Book 1
Chapter 3
Back at the rest area...
The bikers pull in and immediately notice the abandoned Harley. The large boar rides on his own while the other two share one hog. It's Axel, the tiger's bike so he drives while Spike, the greyhound rides bitch.
"Look!" says Spike, the skinny biker as he stands up on the bike, "There's my ride!"
"Sit down ass hole! You're going to tip us over!" Growls Axel, the tiger.
Spike ignores Axel and jumps off the bike before Axel has even come to a complete stop. He runs over to the abandoned motorcycle. "Son of a bitch!" Spike exclaims, "That mother fucker got blood all over it!" He pulls a rag out of his pocket and starts to try to clean the blood off the handle bars.
The other two bikers shut off their engines and walk up beside Spike.
"You think he's still here Big D?" says Axel to the boar.
Big D, the boar, puts his hand on the muffler, "It's cold, the bike's been here for a while. Let's have a look around."
"You lookin' for the feller that road in on that bike?" says the old basset hound care taker as he walks toward the three bikers.
"Yeah, you seen `em?" Asks the big biker.
"Yeah, thought it was kind of odd that he left the keys in it." The old hound says as he nods at the abandoned bike.
"That bike ain't his! It's mine and that ass hole stole it from me!" The skinny biker says furiously as he starts to charge angrily at the elderly custodian.
The big biker steps in front of Spike and flashes the skinny one a chastising look, then turns his attention back to the elderly custodian. "Like my friend was saying, this bike was borrowed without permission. The guy who took it is actually a friend of ours who's going through a ruff time right now. We really need to find him so we can make sure he's okay."
"Feller looked like he was in trouble. Left a big mess in the bathroom, blood all over the place! An I'm gonna haf to clean it up. I'm the care taker of this here facility you see." The hound says looking a bit annoyed.
"Did you see where he went?" asks the big biker.
"Sure did!" replies the old hound, "He got into a truck with some big feller and took off about ten minutes ago."
"What did this dude look like? And what about the truck?" Big D continued.
" He was a big brown bear. The truck he drove was a big, black eighteen wheeler. He was pulling a big white trailer." The hound replied.
"Thanks pall! You may have just saved our poor friends life!" Says the big biker as he turns back to the others.
"I was about to call the police, would you like to wait for em?" The hound calls out to the three bikers.
Big D snaps around quickly, "NO! No, that's not necessary. We prefer to take care of this ourselves. My friend here," he motions to Spike, " has got his ride back and we'll find our other friend before to long, thanks to your help!"
The old basset hound gives the three one last nod and goes back to his chores. The three bikers head back to there bikes. "How many times have I warned you about shootin' your mouth off like that!" Big D scolds Spike. "He almost called the cops you dumb fuck! You try something like that again and I'll beat you within an inch of your life! You got that, limp dick!"
"I would like to see how cool you would've stayed if it was your bike that got stolen!" Spike shoots back.
"Hey, Axel and I got our tires slashed open by that prick in case you forgot!" Big D gets right up in Spike's face, "We are all pissed, but we got to keep cool until we find that bastard or this whole thing is going to blow up in our face! Now get on your bike and let's get moving!"
Spike knows better than to say anything more and gets on his Harley. "Shit, I'm going to need to put gas in this thing."
"We'll stop as soon as we see a place, but we can't get to far behind or we'll loose him!" Big D says as he jumps back on his bike.
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Back on Bruno's Truck...
"Wake up sleepy head!" Bruno, the bear, says while nudging J.J., "You want some lunch?"
J.J., the young lion, opens his eyes. These surroundings are unfamiliar to him. Disoriented, he panics briefly as he roles over, but as soon as he sees Bruno, he remembers where he is. "What a weird dream." He thinks to himself, but the images fade before he can make any sense of them. He rubs his eyes, yawns, and stretches. "Where are we?" he asks as he lays there looking up at the large bear standing over him.
"I had to stop to refuel. This gas station has a fast food place in it. You like cheeseburgers?" Bruno says as he runs his eyes over the lion's body. "Damn! I would love to lay down in that bed and roll around with him for a while!" he thinks to himself.
"Thanks but I don't have any money. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." J.J. says as he starts to sit up.
"Don't be silly! It's my treat!"
"You don't have to do that, you've done enough for me already!" J.J. takes a look at the bandage Bruno had put on the wound on his arm.
"How does it feel?" Bruno asks and nods at the arm.
"A lot better now, thanks!" J.J. replies.
"Good! So what would you like for lunch?" Bruno cheerfully asks.
"Look, I don't want to be your charity case..."
"Look kid I don't want to argue," Bruno interrupts, "if it makes you feel better, I'll start a tab for you. You can pay me back someday. Okay?"
