Rough Rider

by Harley Fox

  Jake taps the shoulder of somebody sitting at the bar, and he turns around and looks at me. He can’t be much older than I am, but he looks weathered and worn. He smiles before turning to Jake.

  “This the girl?” he asks, and Jake nods. The guy returns his gaze to me as he looks me up and down. Then he says, “You sure?” and Jake nods again. The guy breathes out a sigh and says, “Well, I guess we should start.”

  He stands up and calls for everybody’s attention. The people quiet down as they all turn to look at him. This guy must be the leader, Sal.

  “All right, everybody!” he says in a loud voice. “Thanks for coming on such short notice. We got us a situation here we need to discuss.”

  “Who’s it this time?” somebody yells out. “Those fuckhead Pigboys?”

  “No, it’s not the Pigboys,” Sal replies. “It’s the Slingers.”

  Angry murmurs come up from the crowd and I see looks of disgust on their faces. The memory of the gang at Jake’s garage, several hours and a million years ago, comes to my mind.

  “Seems one of them tried stiffing Jake here. He took matters into his own hands. Now the Slingers want revenge.”

  “Kill ’em!” somebody yells. It’s followed by several shouts of agreement.

  “Let me finish!” Sal calls out, and the crowd settles down. “They came to Jake’s shop this morning and threatened to kill him and his woman here!”

  I blink. His woman? I’m not Jake’s woman. It seems some of the others agree with me because they start yelling out remarks:

  “This yuppie scum?”

  “I’ve never seen her before!”

  “What’s she doing, selling insurance?”

  Jake leans over and whispers in Sal’s ear. He nods and calls for attention again.

  “My mistake!” he says and the crowd quiets down. “She’s not his woman, she was just there.” A flood of something washes over me, but whether it’s relief or disappointment I can’t tell. “But regardless, the Slingers threatened to kidnap and rape her and she helped Jake fight back.”

  More murmurs from the crowd, and not all of them negative now.

  “Which means that now they’re after her too. Which means we’ve got us a situation that includes civilians.”

  Murmurs again. I look up at Jake but he’s not looking at me. He was right, I think. Thank God I listened to him and didn’t try to drive back.

  “Now just before I decided to call this meeting I got a phone call from the Slingers telling us to give Jake over or they’re going to attack.” Angry shouts from the crowd and Sal has to raise his voice. “Of course, we’ve dealt with these tweakers before so we know we’ve got nothing to worry about. But I just want you all to be on your guard! They could try ambushing any of us, or worse, they could—”

  The door to the bar suddenly bangs open and Sal’s words are cut short. Everybody turns to look, some already grabbing their guns, at the three men who walk in. They’re dressed almost the same as the Chains, but where Jake and the others are wearing white underneath their jackets these guys are wearing red. They’ve also got something stitched onto the breast of their jackets. A white symbol that kind of looks like …

  “Bullets,” Sal says in a low voice.

  Mutters and low threats bubble up from the crowd as the door swings shut behind them. The one in front is wearing dark sunglasses and he gives a big, cocky smile, swinging his head side to side. He reaches up and the sounds of several guns cocking echo around the room. He pauses only for a second before taking off his sunglasses, that smile of his never leaving his face.

  “Jeez, take it easy, Chains,” he says, his voice sounding as cocky as his smile. “You might hurt somebody with those pea shooters.”

  “What do you want?” Sal snarls from beside me, but the guy just chuckles.

  “We hear you’re having some trouble with the Slingers,” he says. “Heard a rumor that, ah, some ‘rich bitch’ clocked Beaner over the head with a monkey wrench.”

  A few people turn their heads to look back at me, giving me appraising looks before quickly return their gaze to the Bullets.

  “What we do is no business of yours,” Sal says.

  “Oh, you see, but it is our business,” the guy in the middle tells him. “You see, we’ve decided to join forces with the Slingers. We’re gonna help them take you down.”

  Murmurs again.

  “You’re no ally with the Slingers!”

  And cocky guy nods his head.

