Chapter 5: The Code of the Road

Ben hurt. His side was on fire from Gunny's hit and ... something else. That was a bruised rib if nothing else. He groaned and tried to open his eyes. Bright light flared and he tried to raise his arm to block it out. More pain flared. He squinted and the light became bearable. A blurry form blocked out the light. a face?

This all seemed too familiar. "Mo?" he asked in a voice that didn't sound like his own. Where was he? What had happened?

"No, not Mo. Lara." A cool feminine voice with a British accent told him. He felt a hand brush his cheek.

Lara. Lady Grace. Everything came back. Gunny. The Polecats, slaughtered. "Jackson!" He tried to sit up but pain flared in his side.

Strong hands pushed him back down. "He's gone Ben, I'm sorry." Lara's voice said soothingly. "Just lay down. There's nothing you can do now."

"Like hell." Ben sat up anyway, minding his side and ignoring the pain. "Gunny did this." It was a statement. He looked around. He and Lara were in a wooden shack with one wall missing. Lara sat next to him on the dirt floor, legs curled beneath her. Her hand, which had been near his face, started tracing patterns in the dirt.

"Yes." She agreed quietly. "He paid off Big Willie to take out the sentries then attacked with his Leathernecks. We're the only ones that made it out."

"Willie." Ben clenched his fist and felt fire move up his side. "That turncoat's gonna die for what he's done."

Lara smiled sadly. "I'm afraid Gunny beat you to it. He slit Willie's throat."

"Well, that's one thing I owe him." Ben grunted. As well as his balls on a plate.

Lara said nothing and Ben looked around. He couldn't tell where he was; the desert outside could have been from anywhere. "Where are we?" he asked. Once I find out where I am and where my bike is, I'm that much closer to hunting down every leatherneck that ever lived.

"Father Torque's storage shed." Lara answered him. "He took us here to hide out until he could find out what's what.".

"Hmm." Ben rubbed his chin stubble thoughtfully. "I've never been here before. No one has. Everyone knows to stay clear of Father Torque's place."

"Why?" Lara asked. "Is it booby trapped or something.

Ben shook his head. "No. You just don't. Its part of the Code of the Road."

"We should be safe here, then."

"Maybe. I don't think these guys follow the Code."

"Why not?"

"The way they do things. Its one thing to try and muscle in on another guy's turf, but you do it straight up, in a rumble. You don't ambush his camp and shoot everything that moves." Ben's voice was bitter.

"Ben, I'm sorry. I wish there was more I could have done."

"You did enough. They're all gonna die. Gunny, the leathernecks, all of them. Dead!" He struck the dirt to emphasize his point, and pain flared up his arm.

"Ben, there's more you should know."

"Yeah," he turned to look at her. She had trouble meeting his eyes. "What?"

"I overheard Gunny talking." She said slowly. "He said that he had orders to make sure that no one survived."

Huh? "Orders? From who?"

"I have no idea." She paused. "But whoever that person is, he wants you dead, and he ordered your gang killed."

Ben's eyes narrowed. "I'm gonna find out who, and then there's gonna be a reckoning." Ben got to his feet with a grunt. He put his hand to his side and felt wetness there. I don't have time to bleed.

"Ben, where are you going?" Lara asked with concern, coming to her feet smoothly.

"To find Gunny and rip out his heart." Ben swore.

"Ben, you can't." She put her hands on his shoulders and tried to hold him back. To his surprise, she almost succeeded. "Not like this."

He grabbed her wrists and shoved her aside. She moved around his push like water. "I'm good enough to kill that bastard."

You barely broke even with him when you weren't hurt, her eyes said to him. He'll kill you like this. He frowned down at her.

They both heard the sound of an approaching bike. Looking out, they saw Torque pulling up on his classic Corley. "You two had better make yourselves scarce." The old man called out as he got off his bike. "There's a posse coming after you."

"Leathernecks." Ben grunted.

"Yup," Torque nodded. "And that Gunny guy, too."

Ben opened his mouth, but Torque stared at him. The old biker knew exactly what Ben was about to say and do, and under Torque's gaze, Ben subsided with a grumble.

"What about you?" Lara asked.

"Don't you worry about me, darlin'" Torque said gravely. "They want Ben's hide, and yours too because you helped him."

"You helped us too, and they saw you." Lara pointed out. "You're in as much danger as the rest of us."

The old man shook his head, white hair and beard swaying. "I'm neutral and everyone knows it." He paused, and his eyes darkened. "Besides, if we all high tailed it they'd get all of us." He looked at Ben. "I can stall 'em while you two make tracks."

"Father, no!" Ben growled.

The old man was firm. "Don't worry about me, Ben. I'm an old biker and old bikers never die." He smiled wryly. "I'll get out of this, don't you worry." He slapped Ben on the shoulder with less than customary force. "Get out of here!"

