by Wilder, L
Chapter 4
Bishop
Bishop met with a construction company to get an estimate on the garage expansion. He knew what he wanted, and he needed them to get started right away. He just had to find the right guys to do the job, since he wouldn’t be able to babysit them while they worked.
He still had issues with the Diablo’s president to take care of, and he wasn’t expecting things to go well. He needed to do more research on Duce and see if he could find something that might help. He needed to find an out that didn’t lead to a war between their clubs.
He made his way over to the clubhouse to see the guys off before they left for their delivery to Memphis. He wanted this run to go smoothly, but his gut told him something was off. He knew he shouldn’t trust the Diablos, but he had to make this last delivery.
When he pulled up to the garage, the guys were already loading the motorcycle trailer with the crates of guns. They were concealing them behind a secret panel in the front section of their 6 x 12 cargo trailer. He walked over to Ace to go over their plans for the night.
“What time are you planning to head out today, Ace?” Bishop asked as he checked over the trailer.
“It’s about a three hour drive, so we’ll leave here around 5:00. I’m not expecting much traffic on a Thursday night,” Ace replied as he loaded the last crate into the trailer.
“That sounds good. I expect you to keep me posted on things. I wanna know as soon as you start to head back. That warehouse in Frayser is in a bad part of town. You gotta watch your back,” Bishop stated with concern.
Bishop’s conscience gnawed at him each time his guys made one of these deliveries. He knew where these guns ended up. At first, it was just gangs killing other gangs. Now, more and more innocent people seemed to be getting caught in the crossfire of these brutal gang wars. There had just been a shootout the past week at Gaston Park, and a child had been struck by a stray bullet. Bishop’s heart had ached as he watched the mother cry over her dying five year old daughter on the news.
He was feeling uneasy about that night’s run, but he hoped that Ace and Sheppard would be able to handle whatever came up. The Diablos had been getting lazy. The past few runs hadn’t gone well because they were making careless mistakes. They had more prospects than members, and they didn’t seem to mind when one of their brothers was killed during their encounters with the gangs. Several of their men had been arrested for drug possession, and their numbers were dwindling quickly. The Diablos were now dealing with rival gangs in the area too, and it was only a matter of time before it all caught up with them. These gangs didn’t like competition, and once they realized that they were being duped, there’d be hell to pay. Bishop didn’t want his men in the middle of the shitstorm that was about to break out. He’d always believed in safety first when it came to his brothers, so he’d started sending extra men during their deliveries just in case something went wrong. He didn’t like surprises, and he knew he should expect anything when he was dealing with the Diablos.
Chapter 5
Tessa
Myles and Tessa had a great afternoon. They started painting the signs to be displayed throughout town to advertise the fair. Drake and several of his friends came by to help. They also made a list of people to call for donations. They would need to ask for lots of food and prizes. The more they could get donated, the more profit they would make for the fundraiser. By the time they finished, they were a mess. They had paint everywhere, and Myles had a huge smile on his face.
“You seemed to enjoy yourself today, Myles. I think you did an awesome job again. You better go and get cleaned up. Your dad should be here any minute,” Tessa said with a smile.
“Sure thing, Ms. Campbell,” Myles replied as he headed to the bathroom to clean the paint off of his hands and face.
“Myles seems pretty cool, Mom. So, you made him do all this because he got in a fight in your class?” Drake asked.
“Yes… but he’s a great kid. It wasn’t really all his fault. The kid he hit was kind of asking for it. Anyway, I thought this might be fun for him, and he seems to be enjoying it. Thanks for coming and helping me today. Are you riding home with me, or are you headed off somewhere?”
“I’m gonna go eat pizza with the guys if that’s okay. JT’s mom said she would take us and then drop me off at the house when we’re done.”
“That sounds fine. Don’t be too late. We still have to finish your project for Language class. And tell your friends I said thanks for today. I’d love to have them back next week if they can make it. I’ll buy the pizza next time if they’re up for it,” Tessa said as she finished cleaning up the paint.
“Cool. See ya back at the house!”
