Page 76 of Salute, To Bravery
“Rage is about honour. A few years ago, we were extremely dirty. Anything illegal we were into. I assumed control and brought the club into the light. Getting us clean was a hard road. Blood was spilled, and several met the reaper before Rage was clear of all illegal shit. We fought our own brothers, and shit went down that scarred many of us. But we stand here today, free men who understand the meaning of honour.”
“Okay,” I said, trying to figure out where Drake was heading.
“Honour means a lot to us. We will never return to our previous state. When we reach out to a potential ally, we ensure they understand about clean, legal living and honour. Respect also plays a huge part. When we heard you’d opened a clubhouse in Box Elder, you were close enough that we checked you out. Fallen Warriors are small, but allies aren’t about size. It’s about skills and what you bring to the mix.”
“And if we don’t want a relationship, it would be open season on us?” Bat asked.
“Nope. Rage doesn’t do that shit.”
“Then tell me what Rage does,” I said, leaning forward. “But first, got a drink? It’s hot in here.”
Drake chuckled darkly. “We can do that.”
Chapter Six.
Lance.
Drake was looking for a friendly relationship. We’d also done our research, and Drake wasn’t lying when he said Rage had been dirty. From all the reports Worm had dug up, Drake had risen up in 2007 and overthrown the previous president. Drake’s father had been President before Bulldog, and many had commented on Drake taking back his legacy.
Further sources mentioned the war that followed for Rage between Drake and Bulldog and the bodies that’d fallen or disappeared. I’d no doubt Drake and the Rage brothers had made them disappear. None of Rage held criminal records. While I didn’t doubt their hands were covered in blood, I could understand why. Rage under Bulldog had been a local nightmare. Most of the missing held criminal records for all sorts of shit. Yet, I knew some of those present today had been involved in claiming Rage back. It was a mystery how they’d not done time.
Since taking Rage, Drake had turned their reputation around. He’d donated large chunks of money to charities. Rage actively took part in protecting the community they once exhorted.They had even put several past wrongs right. People who’d lost businesses and homes under Bulldog had been hunted down and given reparation. That alone intrigued me because those crimes had been under Bulldog, yet Drake felt obligated to rectify them.
That spoke to me of honour, respect, and loyalty to the local community. Rage also worked hand in hand with the cops. In the last seven years, Rage had done a complete one-eighty. I’d had doubts when I’d seen them in the bar and had expected them to be involved in the drug dealing.
Of course, when we moved here, we’d done our research. We knew of several MCs in the area, no doubt attracted by Sturgis. But none of them had registered as ‘One Percenters’, so we’d not dived too deeply into them.
Last night, as soon as we got back, Worm had started his research and briefed us an hour before we left today. If I hadn’t liked what Worm reported back, I’d have given excuses and kept us away from Rage. But the club intrigued me. From filthy dirty to almost squeaky clean. And I say almost because I had no doubt that those who tried to cause trouble ended up in a dirt grave.
MCs usually made allies if they didn’t have brother chapters. Rage had a brother chapter, which was confusing as they were two different names.
I held Drake’s gaze and spoke.
“Hellfire MC. What is the relationship? You’re not the same club.”
“Hellfire’s Prez is my older cousin Chance. We’re more like brothers. Our fathers were brothers who opened the MCs. Back then, the clubs were about brotherhood, riding, and drinking. They both turned bad under two dirty presidents, who wrongfully took our legacies. Chance and I both went to war to claim our clubs, and we took them. Yeah, Lance, Rage didshameful shit in the past, but we’ve spent the last seven years making things right.
“Rage ain’t no angels. Don’t pretend to be. But if we offer a relationship, be warned, we’ll stick to it unless you stab us in the back. Rage is looking for long-term allies who share our goals. We think you have them, so we’re reaching out, offering a hand of friendship,” Drake replied.
“And if you fought with another club, would we be expected to step in?”
“Depends. If that MC affects your club as well as Rage, then yes, you are required to defend yourselves working alongside us. If we start a war with someone who hasn’t bothered you, then no. You ain’t fodder, Lance; you’re an ally. Heard of the Unwanted Bastards?”
“Yeah, they roll out of Merritt.”
“Hellfire and Unwanted Bastards are both allies. I’d say reach out to Hellfire, but they’re family. You aren’t gonna trust them. But Unwanted Bastards don’t owe us shit; reach out to them—or Satan’s Warriors in Deadwood. They’re also allies,” Drake responded.
“Let’s discuss what this relationship would look like,” I said, sitting back in my chair and relaxing. “Fallen Warriors is small, so I don’t see why Rage would want any association with us.”
“Small isn’t bad,” Drake mumbled with a wolfish smile.
That, I decided, was a matter of opinion, although I agreed. We might’ve been tiny, but we were mighty.
Bat
I listened closely to Drake, trying to see what he wasn’t saying, but he appeared genuinely upfront. Drake was open and honest about the bullshit his club had previously pulled, andseemed contrite. Even so, I watched Rage’s inner circle and how they reacted. Drake might be a master at hiding his true self, but not everyone could, and it would be someone in his inner circle who’d slip. However, they appeared friendly enough, if not guarded.
The terms were what I expected of an ally, and I knew Lance felt the same.
