Lisa Ch. 07b: Jessica

"We're in blue." Corey said.

"Anthony put his riders in yellow?" Josh asked, with a laugh.

"Unbelievable." Angus said.

"I take it Kurt is riding?" Jim asked.

"Yup." Corey said.

"Do they have a kid riding too?" Angus asked looking the team over. It looked like seven grown man and a kid.

"Looks like ..." Corey said but exchanged a look with Sean. It wasn't' going to take them long to figure out that Jessica was down there. Christ, and then all their gooses would be cooked. He knew that that they shouldn't have gone along with that.

The men looked over the yellow team. Eight grown men. Against seven grown men and a kid. That didn't make any sense.

"This isn't right." Jim said suddenly. The riders moved up to the start line.

"Something about this isn't right." Jim repeated.

At that moment, Paul turned to look at the men. He raised his hand to his forehead and saluted them, smiled, and turned back to the race.

"What the fuck was that?" Angus asked.

"Why is Paul saluting us?" Scott asked, equally disturbed by the motion. And then the gunshot went off. All the bikes took off from the start line, except the kid, who turned his bike in a circle, gunning the engines, and then taking off.

"Holy shit!" Josh bellowed.

"That's not ... it can't be ..." Riley stuttered, standing to watch the progress of the bikes.

"Give me your binoculars!" Scott said to Corey. "Now!" Corey fumbled with them and handed them over.

"Give me yours!" Jim ordered Sean, who also obliged.

Zeroing in on the small figure there was no doubt in their minds. They'd recognize that backside anywhere.

"That's Jessica!" Scott bellowed.

"How'd she get down there?" Jim demanded. Then he turned to Corey and Sean. "She's supposed to be shopping ... "

"She agreed to ride for Paul." Corey said, raising his hands in surrender when Scott looked like he was going to slug him. "That's all I know. Jessica asked the girls to get her here ... that's it."

A collective gasp went up in the crowd and the men stood to look onto the course. They saw one of the blue riders picking themselves up, but it wasn't Jessica.

But the track was littered with bodies. Another blue body lay face down and wasn't moving. A yellow was down and rolling around in pain, another yellow was running away from his motorcycle where flames flickered all around.

But Jessica was still in the race, flanked by two blue riders, flying across the moguls.

The third rider was bringing up the rear. And then as if on command, the formation tightened, they all lowered their heads and shot forward. They'd caught up to the back end of the yellows and they moved between them with purpose.

Suddenly one of the yellows shot their leg out and tried to throw Jessica off balance but the blue on her right nudged the back tire of the yellow and he retracted his foot fast.

The crowd cheered again as the lone blue rider who had fallen over sped to catch up with his team. And the remaining two blue riders who had been lagging also moved to join the group.

They seemed to be going at an impossible speed but they made it.

The blue man at the back of the formation moved over and let the straggler in.

Jessica looked over her shoulder, saw the new riders. Looked over her other shoulder, seemed to nod, and then in unison, they all lowered their heads and burst forward, zigging and zagging.

Jessica got up behind the lead yellow but he wouldn't let her by. Every side Jessica tried to go to, the yellow rider blocked her. Finally she looked over each shoulder quickly. There was a huge hill coming up. The blues sped up and came in tight between the lead yellow and the straggling yellows. They were riding in close formation. There was silence in the stadium ... everyone watching in disbelief as the riders managed to avoid collision, and when they hit the hill Jessica pulled her bike up hard, and she somersaulted over the lead yellow. The crowd let out a collective gasp, and then Jessica landed in front of the yellow and took off. The blues zipped past the yellow, and took up positions around her.

The mens' hearts were pounding a mile a minute.

"They're almost done ... "Corey said. It seemed that all the riders realized that at once and the lagging yellows sped up, and promptly knocked the back two blues off their bikes.

"No more mister nice guys." Sean whispered, earning scathing looks from the men.

The yellows moved up to the remaining blue guards and began a bike battle that sadly was unrequired because Jessica and the lead yellow were so far ahead of them that nothing they did was of circumstance. Jessica pressed herself down on the bike and went for broke. The lead yellow did the same and managed to pull up beside her, and bump her with his bike, slamming her left leg.

"Boo!" the crowd yelled.

