Lisa Ch. 05b: Only Human cont

"Jessica ... Jessica ..." Josh said pulling her back against him, and wrapping his arms around her, rubbing his hands up and down on her arms. "It's okay. I don't think Jimmy's expecting you to do anything. Okay? Just be yourself, just relax. Everything will be okay."

"What about the riding? And the chores? I won't be able to do those things with you when they're home ..." Jessica asked.

"It's true." Scott said.

"But not for long." Jim added. "Jessica ... Riley's always asked for your obedience in order to earn rights. Us three will tell him that you have earned it as far as we're concerned ... but you'll have to earn it from him, and right away."

"Jimmy ... I haven't been able to earn a thing from Riley since I've been here. How the heck am I supposed to do that now?"

"Because before you didn't have us helping you. Listen to me ... you can do this. Just be spontaneous. Pretend you're with us ... not them."

"Spontaneous ... that's good." Scott said with a nod. "It was your spontaneity that helped me believe you were being sincere."

"And for Christ sake Jessica ... be honest." Jim continued. "No matter what they ask, tell the truth."

"Jim are you sure ..." Josh began but Jim cut him off.

"Yes, I'm sure. They can sense lies. They'll never trust you if you lie about even a little thing. If they ask if you went riding ... you tell them yes. Drinking wine, helping with chores, anything at all, tell them the truth without even hesitating."

"Okay." Jessica said in a quiet tone. She looked overwhelmed.

"Hey Jess ... relax okay?" Josh said. "It's days till they come home. And this isn't all up to you. Scott, Jim and I have our responsibility too. Between the four of us, we'll make it work. Why don't we go in and play some tunes for a while, take our minds off things for a bit."

Jessica was nodding. "But, what about the fence?"

"It's okay Jess, Scott and I can take care of it later." Jim said.

"But isn't that how the wild dogs are getting on your land? To protect the animals we should really go fix it now. Can't we play music tonight?"

"Sure we can." Josh said, shaking his head. "I should have known you'd be stubborn about it."

Jessica nodded, not sure if Josh was paying her a compliment on complaining.

And then no one moved.

The men just stood looking at Jessica.

She stood looking at them.

She felt like they wanted more from her ... needed more from her, but they seemed unable to say so. Though physically none of them were touching her any more, Jessica felt the presence of their eyes on her. When she looked at Scott, his eyes locked on hers and she gasped from the sheer force of it. All the times he'd touched her, entered her and brought her pleasure were stored in his stare and his eyes penetrated her soul ... searching, touching, feeling, stroking in the same way. She felt like she'd be lost in his stare for eternity, but then a force was pulling her from her right. Unbelievably she managed to pull her eyes away from Scott and look to Jim. And to her shock, she found the same thing. Jim who was so much more gentle than the others ... who never put as much stock in sex as the others ... his eyes bore into hers and she felt their physical presence inside of her. She had a hard time breathing ... she felt physically prodded. And then she felt the pull from her left. In the brief moments before she turned her attention to Josh, she took in Jim's body. It was hard, rigid. All the muscles coiled into one hard mass, leaning toward her. The short sleeved shirt he wore was plastered to his chest as though it had suddenly become too small and was about to rip. As she arced her eyes past Scott she registered the same for him. His muscles were bulging and she had the strange feeling that at any moment they would rip her to shreds. By the time her eyes landed on Josh, she was panting. She couldn't catch her breath ... and his eyes invaded her also. She endured his probing for what seemed like forever, but then couldn't take it anymore. She felt exhausted, like her body had been running for hours and was being pushed passed its limits. Josh was also a mass of coiled muscles, seemingly ready to pounce on her.

"I'm sorry," she panted when she just couldn't take it any longer. "Is there something more? Did I forget something?"

No one answered.

"Please ... " Jessica said, pulling her eyes from Josh and scanning Scott and Jim. "I don't know what you want from me. Did I do something wrong?"

"You've said a lot ... " Jim finally said. "A lot of stuff that we have to find some way to believe."

"But ... how do I make you believe it?"

"I guess it will take time." Jim said and with that the intensity of his stare lessened. "There's no magic pill for this ..." he said more to Scott and Josh than Jessica. "Why don't you continue saddling Chestnut, Jessica."

"Okay ..." Jessica said, glad for a chance to get some relief from the intensity of the moment. As Jessica moved past Scott to get the saddle, she noticed that neither his nor Josh's expression had changed much.

