Hanna
"Why do we have to go?" I asked as we got ready to leave for the race.
I didn't want to go because I wanted to spend the several hours Carl would be gone working on Nikki. I'd been needling her in private for the last couple of days, and it was starting to work. She was getting pissy with Carl for going out and leaving her behind.
"Because Viper fucking said so, that's fucking why!" Carl snarled.
"I don't want to go to some fucking race, and I don't want to spend two hours in the fucking car with her," Nikki chimed in.
"Just let us stay here," I suggested.
"For once I agree with her," Nikki added.
"Shut the fuck up... both of you... before I fucking shut you up!" he roared. "You're going, and that's fucking that!"
"You can't talk to me like that!" Nikki protested. "I'm not your fucking bitch!"
"Then stop acting like one!"
"Fuck you!"
"Listen, you fucking bitch, you're going to do what I fucking say or you're going to fucking regret it! Now shut the fuck up about it!"
I stood to the side, my arms crossed over my chest, enjoying their interplay. Carl was apparently catching hell from all sides now, and he was starting to come apart. Yesterday I'd overheard him on Patrick's phone with someone trying to weasel out of having to race tonight, claiming he was too fucked up from his fight with Rand to race. Maybe he was. He was still riding, but not only was his face a mess with his nose clearly crooked and broken, the left side of his face swollen and one big bruise, but he was also walking with a slight but noticeable list the left.
Whoever he was talking too wasn't buying what he was selling, and that had left him in a towering rage. I thought for sure he was going to slap me around, but he'd left Nikki alone with me and stormed out of the apartment. When he'd come back, he was drunk off his ass, and I marveled he was able to even ride.
"Fuck you, Bee!" Nikki snarled. "I'm out of here!"
She started for the door, but Carl grabbed her arm, jerked her back, and slapped her hard across the face. I flinched with the violence, the ring of hand on face loud in the room as Nikki stumbled back with shock and surprise before falling to the couch, her hand at her cheek as she stared at him unbelievingly.
"Carl, stop!" I barked when he started to move in on her. "If you beat the shit out of her, she won't be able to watch me!"
He paused then backed off. "I don't want to hear another word out of you about this, out of either of you, got it?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
"Sorry, baby," Nikki whimpered before she glanced at me with grateful eyes.
"Let's fucking go! Where's Champ?"
"In his room. I'll get him."
I hurried to Garrett's room. He wasn't completely back to normal, but he was much improved. I didn't like the idea of taking him out into the night air, but at least he would be riding in the car with me and Nikki.
"Ready to go, Punkin?"
"Ready!" he said, adding the motorcycle he was playing with to the collection he'd packed in his backpack before zipping it closed and shrugging it on.
"You ready to go see some really fast motorcycles?"
"Yeah!"
"Remember, I'm going to be right behind you the entire way. If you so much as make a wrong turn, you won't like what happens," Carl growled as I appeared with Garrett.
I nodded. "Straight to the clubhouse," I confirmed.
With Nikki in the car with me, there was little chance of me escaping. I didn't want to risk starting a fight with Nikki, crashing the car, and injuring Garrett if I tried. The odds were too long, Carl hadn't hit me since we'd taken Garrett to the doctor, and I wanted to keep it that way by playing along until the odds were in my favor.
-oOo-
Carl followed Nikki, Garrett, and me to the Orca clubhouse, where he told Nikki and I to stay in the car. It didn't escape my notice that Carl seemed to be hurting more than he had only minutes ago. In his apartment, he felt well enough to slap Nikki around, but now he seemed barely able to walk as he made his way to the clubhouse door.
"Thank you," Nikki murmured without looking at me after we'd sat in silence for a moment, Garrett making motorcycle noises in the backseat as he played.
"You need to get away from him. It's only going to get worse."
She nodded slowly without saying anything. Only minutes after we arrived, Alex lead five more Orcas out of the clubhouse. He glared at me as he strode past and mounted his bike. Carl paused at my window and I rolled it down.
"Follow Pie and Viper. I'll be right behind you. If you fuck this up for me, I'll kill you, both of you, understand?" he growled, but I could tell he was scared.
I had to fight the urge to grin or laugh at him. I'd wanted to see his lies catch up to him, and perhaps I was going to get the chance. I thought about being a smartass, but I was afraid that in his agitated state I'd regret it.
"Okay," I murmured as I began rolling up the window.
I followed Alex and Ted as they led us to Bayport, with Carl and three other Orcas, two from Portland and another from Eugene, following along behind. I'd have never been able to keep up with my car running the way it had, the little car straining to keep up even with the new motor. During the silence of the drive, I mentally flipped through various escape plans. I'm sure Carl knew what I was thinking as he would occasionally ride up beside me to glare at me through the side window. The thought of jerking the wheel left and punting him into the ditch made me smile, but I drove like a good little girl, fearing the wrath of the other members.
