Lisa Ch. 02: Consequences

"No sweat." Angus said, "Jimbo says she can't move. I've got a ton of parts to order. I can fill in the forms while she stares at the ceiling all night."

"I'll check her over, make sure there's no serious damage." Riley said. "She can spend the day on the sofa where we can keep an eye on her."

"Did you guys bring the diapers?" Jim asked.

"Diapers?" Angus blurted with snort, "You've gotta be kidding me. We'll haul her skinny ass to the bathroom and the more it hurts, the better."

"It may make her think twice before she tries to shoot any of us again." Riley added, staring at Jessica, pleased to see understanding in her eyes before she closed them.

"Do you need me to stick around while you doctor her up?" Angus asked.

"Nope." Riley replied and Jessica felt the bed dip as Riley sat himself beside her. From below slightly open lids she saw Angus leave.

"Has she been unconscious?" Riley asked.

"She's been in and out." Jim answered.

Riley began to feel his way around her head. A few times his hands landed on painful areas and it took all Jessica had to not cry out. His hands always investigated these areas more thoroughly, and not as gently as she suspected could have been possible.

"Her skull is fractured in two places. I'm surprised that her brain hasn't swollen." He pried Jessica's eye open and flashed the light from a small flashlight in it. And then he switched eyes. "She'll live. She won't be causing us much trouble for a while. And her head is going to hurt like a son of bitch. We could give her some pain killers to help with that, but we won't. A little suffering will do her some good. Hey Jessica? When your head feels like it's going to explode, think about whether you ever want to try shooting one of us again ... I'm willing to bet on what the answer will be." He ended with a laugh. "Let's put her on the sofa."

Riley heaved himself from the bed.

"I'll get her." Jim said, moving to scoop Jessica into his arms as gently as he could. His mind raced as he took her out to the living room and laid her on the sofa. Riley had followed behind him ... Josh had gone ahead of him, and then kept on going outside.

Jim was aware of Riley watching him. He looked over his shoulder but couldn't read Riley's expression. Jim squatted next to Jessica, gently arranged her hands on her abdomen, and then exhaled. He didn't know if he could keep the promise he'd made to Jessica, much less how. There had to be an answer somewhere.

"Are you okay?" Riley asked.

"No. Not really."

"She won't do it again." Riley said moving beside Jim and laying his hand on Jim's shoulder.

Jim chuckled. "All things being equal Riley, I think she will."

Riley's hand fell from Jim's shoulder.

"You think we should have killed her?"

"No. I'm glad that we didn't."

"I don't get it Jim, you just said ..."

"I said 'all things being equal'". Jim patted Jessica's hand and then stood up to face Riley. "I'm kind of hoping for something to change."

"I wish she'd change too." Riley agreed.

"Not just her Riley." Jim said.

Riley nodded. This war was getting tedious. A bit of a more normal life would be nice, he could admit it.

"One day we'll win Jim. The government and assholes like her parents will all disappear, and life will go on as it had been intended to."

"Riley ... I'm not talking about the war. About government, or people like Jessica's parents. I'm talking about us. Her, and us."

Riley slid his eyes to Jessica's still form and then back to Jim. Jim could tell that Riley had no idea what he was talking about. Completely understandable since Jim wasn't sure himself.

"Why did you do it Riley?" Jim asked, suddenly disbelieving all of the previous explanations Riley had given for taking Jessica.

"Do what?"

"Keep her alive?" Jim said nodding his head to Jessica. "When we attacked her family? We killed everyone else."

He replayed the scene in his mind. Bodies lying everywhere, and Jessica, young and terrified, gripping a gun in her hands but not firing. Angus had raised his gun to shoot her, but Riley had stopped him. Told Angus to grab her and take her with them.

"I ..." Riley began but Jim interrupted him.

"The real reason Riley. The reason that she has been with us for so long. The reason that you've been sleeping with her ... the reason none of us could kill her today."

"I don't ..." Riley began but the look on Jim's face made him realize that playing dumb wouldn't work. "What the hell ... I don't know what you want me to say Jim. Things were hectic, it was a split second decision ..."

"That's lasted over a year."

Riley looked down at Jessica.

"We shouldn't be having this conversation around her."

"She's completely out of it." Jim said, the high pitched nasal whistle coming from Jessica as she snored supporting Jim's statement. "But if it makes you feel better, let's go into the kitchen."

