by Lexy Timms
"Ooohh, it hurts like hell!” Fork was quiet as he must’ve looked around him. “The bitch is gone! He just bit and let go. I’m going to die, aren’t I, Jace?"
"Hell no. We just have to get you back down and get some anti-venom stuff in you. Are you sure the damn snake isn't anywhere near you? We don't want him having a second chance to chow down."
"No, he's gone. He slithered over there somewhere. Oh, shit it hurts so friggin bad."
Jace pulled himself up close to Fork. "Let me wrap something tight above the bite and then we can work our way down the cliffs."
Fork shook his head, not buying what Jace was offering. "You're being nice, Jace, and when you're nice that means you’re lying. I'm dying aren't I? I’m friggin' dying!" Angry tears began to pour down Fork's face. "It hurts like hell."
"Just stay calm, Fork. Don't work yourself up and pump your heart too fast. I'm going to get you out of this. Come on, we can ease down using the ropes."
"My heart? Oh freakin’ fuck, Jace!” Fork’s pale face turned a shade lighter. “I can handle it, man. Lay it on me. I'm dead meat, right?” Fork swallowed and glanced behind him. “It was huge Jace, I mean like big an’ fat an’ ugly with these steely little eyes. He knew he was gonna kill me. He knew it. I saw that look."
"Fork, the bigger the rattler the less lethal the bite.” Jace tried to stay calm, almost ready to throttle Fork himself. “If it was a little tiny baby one it could be fatal, but you’re going to be fine. Here, let me look at it." He stared at the two holes beginning to fester in Fork's hand. "Are you sure it was a rattler, Fork?"
"Does the Easter bunny have a fluffy white tail?"
"Fuck, Fork! The Easter bunny ain't real. Couldn't you come up with something else?"
"I’m dying here, Jace, and you want me to make like funny? It was a big hissing rattling rattlesnake. You know, the kind with the shaker things on its tail that maybe a baby might like to play with. Okay, big shot? You're not the one dying. I'm the one dying."
"You're not dying." Jace eased the rope around Fork's waist and helped slide him down the cliff. "Just don't look down, Fork. You got it? Just keep sliding and don't think about the bite, okay?" Inside, he was a mess of panic, his outer demeanor showed nothing of the truth.
"I shouldn't have come with you. Who in the hell climbs mountains? I mean, what th' fuck Jace, what for? We got perfectly good dirt bikes and we can roll almost any place, but no, you wanna climb a fuckin' mountain. Then why in hell weren't you bit by the rattlesnake?"
Jace shook his head. "I'm sorry Fork, really. If I knew there were rattlers up here we wouldn't have come this way. I should’ve gone up first."
"Oh yeah, easy for you to say now."
“I’m sorry, Fork.”
Neither spoke as they worked the rest of the way down. The last fifty yards went quickly and the two boys made it safely to the bottom.
"Can you drive your bike?"
"Do you mean will I die while I am driving my dirt bike? How in the hell should I know?” Fork stared at his bike. “I think I can drive it. Where are we going?"
"To the hospital in town. About fifteen minutes. Can you hold on to the bars that long?"
"Fuck, Jace! Stop messin’ with me. You know I'm dying. I see that look in your eyes that says, “Oh, Fork’s bleeding to death with that arrow in his cheek and now it’s the, oh, Fork got bit by the rattler and he's fuckin' dying."
"Fork, you didn't die with the arrow in your face, you made it and you are going to make it again. Snake bites don't kill people. When's the last time you heard that a rattler killed some dude?"
Fork looked thoughtfully into Jace's face. "Last week. A guy died last week. He got bit while hunting."
"A hundred miles from a hospital, but we’re fifteen minutes away. Fifteen minutes! Let's roll." He helped Fork on his bike and then followed the dirt bike as they made it down to the main road.
"Maybe we should flag down a car to take us to the hospital." Jace looked at his friend's sweating brow and pale face.
"Okay Jace, now I know it for sure. I'm as good as dead. I better say this quick 'cause I don't know if I am going to be delirious in a few minutes, you can have my Indian arrowhead collection and my fish tank and…"
"Cut it out! You aren't dying Fork. You are going to be fine. Fork, damn it Fork, we are going to be fly fishing when we are a hundred. We're buds forever Fork. Fork…Fork…" Jace reached up to pull himself up on the last out-cropping of rock. He thought briefly of the rattlesnake that had bit Fork, hidden on top of the rock, but here, there was no rattlesnake.
