Creed was still ticked about what happened at his aunt’s house. Looking around the dingy, dirty motel room, he figured his mood wouldn’t be changing anytime soon. The place was a dump, and it reeked. If the stained, lime green bedspread and nicotine encrusted curtains didn’t turn a person’s stomach, all they had to do was look at the carpet. Hell, he doubted the floor had been swept in several months. It definitely hadn't been changed since the 1970's. Plus, judging by the sticky-looking dust bunnies in the corner, it might have been that long since it had been swept. What he guessed was supposed to be shag carpet looked more like Berber because of the grime ground into it.
After being in the service and traveling around on his bike for a few years, he wasn’t particular about where he laid his head, but he did have a major issue with smells. This place smelled like a wet cat that smoked ten packs of cigarettes a day had been trapped in the room for a month and pissed all over the place. Unfortunately, for him, Creed had to be there at the moment to complete the next part of his mission. It also fit with what he was trying to show the lovely people of Hazard, Kentucky. More specifically, the MC’s that seemed to gravitate towards the place because of the rural location and direct highway access. Plus, the local PD was known to turn a blind eye if their pockets were appropriately lined. Creed hadn’t grown up here, but he had spent a lot of time in Hazard with his aunt, so he was known but also unknown, which worked well for his cover.
Recently discharged, dishonorably, of course; at least that’s what his now doctored service record revealed, thanks to Talon and Jinx. If the fuckers saw his real service record, he wouldn’t stand a chance getting in close to any of the MC’s around Hazard. Hell, if any of them got ahold of a picture of him in his dress blues with his medals filling his chest, he was fucked. Creed just hoped that shit was hidden deep too. It wasn’t like he’d sent anyone one, anyway, not even his aunt. He needed them to think he was looking to cause some trouble and needing to pick up some quick cash. He also needed them to think he didn’t give a shit about how he had to do it.
Shake would fill in the rest for anyone who was interested in knowing about him. At least, that was the plan. Creed knew if asked, his aunt wouldn’t give away about him either. Even if she was pissed off at him. She was loyal to a fault. He just hoped she didn’t have to get involved. That was the one sticking point in his plan. He didn’t want her to be involved, but in Hazard, everyone knew everyone and chances people not associating them with one another were slim to none. He would do his best to keep her out of it. He just needed the in before he moved on to the bigger fish in Lexington and then ultimately Frankfort. Hazard was just a stepping stone.
Shake would be easy. All Creed had to do was hype his cousin up about wanting to make some quick cash, and the asshole would be all over it. For his cut, of course; the slimy fucker never changed. Unlike his aunt. He still couldn’t figure out what happened to her or what was going on. Aunt Kim never cowed down to anyone; she was about as far from submissive as he was. Kim was a force to be reckoned with on a good day. Why she was acting so out of character for that asshole, Creed didn’t have a clue, worse yet, he didn’t like it one fucking bit. It took him all of one phone call to find out the man’s last name, but that was a far as he had got. Becky, his aunt’s best friend had been as tight-lipped as his aunt. She did say Kim knew what she was doing, and Creed should stay out of it, blah fucking blah.
It was bullshit. Kim was never the type to play games, and he wondered why the hell she was doing it now. Pacing around the dingy hotel room, Creed decided to pull in the big guns. It didn’t take Talon long to answer.
“Creed? Hey man, what’s up, you doing good?” Shit, Creed thought as soon as he heard the hesitancy in Tal’s voice. He hadn’t followed procedure. When the guys were out on a mission, they were trained to punch in a four-digit code before dial any of the RBMC numbers. One said everything was all clear, and the other meant they were in trouble. Creed hadn’t done either.
Sitting down on the bed, Creed put his elbow on his knee, placing his hand on his forehead, trying to rub out the headache that was forming. Fuck, it was such a rookie mistake, he was embarrassed.
“Tal, shit, my bad, dude, 10-106, all is secure. I got up in some family shit and blanked.”
“Mission status?”
