Authors: L. Ann Marie
“Fuck! They’re leaving here? How the fuck are we going to cover them from an hour and a half away?” Tiny says looking at Little Ben.
Little Ben puts his hands up. “I didn’t know a fuckin’ thing about it until this morning. Jeremy came to me before I got here. He says it ends good now that Pres knows. I thought I was going to lose my cut or get shot for keeping it from him.” He looks back at Pres.
“Your dad says it’s good too, it will take some time for me to get this. We’ve spent years covering the Little Brothers. You’re old enough now to cover yourselves but you’ll always be our kids. No matter where you are you have our protection.”
Little Ben throws him chin. “Thanks Pres.” His whole body relaxes.
“No one but the people in this room and Rich know. You talk to Darren and I’ll talk to Danny. We keep it close until we understand Tess’s vision. According to VP that happens soon. When we get it we’ll take steps to ensure a safe move and your presence in the town is accepted.” Little Ben and Jessie throw chin.
“So all the kids move?” Tiny asks.
“No, ‘bout half, they got Brothers and a few HS goin’. They ain’t alone. Family from the reservation joins ‘em,” VP says.
Holy fuck this is a fuckin’ weird, conversation. I watch VP; this is not going to be easy. He scans the table stopping at me for a few seconds then sliding to Jessie. He stops at Little Ben. I’m glad it turns good. He must have seen the bad.
“With everything else coming at us we need to make sure this move happens safely and we’re prepared for it. Geek, order the supplies to get the town wired. We’ll come up with a way to make it happen without hiding the trucks. It’s fuckin’ Rhode Island. No one notices shit there anyway. Once the City is wired we’ll move the crews down there.” He gets the nod from VP.
“Anything I need to know from what Jeremy said?” he asks Little Ben.
“No Pres. Just that it turns out good now that you know. I wanted to get here before you sent someone out for me. He’s going to talk to me when I get back.” He’s still looking serious and a little nervous. Pres is smiling. Wasn’t that long ago they got shit for helping with an OP they hid from Pres. I thought he was going to shoot them all. He left his mark on all of them, but warned about it ever happening again. I’d be scared too.
“I get you didn’t know about this Little Ben. Now you know–you’ll need to plan and set it up. You bring that to me so we can cover you. This is yours to do. We’ll follow your lead, but be by your side until you tell us you have it. You will be in the beginning of the I95 corridor, having those eyes can only help us.”
Little Ben throws chin and stands looking at VP. “I’m sorry you got that today Dad. I’ll make sure you and Pres know where we are with the plans.”
Jessie stands beside him. “Had each other’s backs since seven months old. You keep him close, not seein’ that changin’,” VP tells him.
“It’s time to put Little Brothers up on the boards and get Jessie his Officer cut,” Pres says shocking the hell out of all of us. He looks at VP. “Is there a reason he shouldn’t have the cut?”
“No, not my shadow anymore. Passed trainin’ last year. Was you that said Brothers wouldn’t accept him,” VP says with a smile.
“I think him shooting the Brothers is getting him noticed. He does the job and will need the respect before he leaves here. With Brothers going with them they’ll need them comfortable with younger Officers.”
“Yeah Pres,” Little Ben says.
Jessie leans in. “You fuckin’ kidding me I’m getting an Officers cut?”
“And new name. Shadow was for me, trainin’ call everyone shadow.” We all fuckin’ laugh. Fuckin’ VP. “Ghost now,” he tells him.
Little Ben turns and fist bumps him. “Ghost–I like it.”
“Tiny get him to his spot on the boards today and bring his cut to Church,” Pres says.
“Nice!” Jessie says with the biggest smile, he’s usually pretty serious, his smile shows his age.
“Get to HR; talk to one of the twins.” Pres waits for his nod. “Today meaning now.”
Jessie jumps up. “On it Pres,” he says running out the door.
Everyone laughs again. “Fuckin’ kids,” we all say, even Little Ben.