Jim moved into the kitchen. Riley hesitated. He loved Jim like a brother but he didn't know if he really wanted him digging into his psyche. Eventually he followed him. He was curious about what Jim would uncover with his questions. More and more it felt like Riley was hiding something from himself.

"Enlighten me Jim. It seems to me that you already know the answer to the question. Why don't you share it with me?"

Jim shook his head. "I can only speak for myself."

"Okay. Speak."

"When we brought Jessica home, I think I felt relieved."

"Relieved?" Riley repeated. "How in God's name could you feel relieved?"

"Because we wouldn't be alone anymore."

"What the fuck? We were far from alone Jim, Caleb ..."

"A bunch of men Riley. I miss your Mom. My Mom, my sister ..."

"Jim," Riley began, but his voice broke. He kept forgetting how much younger Jim was than him. And how much more their families being gone could have impacted him. He cleared his throat. "There are other women in the clan."

Jim nodded. "But they're all taken ... if they're old enough. And, we'd have to join the other chapters or at least be much more closely affiliated with them. I kind of like just the five of us ... six when Kevin comes home. And Jessica. Well, she's kind of grown on me."

Riley was speechless. He started to feel like Jim had somehow gotten inside his head and read his thoughts.

"She may have grown on you Jim, but I don't think you're making the same impression on her. She doesn't want to be here. She's made the statement loud and clear. With a gun."

Jim was nodding.

"I know. But you're really good with the dogs. Maybe the behavior modification you use on them, would work on Jessica."

Silence hung in the air. After a few minutes Riley opened his mouth to say something ... but couldn't think of what to say, so he gulped air like a fish out of water.

Something he hadn't thought of. How to break her yes, to manipulate her, no.

"Do you think it would work?" Jim finally asked.

"I don't know. Maybe. I'd have to think about it. Regardless, she has to survive Scott's return home. I'm not holding my breath about that."

Jim nodded. Scott had good cause to out and out shoot her. Jim gnawed on his lip. Another problem to solve.

"I'm glad that you told me this Jim. I'm sorry that you feel so alone."

"Lonely, not alone. I miss our families. I wish ..." Jim's voice trailed off.

"Me too." And Riley reached out to clamp his hand on Jim's shoulder again, and squeeze.

"Go ahead with whatever you have to do outside." Jim said, forcing a smile. "I'll keep an eye on sleeping beauty."

A couple of hours later Jessica was still sleeping on the sofa. Riley was cooking in the kitchen, Jim and Josh were reading in the living room when Angus stomped in.

"Can I have a minute?" Riley asked from the kitchen.

"Yeah, let me get cleaned-up ..." Angus said waving his grease covered hands toward his grease covered face.

"Is there any grease left in your car?" Josh asked with a laugh.

"Ha, ha, funny." Angus grumbled as he moved through to the bathroom.

"May as well come and eat." Riley said to Jim and Josh, "It'll take him half an hour to get that crap off."

"Should we try to feed Jessica?" Jim asked, looking over to where Jessica slept.

"I doubt she could eat right now. We'll give her some broth later." Riley answered.

While he ate, Riley reviewed what it had taken him two hours to conclude.

Rather than work with the dogs, as he should have been doing, Riley sat on the grassy hill near the kennels and considered Jim's suggestion. It was doable. It would be more complicated than with a dog. Not only were dogs by nature, eager to please, but they generally had one owner. One person they felt subservient to. One person that ruled their lives.

Jessica had five ... six at some point in the future.

And she was anything but subservient. At the moment.

But with serious behavior modification, she would become so. The trick was that the five of them, Angus, Josh, Jim, Scott and himself, had to be on the same page. Expect the same things, have the same rules.

If Scott didn't kill Jessica, Riley was pretty sure he could get Jim, Josh and Scott on the same page. He guessed that they were just as interested in having Jessica as part of the clan as he was.

But Angus. He was another story. He'd been hurt bad by Beth and Riley suspected that Angus saw Jessica as a way to strike back at Beth ... at women. Riley had come to the conclusion that both wants were compatible and could be achieved via the same method. Now he just had to convince Angus of that. Once he was on board ... and Scott had his opportunity to punish Jessica, Riley figured that they could easily have Jessica trained in no time at all. But to be safe, he was giving them six months.

"Where're Jim and Josh?" Angus asked, dragging a chair out from the table and dropping on to it.

