Whispers in the Night

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

I roll into town after driving all day, it’s late evening and not much going on. It’s a small town off the beaten path and far from the highway, you really have to be looking for this place to be here. It is a town where everyone knows everyone. Great.. I need a cover story, something close to the truth but not enough to ring any bells. I might have to go right to these guys, I don’t want to tip anyone off. I’m low on cash and I don't want to tap the bank account. I don’t care what Stan says, I don't trust it. 

I roll past the address and it turns out to be a motorcycle shop from the front sign. It’s dark inside and there are no cars in the lot. I keep going to the outskirts of town.  I find a place  to park off the main street and snack on the rest of the chips I have. I’ll go back in the morning when they are open. I lay down across the seat and get as comfortable as I can. I still get pain in my ribs at times and tonight they are extra painful. 

I’m running in the woods, it’s dark out and the only light is from the moon. I heard him getting closer yelling my name. I’m hit to the ground. Blaine is on top of me hitting me. Yelling it’s all my fault, then I see mom on the ground covered in blood and dad with his head twisted. I try to fight back, I try to make my parents proud and their sacrifice not in vane. I can’t, I can’t move fear and my heart ache makes me paralyzed. I’m back at my childhood home reliving that night all over again. As he chokes me he whispers “ You can never run from me”. 

I bolt up from the dream looking around making sure Blaine is nowhere around. Heart pounding sweat dripping off my forehead.  I close my eyes and slow my breathing and heart. I’m safe , I’m safe, I keep repeating until I’m calm again. The sun is shining through the windows casting all the shadows out.  I take a look around and all I see is pastors with some cows. It’s mid morning and the bike shop should be open. I don’t have a place to wash up but I do change into clean clothes. I put on skinny jeans, a tank top and jacket along with my boots.  I brush my teeth with a bottle of water and hide the dark circles under my eye with a light foundation. Last I pull my hair back in a braid that goes to my mid back. 

I pull into the lot and park. I get out looking around and see beautiful bikes. They are pieces of art really.  A lot of custom but even the commercial bikes are redone. I know I’m standing there drooling and making a fool of myself but I can’t help it. “ Pretty aren’t they” I hear and jump back and spin in the direction it came from. My hands are to my sides but my feet are set to evade or attack. I see a good looking guy standing there with his hands up in the air and a crooked smile on his face. “ Sorry didn’t mean to scare ya. Are you looking to buy or in need of restoration? We sell custom here.” I stand there looking and waiting for any sign of an attack not saying anything. He puts his hands down to his sides and steps back a few feet. Only then I can calm my heart down but I don’t completely relax. I haven’t done that in months. 

I look behind him towards the shop and a few more guys come out looking over at us. They are a rough looking crowd wearing jeans, t-shirts and riding boots. I need to say something, I’m drawing a crowd. I look back to the first guy who has a look of concern on his face now. “I’m here to talk to Devon or Shane.” He looks at me over again,nods and motions to the front of the shop. “ “ Can I ask what about”. I keep him in my side view “No”, “ Can I ask who is asking for them?” “No”. 

We step inside, there are a few custom bikes in the show room along with pictures of more on the walls. It’s big and open, and has a window showing the guys working in the back. He turns back to me standing in the middle of the room while I’m closer to the door. “ Since Asking  didn’t work so now I’m gonna be blunt. What do you want with them? I can help you if you are shopping for a bike or looking to restore one.” 

“Are they not here? Is that what the problem is?” I ask, looking at him with a neutral face. I don’t show a lot of expressions anymore. “ Well no but they are very busy and don’t have time to talk to all the customers.” 

I don’t give him an answer or the reaction he wants and we end up staring at each other. I keep the view of the back shop in the eye line as well as a small hallway. As the seconds tick by I become on high alert and tense. He blows out a breath “ I’m Josh, what’s your name?” I continue to study him and finally say “Sky”. He nods and walks to the back. 

Devon Brown

I’m working in the back going over some paperwork with my twin brother Shane. It’s the part of the business we both hate but it has to be done. We would rather be in the back getting dirty building the bike’s. Most of the time we are but today is an office day. It goes by faster with the both of us doing it. The other day my uncle called and said he’s sending us a helper.  He didn’t elaborate, he didn't even say if it was a guy or girl. I wonder why he thinks we need a helper. Yeah the shop is doing great and we have plenty of business to go around. He didn’t say when to expect this person either so I put it on the back burner of my mind. 

Josh storms in looking all flustered, face red and fists clenched. Shane and I take him in and go on alert. Josh is our second in command of the club, he is always easy going and uses his head calmly. The only time I have seen him flustered like this is when s**t is about to hit the fan. “ What happened?” I ask as I reach for my piece on the desk. He shakes his head at me putting Shane and I at ease but with confused looks on our face. He takes a few deep breaths to calm down and curses under his breath. “ There is some chix out front, asking for both of you to buy first name only. Wont say what it’s about. Hell I barely got a first name out of her.” 

Shane and I start chuckling, “That’s what got you so railed up?”  He glares at the both of us “ You just wait, then you’ll see” he whisper yells at us. I start to get up and say “ well let's go see.”  Josh stops us “ there is something off about her. She is on guard about something.” That doesn’t scare my twin and I. We don’t get scared, we do the scaring. At 6’6 and 250 pounds of muscle all we have to do is walk into a room. My twin and I have identical black short hair and light blue eyes. People who have known us most of our lives can’t tell us apart. 

