by Tonya Coffey
I tried to catch my breath, to stay calm but my heart thumped in my throat making it hard to hear anything other than myself. The hood smelled of musk and old gym socks. I made myself breath out my mouth, so I wouldn’t get the urge to puck.
The van made a few left turns and a couple of stops. I wasn’t one who could count my paces or feel the sun on my arms to know what direction we were headed in or how far we traveled by the sound of the motor. I wished it were as easy as they portrayed it to be in the movies. The only thing I knew for certain, there were three people in the van with me. I don’t know what scared me more, that they knew what they were doing or that Dad was right. This time it was real...
I relaxed into the metal floor, feeling each bump and thought about Dad. I was worried about him getting hurt because of my decision but not like this. He couldn’t handle another emotional loss. If I got out of this, I would beg him for his forgiveness until I was blue in the face. If I got to see him again.
Chapter Four
Dante
I stood on top of a two-story sub-floor while the banging of hammers filled the day behind me. My friends were busy nailing together two-by-fours for an outer wall. While they worked, I waited, watching the road.
“Hey,” Luca called behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder at my best friend. His blonde hair was in a man bun. I always teased him about it but the ladies seemed to like it. He lifted his arms into the air wondering what I was doing, waiting for me to come back to work. I wasn’t ready, not yet, so I turned back to the driveway, watching.
“He must have an important visitor coming by,” Cole mouthed.
I didn’t have to look behind me to know who had said it. Cole’s comments got him into trouble more than a few times a day. He was smart when it came to books. He was on the honor roll but dumb when it came to common sense. He looked like a boxer with wide shoulders and a shaved head.
The hammering stopped and footsteps came forward. I expected Luca to walk up next to me and sigh. Instead, he emptied a bottle of cold water that had chunks of ice in it over my head. The sudden shock caused me to suck in a breath as I dropped my hammer. Pulling in a breath, I kept my cool and turned to face him.
“What the hell?” I stared at him.
Luca smiled. “Did I wake you?”
Groaning from the irritation of being soaking wet when it was barely sixty, I shook the water from my hair. “I wasn’t dreaming.”
“Bullshit,” Reid bellowed across the house. “You were like this yesterday at 3:15 pm.”
“Wanna guess what time it is?” Cole asked.
Luca added, “It’s like you got your head in the clouds.”
So what. I wanted to see a pretty girl walk by and have her smile at me. What was wrong with that? Everything, I thought. I was eighteen. I was too young for a relationship but why was I so interested in Cora Abrams. The Sheriff’s daughter no less. The thought made me smile but I quickly realized my buddies were staring at me and each of their faces was twisted into concern.
“Sorry,” I told them, as I picked up my hammer. “Let’s get back to work.”
Cole scowled. “Heck, let’s quit and head back to the clubhouse. Sexy Sheila’s gonna be front and center tonight.”
“You’re gross,” Reid remarked, pushing Cole. “She’s not sexy.”
At Dad’s motorcycle club, Night Hawks, Sheila was one of the groupies. She danced on the pole most nights and she got a lot of attention. It didn’t matter she was twice our age, she looked good.
“I heard she was sucky Sheila,” Luca had to chime in to mess with Cole.
We all knew he had a thing for her. We believed it was because she took his virginity and he got attached. “That’s exactly why he likes her.”
“Come on guys; don’t knock it until you try it.”
We laughed at Cole’s expense but we quickly settled down, refocusing on business. “We can’t stop until this floor is under roof,” I told him.
“It’ll be dark,” Cole pouted.
“It’s our job,” I added.
Cole didn’t say another word. He walked over to the two-by-fours and gave them a good look. When he realized we needed more, he headed down the steps to grab another armload.
I took a breath and exhaled as I watched Luca and Reid hammer the remaining studs. When they began to stand up the wall, I hurried over to grab one side. Then Luca hammered some nails into the bottom then he added a couple of support posts to keep it standing until we stood up the others.
When it was up, I slowly walked to the edge of the roof, looking out at the road. I checked my watch, 3:30 pm. Where are you? With another inhale, I went back to start framing the second wall but Cole hadn’t returned with the wood.
“Cole?” I called but he didn’t answer.
Feeling frustrated, I headed down the steps to get him. He was coming up with a stack of wood on one shoulder.
“I hollered for you.”
He looked at me. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you.”
I stepped to the side as Cole went on up. I grabbed a load of lumber and followed. It was going to be a long day and an even longer weekend since I didn’t get to see Cora. Wonder where she is?
Chapter Five
I was so glad to drive the last nail into the final rafter so we could leave. I decided to drive past Cora’s house to see if I could get a peek at her in the kitchen. It was the only room without a curtain on the window allowing one to see the interior clearly.
As I put the tools into their bins, I glanced at Reid and Cole already horse playing. They were like five-year-olds and not like seniors in high school.
My phone vibrated when I started walking toward my motorcycle. I quickly pulled it from my pocket and checked the text.
EVERYONE AT THE TABLE.