“Do you want me here for anything else Pres?”
“No you can go see Jeremy. That must be driving you fuckin’ nuts,” Pres tells him. He throws chin and leaves as fast as Jessie did.
“I can’t believe they’re leaving. That’s going to take some getting used to,” I say.
VP nods, “Yeah.”
Pres sits down. “This is going to kill the old ladies.” His hands are in his hair. I don’t know how he has any left. For years he’s done the same thing whenever he’s stressed.
“Fuck of it is they need to move to keep going. Little Ben was meant to be a President. He’s got no shot here and Brothers respect him as if he’s a President.” Tiny stands and stretches. He’s fuckin’ huge, his hands touch the ceiling. “Is Ricky going with them?”
VP shakes his head no. “Darren, Ricky, Christian, José, Diego, Jacob, Billy, Alex, Ally, and Victor stay at first. Darren and Jacob will go later leavin’ the other’s to run KC.”
Pres looks at him. “Jeremy?”
“Goes to Baxters. Stays close, but shows for his Brothers when they need him.”
“What the fuck is little Ninja gonna do at the Baxters?” Tiny booms. He loves that kid. “Doesn’t matter. How the fuck are we going to protect them?” He’s not happy with them moving either.
“The best we can,” Pres says.
“Geek, start preparing for the loss in IT. VP will get with you on who is staying sometime next week. Tiny, get Jessie on the boards and start looking at the Brothers so we can be ready when shit hits and the move becomes public. I need you to get the other kids up this week. VP, start looking for HS replacements. I need a fuckin’ drink. I’m out.” We all stand. I think we all need a drink.
“Me too,” VP says surprising Pres. He looks at me and Tiny. I nod, my Little Brothers are leaving, I could use a drink.
Pres looks at Tiny. “Get Rich to put Jessie on the boards and meet us at the Club.”
We walk out and I follow them back to the Club where we spend the rest of the afternoon getting drunk. The whores keep edging closer until Tiny yells at them to stay the fuck away from us. We find this hilarious and fall all over ourselves laughing. Danny, Rich, Bob and Digs come in and have a drink with us. Danny takes Pres home. Bob takes VP. Rich convinces Tiny he needs to get home to Nancy and Digs drags me off to my rooms. I guess we’re done drinking to the Little Brothers.
I fall on the bed and Digs gets my boots off. “Thanks Brother,” is the last thing I remember saying to him.
All the Officers are here and having a good time. The band is okay and people are dancing while I sit at the bar. I have seen every Officer up here at some point tonight. I’d never say what goes through my head but fuck! The whores just don’t do it for me anymore. I want more than a hole.
“You need to get out of here then,” Rich says on the side of me.
My head whips around. “Jesus! Get the fuck out of my head.”
He just watches me. “Cloud asked me how we keep Tess so happy. He wasn’t around when she was taken, but he heard. I told him about Patches lists. He makes them for the Brothers that spend their life taking. No offense but catching women is easy. You have to put work into finding the one you want to keep. Once you find her, you put more work into keeping her. There are plenty of Brothers that don’t care who she belongs to and won’t have a problem sliding in as soon as she’s alone. An old lady isn’t easier to have Geek, it’s harder, but it’s fuckin’ worth it.” He smiles then looks over at the dance floor. Patches and Tess are smiling at each other as they dance. He turns back with that same smile, he’s always happy watching them. “You didn’t ask but I’m going to tell you. Move out of the Club. Women always throwing themselves at you fucks with your head. You’re too old to be wondering how to get one to stay and you’re too smart to be fuckin’ whores just for relief. Move the fuck out and start living a normal life where you don’t have room and whore service 24/7.”
“You think moving is the answer to everything?”
