by Matt Rogers
‘This morning I was walking back from Gemma’s house. Those guys pulled up on their bikes. They were really rude. It’s pretty clear I’m young and they were still jeering and catcalling me.’
‘How old are you, exactly?’
‘Thirteen.’
King shook his head in frustration. Barely a teenager. ‘Did they kidnap you?’
‘Not exactly … well, I don’t know. They just told me to get on the back of the bike and that they would take me home. They were forceful. I was scared. I thought they’d hurt me if I didn’t do what they said.’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I understand.’
‘But they didn’t take me home — they took me to their clubhouse. They said they wanted to show me around. I didn’t know what to do. I had no idea where I was, so I couldn’t run away. Then they locked the door and the big guy said he wanted to have some fun and…’
She trailed off. King reached across the centre console and rested a hand on her shoulder.
‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘I’ll get you home.’
‘How can you be so sure that they won’t do that to someone else?’
‘I saw it in their eyes. I broke them.’
‘Who the hell are you?’ Amanda said. ‘Where did you come from, and why did you help me, and how did you do what you just did?’
‘I’d be confused too,’ King said. ‘Look, I can’t really go into details, but I used to be a very dangerous man—’
‘Pretty sure you still are.’
‘Okay, I still am. My job used to involve using those skills, and now I don’t have a job. So I help people out when I see things I don’t like.’
‘And you can’t say what exactly you used to do?’
He shook his head. ‘That’s not something we should get into.’
Amanda shrugged. ‘Well, you sure helped me. Thank you, Jason. Left here.’
For the last ten minutes they had coasted along winding roads, boxed in by undergrowth and towering tree trunks on either side. Now, Amanda pointed at a small dirt track that ran off the main road and cut through the trees. King spun the wheel. Billy’s sedan made the transition from uneven asphalt to gravel. Its suspension struggled to handle the off-road track. He saw Amanda tense up and shrink back into her seat. He wasn’t sure if she was recalling memories of the morning, or simply had not been expecting the jolts and bumps of the new road. Whatever it was, King would have a stern talk with her father. To be left to her own devices at such a young age was bound to lead to trouble sooner or later.
It only took half a minute for the path to branch out into a wide clearing, dead in the middle of the forest. The woods surrounded them on all sides. A thin, well-kept layer of grass covered the clearing floor. In the centre of the space lay a sprawling one-storey house. It looked similar to a lodge. Long and large and homely.
‘This your place?’ he said.
Amanda nodded.
‘It’s nice.’
‘Dad’s home,’ she noted, pointing to a thin trail of smoke rising from the chimney. She sounded surprised, King noticed.
‘I’m not sure how he’ll feel about this,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘Huh?’
As if on cue, the front door burst open and a man came bounding out into the clearing floor. He was thickset and squat, with curly black hair and a full beard. He wore a cheap plaid shirt and jeans. His feet were bare.
‘Who the fuck are you?!’ he yelled.
King turned to Amanda. ‘See?’
He swung the driver’s door open and stepped out into the clearing. Amanda’s dad recoiled slightly as he saw King’s size. But it didn’t stem his anger.
‘What are you doing with my daughter? Amanda, honey, come here…’
King twitched slightly. Something about what the man had said struck a nerve with him.
‘What are you doing without your daughter?’ he said.
The man froze, perplexed. ‘What?’
‘You should be on your knees thanking me.’
‘The hell are you talking about?’
‘Do you know where your daughter was this morning?’
‘With you, I presume. And you have ten seconds to explain this.’
King raised an eyebrow. ‘Actually, I have all the time in the world to explain this. But don’t worry, it’ll only take me ten seconds. I saved Amanda from being raped.’
The man had not been expecting that. Instantly, the aggressive demeanour faded. ‘W-what?’
King turned to Amanda. ‘Why don’t you head inside? I’ve got to tell your dad a few things.’
She nodded knowingly. She stepped up onto the porch and marched through the open front door without saying a word.
Her dad sank onto the front steps, sporting a blank ten-thousand-yard stare. ‘What are you saying?’
‘What’s your name?’ King said.
‘Richard.’
‘Richard, do you know the four bikers that hang around town? One of them’s called Jed.’
‘I’ve seen them around. You’re not telling me—’
‘Looks like they offered your daughter a lift home. She was walking back from Jameson this morning. They ended up ignoring her directions and she ended up trapped in their clubhouse. I was passing by, knocked on their door, and by then they had all her clothes off.’
Richard’s face had turned to a pale sheet. Shock does that to a person. His mouth stayed shut for a long fifteen seconds.
‘I’ll kill them,’ he finally blurted out.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘I don’t care. I’ll go there with a crowbar and I’ll … I’ll fucking beat them to within an inch of their lives.’
‘No need for that.’
‘Why not?’
‘I dealt with them.’
Richard looked up. ‘Huh?’
‘Recognise that car?’ King said, pointing to the battered sedan.
‘Isn’t that the post office guy’s ride?’ Richard said after studying the vehicle for a moment.
‘It is.’
