One That Came Back (12 page)

Rescue

As their bikes rumbled down the highway, four more bikers from Pez’s club joined them. Luke could only assume they came at Pez’s call, maybe from the one that was made before they left the Red Bull.

Luke signaled with his hand the right-hand turn at a rest stop off the highway. He traveled down the winding service road to the rest stop. There were only a couple cars so Luke let his bike idle.

“What are we doing here,
pendejo
?” asked Pez over the roar of his engine.

“The Westfield club’s land starts just over that hill.” Luke pointed at a section of trees to the left. “I thought it would be a good idea to have a couple people come up from behind.”

Pez nodded his head.

“Good idea. So what do we do?”

“Just follow that trail, but be careful. They use it themselves for the bathrooms in the rest area.”

“Wow!” Pez said sarcastically. “They’re living like rich bitches here, aren’t they?”

“You put twenty guys in a trailer and you’d be more than happy to take a walk.”

“I suppose,
ese
. Okay, Jorge, Speed, Chigger, go onto the back part and draw up close to the trailer.”

Luke shook his head, wary of what they were about to do but knowing they had no choice but to work together. “They’ll have their bikes at the back of the trailer at the base of the hill. The trailer is on the top of the hill so they have good eyeballs all around the place. Keep an eye for lookouts.”

“We ain’t idiots,
blanco
,” snapped one of the Rojos.

“Shut your trap, Jorge,” warned Pez. “He didn’t have to come here. It ain’t his business, except the guy they have is his friend. Keep ears on this one.”

Jorge grumbled, but he and the others parked their bikes.

“Tig,” said Pez to the last Rojos, “watch the damn bikes.”

“No, Pez, I’ll—”

“Do what you’re damn told,
cabron
. You ain’t a patched member yet. You stay here, keep your head down and make sure no one messes with the bikes.”

Tig crossed his arms, then finally sighed and nodded his head.

“Okay,” said Luke. “I’ll go up the main entrance and keep them distracted.”

“You ain’t going alone,” said Pez, revving his engine. “I’ve got my orders.”

“I can’t stop you.” Luke bent back and opened his saddle bag. He pulled out his leather cut that Aces gave to him with the new patches at the beginning of the summer, and slipped it on.

“You looking for trouble?” said Pez, staring at it.

“Nope, trouble found me. I might as well look the part.” He tied back a black bandana on his head, and put on his sunglasses. “Let’s go. Clock’s ticking.”

“Yeah. I got that, man. Otherwise, the war of the century will start without us.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Luke charged up the washed out gravel drive leading to the local Rojos clubhouse. He didn’t try to hide his entrance onto Rojos land because that would be useless. With the way they sent out the picture of Saks, they’d be expecting someone to show up.

They just didn’t expect it to be him.

Luke stopped a hundred yards from the clubhouse. It seemed curiously deserted. Unlike the last time, no one stirred at the window. The front door hung open carelessly.

Pez drove up next to him and they both stared at the ramshackle trailer.

“No one looks to be home,” said Luke. “Did someone lie to you, Pez?”

“Not me,
pendejo
. That would rain a world of hurt on them.” He cleared his throat and then shouted, “Hey!
Cabrons
. Get your sorry asses out of that trailer.”

Awkward seconds passed and nothing happened.

Luke put down his kickstand.

“What do you think you’re doing,
pendejo
?” growled Pez. “Stay on that bike!” Pez drew out a handgun from his back and shot into the sky. The sound cracked through the sweltering early evening air. Crows flew, squawking from the tree line on either side of the wide swath of grassy land where the trailer squatted. “Hey! Assholes. Get out here now. This is direct from Lil’ Ricki!”

Luke gave a quick glance to Pez. He had guessed Pez was a representative of someone in state leadership, but he hadn’t suspected the incarcerated head of the Rojos.

The door swung open and the hang around who had knifed Luke came out looking terrified.

Pez stared hard at the young twenty-something. “Whatchyer name?”

“Ocho.”

“Well, Ocho, where’s your membership?”

The young man swallowed hard and glanced at Luke. “They went to crash the Spawn party.”

“What!” Pez spit a steady stream of obscenities.

“Where’s my brother?” Luke set his kickstand down and swung off the bike, making sure the bike wouldn’t sink into the ground before he let go of it.

“In the trailer.”

“Better be,” warned Pez.

But before Luke could get two paces, a shot fired, landing in front of his feet. Dirt and gravel sprayed upward.

Luke instinctually hit the dirt and Pez jumped off his bike seeking cover behind Luke’s. Pez shot off several rounds toward his left where the shots seemed to come from.

The front door of the trailer flew open and a white-haired old man stood there with a gun to Saks’ head. Bloodied and bruised, Saks looked like crap as the older man gripped his neck.

Pez stood and leveled his gun at the old man.

“
Sarmanbiche
Wizard,” he spat. “We knew you were behind this shit.”

Luke shook his head. What the hell was going on? He huffed. He’d had enough of this shit. “If he is,” hissed Luke, “he’s a police informant.”

“How do you know?”

“My man Gibs was arrested on an anonymous tip just after he picked up a package from Wizard.”

“You can’t believe that shit,” yelled Wizard, pressing the gun closer to Saks’ temple.

“I don’t know,
pendejo
. I think it takes one to know one.”

Wizard’s eyes moved wildly back and forth.

“Let the
blanco
go, Wizard.” Pez kept his voice low, but the warning was clear.

Wizard jerked Saks’ head hard, pushing the gun behind his ear. “These assholes are responsible for my son’s death.”