He looked down and saw Classic looking up into the darkness. She was lit up by the full moon and it seemed as if she was surrounded by golden moonbeams. Ah shit, why does that broad do this to me? He wondered if she could really see him anymore in the shadows of the rocks. He glanced up and saw the body swinging back and forth in the wind, lit by the risen full moon.
He leaned out as far as he could and grabbed the body's legs and pulled it close.
Horror filled every inch of him.
He knew exactly who it was.
"DC. What the hell? Why'd you do it, DC?" The rope pinched snug around DC's neck, the long white tendrils along each side of his mouth hung straight down, and his white beard flapped against his red flannel checkered shirt.
DC did not reply.
"Oh buddy, we wouldn't have made you go to war. We’d have put you out to pasture. Oh, hot hell! DC, why did you…" And then Jace stopped lamenting when he saw the big red almost black blotch of blood soaking the front of DC's flannel red-checkered shirt. "Blood! DC! You were shot in the belly just like Fork." Jace cut the rope and lifted the biker into his arms. He fell back onto the rock with the weight of DC's body. He began rocking him back and forth. "Damn, damn. Oh shit, DC." He heard the start-up roar of a bike engine and cautiously peered over the edge of the rocks.
He watched as Classic disappeared in a cloud of brown dust lit up by the moonlight. She looked as if she was surrounded by Pixie dust. Did she know? Did that little bitch know? "Oh DC, I'm so sorry. So fucking sorry."
DC smelled of old tobacco and spearmint gum. Jace loosened the flannel shirt and stared at the Cerberus on DC's chest with the tattooed words: Cerberus Legends Forever.
"Oh bro', is it worth it? DC? What the hell is going on?" Jace continued to rock his friend in his arms. Then he heard a different sounding bike engine and checked over the rock's edge. A biker followed Classic down the mountain.
Jace sat back a moment, torn from the reality of DC's body and Classic’s dangerous predicament. She was being followed by the biker who had murdered DC. It didn't take a friggin' detective to see that the Chiron Knights were making their moves swiftly and strategically.
Classic was right.
They were going to systematically annihilate the Legends.
Chapter 5
Over his dead body. Jace was losing a fight before it had even started.
Two were already dead.
In his mind's eye he saw rivers of blood flowing over the desert, winding through the rock canyons, slithering through the dry lakebeds. Tormented thoughts raced through his mind. First Fork. Now DC. This was an all-out campaign of obliteration. There was no justice in this. No mere club rivalry. No feud or conflict. This was warfare. This is unmarked graves in the desert dunes.
He felt his blood rushing to his head. I need to get back to the clubhouse. We need to plan. His arms began to ache as he held DC's rigid body. He had no idea how much time had passed. He cradled DC until he felt he could finally let his brother go. Jace laid him gently on the rocks. His eyes couldn't tear away from the hole in DC’s body, at the black blotch of blood on the front of DC's red flannel shirt. It's not right. It's just not right.
He thought of Classic and he felt a renewed sense of fear. He didn’t know if she was part of this or as much a victim as he was. Could she be innocent? Then was she safe?
He held a fist over his chest before finally leaving D
C's body on the ledge and then scrambled down to his bike. He sped up the trails back to the clubhouse. Most of the guys were huddled around a small campfire. Some smokin' pot, others were passing a bottle around. They were surprised to see him.
Wrangler jumped up. "Wha'? No fuck? A quickie?" He laughed, but the sound faded when he saw Jace's face. As his gaze trailed down, Jace followed and stared in surprise at the matted blood on his arms and shirt. "Shit, what happened, Jace? You guys crash? Were you ambushed?"
Jace's voice was firm and commanding. "Get your guns. It's started. Somebody shot DC.” He sucked in a sharp breath. “DC’s dead too."
Mud reached out his hand so Jace could place the Ruger in it. "They were out there? Did they get the girl?"
Jace shook his head. "Last time I saw her she was trying to outrun one of them."
Mud nodded, but his face clouded over. "You sure about that, Jace?"
