Sponsor One Shot
Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy or anything affiliated with the show.
Warnings: mild violence, minor drug references
Charlotte changed gear on the car and it made a horrible metal-on-metal scratching sound. She winced at the sound, glad it was only a hire car from the garage and not her actual car. She was driving to "Joe's", a gas station right on the edge of Charming. The locals stayed away mainly because Joe was a nut case, and always had a sawn off shotgun at the ready under his counter. But she wasn't interested in Joe. She was interested in the small alleyway next to the station, filled with blue and green dumpsters, old syringe needles and rats. It was where 'Trip-X' hung out.
Trip-X was SoA's drug supplier. Although he could get hold of anything he was only allowed to deal weed; if he got caught dealing anything stronger it'd be lights off for him. He also gave them information about drug trades – mainly the Nords but also the Mayans and the Niners. The Sons had a gangster hotline, Trip-X had a druggie hotline. Together, they were a deadly alliance.
Charlotte parked the car near the front of the station and walked right in, pretending to browse for a few minutes before buying bags of crisps and sweet for when they got the munchies later.
After exiting the store she clung to the wall on her left and followed it down to the alley. The station had CCTV cameras but from experience she knew the ones focussed on the left wall weren't working.
Taking a few steps down the dark alley, Charlotte knew there was something wrong. Trip-X liked to hide in the shadows but not this deep.
She called his name softly, barely able to see the ground any more through the darkness of the alleyway.
Her foot hit something on the ground and she looked down, covering her mouth with her hand to stop herself from screaming.
Trip-x was laying in front of her on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood, dead green eyes looking up at her and his mouth in an awkward 'O' formation. She walked quickly back down the alleyway to her car, looking around for signs of other life.
His death had been no accident.
She locked her car doors (After checking the back seat was free from knife wielding maniacs in cheap Scream imitation costumes) and dialled Clay's phone.
"Everything alright?" He answered.
"Trip-x is dead! He's in the alleyway next to Joe's."
"Ah, shit," Clay replied with a sigh. "Stay in your car, do not move."
Charlotte agreed and turned on her radio for some company, keeping an eye on the entrance to the alleyway, making sure nobody found the body before Clay did.
"What?" Tig asked, looking to Clay for an explanation as to who was on the other end of that phone call.
"We got a slight problem," He replied rubbing his forehad.
"Don't say that, man, the party's just started!"
"Trip-X is dead."
The Club, who were sitting around a picnic bench outside, all cursed under their breath. They weren't bothered about the guy (They didn't even know his real name), but they were bothered about what he had on him that could tie SoA to the now deceased. They needed to get to the body before the cops and take any incriminating evidence away.
Charlotte wound the car window down after seeing Tig and Jax dismount their parked Harley's, neither of them wearing their cuts.
"Hey Doll, how's it goin'?" Tig asked, reaching her first. Jax was filling his tank up with gas, casually checking the area out. If they were caught on CCTV, they were caught buying gas legitimately.
"He's down there," she pointed towards the alleyway.
"Seen anyone?" He asked looking around and taking his sunglasses off.
"Nope."
Tig nodded and walked into the station. Seconds later Jax appeared at Charlotte's window.
"You a'ight?"
"Yeah," she nodded.
"You sure?" He pressed.
"I've seen a dead body before, Jax," she replied solemnly, remembering her father's dead body lying on his bed.
"You should head back."
He placed his hand on her shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. She agreed, started her car and drove straight to the Clubhouse.
The black Volvo had been parked in a far corner of the parking lot for just over an hour. The street light above was busted so the car and it's drivers were in darkness.
When they saw the young woman exit her car and enter the store they thought it was just another visitor, but then she had gone to the alleyway and come out seconds later and hopped straight into her car. They were going to follow her, but instead she just sat there for 10 minutes.
Two Harley's pulled up and they instantly recognised the drivers as SoA members. Both members talked to the woman in the green car so she was definitely affiliated with them. When she pulled out the parking lot, the driver started the engine and followed her to the Clubhouse.
The place was parked with bikes and cars and people. Nobody noted them as suspicious as they drove in behind the green car and parked up near the shutter doors to the garage.
They waited and watched as Charlotte got out the car, seconds later the driver of the black Volvo exited and walked towards her, a pleasant smile on his face.
"Hey," He greeted.
"Hi," Charlotte replied, recognising, but not placing the man.
He was average height, with broad shoulders and an athletic build. He had sandy blonde hair that was closely shaved to his head, and piercing blue eyes that were a contrast to his tanned skin. He looked like a stereotypical 'pretty boy'. The sleeve tattoo on his left arm and a small scar on his right eyebrow indicated that his looks were deceiving.
