Truth and Lies: Chapter 11

Arriving at the prison, I wait while Glue checks in to see if they have a direction we can start looking. We know she was released, but where would she go from here. My understandings is either a halfway house or out on her own.

Gunner is tapping his foot, getting worked up. He better not start a thing regarding Miriam until at least we know the truth of what happened. I’d take great delight in putting this fucker on his ass.

Forty minutes later and Glue returns, smiling at us, ‘She caught the bus and went to the halfway house. I have the address.’

Starting up my bike, I wait for everyone else to get moving, then follow along. I want to keep my eye on Gunner, which means keeping him in front of me, not behind.

We drive through the town, and it’s busy, so we have to take our time, and we all pile up in front of the halfway house, parking our bikes and heading inside.

Runner walks up to the desk and gives the woman a bright smile, ‘Good day, we’re looking for a friend who left prison a few weeks ago. Her name is Miriam Williams, the prison told us she came here, but do you know where she went from this point?’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t give you information regarding anyone that uses the halfway house. It’s just not ethical,’ she states, looking down her nose at us.

‘What if we gave you a donation for the house?’ Tin asks her, sidling up and opening his wallet.

‘Now you want to bribe me?’ she starts to stand, but Gunner steps forward.

‘Look, we’re trying to find my daughter, she’s gone missin’, we believe she’s trying to find Miriam, but she’s only twelve, she could get into trouble.’ Gunner states, leaning on the desk.

I see some form of recognition when Gunner said she was twelve, so I step forward, ‘You’ve seen her, was she alright? We’ve got to find her. She’s not streetwise, so she’s not goin’ to be able to protect herself.’

‘Maybe you should have looked after her better,’ she states, giving Gunner a nasty look, and if it weren’t such a shit situation, I would have taken great pleasure in her comment, ‘But she has protection; she won’t get hurt.’

‘What do you mean?’ I ask, ‘Who or what is protecting her?’

‘She has her very own Green Beret with her, and no one will hurt her, not even any of you.’ she presses a button on the side of her desk, ‘I suggest you leave before security arrives, or you’ll find yourself in lockup.’

We all head outside and sit astride our bikes. Not knowing which way we should go now, where is she and who is with her?

‘Let’s find something to eat, as my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut.’ Tin states, ‘We need to call in and update Sharp too.’

We find a drive-thru further along the road, so we pull in, use their restroom, and fill our stomachs. Runner updates Sharp on how we’re doing, and Gunner is getting more and more miserable.

‘All we can do now is start putting rubber to the road and see who knows a special forces man or woman that has a young girl with them. It’s worth a shot as we’ve fuck all else.’ I state, starting up my bike. I head back to the main road before parking, then walking and speaking to anyone and everyone.

Zara

Waking up, I feel dirty and hungry. Looking over, I see Target sitting near the window watching outside. ‘Good morning, Target,’ I say as I stand and tidy up the blankets.

‘Did you sleep alright?’ I ask him as he stands and moves away from the window.

‘Good as ever,’ he says, running his hands over his hair.

‘I need to go to the bathroom,’ and I get some wipes out of my backpack and a toothbrush, I forgot toothpaste, but at least I can give them some sort of clean.

Target opens the door and watches me get into the bathroom safely, and then I hear him walk away. I’m pleased about that as I don’t want him listening to me pee.

Once we are back on the street, walking towards the diner the woman told us about, I notice Target seems quiet, and his eyes are darting everywhere.

‘We need to get breakfast, Target. I’ve got the money, so where can we eat?’ I ask him just as my stomach makes a massive rumble.

‘We’ll pass a breakfast food place on the way, and we can get something as we pass. They give food out to homeless people, so keep your money in your pocket,’ he tells me.

Nodding, I understand. I comment, ‘The diner people may give us something too so that we can fill our stomachs up.’

I notice Target gives a half-grin when I say that, and I nudge him with my shoulder smiling at him.

‘What do you think will happen when you find this friend of yours?’ Target asks me, giving me an eyebrow lift.