Jace stared into Mud's eyes. "Yup. Without a doubt. She's clean. I’d have followed her, but bros before hoes." His doubt didn’t matter at the moment. Tonight a war had started, and he planned to finish it.
Wrangler pulled his pistol out of its holster. "After your shit earlier, I was beginning to wonder.” He reached for his helmet. “How do you know DC’s dead?”
“I found his body.” The image of his body swinging entered Jace’s mind. He tried to push it away. "They shot him in the gut, like Fork."
"Man, the slow death! Nothin' worse than takin' a hit in the gut." Wrangler shook his head. “Except the head if it doesn’t kill ya right off.” He spat and moved toward the door. "I'm going to kill the whole fuckin' herd of dogs."
"Hold up a moment! You can’t go after them on your own. We can’t just hop on our bikes and head down. We don’t know where we’re going, if they’re waiting to ambush us, or anything. We need to find out who’s calling the shots and then move in.” Jace sprinted to the other side of the barn as angry murmurs rumbled through the men. "We need to arm ourselves. Head to the other hideout.”
“I’m not running and hiding. Fuck that!” Wrangler crossed his arms over his chest.
“Don’t you see?” Jace spun around. “They’re expecting us to come after them? They’ll be waiting for us, armed and ready! We have nothing! We need to give ourselves time to think a plan through. Or we’ll all end up like DC and Fork." His voice broke as he said his friend’s name. Fork would have known what to do and none of the guys would have argued.
The others were already on their feet. Half a dozen men followed Jace into the back of the barn to the locked gun cabinet. Jace started handing out their rifles and pistols.
Jace moved by the fire, listening to some of the guys too stoned to move. They just sat, looking up at the stars and saying, "Wow, dudes this is so wrong. Wow. If I could just find my bike, man, I'd ride."
Mud's pocket jingled with metal. He had everyone too drunk or stoned to drive set of biker keys. No one would ride on his watch if they were incapacitated.
Quake came and stood by Jace. He shook his head. "None of this makes sense. We don't mess with their drug deals. Nobody here sells that shit. Hell, most of us don't even do drugs except for Retro and his little posse. Even then, he gets his own crap elsewhere. What’s this about, Jace? Is this all over that damn bitch you picked up at the Iron Hog?"
Jace spun around, his grief fueled by anger and annoyance. "You’re a dumb-ass. D’you really think they killed DC and Fork because of a broad? Fork was dead BEFORE I met that chick. So how does that figure into your thinking, Quake? Or are you fuckin' thinkin' at all?"
Quake rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, so the broad isn't the reason, but that guy Bull has his own personal beef with you, Jace."
Jace stared at Quake, too angry to even respond. Bull didn’t know Jace had just been set as the new president. Whatever beef Bull had, couldn’t be with him. He couldn’t have known Jace would take Fork’s spot. Plus, Bull had seen him earlier and hadn’t shown any sign of recognition. He clenched his jaw tight before finally replying to Quake. “They don't want us here in the Mojave, Quake, that's the bottom line.”
Retro stumbled over to them, apparently listening to their conversation. “They don't want some guys who are just enjoying riding their bikes and looking at the countryside, smellin' the flowers like a bunch of bitchin’-ballet types.” He gestured with his hands as he spoke, his whole body imitating the movements of his hands. “Those Knights don't want flower sniffin' pussies messing up their drug deals and their straw land deals and their human trafficking deals, and well, just about any other fuckin' fake business fronts that they have their filthy hands in.”
Jace nodded. “There's a lot of currency going down here, and it's always about the money. We’re in their way, and they won't be happy until every single one of us meets the same fate as DC and Fork. There's no room in their world for a single Cerberus Legend."
Retro sniffed and wiped his face with the back of his hand. His eyes red and sunken. "Those bastards want all of you on the shit like me so they can control you. Or they want you dead. Jace’s right."
Quake shoved his palms into Retro's chest and pushed. Retro reeled backwards, but didn't fall over. "It's scum like you that give the rest of us a bad name. You dealing their drugs now, Retro? Gettin’ us mixed up with them in the first place?” He spat on the ground. “Yeah, you're right scumbag, when you shoot that shit in your arm they control you. They can make you dance like a fuckin' Pinocchio puppet! Are you dancin' for them, Retro?"