"Jess!" the men gasped, but Jessica barely seemed to notice. She pressed down again, switched to yellow's other side, pulled up beside him, less than a hundered feet from the finish line, kicked out her right leg and knocked him off his bike. He cartwheeled across the track and hit the hay stacks as Jessica zipped across the finish line.

The crowd erupted in cheer, and Jessica slowed and circled back on her bike. The blues came across the line and pulled in around her.

"Let's get down there." Riley said.

"You have one spunky wife there gentlemen." Paul said standing before them... his guards on either side of him, hands resting on their guns. "She was concerned that there might be trouble were you to know that she raced for me. It seems that you've figured it out. I have no intention of looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, especially not hiding from my own men. So that we understand one another, I consider this to be over now. Jessica raced for me and we won. She did it to avoid violence so let's make her efforts worthwhile and call a truce. I suggest that you forget any thoughts that you may have about coming after me for this. Otherwise she risked her life for nothing. Do we have an understanding?"

"Understand this you son of a bitch!" Angus yelled and lunged for Paul. Scott and Jim grabbed him by his arms and restrained him. Riley, Josh and Paul' body guards pulled their guns at the same time and everyone froze. People in the vicinity pulled their guns too and stood watching the group.

"Everyone calm down." Paul said. "This is not where any of us want to go ..."

"Speak for yourself." Riley growled.

"So this is how you want it to end? Here in the stands ... a gun fight? After your wife went out of her way to avoid bloodshed? She told me that herself you know. That's what she argued to convince me to negotiate with her and not you. It seems that she was right, and that she's much wiser than I gave her credit for at the time."

"You're full of shit." Scott said. He and Jim had let Angus go and all three now had their guns out. "You cornered her somehow and threatened her into riding for you ..." "I'm afraid not." Paul said. "Jessica cornered me, so to speak, and insisted that I not raise this with you. Ask him." Paul nodded at Sean. "One of his girls was present at the meeting."

Sean and Corey had their guns out and looked between Paul, his goons, and the men, obviously trying to determine what to do.

The men glared at Sean.

"It's true." Paul said.

"You're lying!" Angus yelled.

"And you're in denial." Paul said. "For the record she drove a hard bargain and if you don't waste her efforts I am going to honor it. You men will no longer go in the field. From now on you do surveillance only. What I didn't tell her, and I hope you will live to pass this message on to her is that I am indebted to her. If she needs anything, she should come to me. So what will it be? A truce ... we agree to put this behind us, or my men kill you now and Jessica wasted her time."

The men clutched their guns in frustration.

"We have an agreement." Riley said through clenched teeth.

"What, no!" Angus said looking at Riley in disbelief. "We can end this now. We have the advantage!"

Riley lowered his gun and looked from Angus to the other men. "We're done. Stand down."

There was a tense moment where it looked like the men weren't going to listen to Riley but eventually they lowered their guns but looked furious about it.

"Good choice. So I have your word that there will be no retaliation?"

"You have my word." Riley said.

"Excellent. My medic has bandaged up her leg and he's giving her a little something for the pain." He said waving his hand toward the track. The men looked down to see Jessica with her arm out of the riding suit, and a man injecting a needle into her arm. "If her leg isn't better in a few days call me. My medic will check it again."

"We've agreed to not come after you for making Jessica race but let me be very clear that you are not to go anywhere near Jessica again." Riley said moving forward to scowl at Paul. "Not you, not your medic, not anyone affiliated with you. Never. Or our agreement becomes void. Is that understood?"

Paul nodded. "It's been a pleasure ..." Paul said in a sarcastic tone, bowed his head and strode away.

Riley looked at the men, who looked still looked furious. It seemed he'd disappointed them with his decision ... even Jim, which was surprising.

"Riley. This is wrong. That bastard got to Jessica somehow. He did it once he can do it again. We need to kill him and get the hell out of here!" Angus thundered, face red, vein in forehead bulging, body vibrating with the sheer intensity of his anger.

"He's right." Scott said, looking just as intense as Angus. Riley looked at Josh and Jim. They too were ready to explode.

"Use your heads guys. We're in a stadium full of Paul supporters, and Anthony supporters. We may kill Paul but someone will get us. If they don't now, they will later. And ... more importantly, that's not what Jessica wanted."

"He's making that shit up." Jim said.

"Apparently there are witnesses." Riley said nodding at Sean and Corey who looked panicked when five pairs of angry eyes turned on them.

"Not us." Corey said. "And we only heard about this after the fact."

