didn’t recognize her anymore. Anyway, she told me that Trece had been selling her. He had kept her locked up, offered her heroin as an escape. She wanted out, but she was so fucking addicted to heroin that when her hands began to shake and tremble she needed her fix. I never saw her again after that day. No one ever saw her after that.
When her family pushed the cops to do something and to find her, they went searching, but the Muertos claimed they hadn’t seen her in over a year. There were no leads, no signs of a crime, just a missing girl who ran with a bad crowd.
"Anyhow, when Trece got out of jail, rumors were going around that the Muertos were offering up cash for young women whose disappearance wouldn’t raise eyebrows. The Members of Mercy got wind of the situation, but Trece and the gang denied the rumors. My sister, Leah, is Jackal's girl, and he and Chase were sent to Mexico to do god knows what. Anyhow, whatever it was, when they came back, the Muertos picked up Chase, Kate and Leah. When Jackal came back alone, that’s when shit hit the fan. Whatever is going on Ally, they have my sister, and Trece is a fucking lunatic.”
I felt my chest constrict and my breathing labored as I tried to process what the girl was saying. If it was true that the Muertos were buying and selling women, Kate and Leah needed our help. A flicker of movement on the computer monitor caught my eye and I felt my heart begin to race as I watched the dot begin to move through the city. Whatever was going on, I wasn’t going to sit back quietly and let my friend get hurt.
“Alright Mia, I am going to drop you off back at the club house and I need you to keep your ears open. Meet me outside around nine, and please, don’t tell anyone about our conversation.”
When I pulled up I could see that at least half of the bikes were no longer parked in the parking lot. I saw Vicki and decided to pry. “Hey Vicki. Is Jacob still around?”
Her eyes narrowed, looking at Mia, and then me again. “Nah honey. But don’t get your panties in a bunch. Tank said they were headed out to do some peaceful negotiations.”
I nodded at her and smiled genuinely. “Thanks Vicki.” Getting back into my car my mind played through the few moments I spent with that woman. To be honest, I thought she was a real bitch, but she did take care of me when I fainted, and even now she made an effort to ease my worry. Perhaps years of being a biker bitch has hardened her, but deep down she might be a kinder woman than I gave her credit for.
I had waited long enough at the coffee shop to watch the moving dot make it to its destination. My hope was that Jacob would lead me to the Muertos and I could get a better idea of what we were dealing with. It wasn’t as if I imagined that I could bust in save the day, but maybe I would see or hear something and be able to help Jacob find Chase and the girls.
I pulled back into the coffee shop just long enough to check on the location of my phone. It hadn’t moved. I swung the car around and headed straight for Lincoln and Park. The drive took me over thirty minutes, but when I pulled onto Lincoln it looked like a motorcycle show was going on. Both sides of the street were lined with parked bikes and I knew that I was in the right place. I drove past, slowly, hoping that I would go unnoticed as I passed a driveway that led up to a large warehouse. Driving up to the next block I parked the car at a gas station and began backtracking, taking the alley that led behind the building. There were tall fences lining the back and I thought for a minute I wouldn’t be able to get close enough. But near a large tank of some kind I noticed a section of fence had been cut. I pressed the sharp wire forward and out of my way as I ducked down low and slid through the fence.
I could hear voices coming from
Learning to Kill: Stories