It was nearly eight when I pulled my Beetle to a stop in the Doonz parking lot. The lot was full of motorcycles of every color and description, but what they all had in common was they looked fast. Damned fast. Garrett was sleeping in the back seat, his head lying on his backpack propped against the window. My neck would break if I were to sleep at such an angle, but his face was as peaceful as an angel.
"Are we here?" Garrett asked, sitting up, blinking, and rubbing his eyes.
"Just a quick stop, Punkin, before we go to the race."
"Whoa..." he breathed looking out of the window. "Can we look at the motorcycles?"
"Uh... maybe, but hold Mommy's hand, okay?"
There were eight Riders in yellow reflective vests, directing traffic and pouring over motorcycles. A man I recognized but whose name I couldn't recall approached Alex. They discussed and he began waving his flashlight, directing them into a distant corner. I followed, and the man smiled and nodded at me, clearly recognizing me or my car. I parked where indicated, with Carl parking his bike directly behind my car, clearly to discourage me from getting any ideas.
The three of us climbed out of the car, Garrett's eyes wide as he looked at the glittering array of motorcycles, the machines looking like Skittles in the parking lot lights.
I smiled to myself as he slammed the door behind him. He was growing so fast. It seemed like only last week Carl and I had brought him home from the hospital wrapped in a blanket, and now he was riding in a booster seat and getting in and out of the car on his own.
I took Garrett's hand and slow walked to Doonz, Carl and another Orca our shadow. I saw Rand standing behind a man on his knees, the kneeling man carefully inspecting a motorcycle. Rand glanced at me, nodded, but then turned his attention back to his task. Even though I hadn't believed Carl's lie about killing Rand, it was comforting to see him alive, and from what I could tell from this distance, unhurt, and I breathed a silent sigh of relief.
The man struggled to his feet, saying something to Rand as he limped around to the other side of the bike. I couldn't remember the guy's name, but the limp clearly identified him as the owner of the business the Orca's burned down.
Inside, Doonz was filled with slender, well-built men, and a few women, all wearing riding suits. As I watched, the riders shuffled forward in three queues before stopping in front of a table. Dividing the queues was rope divider with
< 600 & UL
,
600-750
, and
> 750
neatly lettered onto small signs. Vince and Jacob stood behind the table with weapons conspicuously displayed on their hips. Each of the three men at the table accepted a wad of cash from the rider, counted it twice in plain view, then deposited the money in one of four sturdy looking cash boxes sealed with a large lock. The rider then accepted a chit from the man and stepped away from the table, making room for the next rider to step forward. Each of the three men at the table handed out a different colored wafer, the man covering the
< 600 & UL
queue handing out either white or black, and I assumed the color was significant somehow. I nodded at Vince and Jacob, who nodded back, but their attention never left the table in front of them.
As the line in front of Doug dwindled, his place at the table was replaced by another Rider. Doug then pulled Alex aside. As before, Carl seemed to gravely wounded, and there was clearly some harsh words being exchanged. The groups were forming up for a confrontation, Orcas lining up behind Alex, and an equal number of Riders behind Doug.
"Stay with Nikki," I said, handing Garrett's hand to the woman. "Mommy's going to see Daddy, but I'll be right back, okay?"
"I want to go!"
"I'll just be right over there, okay?" I said pointing. "I'll be right back."
As I approached, one of the Orca's moved to block me, but I changed my course and oozed to a stop beside the Riders.
"I don't give a fuck if you didn't know about it," Alex snarled.
"If you recall, you didn't tell me until just now who you picked. Even if I had sent Rand out to beat the shit out Carl, how would I have known he was the one racing? I think you're afraid you're going to lose and you're using this as an excuse to back out of the deal."
"I thought you said you killed Rand, you lying son-of-a-bitch," I snarled, realizing what the argument was about. "He looks pretty lively for a corpse. What else are you lying about?"
Doug wasn't stupid and realized I was trying to help him. "You know about this?"
I shrugged. "Yeah. Carl said Rand was waiting on him at the clubhouse, and that he ran him down and killed him."
"What! You're saying Carl attacked Rand?" Doug asked, the forced incredulity clear in his voice.
"I never said that!" Carl snarled, glaring at me.
I motioned Nikki over. "When Carl came home the other day, the day we took Garrett to the doctor, what did he say about Rand?"
"That he killed him, why?" Nikki replied, and I smiled as the knife slid deeper into Carl's back.
"How?" I asked.
Nikki shrugged. "He said he chased him down and beat him to death."
Carl had gone pale and I smile at him.
God
damn
was I enjoying this!
