Seth (9 page)

When I get home I plug in my new phone to charge it up
and look for the receipt with Seth’s number. An hour later I find it in my sock
drawer. I have to wait until the crime scene dies down so I decide to take a
nap so to speak and set my alarm for three in the morning. I would have
returned to the scene hours earlier but I remembered something I saw on some
cop show where they said like 90% of the time criminals will return to the scene
of their crime. So thanks TV for making me stay up all night long!

At three in the morning I get back up and sit on the edge
of my bed rubbing my eyes and trying to wake up. This is a huge risk I’m taking
here and I hope it’s worth it. I decide to just drive by slowly and call the
number. If it rings at least I’ll know that it’s not turned off nor has a dead
battery. Once I discover that then I’m going to have to stop and make the call
with the windows down so I can pinpoint which roof the phone is on.

Twenty minutes later I’m dialing Seth’s number, while
looking at the houses. I don’t see any cops but that doesn’t mean they aren’t
staking the area out from somewhere. I scan the darkness thankful for the
recent weather front. There is no moon to speak of tonight. If I get caught
driving around here I’d better have an excuse. As long as whoever stops me
doesn’t connect me with the crime scene earlier I’ll probably be okay. My heart
hammers in my chest as my phone rings in my ear. On about the third ring I
actually strike gold! Since there are a lot of clouds out right now the moon is
totally obscured. But on that third ring I see this mysterious glow coming from
the roof of the house I’m right in front of. I pound my steering wheel in
delight but my sudden exuberance causes me to swerve crazily into the car on my
left. I jam on the brakes and come to a screeching halt just inches from the
car door of a brand new Mustang. Oh man, if I would have hit that car I’d be in
deep shit! I commit the address of the house to memory and head on home. I’m
pretty sure it’s going to be a sleepless night though. I cannot wait to see
what is on that phone. Whatever it is, I’m sure it must clear the club from
wrongdoings otherwise Seth wouldn’t have taken that risk to tell me about it.

When I finally fall into bed it’s almost 3:30 in the
morning and despite my earlier prediction that I won’t sleep I actually do get
a few hours. I’m not really sure when I fell asleep, but the next time I open
my eyes it’s almost nine in the morning. As I get out of bed I am overwhelmed
by this feeling of dread. I know I’ve had another nightmare and the leftover
emotions I’m experiencing must be from whatever it was I dreamed about. I get
up and turn on the shower and sit on the toilet to wait for the hot water to
kick in. Five minutes later as I step into the steamy goodness of my morning
shower the contents of my nightmare assaults my senses!

It’s a miserable fucking day! It’s literally
raining like…not even cats and dogs but more like tigers and wolves. From out
of nowhere near gale force winds are blowing great drops of water sideways and
with such force each drop stings the skin and soaks to the bone. One more time
I fight with my own umbrella trying to position it to block out the latest
torrent from the west. Every so often I see a runaway umbrella that’s been
ripped from someone’s fingers and taken flight. But it’s not the unholy weather
front that’s set the black tone for the day. I’m at a funeral. Trouble is, I
rack my brain and I can’t recall who is being lowered into the ground. I scan
my surroundings and notice that I am at a place of honor in the proceedings.
Flanking me are a sea of bikers sporting black leather cuts with the three part
patch belonging to the ever powerful Soul Eaters MC. Judging from the MC
royalty on display this afternoon I’m guessing that someone high up in the club
has died. I look around and judging by the various patches, I find the Sergeant
at Arms, Vice President, Treasurer, and after a bit more snooping I finally
locate Blackie, the outlaw biker club’s President. If all the brass is here,
who the hell is being lowered into the grave?