Creed didn’t question Tal’s bluntness, it had saved members in the past who were out in the field. Getting back up, he started pacing the room while he gave his mission details. After his epic fuck-up, he needed to mind his Ps and Qs for the rest of this phone call, or Tuck would be pulling him out quicker than shit.
“Ongoing, contact not made. Still looking for my in. I’m calling in a personal request,” Creed said.
There was a silence on the other end of the line that lasted long enough for Creed to pull his phone back and look at the screen to make sure it was still connected to Talon. He was still connected. Putting it back to his ear he was about to say Tal’s name. When the Talon said, “Go.” Creed relayed the details he knew.
“I need whatever you can get on Ben Williams, Caucasian male, five eight about two hundred and thirty pounds, brown hair and eyes. Lives in Hazard, Kentucky or close by. Age between forty-five and fifty.”
“Full package or simple workup?” Talon asked.
Creed stopped pacing and smiled. It paid to have the friends he did. A simple package would get him the fuckers address, work address, phone number, and known associates, but a full package would give Creed everything from the time he ate dinner to the last time he took a shit. He replied immediately, “Full package.” His Aunt might not want him in her business, but he wasn’t going to give her choice.
“It’s going to take a day to two to compile a full package, anything we need to know in the meantime?”
“Nope, all is as it is supposed to be. Send the package to my email when done. Got to go.” Creed hung up the phone because his mission was finally starting. The other thing about the crappy motel. The walls were thin, and from the sounds coming from the room next door, his cousin was done with his afternoon delight.
Creed moved over to the window, keeping clear of the nasty curtain, Creed pulled the dust coated metal blind, just enough so he could look through but not be seen. He heard the door shut, then the clicking of some chick’s heels on the cracked asphalt outside. Seeing the woman, he almost laughed; looked like Shake was still paying for it because if that chick wasn’t a hooker, he wasn’t a man. And from the looks of it, she wasn’t the high-end variety, either, nope back alley was more her speed. Fucked-up make-up, track marks on skinny, scab-littered, thin arms. Frizzy, teased-out helmet hair and barely there spandex dress that looked about as clean as the bedspread in his room. Hell, it was even the same color. To each their own, he thought. But definitely not for him.
Creed moved away and listened at the wall that connected the two rooms. When the toilet flushed, he knew he had a couple more seconds to time this just right. Not having anything to grab because he didn’t bring anything into the room, Creed waited for a count of five before opening the door. He saw Shake through his peripheral vision but kept his eyes on his phone. Walking at a fast clip, it didn’t take him long to run right into the smaller man, just as he’d planned.
“What the fuck, man! Watch where you're going,” Shake screeched. If Creed wasn’t playing a game, he would have laughed, his cousin wasn’t intimidating in the least. Creed could take him with both hands tied behind his back, but he had to give it to the man, he had balls.
Shake was a small man, maybe five foot six and weighed all of a buck twenty. What he had in spades was bravado and a Napoleon complex with narcissistic tendencies. Which gave the little man a set of balls that only the gun in the small of his back could back up. Creed had clocked the gun in the small of Shakes back within two seconds of coming out of the door.
“Shit, man, sorry, my bitch is driving me nuts.”
“Creed? Well, I’ll be damned,” Shake said, stopping to pull Creed into an awkward hug, slapping him on the back with more force then necessary. Creed pulled Shake back like he was puzzled, then smiled.
“Well, shit, Shake, I had no idea I would run into you here. It’s been a long time, how you’ve been?”
“Oh, same old shit, just a different day. You here to see Aunt Kim?”
“Naw, man, I’ll stop in and see her, but I’m looking to get some quick cash and head on out again,” Creed watched Shake’s eyes light up at the mention of fast money, and he knew he had him, he just needed to play it cool for Shake to take the rest of the bait he was laying out. “Can’t stay in one place too long, you know how it is. Hazard just seemed like a good place to stop. Figured I could hook up with one of the local MC’s and see if they have anything that needs to be handled before I head out again.”
