Seth (8 page)

The Confused…

I take two steps backward, wishing I had something behind
me to collapse on. How the hell did he find me? It takes me half a minute to
finally form words.

“C-Caleb…w-what are y-you doing here?” I stammer.

“Can’t a guy talk to his big sister?” He asks, flashing
me an infuriating smile.

“No!” I reply. “I mean, not when he hasn’t called or
written to her in ten years. Not when he suddenly up and joins the biggest,
most vile motorcycle club in the state! I mean come on….what gives?”

“Can I at least come inside for a minute?”

I glance at his bike. On the tank is the club’s logo.

“Do you have to leave that in the driveway?” I ask.

His face darkens and he opens his mouth to protest. I
decide maybe I should be a little diplomatic here.

“Sorry, forget it. No one will see it anyway. Come on
in.”

He follows me inside and takes a seat on the couch in my
living room. I sit in a chair opposite him and for a second it’s all I can do
but stare. Where is my skinny geeky little brother and who is this muscular man
sitting in front of me?

He’s got long hair now, down to his shoulders. He has a
dragon tattoo that ends up half winding around his neck and up his jawline to
his right ear. He has what tattoo artists call a full sleeve covering his left
arm and some kind of tribal ink on his right shoulder. He’s wearing a wife
beater and the clubs traditional vest, or cut, as he corrects me. If he wasn’t
my little brother I’d actually be terrified at the sight of him. On his belt he
actually has a well-worn sheath and a large K-Bar knife. Why in the world would
my little brother have a huge knife? But that’s not the most shocking thing.
When he sits down his vest shifts and I get a flash of the hilt of a gun on his
left hip. What on god’s green earth would possess him to be carrying a gun?
That can’t be legal. Nobody but the cops can carry concealed weapons in
California. This state has the strictest gun laws around.

“Are you done staring?” He finally asks.

I blink my eyes. “Sorry Caleb I-”

“It’s Skull…or Iron Skull not Cal-”

“Yeah I’m not calling you that; ever! I’m still your big
sister and I will never call you anything but Caleb….well maybe asshole once in
a while.”

For a briefest of a second I see a flash of his old smile
before it’s replaced with his tough-guy biker look. Now I feel a tiny bit
better. At least I know there’s a little bit of the Caleb I knew somewhere deep
down inside.

“So why’d you do it?” I ask him.

“Do what?” He asks.

“Are you kidding me? Have you looked at yourself in the
mirror lately? Why did you go and join the evilest biker gang in the state? I
guess that makes you a drug dealer and gun runner now too doesn’t it?”

He just looks at me. I guess this is going to be a
one-sided conversation tonight.

“Alright, let’s back up. Why’d you leave us and go with
mom and that cop?”

“Wow…you’re really backing up. He was a loser that’s why
and I didn’t want to turn into a loser myself.”

“You’re such a liar!” I protest. “Mom said that to you,
didn’t she? You were too young to be thinking about that.”

“I was old enough to tell the difference between a
criminal and a good person so I chose mom and Craig.”

“And that was the worst possible thing you could have
done to dad. After all the shit he went through. He shouldn’t have even spent
any time behind bars. But you had to throw it in dad’s face by siding with the
cop that stole his wife. He loved you more than anyone in the world. He loved
you more than he ever loved me or mom and you just spit in his face.”

“He was scary when he came back Kim. Don’t try to tell me
he was normal either. I don’t know what happened to him in jail but something
was wrong with him when he came back and I didn’t know him anymore. He had
stopped being my dad.”

“I can’t believe you!” I rage. I’m not usually an angry
or super emotional person but this has been building for more than ten years.
“If you would have gone to jail for any length of time he would
NEVER
have given up on you like you did to him.”

“I was a kid though.” Caleb protests. “It’s different
when you’re the kid.”

“You’re pathetic. So you lived with mom and that man
until you were how old?”

“Nineteen I guess.”

“Then what prompted you to spit on them and join an evil
outlaw biker club?”

“When did you get so fucking judgmental?” He counters.

“I just can’t believe that you were practically raised by
a cop for the last five years or so and you threw that away to become a
criminal even after you turned your nose down on dad after calling him a loser
and criminal.”

“I guess the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.”
He says.

