Thin Ice is Only a Problem For the Slow (Dawn)

Ghost kissed her back though it was far too briefly. It tasted of a forgotten promise. He was not surprised that D and her club would go to war over the threat the Vagos presented. Their club was national not on the same plane as the Vagos but they were a group to be reckoned with. Even as he knew it he was torn. He’d promised himself blood for the slight as well as the interruption, yet he was not of a mind to pick up arms. He’d done so in the past but he was not that youth anymore. He was not the gangster type. He was not that sort mainly through his careful constant grip on never letting the monster out of the box.

It didn’t help that he knew the cost of the fallout when things went sideways. Sighing he watched as she grabbed her piece and gave him an out. He should really take it. He didn’t want her to get arrested let alone shipped off for what could happen. The Vagos were a one percent club. The vast majority of their club were connected with homicides or worse. Sighing he pulled his shirt on over his head finallay moving to his jacket and helmet. His jacket had a few holes. He cursed under breath. Sighing he walked out behind her. " I’m with you; I’m pretty good at batting clean-up."

Knowing he would regret the decision he kick started his ride. Easing it out greeting her crew with a nod.

Ghost shook his head looking at the ground for a few seconds as he forced his thoughts to the back burner. The camouflage of his bike did wonders to insure he was underestimated. Yet another reason that he wasn’t clubrider. He looked at the line of riders and from their battle vests he knew which were prospects and wannabe’s. He was firmly in their eyes one of the prospects for the evening. Having been inside their vice presidents house bought him temporary clout. He moved to the mentioned position. No in truth he began to but his skin began to itch. It was too close too confining. He began to sweat. His breath was coming in short bursts. Sitting and revving he eased towards the line as they moved to follow them. He was not a joiner and kept looking at the space they left for him as if it were the closing of cell doors.

There was the rear exit but he wasn’t that sort of man. He wasn’t a man who ran from his problems. He was a gladiator in a suit. Yet he was out of his chosen element. His element he chose so that he didn’t end the way his family usually did. His cousins uncles and extended relations who’d chased the streets only to be swallowed by them. Shaking his head he ignored the look of the clubs rear guard. He knew he was toeing a very big line for the club but he was not a joiner and it was a pathological flaw. He chose his own way, he rode his own road. Why was he even here? Lost in his head he didn’t hear the guard until he was all but yelling in his ear "I don’t care if you are Ghost or not but get your ass into position!"

Ghost laughed at the guy instead of taking offense which was definitely the wrong move tempers were high. As the rearguard began to crowd he heard D call out. It was as good as a gubernatorial pardon as far as the lunkhead was concerned he backed off before Ghost could respond in kind. Instead he just swung out taking up a more loose rear diamond. In effect he was an additional rear guard. She of course had information that others didn’t. She knew he was in fact the Ghost. The dawn rider the well it didn’t matter really his pride wasn’t why he was here. Though in truth it was he was here because of his pride but most of his decisions in his life were made because of his pride. Though now he was sure that minimally mischief and potentially criminal bodily harm.

"There they are…" Ghost called out as he swung left free of the pack down and around to hope onto the number two. Their leader was a fairly smart man thinking the Vagos would avoid South Central. They however had a similar thought it seemed and appeared to be taking the two to back track their way west and around the town.

He knew he couldn’t pour too much speed as he’d loose the pack and yet his greatest impulse was to catch them and maybe unseat their rear guard who paid the lone black bike no real attention. Which was saying a lot about the warparty if they were unconcerned. It meant they were headed somewhere where they had the advantage or hoped to so they could stomp out the competition.

Ghost was fine with violence he was okay with purposeful violence. He was even okay with a surprisingly huge amount of bloody violence. The guns being put to use was another matter entirely. He almost laid his bike down as the shells tore through the air around him. By and large the crew were fine shots. However as the guns began barking the Vagos began taking evasive actions he watched as their leader stood his bike up walking off it being snatched up by another rider who managed a turn standing nearly up on the front hoof.

Ghost ducked low and drew his baton clubbing a few riders not so much to hurt anyone but he knew very few people that would shoot a downed opponent. His conscious was locked away but it would haunt him later that was a sure thing. He was already thinking of his excuses if asked later. He wanted to think of something less than how much he wanted to get the hell out of dodge. Sadly in for a penny in for a pound. He instead he throttled up and skidded to a stop just outside of the main cluster of falling bodies. He knew that the police would be along soon as they were on the two so close to South central there was probably already three cars heading there direction. It was why he hated riding this side of town. He began scanning the horizon.