Tessa met Myles in the hall and walked him to the front door to find his dad. Courtney came rushing up the hall with a big grin on her face. She had a personality that made you smile just thinking about her. She was bubbly and fun, and she never had a bad thing to say about anything. She had shoulder length red hair and bright green eyes. Her figure was on the heavier side, but it never seemed to bother her. She always wore the latest fashions whether they flattered her or not.
“Hey girlie girl! You ready for our girl’s night out tomorrow night? I’m so ready to get my dance on. I wanna line dance. Are you up for line dancing? You need to wear your comfy shoes so you can shake your thang girlfriend! I’m so tired of work, and if I hear another kid call my name, I think my ears will bleed. Yes, actually bleed! I need to drink. A lot,” Courtney said as she cocked her head to the side. “Oh… Hey, Myles. How’s it going?”
“Court, you really need to come up for air sometime. I can’t keep up at my age. Yes, I’m more than ready for tomorrow night. Mom’s meeting me to get the kids right after school. We’re meeting halfway, so I’ll be ready in time. How bout we just plan to meet at Matt’s Pub around 9?”
“Yay! I can’t wait!” Courtney said as she jumped up and down. The sound of Bishop’s motorcycle froze her mid jump. “Whoa! Who is that? Myles, is that your dad?”
“Yeah, that’s him. See ya later, Ms. Campbell,” Myles replied as he headed out the door. Tessa’s focus was drawn to Bishop. She felt a quiver of excitement just seeing him sitting on his motorcycle. He gave her a wave with a sexy smile. Tessa smiled and casually waved back. As she turned to Courtney, she noticed that she was waving like a nut in a parade with a goofy grin on her face.
“Jesus, Court! Stop that!” Tessa laughed as she grabbed her waving arm.
“OH. MY. GAWD. He’s a total hottie. You have got to get you some of that, girl! Imagine you with a sexy motorcycle dude. That would be so cool…you snuggled up on the back of his bike with your arms wrapped around him. Yeah, that would be so hot!” Courtney said as she nudged Tessa’s shoulder.
“That’s so not gonna happen. He’s Myles’s dad, and besides, I doubt he would be interested in some school teacher like me in the first place.”
“Girl, you need to look in the mirror. You totally have the hot teacher thing going on. He would definitely go for you. We’ll talk tomorrow night,” Courtney said as she headed to her car. “Wear something hot!”
This should be interesting. Tessa gathered her things and headed home. She needed to get to the house and pack for her kids. Her mom was really looking forward to their visit, and she always had a particular dress or pair of shoes she wanted Izzie to wear. She wanted her to look perfect when she took her out to see her friends or when they went to church on Sunday. It could get a little annoying at times, but the small amount of freedom that it gave Tessa made it all worthwhile. Her parents loved their grandchildren dearly, and it meant a great deal to Tessa that they wanted to stay involved in their lives.
Chapter 6
Ace
We make good time getting to Memphis without any major issues going through Interstate 40. The usual undercover cops aren’t making their rounds tonight, so we make our way through the city pretty quickly.
The surroundings change instantly a
s we make our way into the Frayser area. Frayser has become the new Chicago with its dilapidated houses with large bars on the windows and miles of low-income housing. The apartments look run down with graffiti marks on the walls. There are only a few cars out, but the ones we see have dark tinted windows playing loud thumping music as they drive by. Prostitutes stand on the corners waiting to make their next dollar, calling out and strutting around to the cars passing by. We pass several liquor stores and gas stations also tagged with gang graffiti. There are a few motorcycle clubs in the Memphis area, but this is definitely gang territory. They have marked their terrain, and any fool would know to be cautious. Everyone knows you don’t mess around with these gangs. They are known to shoot first, and they don’t stop to ask questions.
The Diablo’s warehouse is behind an old local liquor store off of Whitney Avenue. It is actually an old loading dock with large roll-back doors on the front. There is one security light over the main door, otherwise it’s dark around the warehouse. We can hear their loud voices over the music as we pull to a stop. When laughter breaks out and a bottle crashes inside, we realize they must be drinking. Not a good thing under the circumstances. This is not a time to be careless.
