Chapter 4: Greyhound Bus vs. the Train Station, You Choose

Cliff Sr. brought his son Cliff Jr. to the Sheriff’s office, like his brother-in-law told him that he had to do. “Elroy can’t you just make shit go away” Cliff Sr. asked.

“I wish I that I could. One of the people that stupid ass Perkins arrested this morning was that boy’s mother Tanya James. Idiot that Deputy Perkins is, he had no idea that Tanya James is an Attorney. From the few calls that have I made, I have learned that the woman is a damn good Lawyer, too. She told her son to not speak to anyone until she could get him some decent legal representation. She told Perkins that he was a minor to his face. But Perkins believed that she was just lying to him. As he had incorrectly assumed that Martin Jeffrey James Jr. was a fully grown man, just because of his immense size, alone. Cliff, you saw that kid up close, yesterday. Did you think that he was still in high school? That kid won’t graduate high school for two more years, after this year’s seniors graduate.” Sheriff Lobo said, calmly scolding Cliff Sr.

“After Perkins leaves The Ranch this morning, he violated more than one law. Starting with releasing that hummer to your son Cliff, instead of towing it as it was evidence in an alleged crime. I am sure that Tanya was on the phone calling her husband, who is young Martin’s father, who immediately chartered himself a jet. Martin Sr. arrived here in this office. just a few hours later. Perkins continued to make stupid decisions this morning as he turned young Martin over to my day shift Deputies that refused to listen to young Martin that he was a high school aged kid, simply because he had never been seen at Braddock High School.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“Those two idiot Deputies may soon find themselves locked inside one of the same jail cells, that they should have put Martin Jeffrey James Jr., into this morning. They wanted to see a little bit of sport putting Martin in the same cell with the Hansen brothers. Anyway, to keep on dishing out the latest current events. Martin Jeffrey James Sr. stormed in here looking for his son. Not too long ago. I told him that his son was already on his way to the Courthouse. I didn’t mention anything that happened here at the jail this morning, for obvious reasons. So, he left here, headed to the Courthouse to represent his child. By the time Martin had arrived I had been called by Pam Drucker, who had given me my new marching orders.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“Young Martin was sent back here by the Judge to be put in a cell by himself, and he was not to be harmed or treated bad. If anything, bad happened here at the jail there would be consequences, for anybody involved, no matter who they are. These orders came straight from the Judge. Pam at this point, was also strongly advising me, to release young Martin into her custody, which I did. Meanwhile Martin James Sr. was in a meeting with the District Attorney himself, along with his chief A.D.A., and the Judge Harry Reed in his chambers. I could have waited for a call from the Mayor, but I know who really runs this town behind the scenes as well as you. Pam is already trying to do damage control for the very large lawsuit that is likely to be coming to Braddock County, thanks to your son.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“If I was you, I would be looking into getting a good lawyer, somebody from Dallas to looking into saving your own ass, as well. Because you can bet that before the dust settles down, your son is going to say you were involved in this mess in some way, maybe even that it was your idea first. Or that you said something along those lines of what he did, was something that you should do. Cliff, he is looking at going to jail, over this bullshit. So, he will most likely try eventually, to make you out to be the worst bad guy if he can. As that is just par for the course, in a situations like this. You should get him his own lawyer, that will look after his own personal interests. As his interests according to you, are not your interests, at all. As you have said just now that you had nothing to do with him calling Deputy Perkins. Or any of the actions that happened on The Ranch this morning.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“Cliff, both Tanya and Martin are both top notch lawyers that have won quite a few millions of dollars for their clients, over the last decade alone. These are just a few of the facts that I have just heard, about to tell you. Just from calling a hand full of folks that I know in the legal community, that are in the know, about lawyers, who are worth hiring. Cliff most of your problems have not even begun yet. You are not only dealing with The Ranch residents. Some of your best friends are related by blood to some of those folks living on The Ranch. We all know that their family motto is. ‘If you mess with one family member, then you have messed with the entire family.’ No matter what color their skin is. You do also realize that the feed store, and the grain elevator are both own by all of those family members. Nearly half the milk in this County will soon come from The Ranch itself, when their new milking parlors are finished, and up and running.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“You have to know that your brother Chet can’t afford to stand beside you in this matter? Most of his business is heavily dependent upon that entire family for most of his supplies. Plus, most of his customer base, is either from that family itself, or many of their close friends.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“Now while you are thinking of how you are going to handle this terrible situation, that Cliff Jr. has put you and Elsie into. Elsie wants to meet with you at my house for dinner tonight. Please be there on time as she says that it is very important to you and your personal situation. She wants you to know how she wants the two of you to go from this day forward. Please don’t start asking me a bunch of questions that I don’t have any answers for at this time. Good or bad, for just about any obvious questions that you could possibly think of, to ask me.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“I’ll be there Elroy because I don’t want to lose Elsie. I wish that I had never bought that damned Hummer, right now. I also wish that I hadn’t went near Chet’s yesterday. I let my son talk trash down at Chet’s like I myself have done a million times, before yesterday.” Cliff Hawkins said. “I knew when I saw that it was William James was involved I should have walked away. But I let blind hatred blind me to the fact that I should have quickly run away, rather than just walking away. I let my pride as a so-called upstanding white man, standing up against a black man who shouldn’t be nearly as important as most of the men that were in the restaurant. Never mind the fact that William had more than earned all the respect that was due him. From every single man in the room, including me. You also have to understand the main of the reason fact that William was one of the dudes from high school that thoroughly kicked not only my ass, but he also beat the shit out of two of my friend’s ass’s, in the same three against one fight. When the three of us let our mouths, overload all three of our ass’s.” Cliff Hawkins Sr. said.

