As he left the cemetery, Lance called André Gagnon, who was the vice-president of his chapter, and said, “I got a call at my amusement centre from some guy by the name of Erich Vath who wants to meet me. Said he has a real interesting deal to discuss, but will only talk to me.”
“Erich Vath?” Gagnon repeated. “Never heard of him. How’d he get your name or know where you work? It seems suspicious.”
“He said he got my name and where I work from someone we do business with, but didn’t want to say who it was over the phone. At first I was skeptical, but he did give me a number to call him back at a car dealership where he works. I checked that part out and it’s legit. He wants to meet me tomorrow night when he gets off work.”
“You want him grabbed?”
“Naw, he sort of piqued my interest. I don’t want to scare him off until I hear what he has to say. I’ll meet with him, but instead of meeting him after work tomorrow, I’m going to pay him a visit at the dealership when he’s still there.”
“Catch him by surprise.”
“Exactly. I also want to show the patch to make sure he gets an up-close feeling for who he’s fuckin’ with. Round up half-a-dozen or so of the guys and tell ’em to wear their colours. We’ll take a little ride tomorrow around noon.”
* * *
As tired as Jack was, that night he had a fitful night of sleep. His brain played havoc and left him fighting for his life in his dreams. When the nightmares did wake him he’d lie there and worry about how successful his plan would go with Lance.
At 5:30 a.m. he got up to use the washroom and when he came back to the bedroom he saw Natasha returning from the living room with her pillow.
“Not again,” he said.
She nodded. “The sofa was safer than risk being punched and kicked.”
“I’m sorry. You should’ve woken me and I’d have slept on the sofa. When I got up a minute ago I hadn’t even realized you’d left.”
“I didn’t want to wake you. I knew you needed to sleep.” She looked at him curiously. “Speaking of which, did you get any?”
“Get any?” He pretended to think about it, then replied, “Sleep or sex? I’m too tired to remember.”
Natasha eyed him scornfully. “If you’d had sex with me last night you’d remember.” She tried unsuccessfully to keep a pert smile off her face.
“It’s been that long, has it?”
She wrapped her arms around him, then kissed him passionately before murmuring, “You tell me how long it’s been.”
“Uh …”
She whispered in his ear and said, “It’ll take your mind off of things and help you get back to sleep.”
“Doctor’s orders?”
“Yes.”
* * *
The rumble and vibration of eight Harley-Davidsons pulling up in front of the showroom at Johnny’s New and Used Cars caught everyone’s attention. Even more so when they realized all the riders were full-patch members of Satans Wrath.
The bikers parked their hogs in a cluster, then milled around on the pretext of looking at some cars that were for sale. Soon a salesman appeared from out of the showroom and hesitantly asked if he could be of assistance.
Lance stepped away from the group. “I’m interested in that van,” he said, gesturing to a van parked at the end of a long row, farthest from the showroom. “I want to deal with a guy by the name of Erich Vath.”
“He’s inside,” the salesman replied, looking relieved. “I’ll send him out,” he added as he scurried back into the showroom.
Vath appeared a moment later and Lance met him out of earshot of the rest.
“You looking to buy a van?” Vath asked.
Lance noticed Vath checking out his colours, including the emblem on his chest which identified him as president. He glowered down at Vath then turned and walked toward the van.
“You want us to wait, boss?” Gagnon yelled.
“Yeah. We won’t be long.”
“I was told you asked for me,” Vath said, sounding friendly as he hurried to keep pace.
Lance kept walking.
“Have we met before?” Vath asked.
Lance gave him a hard look. “No,” he said in a manner that didn’t invite further conversation.
When they arrived Vath fumbled to open the van door, but before he could Lance shoved him against the side of the vehicle and held him in place with one hand on his chest.
“Wha … what’s going on?”
“I’m not here to buy a van,” Lance stated. “I’m here because we know you deal with Derek and —”
“Who?” Vath asked nervously.
“Derek Graves … or do you call ’im Zombie?” Lance questioned.
“Uh … uh …”
“Don’t fuck with me,” Lance replied.