“Tell me those motherfuckers aren’t in there drinking right now!” Sheppard shouts.
“We gotta play this cool, brother. We gotta get in and get out. Let’s unload this shit as fast as we can, and head out,” I say to Sheppard.
“No doubt. I’ll go get them to roll up the door so you can pull in,” Sheppard says as he jumps out of the truck. He walks over to knock on the side door. Shortly after, the roll-back door begins to rise.
I slowly pull the trailer into the warehouse and ease out of the truck. I check out the surroundings and notice several men standing around with beers in their hands. I quickly move to the back of the truck and begin to open the trailer. I have to release the hidden compartment, so we can get to the crates. “Where do you want us to put the crates?” I ask one of the guys closest to me.
“Just put ‘em over by that black Tahoe. We’ll have to separate ‘em and load ‘em from there,” he replies with a slur. He’s a big guy with a scraggly long red beard. He’s wearing his worn out Diablo’s cut and looks to be about fifty years old. He takes another slug from his beer and just stands there glaring at me. He looks like a real tool.
Sheppard and I begin stacking the crates by the truck while the prospects, Otis and Bulldog, stand watch. A young, pimple-faced kid with an old cap and jeans comes over to us. He can’t be over fifteen years old, but he walks with confidence. He asks, “You guys need any help?”
“Nah man, we got this. Thanks, though. Why don’t you go help my guys keep a look out? We should be done here in a minute,” I say to the kid, wondering what the hell he is doing here with these guys. I can tell this kid has no business running with these pricks.
When we are almost done, Otis calls over to me, “Hey, Ace? I think someone is out there.” He points his finger to a light shining through the window. One of the Diablos also sees the light and quickly pulls out his weapon.
“We got company!” the red-bearded Diablo shouts. The Diablo crew starts moving to the windows with their guns drawn.
“Let’s get moving guys!” I shout to my brothers. “Get in the truck. We need to get out of here before all hell breaks loose.”
Sheppard and I quickly start gathering the guys up into the trailer. As we are loading up, gunfire explodes throughout the warehouse. Total chaos surrounds us. The gunfire continues as the Diablo crew shouts back and forth.
“It’s the cops! You gotta take him out!” one of the Diablos shout. “Shoot the motherfucker, and let’s get the hell out of here!”
Things go to shit fast. Several of the Diablos continue to fire shots at the cop outside, and I know we have to get out now. It won’t be long before more cops arrive. As I lift the door, I see a cop look at me with his gun pointed right at me.
“Watch out, Ace!” Sheppard screams, and I feel a crushing pain as the smoldering metal erupts in the middle of my chest. I look down and see warm blood flow down my shirt. I instantly feel weak and drop to the ground. Oh, shit. How did I fuck this up so bad? I can hear the Diablos continue to shoot at the cop, as Sheppard pulls me into the truck. I know Sheppard is trying to talk to me, but as we pull out of the warehouse, everything goes black.
Chapter 7
Bishop
The guys had gathered at the clubhouse immediately after Bishop shared the news about Ace. He’d died just as they’d pulled out of the warehouse. Bishop had called everyone in to the clubhouse to let them know what had happened, and the news hit them hard. They had lost brothers in the past, but never like this. The Diablo’s negligence had cost them one of their best men, and there would be a reckoning.
“I’m gonna get those motherfuckers if it’s the last thing I do,” Sheppard shouted as he threw his beer bottle against the wall. “They’re gonna pay for this shit. They’ll wish they’d never crossed paths with the Devil Chasers!”
“I can’t believe those goddamn idiots were actually drinking during a delivery in the middle of the damn hood. They deserve to be taken out just for being so damn stupid,” Doc bellowed.
“Damn straight, brother. I say we ride out tonight and take their whole club out. We’ll send them straight to hell one by one!” Bulldog growled and slammed his fist through the wall. His fuse was about to blow.
