by Kline, Sandy
“Yes!” I reply getting exasperated.
“Make it a hundred and you got a deal.”
I reach into my pocket. I’m pretty sure I don’t have a hundred on me but I may come close. I end up finding a fifty, two twenties, and two singles. I hand it to him and his eyes bug out.
“It’s all I have.” I say to him.
“Fine. So you really want me to go up there and get your phone?” He asks again.
He seems to be having a hard time believing me. I guess this is pretty crazy now that I think about it.
I nod my head.
“Alright then, but you should probably steady the ladder.” He instructs.
“Sure.”
I position myself underneath the ladder and grab onto it as my new friend climbs up. He does pretty well despite being stoned until he gets up to the top. He steps off the top rung, over the gutter then promptly loses his balance. I watch in horror as he windmills his arms wobbling forwards and backwards. I grip the ladder and barely stop myself from yelling out. Then just when I think he’s definitely going to fall he barely manages to catch himself and he just flops down on the roof. I breathe a sigh of relief and will myself to relax. In five minutes I’ll have the phone and I can go home and see what’s really on that thing.
“What’s it look like?” He yells down to me.
I wince, and expect at any second for cops to come out of the bushes but nothing happens.
“Hey lady, you still down there?”
“It’s a cell phone!” I finally hiss at him. “What do you think it looks like?”
“I don’t know where it could be…wait, I think I found it.” Then after a minute. “Yeah I got it. I’m coming down.”
With great caution this time my young friend climbs back down the ladder without a stumble. The way he’s holding onto the phone I’m not completely sure he’s going to give it to me without more money exchanging hands.
“This ain’t your phone is it?” He asks.
I snatch it from his hands before he can change his mind.
“What makes you think it’s not mine?”
“You would have told me what it looked like when I asked you about it instead of being all cagey an all.”
“You got your money now get to bed before your parents find you out here.”
“Like they would even give a shit.”
“Hey your parents love you. It may not seem like it but they do. All parents love their kids.”
“Maybe mine would if they were ever around. I haven’t seen either of them for a week until they showed up this afternoon so they don’t give a shit if I’m out here gettin’ high.”
“You’re wrong kid, but I can’t stand here explaining. Thanks for getting this.”
“Yeah whatever dude.” Then he thinks for a moment and says: “Hey if you need any more help stealing other people’s phones or anything else you know where to find me.”
“Why on earth do you think I’d steal and invite you to help me?”
“’Cause you ain’t any good at it yourself, that’s why.”
“Sorry kid, but this is the last we’ll be seeing each other.” I’m about to leave when another thought strikes me. “Hey uh… you see that police action here the other night?”
“Why you wanna know?” He asks, immediately getting cagey.
“Look if you think of anything important you let me know. The right kind of information could be worth something.”
“Really? Like how much is it worth?”
“Depends on what you have. Did you see it go down?”
“Sorry I don’t give out information for free. I already had to do that for the cops yesterday. You want information you gotta pay for it.”
“Sorry kid, I’m all tapped out.”
“Like I said, you know where I live. Later.” He says as he disappears around the back of his house.
Oh well…like he said, I know where he lives. In the meantime I have to get home and check out this video. I’m literally dying to find out what’s on here. I get half way home when a black and white police cruiser pulls in behind me. Immediately I begin to panic. What if he saw me back at the house and wants to know what I was doing back there? At least it wasn’t me that was on the roof at three in the morning. I feel like my eyes are involved in a ping pong game as they bounce back and forth from looking out my front windshield to looking behind me in my rearview mirror; back and forth, back and forth. Finally after a good ten minutes he suddenly lights me up! If he’d have just waited another two minutes I would have been home safe. With my heart in my mouth I slow down and pull over and at the same time cursing myself for not putting the phone in my pocket. Having no other choice I decide to just ditch it on the floor and try to kick it under my seat. All the while I try not to look down or else I’d end up looking like I’m trying to stash drugs instead of some outlaw bikers cell phone.
The cop takes his time getting out and approaching my car. As he gets closer I see that he’s a Sergeant from the Watsonville police department. I roll down my window as he walks up.
“License, registration, and insurance card please.” He says without so much as a hi or a hello.
Without a word I get out my wallet and fish out my license and insurance card. Then I open my glove box to retrieve my registration card. I hand over all the required documents and he looks them over. I’m tempted to ask him why he pulled me over but I decide to just keep my mouth shut. After what seems forever he makes like he’s going to give my stuff back when my phone starts ringing. That’s a little odd. The officer looks at me pointedly.
“It can go to voicemail.” I say to him with a smile.
He nods and extends my papers when as luck would have it, the phone down at my feet begins to ring too. Now I’ve got two phones ringing with two completely different ring tones going off at the same time. I look down and there’s a glow coming from my purse and a glow coming from down by my feet.
“Why do you have so many phones ma’am?” He asks.
“It’s only two.” I reply.
“Well in my experience the only people who need more than one phone are police officers and drug dealers and you’re not a police officer.”
This is not good. For about two seconds I seriously consider just taking off and I very nearly do that when all of a sudden his radio crackles to life.
