Railed (Courage MC #2) (8 page)

I
can’t believe
the bitch left me. She left me with a gun to my face. As the exit doors swung shut, Luke’s revolver pointed straight at me. Looking down the barrel of a gun is like staring into an infinite void. Your life: past, present, and future, shines before you, as the cycle of life and death continues all around the desolate shores of our universe, speeding fast into motion. What you see is the eye of your creator. And once that trigger is pulled, it winks at you and whispers, “
BOO!”

If there was one thing I hated most, it was looking into that void. Realizing the finality of everything was never my strong suit. Those who did weren’t fit to walk a day in our shoes. They were normal individuals, complete with families, homes, dogs, and happiness. Sure, I wanted all of those things. But the way of the bullet was how I lived.
Bang.
You’re born into this world.
Bang.
You hit your target and fly back home. I was a soldier of the road. I
was
a soldier…

Luke’s gun went off in a flash and time slowed down. Angelo dove under the table, Bruce was cackling to himself like he always did, realizing the trivialities of life, while the rest of the men opened fire. I could see the flames of passionate rage flash within Luke’s eyes. He was aiming right for me. The bullet was a straight line connecting us to Hell.

I jumped out of the way, feeling the power of the bullet whiz by my left eye. I wasn’t done yet. This wasn’t over. The bullet hit the back wall, right through a picture of Bruce’s niece. By the time, we could figure out what was going on, Luke was out the door, speeding off on his motorcycle. Bruce grabbed his shotgun and ran steadily out the door. “Son of a bitch.” he muttered. He pulled down that trigger as Luke sped away. Two shots. One ricocheted off a rock in the distance, while the other seemed to spray his shoulder. Luke wobbled, but managed to stay on his bike, though I could tell Bruce got him good.

He turned around and addressed the men. “He’ll be back.” He said, shaking and out of breath. We slowly walked back inside.

“Well, this is a celebration, boys. A celebration of all out fucking war.”

“War?” Angelo called out. “Boss. It’s one guy. And he was one of our own. What are you talking about a war for?” The men’s voices in the club echoed off of the walls. Everyone was in a disagreement with each other. Conflict was rising in the ranks. This wasn’t good.
God dammit, Luke.
I could barely think. We had grown up together. We were best friends in grade school. We took the world by storm. And now he was my enemy.

“I said it’s a god damn war!” Bruce screamed, punching his fist clean through the table. “Get your guns. We’re attacking anyone who stands in our way. Avery, suit up.”

“Boss, I don’t think this is a good idea. Remember the 90’s? Remember what killed the golden era for us? We can’t afford another war, not now. Tensions are too high. We’ve got a lot of money on the table, a lot of people waiting to get their product.” I said.

Angelo backed me up. “Once news of our talks of war hits the streets, there’s no telling what will happen. All production will get cut off from us. The distribution channels will want nothing to do with the Courage MC. Our name will be tainted for years, even decades. Bruce. I’m begging you. We find Luke, but that’s all we aim for. Maybe Bobby Farole when the time comes, but our efforts need to be focused on Luke.” Angelo knew better than anyone. He bit the bullet head on.

“I said suit up. Anyone who disagrees with me will get dishonorably discharged, leaving in shame and humiliation. You will no longer be a brother to anyone here. You will have to pack up and leave. Because if one of my soldiers catches you, he’ll shoot you dead cold. You hear me, people?!”

Sullen shouts were heard around the room. The support was divided, that was for sure. This wasn’t going to end well. I knew that much. When disagreements turn ugly, the people turned to bickering and inner struggle, often resulting in the destruction of the civilization around them. It was no different in the MC. Governments ran the world. We ran the streets. And the president of the United Streets of Courage Town just declared total war on anyone who disagreed with him. I couldn’t stand by it. I just couldn’t.

Bruce turned to me and spit at the floor. “You find that girl.” He said. You find her and you bring her to me. She’s going to get Luke, Bobby Farole, and whoever else deviates from the wisdom of our leaders. You got that? You’re in charge.” He slapped my back and walked outside, hopping on his bike. Who knew where in the hell the man was headed to?

“Hey, Avery!” Someone in the back shouted. “You got my vote.” He said.

“Who said that?” I called out, amidst the cigarette and gunpowder smoke. “Who the fuck said that?”

The man walked forward with a cigarette sitting against his lips, pistol holstered around his waist. He was a heavy set man with a heavy walk. And I knew just who the hell I was looking at. He took off his hat and smiled. “When are the elections?” He asked me.

“Bobby Farole…” I whispered.

“Damn straight son. Good to see you’re still standing. Just wanted to pop in and give my respects. But I guess things ain’t so great around here no more. Too bad. Things are great back home, with the old Darkhorse MC.” The men aimed their guns at him, ready to fire.

“Let me know when I can shoot this son of a bitch!” One of them yelled.

