Luger's Hammer Pt1

Chapter 1 The Alarm           1

A word came to the operators mind “quiet”.  An utterance forbidden in the monitoring centre during any night shift. It had been a normal Tuesday night, busy with customers closing late and cleaners arriving unannounced, to start their hour of mundane forever condemned, never commended chores, then leave, just as abruptly. She went to the kitchenette to recharge the caffeine levels, to complete the last four hours a normal shift, in what would appear, a semblance of alertness and to assist her, in her attempts at being pleasant with every caller. This including the perpetual babbling of patrolmen, a semi-coherent transceiver system. 2

A break in the short lived silence, the monitoring system jumped into tones familiar but unfriendly. Dropping the boiling jug back on the bench, sprinted to the computer. The Rough Rabble Motor Cycle club in O’Riordon St. Botany. Multiple activations, these had commenced at the rear door, gone into the meeting room, into the bar area, into the office area, a return to the bar area, then final activation at the rear door. 3

While the alarm was screaming, the operator scanned the notes on the client’s file. “NO POLICE - EVER”-“NO PATROLS”. No -one else but authorised key holders”. Few alternatives, quickly went through the list of call-out contacts. Hammer Hilmer, Knuckles Knowles, Animal, Cheeks and Tony. She tried to call each in turn, during her call to Tony, a semi-conscious male voice on another incoming line. Picking it up, unable to say anything before this thundering voice:4

“Cheeks here, what do ya want? This betta be real good, mate,” he mumbled abruptly.5

“ I start work in a cupla ‘ours.” voice slowly becoming slightly more human.6

“Sir, all indicator show your club-house, has a break and entry in progress.”7

“Ah blast, when?” In progress... now, sir”8

“ I’m goin’ OK, I’m goin’, see if ya can get Tony or Hammer.” he replied, anxiously.9

“Ya got their numbers?”10

“Yes sir, I have but I have tried Hammer already and was calling Tony, as you rang.”11

“Try Hammer again and get Tony. OK?”12

“Yes sir, do you want patrols to attend?”13

“Na I’ll be there in Ten minuts,” somewhat annoyed... 14

“Just get Tony, all right and Hammer, if ya can wake his woman”. 15

The alarm panel stopped it’s beckoning a total of eight minutes from entry to exit. Slightly longer than a normal “set” of alarms. All restored except the rear door, on the system by 02:43hrs.16

Chapter 2 The Response17

The pipes on his “Hog” were loudly ticking, as Cheeks fumbled through his pockets to find the keys to the club house.  A non too easy feat wearing short cycle gloves and having his chained wallet in the same jeans pocket. If only he had gone to the back he would have found the rear door had been jemmied open and was still wide open.18

The door flung open as the lock was barely released, Cheeks flew into the receiving room (an old converted lounge room). Raced over to the light switches with his trusty sawn off in his left hand. At the control room, the panel showed an “out of hours entry by UID 03 Cheeks”.19

The operator had not been able to raise Tony but Hammer’s woman rang back to say he was on his way. “I got ya message on me phone and sent him. Is anyone else goin’?”20

She responded “Yes maam, Cheeks has just opened up the club”.21

“Good, he’ll be there in about five minuts” she said, with a  proud voice.22

Chapter 3 The Trashed Club23

The place was a total mess, bar kicked over and broken cellar pipes spraying a thin mist of beer onto the ceiling, the office had the cabinets all tipped over and records and licenses and numerous, other, personal information strewn over the floor. The Texas flag ripped off the wall and seats all over the place. 24

Hammer was a huge man of about 6’4”. He had, as a child been beaten by his father, a drunk. He had done body building, taken and injected huge amounts of steroids in his early growth days. He was an extremely aggressive man in those days. It is believed he had broken every bone in an opponents face with three hits. The man who, himself, had been a drunk, reminded Hammer of earlier beatings and Hammer just ‘lost it’. His aggressive nature had subdued quite substantially, as mature age saw him marry into a wealthy family. Oddly they all love him as their own. He is an artist in his own rite having sculptured some famous pieces, there lending the handle ‘Hammer’25

Hammer raced past Cheek’s bike, through the front door with his 9mm automatic in his hand, calling out Cheek’s name. Cheek called back, “in the bar mate, it’s a bloody mess”26

“What about the office, did they get the office?” showing grave concern........27

“Yeah, mate they sure did, it’s bloody trashed” he continue, “have a look mate......it’s trashed”28

Hammer went straight to the grey cabinet which was laying across the desk, with the top three draws hanging limply open, over the desk. He pushed it back towards the wall and dived into the bottom drawer. 29

A shocked man, Hammer raged: “Oh damn, the lousy asses, 30

took me bloody Luger”, “Hitler's own bloody Luger”, “it’s bloody well gone”.“Some ass’s a dead man. Someone bloody well dead -  mate, totally dead.”  A short cold wait, thinking, then deathly quiet: “ Did you see if they got the ’X’?”31