"Let's get our horses ready ..." Jim said and motioned to Scott and Josh to follow him.

"Time?" Josh asked when they'd moved to stand by Jim's horse. "I can't wait for time Jim. I need to know now."

"I know." Jim said. "Me too. So, we're going to have to be drastic."

"Drastic?" Scott asked, not sure he liked the sound of that.

"Yup," Jim said, while pulling hard on the tether of the saddle.

"How drastic?" Josh asked.

"Well, if you are anything like me, you want proof that Jessica loves you. The only way that I can think of getting that is if she can prove that she really has no intention of running away."

"Right ..." Scott said when Jim paused, "so?"

"What's the only way we can be sure that she has no intention of running away?" Jim asked.

"You can't be serious!" Josh said.

Scott looked back and forth between Josh and Jim.

"Okay, I'm slow here. One of you tell me what the hell you're talking about!"

"Jim wants to give her the chance to escape ..." Josh said in horror.

"Many chances ..." Jim said. "One won't be enough. We have what, three days before Angus and Riley get back. We have to be sure that she means what she said. The only way to do that is to leave the door wide open."

"But, what if she does run away?" Scott asked.

"Then, we catch her and bring her back. And, we know she lied."

"I'm not sure I can handle it if she's lied." Josh said. He hadn't even been so bold in his comic book. Opening the door, letting Princess acisseJ free, his alter ego in the comic had never even entertained that idea.

"I don't think any of us can." Jim said, and then shook his head. "I'm not even going to think about that. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt."

"If she runs away and we don't get her back before Angus and Riley return ... they'll kill her Jim." Scott said.

"I know." Jim said.

"I may kill her myself ... " Josh muttered.

"You'll have to get in line." Jim replied.

"I'm ready ..." Jessica said coming around front of Chestnut and taking her reins.

"That's great Jess," Jim said. "We're not quite done yet. Why don't you take Chestnut and hitch her outside. We'll be there in a minute."

"Jim!" Scott hissed.

Jessica looked between Scott, Josh and Jim. Jim looked resigned to something, Scott and Josh looked anything but.

"Ummm. I have to go to the bathroom." Jessica added. Both Scott and Josh took a step forward to accompany her.

"Go ahead Jess." Jim said, stopping them in their tracks. "We'll be done with the horses by the time you come back."

Jessica stared at Jim in bewilderment. Scott was staring at the ground, body rigid, hands balled into fists. Josh had his eyes squeezed shut and looked like he was counting under his breath.

"By myself?" she finally managed.

"Yup. Just make it fast."

"Okay ..." Jessica said in an uncertain tone. She looked at Scott and Josh ... neither moved. Jessica shrugged and led Chestnut out of the barn.

"I can't do this!" Scott exploded and moved for the door.

"Stop!" Jim ordered, grabbing Scott by the arm. He held his other arm out to block Josh's path.

"Just get your horses ready. If she's not out by the time we are, we'll go find her. You want to know, don't you?" he added when neither Scott nor Josh had moved.

"Mother fucker!" Scott swore under his breath as he and Josh moved to nearby stalls.

They'd saddled their horses in record time ... all the while listening for the sound of a horse riding away.

"We're done ... let's go!" Josh said, his rifle in one hand, leading his horse past Jim's, followed by Scott. They burst through the barn door, afraid of what they'd find ... or not find. They stopped short. Jessica stood near the fence, petting Chestnut.

"Did you go to the bathroom?" Jim asked.

"Yup. I'm all set to go." She replied and swung up into the saddle.

"So far, so good." Jim muttered to Scott and Josh as he to swung into the saddle.

"I take it the supplies are already down there?" Josh asked, relief evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I took it down in the truck last night." Jim replied.

"Then let's go ..." Josh said, sliding his rifle into the sheath on the saddle. Scott was smiling and Jessica was glad that whatever had bothered them earlier seemed to have vanished.

As usual, Jessica never went anywhere slowly on horseback and she had them all riding at a near dead run. She slowed enough to let Jim ride next to her, and lead the way. As they crested the top of a slight hill, Jim pulled up short.

"Stop!" he yelled. Josh almost ran into him. Jessica and Scott had to slow and arc back.

"What's wrong?" Josh demanded.

"Look!" Jim said pointing into the distance. It took a moment for them to find what he was pointing at. Off in the distance stood three dogs, staring at them.

"They run in a pack?" Scott asked. "I thought it was one or two loners ..."