“Billy Joe Bass, Willie Ray Toms, and I, had been talking about teaching a black dude what their place was going to be in our community. Black people were trying to move into Braddock County in large numbers at the time, back then. These were the type of things the older men and boys were talking about doing. So, we were shocked when people were asking who attacked William? More important the word went out to leave him be, involving actions like we had taken. As several of his white cousins made it clear, that they would personally hurt anyone found to be involved in trying to hurt him, in any way. As William is their cousin, as their Grandfather was also William’s Grandfather.” Cliff Hawkins Sr. said.

“Well, I will tell Elsie, and Sissy that you will be expected tonight then.” Sheriff Lobo said.

Just as Sheriff Lobo was about to begin dressing down his day shift Deputies, Martin James Sr. had return with a signed order from Judge Harry Reed to release Martin Jeffrey James Jr. into either of his parents, Tanya James, Martin Jeffrey James Sr., or his Aunt Sonja James, or his Uncle William James’ custody, immediately. “Sheriff Lobo I have here a signed order for you to release my son immediately into my custody, Sir.” Martin Sr. said.

“I would be glad to do as you ask as I wouldn’t want my son locked up here either. But I can’t release your son to you, at this time, Sir.” Sheriff Lobo said, before he quickly raised his right hand. As he could see that Martin was about go off on him, as any father would, if the legal orders from a judge were about to be ignored. “Please listen to me Martin before you get upset more than you already are this morning, or the few minutes that are still left in this morning, anyway.” Sheriff Lobo said.

Martin looked at him like Sheriff Lobo was senile or something like that, anyway. “Martin I can’t go get your son as he is no longer in custody here. Pamela Drucker forced me to release your son into her care over an hour ago. She promised she would bring your child home unharmed.” Sheriff Lobo said.

Now Martin didn’t know what to do, or where to look next for his child. Tanya was going to have his nuts roasting over an open fire if Jeffrey ended up harmed in any way before he returned home.

Martin had no idea that he son was right now at this moment punishing the hell out of Pamela Drucker’s pussy. He had first savagely attacked her pussy with his lips, tongue, and also very gently even using his teeth. By the time Pam was introduced the lessons that Jeff had recently learned she was wondering if she would survive the sexual pleasure that Jeff was dishing out her way. Pam now knew that she was both addicted and was glad that she had laid down with her new young master. She also knew that her daughter had walked away from the best lover that she was likely to have ever have. Sue was going to be so jealous if she ever saw Jeff in action as she likely already knew that his package was above average in size. But Sue had no idea that Jeff had learned how to use what God had Blessed him with, almost too well. Pam was so worried as to what would happen when she took Jeff home to The Ranch. After they had both showered, and were squeaky clean, with no traces of the smell of their hot sex, lingering anywhere on their bodies.

