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The Awakening

The sounds of machines were all I could hear. I tried hard to open my eyes, but I was drowsy. Little by little I attempted to wake up my sleeping limbs. I wiggled my toes then moved my legs. As my body woke, I tried to move my arms. The left arm came to life, but the right seemed wrapped and unable to move. I tried to piece together where I was and what happened. My mind was a pile of confusion. As my eyes fluttered open, I heard a familiar voice.

“Abel, he’s waking up. Wolf, can you hear me? It’s Alexis. You’re at the hospital. You got shot. Don’t try to speak just yet. Let me get you some water,” Alexis explained in a panicked voice.

My eyes were finally able to focus as I took in the two people that were closest to me. Abel had been my best friend since childhood. His little sister Alexis was my weakness. I’d always had a thing for her. Abel always told me he didn’t want any of his friends to look at his little sister that way. If I was in a hospital that meant she must have treated me. I knew Alexis wouldn’t allow anyone else to touch me so I would be fine. The panic laced in her voice concerning me wasn’t something I ever heard. I must have been in pretty bad shape when I arrived.

Abel looked at me with a worried expression on his face. Alexis came back into the room with a jug filled with water and a cup of ice. She removed the tube that was in my mouth then helped me sit up. The pain in my arm slowed my movements but eventually I was up. Alexis poured some water into a cup of ice. She put a straw in the cup then brought the straw to my lips. The chill of the cold water made it difficult to swallow because my throat was raw. Alexis was patient as she watched me slowly sip. When I finished, she put the cup on the table.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I heard from one of our young boys that you were locking up the shop and somebody shot you. Alexis was in the emergency room when you arrived. She got the bullet out and saved your life,” Abel explained.

“I see the look of guilt on your face. Is it because you know why I was targeted?”

Abel hung his head down before he continued. “Yeah, I got into a shootout a few days ago with the First Street Crew. They think I shot their leader, but I never got close to him. I assume they were looking for me but found you instead. My bad, bro, you know I would never put you in my mess.”

I looked at Alexis, and she was as clueless as me in regard to this shootout. Abel always made sure she was never involved in any of our club business. It was another reason I never pursued her. After all the tragedy she had seen in her life, getting involved with a member of the Sons of Destruction motorcycle club wouldn’t be a good look.

“Why didn’t you say anything? When did we start keeping things from each other? Especially something as serious as this. I thought we were better than that, bro.” My jaw clenched as my annoyance with Abel rose.

“You’re right. I fucked up. I was embarrassed about the situation, but I should have told you. That’s my bad. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.” Abel hung his ashamed.

“If they are looking for you, they won’t stop until they get you. You have to head to your safe house. We have to get you out of town until this blows over. Have you told Will and Tone?” I asked Abel.

Abel shook his head. We usually didn’t keep secrets like this in the club, so this was beyond his norm. If something went down with us, we would tell each other immediately, or so I thought. There was something he wasn’t telling me about this situation. I would get it out of him sooner rather than later. For now, we both needed to get to safety.

“Alexis, you have to move me. I’m a sitting target in this hospital bed. Do you know of any transportation services? We can go to my safe house. I’m going to need you to tend to my wound until I’m healed.”

“Wolf, you just had surgery. If we move you, there is a high risk for infection. I think you should stay here. Some of the members of the club can guard your room.”

“Alexis, listen to Wolf. He is right. I need you to go with him while I go to my safe house. Wolf will keep you safe just in case they come looking for you when they don’t find me. We have to move, so go make a call to make that happen please, sis.”

Alexis rolled her eyes at us then left the room to do what her brother asked. I was down an arm, but nobody would protect her as I could. My safe house was far out in the woods. Abel and I had a rule. If anything went down, we would separate. He would have some of the club members with him, while some of the club members would be with me. The idea was whatever enemies we had wouldn’t get all of us at once.

However, this was the first time we ever had to test this theory. Only a few trusted members of the club even knew our safe houses existed. Abel and I always planned for a time we would need to hide out. We were on the straight and narrow now but at any point our past transgressions could come back to haunt us. With Alexis out of the room I turned to Abel.

“Are you going to tell me what really happened with the First Street Crew?”

“Look, I was short on funds for an investment I tried to get into. The plan was to sell some of my guns in exchange for the money. When I showed up, they tried to play me. I had Tiny with me, and before I could stop him, he started shooting. He killed a couple of their guys.”

I shook my head in disbelief. He started a war with these niggas over some bullshit. We were supposed to be retired from that portion of life. Abel of all people pulled us back into the shit. “I’m disappointed that you needed something and couldn’t come to me. You got into some shit and didn’t tell me. Left me out in the open as a target for these niggas. Call Will and Tone. I need protection until Alexis can get me out of here. Once they get here you get lost. Don’t worry about your sister. You know I will protect her with my life,” I directed.

“I’m sorry, bro. I didn’t want to tell you because I should have just come to you for the bread. I tried to handle some shit on my own and fucked up. Alexis will be good at your place once she is settled. Just be easy with her. You know she’s stubborn.”

I nodded in agreement. Everything he said was true. We wouldn’t be in this predicament if he had come to me. Fuck it. What was done was done. Those fools shouldn’t have tried to steal from him either. First Street Crew was no match for our club. In order to put an end to this, we would probably need to wipe them out completely or give them Tiny.

Tiny was a young boy in the club. He recently got promoted to a club member. Abel had no business taking him to do that underhanded business. Tiny was a hot head hence the reason why he started shooting instead of talking. I would have to run the decision by Will and Tone. As President and Vice President of our club, they may want to put this to a vote.

Abel stepped out of the room as Alexis came back. The look of annoyance on her face could not be ignored. “What’s the matter with you?” I asked.

“He told me he was out of the life. Now here he is talking about a shootout. People that live normal lives don’t have shootouts. Now I have to go with you to some undisclosed location. I don’t want to uproot my life.”

“Sweetheart, there is no such thing as being out of the life. The life has a way of pulling you back to it whenever it wants. Now seems to be that time for Abel and me. And what’s so bad about hanging out with me? We can’t keep you safe while you go about your normal routine. As green as Abel has kept you, love, you are an easy target,” I explained.

She rolled her eyes again. “I’m not green. Anyway, I found an ambulette driver. They can come tonight. I need to grab some things from my place before I go with you.”

“Good looking on the driver. Give his info to Abel. We have to send some people to meet with him before he transports me anywhere. I can’t have the location to the safe house getting in the hands of too many people. Defeats the purpose of it being safe. Can you have one of your homegirls or Joy bring your stuff here? I would prefer if you didn’t leave the hospital without me.”

Alexis sucked her teeth. Now she was pissed off for real. “Let me call Joy, she can bring me some clothes.”

“I’m sorry. If there was a way to not interrupt your life I would. I promised your brother I would protect you with my life. You know me. I’m a man of my word. So, no more eye rolling or teeth sucking, or we are going to have a problem. Understood?”

Her eyes widened as she looked at me. Alexis nodded then took a seat on the chair closest to my bedside. Now all we could do was wait. I wouldn’t be comfortable until I was in the confines of my own home.