Truth and Lies: Chapter 4

Three weeks since I’d seen Gunner and Crack in the store, and from then, I’ve kept inside the diner and on alert. I’m tired and stressed. All this is nearly worse than being in prison. That was bad enough watching my back all the time, keeping my nose clean as I didn’t want to have my time extended.

I think Graham and Suzie are feeling it too, and I’m going to be ready to move on soon. I calculate another four weeks, and I’ll have enough to travel to another state and rent somewhere small.

Heading downstairs to the diner to start my shift, I notice a few people eating, but not a crowd yet. I walk into the kitchen and clean up the sink area, place everything into the dishwasher and then grab the garbage bag that is nearly overflowing.

The breakfast crowd must have been good with the clearing up I’ve just done, and I know it will be hard on them both when I leave as they are relying on me more and more.

Opening the back door, I drag out the garbage bag and head for the dumpster. Struggling to lift it, I didn’t hear anyone come up behind me and jump badly when someone takes the bag and throws it in.

Turning, I see Axel, the President that was in a few weeks ago. I swallow and stutter but manage to say thanks.

‘You got anythin’ else to go in?’ Axel asks me.

‘No, that’s it, thank you again,’ I murmur, then turn to go back inside.

Axel takes hold of my bicep and turns me, ‘Are you sure I don’t know you? I have a feeling I should.’

‘No, I don’t know you. Maybe I remind you of someone?’ I say, doing my best to keep my cool as I can’t afford to drop myself in the shit.

Nodding, Axel gives me a slight smile then turns toward the other bikers waiting for him. I nod to them and then quickly enter the kitchen and lean my back against the door.

Graham lifts an eyebrow in question. I walk over to him and quietly tell him what happened outside. ‘Stay calm, and Mia, just act as though nothing about that bothered you.’

I nod, then wash my hands and place my apron on, ready to start my shift in the dining area.

Suzie is working behind the counter, making fresh pots of coffee and placing dishes through the hatch for washing. I pat her shoulder to let her know I’m here, and I take over clearing dishes.

As I’m done, I take my pad and walk over to the MC guys and ask if they’re ready to order and if they need a coffee top-up.

Axel points at his empty, so I top his up and then turn to check out all the others before taking out my order pad again.

Once I have everyone’s orders, I quickly take them and hang them up for Graham. I take the couple of orders that are ready and walk over to the table with a family of four—smiling at the two kids and checking if they need anything else before heading back to the kitchen.

I keep myself busy and hope the MC guys don’t stay all afternoon. There are eight of them in total, but none should know me as it’s not an MC I have ever had any contact with.

By the end of the day, I’m tired and need to have a hot bath and a glass of wine, something I don’t usually do, but after today I need something to relax with.

Axel

There is something about this woman. I can’t put my finger on it, but something pulls at me. I’m sure her hair is dyed, but the length of it looks natural. I don’t know her, I don’t think, but something tells me I know of her. My gut instincts are never wrong, and although I’m not feeling alarmed, I want to know why I feel like I need to unravel this puzzle.

Tapping my VPs boot with the toe of mine, he looks over, and I nod slightly towards the woman called Mia and murmur for him to take a snap on his cell.

When we’re ready to leave, the woman called Mia is in the kitchen, and I can see her working at the sink through the hatch. I stand at the register and pay for our meals, thanking the woman.

Once we get to the parking lot, I take my helmet and turn to my VP, Drag and tell him to find out who she is and anything he can find on her.

Drag is a man that is always alert. He takes his VP responsibilities more than seriously. He’s six-feet-four, has brown hair, beard which he shaves regularly, gets lazy, and grows back again.

‘You know her Pres?’ Drag asks, sending the image to our tech man Specs.

‘No, but somethin’ about her tells me I need to know,’ I comment; throwing my leg over my bike, I sit but don’t start the engine for a minute. ‘Remind me later what you know of that case where the Rogue Demons MC had one of their own sent down.’

‘Oh, I remember that. A lot was goin’ around sayin’ that she was set up, and her man didn’t even ask her side of what happened. Basically, she was railroaded.’ Drag responds, shaking his head and frowning, ‘I’ll speak to Specs about that too as I’m sure he can find somethin’ on it.’

‘We didn’t have much to do with them at that time. Five years ago, I think it was, but we’ve touched with them more since. Sharp was President then, and I always thought he should have dug into it himself, but he was that busy gettin’ them clean I think he missed stuff.’ I tell Drag, and I note the interest from the rest has peaked. ‘Come on, let’s get back to the clubhouse.’

Zara

Sitting in the loft, I’m writing down what I’m finding on the internet from the newspaper reports about Miriam. The photographs of her in court have me crying. She looks so lost and sad. She’d lost a lot of weight too.

The other photographs show Cara dressed up like she’s going out for the night, spotless and perfect. She doesn’t look like someone stabbed her.

My father is giving evil looks at Miriam in the courtroom. I didn’t think they could take photographs in court, but they did. They didn’t allow Miriam to speak either, and her lawyer just said that she was not guilty but had nothing else to say; that couldn’t be right.

I write down the lawyer’s name and where he worked, and the prison name it says Miriam was going to be taken.

Closing out the laptop, I check how many snacks I have left and then open the hatch a little bit to listen if the coast is clear. I need to find some more drinks and what I can take from the kitchen as snacks. I also want to grab someone’s cell, so I have to be extra sneaky this time.

Once clear of the loft, I sneak around to the back door of the clubhouse. No one is about now, so I quietly go to the kitchen door and listen as I don’t want to meet anyone.

Turning the door handle, I squeal when a large hand lands on mine, and I spin around to see who it is.

‘What ya doin’ little girl?’ Crack asks me, grinning at the fact he made me jump.

I shrug my shoulder to say nothing.

‘Come on, in you go.’ Crack opens the door and pushes me inside, and I stop dead in my tracks when I see Cara sitting at the table with a bottle of vodka.

‘Where the fuck have you been?’ Cara snarls at me, staggering to stand, ‘Come here, we’re goin’ home.’

I shoot behind Crack; I’m not going with her. No way, she’ll punch me some more because I’ve been hiding for four days.

As she comes towards me, I rush for the back door, and as I get it open, she catches my shirt, dragging me back and knocking me to the floor.

‘Hey, don’t do that to her.’ Crack snarls, grabbing Cara, and as he does that, I bolt out the door and run as fast as I can back to my hiding place.

Once safely back with the hatch down, I lay on the bedding and close my eyes. My heart is beating fast, making me feel a bit sick. I need to find out where Miriam is. She’ll keep me safe.