A hand takes me by the elbow; it’s Molly.
There are tears streaking down her face and for the first time I am really
alarmed! There’s only one person I know that could bring not only tears to my
best friend’s face, but outlaw biker royalty as well. Suddenly I feel like a
hot dagger has been plunged into my breast. The agony of the fiery blade causes
my knees to buckle and I would have gone to the ground had it not been for
Molly on my right and now Seth on my left. Together they both support me and
lead me in the last direction I want to go; towards the sleek black coffin
waiting to be lowered into the muddy pool of a gravesite. My feet catch and
drag on the soggy turf but my escorts support me and drag me along. Draped over
the upper third of the coffin is a single Soul Eaters cut. Seth relinquishes
his hold on my arm and steps up to the sarcophagus. He leans over and takes the
cut and turns and extends it to me. It takes me a minute to understand his
gesture and when I do my brain just shuts out reality. I cannot believe that
the man in that shiny black box is my little brother! With that abrupt knowledge
a scream that is a long time coming finally bursts from my chest! This time
when my knees fail me my escorts allow me to collapse to the ground where I
bury my face in my brothers cut and scream until my throat cannot make another
sound. I should have known this day would come. The night he was awarded
membership and his cut I should have known it would end like today but I just
didn’t see it. I tried to get my brother to quit the club and I should have
tried harder. If I’d only put just a little more effort, pushed him a little
harder this day wouldn’t have come. I failed him as his big sister and it’s my
fault he’s soon to be six feet under. The guilt weighs so heavy on my head I
feel like I’ll never be able to get to my feet much less hold my head up high
ever again. It doesn’t even occur to me that my parents have a major role in
shaping him. I am the last to drop the ball on him and it cost him his life.
I’m allowed to wallow in my misery for a few minutes before Seth and Molly
decide it’s time to move the service along and get me to my feet to lead the
line of well-wishers with hands full of flowers and other mementos they have
brought to leave at his coffin.

Gradually I allow them to bring me to my feet
and lead me to the edge of the black box. I drop the flowers, what’s left of
them, onto the casket and walk away. I take a few steps towards my seat and
stop again. The sea of faces around me is stunning. I had no idea just how
popular my brother and his club are in this town; it’s absolutely overwhelming!
Finally I reach my seat as the fireworks begin. I look out into the darkening
sky expecting to see red, white, and blue sparks showering the sky, but instead
I see nothing. It takes only a split second for Seth to realize what is really
going on here and with one sweep of his arms, he takes both Molly and me to the
muddy earth. My first impulse is to start swearing as I struggle to my feet. I
get to my knees despite Seth’s efforts, then half way to my feet when I hear
another sharp report of a bullet by my ear and a hot spray of bright red blood
splatters across my mouth and eyes, then the bodies begin to fall and back into
the mud I go. I try to push with my hands, but the collective weight of the
fallen continues to push me back into the drenched soil. I can feel my face
getting closer and closer to the dark brownish red water. As the strength in my
arms fail my lips tough the cold bloody water, then my face sinks in deep. I
can’t believe this. I am going to drown on the day my brother is buried!

Thankfully that’s the point I wake up. The memory of my
dream is so intense my first thought is to turn off the shower and call to make
sure my brother is actually alive. Problem is I just don’t know who to call. Seth’s
phone is on the roof of someone’s house and I don’t have my brother’s phone
number.

I look around the bathroom. The whole area is full of hot
steam. I don’t know how long I was standing here lost in my dream but I think
I’d better get in before I run out of hot water. My priority for today; get
that damn phone! I have this idea to get Molly to come jogging with me and
we’ll take a Frisbee with us. When we get to the house we’ll start tossing it
around and I’ll toss it up on the roof. Last night of all things, I noticed
there was a ladder leaning up against the side of the house. I’m pretty sure
it’s tall enough to give me access to the roof from the front. I realize it’s
crazy to just climb onto someone’s rooftop but I don’t have anything else. I
really don’t care how crazy people will think I am as long as I get that phone.
Then I’ll apologize my way off the roof and into my car.

Two hours later Molly and I are in place. The house in
question is up ahead about a half block away. Prior to us taking the jog we had
both driven by the house looking for signs of cops watching the place but neither
of us saw anybody. We’re both hoping that our little jogging/Frisbee act will
seem so normal that it won’t matter if the police see a crazy lady using a
ladder to retrieve a favorite toy. Things almost go as planned; almost. We get
in front of the house and like planned Molly hurls the plastic toy in the
direction of the roof. She has a strong arm and gets more than a little carried
away. The pink breast cancer support disc sales straight into the home’s front
living room window. I cringe holding my head in my hands as the window shatters
with a boom!
We both freeze for about three seconds, before
simultaneously bolting for our car which is about five blocks down the street
and around the corner.

I reach the car just ahead of Molly and unlock the door as
we both dive in. I slam my door and start the car. I peel out down the road
while laughing my head off. It takes a full minute before I can talk again.

“Oh my god!” I howl. “What were you thinking, baseball?
Cause that looked like a pitch. Jeeze you exploded their window!”

“I am so sorry!” She begins. “I guess I just got too
excited!”