They let Jim Bob out of the hospital when he could stand on his own with no trace of any dizziness, or unsteadiness. Jim Bob found out when he arrived at the Devil’s Handle clubhouse his chapter’s membership was down to fifteen members left. Plus, they had lost all of their motorcycles, and all of their acquired tools, as well. He was definitely upset when he learned about that first night that five of his men, including his most trusted man, Lucky disappeared. The first thing he realized about Lucky, was that not only could he not remember Lucky’s real name was. But he had no idea just where Lucky had born and raised. Or anything about Lucky’s parents, or where those parents currently resided. Or even if they were still alive for that matter. Thus, Jim Bob now knew for certain that unless Lucky returned for some reason of his own, then Lucky was indeed lost to the club, forever. Jim Bob was just sitting in their clubhouse for the moment trying think of their next move should be, before Chains arrived, in town, any day now.

“Sue, when is your mother most likely to be at home?” Jim Bob asked Sue.

“The bitch is usually at home any time after 8p.m., most of the week. Why you asking about her?” Sue asked Jim Bob.

“Because she controls the bank! I tried to get her a new boyfriend to fuck, since you said she had been just sitting on her unused pussy. A bitch in heat is much easier to control. We need a way to buy us some motorcycles as we are all walking other than your car. Maybe you can get your father set you up with a loan for a new Harley-Davison. As I need to at least have some new, or at least some used Harley-Davison motorcycles parked at the curb before Chains gets here.” Jim Bob said. “I need to show Chains that we have a blank check ready to be used often, down at your parent’s bank.” Jim Bob said to Sue.

“Well, you should know that my mother controls the loan department, and almost no loans can be approved without her knowing about the loans, beforehand. None of us including me can get mama to approve any loans. As none of us have a job, or sufficient collateral that she can see as proof to approve a loan, to any of us. Before you ask, my dad made some stupid loans in the past for some of his friends, and most of them defaulted on those loans. Mama got some of the money back but had to write off most of those bad loans. That is when she took over the loan department with an iron fist, and she has never shown much leeway to her loan officers, except for the old solidly established accounts.” Sue said.

“Well, you need to visit your mama tonight. While you are visiting her we will come in and get her and by morning she will be willing to do whatever we tell her to do.” Jim Bob said. Jim Bob felt much better now that he had a solid plan in place. The thought of going to Dallas to buy some brand new, and used Harley-Davison motorcycles, for him and his crew, was improving his bad mood. He figured that Pam was about to become a walking blank check to him. Chains would like that fact when he got here. Jim Bob was thinking he had better marry her rather than kill her though. If she was a drugged-up widow she wouldn’t care that she was becoming Jim Bob’s wife. These plans might just upset Sue, though.

“Damn! Well, once we kidnap her tonight, she will eventually do, whatever we want her to do.” Jim Bob informed Sue. Sue showed absolutely no emotion, to that fact that a man that she had not known all that long, intended to kidnap her mother. The woman who had given birth to her, and tried to raise her, teaching her right from wrong. But she now knew that Jim Bob intended to drug her, so that she would willingly do things. The type of things that she would never do, in a completely sober state of mind. Sue didn’t care what happened to her mother, as long as whatever happened, pleased Jim Bob.

Chain and a 150 of his toughest members rolled into town looking for Jim Bob’s clubhouse. They had stopped for gas to fill up their Harley’s, at the very same gas station, that three of the Devil’s Handle motorcycle members tried to carjack themselves a way out of town. The only thing that all three of those members were able to actually obtain, for all of their troubles, was their own personal deaths. So, they did get to leave town, like they wanted to do at the end of their lives. I’m sure the place that their destination is taking them to, was not anywhere that they were intended, to be going to. The clerk at the gas station was able to give them very good directions to the Devil’s Handle clubhouse.