He looks at me. “No, but it’s a start. You’ll have to travel to work, you’ll have to shop for food and house shit. You’ll have to ride for more than just the feeling of wind. Because of that you’ll appreciate more, meet more people and feel like you’re worth more than the dial-a-whore service you get here. This is the life for Brothers in their twenties. By your age they know what they want and how to get it. Shit even Digs found a house before Penny. He got the way the Club fucks with your head.” He slaps my shoulder and walks to the dance floor.
The Club fucks with my head? Digs did move out and I thought he was nuts leaving for a house payment when he could live for free. It was less than a year later he was with Penny. Fuckin’ Digs never had a girl. Maybe he’s right.
Veronica sits on the side of me. She’s a Club chick that’s been passed around for a few years now. “Need some company? Heard the bitch is gone. Good riddance, she fucked anything with a dick.”
I laugh. “Whereas you are more selective?”
She gives me a look. “Yeah, I am and I’m not doing it behind anyone’s back. Bitch fucked your Brothers right here while you slept. Can’t say I ever stepped out while with a Brother.”
What? “She fucked my Brothers in the common room?”
She looks at me like I’m stupid. “Not very observant for a Geek.” She looks disgusted and walks away.
What the fuck? I look around at my Brothers. They fucked my girl while I slept. I get a shot and think about the nights she was here. She was always with the Brothers because she hated the old ladies. I let her have that because who the fuck am I to tell her who to hang out with? She was fuckin’ my Brothers. Rich’s words play in my head, “
You have to put work into finding the one you want to keep. Once you find her you put more work into keeping her.
”
I didn’t put much work into keeping Arial. She was always a bitch, but I live in the MC Clubhouse. Fuck! I only expect the bitch because I live here only seeing bitch. Tiny better stock the fuck up. For Christ sake, I’m not giving myself any other options here. I need to get the fuck out of here.
I stand and pull my keys heading for the door. “You want some company? I can’t take another fuckin’ minute in here,” Little Ben says on the side of me.
I throw him chin. He’s not a talker and I’m good with that. The new formation with Little Ben puts him behind Tiny. I’ve never had a problem with it because he is the President of the Little Brothers and a better Officer than me. He deals with everything while I deal with IT. When we get to the bikes I wait on him. “It’s your ride Brother, I’m just tagging along so I have an Officer on my ride.”
I laugh, fuckin’ kid. I throw him chin and ride with him beside me. I think about all Rich said tonight. I need a house. As Officer I’m supposed to be in the Backyard. Digs built a house on the old lot. It’s small but it will work. I make a list of what I need to do to get shot of the Club rooms. Pres had a full suite made for me but Rich is right, I need out of the Club. I’m at the water before I even realize it. I like this spot in New Bedford. There’s a restaurant right here on the dock. I pull in and shut my bike off.
“I could eat,” Little Ben says reminding me he’s here.
We walk into the bar side and sit at a high table. Ordering a beer I relax going over my list. Every time I play it back I’m adding to it. Our beer comes and we order.
“Let it go and write it down when you get back to the Club,” he says surprising the fuck out of me.
“Always wondered. Why are you showing me when no one else knows?”
He shrugs. “The people that need to know do. You’re no threat to me and I’m so fuckin’ over trying to see who is and isn’t. Maybe in ten years you’ll be a threat, but I’ll deal then.” Someone’s got him on a leash. He nods.
“The day Pres found out we were leaving I caught him wanting to kill us. Fuck I was scared. I couldn’t get that he got we didn’t even know. I can’t get everyone all the time, but intense emotions I get. Some people I get everything, some not so much. I get you.”
Fuck. I don’t even have enough emotion about this one way or another to fight it. He laughs. “Wouldn’t work anyway.”
“Good to know.” We get our food and eat in quiet. It was a good ride and except for the fuckin’ head shit Little Ben is cool to hang with. He’s like Digs, doesn’t talk unless he has something to say.
I’m wondering about my Brothers fuckin’ Arial. Then I drop it, she played a part in that too.
“So did you. She knew she’d never be an old lady and just shot for some cash. You made it easy for her to keep looking. She’s gone. Let it go. Make a real life and find your way to happy. Your shot is coming.”