I frowned after I read it wondering what had happened but relayed the message to my boys. “Hey wait up,” I called to Cole and Reid.
“What’s going on?” Luca asked, pulling on his leather cut.
Cole clapped his hands together. “I’m ready to get outta here.”
“Dad needs us at the table.”
They didn’t ask why, they just slipped their arms into their cuts, showing off the clubs logo, Night Hawks, straddled their motorcycles and rode off toward the clubhouse.
Dang, I thought. I’d have to try and see Cora tomorrow.
As I headed toward the club, the day I turned eighteen slipped through my mind. Dad had invited me into his office—the room where we gathered for meetings and had club business. He told me it was my turn to prove myself to him and the club. If I was to become the president of the Night Hawks someday, I had to show I could put the club before anyone else. I did that night.
I rode along with Dad and a few members of the club to a drug bust. The people in the next county had been trying to get rid of the stuff but had no luck, so they called Dad. He put a stop to it but not before guns were drawn and blood was shed. It was the first time I pointed my weapon at someone. I didn’t want to but I would do it again because the man had his weapon aimed at Dad.
Dad told me I earned the right to lead my own crew. He told me to pick out some people I trusted, so I did. I picked the boys I grew up. The men I knew had my back, the way Dad’s crew had his.
At the clubhouse, Luca and I walked into the meeting room with Reid and Cole on our heels. It was a big room with a table that looked like something out of an old farmhouse with seats along the sides and the ends. Patch members took up these seats. Me, Luca, Cole and Reid sat to the side while Dad, the President, sat at the head of the table and the VP, Luca’s dad, sat on the left of him.
My group and I had only been official members for the past year. We were automatic bids since our dads were original patch members who founded the club.
Dad had it drilled into my head, I would one day lead the Night Hawks the way he had. Maybe I would even start my own charter in a different county. It was an honor for him to think I was capable but h
ow could I fill his shoes? He sat at the head of the table with fierce blue eyes and a posture that reflected his confidence. I hoped to be a reflection of him one day.
“The sheriff stopped by earlier,” Dad began.
Oh no, I thought. He knows about Cora and me. I wanted to hang my head for getting her into trouble. That’s why she didn’t come by.
“A couple of weeks ago he arrested a man, Abbott. He was the one responsible for the new drug activity in the district.”
All the men around the table expressed their disapproval of the drugs with sighs and words of disgust. It was something as a group; we agreed would stay out of the county and away from our families. It had been that way for as long as I could remember.
“This man had deep pockets,” Dad sighed. “With them; he reached out for vengeance against the sheriff.”
My heart raced. I scooted to the edge of my seat, waiting for Dad to say what I was afraid had happened.
“The sheriff’s daughter is missing.”
My breath caught in my throat. The word missing repeated in my head as if it taunted me. My heartbeat picked up, echoing in my ears. It drowned out the world around me for a moment. I couldn’t pull in a breath. It was as if I was frozen.
“We need to vote—”
“There’s no need to,” the VP interrupted.
The men erupted into approval as Dad nodded. “We won’t stand for this,” Dad said,” Not in this town.”
“Let’s find the sum bitch who took her,” Billy, the Sgt of Arms, protested.
Hearing them want to help Cora, I finally breathed. I nodded my approval. I wanted to stand up and cheer, let’s go. My hands balled into fists thinking about it. I wanted to run out the door and race to her. Finding her was the most important thing.
Dad lifted his hand off the table, quieting the room. Then his eyes went to me and my friends. “Do you boys know Cora Abrams?”
“We’ve seen her around the school,” I admitted, making sure to answer before my friends. I wouldn’t tell Dad that her green eyes and her smile—that would melt gold—was etched into my brain. I saw her all the time even when I slept.
“The sheriff’s been looking for her since 3:30 pm. Her backpack was found at the end of Cider.”
My heart sank into my stomach. I wanted to punch someone in the face. Oh no. Looking down at my feet, I closed my eyes for a moment. I should’ve been at school today. Why didn’t I go to school?
“He has done what he can with no warrants. He has asked us to help.” Dad smiled. “No strings.”
Leaning forward, I listened to Dad and the others talk. They were figuring out where a group could hide someone in the county. All I could think about was how I could’ve stopped it, if I had walked to the end of the street or if I had been at school or if I’d walked her home. If, dumbass…
“Vince you, Bobby, Billy and Ray head over to the old housing development. Dante you, Luca, Cole and Reid go to the line and check out the old lumber yard. The others will come with me to the warehouse where the sheriff busted Abbott.” Dad slammed his gavel against the wood causing a pop. With the sound of dismissal, we headed out the doors through the club of prospects, women and hang rounds into the night air.
I hurried to my Harley and watched as each member started their bike and took off into the darkness. I followed with my crew close behind, hoping to find Cora safe and sound.
Chapter Six
Cora
The wind blew through the slats of the one-room shack I sat in. When the sun went down, the November night showed it was in control by dropping the temperatures. I huddled against an old box that smelled of rotten potatoes. I folded my bear arms between my stomach and my legs, hoping to keep warm.