"Lay off Quake. Leave 'em alone. Retro came back from Afghanistan fightin' for your friggin’ country. That means he put his skinny ass on the line for you, mother fucker. Show a little respect." Mud stepped between Quake and Retro.
Retro swayed from side to side trying to focus his eyes on Quake. "Step aside Mud, I can fight my own battles." He saluted Mud as if he was a commanding officer.
Jace pushed Quake aside. "Enough! Brothers don't fight brothers! We got enough crap going on without you being at each other's throats!" He shot Retro a warning look. “Stay away from them, and their drugs.” There was no way Retro could drive in the shape he was in. "Go sleep it off, Retro."
Quake glared at Retro as he stumbled away. "Keep him away from me. Cerberus Legends aren't druggies, Jace! That's not who we are and who we wanna be. You shouldn't let scum like him even wear the patch."
Jace stood beside Quake, let his shoulder press against his friend’s. "I get it. But Retro here, he's a special case, got it? And we gotta stand with him. He was a bro' before he went to war and now that he's back, we gotta be here for him. He's our brother and we just gotta be here for him and help him and…"
Quake stepped out of Jace's touch and walked away.
Retro came back, tears in his eyes. His gaze dropped down to his feet. "Sorry, Jace. I'm such a fuckin' ass."
"Take a long nap, Retro. Maybe stay out of Quake's way?"
Retro nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I'm gonna get off the shit, Jace. I am. You put me in one of those halfway houses again and I'm gonna do it this time. I promise."
Jace put his arm around Retro's shoulders. "Okay, bro', that's what we’ll do. Now just go lay down and let the stuff wear off, okay?"
"Whatever you say, boss. I don't mean to be no trouble."
"I know, I know." Jace sighed heavily. He was going through all the motions of being their leader, but at the moment he really just wanted to hop on his bike and go find Classic. His mind was tormented by thoughts of what could have happened to her. Is she safe? Are they going to kill her, too? Is she in on all this? Are they gang raping her? The thoughts scraped on his brain like a serrated knife. He had to figure out a way to go down the hill without raising suspicion and anger. There were about twenty-five Legends there at the barn and about thirty scattered throughout the valley. The best thing he could do was try to gain some time to gather them all together and to formulate some kind of plan of revenge. Was the plan really going to be kill or be killed? It would seem so… If only Fork was alive
I could ask his advice. He looked up and saw Mud staring at him. "Mud, what should I do?"
"Talk to the guys. They're armed now, but they don't know if they should go on a spree or just wait it out. Talk to them, Jace."
Jace walked around in a circle and then cleared his throat so all the brothers could hear him. "I'm going down the hill and I'm sending out the call. All of Cerberus Legends will come when they hear it. We can all meet outside Barstow. No use staying here, the Knights obviously have us marked."
Wrangler nodded. "Yeah, pickin' us off one at a time. Well, let me tell you somethin' Jace. Before tonight is over, a few of those Knights are gonna wake up dead." He grinned and then spat his tobacco on the barn floor. "With or without your blessing, oh great almighty leader."
Jace began to circle Wrangler. He walked around him one way and then he turned and walked around him the other way. His shoulders were square, his jaw set, his green eyes like emerald poison darts. "Wrangler, you obviously have some issues with me being leader.” Jace stood close to him so they were eye to eye. "Spit it out, Wrangler. Say it out, or fight it out, or hold it in your fuckin' gut forever, but I’m not going to let you override my decisions for this club."
Wrangler did not back down. His small eye was almost squeezed shut. "My issue is that when you go fuckin' the ol' lady of the head of our rival club and then that ol' lady decides to come sauntering into our sanctuary, well, that's when the issue is an enormous whopping fuckin' issue! You convoyed that little bitch right smack to us. You broke all codes. You think you’re fuckin' above it all."
Jace's feet moved apart in a stance of readiness. "I didn’t bring her here, Wrangler. I don't know how she found this place. She came on her own. I didn't invite her and I didn't convoy her here. My guess is one of the Knights knew it was here all along and she found out from them. We aren't difficult to follow when we are drunk as skunks, you know. We just ride on up here, not thinkin’ who might be on our tail, even if it is a cop, we jus' don't think about it. We’re all guilty of it. Wrangler, you know it's true."