"Bastards ..." Jim said lowering his rile. He'd pulled it and looked through the site for a while at the dogs. "Too far." From the corner of his eye he noticed Jessica roll her eyes.

"And I bet if we get closer, they'll disappear." Scott added.

"Do you think you can hit them?" Jim asked Jessica his voice reflecting his surprise.

"Member of the champion rifle team ... remember?" she said holding her hand out. Jim passed her the rifle.

Jessica turned Chestnut to the right so she sat turned at ninety degrees at the waist, and raised the rifle. She looked through the site for what seemed to Jim to be a far too short time, and pulled the trigger. The big dog that had been standing and staring at them dropped. The one nearest him began to run to the right. Jessica tracked him with the rifle, and fired again. The dog dropped. She swung back toward the disappearing backside of the third dog. She watched for a few minutes and then lowered the rifle.

"Too far." She said.

"You don't say." Josh said, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

"How the hell did you do that?" Jim stammered.

"Champion rifle team ..." Scott said with a wink at Jessica. She smiled. He held out his hand and Jessica handed him the rifle.

"Not for two years ..." Jim said taking the rifle Scott now handed to him. "You haven't shot a gun for a long time Jessica, what the hell?"

"It's like riding a horse ... you don't forget." Jessica said, not able to help the feeling of pride that washed over her at the reactions from the men.

"Let's go get them then ..." Jim said, shaking his head as they started at a run again toward the dog's bodies.

"Deader than a door nail ..." Scott said, leaning over the first body.

"Yup ..." Josh agreed at the second body.

Jessica swung out off of Chestnut and moved next to Scott.

"Does it look like they have rabies?" She asked.

"It's hard to tell." Scott said. "If they do, it's really early onset. No foam around the snout."

"But they're near starved to death." Jim said having followed Jessica. "You can see every one of the bones in their ribcage."

"Poor things." Jessica said squatting beside the first fallen dog.

"Well, something isn't right." Josh said coming to join them. "There's plenty of food in these woods. Deer, rabbits ... there's no reason for them to starve."

"Hello there!" a voice called.

The men snapped to attention ... guns raised, they moved to stand in front of Jessica, to hide her. Just before they blocked her view Jessica saw three men on the other side of the fence, rifles in their hands.

"Hey, hey!" the same voice said in alarm as the men's rifles fixed on them.

"This is private property!" Scott said in a far less then friendly voice. Jessica flinched, embarrassed that Scott was being so rude. "You're trespassing!"

"We're on the other side of the fence friend." Another voice said. "Technically we're not ..."

"What do you want?" Josh demanded. Again with the rudeness.

"Well, we heard the gunshots." The same voice replied. "We've been out hunting these same dogs. Thought maybe you got luckier than we did ... and it appears to be the case. You must be some shot mister ... we've tried several times and were never able to get close enough to hit them."

Jim's mind was racing. Scott and Josh were in fight mode. Their posture and tone told Jim that without a doubt there would be bloodshed. Even if it ended in their favor, and that was questionable considering the men at the fence were armed and looked capable of defending themselves, the damage to Jessica and their improving relationship would be irreparable. Of that Jim was certain. He could only think of one way to avoid that. And even in the split second he had to decide he could see the other advantages of his decision. They wanted proof Jessica didn't want to leave them, here was the ultimate test.

"It wasn't us." Jim spoke up finally. He stepped to the side, reached back for Jessica's arm and pulled her forward. "Jessica got them ... both."

Jessica heard Scott grit his teeth, and a low, rumbling growl escaped Josh.

"Afternoon ma'am," the man who had been speaking said.

"Hi," Jessica said, hardly believing that she was talking to someone other than Josh, Jim, Scott, Angus or Riley. She looked at the three men and immediately decided that they were three generations of the same family. It looked like a grandfather, father, and a young teen.

"You must be some shot ..." the man continued.

"She is." Scott interrupted. "The dogs are dead Mister ... I think you can move on now."

Jessica winced. So rude!

"Do you know what's wrong with the dogs?" Jessica asked, trying to lessen the edge Scott had put everyone on.

"No ma'am," the man answered now completely ignoring Scott and Josh. "We were hoping to take them in to the vet and get an autopsy done. If it's okay with you ... we could take them off your hands."

"Sure ..." Jessica said when none of the men answered and the silence dragged on. "Do you have some way to move them?"

"We have horses back on the road. We only live half a mile up the road ... neighbors ... " the man said, with emphasis as his eyes scanned over Jim, Josh and Scott. "If we get them there we can get the county wildlife officer to come and take them."