‘What are you doing with it? Is he okay?’
‘He’s perfectly fine. In fact, I’d say he’s never better.’
‘He put you up to it?’
‘He let me know what was going on around town. Are you aware?’
‘Of course,’ Richard said. ‘But this is a tiny town. There’s nothing they could do to stop it.’
‘I stopped it. I got a bit angry when I saw them with your daughter and I trashed the whole place. Badly injured them all too. I don’t think you’ll ever see them around again.’
‘W-who are you?’
King sighed. ‘Seems like everyone’s asking me that question lately.’
CHAPTER 11
King gripped the small mug of steaming black coffee that Richard had given him and hunched further over the dining table, which was a thick slab of polished wood. It reminded him of the bar from the night before. Back when this whole thing started, just over twelve hours ago. He certainly hadn’t been expecting such madness in a small country town off the beaten track.
Beside him, a large open fire crackled. Richard sat on the other side of the table, sipping at a coffee identical to King’s.
‘I can’t thank you enough,’ Richard said. ‘Is there any way you can explain who you are? Because without you, I don’t know where my daughter would be.’
‘I really can’t say much,’ King said. ‘But you’re welcome.’
‘You can bet your life I won’t let anything like that ever happen again.’
‘Let’s hope not.’
‘It’s so hard to keep an eye on her at all times. I didn’t realise what a mistake I was making until now.’
‘Amanda said you’re looking for work?’
Richard nodded. ‘I was laid off a month ago. So many of us were. There’s a place twenty minutes out of town that’s been there forever. Owned by a couple of locals.’
‘What happened?’
‘Came under new management. Overseas buyers kicked all the old workers out.’
‘Seems a bit harsh.’
He shrugged again. ‘It’s how things are these days. No job safety.’
‘How’s the employment search going?’
‘Terribly. Have you seen where we are? Jameson’s not rife with opportunities.’
‘Well,’ King said, ‘this should get you through until you work out what to do.’
He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew half of the bills taken from the clubhouse kitchen. It looked to be well over ten thousand dollars. Richard’s eyes widened at the sight.
‘This is too much,’ he muttered.
‘Take it. Just promise you’ll keep an eye on Amanda as best you can.’
‘Of course I will.’
King slid the money across the table.
‘I really don’t understand what’s going on…’
‘I’m not asking you to understand,’ King said. ‘I’m just telling you that you won’t get any more problems from those bikers. And giving you some of what I found there. Use it to stay afloat until you get employed. And take care of your daughter.’
‘I promise.’
King rose from the table and took one last look around the place. It was a house that had been meticulously furnished as a labour of love. The art on the walls, the rugs on the floor, the large open fireplace, the beat-up armchairs, the smell of the forest all around. Nothing expensive, just a collection of bits and pieces saved up over the years to create the thing that King never had; a home.
‘This is a really nice place,’ he said to Richard.
‘Thank you.’
‘I mean it. You’re a lucky man.’
‘You got a place?’
King shook his head. ‘I’ve never really lived anywhere. Always been on the move.’
‘You moved around America? You’ve still got the accent.’
‘Every single person feels the need to bring that up over here.’
Richard laughed. ‘Foreigners. They always spark interest.’
‘Yeah, I moved around America. But also all over the world.’
A pause. ‘Were you in the Army?’
‘Kind of.’
Richard sighed emphatically. ‘Well, Jason, you’re a hard man to crack. That’s for sure. But I’ll always be in your debt, mate.’
He offered a hand.
‘To be honest, I’ll probably never see you again,’ King said, grasping it and shaking. ‘But I appreciate the thought.’
Richard pulled an unprofessional-looking business card out of his pocket and handed it over. It had nothing but his name and mobile phone number handwritten on the front.
‘Just in case you find someone looking for workers on your travels,’ he said. ‘Tell them to give me a call.’
King nodded his understanding and tucked the card into his jeans. ‘I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open.’
Amanda emerged from one of the doorways, her brow furrowed. ‘You’re going already?’
‘I don’t tend to hang around too long in one place,’ King said.
‘I think you should settle down,’ Richard said. ‘Something about this house has grabbed you, I can tell. Go find a home somewhere. You don’t need to move your whole life.’
‘I know. But for now, it’s what I’d prefer.’
Amanda stayed leaning against the doorframe. ‘Good luck with whatever it is you’re going to do.’
‘Thank you,’ he said.
King moved to the front door. Opened it.
‘Take care of yourselves,’ he said, nodding to Richard and Amanda.
They nodded back.
King strode back to Billy’s sedan. He swung the door open and climbed in. Started the car with a quick twist in the ignition and pulled the wheel in a tight arc, heading back the way he had come.
The trip to Jameson passed in silence. All the action of the last hour had put his mind to rest. Ashamedly, that life was all he had ever known. When there was conflict, he was at peace. He hated to admit it, but it was the truth. The day-to-day happenings of ordinary life had almost become too monotonous to handle, even though he slept somewhere different every night. He knew if he was to move on from that life he should avoid situations like what had happened at the clubhouse. It did nothing but bring back old memories.
