by Kara Hart
“It’s the worrying that will get him through this. He needs someone worrying about him. He needs all the thoughts and prayers he can get.” I found myself saying. I was in no way a religious woman, but I felt like what I said was true. Any good thought was important right now. He needed all the good he could get in this world.
“You know,” Bruce began speaking thoughtfully, “when I first met you, I didn’t know you’d play such an important role in Avery’s life. I thought you were just some star. Some entertainment. You know, we get a lot of girls to host parties and such. But that night felt more important than usual. Not because Luke was let out of prison or nothing, but because the spirits were high. You get it?” I nodded my head. “I told Avery that he should find a good woman. I think he just shrugged it off. But I think that sentiment eventually got in the guy’s head. And then you two started talkin’. Look, I know we kind of met in weird circumstances, but I see that you’re a light in Avery’s life. You want to take care of him. And I s’ppose he wants to do the same for you. That’s a good thing, Hope. It’s important.” He looked away. Did I see tears forming in his eyes?
“I know you two go way back.” I said. “He showed me the house. He showed me all the pictures he’s kept of you two and Adam. You’re important to him as well.” I smiled.
“He kept those? Now that brings a smile to my face. You know what? You need to meet Adam someday. He’s a good kid, when it comes down to it. A bit left of the path, but good nonetheless. He was here for a second. Helped us with old Bobby Farole. But as soon as he came back, he disappeared again. Yeah, Avery was sort of the son I never had. Don’t tell anyone I said that now. But he is and was. A damn fine soldier, he is.” He nodded in an almost dreamlike trance, to himself.
I looked at the empty strip club. It looked hollow and desolate. There was no music, no dancing, just the sound of the wind coming in from the outside world. Silence used to be mildly comforting. Now it took on a new meaning for me. Evil was lurking in the darkness. On the horizon, the sun ducked its beautiful head under the mountains. What was there left to hold onto if love was punished?
But they would not win. We would not give up. I would stay strong for my man. I had to now more than ever. The darkness is always conquered by the light. That much I knew. As long as we stood up and fought back, we would lead the way to a certain kind of victory: love. I was sure of it. I was positive it was the answer.
“Bruce?” I looked at the man, a born leader now faced-to-face with a big dilemma.
“Yeah, Hope?” He grabbed at a cigarette, but he lost it. It fell onto the hard wood floor.
“Are we at war?” I asked him.
He bent over and picked up the cigarette, carefully lighting the end. These were the times smoking felt the best. It felt right in heated moments such as these.
“I believe we are.” He muttered, taking in a long hard drag.
“What do we do?” I asked him. I needed to help in any way I could. For Avery. I missed his smell, I missed his touch. I missed the cold, hard way he viewed the world. But most of all I missed his presence and drive.
“First things first. We get him out of that hospital. It was a bad move to keep him there. Even with one of our guards watching over him, it's still not enough. So that's what we’re gonna do. We’re going to get him out. And then we’re going to find Angelo. He’ll take us to Luke. I have no doubt about that.” he said.
“What makes you so sure of yourself?” I asked. “Angelo might rather go out in a firefight of glory than give up Luke. Are you prepared for that?” It was worth asking. From what I gathered, these guys were willing to risk everything for a chance at their own type of glory. They were so caught up in their pride that a bullet to the head meant nothing to them.
“Angelo’s not the kind of guy to do that. He's angry because he felt deserted by us. That's all. If he is tricked into feeling like he has respect again amongst his old brothers, he’ll give us what we need.” He threw the cigarette across the room and watched it slowly burn out.
“I hope you're right.” I whispered. “I really do.”
Bruce motioned for me to follow him outside. “Come on.” he said. “Let's get Avery out of that hospital and back into safety.”
Avery
I woke up with the moon shining onto my hospital bed. I was so groggy. I almost fell back into dreamin’ but somebody pushed me to stay awake.
“Hey baby. I'm right here.” the voice said. I could hardly see. My one eye was taped shut with gauze. The other one was a blurry mess.