“Well don’t ever ask me to take you on another secret
illegal mission to trespass on someone else’s property and find evidence
against the police and the man I’m dating all for the benefit of an illegal
biker gang.”

As we laugh reality slowly begins to set in again. How
can I go back to that house to retrieve that phone? I can’t use the Frisbee
ruse again. No one will believe that. And, if the police are watching they’ll
never believe any excuse I make if I get caught making a second attempt to gain
access to the house. In the end I decide to be sneaky about it and do it in the
middle of the night.

“Why do you even have to do it?” Molly asks. “They have
hundreds of bikers that can retrieve the phone. Why does it have to be you?”

“I don’t know if the police are watching the house or not
but one thing I am sure is that the police are watching the club. No way in
hell can they get close to the house. If they’re caught with the phone it’ll
just get destroyed
and so will any chance of exonerating Seth and my
brother. Or if it shows Seth or my brother as the shooters the police will use
it against the club. I get the feeling that since Seth wants it so bad, it
probably shows the Sheriff’s department  doing something wrong and Sheriffs
will do just about anything to get rid of it.

After parting company with Molly I go back home to see if
I have been assigned any new articles for the website. This afternoon I’ll work
on any assignments I have and prepare for tonight. First on the agenda, find
that damn cell phone! Then I have to see if Caleb is alright or if he’s locked
up in some jail.

Amazingly I have been assigned three articles! I work on
them for as long as I can stay focused but too many other things are on my
brain right now. I decide to wait until it’s almost three in the morning. It
should be completely quiet in that neighborhood now. I park in the alley behind
the street, about a half block away from the house. I’m dressed in black skinny
jeans, a black turtleneck and black tennis shoes. I realize this makes me look
like a cat burglar but if I’m caught at this time at night it won’t matter what
I’m wearing.

I park my car and start walking. By the time I get to the
house my heart is pounding and I’m practically sweating. I’m in pretty good
shape so I think it’s just the fear and adrenaline that’s having this effect on
me. There’s a dirt path about four feet wide that separates the house I’ll be climbing
on and the other house. Fortunately the ladder is still leaning up against the
side. I glance around me quickly making sure no one is around. I appear to be
alone. I carry it around to the front of the house and lean it up against the
gutter in front. Even though it’s totally dark out I feel completely exposed.
Suddenly I wish I had a drink. I could do with some liquid courage right about
now. I take a deep breath and start to climb. The first step makes this ungodly
squeak and I freeze in fear. The whole neighborhood had to have heard that.

“Hey lady!”

I whip my head around, lose my balance and fall to the
ground with a thud. All the air comes whooshing out of my lungs leaving me
gasping for breath. Suddenly a face appears over me looking down at me. It’s a
kid. He must be maybe fifteen or so and he’s got a joint in his hand. When I
finally get my breath back I ask him what he’s doing out so late at night.

“I could ask you the same.” He says, blowing a cloud of
smoke in my face.

I wrinkle my nose up and do my best not to inhale. “Now I
understand why you’re not inside.” I say to him.

“Are you a thief?” He asks.

“Are you a drug addict?” I counter.

“You really gonna break into that house?” He asks me.

When I don’t immediately answer he continues his train of
thought.

“Cause if you are…no one’s home so you can just go around
to the back and reach in through the doggie door and unlock the back door.”

“What?” That got my attention. “How do you know nobodies
home?” I ask. Then it hits me. “You’re planning on robbing the place aren’t
you?”

“Nooooo…” He says. “I just notice things. Anyway, judging
by what’s left of the front window someone already has tried to break in, but
it wasn’t me.”

“Yeah I’m sure you’re totally innocent.” I reply blandly.

“Hey if you aren’t here to rob them why you want to get
on their roof so bad?”

“I left my cell phone up there.” I reply. No point in
getting into why I need it. I just want to get it and get out of here.

“Hey you can be honest.” He says. “If you’re trying to
rob the place just admit it. I’ll help you and we can split whatever we find.”
Then he holds out his hand. “Deal?” He asks.

I start to reach for his hand automatically before
catching myself. “No way! I’m telling you, I’m not robbing these people and
neither are you.”

“What you gonna call the police on me now?” He asks after
a long pull on his joint.

I get a sudden brainstorm. “I’ll make you a deal.” I
begin. “If you help me get my phone and you promise not to rob these people
I’ll give you fifty bucks.”

“You mean you really are going up there after your
phone?” He asks incredulously.