Chains didn’t think any of his members were in the clubhouse as there wasn’t a Harley-Davison anywhere in sight that didn’t ride into town when he did. When Chains tried the door finding it unlocked, he just walked on in, unannounced. “Jim Bob where the hell are all of your bikes?” Chains calmly asked Jim Bob.

“They were taken from us to both pay our hospital bills, and to keep the people from pressing charges against us for damages, and for trespassing, on the Peterson property, that we wanted to set up as our new base of operations.” Jim Bob said.

“Where are the rest of your members, at? I have already heard all about the three members that were killed at the gas station, when we filled up our bikes.” Chains said.

“Well, the same night that we all got fucked up, when we tried that ill-fated bullshit on the Peterson place the three that you know about left, along with three others, including Lucky, also left the clubhouse and none of those three have returned. We don’t know if they got away, or were either hurt, or killed also. We were ambushed plain and simple. They were nowhere one minute, and suddenly they were everywhere, all around us, the next minute. You are making the same errors that we made when we got here.” Jim Bob said.

“Everybody here knows everybody that lives here. We all still standout, as outsiders. We have tried to personally intimidate anyone and everyone that crossed our path. The Sheriff eventually came to the clubhouse with a few of his deputies and let us know that we will soon find ourselves locked up if we kept so being rude. The man made it clear he would deputize enough people to get the job done. His next piece of advice went in one ear and out the other, because we all thought that these people were so harmless, to us.” Jim Bob said.

“I can see that you gentlemen are a formidable group of men. What you are not taking into account is that the men around here aren’t going to put up with too much more of your bullshit. Before they show you and all of your little outfit that it isn’t the only group of men that are willing to fight. These men will definitely fight about anything that you and your men want to fight about. All you got for members of your fighting force, are only the men that are in this room, right now. None of the local men, that you have been recruiting, are suddenly not going to be interested in joining on your outfit, at any time now. I can tell you this for certain, that some of the men that your men would maybe eventually facing, personally hate each other.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“But as you are now a common enemy, to all of them. I know these men well enough to tell you that they will be putting all of their personal feelings for each other aside. I’m talking about hatred that might go back before any of you, or even your parents, for that matter, were born, too. So, when they converge on your ass’s you won’t know what hit you. But their women and children will not have to worry about any of you bothering them anymore. So, you can’t even imagine, all of the hot pussy, that those women will be serving up to their menfolk. Because they either kicked your ass’s, or killed some of you, or all of you. Something these prideful men would do, with no extra reward, in mind other than their immense pride.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“Just to also insure that our town does indeed stay our town. Some friendly free advice, if I was any of you ladies, and gentlemen, I would be making my latest plans to be living someplace else. Braddock County will even purchase the necessary Greyhound Bus ride to anywhere that you want to go. We will even throw in some money to feed yourselves along the way, to wherever it is that you are going as well.” Sheriff Lobo said.

“Are you telling me that all of you fear these local assholes living in this little piss ant town more than me?!” Chains yelled at every man and woman in the clubhouse. “Yes!” Was the answer that Chains received from all of the Devil’s Handle chapter members that he was talking too. “Well Jim Bob I never thought of you as a weak man afraid of anything, before. I have seen you in action you were always considered a fearsome foe, until now anyway. This could still turn into a pitiful end to your membership in the Devil’s Handle motorcycle club. Now before we decide on your final fate in this club, tell me about who the landlord is. i want to make sure that next month’s rent is paid, for this clubhouse. Just in case your big plans to get this banker lady goes south, like all your other efforts have concerning this mission have, so far.” Chains said.

“Chains, we were leasing this place, on a month-to-month basis, as we were keeping all of our options open. As we all expected to have the Peterson place in hand by now. When the Sheriff stopped by, he also delivered an eviction notice to us, letting us know that we were no longer going to be able to rent this building. And made sure we understood that this building had better not suffer any damage, because we had lost our lease.” Jim Bob said.

“Well, this is some kind of fucked up shit! When were you planning to grab that banker bitch?” Chains asked Jim Bob.

“We need to grab her as soon as we see her, anywhere. We need to get her without any of us being seen, or getting caught, by anyone, while we are grabbing her.” Jim Bob said.