“Are you an angel?” I said. Clearly the morphine was doing the trick. I was messed up, feelin’ a little woozy and unsure about everything.
A man stepped forward suddenly, “Yeah, she's an angel alright.”
“Bruce?” I called out. “Hope?”
Bruce leaned over me and whispered, “You gotta stay quiet, brother. We’re bustin’ you out of this place. It ain't safe. Luke’s somewhere out there, waiting for us. You ready to go into hiding?” he asked.
“Shit, I ain't ever hide from anything.” I whispered, coughing from the mixture of pain and all the damn drugs they had me on.
Bruce laughed, “Truest thing I've heard all day. But you’ve got a worried woman waiting for you. Look at her, Avery. She needs you to stay alive.”
“Hope.” I reached out to her and grabbed her hand. She smiled and knelt down in front of me. “I'm sorry. I let you down. I let everyone down.” I said.
She simply smiled and rubbed my hand. “Stop it. It's not true, Avery. You mean the world to me. I'm just so grateful that you're alive. Just promise me that you’ll keep on living. I don't know what I'd do without you.” she began sobbing against my limp body.
“Alright. I guess I can agree to that.” I have my best smile, but I wasn’t feelin’ too hot at this point. I had one thing on my mind: revenge.
“Let's go.” Bruce said. He unplugged my machines and I took out all the wires. They both rolled my sad ass out of that hospital and put me in the van. There would be hell to pay. But first, I had to get the drugs out of my system.
We agreed to stay in a new hideout spot. Apparently The Sapo Boys valued our business ventures together enough to help us out. We had guards, cameras, and a gate that surrounded the compound. Yep. This was beginning to look like a war alright. I braced for the incoming threat.
Luke, I'm coming for you.
Hope
The minutes turned into hours, and the hours turned into days. Eventually, through diligent waiting and a lot of whisky, Avery’s face healed.
“I'm still a fucking monster.” he sighed, slamming his fist against the wall.
Bruce just laughed, “Some things never change.” Avery eyed him angrily. “What did you expect? That one day you’d magically turn into a butterfly? You know what kind of cards you were given. Time to be a man again and accept it.”
I, on the other hands, was a bit more supportive. During those lonely nights of desolation and cold despair, I held Avery close and whispered all things good and nice. I figured that, more than anything else, would be the way to healing. Turns out, I was right.
“You're more handsome than ever.” I said. They weren't lies. I actually thought he was perfect the way he was. In fact, the scar kind of suited him. It gave him an added veil of mystery and triumph. It would now be clear to the gang just how much he was willing to give up for them. He was the leader they needed. “Now get up and be the leader of Courage. Be the man they need!” I said.
“You're right. Shit, of course you're right. If you can still love me even though I look like this, I can do anything. You give me strength, Hope. You give me a reason to go on livin’.” I got up and walked into the other room where Bruce was.
He looked up at me, shocked that I was even walking around. “What the hell? Well, look who the cat dragged in.” he said.
I sat down next to him and shook my head. “Got another cigarette?” I asked.
“Sure do, brother.
” He reached into his pocket and pulled one out for me. “So.”
I lit the end and smiled. “So.”
“You been out for days. You got a plan for me or what?”
“I was kinda hopin’ you had one.” I laughed.
Bruce lit his own cigarette and laughed with me. “You sure you're all better? I don't wanna lay this shit on you unless you're all healed up.”
“Bruce, I'm not some kid anymore. It's just a little scar. I can handle it.”
“Alright. Well then, I'll let you in on what I know. Angelo has decided to come forward and cooperate.” he said tactfully.
Avery just shook his head. “So that’s it? He's forgiven and allowed back into the crew? Forgive me, boss, but that’s the biggest load of bullshit I ever heard. The man slashes my face and you just let him off the fuckin’ hook? I never thought I'd see the day.”
I stood up. “Bruce, are you seriously going to do this? The man deserves to be thrown to the wolves for what he's done!” I couldn't believe him. Everything we had fought so hard for. It was all for nothing? Fuck that. I wouldn't stand for it.
