The Knightstick Chronicles, Rough Justice

Ch11, Bad Company

At about noon I pulled into the parking lot behind a warehouse across from Ace's. Over the past several weeks I had scoped out a number of different vantage points to watch the gang's comings and goings without drawing attention to myself. I parked and set out my binoculars, settling in for the long wait. 

I had no way of knowing when Zacharia would show, but I had the gang's normal trends pretty well figured out. Every night Acolytes would show up, and in large numbers. Normally they started arriving sometime after five, though high-ranking members would sometimes frequent the bar earlier in the day. Zacharia was the Sergeant-at-arms, and there was a chance he would need to tend to business before the rest of the crew showed up to the party, so getting my eyes on the place as early as possible was the safest bet. 
Over the next several hours I monitored the bar, working through a bag of spicy nacho chips and listening to random podcasts to kill the time. I was halfway through the bag when I caught sight of the first few bikes pulling into the gravel lot. My hunch paid off, As the three Harleys pulled in, I could make out Zacharia in the lead. Jackpot.

Dusting nacho dust off my fingers, I sent Daniel the update. I pulled out my binoculars and tried to get a look at the three men. I didn't recognize the other two, but one of them, a bald guy covered in tattoos, caught my eye. I couldn't figure out why, but something about him set me on edge and made my stomach squirm. A familiar sense of unease, I couldn't place, rolled over me making my skin crawl. I shook it off and returned to my binoculars in time to see the entourage walk into the bar. All I could do now was keep tabs on the door until the cavalry showed up. 

It was another half hour before I picked up the squad car pulling into the parking lot behind me. Daniel pulled up along my passenger side and I rolled down my window. 

"A few more showed up," I told him, "I counted six go inside the bar. When the other units get here, we can take him without much fuss." I looked over but paused when I saw the look on Daniel's face. "You ok?"

"Yeah. About all that... There aren't going to be any more units," he said. "What?" I exclaimed, "They sent you alone to take a fugitive from a biker bar?" Daniel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Well no... we're under orders to stay away from the Acolytes. No one else would come with me." I shook my head in shock, "You're kidding. Then why the hell are you here?" Daniel frowned, "I wasn't about to let you do something stupid on your own!" I rubbed my face, feeling frustrated. The two of us against six bikers? It was way too risky, I didn't like it.
 
"Get out of here Daniel." I said, "If you're under orders to stay away, then stay away. I'm not letting you get in trouble over my bullshit." Daniel's face turned sour, "Fuck you, John. This isn't just about you. Do you know what that Zacharia guy did? I talked to the arresting officers. He beat down a woman at a gas station and dragged her into a bathroom where they found her battered and bloody. She would only say he did it to steal her smokes. They think he did worse to her, but for some reason, she won't talk. The guy is a monster. A violent fugitive who I intend to bring in, end of story." Daniel's jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed, I could see his determination setting in. There was no way I was going to talk him out of it now. 

"Shit, this is such a bad idea." I said, "Ok, if we are going to do this, we do it now. The longer we wait the more of their crew will show up." Daniel nodded, "yeah. You said six? We can handle six." Daniel looked over to the bar, preparing himself for what we were about to do. "So much for not kicking down the club doors hu?" He chuckled. I let out a breath through pursed lips, "Let's go." 

We drove across the Street and parked in the gravel lot next to the bikes. I climbed out of my car and fell in step alongside Daniel as he approached the door. "I've got the badge, so you let me do the talking," he said. I scowled at him but didn't argue. Daniel opened the door and we walked in.