“Put your guns down.” I called out.

“That’s right, boys. I’m unarmed, ‘cept for the pistol on my waist. I come in peace. You know, Avery. We could use a leader like you. Stop in sometime.” He smiled and threw his cigarette onto the floor, stomping it out with his heavy black boots. He tilted his hat at the men and said, “Boys.” And with that, he walked out of the building.

I remained silent for a good minute or two, thinking about what all just happened. I needed to come up with a plan, and fast. I needed to find Hope. “I’m not your boss.” I said to those who were still even listening. “I can’t tell you what to do. I can’t tell you to go to war or give you the authorization to shoot an unarmed enemy. I don’t have that authority. My suggestion to all of you, is that you get the idea of me being boss out of your head. We listen to Bruce. No one else.”

The men cheered and shot off their guns in the air. To them, this was fun. This was something they had been waiting for, ever since they got their first motorcycle, MC emblem, and gun. They didn’t care what happened. They were just here for the action. I knew things had changed. The days of our young crew were over. The days of respect had been lost. It was wartime and my leader was an enraged tyrant. We were all so doomed…

Hope. I had to find her. I just had to.

I
made
my way to Kansas in search of someone who had left me long ago. My sister, the only one who had my back growing up. Of course, all that changed once our father died and our mother became a recluse. Slowly, our little happy family melted away into nothing. Jealousies occurred, misunderstandings built up into blackened curses, and the house was shut and boarded up for good.

Yet, here I was, standing in front of her new apartment building with Jack. We asked around and this where everyone said she lived. Only problem was that her new ‘roommate’ was a drug-fueled psychopath from out west. I was told he used to deal meth. Used to, until he figured out it was more fun to smoke the stuff.

“Are you sure about this?” Jack asked me, rubbing my shoulders.

“Yeah. I’m sure. I need a fresh start. I need my family back.” I said.

“Well, it’s about time. I’m right behind you if you need me.”

“Thanks.” I took one step further and felt my body shiver. This was going to be harder than expected. But I saw something the other night when we were with The Sapo Boys. Somewhere in that nightmarish tea, my sister revealed herself to me, telling me this is where I needed to go. Her being there simply pushed me in the right direction. I rang the doorbell and held my breath.

The door slid open about a half inch, connected by the chain inside. “Who’s there? What do you want?” A woman’s face peered out to look at us. She was probably around 28 years old, and yet she looked around 40. It was terrible what hard drugs could do to your body, just terrible. “Sammy? Is that you?” I asked, hesitating a bit to reveal myself.

“I don’t owe you
shit!
” She spat out, closing the door.

I knocked again, this time harder. I was getting through that door if it was the last thing I’d do. “Sammy. I need to talk to you. It’s important. It’s about your father!” The door opened up and unlatched. Behind her were dirty boxes, stacked to the brim. Clothes and food were everywhere. Her place reeked of smoke and decay.
My God…
I couldn’t believe she had been living like this for so long. We grew up so well in the beginning…

“Who the hell are you?” She whispered. Half her teeth were missing. From what I could see, scars were forming all across her body. It was a horrible sight that made me gag instantly.

“You… I …” I stuttered, unable to find the right words.

“She’s your sister.” Jack said. “And we’re coming in.”

“My sister? She’s dead. Ask my momma. Oh, I know who you are. You’re after my stash, aren’t you? Well, good luck trying to find that. Rust already took off with all that shit. He’s more of a fiend than I am!” She cackled, clearly out of mind. This was a bad time. I shouldn’t have come.

We forced our way into the busted up apartment. “Rust?” I asked her. “Did you say Rust?”

“Yeah what about him? You guys after him or something?” She grabbed an old glass pipe from the floor and began searching through the carpet for bits of anything to smoke.

“Have you been with … this guy for a while?” I asked her. It couldn’t be Avery’s guy. Could it? I shuddered just thinking about it.

“With him? What’re you saying? He pays for this apartment, stops by every now and then to check up on me. Says he wants me to get better. I think he’s my guardian angel…” she looked up at me, glassy eyed and high.

“How long? How long has he been coming here?” I asked her, kneeling down and practically spelling out the words for her.

She scratched her face and smiled, “Probably a week, but I don’t know anything. Time is a bullshit concept. The sun goes up and the sun goes down.” Her eyes were practically spinning at this point. “Who’d you say you were again? And where’s my father? You said you had my father!” She screamed at me.

This was worse than I thought. She was completely gone. I hated saying this, but if she were to really get help, she’d need constant medical care. I was ready to turn around and leave. “Your sister. Hope. Our father died, sweetie. A long time ago. Don’t you remember?”

“Hope was nice.” she mumbled. “Such a good sister to me. But then she got taken away. To the big stage in the sky. She took my daddy with her. SHE KILLED MY DADDY!” She was hysterical, rolling around on the floor and crying bloody murder.