‘I don’t know. I have to say I’m sorry to her.’ I say with some shame in my voice.

‘You can tell me about it later when we get to rest awhile,’ he says and places a hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

We walk for another half an hour not speaking, but it’s not an uncomfortable silence. I’m looking at all the houses and streets as we walk, but I don’t think I’ll remember any of this later.

Target nods at a small food shop with a small line of people waiting to be served. I don’t know what they are getting, but it smells pretty good.

We stand at the end of the line and wait our turn. The woman in front of me doesn’t smell very nice, so I step back a little and slightly behind Target. I think he knows why I’ve moved as I see the side of his mouth kicked up into a bit of a smirk.

Target looks back at me, and I grin and shrug my shoulders, showing him I don’t care I’m not standing close to her; she stinks.

A man stands in line behind us and leans into us, speaking quietly, ‘Peter, someone is looking for you. A man with a young girl is what they were looking for. Bikers have been looking at the halfway house. Keep your eyes peeled.’

Target nods at the man, and we get our hot drink, which I think is coffee, and a good slice of breakfast casserole. We take our breakfast and walk over to a bench that is now in the early morning sun.

Target looks sideways at me, ‘Bikers Zara?’

I blow out a breath, ‘My dad is a biker, and all my uncles, who aren’t real uncles, live there; it’s the Rogue Legion MC. If they are here, then my dad is looking for me. But Target, he hasn’t had any time for me in years, my mother hits me, and I’ve been hiding from her. I want to find Miriam. She’ll look after me. She’ll save me.’

‘Okay, tell me the story, all the story,’ Target asks as he finishes his breakfast and sips his coffee.

‘When I was a baby, my mother Cara had me then left the hospital. I didn’t see her again until I was seven. My dad looked after me on his own, well with his club brothers until I was two, then Miriam and my dad got together.

‘She was my mother in all ways, she looked after me, she used to sing to me and take me everywhere. I really loved her.

‘Then when I was seven Cara came back, she rushed into the house screaming and shouting, I don’t know what she was saying, but she hit me and then she pulled a knife out from somewhere.

‘Miriam rushed to me when Cara hit me and pushed her back, then when Cara pulled the knife screaming and trying to stab at me, Miriam was fighting with her, and she got the knife and stabbed Cara.

‘Then my dad ran into the room, and Cara screamed, saying Miriam attacked her because she was jealous of her and me being her daughter. I kept trying to tell them no, she hadn’t, but no one would listen, and I was carried out of the room.

‘The next thing I knew, Miriam was taken and was in prison for stabbing Cara. Then Cara was living with us again, and she is horrid. She calls me names, blames me that dad doesn’t want her because it’s all my fault.

‘I’ve not spoken to any of them since then, not one word. I don’t want to talk to them as they wouldn’t listen.’

‘How long ago was all this?’ Target asks.

‘Five years. I’m nearly thirteen now.’ I state, ‘I need to find Miriam and tell her I’m sorry.’

‘Did you never try in all those years to tell the truth?’ he asks, looking directly at me.

‘No, I just didn’t speak at all.’

‘You could have talked to someone at some time. You may have saved your friend from staying in prison.’ Target states in a low voice.

‘I wish I had, but I didn’t.’ and I have tears running down my cheeks.

‘The thing is, Zara, you could have got the truth out if you tried harder. You could have stood in the middle of those men and shouted, she didn’t do it.’ he states, ‘Someone would have listened. She may not want to have a friendship with you now, and you have to be prepared for that. Five years is a long time. She must have suffered for something she didn’t do. She will be bitter about it, I would think. But we can find her, and you can at least tell her you’re sorry.’

I cry quietly and nod as I know I have to say sorry, and I think I already lost my friend and, worse, the person who was a mother to me.

‘Come on, let’s go find this diner. Worry about everything else when we need to,’ Target says, then places his arm around my shoulders, and we start walking, ‘We need to get a wash before we stink like that woman.’ and when I look up at him, we both burst out laughing.