"Do you have a light?" He asked, twirling a cigarette in his fingers.
"Oh, sure," Charlotte nodded, reaching inside her bag. As always, it was right at the bottom.
When she held out the lighter for the man he roughly took hold of her wrist and dragged her further towards the corner of the garage building, out of sight from the others.
"Let's go over here for a sec," he said in a low voice, verging on menacing.
"What're you-?"
"Shut up!" He interrupted. "Stay quiet," he ordered, still holding her arm.
Chibs looked up from the table, taking a quick glance at the patrons, and saw Kip staring intently at something - or someone. Following his gaze he noted that it landed on Charlotte across the garage forecourt. His eyes narrowed at the strawberry blonde haired kid.
He best not be getting any ideas.
He didn't know the kid too well at all. He'd been in Iraq serving with the Army and rumour had it his nuts had been blown off by a field exercise gone wrong. The other day when the Sons held a boxing match, the kid had approached him and asked if he could fight in the ring.
Chibs had laughed at him, told him to take a seat. But Kip had been relentless, asking him over and over to fight. He was a good fighter from boxing in the Army, he just needed a chance to prove it.
Chibs gave him a chance and gave him a round with the biggest guy there. The kid lasted for two rounds – almost three - and despite the fact that so much blood was pouring into his eyes from a deep cut on his eyebrow, the kid still stood on his feet – albeit barely - landing solid punches. If anything, his biggest let down had been stamina and controlling his breathing. Kip barely had enough energy to stand on his feet and was KO'd.
If the deformed ex-soldier brushed up on his breathing and footwork he'd have the makings of a good fighter. A lightweight fighter, but a good one.
Not that he'd ever tell him that.
Especially not to his face.
Suddenly he saw the kid bolt in the direction towards the garage, and he watched with surprise as he pushed Charlotte over onto the floor before punching a guy in the face.
Out of nowhere Charlotte saw a blur out the corner of her right eye, and someone pushed her onto the floor, the blonde haired man getting knocked over too. The small blade in his hand skidded across the concrete floor.
"What the hell?" Charlotte asked in shock from her place on the floor, nursing her sore wrist. She saw Kip, a Hangaround, pounding the guys face in.
As the blonde haired man stood up he swung a punch at the young guy. He took it well, only faltering slightly on his feet before landing a direct right hook back.
A 2 on 1 match ensued between Kip and the two strangers. At some point during the fight he had rendered one of them unconscious and the other one he now held by the collar of his t-shirt, delivering blow after blow to the guy's already broken nose.
Chibs and Bobby, first on the scene, broke it up as quick as they could.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Bobby shouted, pushing Kip and the other guy apart. Chibs kept hold of Kip by his collar whilst Bobby placed himself in the middle of them to make sure they wouldn't fight again.
"What the hell was that about, slugger?" Chibs asked Kip.
Kip's response was to spit the blood that had collected in his mouth on the ground.
"They got no respect," He finally answered, breathless, pointing to the two strangers.
Charlotte watched silently with interest, still on the ground.
"So you knock 'em out, eh? Think that's the best way to teach someone a lesson, kid?"
Chibs let go of the young man, walking over to Charlotte.
"You okay?" He asked softly, holding out his hand which she used to pull herself to her feet.
He noticed that her arm was bright red and she was rubbing it gently. He hadn't seen what had gone on wholly, but he bet those two bastards had something to do with it.
Charlotte nodded she was fine. He walked over to the two men on the floor, recognising them but unable to place them yet.
A ragged edge blade discarded on the floor caught his eye and he picked it up by the handle, flicking it with his wrist to retract the blade and stuffed it into the waistband of his jeans. It looked like a good knife – and no way in hell was he going to give it back to whichever of the two pricks had dropped it.
Something bulging out the back of the blonde haired man's trousers caught his eye and he bent down, pulling out a 9mm gun and another knife from his jeans waistband.
Kip smirked to himself. He knew he'd been right when he saw them get out the car. They hadn't been there earlier that evening, and they kept looking around as if making sure they weren't being watched. He'd seen something catch the light in one of the guy's hands and instantly recognised it as a knife. They were up to something with that girl – Clay's daughter - he could never remember her name. He'd known something was off so he stepped in.
Bobby enlisted the help of passers by to take the two unconscious gentlemen and remove them from the premises.
"Thanks," Charlotte said, nodding to Kip.
"S'Ok," He replied, wiping his bloody nose on his bare arm, making off towards the Clubhouse.
"Hey, kid!" Chibs called to him after a few seconds.
"Yeah?" Kip stopped walking and turned around.
"What're you doing with your life?"
"Huh?"
"Come here, let's talk a minute."