King's Ransom: South Side Sinners MC

by BT Urruela

  Preach chuckled, a new nervousness taking hold that he did his best to hide. He shook his head. “No kiddin’.”

  “There’s a reason I didn’t take your spot. I don’t want that pressure.”

  “You’re a natural born leader, Dimitri.”

  “Yeah, maybe, but not with these motherfuckers. I can’t stand half of them. Robbie’s recruitment …” Dimitri shook his head as his voice trailed off. “There are some questionable additions, that’s all I’m saying.”

  Preach nodded, taking a puff of his cigar as his eyes traced the ground. He hesitated, before muttering, “I’ve seen the downfall of our organization in my dreams. Wakes me up at night.”

  “Me too,” Dimitri said.

  “Robbie—”

  “Robbie is fucking scum, Preach,” Dimitri said, cutting him off. “This isn’t a joke, man. I’m not even talking about the shit I’ve been hearing, but my interactions with him, they’ve been different. I can tell he’s back on the dope.”

  “Me too,” Preach muttered.

  “So, aren’t those grounds for dismissal?”

  Preach scoffed. “Says who? The guys who can’t stay away from the bottle?” He motioned toward himself. “Maybe the ones who like the stronger stuff a little too much.” Preach dipped his head and quirked an accusatory eyebrow.

  Dimitri rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he muttered.

  A smile stretched across Preach’s lips. “Did I ever tell you your mother knew?” he asked, though he knew he hadn’t.

  “For real? How?”

  “She just knew. Women have intuition that way. It’s like a sixth sense. She pulled me aside one day—this was maybe a couple years before you were born—and she asked me point-blank. I denied it for a while, but she persisted, and eventually I gave in and told her. She promised to hold my secret as she would her own, and I trusted her. And ya know what?”

  “She kept the secret,” Dimitri answered for him.

  “She kept the secret. And to tell someone brought color to my black-and-white world. It made me feel truly alive for the first time.”

  Dimitri asked, without much thought, “Do you think it’s really possible to miss someone you’ve never even met?”

  Preach shuffled toward him, threw an arm over his shoulders, and brought him close. “Yes, in fact, I do. I absolutely do. And I know she’s missin’ you.”

  Their moment was interrupted by Preach’s ringing phone, an old-school rotary dial on the wall most of the new prospects didn’t know how to work.

  Preach crossed the room and grabbed the receiver, putting it to his ear. “Hello?”

  He listened for a few moments and then snapped for Dimitri’s attention. “It’s Jacoby. He’s got news. Grab my computer and pull up my emails.”

  Dimitri did as he was asked, grabbing the laptop from the living room and setting it on the kitchen table, then he sat in front of it.

  Preach took a seat as well. “Thanks, Jacoby. Call you back.” He hung up the phone blindly, his focus on the computer screen and the email that Dimitri brought up. It contained only a link which he promptly clicked.

  Brigadier General Campbell dodges UCMJ charges, made to retire early as expected.

  General Gary Campbell found himself caught in some hot water early last week when 29-year-old intern Jessica Diaz, from Chicago, Illinois, but based in Washington, DC, came forward with accusations that General Campbell had engaged in lewd conversations with her over Twitter’s direct message, going so far as to send pictures of his genitalia and videos of himself masturbating. Ms. Diaz claimed correspondence between the two began shortly after they met in December of last year at a charity event. She went on to say he was polite and respectful in the initial exchanges, but that, after some time, the messages turned and he became inappropriate. As the pressure mounted against Campbell later in the week, Ms. Diaz abruptly retracted her statements and claimed to have been off her medication at the time of her confession. Requests to Ms. Diaz’s attorney for comment have been denied.

  General Campbell has agreed to retire honorably after twenty-four years of Army service.

  Dimitri looked at Preach, blinked, and waited for him to say something, but when he didn’t, curiosity bested him. “What about the shipment? We have people expecting those guns.” He wasn’t sure why he even asked it. He already knew the answer.

  “We’re fucked, I’m thinkin’,” Preach responded. He let out a heavy breath, rubbing out his tired eyes.

