Pay Back

She was sitting at the end of the bar, her dark and shiny, almost black hair, was the first thing that caught my eye. She was wearing a blue top with thin shoulder straps, black leather pants and a black leather jacket was hanging off the back of her chair. She held her left hand straight up with her elbow on the bar, between her fingers was a lit cigarette, and the smoke was circling upward in a blue hue. Her fingernails were long and beautifully done in what looked like a dark red color. As I walked toward her she turned her head and looked straight at me, there was no emotion on her face. Her face was tanned and beautiful, her eyes were dark and of an almond shape with dark liner, her lips where full, her face was narrow, she had a slight Asian appearance. The jukebox was blasting out a Grateful Dead song from times gone past. The place was dark like all bars but where she sat it was lighter than in the rest of the place.

When I saw the sign, BIKERS INN, I knew I was at the right place. I’d seen it a number of times but had never been inside. I had found out a long time ago that its better not to go into places like that unless you know some one because there is always a drunk that wants to prove himself to you and especially to me because I’m a big guy, six foot four inches and an easy target for little guys with large egos. I’m well trained in self defense and I’d never let guys like myself run over me, let alone a little guy.

The bar was old; it had been there forever. It was a longshoreman’s bar thirty years ago, but was sold to a biker club and they turned it into their own exclusive club, all bikers were invited except those they didn’t like and there were many. However, because of the large number of bikers in the area, they didn’t lack for business or membership. The parking area was in front and the bar was located in the back. There were a few older cars and a couple of older trucks with motorcycles in the back end of them. There were at least fifty Harley Davidson’s parked in front, nice and neat in a straight line, all backed in with room on either side. A large sign just outside the bar entrance read, Do Not Touch the Harleys, and over the door another sign that read, RENEGADES. That was the name of the club that had bought the place. Of course I didn’t know any of this until later on, when in a moment of a need to talk, Raven had told me about the place and it’s members. Raven was the one setting at the end of the bar. I would learn more about her, soon.

I had been visiting my girl friend and partner when at ten thirty at night I got a call from my secretary Candice. She said she had answered a call from a female who had wanted to talk to me immediately, and had given directions where I could find her. Candice said she the woman sounded like she was in trouble and had urgently asked for me to help her.

I gave in and told Silvia, my girl friend and partner, I had better check this one out. Silvia always understood. She’s a cop on the LAPD. When I met her she was a dispatcher in the same office she works in now, the San Pedro annex. Today she is one of LAPD’S finest and works with me as my partner. This is the way we work. If I need her along on a job, she goes, she’s a good back up. She knows exactly what to do and when. I can count on her in every way possible. If she doesn’t go with me, she always knows where I’m at and what I’m doing. Like this for example, in a biker bar in Wilmington. If I don’t call in she knows immediately what to do, she finds me, or knows the reason why she can’t.

As I started walking though the bar, the bartender; a huge gray bearded guy with a big gut, wearing a black t-shirt and a thin black leather vest open in front asked me.

“Who you lookin for?”

“I think it’s her,” I said, pointing at Raven at the end of the bar.

I could see through my peripheral vision that the whole place was watching me. The place was crowded with people that looked the same, all mean, poised and ready to fight at a moments notice. The bartender looked at me and asked, “what’ll you have?”

“Nothing right now, I don’t know how long I’m staying,” I answered as I stopped next to Raven and holding out my hand.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m Harley Leighton, I heard you wanted to see me.

“Have a seat,” she said as she motioned to the bar stool next to her. She didn’t say anything else while she lit another cigarette.

She must be a chain smoker I thought as she had just put the last one out. “Are we talking problems here or what?” I asked

“I heard you could be trusted in a pinch,” she stated, looking straight ahead, instead of looking at me.

“Depends what the pinch is,” I countered.

She turned her head and looked at me for the first time. She had a pretty face, but to me that didn’t mean anything right now. “Look, my secretary said you were in a hurry to see me, if your not I’m leaving, so speak up.”

“Hey fella!” I heard a voice say coming from behind me. I turned around saw another big lug biker that still had his leather cap on his head. His long gray hair hung down to his shoulders. He wore a black t-shirt that said “Renegades Angels” on the front with a skull and cross bones in plain vision. The message was plain. It could have said, I’m going to kill you. I turned around and looked at Raven. She didn’t move or say a word. I was all of a sudden in a place I didn’t want to be in. If this guy wanted trouble and the rest of his buddies jumped in, they could have it but first I’m not giving in just yet.