Page 17 of Wick
"Evenin', Malik."
"Evenin', Chief."
"Everything alright here?"
"Yeah. Just takin' out the trash."
Chief Richards grunts and looks down at the man who is still sitting on his ass, looking up at us in shock while holding his bloody nose. "Best go on and get out of here, kid."
Finally, doing the smart thing, the guy climbs to his feet and retreats down the street. After I watch him turn the corner out of sight, I bring my attention back to Chief Richards. "What brings you by tonight?"
"Thought I'd stop by on my way home to give you an update on the incident you had at your house the other night."
"You find out who it was?"
"Yeah. Six hours after I got a call from one of your guys, a kid checked into the hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg."
My jaw clenches. "Where is the motherfucker now?"
"He's still in the hospital but is being released in the morning. He'll be turned over to Juvenile Detention."
My head rears back. "He's a minor?"
Chief sighs. "Yeah. The kid is only sixteen. He confessed to two other break-ins in the area. It turns out he's not a bad kid, just gotten himself mixed up with the wrong crowd. He's also being raised by a single mother. I met her last night at the hospital. She is beside herself. Had no idea what her son had been up too. I came down to see if you wanted to press charges against him for trespassing."
"Fuck." I shake my head. "Me pressing charges is the last thing the kid and his mom need." I scratch the back of my neck then start to formulate a plan. "See what you can do about the other break-in charges against him. Talk to his mom. Give her Fender's name and number. He's been mentoring a couple of boys down at the youth center. I'll talk with him later and let him know to expect her call."
"Thanks, Dawson. I figured you would do right by the kid. I'll pass your message along to his mother." Chief tips his head and heads back to his patrol car.
Back inside the bar, I take my usual seat at the bar. Riggs sets a fresh beer down in front of me. "What did Chief want?"
I relay the details of what Chief Richards told me, and Riggs agrees with my decision. "You made the right call, brother."
* * *
The next morningeveryone is at the clubhouse for breakfast. Josie and Payton are in the kitchen cooking while myself, along with Riggs and his woman Luna, Kiwi, Fender, Nova, and his daughter Piper are sitting outside of the clubhouse. We have a sitting area that faces the river. The whole front side of the clubhouse showcases the industrial look of the city, while the back has been completely transformed. A couple of years ago, Prez tore up the small back parking lot and put down grass. In the far-left corner of the yard still sits the old swing set that once belonged to Piper. The wooden structure holds some sweet memories, and I suspect it's why Nova or any of us other men have yet to tear it down. When I look at Riggs, who is sitting across from me with Luna on his lap and one of his hands on her belly where she is growing their baby, a smile tugs at my lips. It suddenly dawns on me there will be a little one running around the clubhouse soon enough.
"What's that smirk for, brother?" Riggs questions.
"I was just thinkin'. I can't believe you're going to be a dad."
My friend smiles. "I can't fuckin' believe it myself, but I can't wait to meet him or her." Riggs signs as he speaks, so Luna is included in the conversation.
My cell phone rings interrupting my conversation. Pulling it out from the inside pocket of my cut, I look at the screen to see it's Vayda's dad calling me.
"Mr. Wilder?" I answer the phone. The mention of Vayda's father gets Riggs' attention since it's so out of the blue for her dad to be calling this early on a Saturday morning.
"Have you seen the news?" he asks, his tone sounding panicked.
Getting to my feet, I make my way inside the clubhouse with Riggs hot on my heels.
"Talk to me, Sir. What's going on?" My gut clenches in the half-second it takes for him to reply.
"My girl is missing, Malik. My baby is missing, and I'm finding out over the goddamn news."
I swear my heart stops the moment he says those words. "Turn on the news!" I bark to no one in particular. It's Fender who turns the TV on. The news anchor's voice fills the clubhouse.
"We have yet to confirm whether there are any survivors. All we know now is that Captain Vayda Wilder was piloting the aircraft. There is no other word on her and the three-team members she was with. There is also no word on what sort of mission they were on. We will continue with this breaking news coverage and bring you the latest developments as they come in."