"But is what he said true?" Josh asked. "Did Jessica approach him? Negotiate with him?"

"The way I heard it, yeah." Sean said.

"Who was it?" Angus demanded and grabbed Corey by his shirt, "Who was there with Jessica? I'll fucking kill them!"

"She's leaving." Scott suddenly said. Scott was looking through the binoculars.

"What?" Jim demanded.

"She's going to the parking lot." Scott said.

"Let's go." Angus said. "You two assholes too." He said to Corey and Sean.

They pushed their way through the crowds but by the time they made it to the track Jessica was already in the parking lot.

"Jessica!" Angus yelled. But she didn't hear him.

"Jessica!" they all took turns yelling while they ran toward the parking lot, but Jessica kept hobbling forward. And then they saw Leah, Amanda, Sara and Justine meet her and high five her. They all looked really impressed. Leah held out her keys and Jessica took them. And then Leah, Amanda, Sara and Justine climbed into a car and drove away. Jessica got into another car, and drove off in the opposite direction.

"No! No!" Jim was yelling.

"Jessica, stop!" Scott yelled, but by the time they made it to the parking lot Jessica was out of sight.

"Where are they going?" Riley asked Corey and Sean.

"As far as I know they were going to the jam session at your place."

"Give me your keys." Jim said, grabbing Corey's collar. Corey fumbled his keys to him.

"Is that you over there?" Jim asked nodding at a dark blue Ford. Corey nodded.

"I'm going to check a place she may go." Jim said. "You guys go home in case she goes there ... try calling her."

"You two shits come with us." Angus said to Corey and Sean in a tone that left them no choice.

They headed for their cars.

Jessica sat in the parking lot of the bar and rubbed her eyes. She was jazzed from the race. She still felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Her leg had throbbed for the whole drive to the bar but whatever the doctor had given her had kicked in now and she barely felt it. She would limp though. That destroyed any chances of her just heading home.

Instead she flipped open her phone and typed a text message to the men. She gave them the address of the bar and asked them to just come in unannounced and observe for the evening. She asked them to let her explain after ... and she added a note for Angus ..."Big surprise ... please let me explain. I'm sorry." And she sent it before she could change her mind. While still a lie, she could tell the men she'd hurt her leg at the bar. Then she sent a text to Jim telling him where she was. She went in to the bar. It was early yet, but the bands were there. Surprised to see her on a night she didn't usually come, but glad. Jessica looked at the clock on her phone. Seven o'clock. Time had flown. She turned her phone off and settled into a conversation with Tracy and the guys.

"Jessica ... God, are you okay?" Beth asked from behind her.

"I'm fine Beth, honest." Jessica said turning to face her and Beth threw her arms around her. "That was amazing ... how is your leg?"

"Fine ..."

"Jessica!" Jim bellowed, pushing Beth aside and dropping to his knees in front of Jessica. "What the hell were you doing? Are you crazy? You could have died!" Jim shook her. "What kind of a fucked up, stupid, dumbass stunt was that?" Jim demanded, shaking Jessica harder, getting louder and angrier.

"Stop it Jim you're hurting her!" Beth said trying to pull his hands off of Jessica's arms. "Stop it!"

"Jim, what are you doing?" Tracy demanded. Mark and Dave got to their feet.

Jessica leaned in to Jim. "I had to tell them Jim. They'll come and see everything and then we'll deal with it. I couldn't handle hiding it anymore."

"What?" Jim asked. "What are you talking about?"

"The men. I texted them and told them to come here. What are you talking about?" Jessica gasped when Jim looked surprised.

"The motorcycle race." Jim said in a growl and the way he looked at her made Jessica shrink in her seat.

"You know about that? How ...?" "Jessica we were there. Don't you think we can recognize you from a mile away?"

"The others know too?" Jessica squeaked.

"You better believe it."

"But Jim." Jessica whispered, "The men will try to kill Paul."

"That's what you're worried about?" Jim demanded.

"They'll get hurt or killed. Oh my God Jim, we have to stop them!"

Jim glared at Jessica.

"That's been handled already. But Paul is the least of your worries."

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked. Something in his tone, in his demeanor, made a chill run down her spine.

"I mean, don't worry about things that you have no business worrying about and concentrate on your own problems. You broke promises Jessica!" Jim thundered when Jessica looked clueless.

"But Jim, we always said we'd tell them as soon as we could ... if they'd asked me directly about what we do I would have told them .."