“Wow…so pathetic. So are you going to tell me why you
betrayed both dad and mom and that idiot she married?”

“Family.”

“What? No freaking way! Don’t you sit here and tell me
that you joined the club so you could have a family ‘cause if you say that I
know you’re so fucking full of shit ‘cause you already had a family. You just
walked away from it like a coward!”

“My club gives me everything I need that I didn’t get
from mom and your dad.” Caleb replies. “They would do anything for me. Seth
would step in front of a bullet for me if it came to that.”

“Oh and dad wouldn’t have?” I seethe. “No one will ever
sacrifice more or love you more than dad did. Whatever you’re looking for you
won’t find in an outlaw gang who puts money and power above all else.”

“You’re wrong about the club Kim. We take care of each
other. You just don’t like our methods.”

“Yeah sorry if I happen to be against murder, drugs, and
illegal arms trafficking. I’m just weird that way. You say that prison
destroyed dad, well it’s going to destroy you as well when you get caught. It’s
just a matter of time Caleb…just a matter of time.”

“Whatever,” He says. “I didn’t come here to argue with
you Kim.”

“What’d you come here for then?”

“I don’t know. I guess when I saw you after the fight I
realized I missed you. These last few years have been crazy busy with the club.
I hung around for over a year before becoming a prospect and I was a prospect
for almost two years so it’s been almost a three year process; a full time
process.”

“Wow…I was hoping you hadn’t wasted that much of your
life on them. When you want to leave, how do you get out?”

“Why would I leave my family?” He asks, then suddenly his
mouth drops open but he covers fast and shuts it.

He’s not getting away with that one. “Yeah why would you
leave your family? I mean you already left one so it shouldn’t be any big deal
to kick another one to the curb would it? You seem to be really good at that.”

“When did you become so fucking judgmental?” He asks. He
starts to say something else but changes his mind and gets up off the couch. “I
think I’ve had enough. Goodbye sis, see you in another ten years.”

And just like that he walks out leaving the door open and
gets on his Harley. I hear him rev the engine then the tires squeal as he peels
out onto the road. That could have gone better.

Several days later…

I see the lights long before I reach the crime scene. The
entire night sky is lit up with brightly flashing red, white, and blue. Even
with my windows up I can hear the warble of sirens from the various emergency
departments. Having been a firefighter and now a dispatcher my ears are able to
identify the approach of more police, ambulance, and fire and I am desperately
praying this whole mess has nothing to do with my best friend who lives here.

I can’t help but pick up speed as I approach the chaotic
scene. I stop at the edge of the taped off area and get out as fast as I can. I
have just seen a sight that fills my heart with stark cold fear; Marc’s patrol
car is parked halfway onto the lawn of a house. Even from here I can see the
driver’s door is riddled with bullets and both his front windshield and his
driver’s side window are both completely blown out. As I rush up to the cop
closest to me I can feel my throat constrict as panic takes over. There’s no
way he could have survived whatever made those holes.

I’m nearly shouting when I address the Deputy. He’s a
Sheriff from the same station as Marc’s and I know him. He’s not Marc’s partner
but still is a friend. In fact I know most of these guys by their voices if not
their call signs just from working dispatch.

“Where’s Marc…where’s Marc, where’s Deputy Long!” I
scream into the officer’s face.

“He’s okay Kim, take it down a notch… he’ll be okay.”

“What happened? He was shot wasn’t he? I have to see
him…I have to see him please...”

Deputy Brown takes my arm and with extreme patience pulls
me aside. His soft spoken voice acts as a balm to my out of control brain.

“He’s hurt, but he’ll be okay Kim. Right now the best
thing we can do for him is get him to the hospital.”

“But I have to see him…please.” I plead.

Just then another Deputy, Marc’s partner runs up to us.

“It’s okay Jeff, she can see him. Marc’s actually
insisting he see her before they take him in.”

Deputy Jeff Brown nods his head and relinquishes my arm.
Marc’s partner, Deputy Gonzales takes my arm and leads me past a crowd of cops
and emergency personnel. Off to one side I see something that makes my blood
run cold. There are four bikes, each bearing the distinct club logo on the tank
and I’m pretty certain one is my brother’s and another belongs to Seth. As I’m
being led to the ambulance where Marc is being treated in I feel like my whole
world is coming to an end. I have just begun to reconnect with my little
brother and now he could be dead or at the very least headed for prison! I
cannot deal with having a second family member behind bars.