  “You think they’ve shipped him off already? I mean, he’s got a wife, a kid, a house … no way he just up and left this soon,” Dimitri reasoned. “If Hale doesn’t wanna take our calls anymore, let’s get some answers from this motherfucker.”

  “He’s a general.”

  “So …”

  “They don’t move themselves. People do it for ’em. And you think it’s that easy? He lives on base, has people who watch him.”

  “Nothing wrong with having a face to face with him, Preach. I’m not saying we fuck the guy up. Just a talk. He could still be there.”

  Preach stared blankly at the computer screen for a few moments, and then he snatched the phone from the wall and dialed Jacoby.

  “Get some guys together,” he said into the receiver. “We’re goin’ for a ride.”

  Knuckles drove his Jeep with Jacoby in the passenger seat, and Dimitri and Preach in the back.

  Pyro trailed them on his Harley, his eyes darting every which way, on the lookout for other patches. They were in enemy territory, and though none of them were patched, they were well-known enough in those parts to be vigilant.

  Dimitri was nervous, but he tried his best not to show it. Out of the five of them, only Knuckles and Jacoby had veteran credentials, and Dimitri had never attempted to get onto a military base before. He was unsure of how they operated, but certain their type would raise suspicion.

  Exiting the highway, Preach called Pyro and told him to hang back. As Pyro took a right and disappeared down the road, Knuckles continued onward toward the base, eventually turning onto a short road that led to a guard shack manned by two uniformed soldiers. Traffic spikes and the guard shack were sandwiched between tall, razor wire fencing. A large wooden sign to the right read: Fort Leonard Wood, South Entrance.

  “Just act cool,” Knuckles said as he slowed the Jeep to a stop. “It’ll all be good.”

  Just in front of the Jeep there was a red-and-white striped arm and one of the guards, an M4 slung across his chest, who maneuvered to the driver’s side.

  Knuckles rolled the window down and looked toward the three of them, snapping his fingers. “IDs, guys. Jacoby, give me your vet card,” he said, and then passed a small wave toward the approaching guard. “How ya doin’?” He handed over his own ID, and the guard scanned it.

  The young guard shrugged. “Not too bad, Sergeant. How about you guys?” He handed Knuckles’ ID back, trading it out for the others.

  “Can’t complain. It’s a beautiful Saturday.”

  Dimitri could hear the subtle change in Knuckles’ voice, a higher tone, as if he were attempting to seem more natural, more friendly. Dimitri doubted the guard picked up on it, or even the others in the Jeep, but he had, and it forced him to stifle a laugh.

  The guard scanned the other IDs and asked, “What are you guys doing on base this afternoon?”

  Immediately, and so natural it seemed as if he had practiced it, Knuckles said, “We’ve got a barbeque at our old Platoon Sergeant’s house over in Eagle Point.” He motioned between himself and Jacoby as the guard handed the IDs back. Knuckles took them and passed them over to Jacoby, who distributed them out. “Brought some buddies with us,” he added.

  The guard took a step back, saying, “Okay, you guys enjoy your day,” as he waved them forward. The other soldier exited the guard shack and lifted the striped arm, allowing Knuckles to drive through slowly, passing them both a wave.

  Once the guards were sufficiently behind them, Dimitri leaned in and s
aid, “Well, that was way fucking easier than I thought it would be.”

  “Unless it’s some top-secret facility, bases are pretty relaxed,” Knuckles said, guiding the Jeep along the winding roads. Around them, there was nothing but overgrown woods and a manicured lawn that separated the woods from the road. “Especially, when you use a side entrance,” he added, winking and clicking his teeth.

  “What the hell is Eagle Point? Did you just pull that out your ass?” Dimitri asked.

  “No way. It’s NCO housing. I looked it up last night.” Knuckles cracked a smile, eyeing Dimitri through the rearview. “We aren’t heading there though. We’re on our way to Piney Estates.”

  “And that’s where the general is, I take it?” Dimitri asked, his gaze out the window. A few buildings dotted the side of the road then, and the woods gave way to manicured shrubbery, well-kept lawns, and parking lots.

