Salvaging Max

by SH Richardson

  That little shit had balls made of steel to track down an old criminal like me after all these years. The senator had what I needed to go legit; that had been the only reason for our visit that day. I thought we kept close tabs on his activities, including his personal life. The kid was an unexpected surprise that did not make me happy to uncover. As far as the club knew, the senator didn’t have any children of his own., He preferred to “order in” to satisfy his appetite. The minute I saw that kid standing there, I knew that motherfucker had something up his sleeve, so I gave the kid my knife. The blood stains on his clothes meant he’d been forced to use it. I wasn’t sure if he killed that sick fuck, but he got away and lived to tell the tale. That boy fought his way to freedom with a bullshit blade smaller than my pinky finger. He was a fucking gladiator, as far as I was concerned, and deserved retribution. He’d earned his payback, and I was on my way to get it for him.

  I’d promised my wife, Elle, long ago that I would leave the club life for good once she agreed to marry me. I was a productive member of society now. I played by the rules and obeyed the law. Hell, I even paid my taxes every year like a law-abiding civilian. No matter. I’d been out the game a long time, and this wasn’t club business; it was personal. I kicked in the front door of the senator’s mansion and found his ass in his office. Shit was just like old times. I struck fast and hard. One punch knocked him to the ground, but I didn’t stop there. I whipped his ass with everything I had until a voice stopped me mid-strike when they screamed out my name.

  “BUCK! Stop before you kill him.” I turned to face the sound coming from the doorway, one hand wrapped around the throat of the senator and the other set to finish my pounding, and froze. The senator’s face was a mangled mess of blood and guts, unrecognizable to anyone who didn’t know him. It still wasn’t enough. I wanted to kill that motherfucker with my bare hands, right after I sliced his cock off and jammed it down his throat, only satisfied when I watched him choke on it while he took his last breath. The bitch standing in the doorway bought him a few extra minutes, but his ass would go to ground soon enough. I pulled out my nine and pointed it at her face. It hadn’t changed much over the years, which only added to my surprise. She wore the fancy clothes, modest make-up, and had an air of respectability that was almost believable if I hadn’t known any better. Toni was a club whore back when I was in the life, but not just any whore; the fucking Rambo of whores, she was the best. She was so fucking good she became exclusive to the top tier of the chapter only; the officers could fuck her but no one else.

  “You got two seconds to start talking, bitch, before I end you. What the fuck are you doing here?” I was right up in her grill. My breathing quickened as I held my ground.

  “It’s been a long time, Buck. How have you been?” I bared my teeth at her bullshit attempt to make conversation. Bitch already forgot the rules of the game and needed a quick reminder. I advanced a bullet to the chamber of my gun and spoke plainly.

  “What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing. Here?” My menacing tone got her ass in gear.

  “I’ve been married to the senator for years, Buck.” She smiled like that was something to be proud of.

  “How?” From club whore to respectable senator’s wife? I called bullshit.

  “He paid the toll, and Brick released me to him.” That was one of the few ways to get out of the club once you were in it. You either had to kill out, die out, or buy out, but only for the right price and only if the president was willing to accept. The senator must have paid out the ass for this bitch, considering her skills were legendary within the club.

  “I wanna know about the boy, Maxie. What did you do to him?” She hesitated too long to answer my fucking question. Rage more powerful than anything I’d ever felt before took over the already tense situation and detonated it. I grabbed her by hair and threw her down to the floor. She scrambled to get away, but I was already there. I jumped on top of her back and held her in place while I yanked her back up by the nape of her neck and pointed my gun to her temple.

  “Bitch, you think I’m playing games with you? Closed casket, cunt, with your photo on top if you don’t tell me what happened to the boy,” I screamed in her face, but she continued to struggle against my hold.

  “So that’s what this is all about, why you came here?” She gritted out past the pain. “He belongs to me…He’s my fucking son, Buck!”

  “And the senator? He’s his father?” Crazy bitch started to laugh. Gun to her head, minutes away from death, and she thought it was fucking funny.