When we get to the back of the ambulance I crawl in and
Marc is lying there with an oxygen mask over his face. There’s a lot of blood
on his arm and side. I can hear my voice climbing as I frantically both hug and
search Marc for wounds.

“It looks far worse than it is Kim!” he gasps.

“Then where are you hurt?” I gasp, struggling to quell my
panic.

“My vest stopped one bullets and the second one passed
through my upper arm. It burns like hell but I’m fine.”

“Oh my god oh my god Marc what-”

“It’s just a flesh wound honey. It went in and out
cleanly! I’ll be okay.”

“I saw some motorcycles did…was it the Soul Eaters?

He nods. “Them and some other club.”

“Do you know who was-”

“Why are you so interested in an outlaw biker gang Kim?”

“Nothing I was just…you know I’m a writer and reporter so
if there’s a story here…”

I let my voice trail off as other emotions take over. My
first serious relationship in…in forever just about ended violently tonight.
Suddenly I look down and water’s dripping onto his chest. I start to look up
for the source when it occurs to me that I am crying. I can’t believe this. I
haven’t cried over a man since my father was sentenced to prison.

Then Marc takes my hand and looks into my face. “I need your
phone Kim.”

And the spell is broken.

I don’t know what he wants my phone for and I’m about to
ask when it hits me. I can’t believe he is lying here shot up and he’s still
asking for my phone to get that video. I also can’t believe that I still have
the video on my phone.

“Your phone Kim. Please give it to Deputy Gonzales
please.”

“I’ll bring it to the hospital with me.” I reply. “You
just worry about getting well.”

Then he turns to Deputy Gonzales. “Reynaldo, please
secure her cell phone. It’s an important part of an ongoing investigation and
may be vital to this crime scene.”

I cannot believe this. I can barely control my shaking
hands as I hand over my cell phone.

I nod numbly as Marc says his goodbyes and the ambulance
is closed up. They didn’t even give me the opportunity to ride along with him
which seems odd to me given our relationship. One of the paramedics tells me
he’ll be taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in Clovis, the next town over. I
can’t believe what is happening as I watch them take Marc away. Part of me is
worrying about him but he seems okay. A bigger part of me is worried about the
whole situation with my phone. I don’t understand why they need my phone right
now.

I look around as Marc’s partner is leading me back to my
car. I don’t see any fallen bikers lying surrounded by paramedics and I don’t
see any body bags covering any bodies so I have to believe my brother and Seth
are okay. I’m dying to ask my escort but I’m afraid I’ll give myself away. I
take a deep breath and ask anyway.

“I saw some motorcycles back there.” I begin. “They’re
the Soul Eaters right?”

He nods. “I believe so.”

“I didn’t see any body bags so I guess everyone is okay?
Was Marc the only Deputy shot?”

He gives me a sharp look before answering. “No…no one was
killed tonight. Two patrol officers and two bikers were taken to local
hospitals before you arrived on scene. Now that’s all I can say. I’m sure your
dispatch friends can fill you in on the rest.”

Walking back to the perimeter we pass by a struggle in
process. Three cops are fighting to get a biker into their patrol car but he
keeps bringing up his legs and using them to keep them from putting him into
the car. Violently he twists around to face me and when our eyes meet we’re
both stunned; it’s Seth! Suddenly he starts kicking again catching the Deputies
off guard and he breaks free and rushes me. We both go down in a pile on the
pavement. Our heads collide and his mouth finds my ear where he hisses
something before the Deputies can drag him off.

“Get my phone! It’s on the roof of the house!”

Despite being in cuffs, he momentarily locks his hands in
a death grip on the lapels of my coat.

“What?” I shout.

“Evidence!” He hollers back in my ear so loud his voice
distorts painfully.

“My broth…Iron Skull?” I hiss at him, trying not to be
overheard.

“He’s fine.” He shouts back.

