A few nearby men laughed softly.
Elena almost smiled.
Then the grief returned.
"I don't understand why you'd do this."
Snake looked toward Miguel.
"Your husband was doing his job."
Then he looked at Elena.
"Today our job is making sure that boy knows his father mattered."
Elena's eyes filled.
She covered her mouth.
Tom said nothing.
There was nothing better to say.
Martinez approached.
Elena looked surprised to see him talking with Tom.
"We've got the route handled."
"You do?"
Martinez nodded toward the bikers.
"We had help."
Elena looked around again.
For the first time since arriving, some of the tension left her face.
"Marcus would not believe this."
Martinez smiled sadly.
"Marcus would be checking license plates."
Snake laughed.
"Now that I believe."
Miguel looked between them.
"Daddy gave tickets."
Tom nodded.
"I bet he did."
Miguel grinned.
"He gave Mommy one before they got married."
Elena closed her eyes.
"Miguel."
Martinez burst out laughing.
"Best story he ever told."
Even Elena laughed then.
Only for a second.
But it was enough to make everyone nearby smile.
At ten, the hearse arrived.
Every motorcycle engine shut off.
The sudden silence was extraordinary.
Three hundred machines.
Hundreds of people.
No revving.
No talking.
No music.
Tom and Martinez had arranged two long lines leading from the hearse toward the graveside path.
Bikers formed the first line.
Police officers began forming another.
Then one officer quietly stepped into a gap between two riders.
Another officer did the same.
Snake noticed.
He shifted sideways to create space.
A patrol officer moved beside him.
Soon the pattern formed naturally.
Blue uniform.
Leather vest.
Blue.
Leather.
Blue.
Leather.
No one had planned that part.
That was why it mattered.
Elena stepped from the family vehicle holding Miguel's hand.
Miguel's father's police cap still sat crooked on his head.
The red Superman cape moved gently behind him.
They entered the corridor.
The first biker lowered his head.
An officer saluted.
The next biker placed his fist over his heart.
Another officer bowed his head.
Miguel walked slowly.
He looked left.
Then right.
At every face.
Every person there because of him.
When he reached Big Jake, the massive biker bent slightly.
Tears were running down Jake's scarred cheeks.
Miguel stopped.
Jake nodded toward the coffin.
"That your daddy in there?"
Miguel nodded.
"Yes, sir, scary man."
Jake laughed through the tears.
"Must've been a good daddy."
Miguel's face lit for one brief second.
"The best daddy."
Jake looked away.
He could not answer.
The graveside service began quietly.