He parked the sedan in front of the post office after sixteen minutes of driving.
It’s useless to time everything so meticulously, he thought as he slammed the door shut. Another old habit he would do good to forget.
By now it was high noon. In the city, this meant stores would be at their busiest, bustling with white-collar workers on their lunch break. Here, everyone was now farming. The morning rush had all but subsided. King spotted two people on the main road as he made his way into the post office. Jameson was a ghost town.
‘Jesus Christ!’ a voice proclaimed as the door jangled upon his arrival.
He saw Billy standing behind the counter at the other end of the store. There wasn’t a single customer in sight. Even from this distance King could make out the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He was beaming.
‘You’re certainly happy to see me,’ King said.
Billy visibly relaxed. ‘I thought you were some nutter, King. I thought you’d go in there all high and mighty and get shot in the head, and then they’d find my car and come back here and kill me.’
‘Far from it, my friend.’
‘Come out back. NICOLE!’
‘What?!’ came a shouted reply from the back.
‘Need you up front again.’
Billy led King past the same disgruntled young employee that had eyeballed him the first time.
‘You’re back,’ she noted in a sardonic tone as they passed.
‘Congratulations,’ King said. ‘You have eyes.’
She shot him an icy glare. Then they walked through into the back room and Billy slammed the door shut with the intensity of a man desperate for answers.
‘Tell me everything,’ he said.
CHAPTER 12
By the time King had finished explaining the events that had transpired, he wasn’t sure Billy’s jaw could fall any lower. The man sat deathly still in his chair, almost shellshocked. At the same time King noticed a faint glimmer of emotion in his eyes. He knew the look. Pure, utter relief. Like an enormous burden had finally been lifted off his shoulders.
‘You seem stunned,’ King said.
It took a few seconds for Billy to gather his thoughts. ‘When you showed up here I thought this was all too good to be true. Like I said before, I thought you were a crackpot who thought he’d stir up trouble in a small town.’
‘I’d say I did stir up trouble.’
‘Only the best kind of trouble. I’m still not sure if I believe everything you just told me.’
‘Feel free to head down and take a look for yourself.’
‘Nah,’ Billy said. ‘I’ll take your word for it. But what if they come back for me?’
‘They won’t.’
‘You can’t be sure of that, mate. From what you told me, you completely fucked them up. They’re going to want to take out their anger on someone. And they know you’re tied to me. You took my car.’
‘They won’t,’ King repeated.
Billy stood up and laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘How do you know?’
King allowed the corners of his mouth to turn into a wry smile. He reached out and gripped Billy’s shoulder, returning the gesture. ‘If you knew half the things I’ve done in my life, you’ll know to take my word for it.’
‘All this cryptic talk,’ Billy said, exasperated. He sat back down, shaking his head.
‘Okay Billy, you want the truth? I’ve seen people break hundreds of times. Mentally. Over the last ten years I’ve seen many sport the same expression those bikers did this morning. It’s the look of total defeat. They don’t want anything to do with me, they don’t want anythi
ng to do with you, they don’t want anything to do with Jameson anymore. I watched them crumble. I’m very good at doing that. How’s that for an explanation?’
Silence.
‘Well…’ Billy said after a long pause. ‘That certainly scared the shit out of me.’
‘So you believe me?’
‘Oh yes. I believe you. I’m sure they’re very far away from here by now.’
‘You’re correct.’
‘But still, you can’t be one hundred percent certain.’
King shot him an icy glare.
‘Kidding, kidding,’ Billy said, running a hand through his curly hair in exasperation.
He rose off the chair again and crossed the room to a thin filing cabinet tucked away in the corner. King hadn’t even noticed it was there. Billy withdrew a key from one of the pockets in his shirt and unlocked the bottom drawer with a swift twist of the lock. It sprang open to reveal a thick row of manila folders, all crammed into the cabinet with not an inch of room to spare. He reached to the very back and shimmied out the final folder. This one was a little thicker than the others, King noted. Billy opened it up and grabbed its contents.
A thick wad of Australian currency. All yellow. Fifty-dollar notes.
Billy crossed the room, hand outstretched, gesturing for King to take it.
‘I’m a man of my word,’ he said.
King didn’t move. ‘That’s all yours, Billy.’
Billy froze, perplexed. His brow furrowed in confusion. ‘But I said I’d pay you if you helped me out.’
‘And I’m telling you it’s all yours.’
‘Then…’ Billy stared at the floor, gathering his thoughts. ‘Then why did you help me?’
‘You looked desperate. And I hate people like those bikers. Besides, I found some of their cash at the clubhouse and took it. I gave half to Amanda’s dad. I’ll use the other half to keep myself afloat for a while.’
‘Do you want a lift anywhere?’
‘I’ll be fine. Thanks Billy. But I never would have taken your money. You worked hard to earn that. You deserve it.’
‘So you did all that for nothing? You put your life in danger.’
‘I wasn’t in danger.’
‘Do the tough guy act all you want, you still took a big risk for someone you didn’t know.’