When he sees I have heard and understand he suddenly goes
limp and allows them to drag him off of me where they body slam him to the
ground. I can literally hear the air whoosh from his lungs as three men
collapse on top of him. One Deputy actually sprays him in the face with mace
even though he has stopped struggling. As he gasps for air they pick him up and
throw him head first into the waiting patrol car. I almost laugh when I see one
of the cops bending over and retching. It appears he got hit with the mace too.

“Are you okay Kim…Kim are you hurt?”

I look up and Deputy Gonzales is looking down at me with
a genuine look of concern on his face.

“Sorry… uh yeah. I’m fine. A little bruised maybe but
I’ll be fine.”

“If you’d like to come to the station we can fill out a
report for you.” He suggests.

“I’d really like to just go home and crawl into bed.” I
reply. “You got enough to charge him with. You don’t really need my input do
you?”

“You may be right, but with guys like this the more
charges you can add up on him the better. You don’t want someone like him
roaming the streets in six months do you?”

I want to look him in the eyes and say I hope he is
roaming the streets in less than that but I don’t dare say a word. Instead I
shake my head in agreement and walk on. Back at the perimeter he lifts the tape
for me to walk under.

“Now I’m going to the hospital to check in on my partner.
Feel free to join us there if you like. He’ll be in the ER
by the time
we get there but you’re very welcome to come and wait there with us. They’ll
probably keep him overnight just to watch him and monitor for infections in the
wound. Some of these asshole dealers have taken to rubbing feces in their
bullets before loading them.”

“Wouldn’t the superheated gasses and flames inside the
barrel burn away any…germs or whatever?”

I seriously doubt anyone’s wiping shit on their bullets.

“You may be right, but we can’t take any chances.” He
replies.

I thank him and crawl back into my car. I can’t believe
what’s happening tonight. And what the hell is up about the phone on the roof
and which roof is it on I wonder? I look around the giant crime scene. The
phone could be on the roof of one of three or four houses; maybe five. Seth or
another biker must have chucked the phone onto the roof after taking video of
something they can use as evidence to get them out of trouble. I’m guessing
it’ll show the cops doing something they won’t want shown. Maybe it will prove
that either Seth or my brother is innocent or that the cops used unnecessary
force. It could be anything actually, but if it’ll help my brother I’m going to
find that phone. Oh shit! I forgot, they have my phone now. I can’t remember if
Seth was in on the attack on the fake biker or not. He was there I’m pretty
sure, but I can’t remember if he was one of the guys who staked the poor guy
who was pretending to be a Soul Eater or not. I’m guessing the cops want my
phone to prove how violent the club is and how they are brazen enough to attack
an innocent man in front of witnesses. I’m not sure that I really care about
what’s in my phone’s video except that it could get me into trouble for keeping
it away from the police. I just have to hope that Marc will leave that bit out and
tell them that I willingly brought it to him tonight. Hopefully his partner
will go along with the story otherwise I may see the inside of a cell before
long. How weird would that be if not only my father and my brother spent time
in jail but I’m forced to as well? Now we just need my mom to get busted
shoplifting or something and they can get us with that RICO law pertaining to a
criminal organization; or whatever it is. I almost have to laugh at the
absurdity of it all.

There’s no way I can search the houses tonight so I may
as well go home and wait for the heat to die down. I’ll just have to trust Seth
that my brother is well and not locked up somewhere. I’ll give it a day or two
then…then I don’t know what. How the hell am I supposed to climb onto someone’s
roof and search for a phone that I’m not even sure is there? Suddenly I have an
idea. After everyone leaves I’ll just drive by here with the windows down and
call Seth’s number. I’ll just park and make calls until I hear the phone
ringing. He better not have it off or the ringer on vibrate only. I don’t
relish the thought of climbing on all four nearby houses looking for the phone.
Maybe I can pose as a jogger with a…wait I’ve got it. I’ll get one of those
remote control helicopters I saw in Toys R Us and fly it up over the houses.
The new ones come with cameras that you can watch live on your phone or laptop.
When I see which house the phone is on I’ll know which roof I have to access.
Then I can land the chopper on the roof and I’ll just ask the homeowner to use
a ladder to get the helicopter and the phone.

On the way home I get an even better, less hair-brained
idea. I stop at the first 7-11 I can find that sells burner phones. I buy one
and go home to plug it in and charge it. I remember writing Seth’s number on a
Target receipt that should be somewhere on my dresser.