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Rough Ol’ Road Life
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Shreveport, Louisiana – 2008
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Shadow and I wandered through most of the South for about five years. We’d find a small town, and for one reason or another, would have to leave it after a few months to a year. Large vampire “clans” demanding we join them or be hunted. Too much of a werewolf population. Too much sunlight. Too small of a town and people grew suspicious and wouldn’t mind their own business about us. While we’d try to settle, we’d find a remote house or trailer to rent to lay low. I’d bartend and he would get a job bouncing at the door to nightclubs. Lord knew he was large enough to intimidate anyone. We met a few women along the way, none worth keeping around.
After having to leave Texarkana, Texas, due to the large number of werewolf clans, we headed south. A few hours later, we stopped to rest in Shreveport, Louisiana.
We liked it immediately and decided we’d try this city to settle in.
Sitting at a popular chain diner, we both ordered coffee and surveyed our surroundings. People seemed nice enough, nobody really paid much attention to us (we always got a lot of stares due to Shadow’s size and our “biker” look), and it was a short couple of hours’ drive to New Orleans, which I had always wanted to visit. There was a large lake in town where I could get my beach and water fix. The cost of living was low, and there were plenty of bars and clubs in town for jobs.
The great recession had hit the economy, so jobs were harder to find. I hadn’t had to compel anyone in years, so I felt a little bad telling the owner of Rico’s Bar and Grill that he definitely needed another bartender, believing one or two were getting ready to quit.
We found a two-bedroom house that was in foreclosure and actually ended up buying it. It was a screaming steal due to the economy and we had the $80,000 in cash for it. It needed quite a bit of cosmetic work and upgrades, but we weren’t worried about it. It would get done eventually.
Two weeks later, on a very busy Saturday night, the bar was slammed with patrons and I was busting my ass to get all the drink orders in. I looked up to hand a guy his receipt when a group of human bikers walking in caught my eye. This wasn’t the type of place bikers hung out. It was more of an after-work crowd during the week and college kids on the weekends. The four of them looked out of place. They also looked like they were up to no good.
They walked up to the bar and asked if they could talk to Jesse, who was the only other vamp who worked here. I nodded and waved Jesse over. Taking more orders at the other end of the bar, I kept my ears open to their conversation. What seemed to be the leader of the group, an older guy probably in his fifties, was asking him questions about an assault down at one of the other nightclubs—the Blue Room, coincidentally, where Shadow worked the door.
What the hell did bikers care about crimes at clubs, and why did they ask for Jesse specifically?
Jesse didn’t seem to know anything—or he wasn’t saying—and when they left without ordering anything, I waited for a lull in customers before I pulled my friend into the back room.
“What the hell was that about?” I asked.
He stared at me with large brown eyes and raked a hand through his short black hair while blowing out a breath. “I kept meaning to warn you about those fuckers. They hunt vamps.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline, and I let out a scoff. Pointing out to the front, I said, “Those old guys? Humans? Seriously?”
Jesse nodded. “Yes, and don’t underestimate them. They don’t look like much but they’re sneaky bastards. Kill you in your sleep and shit.”
“Did the guy make me?” I asked.
“Nah, Archie didn’t even give you a second look or ask. He must think you’re human.”
“We’re gonna keep it that way, too,” I said, kicking myself for buying that house because now we were probably gonna have to fucking leave town. I refused to live looking over my shoulder just because I was a vampire—something I didn’t even ask to be. I only fed on willing donors or blood bags and I don’t kill anyone or anything. Not even animals.
“They’re called the Rebel Riders,” Jesse said, heading toward the front to get back to work. We could hear the clamoring of customers waiting for drinks.
“Yeah, I saw their cuts,” I replied. “I want to talk to you later about what they were asking you about. My buddy works the door at the Blue Room.”
“Okay, after work,” he replied.
We had no downtime for the next three hours between pouring drinks, collecting glasses and plates, and cleaning.
About half hour before we closed, I texted Shadow: Meet me @Ricos when u get off
Shadow: Ok. Everything good?
Me: Yes
I loathed texting.
After we locked up, Jesse agreed to meet us outside in the deserted parking lot to talk. Shadow needed to know about these “Rebel Riders” as well.
“What’s up?” Shadow asked, killing the engine to his bike but remaining seated on it.
Jesse relayed what he’d told me, and then I mentioned the assault at the Blue Room.
Shadow nodded. “Yeah, one of our employees got attacked as she was taking out the trash. Vamp grabbed her then fed off her. Left her passed out, almost dead. Police don’t know what to think, from what I’m told.”
“That’s why the Riders are asking. They want to hunt down this vamp,” Jesse commented.
“Maybe we should find him first,” I said, grinning wickedly.
Shadow met my fist-bump.
Jesse raised a dark eyebrow. “Are you insane? Leave it to those guys, like I said, they’re good at it.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m bored. It’s been five years since we’ve hunted.”
“What does that mean?” Jesse’s eyes went wide.