  “Not on your fucking life, Buck.”

  That answer was all it took to harness my fury and released her from my hold. We both sat quietly, trying to catch our breaths, too deep in our own thoughts to say a single fucking word. I came here for a reason, to kill a sick fuck senator who’d abused his own son. One word from a used-up whore, and shit just got real. She didn’t need to say it. We both knew what it meant; she’d already been already pregnant when she left the club. It was all there, something about the boy’s face that was familiar that first time I’d seen him standing outside the senator’s office. The curve of his eyes, the color of his hair, that boyish smile that flashed for just a moment when I handed him my pocketknife. We should have known…HE…should have known.

  “I want my son back home where he belongs, Buck. I’m not sure how or why he ended up with you, but I want him back with me.” I had a decision to make, one that would have consequences for everyone involved, especially the boy.

  “He’s never coming back, Toni, not while I have breath in my body. Come near him or me, and you’ll never see it coming. You feel me, bitch?I’ll kill you, the senator, and your fucking dog if you got one, and you know I don’t fuck around. One word about this or him to anyone, and you’re as good as gone. Try me if you think I don’t mean business.”

  I stood up to leave. I’d put this place in my rear view and never think about it again. Toni was a whore, but she was no fool. My word was my bond, and she knew enough not to test me when it came to my threat to end her life. She had a good thing going here, money, fancy cars, and a husband she could control with her wonder pussy. She’d never jeopardize that, not even for her own son. I had to be sure of one thing before I left this shithole for good. I walked over to the passed-out body of the senator and ripped the front of his shirt open. There, under a soaked-through bandage, were the freshly sewn stitches from a jagged cut to the chest made by a boy with balls of steel.

  “Are you going to tell Psycho about Maxie?” Like she really gave a shit about that boy.

  “Can’t. He’s dead. Died a few years back, or didn’t your pussy-ass husband tell you that?” Last I heard, he was still on the club’s payroll, taking kickbacks hand over fists. She was surprised but not overly concerned. Bitch only cared about herself anyway.

  “I know you don’t believe me, but I tried to make things better for him, Buck. I never wanted him to suffer the way I’ve suffered as a child. He’s special and deserved the best money could buy. It was the only way. Can’t you understand that, Buck? Psycho was so fucked up when his old lady died. He didn’t even remember the night we fucked. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Bitch. The only thing I understand right now is that my best friend, my fucking brother, had a son he knew nothing about because of a whore like you. I understand that that boy had to defend himself with a knife against a sick pedo-fuck, tracked me down in the middle of the night, and begged me to take him in.” I was beyond pissed. My trigger finger was itching to dead this bitch and rid the world of her twisted soul and black heart. I couldn’t run the risk of being sent to jail when that boy needed me around to protect him now that my brother was no longer alive to do it. Toni was one lucky bitch, and so was the senator.

  “The last fucking thing I understand is that that boy is so fucked up in the head right now that it’ll be a miracle if he lives to see thirty. Hear me, bitch, and when that cocksucker wakes up, you tell him, too.” I pointed my
gun over toward the senator. “That boy is under my protection. Call him, text him, or try and see him again? That’ll be the last decision you’ll ever make before I stick my gun in your cunt and blow the top of your fucking head off.”

  She finally got my meaning, not that I was worried about it. I meant what I said to that bitch. The boy was under my roof, under my protection, until the day he no longer needed it and could protect himself. He wasn’t ready to know the truth; his spirit too broken to understand what it all meant so he could put it behind him and move the fuck on. Together, we would salvage his life, reclaim what was stolen, and live the dream that every boy should have.