"Great ..." Jessica said and looked at Scott, and Josh. They stood, staring at the men, guns still raised. Jim had lowered his gun but didn't seem interested in communicating beyond his initial interaction.

Jessica sighed. "Come on in ... " she said motioning the strangers over, "I'll give you a hand." As she moved to crouch over the first dog both Scott and Josh reached out to stop her, but missed. The strangers were busy climbing through the hole in the fence and didn't notice.

"Hi, I'm Peter." The older man said, crouching down in front of Jessica. Extending his hand.

"I'm Jessica," Jessica said taking his hand and shaking it.

Jessica heard a growl from behind her. It sounded like Josh, Scott and Jim at the same time. Peter didn't seem to notice.

"That's my grandson Ricky ..." Peter said indicating the teenager standing beside him.

"Hi," Jessica said extending her hand to him. He took it and nodded.

"And my son Steven." Jessica shook his hand also.

"Nice to meet you." Jessica said. Although the natural and polite thing to do would be to introduce the men ... she didn't think it would be a good idea. "Should we start with this one?" She asked hoping to distract them from the social faux pas.

She began to reach under the bum of the dog when she felt a firm grip on her arm.

"I'll do it ..." Jim said quietly into her ear. Jessica stood up and stepped out of the way as Jim and Peter hefted the body into the air.

"I'll give you a hand with the other one ..." Scott said from behind Jessica and she saw Steven nod in agreement.

Scott, Steven and Ricky moved toward the other body. And soon they all disappeared through the hole in the fence and out of view.

"Get on Chestnut Jessica." Josh said from behind her. His voice had been controlled, calm, but when Jessica turned and saw his face, she froze. Josh was livid. His face was bright red ... veins and eyes bulging. She hadn't seen him this mad in so long. "Get on the damn horse Jessica!" he barked.

Jessica swung onto Chestnut. Josh didn't follow. He stood in the clearing, weight resting on one hip, rifle gripped firmly in his hand, staring at the hole in the fence and waiting. Within minutes Scott and Jim came back through the hole.

"They're gone ..." Jim said as he and Scott neared. As Jim was about to pass by Josh, Josh raised his arms to the side and smashed the butt of his rifled into the side of Jim's head. Jim fell like a brick.

"No!" Jessica screamed and flew off the horse, running toward Jim but Scott caught her around the waist and held her hard against him. She tried to struggle free but she could barely move, Scott's arm pinning her in place against him.

"What are you doing Josh?" she demanded. "Jimmy, Jimmy, are you okay?" Jessica asked her voice tinged with hysteria. Jim groaned and began to move on the ground, bringing his hand to his head.

Hearing the tone of Jessica's voice ... seeing her face, Josh began to regret hitting Jim ... but he was so mad.

"What the hell?" Jim asked as he slowly got to his feet, shaking his head.

"Jimmy!" Jessica cried, and now tears were running down her face.

"It's okay Jess," he said raising his hand to her. "Calm down ... it's okay. I think Josh has something he'd like to say to me ..."

"Damn right I do!" Josh thundered shooting daggers at Jim with his eyes, but unable to keep from shifting his eyes to Jessica. He hadn't meant to make her cry. And he realized now that hitting Jim like that in front of her had been a big mistake too. He should have waited until they were alone. "What the hell was that all about? Why would you fucking introduce Jessica to the neighbors? They'd barely seen her. We could've gotten away with barely any contact. Instead you introduce her! Have her shaking their fucking hands! Are you insane? Do you realize that if Riley or Angus were here, that would have been a bullet to your head rather than the butt end of the rifle?"

Jim was raising his hands, palms out, in surrender.

"I appreciate your restraint ... really I do." Jim was saying while blinking and shaking his head. The blow had been anything but restrained. He was feeling woozy. But he noticed the terror on Jessica's face. Scott held her in a vice grip, she could barely move, and had in fact given up on it. Instead she hung from his waist, dangling like a rabbit in the jaws of a wolf.

"For starters ... can you put the damn gun down!" Jim said.

"No I can't." Josh replied, anger still burning in his voice. "I'm not sure I'm done with it yet." Jim tilted his head toward Jessica.

Seeing the expression of stark terror etched onto her face made Josh promptly drop the gun. "I'm not going to use it Jessica." Josh said, the fire gone out of his voice. "I'm just really pissed right now."