“Werewolves, mostly, but we’ve gotten a few rouge vamps off the streets as well. We’re fuckin’ good at it, too,” Shadow remarked.
Jesse snorted. “Okay, well, you two have fun with that. I’m staying out of it.”
“Have a good night,” I said to him as he got into his car.
We watched him drive off and I asked Shadow, “Does the employee still work there?”
He nodded. “Yeah, she took a few weeks off, but she’s back now.”
“I wonder why those old guys are asking about it now if it happened weeks ago.”
Shadow shrugged. “Maybe they just got wind of it. Or are hitting dead ends.”
I went to my bike and started it up. “You’re probably right.”
We drove off into the dark night toward home.
The next night, I went to start my bike and it wouldn’t. I knew enough to do basic maintenance on it but none of my troubleshoots were working. We only had the motorcycles for now, and I refused to ride on the back of Shadow’s, so I called and cab so I could get to my shift at Rico’s.
Thankfully, Sunday nights were less busy, and I was able to use the computer in the back to find a bike repair shop in town. I decided on the one with the best reputation. The trouble would be getting it there during business hours. I checked the weather to see it was going to rain all day tomorrow, so I took a chance and called the shop. Since it was Sunday, nobody answered but I left a message.
“Hello, I have a 2005 Harley Roadster that needs to be looked at. I’m going to be there first thing at seven when you open to drop it off. I hope you get this.” I recited my cell phone number and hung up.
A chuckle from behind me had me turning around. Jesse was sniggering under his breath as he pushed buttons on the computer screen to total out an order. I threw the rag I’d just picked up over my shoulder and folded my arms across my chest. “Something funny?”
“You called Archie’s Garage to fix your motorcycle?” he asked, side-eyeing me then looking back at the screen.
“So? They had good ratings online.”
“Archie? Hello?” he said, still biting back a smile.
“I’m not usually this dense, but you’re gonna have to throw me a bone here, Jess. No clue why this is so funny.” I was getting irritated at his immaturity. Or maybe I was just getting crankier in my old age. I was technically turning fifty in a few months. Glad I didn’t look it or feel it.
“Archie, the head of the Riders. That’s his shop.”
I groaned. “Fuckin’ great,” I murmured under my breath. “Guess vampire hunting doesn’t pay the bills.”
“Damn right,” he agreed. He pulled the ticket out of the machine and grabbed a pen before walking away from me.
Well, I guessed I would have to see what happened tomorrow. If Archie recognized me from the bar last night, and I went out when it wasn’t absolutely dark, maybe he wouldn’t suspect anything. Not that I was worried about him that much, I could take him easily enough. Especially since I noticed he walked with a limp and used a cane.
The next morning, I peered out the window as the day was beginning to lighten. It was raining and the sky was full of thick, bloated clouds. I showered and dressed in black leather from head to toe, including gloves. I was going to look stupid since I had no bike to ride, but I didn’t give a shit. Better safe than sorry from the murdering sun.
Ensuring the sun was still hiding, I pulled the bike out of the garage and was happy to see the tow truck approaching. After it was loaded on, I rode in the cab with the smelly stranger in silence. Thankfully, it was only about four miles to Archie’s.
I paid the driver cash after he unloaded the bike and then parked it out front. I immediately went into the small reception area. Nobody was around, so I waited for a bit, keeping an eye on the sky. One blast of sunlight would hurt, but not kill me. However, full, blazing sun would fry me to a crisp.
“Hey there. Are you Vane?” Archie asked as he came out from the back room.
The club had been dark Saturday night and today I got a good look at him. A little shorter than me, graying hair, wad of dip in his lower lip. Shiny diamond stud in his left ear. Jeans, black shirt.
I didn’t remove my gloves before shaking his hand. “Yeah, that’s me. Got time to take a look at my bike?”
He nodded and indicated for me to follow him out. I noticed he was favoring his left leg as he used the cane. He spat a wad of chew onto the ground and whistled low between his teeth as he studied my bike. “She’s a beaut.”
With his back turned, I looked up at the sky to ensure I was still safe. “She is, but she won’t start.”
He called out to one of the mechanics and told the kid to get it into the garage and take a look at it.
“Do you want to wait here while he looks? Or I can call you when we figure it out. I’ve seen troubles with this model before, and we’re very familiar with fixing them so it should be done today if not tomorrow.”
“Why don’t you just call me. Still have my cell number?”
Archie limped through the garage and back to his office. His desk was a huge mess of papers and an old black telephone. “It’s right here,” he said, lifting the paper.
“Great. Can I use your phone to call a cab?”
He handed the receiver to me and dialed seven sevens. I remembered that from when I’d taken the cab to work and back last night. Easy to remember, at least.
Once I hung up, I stayed in the waiting area and watched the sky. It was about 8 a.m. and the forecast called for rain all day, but I was still on edge. I hadn’t gone outside in the daytime in a very long time. I was also tired and was fighting to not fall asleep in this chair.
I breathed out a sigh of relief once the cab dropped me off and I was safe in my house and bed.