“No, sir, but —”
“But what? We know you stood six for him last week when he met our guy.”
Vath’s mouth flopped open.
“Can you imagine what would happen if someone tipped off the Death Heads that you’re doing business with them and the United Front at the same time?”
“You, you know that?”
“Of course we fuckin’ know that. We’ve been keeping tabs on you for some time. The United Front and the Death Heads don’t know what you’re up to, but if you try to bullshit me, that’ll change.”
“Please, no, don’t do that,” he begged.
“I’ll decide on that after we’re done talkin’.”
Vath’s eyes widened and he glanced back at the other bikers. “So you were there when Borman introduced your guy to Zombie? That’s how you know about me?”
“No, I wasn’t there myself. I’m president, for fuck sakes. I send my guys to do that shit.” He shook his head as if in disbelief. “Why are you surprised? Did you think you were dealing with amateurs? That you’re the only guy smart enough to do counter-surveillance?”
“No, I … no, I, uh, of course. Your guy’s reputation is, uh …”
“Is what?”
“Is, is solid,” he stammered. “Everyone knows that.”
Lance glared at him, then lowered his hand from his chest. “You’re fuckin’ right it’s solid. Speaking of which, me talking to you is a one-time thing. I don’t normally get involved on a personal level with this shit. The only reason I showed up is so you and your people will know that we’re serious.”
“My people?”
Lance stared in response.
“I, I see.” Vath swallowed as he straightened his sports jacket and adjusted his tie, then asked, “What do you want with me?”
“Something urgent has been decided and we can’t seem to get hold of Graves, but we know you can. We have a business proposition for him. A very profitable one.”
“Uh, I, uh, I guess you don’t know. Uh —”
“Know what?”
“Zombie, uh, Graves … he’s dead.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“No, sir.”
“If you are then I’ll tell you that you’re making a huge mistake.”
“No, I’m not. He went down to the States on Sunday night and got shot.”
“Got shot?” Lance paused. “Huh. I guess that explains why my guy can’t get hold of him.” He looked at Vath curiously. “So who shot him? Was he robbed?”
“No, it wasn’t a robbery. I, uh, don’t know for sure what happened. It was on the news this morning. A cop was killed, too.”
“Have the cops been around to talk to you?”
“No, they don’t even know that I know him.”
“Oh … that’s good.” He eyed Vath long enough to make him squirm. “Looks like we’re dealing with you, then. You’re off work at five p.m., right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll send a guy over to that basement suite you live in at six p.m. He’ll have a chat with you and explain what we’re looking for.”
Vath’s face paled, perhaps with the knowledge that the bikers knew where he lived. Then he said, “Uh, if this is about you wanting guns, we, uh, aren’t doing that —”
“What the fuck?” Lance roared while grabbing him with both hands by the front of his sports jacket and slamming him against the van. He then held him pinned with his feet dangling. “Don’t ever say shit like that to my face! You got it!”
“Yes, yes, sir,” Vath replied quickly.
Lance saw some of his guys approaching, so he let Vath slide to the ground and waved them back. He then looked at Vath. “If you got something to say to me, choose your words carefully before you shoot your yap off. Treat me like the honest, respectable businessman that I am.”
“Yes, yes, sir.” Vath swallowed again. “All I was trying to say is, uh, this business thing isn’t up to me. There’s someone else who calls the shots.”
“Whatever, but you can pass the message on. All you gotta do is listen to what my guy has to say. If you or whoever you work for doesn’t like it — we’ll go elsewhere.”
“And that’s it? If, uh, things don’t work out, then, uh, you’ll go elsewhere?”
“We’ll go elsewhere. You … I’m not sure where you’ll be going. That might depend on how genuine we think you’re being with us.”
“Oh.”
“Make sure you’re home on time,” Lance ordered. He then left Vath staring after him and returned to his group.
“What was that all about?” Gagnon asked as Lance got back on his hog.
“The fucker says he has a line on some guns he wants to sell. I don’t know if he’s stupid or trying to set me up to the cops.”
Gagnon snorted. “Either way he’s stupid.”
“Yup,” Lance agreed.