J.J. sighs, "Okay, just get me whatever you get." He looks up at the large bear. He can't help but notice his package. He remembers seeing Bruno pee at the urinal at the rest area. "I can think of one really fun way to pay you back!" he thinks to himself.
"Okay! I'll be right back." Bruno says as he starts to back up to exit the truck, but before he can J.J. slides to the edge of the bed and reaches out and touches Bruno's arm.
"I'd really like to show you how grateful I am." J.J. says as he looks lustfully up at the big bear.
Bruno stops, lightly holds J.J.'s hand, and squats down to be at eye level with him. "J.J., you are a very attractive young man and it's definitely not that I don't want to, but I don't want you to do this just because you feel obligated."
"I don't! I think you are extremely good looking! I`ve wanted you since I first say you." J.J. interjects.
"Come on now J.J. You really think a fat old bear like me is good looking? Like I've told you before, you don't owe me anything. I want to help you."
"Why?" J.J. still doesn't know what Bruno's motives are.
Bruno doesn't know how to answer the question, "Look, I'm going to get lunch. We'll talk about this later, okay?"
J.J. pulls his hand back, "Whatever you say." He says with a disappointed look on his face.
"Hey!" Bruno says with surprise. He reaches out and gently rubs J.J.'s upper arm, "I'll be right back, okay?"
J.J. can't help but smile, "Okay."
Bruno's knees pop as he gets up and he winces a little while putting his arm on his lower back. He then turns to exit the truck.
"Are you alright?" J.J. asks.
"Yeah, just old and fat." Bruno says as he exits.
On his way into the restaurant, Bruno reflects on the conversation he just had with J.J., "Why am I helping J.J.? Is it because I want him to fuck me? Even though I can't deny that I do, I still don't think that's the reason, at least not the only reason. It's weird, I know I only met the kid this morning, but I feel really strongly about him. Maybe that's why I feel like I shouldn't sleep with him. Maybe I'm afraid of being hurt again. Could it be possible that he really does find me attractive? He did seem really disappointed that I turned him down, and I did catch him checking me out while I was in the bathroom at the rest area. And that was before I had done anything to help him." He shakes his head and laughs a little
to himself, "I can't believe I'm thinking so hard about all this! I need to just relax and give things a little more time." He finally decides.
Back in the truck, J.J. moves back up to the passenger seat and watches as Bruno enters the restaurant. "Every time he turns me down I just want him more!" He shakes his head as he thinks to himself. He can't remember ever being this attracted to someone. "What is it about him? I've had my share of good looking guys before, but this is different. He is different. I've never met anyone like him before."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the jewel. This time he looks at it more closely. The engravings in the metal look so familiar even though he knows he's never seen them before. Suddenly it seems like all his troubles just melt away. He's not worrying about the biker's catching up with him. He's not thinking about the cut on his arm, he's not even thinking about Bruno. Looking at the gem seems to give him a sense of peace that he's never experienced before. He is sure that everything will turn out alright. He looks up and notices Bruno exiting the building holding a bag of food in one hand and drinks in the other. J.J. puts the stone away and exits the truck to help Bruno carry the stuff he just bought.
"Thanks!" Bruno says as J.J. takes the drinks from him.
As they walk back to the truck, J.J. hears something that sends a chill down his spine. It's the rumble of motorcycle engines. He takes a quick look around. "Shit!" It's them! J.J. sees the three bikers pulling into the parking lot of the gas station/fast food restaurant. He turns back and quickly hops in the truck. "Hurry up Bruno we need to get out of her now!" He yells out the window.
"Alright kid! Hold your horses I'm coming!" Bruno says. He hears the urgency in his voice and as he opens the door he can see the seriousness of J.J.'s facial expression. "What's wrong?"
"Please just get moving! We need to get out of here now!" J.J. says as he slouches down in his seat, trying not to be seen.
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"Look!" Axel says, "That could be the truck!"
"Yeah, I think you're right!" Says Big D, "The guy getting in even matches the description the old care taker gave us!" He can see Bruno climbing into the driver's side door. The three start to ride across the lot to the rig.
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"J.J. what is going on?" Bruno says as he puts down the food.
"Look, we don't have time for this right now! I promise to explain everything but you have to get us on the road and fast!" J.J. demands.
"All right, all right!" Bruno starts the truck and starts to pull out of his parking space.
"Hey, buddy! Stop!" Yells Big D as he steers his hog toward the eighteen wheeler.
"Shit they must of seen me!" J.J. thinks to himself, "Don't listen to them! Go!" He demands of Bruno who is looking quite confused and a bit frantic.
