all you need, because I have things to do?” Andre looked back over at the young woman and asked her name.
“Her name is of no concern.”
Andre chuckled. It was clear that the woman didn’t want to think of her daughter with a man like him. Andre almost couldn’t blame her. He knew he was bad news and since
he had seen her a few minutes before, all he could think about was what she would sound like screaming out his name. He hoped that Namadi was one of those girls that just looked sweet and innocent, but were really a wild cat in bed. That is what he hoped as he met her dark eyes for a moment. She looked away almost as if she was shy and Andre really hoped that it was an act she was putting on for him.
“Well I figured since you are getting what you want, you could at least be civil.”
She blanched a little, realizing that she didn’t want to be kicked out. They could let her leave and send for someone else to get the exclusive. Civ knew that she had to smooth things over. “You’re right. Sorry about that. It is just a tense environment that has me on edge.”
“We are not being violent and just want to be heard. This is not the first time that the information has been pushed to the side and now they can’t. It will be answered for, all the things he did in this town and ones like it all over Texas. We demand justice.”
“Is there anything else, any more details that you can give us?”
Andre shook his head. “Not at this time. Only that we are peacefully protesting and as long as the police stay where they are, there will be no escalation.”
Civ just nodded at her daughter that she was done. There was nothing else she was going to get out of him and she wanted a panned shot of the rough looking men outside as she wrapped up the feed. Civ had gotten her exclusive, but it had not been what she had thought. A corrupt cop and election with a hint that there were more involved but him, had not even been on her radar. Now he had her wondering what was going to be pulled up. It would seem that the gang wanted justice and giving the public the task of figuring it out was smart.
In Civ’s mind, it also meant that she was going to be there a little longer. She was smiling as she left the small shotgun house that was as out of place as the well-speaking man covered in tattoos and muscles. If this wasn’t enough to get her name and face out there for all time, she didn’t know what was. Civ was already imagining the awards she would win, maybe even a key to a city when they took down the bad guy. Civ just wasn’t sure which person would be the bad guy in the end.
“My name is Namadi.”
Andre turned around and smiled back at the young woman. Her voice was soft and lithe to his ear and he could help but think that it had to all be an act. There was no way that someone that looked like her was that innocent. It wasn’t possible, but the validity of it didn’t matter. She was driving him crazy by her act, making him want to pull out the true debauchery he knew she was capable of.
***
“What were you thinking?”
Civ was still angry that her daughter had gone against her wishes. It was not something that she had to say out loud. That was the type of man that she had warned her about. Civ seen knew him for what he was, no matter if he didn’t have a leather jacket on. Andre was a man that just took what he wanted and the last thing she wanted him to set his sights on was her daughter. She wouldn’t let her fall down the wrong path. Civ had also noticed the interest and as she looked at her now, it was still there, the wonder and the pull of a bad boy.
“Mom, I just told him my name. You are acting like I started to strip for him or something. You are really blowing it this all out of proportion.”
Civ couldn’t believe that her mind had even gone there. Her look was sharp to Namadi, but in true form of this new woman she had created, her daughter did not give in an inch.
“The very fact that you would even say that to me makes me wonder.”
“Wonder all you want mom. It was just a name. We have been here for almost four days and I am bored. He didn’t seem like such a bad guy. I think everyone is going to be surprised how it all turns out.”
Namadi had a feeling that what she said was true. There was a reason that it was all happening and she had a feeling that it was going to be bigger than everyone thought. In a way she wished that her mom didn’t get the opportunity. It would mean a new job for her soon and then it would mean another move. Now that she was eighteen and fresh out of high school, Namadi decided then that she wouldn’t move again. They had moved at least ten times in her childhood. Never having any roots, she wanted to make some and no matter what happened from all of the craziness that they had been thrust into Namadi was not going to get caught up in her mother’s whirlwind.
“Not a bad guy? Are we talking about the same one? I know that you have read the reports that are coming out, the ones we were watching the other night. He has been bad news for a long time and I don’t want you anywhere near a guy like that. There is something about him that I don’t like Namadi and you need to stay away from him.”
