Page 29 of Desert King

7

Tarak

The taste of bitter ash fills my mouth. I swallow hard, fueled by anger and the need to crush Edge. The only reason why I haven’t killed him yet is that if I did, his soul would reunite with hers first. Picturing the two of them in eternity together burns my ass just as much as knowing he had her once on Earth.

I slow my bike down as we approach the spot in the road where Mandy lost control. “What happened that night, babe? ‘Cause I know you’d never cheat on me.” The wind carries my question but as always, she never answers. I’ve been angry at God for so long, maybe he won’t let her answer even if she could. I’ve been looking for signs everywhere since she passed, knowing our love was so strong that surely, she’d find a way to let me know existence goes on. But I’ve had nothing from heaven. No signs. No message.

I wave the men riding with me to go ahead, while I pull off by the wood cross set in the dirt.

I say a prayer. People might think men like me don’t pray but they wouldn’t know shit. I don’t pray for myself but for her, my family, my men…I’m their desert king and it’s my duty to ensure their safety at all costs.

I know who were infected in my town, and I won’t let anyone touch them or their precious plasma. If they won’t to give it that’s one thing but I won’t have them terrorized by the Bloody Scorpions or the Juarez Cartel just South of the border.

“See ya’ on the flipside, babe.” With that I roar off. There’s peace on the road. In the humble drone of the engine, in cutting through the air so fast it’s almost like flying. Feeling connected to nature, to the Earth is in my blood. That’s why we’re sleeping under the stars tonight. My men got used to it when we policed the coast during the pandemic. We packed a roll bag like modern day cowboys. We filled it with jerky, water, and cigarettes. I always bring my guitar, strapping the case to the frame of my bike in the back.

There’s nothing like spending a night out under the stars to cleanse your soul. We ride until sundown then I pull off down a dirt road and start the climb.

“What the fuck?” Rog pulls parallel with me.

I don’t stop but gesture him to keep moving forward. We climb the side of the mountain until the sun dips down and a few stars start peering from beneath the veil between Earth and the heavens.

Finally pulling over, I wipe the dirt and sweat from the road off my face. “Surprise.” I taunt the Creed MC brothers. “You wanted to ride with us. We are hardcore mother-fo’s. Our bed for the evening,” I gesture to the mouth of a small cave to my left.”

“Uh-uh. No way. I’m out,” Rog, growls.

“What’s wrong, Rog? No thousand thread count sheets?”

I clap a hand on his shoulder. “Stay. We’ll smoke a peace pip. Have a few…” I enter the mouth of the cave and open the trunks I leave stocked with my things. I take out extra sleeping bags, food, and start making a fire.

“Gimme that,” he growls. Taking the kindling from me.

“Rog, I’m Indian. I think I know how to make fire.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m better at it.”

I put Smith and Indé in charge of cooking while I prep the sweat lodge. Indé passes me what I need tonight. What I came here for. It was just supposed to be me on a voyage of truth and self-discovery, but Club business often mixes with mine. This sacred spot of reflection and heritage is on the way to Vegas. In the cave, we keep the drums, the tepee, emergency food and anti-venom. But what Indé rolled in the blunt is a secret recipe. We added shit to it over the years, but the hallucinations and visions are strong when mixed with the ancient Apache incantations. I light the tip of the blunt, breathing deep. After the tent is up, I wait for the rocks I added to the fire to burn for twenty minutes.

“What the fuck? Are you auditioning for me?” F.O.C.U.S. taunts as I take my shirt off.

I flex my guns, winking at him. “How much would you get for me?” I shuck my jeans off.

“Damn. For a practical pure-bred like you? Ten grand.”

“A night?”

“A half hour.”

“Get out.”

“There’s a bunch of rich housewives in NYC.”

“I’ll catch up with you on the road. I was just fucking with you. You don’t need to camp here with me. I just need to do this tonight. It was… I can’t talk about it.”

“I’ll stay to watch your back.”

“No.” I turn to Indé. Stay at the base of the canyon. “I need to be alone. You know why.”

“Well, thank fuck. I’ll be outside ofLos Lunas.” They sit, around the fire and enjoy a few beers. They know what I want but will stay for a while to keep me company. I nod to Indé who starts the drum. Then I strip from my boxers, hearing Rog and Smith swear at the sight of my bare ass.

A grin cuts across my face. I’m already feeling a bit high. I cover myself with a homemade buckskin cloth. Then pour water on the hot stones I had placed in the tent using tools I keep here.

I’m a man on a mission tonight. And if Mandy’s in the stars somewhere, I know she’ll come back down to Earth and join me tonight.

---