  Knuckles laughed. “As if the ‘Estates’ didn’t give it away.”

  “What the hell are you doing here?” The general looked terrified, his face in a snarl and his arms out, trying to block his wife and young daughter as the Sinners exited the Jeep and approached them.

  “Gary, buddy, why are you so panicky?” Preach asked, halting a few feet in front of him, his hands on his hips. “Relax. We just wanna talk.”

  The general looked over his shoulder, shouting, “Kim, take Amanda and get inside. Now!”

  As he turned back, a uniformed officer, captain rank on his collar and Hanson on his name tag, exited the back of the moving truck in the driveway, which was mostly full and contained two workers wearing coveralls. The two of them looked on with curiosity as the captain stormed toward Preach, and the other three behind him.

  “Is there a problem here, sir?” Hanson asked, his brows drawing close as he stopped just before them, his hands on his hips. He scrutinized them with his eyes, his thick mustache twitching.

  Preach looked the captain up and down for a moment, chuckled, and then looked back toward General Campbell.

  “Captain Hanson, it’s okay,” the general said over his shoulder. “Please, go back inside and help my wife pack the remainder of our things. I’ll take care of this.”

  “Sir, are yo—”

  “Go now, dammit! Right this minute, Richard. I mean it.”

  “Roger that, sir.” Captain Hanson looked the four of them over again with a scowl, before he turned and reluctantly shuffled back toward the house.

  “Bye-bye, Dick!” Knuckles called out, and the captain shot one more glare back before disappearing inside, shoulders slumped in defeat.

  “How fucking dare you come to my home!” Spittle flew from the old general’s lips; the vein in his wrinkled forehead pulsated. “How dare you!”

  “How dare me?” Preach asked. “Listen here, Gary. I shouldn’t have to find this out from one of my guys. After your fuckin’ wife, we should be the next to know. Nah, scratch that. We ought to know even before she does. See, General, we entered into an agreement, and it seems that agreement has been broken, thanks to Mr. Willy there.” Preach pointed toward General Campbell’s crotch. “And then, you don’t have the respect to let me know about it? Your partner …”

  The general took a step forward, just a few inches away from Preach, and jabbed a finger in his face. This roused the others but Preach put up a hand to settle them.

  “Listen to me, right here, right now.” The general’s face was beet red then. “I am not your partner, nor have I ever been.” He leaned in closer and, in a hushed tone, said, “I was paid to provide a service for a friend of mine. A friend of mine who made that deal with you. I didn’t make any damn agreement, nor did I ever agree to any specific terms. If you have a problem, you take it up with Ronald, you hear me? That’s who you made the deal with, and I’ll tell him the same.”

  Preach nodded. “I can see your point. Though, for your own sake, I hope you never decide to speak to me that way again. I stopped them … this time.” He motioned to the three men behind him who looked like dogs ready to attack, though each one of them knew how stupid such a thing would be. “But next time, I’ll have you fuckin’ quartered. You got me?”

  The general took a step back, his hands up defensively, and then he nodded. “Yeah, yeah … but you need to respect where the fuck you are right now.” He looked around the area and Preach followed suit. Several neighbors looked on, concerned. “How in the hell am I supposed to explain this?”

  Preach motioned toward the moving truck. “Looks to me like you don’t really have to.”

  “I still have a family to worry about. A reputation.”

  “What reputation?” Preach laughed loudly. “Your dick’s done pissed all that away already. And making illegal deals usin’ your rank means you don’t get a say in how things work out.”

  “Keep your voice down, dammit!”

  “Then tell me how Senator Hale plans to make up for your absence.”

  “Why don’t you ask him, for Christ’s sake?”

  “Because I’m here asking you.”

  “I honestly don’t know what the hell he’ll do. This was a very”—he cleared his throat—“unique situation. The next general isn’t just going to come in and say, ‘Okay, so I have staff meetings on Thursdays, Battalion briefings on Fridays, and, oh yeah, that large scale weapons deal with an outlaw motorcycle club on Saturdays.’ Are you serious? My part in this is over. It’s not on me to figure things out for you.”