  “Nope, nope, you’re right about that.” He stops and gives a wide smile. “But I guess you can call it a sudden change of heart. In any case, an enemy of the Chains is a friend of ours.”

  “What’s stopping us from blowing your fucking heads off right now?” one of the women yells out, and the cocky guy raises an eyebrow.

  “Oh, you wouldn’t shoot us simple messengers,” he says. “We’re just giving you a friendly little heads up, so you know where we stand.” His smile fades away and now he takes on an ugly look. “You Chains are a piece of shit gang and you’re going down, you hear me? The Bullets are the only ones who can run this neighborhood.”

  Guns cocking again and Sal calls out over it.

  “Tell it to your boss,” he says. “And tell him that if you all are anything, you’re fucking finished.”

  That cocky smile returns.

  “Right back atcha.”

  The guy in the middle gives one last sweeping look around, and then he puts his sunglasses back on and turns to leave, the two men beside him following. When the door swings closed behind them again and motorcycles engines are heard roaring away, the guns are finally uncocked and people turn around, muttering to one another. Sal calls for order again, quieting everybody down.

  “Okay. This changes things,” he says to the crowd. “If those Bullet fuckers want to join forces with the Slingers, then we’ve got our work cut out for us!”

  “But why are they joining?” somebody asks.

  “You remember last year! That fight was a bloodbath!” another member answers.

  Sal calls back, “I don’t know why the Bullets are ganging up with the Slingers. All I know is that it’s happening and that we have to act accordingly!”

  “Should we attack?” somebody asks, and concern echoes around the crowd. But Sal shakes his head.

  “No, we don’t attack first. But we have to be ready! We have to be on the lookout for anything they might try! If the Bullets or the Slingers try anything,” he looks at me, “or if anybody here steps out of line,” then back at the crowd, “we could find ourselves at war.”

  Jake

  War. The word echoes in my head even after Sal has stopped talking.

  Angry talk from the crowd swells up as Sal turns back to face the bar. I lean over him, speaking low in his ear.

  “Sal, what are you doing?” I ask. “You don’t want to go to war … do you?”

  “I knew this would happen,” Sal says, grabbing his half-drunk beer. “The Slingers starting shit, and now the Bullets joining them? We’ve gone too long without any bloodshed.”

  “We can keep going!” I tell him as he takes a large drink. “We can come to a truce, we can reason things out!”

  But he shakes his head, swallowing the mouthful of booze.

  “It’s too late, Jake. All we can do now is prepare. Bad things are coming, and I’m not getting caught with my pants down when they arrive.”

  Draining the rest of the glass, he puts it down and wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Then he turns to face me, reaching up and clapping me on the shoulder. His eyes are watery and red-rimmed. I can smell the booze on his breath.

  “You’re a good man, Jake,” he says, his eyes meeting mine. “I always thought of you as my brother, from the moment you came here. I know you’ll make me proud when the time comes. And I know that you’ll protect your own.”

  At that last sentence his eyes look over my shoulder and I follow his gaze. Merryn is still there, watching our e
xchange. Sal’s hand leaves my shoulder and when I turn back he’s already walking away, joining the rest of the crowd, no doubt calming people down.

  I take a deep breath and let it out, then sit down at the bar facing out. Merryn sits next to me.

  “Are you okay?” she asks. “This is all pretty scary.”

  I turn my head over my shoulder, ready to ask Ruby for a beer, but she’s already got two poured and she slides them my way. I catch her eye and she gives me a wink, then looks at Merryn, lingering for a moment, before leaving to serve someone else. I pick up both glasses and hand one to Merryn.

  “Uh, thanks,” she says.

  The beer tastes good as I drink it, and I down half of it in one go. Out of the corner of my eye I see her take a sip, and then a deeper one, then a deeper one. When she takes the glass away a quarter of her beer is gone, and she lets out a loud belch. I raise my eyebrows, a smile on my lips, and Merryn’s cheeks color as she looks at me.

  “Sorry,” she says with a smile and a shrug. “Guess I was thirsty.”