"Are you still going on about this?" Jim exclaimed extending his arms to indicate the bar and the people in it. "Forget the fucking bar, forget Beth ... fuck! You promised you'd run if you ever saw Kurt again. You promised you wouldn't take any unnecessary risk. You lied!"

"There was no other way ..."

"That was not your decision to make!" Jim yelled. He still had his hands on her forearms and he pulled her out of her seat and shook her. "This is our business, not yours. You had no right meddling in it. Do you understand? Am I making myself clear?" He asked, shaking Jessica with each question.

"Jim, stop!" Beth yelled.

"Jim man. Stop it, you're hurting her!" Jessica heard Carl's voice behind her. For the first time Jessica realized that everyone was listening to them. She blinked and looked around. Carl, others from his band, Mark, Dave, Tom, they were all right there and they looked ready to pull Jim off of her. "You're mad, we get that. Let's go downstairs and chill a little. Before you do something you'll regret." "Jim. You stop now!" Stephan bellowed and Jessica saw him and Lilly moving toward them.

Jim leaned closer to Jessica and growled, "This conversation is not over." Pushing her back onto her seat Jim stood up, kicked his chair back and pushed past Carl.

"Are you okay?" Beth asked sitting next to her.

"What the hell did you do?" Dave asked.

"It's just a misunderstanding." Jessica said quietly. Her heart was pounding. If Jim was this mad the others would be ... Jessica closed her eyes. It was what it was. There was nothing that she could do about it now but try and enjoy as much of tonight as she could. Obviously she had miscalculated the seriousness of everything she'd done.

"Does it have to do with your husband?" Tracy asked.

Jessica shook her head. "Nothing like that."

"I've never seen Jim like that." Mark said. "He was scary. Whatever you did it has to be really bad."

"It wasn't what she did." Beth said, "Just how Jim interpreted it. Seems to run in the family..."

"Are you okay dear?" Lilly asked wrapping her arms around Jessica's shoulders.

"I'm fine."

"Stephan went to talk to that young man. That was very inappropriate behavior!"

"Oh no, no. Please stop him. Jim's just upset right now, it will be okay soon, once he calms down."

"Stephan will talk to him, and then we'll bring you your favorite meal. Okay?" Lilly kissed Jessica's cheek, patted her shoulder and disappeared toward the kitchen.

"Do you want to leave?" Tracy asked. "You can come to my place. Jim can't get you there."

Jessica smiled at Tracy and did her best to look unconcerned. "Thanks Trace but I'm fine really. This looks bad but it's really not that big a deal. I'll talk to him when he calms down."

"As long as you're sure."

"I am." Jessica said.

"Christ ..." Beth mumbled under her breath and pulled Jessica against her for a hug.

The men sat at a table at the back and stared at Jessica. They'd arrived not even twenty minutes after her text message. She'd been surrounded by strangers who didn't seem to be strangers to her.

They'd been about to go and drag her home but then as if in some kind of waking nightmare, Beth had come in and hugged Jessica. And then Jim had stormed in. They'd watched him shake Jessica. Overheard the entire argument, just like everyone else in the bar had. Then Jim had left and everyone seemed settled again. The men slid their eyes over to look at Angus. He was rigid in his seat. They weren't sure he was even breathing.

In her text Jessica had asked them to observe until the end of the night and then she'd explain. They'd observe until they could get her alone and then they'd drag her home and teach her in no uncertain terms that what she'd done was wrong.

When the waiter came by they ordered a bottle of whisky. But no one moved to pour it. They just watched Jessica lean against Beth, everyone around her huddled close and talking to her.

When it seemed that the others weren't paying much attention, Jessica leaned closer to Beth. "Beth, the doctor told me that Paul said he was indebted to me. What does that mean?"

Beth did a double take and looked at Jessica with surprise that slowly shifted into awe. "That means a lot. It means that whatever you need, Paul will give it to you. He owes you."

"Well that's great." Jessica said. "I already asked him to let the men out of the clan and he said they only leave when they're dead."

Beth nodded. "That's how it goes. He can only give you what he's capable of. Leaving the clan alive is an entirely unattainable goal ..."

"You've thought about it too?" Jessica asked. Beth nodded.

"When everything first happened I thought I wanted to be dead. But then I tried to leave the clan and realized that I only felt like I wanted to be dead."