  “This must be remedied. We have situations worked out with others, just as we have with you and the senator.”

  “Listen to me, my part of the deal is done! I have enough shit on my plate right now to worry about.” He leaned in closer again, and whispered, “Your deal was guns for elected office, right? Guns for votes, that was the agreement?”

  “That’s right.” Preach nodded.

  He lifted his palms to the sky, motioned around himself, his head turning from side to side. “Okay. Well, look around you. I didn’t get voted into this position. I was assigned. And now I’m being removed. You need to track down the man who made the deal with you to begin with. Old friends or not, he’s got your remedy. He made the deal. My family and I will not be involved with this any further. Okay? I have provided for you, without question, for quite some time. Now, my role in all this is finished.”

  Preach hesitated a moment, simply nodding, and then he said, “I agree with you, Campbell. You have been very kind to us over the past few years.” He took a few steps forward and patted the general on his chest a few times. “But remember, our pockets weren’t the only ones being lined.” He turned and motioned for the others to follow him toward the Jeep, then glanced over his shoulder. “I sure hope the next general is as giving and hospitable as you have been, for the senator’s sake. You tell him to answer our calls, you hear?”

  General Campbell shook his head. “I don’t care what happens with this from here on out, as long as my name and my family stay out of it.”

  “We’ll see, Gary. You take care now,” Preach said with a smirk, and then he led the Sinners away.

  Six

  Annalise awakened to her father’s voice booming from his office. She bolted up in a panic, gripping her pillow. He was yelling, and sounded as if he was destroying anything within reach. For a moment, she huddled in her blankets, trembling, trying to remember if she had locked her door, even though she knew she did. She always did.

  Would he come to her room? Was anyone else awake? What the hell was going on?

  “You can’t just leave, Gary! What the fuck? I don’t give a shit if you’re retired, we had a deal. We had a fucking deal. And now what? Now, you’re telling me I have to fix it? That I have to clean up your mess? Nuh-uh. No way!” he shouted and something crashed against the wall of the hallway. “You can’t do this to me. What the fuck were you thinking, you fucking moron?” His footsteps boomed back and forth across the hardwood of his office. Anger laced with panic dripped from each syllable. Something was very wrong
. Annalise wondered if it had anything to do with whatever had upset the general and her father at dinner the night before.

  Slow, dragging footsteps stumbled down the hall from her parents’ room toward the study. The commotion must have actually wakened the dead.

  “Ronald!” Her mother’s ragged voice rasped through hungover lips and Annalise could hear her fingers scraping against the drywall as she clumsily navigated the hallway in the dark. “What’s going on? Why are you yelling? Who on earth could you be talking to at this hour?”

  “Go away, Victoria, this has nothing to do with you,” her father bellowed. “I am on the phone. This is work, now go back to bed.”

  “What have you done to your office? Look at this mess! What is going on, Ronald Hale?” Victoria’s voice rose. This was new territory. Annalise couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mother stand up to her father. Her mother had always been a waif when it came to him. The perfect southern wife. Whatever he said went and she never complained in front of him, just drowned her sorrows in wine and skittles.

  “I said, go. Back. To. Bed!” he yelled back in a tone that shook the floor beneath Annalise’s feet.

  Leave, Mother, Annalise begged silently. She could tell this evening was not the time to stand up to him. Something was very wrong but her mother was too deep into her chemical haze to realize it. Now is not the time to grow a backbone. For the love of God, woman, go back to bed. The thought of having to go out there to intervene made Annalise’s skin crawl.

  “Who are you talking to?” her mother pushed. “Why are you yelling?”

  “Leave me be! No, not you …” he lamented, his voice changing rapidly. Annalise realized he must’ve still been on the phone. She hoped that whoever was on the other line would keep him on. As long as there was a witness, he wouldn’t hurt her mother. “Victoria is in here and running her mouth. You need to fix this,” he demanded. “I don’t give a good goddamn what you have to do. But you fix this. We promised the shipment. These are not people that you can just leave high and dry, and if you don’t fix it, and this shit gets out, I swear to fuck, Gary, I will end you.”