"They ate already ... you've been in the crapper of over an hour. They're out doing some chores in the barn." Riley said sliding a plate of food in front of Angus.

"Thanks." Angus said and began shoveling the food into his mouth.

"I wanna try something with Jessica." Riley began. Normally he was more than willing to give credit for good ideas, where credit was due. But to tell Angus that this idea had come from Jim was to guarantee that Angus refused to consider it. For some unknown reason, Angus had a sore spot with Jim. He loved him, that was for sure, but if Jim said black, Angus had to say white. It was a reflex.

"Sure ... I can do anything Riley, but I thought we'd promised Scott to let him at her first."

"We did, and he'll get first dibs on punishing her. But I was thinking along the lines of trying the opposite approach."

Angus froze, fork midway to his mouth and stared at Riley. "Opposite?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm thinking that given that Jessica can't so much as sneeze right now, it would be a good time to try and brainwash her into capitulating. Maybe we can make her fit in. Here with us."

"Ahuh. And how is that supposed to work?"

"By giving her rules. Rewarding her when she follows them."

"And punishing her when she doesn't ..." Angus said, an angry gleam in his eye.

"Yes, consequences of not obeying are needed. It's behaviour modification Angus. We have to act like she's ours. And we have to start to make her feel like she belongs here."

"You're shittin' me!" Angus asked in disbelief. He looked around the room as if he expected someone to jump out and yell, 'April Fools!'.

"I'm not. There's nothing to it really. While she can't move, just go about your business. Talk to her about stuff. Stuff other than her family, other than everything she's done wrong. And we'll teach her the rules ... our expectations. By the time she's fully mobile again, she should be well on her way to being where we want her to be."

"You want me to talk to her?!" Angus demanded.

"If you can. But you don't have to. Just act like she's supposed to be here. It should be easy given that she can't move a muscle."

"All I can promise to do is to ignore her while she's lying around not trying to escape or kill one of us." Angus said tossing his fork onto his plate.

"Okay, that's fine too. Just do your best."

"I don't get it Riley." Angus began, shaking his head. "Jessica practically blows Scott away, almost does the same to Jim. And you know, know, she would have shot all of us if she'd had the chance. We've tried breaking her for over a year now and gotten nowhere. What makes you think this will work? And why do you even want to bother?"

"All of that is true." Riley said. "But wouldn't it be nice to have a female around. One to which we could do whatever we want?" Riley chose those words carefully. If that didn't get Angus willing to try, nothing would.

"So ... you don't want to kill her anymore?" Angus asked, stunned.

"No. If it can be avoided, I'd rather not."

"What if she escapes?"

"Everything has a consequence Angus ... escaping calls for the death penalty. But, just remember that shooting Scott called for one too and she's still alive."

Angus felt his blood boiling. He shoved his plate away.

"Give me a gun and I will do it this time ..." he growled. "I don't know what was wrong with me Riley, sorry."

"No, wait ..." Riley said reaching to grab Angus' arm as he pushed himself away from the table. "I wasn't making a comment about your ability to carry out orders Angus. None of us were able to do it, remember? And I think it's because we want more from Jessica."

Angus' face turned red as he dropped back into his chair.

"If by more you mean using her as our own personal whore ... a punching bag and a sex toy, then okay. But anything else, forget it. She's the enemy Riley. She will always be the enemy ..."

Riley stared at Angus.

Change was better in small steps with Angus, Riley knew this. Rather than argue further, he was going to have to let Angus stick with this notion. Punching bag and sex toy. Maybe it would even help keep Jessica in line. If Angus wanted to use her that way so badly, then let him. At least Riley wouldn't have to.

Riley didn't trust himself to speak. He was about to use his best friend in a way that was unforgivable. All he could do was nod.

"Fine." Angus grumbled, shoving his chair back and standing. He clenched his fists as he glared at Riley. He cursed himself for his weakness. The dreams he was having, hugging Jessica at night. It was making him weak. Jessica was dangerous. He couldn't define it exactly, but she was dangerous in a way that he was certain the other men didn't realize.

That was okay. Once she was on her feet again, she would try to escape, and when she did, he'd put a bullet in her brain. In the meantime, he would use her to get his frustrations out.

"If she knows what's good for her she'll modify her behavior damn fast." Angus finally said. "But she won't. Because she doesn't. And I'll enjoy every second of it. Thanks Riley." And he turned and stomped out the front door.

