Page 5 of Lack of In-between
The back door opened and Wolf lifted his gun, aiming it steadily at the chest of the man who entered.
“Whoa, whoa, man.” The man waved his arms madly, but Wolf realized he wasn’t armed at the same time Rose identified him.
“That’s Gary.”
“Get down,” Wolf ordered, and the man sat where he stood, legs folding up like pretzels. “ETA?”
“Three minutes.” Rose’s delivery was less crisp, and he looked up to find her staring down at him. She visibly swallowed, and her voice shook when she said, “You could have been killed.”
“Hey.” Wolf stood and turned, reached for her as she stumbled into his arms. “We’re okay. We’re both okay.” They stood like that until the ringing doppler of sirens became audible through the dampening quiet of the trees. “We’re both okay.” Her head moved across his chest as she nodded. “Gary’s okay.” Her laughter was wet and broken, and she moved to rest her cheek against him. “Bad guys ran away.”
Though her voice was muffled by his hold, he still heard the pride as she said, “You reacted fast.”
“So did you.” He angled his body back as he lifted his head to look down at her. “That thing with the shotgun, not what I expected.”
“Motherhumpers shot up thediner.”
The sirens cut out suddenly, and he heard tires on gravel. “They did.” He shifted them so he and Rose could look out into the parking lot. When two of the four cops approached the front door of the diner with guns drawn, he was immediately aware that he and Rose were both still armed. “Don’t shoot.” He reached to the side and laid the gun on the counter. Rose stepped away and did the same; then, wordlessly, they both walked towards the other end of the counter, hands held at shoulder level. “There’s another employee in the kitchen, unhurt. And the dead guy in the kitchen, identity unknown. As far as we know, it’s just us three in here, and those two.” He indicated the couple already walking towards an ambulance that had just rolled in on the far side of the lot.
The next two hours were draining as he recounted the event multiple times, once for each time it got bumped up the chain of command. Rose stood a few strides away, doing the same thing, and Gary sat at a booth in the undamaged section of the diner, presumably doing the same. The major interviewing Wolf shook his head as he glanced over Wolf’s shoulder. “You probably saved her life.”
“I got the feeling Rose would have been just fine without me.”
“And maybe without you, it wouldn’t have happened at all.” Wolf glanced at the cop walking up and noted the lack of insignia before he recognized the face. He froze as he stared at the man. “Everyone around here knows the Borderline Freaks are bad news.” It was one of the prospects who hadn’t made the cut weeks ago, acting out of order at this very diner before threatening Blade’s old lady and earning the club’s unflinching hatred. The man hadn’t mentioned anything about having been a cadet at any point, and surely had not been a state trooper at the time. Wolf knew that for a fact. That meant the man had jumped from the outlaw side of the tracks to the law-abiding in a fast minute. Or had lied to the men he claimed brotherhood with.More proof the asshole was never meant to be a Freak.
Anger simmering hot inside him, Wolf clipped out, “Couldn’t get a real patch, so you found a badge to hide behind?” Wolf turned and faced him squarely, hands loose at his sides. “And look, you’re still an FNG no matter where you go.” He peered around the man, scanning the rest of the faces. “Where’s your BFF? Don’t tell me you broke up already?” He tsked softly. “Bummer for you.”
The major stepped up beside Wolf, staring down his nose at the obviously new trooper. “Nobody called for you. Get back on patrol.”
Glaring at Wolf, the man nodded, sketched a halfhearted salute, and mumbled, “Yes, sir.”
They watched him walk away, crawl behind the wheel of a dusty patrol car, and accelerate recklessly out of the parking lot.
“I’m guessing there’s a story here.” The major stepped out in front of Wolf, turning to face him. “That man’s already a pain in my ass, and he’s on thin ice anyway. We’re his third troop posting since he finished training and qualifying, something I understand he barely passed by the skin of his teeth. I get the feeling his initial posting had to be desperate for bodies, or the man’s kin to someone I don’t know about, because he’s not a good fit for the job, far as I can see.” He shoved out a hand. “I’m Doug Putnam.”
Wolf gripped and shook, giving the man his club name, as he’d already provided his government one. “Wolf. He gonna be a problem for this investigation?”
“Depends on what your history is with him.” Doug shook his head. “But I hope not.”
“He wanted to prospect. We determined he didn’t have the correct values to wear our patch, so we removed his name from consideration. Him and another guy were buds, and we caught them harassing a waitress here.” Wolf gestured towards the diner. “Released them the same day. Woman they weren’t taking no from is now the old lady of a club member, so you can see where the bad behavior won’t be forgotten soon.”
“Sheee-it.” Doug dipped his chin to his throat, studying the ground between them. “His bud got a name?”
“I can get it for you.” Wolf paused. “You got any idea where shitstain was about three hours ago?”
“I do not, but you can bet your ass I’ll be locating that information first thing.” Doug clapped Wolf on the shoulder. “Oorah, Marine. Glad you made it through another firefight unscathed.”
“Same, brother. Same.” He glanced across the lot. “Can’t say the same for my bike.”
Two wreckers had shown up; one already had the couple’s car attached and ready to go. The other had parked next to his toppled bike, knocked to its side when the van backed into and partially over it. The two drivers were arranging straps to lift the damaged bike to the flatbed for transport.
“Sucks, man.”
“Yes, it does.” He sighed. “They’re going to take it to my shop though, so at least there’s that.”
“Your shop?” The cop glanced at him, and Wolf nodded.
“Bailey’s Builds, out on Central.” He didn’t even try to stop the way his chest puffed out. “My shop.”
