Melody was inthe center of the room, tied to a chair, her mouth taped shut, a tattooedpsychopath stood behind her holding a 9mm to her temple. On the couch next tothem was a young blonde girl.
“Come one stepcloser and you’re gonna find out what the inside of her head looks like,” thepsycho said.
I paused, tryingto form a quick strategy when an old haggard looking woman ran in holding aspoon in one hand and a leash in the other. On the end of that leash was afull-grown man wearing only a diaper and bib. His face was covered in creamcorn.
“What the hellis going on in here?” she screamed.
“I was about toask the same question,” I said, my gun still aimed at the psycho.
“I told you,man. Drop your piece, or I’ll fucking shoot her,” he said.
“Are you okay,baby?” I asked Melody.
She nodded.
“I swear to GodI’ll do her,” the psycho said through gritted, rotten teeth.
“You’d better dowhat Denny says, Train,” the old woman said. “Be a gooddogand do asyou’re told.”
I raised aneyebrow. “So, you know who I am and who I ride with.”
“That’s right,”she said, “I’ve become an expert on Melody Morgan. Where she is, who she knows,who she’s fucking.”
“If you know whoI am, then you should know not to fuck with me.”
“Mama, tell himto stop pointing that gun at me,” Denny yelled, becoming more agitated.
“Train, youreally do need to put that gun down before we have some sort of accident inhere,” the woman warned.
“I’m scared,Mama,” Barry whined.
“You go on backto your crib and lay down. Mama will come in and read you a story soon.”
“You tell thatfreak to put his hands up where I can see them, turn around, and sit hisdiapered ass on the floor,” I said.
“It’s okayBarry,” the woman said, dropping his leash. “Remember our game, Simon says?Well, Train here is Simon, so put your hands in the air, turn around, and sitdown like he said.”
“Sit the fuckdown or Simon’s gonna ask you to whistle through the hole he puts in yourlungs,” I warned.
“Squeeze thattrigger and your girlfriend is dead,” Denny said.
“How about youlet her go, and we all walk away from this? No harm, no foul.” I kept my voiceas steady as I could, locking eyes with Melody, hoping she knew I was going toprotect her at any cost. “What do you say?”
“I’d say you’rea man who’s in no position to bargain,” Mama replied.
“Is that so?” Iasked. “It’s pretty warm in here. And what’s that I smell cooking in thekitchen? Smells like a little backwoods chemistry to me.”
“What the fuckis your point?”
“If you know whoI ride with, then you know we have the ability to throw a wrench or two intoyour little meth factory here.”
“I got houseslike this one all over town,” she cackled. “Plus, I don’t give two shits whoyou ride with, I’m with the Beast now. I’m protected.”
“If that’s true,you’ve only given me one more reason to ice you, right here and now,” I said.“Let her go.”
“Look here,”Mama said. “We don’t want to keep Ms. Morgan here any longer than we have to.In fact, all we want is for her to fire you, re-hire Gill, and tell the copsthis was all a big misunderstanding. I don’t care if you wanna keep puttingyour dick in her after that, but I want Gill’s name cleared.”
“You’re out ofyour fuckin’ mind,” I said.