“Settle down.” Bruce warned. “This is what being a boss is all about. It's about making sacrifices to keep the whole gang safe and together. Angelo wasn't that one who slashed your damn face, Avery. I suspect you already know that. Now, I ain't just lettin’ him back in. I'm making a compromise. He gets to bare the Courage brand, but he has to start from the bottom again. We ain't in the business of rewardin’ traitors! Got it?”
Avery nodded. I still couldn’t see why he was being so lenient towards Angelo. Then again, I wasn't in the business of negotiating. Avery said, “I get it. I do. But promise me one thing, Bruce.”
“Anything, Avery. You know I think of you as a son.”
“That's why I'm asking. We go way back, man. You make it so he suffers. He thinks he had to prove himself when he first joined? Shit, make it so he doesn't know what's comin’ to him.” A sly smile came from Avery’s face.
I wrapped my arms around his smooth neck and breathed in his scent. It was completely comforting. I had gotten so used to him in every way. “So what's next?” I asked. “Where's Luke?”
“That's where things get a little tricky.” Bruce muttered. “Bobby’s guys are housin’ him somewhere nearby. Only thing is, they're after us for that little stunt we pulled not too long ago. And Angelo sure as hell don't know anything. We've questioned him for hours. Only thing he's got is a tip on a kilo of cocaine headed to California. Bobby’s people are making the delivery. We’ll intercept it and see if they got any information on where he's at. It's the best I can do right now.”
“I'll go.” Avery said. “I'm healthy enough now. I'm the man for the job.”
“Avery.” I whispered, though I let my voice trail off. I didn't want to stop him from pursuing this, but it seemed dangerous. I just didn't want him to get hurt. After this last incident, I wasn't so sure about all of this. I mean, I wanted him to lead. I just didn't want him to die because of Luke or Bobby’s men.
Avery turned to me and held my hands. “I'll be safe. I promise you. I just need to do this. For the gang, I need to find Luke. For justice’s sake.” That's when I saw it. He had a fire in his eyes. There was no stopping him now. If anyone was going to find Luke, it would be Avery. He had enough drive in him to stop an army.
“Okay. I trust you.” I acquiesced, squeezing his hands tightly. “Just don't let us down!” He picked me up in his arms and I found myself lost in his warmth. He kissed me and smiled.
“You think I'd let you down? Hell no. There's too much at stake.” he said. I knew he wouldn't. I had all the faith in the world in him.
Suddenly, Bruce’s cell went off. “Just got word that the shipment is on route. Alright, Avery. The job is yours. Get yourself suited up. It's gonna be a long day.”
Avery grabbed his guns and threw on a white t-shirt, complete with a bullet proof vest. “I'm ready.” he said, pressing in the safety on his pistol.
Avery
I kissed her and promised to myself that it would be the last time I left like this. It was Hell on a woman not to know where her man was, and whether or not he was safe. And I had to respect her feelings. But now? Now was time to get my revenge on some assholes who have no manners.
I picked my woman up and kissed her passionately. “Don't leave me alone. Come back to me.” she said.
“I'll always come back to you. I swear it.” I said. And with that, we were off. Bruce and I jumped on our bikes and headed in the direction of the truck of drugs.
* * *
After some time of riding, we broke off of the highway to get back on our feet for a minute or two. We had been in the blazing sun for what seemed like hours now and I was getting tired. “How far are we?” I asked. My face felt as if it were on fire. Maybe I wasn't really ready for this yet. Still, I was stuck. There was no going back now.
“What’s wrong?” Bruce asked me.
“Nothin’. Just want to make sure everything is in order. Explain the plan to me again, boss.” I said, taking a big gulp of water while I leaned against the hot metal of my bike.
“We made it.” he said, pointing to the burning horizon. “You see that building, just around the bend there? That’s where they’re doing the deal. We gotta keep it simple and easy. We ambush them and take the drugs. No questions ask. If anyone disagrees with our methods, it’s sayonara.” He kept his hand on his hip, right where his gun lay holstered.
