Chapter Sixteen
Jerry hid inthe shadows of the alley, watching as three men approached. It was a dark, moonless night, and pinpricks of light pierced through the sky’s black canopy. The hour was late, and the town’s lights ebbed to a mere glimmer. Twenty Insurgents manned their posts, waiting for the sign from their president to move in and take care of business. The three men stopped at the entrance, glanced around, and slowly walked into the alley, the echo of their footsteps slicing through the stillness of the air. From where he’d positioned himself, Jerry could see the Skull Crushers logo on the backs of their jackets, and his fists instinctively tightened. One of the Skull Crushers took out a cigarette and lit it, the glow from its tip making his face appear ghoulish.
“She’s fucking late,” one of them said.
“I got a bad feel ‘bout this.” The member blew out smoke.
“You’re just fuckin’ jumpy ‘cause I interrupted you when you were bangin’ that slut at the trailer park. You can have at her when you get back. She’ll be waiting for you. These sluts love biker cock.” The tallest member laughed, shaking his head.
Jerry’s insides clenched. He hoped to hell he wasn’t talking about his sister, but a part of him knew he was. It took all his will to stand motionless, listening to them, and not rushing over and bashing their heads in. He had to be patient; there’d be plenty of time for him to beat the shit outta the dude.
Light, hurried footsteps made the three bikers retreat into the shadows, hugging brick walls with their backs. A dark-haired woman in her early thirties entered the alley, her head moving from side to side as if looking for someone. The tallest Skull Crushers member came out of the darkness. From the way she jumped, Jerry knew Emma had been startled. He was the closest to her, hidden in the doorway of a garage. She did a good job with her makeup, and all the acne and angry sores she’d placed on her face, arms, and neck, made her look like a major meth user. He wondered if she’d transformed her teeth too. Emma actually had all her teeth capped a couple of years after she’d stopped using. The crystal had rotted and discolored them, so Danny had coughed up thousands of dollars to fix them up. Jerry knew Emma would be livid if she found out Danny had shared that fact with his brothers.
“You alone?” the tall biker asked.
Emma turned and twisted, appearing nervous and anxious as she nodded. Jerry smiled. She was playing the part perfectly.
“You got the money?” As he spoke, his two comrades came out of the shadows.
With shaking hands, she took out the money from the pocket of her hoodie. “You got the crank?”
“Yeah. First the money.”
She handed the tall member a wad of bills. He took out his Kill Light—a large industrial flashlight, favored weapon among outlaws—and switched it on as he counted the money. “All here,” he said, pocketing the cash. He stared at her. “You want it bad, don’t you?”
Nodding, Emma ran her hands up and down her arms, her body shaking.
“How bad?” he asked, taking a few steps closer to her.
“Bad enough to fuck and blow us, bitch?” one member said. Jerry recognized him as the one he’d seen at the trailer park the week before.
“What?” Emma’s voice trembled.
She’s good at this.Jerry smiled, aching to bash the skulls of the three assholes who were only a few feet away from him.
“You heard us.” The taller one reached out to touch her, but she jumped back.
“Leave me the fuck alone. You got your money, now you owe me what I came for. Do you even have it?”
“Show it to her, Gamble.” The tall guy stepped closer to her as a shorter member took out a baggie of clear, chunky crystals. “See, we got your stuff. You just need to give us what we want and you can be high in no time.” He grabbed her arm, yanking her to him.
Emma twisted out of his grasp, her steel-toed boot kicking him in the shin. “Fuck!” He bent down and rubbed his leg. “You fuckin’ bitch. I’m gonna beat your ass.” Emma ran out of his reach, and the two other men lurched toward her. “Get the bitch,” the tall member said.
“The only ones getting the shit beaten outta them are you sorry motherfuckers.” Banger stepped out from the shadows, his deep baritone voice sizzling with danger. The three men stopped, their postures stiffening. Banger lightly pushed Emma away. “You go on now. You did good.” Emma’s clacking heels on the pavement cracked the mounting tension.
“Who the fuck are you, old man?” the tall guy said as he eyed Banger. The three Skull Crushers looked to be in their early twenties.
“I’m the one who’s gonna teach you fuckin’ punks respect. You don’t fuckin’ deal in Insurgents’ territory.”
The three men circled Banger. “The shit you’re spewing was for the old days. Times have changed. The Skull Crushers don’t give a shit what the Insurgents think. We’ll do what the fuck we want.” He spat at the ground, narrowly missing Banger’s boot. Jerry gritted his teeth, ready to leap out to protect his president if one of the fuckers laid a finger on him.
Banger looked at where the punk spit then at him. “Problem is you fuckers don’t know shit about the brotherhood. Respect never goes out of style, and I’m about to show you what happens when you don’t give it.” He took a step and Jerry held his breath, already in his fighting stance.
“And you’re gonna do that all by yourself, asshole?” They laughed.
“I could, but I don’t wanna have all the fun. I brought along some brothers.” With a wave of his hand, twenty men stepped out of the shadows and formed a circle around the three Skull Crushers.
Jerry smiled when he saw the fear creep into their eyes, his hands clenched into fists just itching to be used.