Ghost understood the need for vengeance he’d heeded its siren song in more ways he could ever be proud of. All the same he knew that even as they maliciously attempted to either take her life and leave waste in their wake or at least scare the hell out of her. Taking their life would not truly ever balance the scales. As they fell like paper mache’ dominoes Ghost fought the urge to flinch away from the violence dancing in front of his eyes. He had signed up for this so he would see it to the end. He was sure that it would get worse before it got better and with two clubs and their allies all willing to spill blood like one drink too many it was sure to get bad.

Cartching D’s look he boot scooted out riding off towards nowhere in particular she considered the work of the night done. It was surely just the start. He needed to make some calls and some part of him wanted to make sure she was okay. She was in surrounded by men and women that had no problem with violence that should make her one of the safest people in the world. He wasn’t sure about that they targeted her not the clubhouse which was easy enough to find. They were riding for war and they’d expected a quick response. It didn’t add up to a pretty picture. Scooting around cross streets he got to their clubhouse before the crew arrived. He swung his leg up onto his bike and removed his phone from his boot.

He sent a text to two of his sources and one to his asset in the Sheriff’s department. He had them do a cursory search on recent crimes connected with The Vagos. He also had them run the sheets of high ranking Sons and Angels. It was a decent sized favor which would surely mean he would be in hock for awhile but he was sure something would show for his efforts. His next call would be to Caza Salvaxe while they specialized in preternaturals Mister Zlotvor would occasionally take on wild goose chases for him if they were significantly puzzle like.

As she pulled in with the crew he nodded as she scanned the area slipping his phone back into his boot he sauntered over to her clearly not one of the club.

He should have bid her adieu he should have got back on his bike and left instead; " I heard about that." Ghost said as he followed her. Yes he shouldn’t be as attracted to her as he was cock-blocked or not but he was. He knew he was playing with fire especially as he’d seen her in action or more specifically was complicit before and after the fact. There were about six different felonies he had witnessed and yet here he was nose open and trailing behind her.

He watched as she grabbed a few sheets and things. She walked to a bedroom he followed even moving aside as she closed the door and began making the bed. She would be staying here which made sense even as he thought better of it. The Vagos targeted her specifically. They recognized his bike but they knew where she lived. They’d set a trap that wasn’t sprung. He knew he was moving slowly towards some end but he couldn’t get there. Not fast enough his mind wouldn’t close that leap. “Thanks for the compliment I think. But I would make a bad rider. Its everything I can do to not begin planning an effective end to the Vagos. I’d make a terrible rider because underneath it all I would make such a very good gangster. And that’s a very bad use of my time. I should leave."

Even as he was saying how he should leave he moved to her. He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m leaving. You should come with me there’s a place in the hills that we can lay low together for a few days. We can have our own private world of two…” He stopped himself as he realized what he’d just offered. Was he frickin crazy. She was hot yes but was he really willing to let someone into his world really and truly? Placing a kiss against her he stepped back. Waiting.

As he listened Ghost thought of an angle that could be beneficial especially to D and the club. The Vagos were well planned and coming with purpose. It was time to get out in front of things and really go on the offense without leaving the compound really. "Hey," Ghost called out the man that D had called DK. Moving to him he knew he had no standing especially here as the few members he’d beaten chalked it up to luck and not his own skill. It was one of the few downsides to being as elusive as he’d been. Ghost was a legend a myth and it was hard at times to convince those not in the know that he was real. “I don’t have a way or a say, but maybe you should spread the word that she is staying here in the compound. Get everyone looking left while you’re going right. And it would keep your VP in good.”

As they exited Ghost considered the implications. He wouldn’t allow himself to think on it. He would do what he did what came naturally. He would speed on allowing his instincts to take over.

"No you can’t take your ride. By the way, I only know one wild redhead. And no one has been to my place. I’d like to keep its location our little secret. I’ll bitch out…" He said handing his keys to her. Another first and somehow it didn’t get any easier in his thoughts. What the hell was he doing he chided himself.