“7502 we’ve got a 5150 at 21413 York Drive are you free to respond?”
The officer grabs his handset. “Dispatch I’ll take that call. I’m two blocks away, please show me responding.”
“7504 is 10-8.”
“I don’t know what you’re up to at this hour ma’am or why the multiple phones but I suggest you get yourself home.”
With that he thrusts my paperwork back into my hands, turns on his heels and strides back to his patrol car. I just sit in my car for a long minute before pulling out into the street. I can’t believe how close that was. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d asked for Seth’s phone. I need to get it home and see what’s on this phone. Then, just in case I get stopped again I’ll just email the video to myself. Then I can do whatever with the phone. I just can’t have it on my person where it could fall into the wrong hands. That brings up another dilemma. Whose wrong hands? Here I’m going out with a Sheriff yet I’m helping the biggest, baddest outlaw biker club get one over on the police. So I guess that makes me the real bad guy doesn’t it? I search around Seth’s phone and find the video. After two tries I keep coming to a dead end. The file is too large to email so I’ll have to go home and see if I have a data cable so I can connect this thing to my computer and transfer the file then.
Chapter Nine
Video Evidence
The second I’m in my house I plop down on the couch and take out Seth’s phone. I’m literally holding my breath as I search for the video. Five minutes later I’m pretty sure I have the one he’s interested in. It shows a still of a Sheriff’s Deputy holding his nightstick. I take a deep b
reath and press play.
The scene that unfolds before me is utter chaos! There’s about ten cops, twice that many bystanders, and what looks like three or four Soul Eaters. Each biker is in the process of being subdued; even the two that have obvious wounds. The whole video is only about three minutes long and really doesn’t show any wrong doing on the part of law enforcement. Obviously the video was taken at the end of the incident. There has to be at least one more that I missed.
I flip back through the most recent videos until I came across a dark grainy one that I previously dismissed as impossible to view. On closer inspection this one is seven minutes and three seconds long and starts with a shot looking down at the pavement. It just stays that way for about twenty seconds before the camera pans up and it shows the first patrol cars arriving at the scene. In the middle of the street are four bikes all belonging to the Soul Eaters. A fight is in process. It appears to be two biker gangs locked in combat. Two officers get out of the patrol car and pull out their weapons. Four of the five combatants immediately comply and drop to the pavement. One however doesn’t appear to have heard the command to drop to the ground and is shouting at someone from the crowd. One of the officers steps closer and draws his weapon shouting for the biker to drop to the ground. The biker still doesn’t hear or chooses to ignore the command. I’m thinking he didn’t hear because he doesn’t even turn and look behind him. Then several things happen at once. The cop with the gun settles into his shooting stance and it’s obvious he’s about to shoot. At that same moment I hear someone shouting for him not to shoot a split second before Marc appears and grabs the non-compliant biker putting his body between the biker and the cop with the drawn gun. There’s a loud bang and Marc goes down dragging the biker with him. Marc got shot by one of his own. Seconds later the picture on the video starts spinning wildly then goes black. I’m guessing that’s the point when Seth threw it up on the roof.
I stop the video. I start to shake all over as an ugly fear works its way into my heart. I get up and double check my door to make sure it’s locked. Then I check my back door before going into my bedroom to retrieve my Glock 17 9mm handgun. I feel like my life is in immediate danger; like someone is secretly going to see me looking at this video and suddenly show up guns a blazing. Oh my god I can’t fucking believe this. An inept cop shoots another cop and the Soul Eaters are getting the blame pinned on them! Oh shit! I can’t believe they’re protecting an idiot cop who seriously fucked up on the job and caused injury to a fellow officer! No wonder Seth took such a risk to tell me to get the phone. I continue watching the rest of the video but most is complete chaos and I can’t really tell what the hell is going on although it does appear that the city cops and some of the guys from the Sheriff’s office rolled up on the fight without even identifying themselves. At least it seems like that but it’s hard to really tell.
I need to come up with a plan. At some point I am going to be called in and questioned about the video I took of the Soul Eaters attack on the fake biker in the bar the other night. They might even talk about obstruction of justice but given that I dispatch many of the officers in the area and have worked professionally in the field with many of them when I was a firefighter I think they’ll show me some professional courtesy. I can’t see them throwing the book at me and if they do I’m sure Marc will help me. Still Marc seemed pretty pissed that I was holding onto the video and if he ever finds out that I kinda went out with a Soul Eater I might find myself no longer in the good graces of the various law enforcement personnel.
One thing I really cannot understand is why I am going so far out of my way to help a criminal organization; namely Seth and my brother, both of whom I really need to talk to. Well, I’m not going to solve any of my problems right now. I need to get some sleep before the sun comes up. Tonight I start my four day shift. But by day shift I actually mean nights from 11pm to 8am, Tuesday through Friday. I know it’s crazy but when I finally crash I sleep with my Glock in my nightstand and for the first time it’s loaded! In some ways I feel totally paranoid doing this, but then every time I think about that video on the phone that’s hidden in my closet I realize I may not be that paranoid after all.
