Redwood Nine Ch. 05

Keith was given the day off, so he gladly took off and rode to the shop to see the guys and get to work on the clubhouse. He pulled up beside the other bikes and got off. He greeted JT and Piney, as well as Jake, then made his way into the building and joined Wally. Once they said hello, it was a normal course of action to smoke a joint to get into the mood, before they looked at the boards all laid out and started nailing them together.

The walls echoed the sounds of work, as hammering came from the clubhouse and impact wrenches spun nuts on and off, in the shop. Jake didn't say anything, but smiled as he listened, knowing that things were getting accomplished. The sound of Franco's horn blowing, signalled it was lunch time and all the guys put their tools down and walked over. They bought their food and drinks and headed over to the picnic table by the clubhouse, as Franco closed up and blew his horn, as he left.

The guys ate hungrily, working up an appetite from their efforts. Jake enjoyed his glass of wine and asked how things were going with the building.

"Great, Jake. Keith and I have two rooms built and standing and a third is almost ready."

"That much? How much wood did you guys get?"

That put an instant stop to their easy feelings and eyes looked back and forth among themselves for an answer. JT felt he had to take the lead, as his position demanded he protect his brothers.

"Not really sure, Jake. We picked up a bunch of wood that was lying at the back of the building, beside Otto's work. He said it had been lying there for years, or something and no one was using it, so he told us we could have it. Hope no one thinks we stole it. That would be the shits."

Jake was appeased with the answer and agreed it would be bad for all concerned, if it was. That had the mood stay a bit tense, as they ate and finally finished, almost glad to be away from anymore questions. As Jake walked back to the shop, an audible sigh of relief could be heard from almost all of them, feeling they were close to getting caught and escaping it. Talk turned to one of caution, no one wanting to have everything they had, taken away in one fell swoop.

JT and Piney went back to work and put forth their best efforts, so they could finish and start on Piney's bike. When Piney pulled the last car out, Jake looked over at JT and told him they could start on Piney's bike and see what it needed. His smile told Jake he was happy he could knock off and help his friend, which was all Piney needed to hear, when he came back. Together, they pushed the Indian into the shop and began the cleaning of it first. Once it was free of dirt and debris, They began looking over the bike carefully, noting what was worn and what was still usable. After a good half hour, they gave the list to Jake and asked if they could call and order the parts under the company name. He was more than happy to let them have his discount and Piney went in and ordered the parts.

Piney got on the bike, after putting in fresh gas, then primed the starter and looked at JT. He jumped down on it hard and the engine caught and sputtered, then died. Piney's face was an expression of sheer happiness, knowing he could actually hear it run today. Once again he primed it and jumped down, the engine coughing and catching roughly. Little by little, Piney coaxed the engine to rev faster, the carbon build up in the cylinders belching out black smoke from the exhaust. It refused to run smoothly and JT tried adjusting the screws on the carburetor, getting nothing better as a result. Jake heard the engine and knew what was wrong, so he walked over and took the screwdriver from JT and readjusted the screws JT had set and then adjusted the timing.

As if by magic, the engine began purring smoother, the roughness gone. Piney revved it up several times and smiled at the power. He shut it off and dismounted, standing beside JT and Jake, looking at it.

"I bet this thing will be roadworthy by tomorrow and we can go riding soon, JT."

"Looking forward to the day, brother."

"I'll go with you guys on the first outing. I want to make sure both your bikes are running well and won't break down. Nothing spoils a ride faster, trust me."

JT and Piney agreed the first ride would be the three of them and asked Jake about the road trip he was taking them on.

As hammering continued in the clubhouse, Jake started describing the roads and the sights along the way. The guys could see Jake was remembering it fondly and hoped he didn't return to the moment riding became a hell for him. One thing they did get out of Jake's descriptive telling, was that they were going to see a lot of beautiful scenery, while riding on some spectacular highways.

JT could hear what Jake was saying, but back in the recesses of his mind, he was leading his club and every member was patched, the ground shaking rumble of a dozen bikes cruising together. He felt the exhilaration in his soul, knowing the dreams and wishes of a spirit denied, were becoming a reality he was founding. A reality that brought together the kindred spirits of like men, men who wanted to belong to something they believed in and felt it was worth dying for.

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RC