We walk out to the front and see a tiny thing of a girl, standing closer to the door but positioned so she can see everything in the shop and have a clear exit. I can tell she is too thin for her build needs about another 20 or so pounds and the dark circles under her eyes she tried to cover up. She’s studying us just as much as we are studying her. Shane and I glance at each other. “ I’m Devon and this is Shane, can we help you?”  She just stands there not moving or talking. After a few I look over to Josh and he gives me a (I told you so) look. 

After another minute I was about to turn around and go back to the office when her hand shot out with a paper in it. I take it from her, open it and see our first names and address on it only. I do recognize the writing to be uncles. I hand it off to Shane and watch her eyes shift from one to the other and back to the window. Shane looks confused, I forgot to tell him about the call. I motion for her to follow and lead the way to the office.  Once in there I turn to see her drinking up the rear. Josh usually follows anyone in here, especially an unknown. I gave him a look, he knows I’m not pleased but all he does is shrug his shoulders. We all sit while she stands at the open door. “You can shut the door for more privacy”  “ No I'd rather not.” I motion for her to sit and she looks right at Josh. “He stays. He is our most trusted friend and he runs the shop.”

Not even a beat later “ Do you trust him with your life?”  Now I look at Shane, he doesn’t like where this is going and neither do I. We all tense up and I nod indicating I do. Her shoulders relax a bit at that. “ Are you the helper our uncle sent?”  I know that will give Shane and Josh a clue. There is more here than what meets the eye. She gives a short nod, you would have missed it if you weren’t looking. “ What can you do?” It takes her a minute to speak like it’s hard for her to talk, but the voice that comes out is almost like she is singing very lightly in the air. “ I can work in the shop, clean, do paperwork, anything you need business wise. Personal is off the table.” My face changes at that, what the hell she thinks we will pass her around or force ourselves on her. All the men here and in the club can’t stand that, but I don’t say anything. 

I look at Josh “ set her up with the new employee papers and stuff. You can clean the shop after hours.” He stands waiting for her to move out the door not wanting to get too close to her.  She stays where she’s at, I can tell she is thinking about something. Shane has no more patience “ Is there a problem?” It comes out harsh but she doesn’t even flinch. “ No questions, no paperwork and cash only. After shop hours it is fine. Just tell me what time to be here.”  Shane and I look at each other again and he nods indicating it’s fine with him. “ Fine be here tonight at six.” She turns and leaves. Josh follows and shuts the door. 

I look over to Shane. “What did uncle put in our lap?”  “Don’t know but I have the feeling it’s  big. What did he tell you when he called and when was that anyway?”  I gave him a sorry look. “ It was yesterday and I forgot about it until I saw the note. He only said he was sending a helper to us.” Shane looked even more confused. I called uncle and put him on speaker so Shane can hear as well. 

“ Hey boy’s my helper arriving yet?” he asks as soon as he picks up. The fucker was waiting for us to call. 

“ What the hell did you drop on us old man” Shane gruffs out. The fucker starts laughing. 

“ Uncle, this is no time to be laughing. There is something up with this chix. She wants no questions asked, no paper trail and cash payment. We barely got a name out of her. What’s coming our way?”

He gives one last chuckle. “ Well hell at least you got a name, that's a good start.” Shane and I look at each other confused as ever. “What do you mean, did you get one?”

“Hell no boy, that girl is a tight drum. All I know is that she stopped in the motel the other night, paid cash and gave a bit extra to give her a heads up if someone comes looking. No name, no ID. I knew something was up but she didn’t say and barely talked. Then this guy came in asking questions if a young woman checked in by herself recently, showed a picture of her. Said she was a missing person but the badge he showed me was out of state so I lied and said no. When he left I went to her room using the back way, slipped her your info and told her to run. Next thing I know an explosion went off and Three dead body's. She rigged the door and jumped out the window from what I gathered since she was there and not one of them.”  

“Old man” Shane started but got cut off. “ Listen here boy. I don’t want to hear anything other than we got it. That girl needs help if she asks for it or not and I’m guessing she’s not gonna. She also needs a few good meals in her and a safe place to lay her head. Just don’t go knocking on her door. I overheard a Fed say it looked like a military device. You hear me boy?” All we could do is say we got it and he hung up.  

We call Josh back in and fill him in on what we know, which is not much. “ So with that being said and us not knowing what might be down the road, set her up in the loft and make sure it’s well stocked. Also spread the word that she will be here and nobody under any circumstances bother her or go near the loft while she is here. It might be booby trapped.” 

“ Do you think the loft is a good idea? I know things have been quiet lately but she can become a target for our enemies. Plus she will be noticed at some point. What do we tell people who she is? She will need a cover story.” 

Shit he’s right, I look at Shane and he shrugs. “ The loft will be fine. I think away from most people will be better. If things change then we can always move her. We’ll talk to her tonight about it and the rest of it.” 

With that Josh leaves to do what needs to be done. “ What do you think brother?” Shane looks thoughtful, he is the one who always thinks of every angle. Any possible outcome good or bad, the planner while I’m the reckless one that flies by the seat of the pants. 

“ I think unc is  right, there is something definitely going on that we have no idea. She does look like she needs help and not a lot of people can give that kind of help to her. Plus she never asked for it. I’m thinking something happened after the motel to push her here. We will ask her tonight and if she doesn’t talk then we will prepare for anything and have the boys keep an eye out.” 

That sounds as good a plan as any right now. I just hate waiting. Hopefully we’ll get some answers tonight but have a feeling we are gonna be left with more questions.