“So you don’t mind if I talk to some of the other bikers?”
She was being difficult, she knew that, but it seemed only fair after what she had been dragged into. There was something to be said with having the slight upper hand.
“You know what I mean. I don’t know why we are even talking about this. He is not even your type.”
“I didn’t want to talk about this. All I did was tell him my name and you have been going on ever since. If you want me to leave and get out of this whole mess, I am sure they will let us out. The police are just stopping more people from coming in, not the other way around. It is what we should have done to begin with.”
Civ didn’t like the tone of her daughter’s voice, but she liked even less the idea of giving up her small moment of fame. She became a news reporter instead of a writer, not because of the stories, but she wanted the fame that came with it. She had always imagined herself the person everyone would want to talk to and now she was it. It was not quite the way that her imagination had made it happen, but she didn’t want to lose her minute in the light.
“We don’t have to leave Namadi, just stay away from those men. They will do nothing but cause you more trouble. Trust me on this, I know.”
She spoke as if she had experience with the bad boys, but she didn’t want to say anything one way or another. There was something in her eyes, the faraway look that made her daughter wonder what it was.
“I have to do something. I can’t just sit in this room anymore. While you are having your moment or whatever, I am stuck in this tiny room. I am going out. The whole time they have been here, they have been preaching non-violence. There hasn’t been any and I really want to get out. I’m going tonight to get out and if that is a problem, I will leave. I can’t stay here any longer. I am going to go crazy.”
Civ looked at the stance and the rebellious look in her dark brown eyes. She wasn’t budging, that much was clear and Civ didn’t know if she should push her or give in. Civ was still trying to get the differences of her being an adult. She didn’t have to listen anymore and as she took in the squared jaw and the arms crossed over her chest, Civ decided that it wasn’t the moment to put her foot down.
“If that is what you have to do Namadi, but please be careful. There is no sense looking for trouble.”
“Where do you think I get it from? Whenever there is a problem anywhere, you are traipsing off to see what is going on there. I get it from you and if you want real information mom, you can’t just keep hiding in this hotel room. I will go out and see if I can get some information.”
Namadi smiled back at her mom, knowing she wasn’t sure if she should believe her. It was just thrown in there to make her think. Namadi had no intentions on asking anybody about some bald-headed Sheriff. She just wanted to get out and knew that her mother couldn’t refuse the idea of some hint how to crack the case.
Civ was sitting at the small wooden table in front of her laptop, trying to patch together her next clip. The man had not made it very easy and he was so vague. Someone was going to figure it out and if it was her, she could quickly sky-rocket her way to investigative reporting. That was where the real fame and awards came from.
“I don’t like the idea of you going out there. It should be me.”
“No one like
s a pushy reporter mom. And no offense, but you are in true form the last couple of days. You are too hungry for it. I look like I could care less. More people are prone to talk when they don’t think you want to know.”
There was no science behind it. Namadi was just throwing it out there, anything to get her out of the small box that she was supposed to live in. There was no way that she could stay there another day. It didn’t matter what got her out. Namadi just wanted to get out of there any way she could.
“I don’t know Namadi. I don’t like the idea of you around those men. There are so many of them and if something happened, I don’t know what I would do.”
Namadia paused, rethinking her plans. It was clear that her mom meant it and she knew that she loved her. “Nothing is going to happen, mom. The whole world is watching what is happening here. They are waiting for your clip. You get that ready to send out and I will see what kind of information that I can get.”
Civ was torn between the story and her family. While she would like to have said that nothing mattered more than her daughter, it didn’t, but the idea of learning the truth and getting exclusive was too much of a temptation for her to pass up. All she wanted to do was make a name for herself and if her daughter could help her, what made it any different than when she came with to video it all? She couldn’t think of an answer and against her better judgement, Civ agreed to let her daughter go.
“Just promise me that you will be careful. If you get a bad feeling, just leave.”
Namadi shook her head that she would and gave her a quick hug before she left. “I will be back in a little bit. You get that next clip out and hopefully we will have information about what is going on later. That means another clip for later, so you might want to start on an introduction. You want to be the first with any new information.”