Within fifteen minutes of my head hitting my pillow I’m fast asleep and I don’t wake up until nearly noon. It’s not enough sleep but it’ll have to do. I’ve just finished my second cup of coffee when Seth’s cell phone rings; it’s from the Sheriff’s Office and I can guess who is on the other line.
“Hello?” I say into the handset.
“Oh good you’re there.” Says a familiar voice. “I wasn’t sure you’d answer my phone but I had to try since yours is off.”
“What’s going on?”
“Could you pick me up?” He asks.
I really should say no, but just the sound of his voice and my resolve just melts away. There’s just something in his voice that just scratches an itch that no other man can seem to reach. And when he begins to scratch I’m all but ready to beg him to keep talking. I really don’t care what he’s saying; I just want to hear his voice.
“Kim?” He asks. “You still there?”
“Oh…sorry, yes I’m here. How’d you get out anyway? Aren’t they charging you with something?”
“They really haven’t made up their minds yet. I think they want to keep their options open given there were so many witnesses on scene and so much happened in such a short time. Plus we have pretty killer lawyers on retainer.”
“Of course you do.” I reply. “Fine, but why me? Can’t whoever bailed you out give you a ride?”
“I really need to talk to you though. So will you come get me?”
“I really don’t want to be seen around that place. Can you like walk to that diner just down the street?”
“You’re strange. Why can’t you be seen here? You wanted for something?” He asks.
“Nothing like that. Just…let me come get you and we can talk then. But go to the diner, the Black Bear Diner.”
“Fine. When will you be here? I don’t have any money so I can’t sit there and order anything.”
“It’ll take me twenty minutes or so. Just order whatever and I’ll join you. I just got up so I haven’t had breakfast yet either and I’m starving.”
“Got it. I’ll see you then…and thanks Darlin’”.
“Bye.”
I stash my burner phone in my purse and consider stowing the other phone in there too but I decide against it. Since the file is too big and I don’t have a data cable for some odd reason the phone needs to stay hidden. It’s the only way for me to stay safe. I remember enough to tell him what I saw and when his lawyer needs it I’ll be able to produce it.
Thirty minutes later I’m walking into the Black Bear Diner. Seth is sitting in the back facing the entrance. As I walk up he stands up and gives me a big smile. He looks very relieved and happy to be here out of jail. We hug warmly and for a moment all the stress and fear gets pushed out of my mind and is replaced with Seth’s masculine scent and his strong arms. There’s just something about him that gets my motor purring.
“Do you have my phone?” He asks.
“It’s in a safe place.”
“Did you watch the videos?”
“There’s two. One doesn’t show a thing but the other one is going to cause an uproar Seth.”
“What’s it show? Does it show how the cops started it all?” He asks, sitting on the edge of his seat.
“It clearly shows some plain clothed cop firing at you guys. He doesn’t identify himself. Basically he just whips out his gun and shoots. But at that same instant, Marc hurls himself at the guy and gets himself shot in the process.”
“Wait a second. Who’s this Marc?”
Oops, I shouldn’t have said his name. “He’s the deputy that got shot by his own man. The plain clothed cop didn’t identify himself and just up and shot at your brother. The only reason your brother didn’t get shot was because the Sheriff’s Deputy was tackling the biker
at the same time shots were fired. A cop shot a cop and they’re trying to pin it on you guys. The video puts the blame squarely on the shooter, the detective or whoever he is.”
“So who’s this Marc guy?” Seth asks again.
“Just someone from work.” I say without thinking.
For some reason I didn’t want to say my boyfriend or the guy I’m dating so I say work. Not sure I should have said that either…
Suddenly Seth gets up. “Now I know why you didn’t want to be seen at the cop shop. You’re a…a… pi-cop!”
He just stopped himself from saying pig. This is going sideways fast and if I don’t say something quick he’s gonna be gone.
“I’m not a cop; I swear I’m not! I used to be a firefighter so I know a lot of these guys from fire calls. Every time there’s a fire they show up so we talk.”
“I thought you had some kind of back problem or something. How could yo-”
“Used to be one.” I say. “I had to quit because of a back injury so now I am a part time writer slash reporter and part time 911 dispatcher so yeah, I know these guys but mostly by their voices and call signs.”
Seth takes a deep breath and lets it out. I can see the lines on his face soften as the anger leaves. He takes another breath and sits back down.
“I see. But you know…you don’t call anyone else by their names, just Marc’s. There something else going on there?”
Damn…he’s pretty astute.
“Nothing at all.” I lie.
“Great, then you won’t have a problem going out with me.”
“What?”
“Are you suddenly hard of hearing?” He asks.
“No, I just thought I heard you ask me out on a date.”
“Then your hearing is acute.”
“I can’t go out with you.” I protest.
“Because…”
“You’re an outlaw for starters.”
“That’s debatable.” He replies.
“Really? Because every time I run into you there’s some kind of commotion going on whether you’re handing out a cut for killing someone to staking a guy’s hand to a table, fighting with police or with dirt bags at two in the morning at 7-11. Does any of that sound like a rational person’s behavior?”