I just look at him. He’s older than me in everything but age. “Fuckin’ kids. What’s keeping you from your ‘happy’ tonight?”
He takes a minute to answer. “Brothers. They come to me with their shit every fuckin’ day then go to Pres with the same shit hoping for a different outcome. The Club offers easy and they take it then wonder why their home life isn’t happy. They hate the Officers showing with the old ladies. Everyone is trying to figure out how to get a piece of that happy by getting a piece of the old ladies. Brothers are fucked up.”
I laugh. “Yeah we are. Can’t even begin to understand how knowing all that plays for you every day. Your dad and Rich would get that too. How do they deal?”
“You see them with the old ladies, they protect them from everything. Even the Brothers. They have and will kill for them and the Brothers don’t get that. Their home life isn’t the only thing going to be fucked up if they keep going like they are.” He looks disgusted.
He sees something happening with that. He looks at me. “Yeah, dumbasses get a lesson they could have avoided by listening the first fuckin’ time. Or even the second from Pres.”
“Seeing dead men walking is a good reason to ride,” I tell him. He stands and throws money on the table.
The waitress rushes over and he smiles at her saying thanks. She’s not happy being dismissed and I laugh following him to the door. “Schools should have a fuckin’ class for women. Too many don’t understand they should be worth more than a quick fuck.” He hits the door hard. He’s pissed making me smile. Then I stop and think. That’s all I’ve been doing. Fuckin’ kids.
I’m not paying attention and stop short when he does. “Two coming from the side and two in front. I got the front,” He says low. My hand is already pulling my gun.
“Let me guess you’re Indian? Get money from the casinos?” A big guy says in front of us. I spin with my gun up stopping the two on the side from coming any closer.
“Yeah,” Little Ben says.
The two guys laugh. “You are just who we’re looking for. Need some of that.”
Little Ben sounds bored. “You should probably walk away at this point, but you won’t, so here’s what’s going to happen. My Brother is going to shoot your friends and I’m going to drop you two within three minutes. So we might as well just get it over with.”
People coming out of the restaurant stop. Fuck. The two my gun is on move toward me. I point and shoot their feet hitting all four. Everyone swears by this. They fall yelling. When I turn, one of the guys is on the ground bleeding with a slice right up the middle of his torso. Fuck that was fast. The bigger guy is on his knees and Little Ben is behind him with one hand on his throat and his knife on this head.
I laugh. “Never saw you scalp anyone before. I like it.”
He smiles up at me. “They always do the Indian thing, it’s the least I can do so they have that experience.” The guy starts whining. People are laughing. I look back and see the two guys crawling away. Fuckin’ pussies.
“I work for my money. I’ve been working since I was fourteen for what I have. You want what I have, get a fuckin’ job that pays you to have that.” He cuts the guy as he’s screaming. The people behind me are talking shit to him.
A woman yells, “Serves you right bullying someone half your size.”
I laugh as Little Ben holds the guy’s hair up and he falls forward. He fuckin’ scalped him and he’s smiling. “They were looking to score some cash here. Be careful and someone might want to tell the owner they’re setting up to hit the customers,” he tells the group. A guy tells him he will.
Little Ben wipes his knife on the pussy’s shirt. He wails as if he got stabbed. “Relax asshole just cleaning the blood off my knife.” The pussy is crying like a girl. Little Ben stands straight and shakes his head disgusted. I start walking toward the bikes and hear the women thank him. I want to laugh, but just keep moving.
He throws his leg and laughs. “People are fuckin’ nuts.” I’m laughing for a good five minutes. He just scalped a guy and they’re nuts. By the time we pull in the yard I’m calm. I follow him to the backyard and turn around at the gate. He throws respect pulling through. He fuckin’ scalped a guy. I start laughing again.