“Huh, you're looking to hook up with a Club? Doesn’t seem like your style.”
Damn, Creed thought, he must have pushed a little too hard or pulled the trigger too fast. Shake was suspicious. Fuck, could he get anything right today? He needed to get his head in the game and pretty damn fast. Then something dawned on him; Shake kept on sucking in air through his nose and wiping at it. The boy had a habit, and from the look of his dilated, bloodshot eyes, it had a pretty good hold of him. Creed rubbed his arms like he had a chill and looked around the parking lot like someone was hiding out there.
“Yeah, man, things change, got my ass kicked out of the Air Force, and fuckers won’t fill my meds anymore. Need to get what I need, and it cost bank. Holding down a nine-to-five doesn’t fit with my lifestyle if you know what I mean?” Creed almost sighed when the glimmer of greed came back in Shakes eyes. Yeah, he had him.
“So, you staying here,” Shake asked?
“Yeah, seems like a good enough place. Didn’t want Aunt Kim to get word I was in town until I was ready to deal with the bitch. Can’t have her cramping my game when I’m trying to get shit done.”
“I know what you mean. She’s been on a tear lately. Shake you need to grow up and move out of your Momma’s house, you need to get a job, blah blah blah, on and on. She doesn’t know when to shut up and let a man do what he has to. Always saying I’m hurting my momma. Momma is just fine when I drop the cash on the table.”
“Maybe I’ll stop in and see your momma, it’s been a while,” Creed said, still acting crazy. He had to keep on reminding himself to look around and rub at himself.
“You low on your ‘medication’ now?”
“Yeah, man, you got anything to help me out? I sure would appreciate it,” Creed said, licking his lips like he could taste the junk before even seeing it. Shake looked like he had just won the fucking lottery, having Creed in his back pocket, or so he thought, would be a big turn on for him. They’d always been rivals as children, Creed always coming out on top. Top of his class, MVP of the football team, and Aunt Kim’s favorite. The golden boy of the family while Shake was the black sheep.
“I got something, but it’s going to cost you.” Creed looked down at his boots and slumped his shoulders a little.
“Shit, man, I don’t have much right now, but I could sure use some help. Anything you need done?”
“Fuck, Creed, I ain’t job services, and I don’t have a lawn you can mow. This shit costs money.” Creed did laugh that time but covered it with a cough. Shake didn’t pay for his stash, he bargained for it, just like he was doing now.
“Well, if you can’t,” Creed said, walking by the guy toward his bike.
“Oh, hold up a second, I didn’t say I didn’t have any, just that it costs money. But since your family and in a bad way, I’ll hook you up, this one time.”
Creed watched as Shake reached down into his boot and pulled out a little tin foil wrapped square. Damn his cousin was playing with the big boys if he was carrying heroin around. Creed started to shake some more and reached for it expecting the other man to do exactly what he did by moving the package away. Then putting his hand back out to him.
“Now, this shit ain’t free, but it will get you through a couple of hours. How about you meet me at Shack in say two hours? You remember the place right out of 101?”
“Yeah, I remember, it can’t believe that piece of shit is still standing after all these years.”
Not only standing but thriving. Like I said meet me there in two hours, I might be able to come up with a way for you to pay me back and hook you up with a few people who could help you pay for all the medicine you need. After my cut of course.”
“Hey, man, anything,” Creed said, taking the package, bouncing foot to foot. Hell, he was just glad no one, he knew, change that, respected, was watching him right now. Creed started to walk back toward his room when Shake grabbed his arm. Creed let him turn him around even made his eyes big, just for the effect of being startled.
“Hold up, don’t forget Frankie’s in two hours. If I have to come and hunt you down, I might just forget that we’re family.”
“I’ll be there Shake, thanks, man,” Creed nodded his head enthusiastically like Shake had just given him the best gift. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
Shake nodded and waved Creed off as he turned away. Creed followed suit and went back to his hotel room. Once inside, he shut the door and watched his cousin pull out of the parking lot.
Game on.