“I thought we were trying to find where they were hiding Luke? You’re doing this just for the damn drugs?” I said, giving Bruce an odd look.
He waved me away. “Yeah, yeah. Of course I’m in it to find Luke. Shit, man, you really think I don’t care about you? I’m gonna’ find Luke and I’m gonna watch you kill the son of a bitch. But a kilo of coke ain’t bad either, right? Don’t worry, we’ll take the driver and get answers from him. That I promise you.”
“Well let’s get to it then.” I said. We parked our bikes in a parking lot off to the side and walked a mile in the right direction. When we got near the old abandoned area, we ducked behind a wall and sat waiting. Sure enough, two trucks arrived and a total of four armed men got out. The cartel. Shit, this was gonna be a tough one.
“Time to put our masks on.” Bruce whispered. I grabbed my black bandana and wrapped it around my scarred face. I laughed to myself. When your face was this cut up, it was pretty damn obvious who you were. Still, I had a feelin’ none of these guys would live to tell the tale of Avery any time soon.
“Alright. Ready?” he asked me. I grabbed my pistol and armed it, taking the safety off.
“Ready as I ever will be.” I said.
He pressed his forehead against mine and put his hand on my shoulder. “No matter what happens, you always meant the world to me, Avery. We’re brothers in arms and it has always been us against the world. From the day you got that Courage fever, I knew you were somethin’ special. It’s time to prove yourself once again. Hell, it’s time prove myself.” I nodded, heart racing fast and heavy. “Alright. On my count. 3-2-1 … Go!”
We split into two directions. I went left, while he went right. Within a few short seconds, we had them surrounded. “DROP YOUR WEAPONS!” We both screamed, shooting near their feet. The men fell to the floor, with their hands above their heads.
I walked up to them, kicking their guns away from their bodies. “That’s right. Nice and easy.” I said. “We’re not here for your lives, so if you follow our rules and do what we say, you’ll be fine. Got it?” The men nodded their heads, though I could tell they didn’t want to comply one bit.
Bruce laughed out loud, practically bragging about our ambush. “Hey, look at ‘em! They’re shaking like a couple o’ girls!”
“Come on, Let’s get the shit and go.” I warned Bruce. He always did this kind of shit, but I was a little more cautious about my heists. Time was always of the essence. If you found yourself at the scene for too long, things went b
adly.
Bruce ignored me and kept prodding the guys. “Hey, got a cigarette?” he asked one of the cartel members. He shook his head as if to say no. He was clearly too scared to even utter any words.
I hit Bruce’s shoulder and said, “Let’s fucking go.” Bruce conceded and stepped inside the truck, counting the kilo of cocaine. I stood off to the side as guard. “No funny business.” I said to them.
The driver shook his head, looking pretty pissed off at us. “You guys from Courage?” he asked me.
“Stay the fuck down and keep your mouth shut.” I said.
“Yeah, I bet you are. You’re all gonna pay for what you did to Bobby.” He said through gritted teeth. “Luke’s going to put a bullet through your thick fucking skulls.”
“That’s it.” I said, putting the barrel of my gun to his head. “You want to die? Is that it?”
Bruce laughed. “I counted it. It’s all there. Good shit too! Let’s move. Get the driver. We’ll need him.”
“Get up.” I said. The man remained still, in defiance of my orders. “I said get up!” I fired a bullet into the dirt next to his head. That got him running. Within an instant, he was tied up and screaming in the semi, while we drove off into the distance. We made sure to tie the cartel members up as well.
“HAHA!” Bruce screamed into the wind as we drove nearly 80 mph. We’d later send new Courage recruits to pick up the bikes, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for leaving my old ride there all alone for such a long time. “WE DID IT!” Bruce was celebratin’.
As for me, the job wasn’t over until Luke’s blood spilled onto this earth. I kept my hands steady on the wheel and looked forward. I never looked back.
Hope