I ride toward the dock so I can check on the house Digs has. Fuck, lights are on. I continue to the dock and sit by the water. Little Ben showed me exactly what Rich said. He’s not interested in women that feel they have no value. He walked away from a quick fuck disgusted. I was proud until it hit me that I don’t do that. Little Ben is a better man because he won’t accept the easy. Fuckin’ kids, first Rich then Little Ben.
I start my bike and head back to the Club. I need to talk to Pres or Danny. Danny’s walking out as I pull up. Perfect I don’t have to go through the Club to find him. “You got a minute?”
He smiles. “Always Brother.”
“First this has nothing to do with what I want to talk about. I just watched Little Ben scalp a pussy. Said he was giving him the Indian experience,” I start laughing.
Danny is doubled over. “Fuck, tell me it is on the feeds.”
“Yeah, restaurant in New Bedford. Kids can pull it if they don’t already have it. Four guys looking to shake us down. Looked like offshore men.
He stops laughing with that. “Four fishermen.” He looks like he’s thinking so I wait. “What did you want to talk to me about?” He’s serious too fast–something’s up with the fishermen.
“Is there an empty house in the backyard for me? I need to get out of the Club.”
He smiles. Fuck he goes from one emotion to another quick. “We have your house ready for you. It’s set up with a computer room like the Batcave. Pres thought you’d like that.”
What the fuck? “You have a house set up for me?”
“Well, we could have waited and set it up when you were ready, but I’m a busy fuckin’ guy. Come on I’ll take you to see it. If you need something changed I can do that for you.” He gets on his bike and starts it up before I even have a chance to get through they set a house up for me. Fuckin’ Brothers.
I’m right back at the compound gate. He pulls to a side street just inside the gate. This is the new section. When they moved the gate they bought the two side streets to make a complete square. He pulls to the house at the end of the block and the garage door opens. He must be here a lot for him to have the opener on his bike. I pull to the side of him.
“Pres thought you’d want to be away from the crazy Brothers. Tess says you love this house so he must have been right.” He’s serious.
“You realize you’re one of the crazy Brothers right?”
He just smiles at me. “Garage, leads to the kitchen.” I follow him in. “Everything is solar. John from Baxters does maintenance for you. He’ll set it up beforehand; he’s already got your email.” He keeps walking. They gave my email to a guy before I even saw the house? “Dining room is open here like Digs; he thought you’d like that better than separate. Living room.” He keeps walking but I’m looking at the rooms and all the furniture already here. It looks like mine but it’s newer. And how the fuck does everyone know I have a house and what I would want but me? “Bathroom, master bedroom and bath in here.” He walks in and I stop. It’s my fuckin’ room. “Safe room here.” I make my feet follow. He moves the bar in the closet and the back wall swings back. “Buttons are like all the others, green open, red closed. This goes to the office upstairs.” It’s about six by eight feet of space with a spiral staircase against the wall. We go up and he hits the green button opening the door to an office. Fuck it
is
like the Baxters Batcave. “Your home office. Your office will move to Security temporarily. We have something coming that has us in a new setup.” I’m looking at my office. I want to turn everything on and get away from all this crazy Brother shit. “You’re hooked into Security, VP, and KC. Darren and Ricky put a new OC name for you so the questions get routed to department heads. Brantley said they shouldn’t get access to you so your name will show different on their screen. You have to talk to them about all that.” He walks the fuck out. They’re stopping the stupid ass questions? “You have two bedrooms up here. We took the bonus room for your office but I made the bedrooms bigger. Bathroom.” He keeps walking and I keep following. At the bottom of the stairs he stops. “The basement is finished with a game room, laundry and sitting area. You can look at that on your own. You’ve got a week’s worth of clothes, food in the fridge and your laptop is in the bottom drawer of your desk. Paper goods get delivered on the first. Email CJ for the form. Any questions?” He hands me a garage door opener and a set of keys. “We don’t lock the doors here but we all have keys. Alarm code is the same as the Club office until you change it.”