  I open my mouth, about to tell her how hot it was seeing her chug beer when two Chains gals make their way over here. Mandy and Scarlett — great girls, both of them. These are two girls who are joined at the hip. They grew up together and joined the Chains at the same time. They’re hardly ever seen apart.

  Now, I’ve slept with both of them together so that’s what I figure they’re coming over here for: to try to wrestle me away from Merryn for a little dance — both vertical and horizontal. Imagine my surprise when they turn their gaze away from me and onto … Merryn.

  “Hey,” Mandy says as they both stop in front of my guest. Merryn has her glass up, in the middle of taking another drink, but she lowers it back down as she looks at these two girls.

  “Um,” she says. “Hi.”

  “Is what that Bullet fucker said true?” Scarlett asks, raising an eyebrow. “Did you really hit Beaner in the head with a wrench?”

  Merryn glances at me for a second before nodding.

  “Um, yeah,” she says. “It’s true.”

  Mandy and Scarlett put on identical smiles.

  “Cool,” Mandy says. “You plan it?”

  Merryn shakes her head.

  “No, actually … it was kind of spur-of-the-moment. The guy … um, Beaner? He had a gun on us, and he wanted him and his gang to …”

  I watch as Merryn recounts the events of this morning to these two girls. I take another drink of my beer and look around. Sal seems to have settled people down some, because they all look relaxed now, playing pool, talking, drinking beer. I catch snippets of conversation and most of it is about what they’re going to do if the Bullets ever try to start something. When I turn back Merryn is wrapping up.

  “… Jake grabbed him from behind and threatened to shoot him if they didn’t all leave. Then he took his gun. I think it was a shotgun, right Jake?”

  They all three turn to me and I nod.

  “Yeah, a shotgun,” I tell them.

  “Very cool,” Scarlett says, turning back to Merryn. “Hey, do you want to come meet some of the girls? We’re just over at the pool table.”

  Merryn looks surprised, and she looks at me, but I just shrug and give her a smile. So she smiles back and nods to the other two, getting up and going with them to the pool table.

  As I watch Merryn go a part of me wants to go with her. To be with her. Take her in my arms and not let her out of my sight.

  I shake my head, trying to clear it. What am I thinking? I down the rest of my beer and spin around to face the bar, putting the glass down. I’ve only known Merryn for less than a day, why am I thinking that way? She’s a good lay but she means nothing to me. Right?

  High-pitched laughter reaches my ears and I look over to see Merryn talking, the other girls already hanging onto her every word. Some of the guys saunter over to meet the new girl. They introduce themselves, touching her arm. Merryn smiles and something hateful inside of me boils up, like a poison.

  “Something on your mind?”

  The voice pulls me back to reality and I turn to see Ruby smiling, already pouring me another beer.

  “No,” I grumble. She slides the beer to me and I pick it up, taking a long drink.

  “You sure?” she says. “Because if you ask me, look like you’ve got eyes for Little Miss Business Attire over there. How’d you two get to meet one another?”

  “I met her this morning,” I tell Ruby. “She was trying to buy up the lease on my shop.”

  Ruby furrows her brow.

  “Buy up your lease?” she asks. “Why?”

  “Because she works for PharmaChem and they need the building for something” I say. I see Ruby’s eyes open wide.

  “PharmaChem?” she repeats. “Those scum-sucking … why the fuck is she with you, Jake?”

  “Because she got caught up in that fight with the Slingers and I didn’t want her leaving in her car in case they ambushed her. Johnny’s fixing it up, giving it a new paint job and different plates. She’ll be gone in a day or two.”

  More peals of laughter and I can’t help but look over my shoulder again. Merryn’s trying her hand at pool now, and keeps making mistakes.

  “Where’s she staying till then?” Ruby asks me.

  “My place,” I mutter, still watching the game. Merryn sinks a ball and Scarlett claps her on the shoulder. “She’s gonna stay with me.”

  Ruby lets out a low whistle.

  “Jeez, you’re sure doing a lot for some girl you just met, Jake. Hell, I remember you didn’t treat me that nice when we got together. Don’t think you said two words once we were finished and you were out of bed. Now you’re putting this chick up for the night?”