“We have to leave. Now.” I said to Jack. He was already halfway outside the door.

“GET OUT OF HERE, YOU DEVILS!” She cried, eyes rolling back into her head. She burst out laughing, hitting her knees as if she told the best joke she had ever heard.

We slammed the door and peeled out of the parking lot. “What the fuck was that about, Hope?” Jack asked me, sweating profusely.

“Another mistake. I seem to be full of them today.” I sighed. “Oh, God. What am I gonna do?” I couldn’t even cry anymore. Things had turned into such a high level of absurdity that my emotions just couldn’t keep up.

“Maybe it’s time to move on, Hope? Maybe you should go into managing or PR? I could help you get started…” It was over for me and he knew it. Managing, PR, becoming an agent. All that meant was giving up your dreams and succumbing to the life of ‘the office.’ There was nothing wrong with that, of course. It just wasn’t me. I was meant to act, to play roles, to travel and see other ways of living. I wanted to spread joy through my music and to inspire others to pursue their dreams.

“It’s over, Jack. If the business is done with me, then I’m done with the business. But I swear on my life, I’m going to rise up and build a new and better fan base. This time, without any of your help. I’m gonna do this right this time.”

“Well, whatever you do, don’t bring me into it. I have enough people barking up my tree right now. No thanks to you. I missed a meeting this morning with 50 Cent. 50
fucking
Cent!” That was all he cared about. There was no loyalty or friendship with Jack. He was just another man in a suit. Good riddance.

“Don’t let me get in your way, Jack. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.” I said, staring out the window.

“Like what? What are you cooking up, Hope?” he smiled, intrigued by my plight.

“It’s just…you know that Rust guy my sister kept talking about?” I asked him.

“Yeah, some junkie? What about him?”

“He’s not some junkie. Notice how she said he
took
her drugs? He wants to get her better.”

“That’s what they all say. Then they take your stash and use it for themselves. Come on, Hope. Don’t be so naïve. Your sister, and I don’t mean any offence by this, is involved in a dark world. It’s like living in the jungle or something.”

“Yeah I get that. It’s just that Avery was talking to some guy named Rust the other day. Said he was going to help me out. You know, get my house back and make a few calls to the label. I assumed that meant he would rough some people up. What did I know?”

“Okay, so? That’s purely coincidence.”

“Let me finish, Jack. Can I fucking finish?” God, he was so annoying sometimes.

“Well, he wanted my social security number. I thought it was going to help with the house. But now I’m thinking, they’re keeping tabs on me. Like, this Rust guy has been seeing my sister for only a week. He
rented
an apartment for her! What’s that about?” I seriously couldn’t wrap my head around it. I couldn’t believe Avery would stoop to such lows. He was hot, sure. But not hot enough to keep going back to him.

“You’re just paranoid, Hope. They’re low level thugs. They don’t run things. You want to know who runs things? Look at the people above
me.
That’s who’s really in charge. Check out their bank statements sometime. It’ll blow your god damn mind.” He laughed condescendingly.

Well, if I was paranoid, he was delusional. It wasn’t unreasonable for me to think there was something shady going on between Avery, Rust, and myself. They had already been using me for just about everything else they needed. Why wouldn’t they be keeping tabs?

“Jack, do you know what this means?”

“Here we go.” Jack sighed.

“It means there’s nowhere to run to. They’ll find me no matter what. I’m fucking stuck with him. Stuck with these gangsters. Oh God.” I hit the dashboard of his car.

Jack was practically cackling. “Yeah, you should have just married the guy. At least then you could have divorced him for all his money.” Such sarcasm. I realized why I had cut off contact from him in the first place. Even as a manager, he was subpar. I couldn’t wait to see him fail on his next project.
50 Cent?
Ha.

“Yeah, well maybe I will.” I muttered.

Jack laughed even harder at this. “Come on, Hope. It’s time for you to come home. You’re staying with me for a while. Just long enough to get on your feet. Sound good?”

“Sure thing.” I said.

In the meantime, we had gone quite some distance. As we drove into more familiar surroundings, I saw a corner store, nearby Avery’s place. I didn’t like or trust the guy, but if I was going to figure out more, I would have to continue pretending that I did.

“Hey, stop here real quick. I want to get a drink.” I said.

“That can’t wait?” Jack looked at me funny.

“Oh, come on! I’ll buy you something.” I said, smiling and looking as happy as can be.

“Okay. I guess I have to use the restroom anyway.” he willingly acquiesced. We got out of the car and walked into the store. That little bell above rang and Jack walked into the bathroom. And as soon as he did, I ran out the store in the direction of Avery’s house. “Goodbye, Jack.” I whispered. “It was fun while it lasted.”

It was time to get what I needed, to find out all the answers. Screw being a pop star. This was all too important now. I was consumed.