  HAVEN

  I was freezing my ass off on the back of this two-wheeled death machine. We’d been driving around for hours in one big giant circle. Regardless of the direction, we always ended up right back where we’d started once we left that horrid place of my imprisonment. Crete made it real clear when he dragged me outside that I shouldn’t try to scream, run away, or signal to anyone passing that I was in trouble and needed help. I seriously considered jumping off the back of the motorcycle like an amateur stuntman, but the idea of being wrapped around a tree put a quick end to that crazy thought. He at least had the decency to give me a helmet to wear, which I thought was stupid since he planned on killing me anyway. This entire night was filled with events that had to be one giant mistake on someone’s part. I had no idea who these people were or what they wanted from me. I was a nurse, for Christ’s sake, trained to help people, not hurt them. This is all one big mistake.

  Crete finally pulled the bike over to a small one-story building that was set far back and away from the road. There were three motorcycles parked out front, each in varying sizes and colors, all lined up in a row. I thought to myself This is it, the moment my life will end surrounded by strangers on a dark, deserted street. Crete used his booted foot to put the kickstand down on the bike, and I slid off the back awkwardly and fell to the graveled ground. My legs were too weak to hold me. My entire body shook uncontrollably from the combination of fear from not knowing what was going to happen next and the cold air that had been blowing against my exposed skin, since I wasn’t wearing a jacket. One look at that building, and I started to shuffle backwards. The scream that tried to bubble to the surface was lodged within my throat and refused to present itself. I wailed a high-pitched squeal that was comparable to that of a wounded animal, trapped and unable to free itself. The angry biker was on me in a flash. With ease, he picked me up and threw me over his back as if I weighed nothing at all and marched us both inside.

  “My, my, my, brother. What do we have here?” I heard a man ask when we were fully inside. Crete gave a half chuckle as he set me on my feet and held me upright by one arm. The room was well lit; the exposed lightbulb hanging from the ceiling was enough to brighten the entire space from top to bottom. My eyes searched furiously for a door or window to escape, but it was no use. Even if I somehow managed to get away from Crete, the three other hulking figures in the room would surely stop me. Did I say three hulking figures? It was actually more like two and a half. They all wore the matching vests, the tallest of the three had “Sergeant at Arms” on the front of his jacket, and the second tallest man had “Road Captain” patched on his. The tiny man who was leaning against the wall off to the side was completely out of place with the rest of this band of merry men. In my professional opinion, he probably lacked the appropriate vitamin intake as a child and failed to grow to the average height for an adult male. Still, they were all scary, all dangerous, and all staring at me like I was the last female on earth.

  “While you three assholes were out partying and shit, Prez sent me on a little run to pick up a package from Tiny’s place.” He pointed a finger in my direction. “This bitch…was the package.” His unflattering description made me whimper in his hold, and tears flooded my eyes as huge droplets rolled down my cheeks and splashed onto the floor.

  “Why the fuck should I care about some cracked-out Lucy begging to suck cock for her next fix? Brick likes fresh meat for the club. Shit, so do I,” the little biker responded with disinterest.

  “You are one dumb motherfucker, aren’t you? Does she look like a Lucy?” The “Road Captain” pointed in my direction and slowly walked over to where I was being held by Crete. He held up both hands and took baby steps so he wouldn’t spook me any further.

  “Take it easy, sugar, I’m not gonna hurt you. My name is Craze, that’s Gan, and numb nuts over there’s named Snatch.” He used his head and chin, flicked them in the direction of each of the men he introduced. I refused to make eye contact with him just in case I was asked to identify him at a later date, so I simply nodded in response.

  “Said her name was Haven and she’s a nurse. What the fuck would Brick need with a nurse?” Crete asked no one in particular as he grabbed an empty crate that was somewhere inside the room and instructed me to sit on it. They were all standing in front of me, their black boots circled around me like a wagon train preparing for an Indian attack in an old western. Craze kneeled to eye level and gently lifted my face with his finger, so that I had no choice but to look into his eyes.

  “Do you remember how you got to Tiny’s place, Haven?” His tone was so gentle it begged for an answer. They hadn’t hurt me yet, but it was a hell of a chance to take trusting these dangerous strangers with too much information. As far as I knew, they could be in cahoots with those assholes who took me in the first place, working with them to kidnap me a second time. I had to give them something, enough to buy myself some time so I could figure a way out of this place.

