Wind Riding Read online

  I turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack. When I was more or less dry, I wrapped it around my body and tip toed towards the bedroom. The bed was still the same mess we'd left it in that morning. The sheets were in disarray and the clothes I'd worn the night before were strewn over the top. With a wide wave of my hand I knocked them to the floor before tossing the towel along with them and sliding into the bed.

  The warm comfort of a familiar bed is something you can't really put a price-tag on. My life had changed dramatically since I'd last slept in this bed, but here it was, the same old bed. I barely had time to smile at that thought before sleep began to overtake me. My eyes slid shut and I fell into a deep and dreamless slumber.

  I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. The apartment was dark and I couldn't remember where I'd left my purse. I scrambled through the dark in search of it, stubbing my toe badly in the process. When I finally found it, I saw that it was someone calling from the clubhouse.

  "Hello?" I answered, holding back a string of expletives as I shook my bruised toe out.

  "Hey, Tina." It was Jake. "Listen, we've got some stuff on the guys Trevor borrowed the money from. You want to know it over the phone?"

  "No, I'll come down. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." I ended the call before I could even hear his agreement. Having a conversation with Jake about club business like that just seemed too far out to do first thing after waking up. I didn't even know how long I'd been asleep. The phone said it was almost 9:30 at night. I'd lost all track of time and didn't even register what that meant. I flipped on the lights and began searching for clean clothes. The ones I'd been wearing were filthy with sand, sweat and even a bit of blood. I needed something new.

  I settled on a thin gray t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. I grabbed my jacket off of the floor and shook it out before putting it on. Trevor had given me the jacket just a couple weeks earlier. It was practically new, but now definitely had some battle scars - literally. I stowed my phone in my purse and slung it across my body. I barely had time to run a comb through my hair before I headed out the door. I smiled inwardly at all of it. Waking suddenly made me miss one of the most important things that had just happened - Jake had called me. I had been worried that after giving my plan lip service, the club would have gone back to treating me like nobody, but he had called me. That meant he still thought of me as his leader. If I could make it one day without a serious challenge to my authority, I figured the next day would get even easier.

  I got on my bike and in seconds I was roaring down the street in the direction of the clubhouse. The hot day had given way to a cool night, as is so often the case here in the desert. The sky was clear and even with the city lights, you could still see stars in the sky. I had to consciously keep my eyes on the road to stop my vision from drifting off to the expanse of shining lights above me.

  When I pulled into the lot, I saw four bikes parked outside. The van was gone, and I assumed that Kevin had put it into one of the garage bays to work on the panel. When I stepped into the clubhouse, I saw that Ian, Jake and Needles were all practically choking on laughter. Hector stood nearby looking red-faced with embarrassment.

  "Did I miss something good?" I asked as I stepped inside.

  With one look at me, the three of them started laughing even harder. I couldn't help but feel that I'd just missed a very good joke. I walked over to Ian and lightly smacked him on the shoulder.

  "Spill it, what's so funny?"

  "Oh," he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, "Hector here was just asking us if there's a special word for a woman president or if it was appropriate to keep using the same title."

  I grinned. This was the kind of thing I wanted to walk into. I'd expected to be the butt of a lot of jokes from the MC world, but at least I knew that my crew was starting to think positively about the whole thing. I gave Hector a smile. "President will do fine, I think," I told him.

  The laughter calmed down and I landed on the couch. "Okay, Jake," I told him, "What have you got for me?"

  He was still grinning from laughter as he came over beside me and sat down on the coffee table across from me. I had to smile as I saw Ian trying to explain the joke to Needles. He'd been laughing along with the rest, but I got the feeling that this kind of English nuance of humor was beyond him.

  "It didn't take long to figure out who it was," Jake told me. "Trevor wasn't very good at covering his tracks. He borrowed the money from those two Russian guys who own all those bars downtown. I'm pretty sure they're connected." I nodded. Connected, I thought, that means Russian mob.

  "Okay," I told him, "I've got the picture. Well, that doesn't really change things. Mostly I just wanted to know if the guys he borrowed from were serious business or not. If they were a bunch of nobodies, then we wouldn't have to worry about getting all the money back. Now we just know we've got to make it work or we're truly fucked."

  Jake nodded along with that and I was glad that he understood the seriousness of the situation. Figuring out who the money had come from in the first place was essential, of course, but it was the easy part. When you owe someone money, they're usually not too quiet to let you know about it. I had another job for Jake and Hector that was going to prove a lot less pleasant, I was sure.

  "Alright," I told him, "I've got one more job for you two to take care of tonight."

  "Anything you need, boss," he said. I tried to hold back my smile at the word 'boss', but wasn't sure if I actually managed to contain myself. I had a serious request to make of him, and I definitely couldn't be smiling while I said it.

  "We left something out in the desert," I said firmly. "You two need to go get Trevor."