“Do any of you know where she is right now?” Chains asked.

“No, we don’t because she hasn’t been at the bank all day, so far. She has been predicable for the most part, when we were watching her in the past. Her daughter was quite helpful in telling us how her mother moves about town.” Jim Bob said.

Chains stopped and looked directly at Sue, thinking at once how he was going to enjoy fucking her later on. Though he first had to handle business, first. Then kill Jim Bob. As Jim Bob had outlived his usefulness. As soon as Chains had this operation back on track poor Jim Bob was going to find himself becoming the latest example of what sometimes happens to Devil’s Handle members. Chains had a well-known policy that most of the members closest to him knew from his past actions. If Chains had to either send you very much more help than you planned for at the start of your mission. The failed members situation always ended badly if Chains had to come and do any part of the job himself. None of his close members had ever seen any of those members who failed Chains in any way live all that long after Chains finished the mission. After fixing their so-called mistakes, during the process, the doom club members just seemed to disappear.

Many a country side piece of ground was holding a tarp wrapped body deep inside it’s cold and dark, embrace. Marking the sad end of a few of the failed Devil’s Handle members. None of these poor doomed souls had any idea that they were about to go on a forced permanent vacation for the rest of their lives.

Lucky knew about this policy, and that is the number one reason he knew that he had to leave as Chains wasn’t all that kind to his members when things went right. But people tended to disappear when things went wrong. Unlike Jim Bob, Lucky had been around Chains longer, and seen how several people suddenly disappeared for less problems, than this situation was looking as though were about to happen. Lucky had unknowing at first, been involved in one of those disappearances. After Lucky had inadvertently learned more than he ever wanted to ever know about the deadly inner workings of the Devil’s Handle motorcycle club. He seriously began keeping both his eyes and ears open, looking for a way out of the Devil’s Handle motorcycle club. Naturally Lucky still wanted to be alive, and healthy afterwards, if he was lucky enough, to find a safe way out of the club.

While the Devil’s Handle Motorcycle Club spent the afternoon trying to plan how to put their future in the Braddock County area back together. Cliff Hawkins spent his afternoon trying to also fix his sudden problems and get his personal future back to normal in Braddock County.

Cliff arrived at Elroy’s house early. Elroy’s wife Sissy had made a big pot of beef stew and ‘Hot Water Cornbread.’ (The simple explanation Hot Water Cornbread is corn meal that is prepared a little bit different than baking it in an oven. It is fried in a skillet like you make pancakes, and they will look like pancakes, but tastes different from either pancakes, or normally oven baked cornbread.)

Cliff was nervous tonight like he was back in high school. Cliff knew that he was lucky that Elsie gave him the time of day when he began chasing after her. Cliff came to Elroy’s home ready to grovel or whatever it took to get Elsie to come back home. Knowing that he was guilty of treating Elsie like shit, didn’t mean that Cliff didn’t want to lose his ‘Wildcat’. Elsie still had the best pussy that Cliff had ever had the pleasure of being balls deep inside of. A man would never know that she had given birth to five children when she clamped down tight with her pussy. She believed in keeping herself as close to her high school size as possible. Though she carried thicker and stronger muscles now, then she ever did, when she was in high school.

Elsie and Andrea arrived after Cliff did, so he was relieved when Elsie got there. Sandra had tagged along, not wanting to be left alone at home with her three brothers, for any reason. Plus eating somebody else’s cooking was something Sandra also liked to do. Sandra was lazy and cooking was not something she enjoyed doing, even just making something for herself. Sandra had grown up in a house where her mother did all the cooking. Sandra expected her mother to make sure there was a meal prepared for Sandra to eat, without fail, every day. Nobody said much during the actual meal, for various reasons. The simple truth was nobody wanted to break the ice to something that was likely to be emotionally painful to everybody in the room, on some level. “You four go into my office and close the door, so you can say whatever needs to be said. Sissy and I will take care of cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the leftovers. Then we are going over to Chet’s house to get our children. By the time we get back hopefully you four will be either be gone home, or well on your way to saying whatever it is that none of you could say at the dinner table, tonight.” Elroy said.