That night Angus kicked his bedroom door shut behind him, moved to his bed and lay Jessica's lifeless form onto it. He closed the handcuff around her right wrist, covered her with the blanket and stood looking at her battered face.

Unconscious like this Jessica seemed harmless, almost fragile. Angus snorted out a laugh at that thought. About as harmless and fragile as a neutron bomb.

He did have a lot of calls to make. What difference did it really make if he made them with her lying here. She was out of it ... it'd be as if she weren't even here.

Riley had given him the cell phone that they shared. He dialed the number for Caleb's place. That was where the other half of their cell lived. Their estranged half. Estranged because of her. Caleb had once suggested to Angus that he had a choice about which location he, Angus, sided with. It was funny that Caleb would think that.

For as long as Angus could remember Angus had one simple philosophy. Where Riley went, Angus went. Riley was closer than a brother to Angus. He couldn't think of life without him. He had no idea how Caleb had drawn the conclusion that Angus would leave him .

Plus, he had had to get away from Beth.

Now he had the best possible scenario. He was still with Riley, got away from Beth, and had Jessica to take his frustrations out on and get right what he'd gotten so wrong with Beth.

He did regret not seeing their old friends more often though. And with this phone call he could kill two birds with one stone. Scott was recuperating at Caleb's. He could find out how he was doing from Sean while finding out what was wrong with Sean's car.

Jessica tried to lie still, terrified that Angus would realize that she was awake. Her heart pounded in her chest. What was he going to do to her? She'd awoken when he'd picked her up from the sofa, and without even opening her eyes she knew it was him. He smelled of whiskey and grease, and she could feel the tension in his muscled arms as he clutched her to him like a couple of iron bars. His hands grasped her in the same restraining fashion that he always used when holding her down or forcing her to do what he wanted.

As he'd laid her on his bed, terror gripped her. She couldn't handle his abuse right then. She was in so much pain that even just his breath across her skin made her want to scream. She didn't look forward to the rest of the night.

But then he'd stepped away and hadn't come back. Deciding that knowing where he was and what he was doing was worth the risk of inviting abuse, Jessica opened her eyes to a small slit and spotted him at the foot of the bed. He stood facing the far corner of the room and from that angle she could see his profile and tell that he had a phone to his ear.

He had a phone to his ear. That was so odd. He never did anything in this room with her other than abuse, humiliate and rape her. Now he was talking on a phone?

Jessica could hear the ring tone, and then a woman's voice said 'hello'. And Jessica gasped. With that one word, Angus' whole demeanor changed. His jaw went rigid.

Fear shot through her again as he turned toward her, but Jessica forgot her fear in that second. Angus was not looking at her, he was staring off into the distance, and the look of pain that he had on his face at that moment caused her heart to squeeze as if someone had reached into her chest and crushed her heart with his fist.

His whole face seemed to have convulsed into a silent scream. Jessica heard the woman's voice on the line again, and she was surprised to realize that Angus needed protection from that voice.

Whoever that woman was, she had done unspeakable things to Angus. Jessica knew that as surely as she knew her own, real, name. Suddenly the agony on Angus' face mutated. It seemed to waiver for a moment, and then Angus' face reconstructed itself into the look of hate and loathing that Jessica recognized only too well. Jessica ignored the pain as she pushed her body into the bed, trying as hard as possible to get further from Angus.

"Give me Sean!" Angus ordered, his voice filled with hatred.

Jessica heard the woman's voice again and watched as Angus' face grew a dark red.

"I will not talk to you Beth!" he thundered, spitting her name out as if it were bitter in his mouth. "Give me Sean, now!"

Beth. The name reverberated in Jessica's mind. So that was it. Angus hated Jessica as much as he hated Beth. Angus had nightmares about Beth all the time. He'd start off sounding sad, but then got progressively angrier and angrier. He had called Jessica Beth many times. While beating Jessica ... while raping her. She knew that she and Angus had a healthy hate on for one another, but she didn't fully appreciate the depth with which he hated her, until now.

Jessica had no idea who this Beth woman was, but was happy for her that she had managed to get away from Angus. Jessica wondered if she'd ever get away herself. Well, at least now she knew why Angus looked at her with such disgust all of the time. She wondered what it was about her that made her as hideous to Angus as Beth obviously was.