  I saw his face turn slightly green at the mention of it. I almost relented because I saw how uncomfortable the thought made him, but it had to be done. We could simply forget about him and leave him for the vultures, but that carried its own dangers. If someone stumbled on his body, it would lead the cops to our doorstep, and there was probably enough evidence around to put us deeply in trouble with the law.

  "I know it's not pleasant, but it needs to be done. If the van's in good enough shape to drive, you should take it. Go out and get his body. Then bring it somewhere else and bury it. We'll have our own little memorial for him one of these days, but for now we just need to make sure that he's never found. I'll worry about what to tell his parents later. You're going to need to go over the scene to make sure there's nothing there that ties us to what might have happened either."

  Jake nodded slowly and I could see Hector across the room doing the same.

  "Bring Needles with you. He knows the way and he's got a good eye for details you guys might miss."

  "Okay, Tina," he said finally. "Is there anything... I mean, do you want anything from..."

  "No," I said flatly. "In fact, there's something I want you to bury with him." I reached into my purse and pulled out the gun I'd taken from his body - the one I'd used to save Ian's life. "This was his and he should be put down in the ground with it. Plus, it's evidence. Make sure it's wiped down clean before you put it in the sand."

  Jake got up to go, but Hector stepped forward and he stopped in his tracks.

  "Before we head out, there's just one thing," he said. I couldn't help but be nervous. Was this one last challenge to my leadership that I had to overcome? Time was ticking and I knew we'd wasted too much time already leaving Trevor out in the desert.

  He reached into the canvas bag that was slung over his shoulder and pulled out a few scraps of cloth. It took me a moment to realize what they were. Patches. They were Wind Riders patches for my jacket.

  "You're going to need to look the part," he said. I took them from his hands with trembling fingers. Something about being handed those patches made it more official than all the orders I'd given or anything else that had happened that day. On top of the pile was a newly made patch that said 'President'. I held it up in my fingers and I could feel that I was on the verge of
tears.

  "Thank you," I told them all, "Thank you." I managed to contain my emotions, but only barely. I set the scraps on the couch beside me and reached out my hand for Hector. He shook it firmly.

  "Good luck out there," I told him, "Make sure you put him somewhere decent."

  He nodded and the three of them went out the side door into the garage, leaving Ian and I alone once again. He was sitting in one of the big overstuffed chairs that was against the wall, grinning like a fool. I smiled at him and looked back down at the patches.

  "Well done, Madame President," he said, standing and moving towards the couch. "It sounds like you've got everything planned out."

  "It sounds like it," I echoed, "But we'll see. If Lewis and Cyrano can't figure out where those fake cartel guys are, we're dead in the water. There's no way we can get that kind of money for the Russians before they start causing us too much trouble. We'd have to sell this place and all of our bikes just to make a dent in that kind of pile."

  "Well," he said, "let's just assume it won't come to that. If they do figure out where those guys are, what's the plan? You've kept your cards pretty close to your chest, but I need to know what we're doing here."

  "It's not complicated," I told him, "We're going to get the van painted up so it looks like a whole different thing, drive up on them, go in blasting and take back what's ours. Assuming they haven't spent half of it by now."

  Ian looked a little bit stunned by that. "You're right," he said, "It's not complicated. It's not easy, either though. We're going to have to be heavily armed and we're going to have to hit our targets if we want to have any chance."

  "Let's just make sure Needles has that big gun of his oiled up properly before we commit to anything this time," I told him. "I'm tired of getting stepped on. It's time for us to make a name for ourselves and show that we're not just a bunch of dumb kids who can be stolen from with impunity. When we get that money back, we'll pay off the Russians and get back to where we were before all of this ever happened."

  "It's a good plan, Tina," he said, sitting next to me on the couch. "And what do we do about that other thing?"

  "What other thing?" I asked. Had I forgotten some important facet to this situation that was about to blow up in my face? My greatest fear as the club's new leader would be forgetting some detail that was going to cause trouble for everyone down the line. I suppose that's what vice presidents are for.

  He put his arm around my shoulder and leaned in to kiss me. My lips met his and the same warm, pleasant glow I'd had earlier shivered through my body. I don't know what it was about Ian that made me quiver at his every touch, but there was no helping it.

  He drew his lips slowly away from mine and stared into my eyes for a long moment. "That other thing," he said.

  I didn't have any response better than to pull him forward to kiss me once again. Whatever else happened, the desire that was burning between us was powerful enough to make it all seem worth it. I could have walked away despite his warning. If I'd run fast enough and far enough, those guys out in the desert would have never found me. Ever since we'd gotten back to the clubhouse together, I felt like I was trying to preserve the club for its own sake. Now I was realizing I had an even stronger reason for staying; what I felt for Ian was more powerful and more meaningful than my three-month relationship with Trevor ever had been. Together, Ian and I were strong enough to overcome anything. That's just not the sort of feeling you can abandon just because it seems dangerous to stay where you are.