“Now, that’s on you,
ese
, sending boys to do a man’s job. Don’t think that Lil’ Ricki doesn’t know you are the
cabron
who sent those boys to take a hit out on Spade here. Something he’s forbidden. Now you’ve kidnapped a member of a Wiseguy family for what?” Pez stood, his arms folded over his chest. He wasn’t scared of Wizard.

“I didn’t know nothing about this guy’s family. He’s a Spawn and the Spawn are messing in our business.”

“
Estupido
! Only because you let them.”

“You can’t prove anything!”

“So what? This ain’t no fucking law court.”

Another gunshot split the air, this time hitting Luke’s Sportster.

“What the fuck? Hey!” shouted Luke.

More gunfire crackled, this time coming from behind the trailer and a man fell from a position on a tree limb.

“Who the fuck was that?” yelled Wizard, his gun pressed into Saks’ neck. The click of the safety clearing echoed across the drive.

“Rojos' justice. Give it up now, Wizard,” said Pez, walking toward the trailer. “You’re outnumbered and outgunned. You ain’t living through this if that man in your hand dies.”

Wizard jerked his head around, first toward Luke, then to the back of the trailer. With a rough shove he tossed Saks through the door to the ground. Saks landed with a thud and moaned as Luke rushed forward. Wizard disappeared into the depths of the trailer.

Luke pulled Saks away from the door but stayed flush with the trailer, using what he could as cover.

“You!
Estupido
, in the trees. Toss down your gun and get over here. Now!”

A man dropped a weapon and then hit the grass, but instead of making toward Pez, he tore off into the thick tree line. One of Pez’s men disappeared after him.

A scuffle literally rocked the trailer and then Wizard was tossed out the front door and landed at Pez’s feet. Jorge and Speed jumped out of the trailer and hauled the man to his feet.

“What do we do with him, boss?” said Jorge.

“Tie him to that fucking chair he put the
blanco
on. His presidente will be here soon to deal with him.”

Wizard started struggling.

“No man, you can’t—”

“Estupido,” hissed Pez. “You think the Rojos and the Hombres don’t think the same on this? We’re brothers, something you’ve forgotten.”

Pez turned his back on Wizard.

“Gag him when you tie him up. No need to listen to him beg like the
pendejo
he is until his leadership shows. And when they do, find me. You don’t need to be part of that shit.
”

“Si,
homes,” they said at the same time.

Pez squatted next to Luke and Saks. “Can he ride?”

Saks opened a swollen eye. “Hell, I can always ride.”

“Let’s go then. Your
familia
is waiting on you.”

“Oh, fuck,” muttered Saks.

Luke helped Saks to his bike and after he swung on, he helped his buddy on the back. He worried Saks would fall off as they rode, but Saks clung to him as they raced toward the Red Bull. When they arrived there were few bikes and, strangely, a lot of cars in the parking lot.

As he slipped off Luke’s bike, Saks took a moment to steady himself. He stared at the line of cars. “Why the fuck did you involve them, Luke?”

“I didn’t. Your cousins did.”

Saks groaned. “I’ll never hear the fucking end of this.”

“Whatcha complaining about,
blanco
?” said Pez cheerily. “We saved your ass, didn’t we?”

“You don’t want to know what stirring this hornet’s nest is like. There’ll be fighting for weeks about what we’re going to do about those Spics.” Saks touched the swelling around his eye gingerly.

Pez’s face flushed.

Saks realized his mistake. “Sorry, man. Nothing against you. It’s just that’s how they think.”

“Yeah, I get that,
blanco
. Your people had a bunch of business sewn up until the Feds started taking down their organization.”

Saks laughed. “Oh, they aren’t down. Not by a long shot. Just more underground. I always stayed away from the business,” he said, and sighed before he continued, “but you can’t stay away from family.”

“Well, if you don’t get in there, they won’t be staying away from us.”

Saks nodded. “Yeah. You coming in?”

“No,
blanco
,” said Pez. “I’ve got other business tonight. We’re just waiting on my crew to show up.”

“Luke?” Saks turned to his buddy.

“Can’t, sorry.” He shook his head. “Go, say hello to your family for me.” He revved the engine and then let it idle. “Oh, and Saks? Take a few days off work too.”

Saks blinked in surprise. “Are you sure? I’ll be fine by Monday.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. There’s shit going down. Best you stay away. Your family would appreciate that.”

Saks nodded grimly. “Yeah. They always ruin my fun. Hey, Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks to you, too.” Saks held his hand out to Pez, who bumped his fist into his palm.

“Keep your
familia
calm.”

Saks turned and walked into the Red Bull.

“You know,” said Luke. “I talked to Sal, the presidente of the Rojos here in Westfield.”

“Yeah,
ese
, I know. He called me after you spoke to him.”

That bit of news knocked back Luke. “What? Did you send him to me?”

“Yeah, I told him to tell you to back off, that we’d handle our problem.”

“That’s not how it worked out.”

“It would’ve if it wasn’t for Wizard trying to off you.” Pez spit at the ground. “Wizard’s been holed up in Westfield trying to avoid us. He heard your whole conversation with Sal. You see, Sal was Wizard’s kid and Sal denied up and down that his dad was staying with him.” He lit a cigarette and offered one to Luke.

Luke took the cigarette and lit it as the sun began to sink behind the trees. “Fuck. And I asked him to turn in his father.”

Pez shrugged. “I think until then, Sal didn’t know how fucked up his old man had screwed things. Wizard lies real good. That
sarmanbiche
talked out one side of his mouth with your president. He also had Sal believing that Lil’ Ricki wanted to cut the Rojos out of the business. At first we thought the Spawn were just playing badass. They aren’t no threat. But with the new talent you have in your club, you
pendejos
can fuck things up good. That’s why I was sent here,
ese
, to straighten this shit out.”