  “No…I was in my apartment packing when two men came in and grabbed me.”

  “Hmm…a slight maybe, against another club? Payback for something you did to one of the members? Saw something you shouldn’t have or fucked with the wrong person at the wrong time?”

  “NO! I don’t know any club members. I’m a nurse. I told you, and up until I was kidnapped I worked for Senator Lancaster. He had a stroke a year ago and kept it quiet from the public so they wouldn’t replace him. That’s all I know…please…I just want to go home. I won’t tell anyone what happened, I promise, please just let me go.”

  Begging was something they probably heard every day when they were beating up old ladies and stealing their purses. I took a shot that one of them would have a kind heart and a caring bone in their body and perhaps consider letting me go without injury. They started talking amongst themselves, fighting over top of my head like I wasn’t event there.

  “Lancaster is on the club payroll, has been for years, but if he’s been fucked up, no way could he pull this off. Just don’t make sense,” Craze shared his thoughts with the rest of the guys.

  “Bitch could be lying her ass off right now. I say we turn her over to Brick and let him do his thing. Makes no difference to me. We need fresh pussy.” Fuck you, tiny biker.

  “You know the rules, fucker, the same as the rest of us. She’s a civilian, and we don’t fuck with women. Tiny peddles flesh to the Mexican cartels, women and children. He don’t give a fuck as long as he makes a profit. That bitch was given to Brick personally when he just as easily could have sold her. Why would he give up that kind of cash?”

  “This whole thing stinks like shit, and I don’t like it. He sent you to get her, which means he’ll be expecting you to deliver. He won’t be happy if you don’t.” Craze took a deep breath and paused for a moment. Something weighed heavily on his mind that he wasn’t eager to share.

  “I know he’s your father, Crete, and our prez, but this could be the break we’ve been looking for. Could give us the votes we need to finally take the gavel.”

  “It’s a risk,” Crete answered and walked a few steps away from the group. “He won’t give up easily, could mean war if we fuck this up. He’s been on top a long time, longer than anyone of us have been living. The blowback could divide the club more than it already is.”

  “It’s time, brother. Fuc
k the bullshit.”

  It was the first time I’d heard the largest man speak. His gravelly voice was low and rough, a clear reflection of just how dangerous he really was. They remained quiet for the next few minutes, each one battling some silent enemy inside their own heads and drawing the same conclusion. Whatever had happened started long before my arrival to the party. From the sound of it, my kidnapping was the last straw in a long line of biker madness. Once the unspoken decision was made, their conversation became lighter, more relaxed. They even went so far as to smile and crack jokes to one another.

  “How was the wedding, pussy? Fuck any ugly, hard-up single bitches desperate to find a husband?” Crete slapped Craze on the back and chuckled.

  “Not me, brother, but these two were up to no good. Damn near started a riot at Buck’s Junkyard when the bitches squared off to throw down.”

  “What did you say?” I interrupted the banter with a shout once I heard the familiar name. It was the place where Max grew up, where his family lived. How many Buck’s Junkyards could there be? It had to be the same one. I approached Craze with hope in my eyes and faith deeply embedded in my heard that I’d see Max again.

  “I said, the bitches…” Craze tilted his head, confused by my sudden outburst.

  “No, about the junkyard, Buck’s Junkyard? You said you were there. You know where it is, how to get there?”

  They glanced around at each other. That stupid Jedi biker mind trick thing was happening between all of them. I started talking a mile a minute, not slowing down or stopping until I was completely out of breath. I started with the day I’d graduated from nursing school and took my first private duty assignment, and ended with my packed suitcase and dream of starting my new life with Maxwell O’Neill. I thought they would laugh or tell me to shut the fuck up. Instead, Craze pulled out his phone and made a call. There was no way for me to know who he was calling or what effect my story had on gaining my freedom. It was all up to them.