  I ran my hand along his jaw line, feeling the sharp stubble of a day's growth of beard on his face. He felt rough and warm. So much of my new role as President of the club was forcing me to feel strong and tough. It was nice to know that when I was with him, I could still allow myself to be soft and vulnerable. I knew in that moment that Ian would never take advantage of our tenderness. He would never try to undermine me within the club, and he would always defend me with all of his strength. No matter the circumstances, a man like that is too good to pass up.

  "That didn't take long," a voice came from across the room. I pushed Ian off of me before I even saw who was speaking. When I turned around, I saw Kevin standing at the door to the garage, wiping his hands and grinning.

  "I figured you two would wait at least a week," he said, striding across the room. He tossed the rag into a bin and grabbed a pack of cigarettes off a table. As he sat down and lit one, he grinned again. "Don't worry, I really don't give a shit about whether you two are fucking or not. At least you waited 'til the kid was dead." Kevin always called Trevor "the kid". I think he meant it as an insult, but Trevor loved it. He'd grown up pretending to be a gunslinger, and any connection to a legend like Billy the Kid was alright in his book.

  I didn't know how to react to his presence. I didn't want to make apologies to Kevin for our behavior, and Ian seemed to be waiting for me to say something as well.

  "Toss me those smokes," I said finally. I decided the best route was simply to let the comment slide and take it at face value. Kevin had a bit of information that other people didn't now, but he never struck me as the sort to use that against anyone. Plus, with the way he'd been talking earlier, I had to assume he was on my side.

  The three of us sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment, smoking and letting the seriousness of the situation get worse with every second. I couldn't have been happier to hear the sound of motorcycles outside. Hector, Jake and Needles had taken the van. That could only mean one thing - we've got a location on the guys from the desert. Even with all the pressure around us, being with Ian made me feel like I had all the time in the world. The sound of Lewis and Cyrano pulling up outside brought things into clear focus though. The time for action was coming fast.

  ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

  Nobody talks about leadership. I mean, sure, lots of people talk about it in vague terms. It's one of those things that everybody knows when they see it, but nobody can explain. Lots of people have tried. George Washington, Napoleon, Genghis Khan... those are the names you think of when it comes to leaders. Some people like that wrote books and some just left a legacy of blood and ruins behind to show us just how effective of leaders they were. Not one of them bothered to explain the fine points of how to lead though.

  One of those fine points is the uncertainty that lurks at the back of your mind all day and all night. When the burden of making decisions that affect the lives of others is on you, there's no hope of a restful night. You lay awake thinking about every decision you made during the day and every decision you'll have to make in the future. Some choices haunt you. That's the part everybody knows. When Oppenheimer said that he had become Death, that was maybe the most poignant way of saying that the choices we make stay with us forever. The part even he didn't talk about is the moment when everything seems to be going according to plan. When the world is crumbling around you, it's easy to look at your decisions with a critical eye. When all the pieces are fitting together, the tendency is just to stay the course. The better things go, the wider your blinders get and the most you're surprised when it all blows up in your face.

  "You were right, Tina," Lewis said for the third time. I had to hear it three times to believe it. My hunch about those guys in the desert was just that - a hunch. I saw the way they acted and I thought my instincts were leading me in the right direction. The more I'd worried over it though, the less I thought of my own gut instincts. I had been leading mostly by force up until that point. I realize that now. When Trevor went down, it sent a shockwave through the whole club. All I had to do - all anyone would have had to do - to seize power was to take advantage of the unstable footing shared by every one of the Wind Riders. I was just the one who moved first.

  My guesses and suspicions had proven correct so far. I knew Trevor well enough to know just what kind of people would have taken advantage of his naïveté. From the Russian gangsters who prey on the desperate for their loan sharking business to the crew of nobodies masquerading as a Mexic
an drug cartel who saw the Wind Riders as a disposable source of some quick money, we were beset by those who saw our former leader as weak. He was weak. I see that now. Trevor had spent his days complaining about the difficulties of keeping the club together and getting anything done. When I was just his attentive girlfriend, I took what he said as gospel. I saw the club as a group of misfits who couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time. The fault for the situation we found ourselves in wasn't with the club though - it was with the man who led them to the brink of destruction. With the right leadership, I knew I had all the pieces necessary to make a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts.

  As Lewis explained what I suspected from the first to everyone present, I looked around the room and thought about the resources available to me. In one short day, the way I saw these guys had changed so dramatically. When I rode out to the desert, I thought they were mismatched and in some cases dangerously unqualified to do anything more challenging than sit around the clubhouse drinking beers. Now, I saw the skills they possessed and the driving force that lurked inside each of them.

  There was Lewis, energetically explaining everything he had seen. I thought he was just a college guy who wanted to do a bit of sight-seeing on the back of a motorcycle before he found a nice girl and retired to a quiet life of working in an office. His commitment to the club was stronger than any of us had imagined, though. Lewis understood the way people talked to one another. That gave him an edge in almost any situation. He and Cyrano formed a dynamic duo that were ready for most any situation. They were calm and perceptive, and I knew I could trust them to always temper their passion with cold rationality.