When they were all in the room Cliff said. “I am so sorry that you felt that you had to sleep at here at Elroy’s house last night. I was wrong yesterday for most of my actions that has caused all of the troubles that have suddenly fallen onto our family.”

“Just what the fuck are you so suddenly sorry about, huh? Cause it surely ain’t cause you are so sorry about fucking women all over this County, all these years! Before you fix your mouth to lie, remember I am friends with people that you ignore! I knew what you were doing long before you no longer cared who saw you with all those different women!” Elsie yelled out loud, to the entire room. Elroy and Sissy may have heard Elsie all the way in the kitchen, where they were standing at their sink washing dishes.

Cliff was in a case of mild shock, as he had no clue that Elsie knew anything about his extra-curricular affairs, all these years. Andrea had no idea about her father’s activities away from their farm. Sandra on the other hand knew all about her father playing house while he was away from home. She found out years ago he was fucking one of her friend’s aunts. She didn’t hesitate to let him know that she knew about the affair. She used this information to make her life easier at home. What Sandra didn’t know was that her mother was well aware of her actions, and the results of those actions. While Elsie still loved Sandra, just the same. Sandra was going to regret her actions when Elsie walked away from this family after Andrea graduated high school. Elsie had no concrete plans about her life was going to entail. She just knew that Cliff was going to pay her a comfortable wage if he wanted to keep his family farm. Farmland that had been in his family nearly a hundred years.

“Mama you are surely mistaken, as Daddy would never cheat on you, because he loves you, so much.” Sandra said.

“Bitch! I know exactly what your other parent has been doing. I also know that you have been well aware of his actions for years. He bought your silence years ago. Andrea has suffered off and on, doing your chores! You claimed illness, school work, or Cliff just telling her that she had to do your work around the farm. You know how to cook because I taught you, but I bet you have not prepared a family meal, by yourself, ever! Despite what you may think of me, I am one bad-ass BITCH! I CAN AND WILL KICK YOUR ASS, IF YOU PERSIST ON BUTTING YOUR BIG-ASS NOSE INTO MY MARRIAGE!” Elsie yelled even louder, if that’s possible. After hearing what Elsie yelled, Sandra stepped behind Andrea, putting Andrea between their mama and herself.

Andrea didn’t know what to do or say concerning what she just heard her mama say. She did notice that Cliff had yet to deny anything that Elsie said that he did. Andrea also noticed that Sandra stopped trying to defend their father and was hiding behind her after she was threatened. Andrea knew where she was sleeping tonight, and every night from now on, and that was at The Ranch. If Cliff had looked outside he would have gotten upset all over again as Andrea was driving that very same 1971 FORD F 350 1-ton pickup that cost him his beloved HUMMER, yesterday.

“Elsie I admit that I was wrong for doing what I did, I promise to stay at home re-earn your trust, for sleeping with those different women.” Cliff said.

“Cliff I have loved my life with you, and I do in fact love all five of our children. My life with you is now over. I would been leaving after Andrea graduated high school, anyway. I wanted all of my children grown before I left you. With my families fertility issues, I wanted to make sure Andrea was out of high school before I left you. Sandra has managed to not become a mother, which is a good thing. I had planned to take Andrea with me when I left the farm, but she now has her own plans, and doesn’t need my help anymore, or anyone else’s, either, for that matter.” Elsie said.

“I said all that Cliff, because I have been in love with somebody else since I was a teenager. He married his high school sweetheart and built a life here in Braddock that is beyond reproach. Thanks to Andrea I have found out that I can be with this man, now. I will have to share him though. I learned to do that well living with you, ironically. The only thing left to decide is what to do about our situation. I can continue to do the books for the farm, and some of the chores that I used to do. But as I will be taking on a new client, keeping their books as well, I will be taking a portion of the farm’s profits as my salary. If you or I decide the working environment is too toxic I will be hiring a respectful outfit to take my place, while we set up the auction sale. I expect to be paid a stipend each month, with the outstanding balances paid out to me, after each of the crops are harvested after creditors, and ranch hands, namely our children that work, there are satisfied.