  I see Merryn lean over the pool table to take another shot, but as she does she lifts her eyes and looks at me. Her lips curve up into a smile she returns her focus to the table, sinking the shot.

  “Yeah,” I say, almost to myself now. “I am.”

  Ruby makes a clucking noise with her tongue and I keep watching the game. Eventually I turn back but Ruby’s gone, down chatting with Howard at the other end of the bar. I keep drinking my beer, and when I’m finished it I lean forward and pour myself another. Ruby never likes it when I do that, but I don’t feel like waiting for her. For some reason I feel like getting really good and drunk tonight.

  Time goes by and the people come and go. Some come to join me at the bar, making idle conversation, but mostly I’m alone with my thoughts. When Merryn’s finished playing pool I spot her talking with some other Chains members in the corner of the bar. Mostly it’s the girls, but some guys are still there. I get the feeling the girls are protecting Merryn from them, and I appreciate that, but I couldn’t say why. If Merryn wants to go home with some other guy then that’s her business, not mine. She can do whatever the hell she wants.

  I watch as Scarlett detaches herself from the group and comes up to the bar.

  “Six beers, Ruby, for me and my girls.”

  Ruby nods and grabs some glasses as Scarlett turns to look at me. I’m on my sixth or seventh beer now, and I’m staring into the glass.

  “Jake, you’re hugging this bar like you think the ship’s about to go down,” she says with a laugh. “Why don’t you come over and join us? Merryn’s great company. You should have brought her around here sooner.”

  I turn my head to look at her and her eyes open wide. I bet my eyes look bloodshot and horrible by now.

  “She’s having a good time?” I ask, slurring my words. “Are you girls all swearing her in like it’s a sorority?”

  Scarlett furrows her brow.

  “We’re playing pool and talking,” she says. “And actually she’s talked about you a lot. She said you guys actually met last night? At some bar I’ve never heard of.”

  “Yep, met at some bar. We fucked in an alley, and now she’s gonna be gone by the end of tomorrow. Poof, just like that. Out of my life.”

  “Here’re your beers, hon,” Ruby says
, sliding the glasses toward Scarlett.

  “Thanks Ruby. Jake, that’s not true. She doesn’t have to be out of your life.”

  “What do you know?” I ask, glaring at her. “Huh? You’ve got your little girlfriend, Mandy. You two already have each other. Once Merryn’s gone I’ll have no one.”

  “You’ll have us,” Scarlett says, looking hurt. “And you’ll have Emily.”

  “Emily’s growing up, she’s leaving soon too. And didn’t you hear?” I go on. “There’s a war coming. Soon there’ll be nobody left.”

  “Oh, Jake,” Scarlett says, and she reaches forward to put a hand on my shoulder. But I bat it away, and Scarlett looks stunned. She pulls her hand back and glares at me. “If you’re so worried about being alone, Jake, maybe you shouldn’t shut out the people who try to connect with you.”

  And then she turns, grabbing the handles of the six glasses and leaving the bar with them. I watch her walk away and join the others, putting the beers down while the girls all grab a glass.

  I breathe in heavily through my nose. Merryn is looking around at her new friends, smiling, taking a happy drink. I turn back to the bar and pick up my own drink, downing the three-quarters of the beer that’s left, then put the glass down with a loud thunk. I swivel on the bar stool and stand up, swaying as my legs take my considerable weight.

  But I stay upright. Years of experience has taught me how to handle my booze. I walk over to where Merryn and the girls are all talking and some of them turn to acknowledge me as I approach.

  “Jake!” Scarlett says as Merryn smiles at me. “Decided to come join us after all?”

  A grin works its way around my mouth.

  “Almost,” I say. “I just wanted to know which one of you ladies I would be taking home and fucking tonight.”

  Their smiles all falter, some dying away completely. Merryn’s expression changes from happy to shocked.

  “What?” Abby asks me.

  “You heard me,” I say to her. “Don’t think I don’t remember how you like being folded almost in half. You’re more flexible than any girl in here.”