As I press end on my phone call, I turn back to my leader, “I’m gonna go down and reinforce the alley team, Jager.”
“Like hell you’re not! We’re out of here in fifteen minutes. That’s not enough time to get your ass back here without it being covered in bullet holes. Just be patient, Cal.”
“I can make it. I’m not going to let those guys go down around me for my cause without me putting my life on the line. You know they need me, so just let me go hold the line and survey what’s happening. I can move some guys around, make a few plays. And I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.” I’m pleading with him now, hoping he’ll hear my need to just have some bite of that action.
He doesn’t look back at me as he hands me the pistol in the black and brown leather holster tied tight around his waist. “You better be back on time and in one piece or you’re not going to that warehouse. Do you understand me?” I nod quickly as he adds, “Report back to me and let me know what’s going on. I want a tally.”
I walk away, down the small hill next to the abandoned convenience store towards where we parked our bikes. The streets are empty, completely devoid of anyone foolish enough to step foot outside their house. When you live next to biker gang headquarters, it’s just part of the drill. At first gunfire, you close your blinds, lock your door, and turn the television up for your kids.
I weave in and out of the alleyways leading towards the central attack area. The smell of smoke and powder tells me I’m getting close. As I slow down, bringing my bike to a gentle purr, I spot a man leaning against the garage. He’s younger, probably under the age of thirty. He clutches his waist underneath his jacket as he stares down at his blood soaked arm. I park my bike and run up to him, taking note that he’s one of us: the good guys.
He knows my face, meekly calling out to me, “Cal? Cal? Can you help me?” I kneel down to him, examining his injuries. His face is bruised, the black and blue mixing in with his dark brown beard. “I’ve been shived. Those bastards cut me with a switchblade when we tried to get through the alley.”
I twist the knot holding the bandana wrapped around my throat free and reach under his jacket to push it flush against the bleeding, hot wound. “How many more Mustangs did they get? Is anyone else down over here?” I scan the area, trying to spot anyone else I’ll need to rescue.
“No, just me. I was the first one in. Had to be the guinea pig, right?” He laughs as a spot of blood trickles down his pale pink lips. “But I’m going to be okay, right? I mean, it’s just a little wound. I’ve seen guys with worse.”
I look back down at him, his hands shaking as he takes over holding on to the bandana for me. In that moment, I have no idea how to answer his question. I’ve seen worse, sure. Lots of men get knifed in battles like this when there aren’t enough guns to go around. But I’ve also seen men die from little cuts and scrapes I wouldn’t have paid attention to.
Suddenly, I realize that the “tally” Jager wants me to take is not of the Coyotes marching in on our position, the men remaining, or the number of weapons lost. The “tally” is the number of guys out there fighting in the name of Maddie and my family – young guys like this one clutching to the idea that he was going to get out of here.
I stare into his fading eyes and make him a promise, “I don’t know, kid. But I swear to you I’m going to get you out of here and to the doc. You hear me?”
He begins to smile weakly, but he is cut off. His eyes widen as he lifts a hand. I turn in time to see man leap on top of me, pushing me down into the ground on the side of the injured Mustang. The attacker screams as he punches me in the face, landing blow after blow into my temple and cheek. I manage to wrap my legs around him to pull him down with me. I can end this right now, but the gun Jager gave me is gone. And both him and I notice that it’s fallen next to me at the same time, each of our hands racing to grab it first.
Neither of us make it. The Mustang is there before I have a chance. He fires it off quickly as it hits the attacker in the thigh. He lets out a blood-curdling yell as the Mustang drops the gun to the ground and looks back at me completely satisfied.