Cheeks ran straight into meeting room, They metal cabinet had been ripped open by something solid, all three locks one at the top, one at the the bottom and the centre lock were totally shot. Damage done by a 150 cm pinch bar, which had been dumped on the floor. The ‘X’ all gone, one all six kilos, in three 2 kilo bags.32

Chapter 4 The Club House33

As with most club houses, when we were children, they were the receptacle for anything we needed hidden from the authorities. In our childhood days these authorities, naturally, were our parents. Today’s authorities are everyone being an non-authorised member of the Rough Rabble.34

Any-one climbing the ‘ladder into this tree house’, would see the wrath of all members, who would repel with rocks now made of lead and sticks made from steel. A stick which had been steel forged, to be used easily. A useful tool on their bike or an attacking dog.35

The mote is about eight feet high with a crown of rose-stem like, wire on it’s top. The tower lookouts housed in small saucer shaped plastic domes, each have a field of view of almost three hundred and sixty degrees. They each have a telescope available, so could peer into the further reaches possible. All in all, it was a well fitted castle. 36

Each member of the club was a duly trained knight and could muster his stead. He would kick her lovingly below the37

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heart and have her ready to charge into the field of battle, at the flick of a switch. He was well trained in shouldering a double barrelled lance and use it effectively downing his rival, at full gallop.39

On having successfully passed the training regime and passing the entrance trial, each knight would be endowed with his colour shield. This shield of bright colour also was embossed with a crest. This crest was required to be worn each time he would mount-up.  This thereby showing to all who may question, his readiness to enter into battle, for his faith..40

Anyone not having passed the trial, who made the unforgivable mistake of entered their castle and who had not been screened for his loyalty and trustworthiness, is a potential threat to the wellbeing of those who defend these walls.41

This person would be dealt with with the fullness of disciplines as laid out in the rites that had been established by the clan. Then to evoke judgment on offenders by the level of his or their encroachment. This judgment, usually decided by full quorum, whether being menial torture or whether the mortal sentence, the entire compliment ariund the table, should decree.42

Chapter 5 The Reckoning43

A pensive Hammer said: “Who do ya reckon did this? Maybe the Devils”44

Cheeks was a large man who only ever wore a ‘jet’ style helmet Summer or Winter he refused to ever wear a full face. During Winter whether from broken capillaries or wind burn we really don’t know, his face used to almost glow red against his abnormally pale skin. No-one but his closest mates really ever knew what his real name was. He was an inquisitive man who was really only a gentle giant. He loved his bike, his woman, his 45

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house in Berry and his alternative lifestyle growing vegetable and herbs of many varieties. Some of these nurtured from seeds lovingly under hydroponically fed nutrient supply and under adverse atmospheric conditions, given artificial light almost equalling a  warm spring day. He was proud of his green thumbs.47

Cheeks said: “Maybe. Ya better call Tony”. “He is really going be pissed-off. ”48

Tony picked up the phone on the second ring. The earlier calls had disturbed his sleep. He’d been to the toilet and he’d just come back to the lounge after getting cold water from the fridge. 49

Tony is not as large a man, as most of the other brothers but he is the brains of the group. He is a ‘travelling salesman’ no-one really sure to or from where he travels or what, as a salesman, he does actually sell. 50

“Tony here...... what do you want?”51

Caller: “Me mate, Cheeks mate, some mongrels have knocked us over mate, they got all the ‘X’ and looks like they got Hammer’s Luger”. “The club’s bloody well wrecked”.52

Tony: “Ya gotta be jokin who’d be bloody crazy enough to knock us over? Hammer’ll bloody well kill ‘em”. That bloody gun cost him bloody heaps, bloody heaps, ya say all the bloody ‘X’, I don’t bloody believe it, I’ll be there in about ten minuts”. 53

Tony went past the two bikes, threw his ‘lid’ in the doorway went into the fully lit club, saw the mess and went straight into the meeting room where his ‘brothers’ were.54

“Some mongrel has just committed suicide”55

We’re gonna wait till light and have a real good look around. Be real careful lets get the bloody well beer off and fix the place a bit. Anything that don’t belong put in the receivin’ room. Cheeks said “they got ya bloody gun. That cost ya a  56

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bucketfull didn’t it?”58

Hammer was still reeling from the shock “Oh, me bloody gun, some ass is well and truly.... dead.”59

The three “brothers” started the methodical clean-up, until around sunrise. The entry point was plainly evident. 60

The rising sun, starting to reveal tyre marks in the mud out the back. A small van tyre marks coming in then reversing back out, wide car tyre marks, those really expensive dual pattern tyres from Europe. Narrow wheel base and judging by turning circle a four cylinder. They all had an exchange of ideas weighing their findings - not bikers, “Lebs” or maybe “Slopes”.61