The bikers race to get in front of the truck. "They are trying to head me off." Bruno says as continues to pull towards the exit of the station.
"Well, fucking hit them if you have to!" J.J. replies.
"Are you crazy?!?! I'm not hitting anyone!" Bruno snaps back.
"Bruno, please! They'll kill us if they stop us!" J.J. says with total sincerity to his voice. Bruno looks at him and can tell he's not lying. Bruno swerves and punches the gas. He is an amazing driver and is able to avoid the bikers and still get out of the lot.
"The way that guy is driving, it has got to be them!" Big D says to the other bikers. "We can't loose them, we have to hurry! I have an idea! Spike, leave your bike here, we'll come back for it. Get on the back of Axel's bike. Take this chain, I need you to board the truck and force them to pull over."
"That is crazy Drake!" says Spike to Big D, "I've never done that shit before! That is a job for your bitch not me!"
"Well the bitch ain't here so you're going to have to do." He turns to the tiger, "Can you get him close enough Axel?"
"Sure thing Big D, but why don't we just shoot out their wheels?" Axel asks.
"Because, numb skull, if they've hidden the jewel and then they crash and die, we'll never know where it is. Now let's move before they get away!"
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"Thank you Bruno." J.J. says as he gives Bruno a friendly slap on the shoulder. "You're a hell of a driver! That was amazing! Unfortunately I don't think they are going to give up that easy. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them. Stay sharp! I'm sure they'll chase us! Get back on the freeway and go as fast as you can!"
"Who are those guys and what the hell do they want!" Bruno says angrily.
"They're in a biker gang, and they are after me because I stole something from them." J.J. replies.
"What the fuck were you thinking steeling stealing from a biker gang?!?!" Now Bruno is definitely pissed.
"Look, I didn't have much of a choice! I promise I'll explain everything once we've lost them." J.J. is looking in the rearview mirror. He can see the bikers in the distance. "Here they come."
"Shouldn't we just call the cops or something?" Bruno asks.
"No! No cops!" J.J. replies.
"Well, what the fuck should I do?!?!" Bruno starts to panic a bit.
"Just drive as fast as you can. If you get the opportunity, run them off the road!"
"This is crazy!"
"I'm really sorry I dragged you into this Bruno. For now you are just going to have to trust me."
Drake pulls up along the driver's side of the truck while Spike and Axel come up on the passenger side. Bruno starts swerving to keep them at a distance.
"Great job Bruno! Keep it up!" J.J. says.
Spike gets the chain out and starts swinging it over his head in a circular motion.
"Bruno, they're going to try to board the truck." J.J. says as he watches Spike carefully.
"What... While we're moving?!?! What should I do?!?!" Bruno says frantically.
"You're doing fine, just keep it up." J.J. says. Just then Spike releases the chain. It slams up against the side of the trailer.
"What are those fuckers doing to my rig?!?!" Now Bruno is getting pissed again.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of this." J.J. says. "Spike is in way over his head." J.J. thinks to himself as he watches Spike struggle to gather the chain back up. Spike finally is ready to throw the chain again. He swings the chain and releases it. This attempt is much better, but J.J. is ready for him. J.J. opens the door and catches the chain.
"What the hell are you doing?!?!" Bruno yells.
J.J. braces himself in the doorway and yanks the chain hard.
"Fuck!" Axel yells as the bike wobbles and he nearly losses control. Spike is off balance. J.J. yanks hard again.
"AAHHHH!!" Spike screams as he falls from the moving motorcycle and roles off the road into a ditch.
"Got ya, you son of a bitch!" J.J. exclaims as he gathers up the chain.
Bruno is concentrating, "I can't get rid of this ass hole!" He says as he watches Big D in his mirror. He suddenly notices the drink he bought at the fast food place and gets an idea. He stops swerving and watches Drake. "Come on buddy just a little closer." Bruno says quietly to himself. Drake pulls up close to his door. Bruno quickly grabs the beverage and lines up his shot. He throws the drink through his open window and it hits Big D right in the face! Drake is blinded by the drink as it explodes. He looses his balance and wipes out. "Ha ha! Yes!" Bruno says with excitement. "I got him!"
"Great job Bruno!" J.J. says. He takes the chain and throws it up around one of the exhaust pipes above him. He gives it a good tug to make sure its secure.
"What are you doing?!?!" Bruno asks seeing J.J. still riding with the door open.
"Trust me." J.J. says as he swings himself out the door .
"J.J.!!" Bruno screams.
J.J. does a Tarzan swing out the passenger door of the truck and kicks Axel square in the chest with both feet. This knocks Axel clean off the bike which just falls over throwing sparks everywhere. J.J. swings back towards the trailer. He is able to swing back to the small gap between the truck and the trailer. He gathers up some of the slack of the chain and is then able to make it back into the door he had jumped out of and back into the truck.