Pops was one of the older brothers and always tended to voice his opinions at the wrong time. He was set in his ways, and he didn’t care who he pissed off. He turned to Bulldog and said, “He should’ve never opened that gate without checking things out first. That was a rookie mistake, and he should’ve known better.”
Doc clenched his fists, and stepped face to face with Pops. “You best shut your goddamn mouth before I knock you on your ass, old man.”
“Is that so? I’d like to see you try, motherfucker,” Pops sneered.
Bishop knew things were about to head south if he didn’t intervene. “Fucking STOP! You need to pull your shit together. I know that you’re all pissed. Hell, I’m pissed. But we’ve gotta handle this the right way and keep a level head. They’ll pay for their fuck up tonight, one way or another. We’re done dealing with those assholes. Anyone that had doubts about ending our arrangement with them should know now that this was the final straw. Not only are we done with them, they’re going to pay for this shit tonight. Ace will not die in vain,” Bishop said with determination.
Shortly after Bishop spoke, the guys began to settle down and spent the rest of the night together drowning their sorrows. As the morning light began to creep through the clubhouse window, Renegade and Pops began drinking again. Several of the other members were in their rooms sleeping off their hangovers.
Bishop knew he needed to help his brothers make some peace about what happened, but it was going to be hard facing them. He had to find the right words to say to them.
Goliath helped him gather everyone together at the front of the bar. Everyone stood quietly with sorrow in their eyes as they waited patiently for him to speak. When he looked across the room, he could see the concern and grief etched in their faces. He felt their loss, and his own hurt made it difficult to speak. He cleared his throat as he moved forward.
“We’re all hurting today. Ace was our brother, our protector, and our friend. He was able to keep you rowdy assholes in line for years, and he’ll be greatly missed. He was one of the best men I know and a true brother to us all. Tonight, we’ll celebrate Ace’s life the way that he’d want us to. We’ll gather our family and friends for a ride out to Hidden Creek. When we get back, we’ll have the ladies fix a big meal followed by a party and bonfire at the clubhouse. We’ll start the burial arrangements as soon I talk to his folks. For now, get some rest. We’ll head out from here at 4:00.”
Chapter 8
Tessa
The music from Matt’s Pub was booming as the Friday night crowd flowed into
the bar. Matt’s was an older bar that served great crawfish and steaks until 9:00. Then, either the band or DJ usually began playing the crowd favorites. It wasn’t really fancy, but it was comfortable and the people were very friendly. By the time Tessa and Courtney walked in, the DJ had already begun playing requests, and a few people were making their way to the small dance floor. They headed over to the bar to find a seat and order their drinks.
“Girl, you are looking good tonight! I love your hair down like that, all wavy and sexy. And those jeans are doing all kinds of great things to your butt. The guys are going to be all over that tonight!” Courtney giggled to Tessa as she ordered a Long Island iced tea.
“I had to do something to keep up with you,” Tessa laughed. “I decided my hair was my best option.”
“You made the right decision. Now, get over here and grab a drink. I expect us to be on the dance floor in the next fifteen minutes. I’m going to go over and put in a couple of my favorite requests. One for Thrift Shop and the other for The Wobble, and I’m not going out there without you.”
“Seriously? Do you know who you’re talking to? I don’t even know what those songs are! And don’t you start with that mess about ‘making it rain’ or shaking your butt all over me,” Tessa said laughing.
“You know you like it when I shake my butt. It’s totally a crowd pleaser,” Courtney said with a wink.
“Grab that bartender. I’ll have one of those Long Island iced teas, too. I think I’m gonna need it.”
They sat off by themselves and talked about school and the kids while they finished their first round of drinks. When the song Courtney was waiting for finally came on, they made their way onto the dance floor. The rhythm of the music flowed through Tessa’s body as she danced. In that moment, she didn’t worry about school or her kids. She even noticed a few men staring at her, but it didn’t faze her. She was too wrapped up in the music. Her smile grew wide as she watched her friend bounce around the dance floor without a worry in the world. Courtney was young and carefree, and it was fun to watch her cut loose. They danced for several songs before they left the dance floor and went back to their seats.