Ben stood there stubbornly. Torque stepped over and gripped his shoulder. "Go, Polecat." His voice was soft, but booked no argument. "I used to be your leader, and I'm giving you one last order." His face softened. "Let me do this for you." The biker backed slowly towards his bike. He was going to die and all of them knew it.

For once Ben had nothing to say. Lara tugged on his good arm with both hands, and reluctantly he turned to leave. "Ride low, ride hard, Father." Ben's voice was thick.

"Always." Answered the Father of All Bikers. "Get your butt out of here! Head up that path and don't stop!"

There was something missing. "Where's my bike?"

Torque smiled and shook his head "You make me proud Ben. I stashed it about five miles off behind the old interstate sign. Just follow the path and you'll get there. Now go!"

His face grim, Ben turned his back on Father Torque and stomped up the path. Lara was in front of him, but this time the sight of her swaying butt didn't move him one bit.

"I'll come back, Father, whether you like it or not."

"I'm going back there." Ben declared as his hidden bike came into sight. It didn't surprise Lara one bit; she was surprised that it had taken him this long to say it. It made sense for them not to turn back. The best thing was to take the opportunity that Torque had bought them with his life and not look back. In her gut, though, Lara wanted to see with her own eyes if the valiant old man had made it through.

Lara didn't make friends easily. Most women were too flimsy for her to get along with, and the men that weren't intimidated by her were usually so full of themselves as to be completely insufferable. Torque and his gruff ways had been different. He was totally accepting of who she was and charming in a gruff sort of way. He had also volunteered to give his life for her, which added a lot. He had only done that, she knew, because of Ben, but she still wanted to know how the Father of All Bikers had faired.

Ben's bike was hidden behind some tumbleweeds and it took him a moment to clear them. After that, though, he mounted his bike and started it with a sound like thunder.

"You coming, Lady Grace?" He yelled over the engine. Lara hesitated a moment, then climbed up behind him.

"Watch your hands," he called back.

"In your dreams, sport!" Lara yelled to him and put her hands around his waist. The bike spun onto the faded hardtop with a spray of gravel.

Ben rode his bike like a madman, skidding around corners and pushing the machine to its limits. The trip that had taken an over an hour on foot took less than two minutes on the road, and soon they were pulling up to Father Torque's shack. A white haired body lay on the ground in a pool of blood.

"No!" Ben cried painfully. As soon as his bike came to a stop, he was running. "Father Torque! Are you all right?" he knelt by the bikers side. Lara approached quietly behind Ben. She stayed respectfully silent.

Torque was obviously not all right. For the first time since she had met him, he looked old. His leathery face was ashen and filled with pain. Blood flecked on his beard. A moment after Ben spoke Torque opened his eyes and slowly turned his head towards him. "Of course I'm not all right, you idiot." His voice was faint and filled with pain "I've been stabbed. I'm dyin'."

Ben shook his head furiously. His voice was panicked "No, your not. I'll get you to a hospital. I'll-"

Torque cut him off. "Ben, Don't." He lifted his hand up, shaking with the effort, and Ben took it. "I lived a long life. It's ok. I'm a gonner and we both know it."

"I'm gonna get Gunny." Ben swore. "He's a dead man walking."

Torque just smiled. "I know." It was barely a whisper. He squeezed Ben's hand. "I-" he stopped and gasped. Ben leaned closer. "I want you to have my bike."

Ben swallowed hard and nodded. "I will." They were silent for a moment.

The old man smiled, his eyes sad. "I told you old biker's don't get no respect any more."

"You got respect where it counts." Ben was fervent.

"I know." Torque closed his eyes. He was like that for a minute, and Lara was sure he was gone, but then the old man spasmed and began coughing blood.

"Ben!" the old man managed to get out. "Ben! Gunny he-" he coughed, deep racking coughs that were painful to listen to. "Gunny said something."

"What, Father Torque, what?"

Pink froth covered his lips. "He said he had to meet a man-" coughed,. "in Fulsome, day after tomorrow."

Torque's eyes bulged and he arched his back, gasping. "He-he-said he going to-to-" He drew a huge breath, his last. "The Rebar." he gasped the last word, and Lara watched the life drain from his eyes. Ben just knelt there, holding the dead man's hand.

A minute passed, then five. Lara and Ben were unmoving, staring at the corpse of a man who had given his life for them. Lara was a hard woman, she had made herself so, but there were still tears in her eyes. She began to get uneasy. "Ben." Her voice caught. He didn't move or even seem to hear her. She put a cautious hand on his shoulder and gently shook him.

"Ben." Lara said again, her voice firm but hoarse. "Ben we have to go. The Leathernecks may be coming back."

"Let 'em come." Ben slowly got to his feet, moving like a man 10 years older. He turned to face her and she gasped. He looked ... frightening. His face was harder than stone and his jaw was clenched. It was his eyes, though, that truly chilled her. They were as dark and as cold as death. He walked past her stiffly towards Torque's shed.

"I'm going to bury him. He deserves that much." His words were quiet, but hard.