"Are you crazy! I thought you were dead!" Bruno scolds J.J. as he reenters the truck.
"Relax! I'm good at that stuff." J.J. replies.
"What stuff?!?! Scaring me to death?!?!" Bruno shoots back.
J.J. doesn't know what to say. He isn't used to people worrying about his safety. He gathers up the chain and unfastens it from the exhaust pipe. He pulls it inside and shuts the door.
Bruno is shaking, "I've never been so fucking scared in all my life!"
"Like I said, I'm sorry I got you into this. I never thought they would find me. I swear I never would've put you in this position if I had known." J.J. really feels bad. "At least they're gone for now."
Bruno doesn't say anything. He just keeps driving. His hands won't stop trembling. He doesn't know what to say or do. He knows he should be angry, but he's not. He is just glad J.J. didn't kill himself. "I just needs to calm down and get the adrenaline out of my system so I can think straight." He thinks to himself and then says, " I need to eat." as he reaches for the fast food bag.
J.J. feels horrible. "Is he mad at me? I would be mad if I were him. I've really screwed up his life! I hate myself!" He thinks.
"Here kid, your food is getting cold." Bruno says as he hands the fast food bag to J.J.
"Are you okay?" J.J. reluctantly asks as his winces a bit. He half expects Bruno to smack him.
"I'm fine kid. I'm actually starting to feel a lot better." Bruno says before taking an other bite of his burger. "Food always helps me calm my nerves." He says with his mouth full. After he swallows, he looks at J.J. "Where did you learn to do that stuff?"
"What stuff?"
"Go swinging around outside of a moving truck, you crazy bastard!" Bruno says as he chuckles a bit.
"I only did what I felt I had to." J.J. doesn't know how to read Bruno. Bruno seems genuinely concerned about him and he's really not used to people worrying about him. "I've always been a daredevil. Usually people are trying to get me to do dangerous stuff. I guess I've picked up a few things along the way."
"Oh, so you just picked up a few things. Okay that explains everything!" Bruno says sarcastically. "Who would you pick that stuff up from? Were you in the circus or did you hang out with professional stuntmen or something?"
"No... What?" J.J. can't help but to laugh a bit at Bruno's suggestion. Bruno chuckles with him a too.
"Come on J.J. You said when we lost those bikers you would give me an explanation. So, I think it's time to come clean." Bruno turns the conversation more serious.
J.J. looks down and shakes his head. He sighs and says, "You're right. I did say that." He is hesitant to tell Bruno everything, but he knows he has a right to know. Especially since the Street Demons are probably going to be looking for both of them now. He looks back up at Bruno, "Okay, well, you ever heard of the Street Demons?"
"Yeah, of course! They are a really dangerous biker gang. Where those guys chasing us Street Demons?" Bruno asks.
"Yes, the big one who drove up on your side of the truck is their leader. His name is Drake but he also goes by Big D. The other two guys that he was riding with are Spike and Axel." J.J. explains.
"How do you know these guys?" Bruno continues.
J.J. looks away. He is afraid to see Bruno's reaction to what he is about to say. "Because I used to be a member of their gang."
"Oh." for a moment Bruno is a bit nervous. He thinks, "If J.J. truly used to be a Street Demon, he is a criminal! Who knows what horrible things he has done." Bruno looks over at J.J. He is still staring our the window. "Well, obviously you are trying to put that part of your life behind you ." Bruno says this more to try to reassure himself than anything else.
J.J. turns his head and looks at Bruno, "Exactly!" He says with complete surprise. He didn't expect that reaction from Bruno. "I know I've made my fair share of mistakes in life. I'm not going to make any excuses. I feel I did what I had to do to survive, but now I'm taking control. I don't want to live my life the way that those bikers do! I want a normal life!"
Bruno thinks carefully, "This could all be a line J.J. is giving me to put me at ease, but for some reason, I feel I can trust him. When I look at him, I don't see a dangerous criminal, I just sees a scared kid who needs my help." Bruno speaks after pausing for a moment, "Good for you J.J.! It seems like you are really trying to change your life, but if that is true, why are you still running from them?"
"It's not like I could just be like, okay guys, I'm done see you later! They would never let me leave that easy. I knew if I wanted out I would have to wait for the right moment. I finally found it when I stole this from them." J.J. reaches into his pocket and pulls out the stone.
"Holy shit! No wonder they are chasing you!" Bruno can't help but be in awe of the beautiful gem. "Where did they get that from?"
"Well, it's kind of a long story, but since you asked..."
To be continued...
By: D.J.A (AKA Bearchaser79)