I felt stupid. All I could think of was my dad and his warning.
When my captures threw me in here, I was afraid I would take my last breath in this dirty, smelling place. I expected to hear the hammer click back on a weapon and feel the steal against my temple. Instead, my ties were removed and a door slammed shut behind me, causing me to remove my hood and take in my surroundings. My eyes worked around the small shed. When I saw no way out, I fell to my knees and tears filled my eyes. I wanted to cry but I didn’t. To stop them, I sucked in a ragged breath and scooted back into the corner.
My heartbeat steadied as I thought about Dad. He warned me and I didn’t listen. I had to let my hormones drive me. I had to defy him for a boy. It was my entire fault.
I nestled my cheek against my knee as I closed my eyes. The whistle of a train blew as it sped by. Every few hours another train rolled along the tracks alerting me to where I was. It was the only part of town where a road crossed the train tracks. It was the southern part, the worst part of our county. If it was the first time one laid eyes on it, it would remind someone of a deserted city. Large block buildings and overgrown concrete setting in the middle of fields. Repossessed homes, broken structures and forests were everywhere around me.
Each whistle made the time speed by, my stomach ached. It wasn’t because I hadn’t eaten since lunch. It had to do with the fear that grew in the pit. Right now it was a seed but with each minute a new root took shape. A new sprout formed, taking over my strength. I was afraid what would happen if it grew into my core. I won’t let it.
Standing, I refused to let the fear take hold, to grow into more. I wanted to squash it like a bug, so I paced, making the blood flow through my body and help my limbs not feel as cold.
Turning again, I faced the door. I stared at the wooden planks and broken beams. It was old but whoever had me in here reinforced the broken pieces in case the person inside tried to escape. Premeditated, I thought.
I made my way to the door. I stared at it as if it were a stranger. Slowly I raised my hand, holding it inches from the wood as if a fire roared on the other side and the door was too hot to touch.
I gripped the handle. The cool steal felt as if it burned into my flesh. Ignoring the feeling, I took a breath and pulled. It didn’t move. Placing my other hand against the door frame, for leverage, I tugged harder. Nothing.
When the door didn’t budge, I hunkered down to peek through a crack in the door. Darkness enveloped the dwelling except out in the distance next to another shed. There was a fifty-gallon drum sitting next to it with orange flames dancing out of the opening. Seeing the warmth caused chill bumps to erupt on my arms. With each hour, it was getting colder.
Then I brought my eyes up to the door handle. On the other side, a silver padlock hung. My heart dropped into my stomach at the sight of the big lock. It was bigger than my hand. How would I ever get out of here?
Sighing, I dropped onto the dirt and pulled my knees up to my chest. Then I cried. It was dark and no one would see me, so why wouldn’t I just give up?
Dad’ll find me. With the thought, the tears dried up and I had a sliver of hope. Please find me. When he opened that door to save me, I would tell him I was sorry and I would never disobey him again.
Chapter Seven
Dante
The cool night air stung my eyes as I rode along the highway toward the edge of the county. It was far past street lights on the outskirts of town. The only light, besides my headlight, was from the moon that started to rise along with the stars that decorated the navy blanket above us. The rumble of the motor seemed to soothe my emotions as the miles went by. Cora not being at home safe in her bed tore at me. It put me on edge, not my normal calm self. I could always count on a motorcycle ride though, the wind blowing against me and the freedom, to relax me.
The first time I accidentally ran into Cora, it was by chance. I’d come out of my class, explaining to my teacher the school had mistakenly added me to her roster. When I left her classroom, I saw Cora standing next to her Algebra class. The first thing that caught my eye was her hair. It was the color of a red rose and, in the light, there was a sheen to it that looked like it would be velvety soft. It cascaded down her back in these soft waves. I knew who she was the instant my
eyes fell on her. She had always been around and since her dad was the sheriff, the club had a special interest in what he was up to. And by association, I kept an eye on her.
When I came closer, she looked up at me. Her green eyes widened when I said her name. It made me smile because of the shocked look on her face. It was the first time I’d talked to her and when I walked away, I wanted to turn back.
From that day, I made a point to walk by so I could see her. I’d noticed about a week later she would walk up the street past the housing development where I’d been working. It made my day seeing her, having her smile up at me; sometimes I even got a wave.
The way she made me feel scared me though. I didn’t know if it was right to get attached to her when her dad could put us in jail with a wave. Could I put my club at risk for her? I sighed as I pushed away all my doubts to focus on finding her. When she was safely at home, I’d worry about our relationship. If you could call what we have one.
The southern part of our county could be described in one word—deserted. At one time it belonged to an old man who owned over two hundred acres. When he died, the bank took it and sold it in parcels for the lumber. Now there was an old house place with numerous logging yards scattered across the sparse land. On one side of the tracks was an old factory. The windows were boarded up and the parking lot was taken over by weeds. It looked like a scene out of a horror film.
