As soon as I made it to the edge of the building, there was another loud crash followed by the sounds of feet scuffling against the concrete. I couldn’t see anything. It was just too damn dark. So I quietly stepped into the shadows, and waited for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Shit! Suddenly it wasn’t just noise as the sounds of a man’s grunts and anguished cries echoed along the wall of the building, making my heart nearly jump out of my chest. A feeling of terror washed over me as I realized someone was in trouble. I took one step closer, and my world instantly stopped moving. A man was standing with his back to me, and even though, I had no idea who he was, I instantly recognized his black vest with the dark red embroidery scrolled on the back. He was a member of the Satan’s Fury MC, and something was wrong… very wrong.
I was turning to go for help when I heard, “We’re done playing games with you asshole.”
“Fuck you. I’m not telling you a goddamn thing.”
“Then your time is up, brother.” Two gunshots rang out and my heart stopped as I watched his head jerk back when the bullets slammed into his chest. As I watched his limp body drop to the ground, I felt like someone punched me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I couldn’t breathe… couldn’t move. I was absolutely frozen with fear. I looked behind me, praying for someone to be there – a car driving by or someone walking down the street; anyone to help me escape this nightmare, but there was no one. The darkness of the night engulfed me as I realized that I was completely alone, except for these monsters standing just a few feet away from me that had just killed a member of the Satan’s Fury club. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled against my skin as I listened to the dying man gasping for breath… then there was nothing, just deafening silence. He was lying dead just a few feet from me, and there was nothing I could do to help him. An overwhelming sense of panic surged through my body as I realized how bad this really was. A small whimper escaped my lips as my chest tightened, and my legs began to tremble beneath me.
I was about to completely lose it when I heard, “HEY!”
One of the men had spotted me; the sound of his voice startled me back to reality. Before I had time to think, a massive shadow began stalking towards me.
“I… uh… I… shit!” I screeched as I twirled around and raced towards my car. My legs felt like jelly as I ran, making me feel like I was moving in slow motion. Behind me, the sounds of boots hitting the pavement filled me with pure terror. I was freaking out. The footsteps were getting closer, and I just knew they were going to get me. I was going to die in the middle of a convenience store parking lot! I ran with everything I had and was relieved when I saw that my car door was still open. My entire body was shaking as I jumped inside and locked the doors. I started the engine, threw it in reverse, and stomped on the gas! I heard one of them hit the back of my car as I sped towards the main road. When I looked in my rear view mirror, two large men were standing under the light of the convenience store… staring at the back of my vehicle with pure rage in their eyes. They were after more blood… mine.
When they were finally out of sight, I reached down in my purse for my phone. I quickly dialed Cassidy’s number.
“Come on… come on. Answer the damn phone,” I shouted. After calling three times without an answer, I gave up. Everything that happened kept racing through my mind. I had to tell someone. Cassidy told me that the club didn’t do cops, but I didn’t know what else to do.
“This is 911. State your emergency,” the operator calmly said.
My hands were shaking, and I was finding it difficult to speak. I took a deep breath and said, “I just witnessed a shooting behind the S&K Quick Mart! There were these two guys, and they shot a man in the alley. I didn’t know what to do and … and… those men… oh my god, I… I think they saw me! They were…”
“Miss, I need you to try to calm down. I am sending an officer to that location now. I will need your name and a phone number where you can be reached,” she answered.
“My name is Henley Gray.” I stammered. I could barely tell the operator my phone number, my hands were shaking so badly that I could hardly hold on to the phone.
“Ma’am, as soon as the officers check the location of the shooting, they will call you to make a report. It shouldn’t take long. Please stay close to your phone. I’m sure they will want to talk to you.”
“Okay. I will. Thank you,” I told her.
As soon as I got home, I searched the house for Cassidy. When she wasn’t there, I tried calling her again. This time I left her a message, “Cassidy, I need you to call me. I saw something tonight. It was bad, and…” Without finishing, I hung up the phone. Those men had no idea who I was, and there was no reason for me to get all freaked out about it. I’d tell Cassidy what I saw when she got home and that would be the end of it. The club would take care of it.
I checked all the locks on the doors before curling up on the sofa, praying that my nerves would settle down, but being in this empty apartment wasn’t making it easy. My test was first thing in the morning, and I desperately needed to get some sleep. I was finally about to drift off when my telephone rang.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Henley Gray?” a deep, raspy voice asked.
“Yes?”
“This is Officer Ronnie Donaldson, from the Williamson County Police Department. I’m calling about the report you made of a shooting at the S&K on Park Street.”
“Yes, that was me. Did you catch them?”