Redwood Nine: Season 03 Ch. 05

Miguel looked from face to face, wondering what was being said, only catching the odd word he understood. Wayne looked at the guys, discussing issues about the well being of an unknown Mexican migrant worker and his son. He shook his head at a thought he had and laughed out loud, stopping conversation and all eyes pointed at him. He noticed the looks and realized his faux pas and now had to explain himself to them.

"It's nothing, just had a silly thought run through my head."

Lenny wasn't as easy to let it go and pressed him to tell them.

"It was nothing, just a thought, that I thought, was, you know, funny."

Eyes kept pressing for him to divulge his secrets and he relented.

"Okay, okay. I was thinking you guys are like fairy godmothers, or something, the way you help folks and such. I had an image of you guys with the wings and wands and thought you made the ugliest fairies. There that's it, that's what I was thinking."

Piney got up and danced on his tip toes, twirling in circles towards Wayne. He stopped in front of him and pretended he had a wand.

"Poof, you're a pile of shit."

He danced back to where he was and the laughter went to a roar, making Wayne blushed red enough to make it look like his cheeks would bleed. Those that didn't know what was going on, looked over at them, wondering why they were carrying on. Seeing Lumpy laughing along, made some wonder what they had missed.

"So Wayne, us fairy godmothers would like to get our hands on a bike for Domingo. Who should we go and see, who'll give us a good deal on one. I could easily pick one up from some driveway, but we want it all legit and nice."

"That's nice of you Wally. Hate to hear some kid woke up crying, because his bike got stolen. You know, check in at Ryan's Hardware. I was in getting some stuff for dad's place and they had bikes in the back that ain't selling fast. Bet they'd be happy to sell you one cheap."

"Cool, thanks."

"Say, Wayne."

"Yes, Keith."

"How many bikes do they have there?"

"Not that many, maybe five or six."

"Any girl's bikes?"

"Girl's bikes? I don't know, maybe, might be one, or two, why?"

"Well, if the wee fella has a buggered leg, it'll be easier for him to get on it. I was thinking, if they're no that expensive, you know, twenty, thirty bucks or so, buy the lot and let a bunch of the kids have fun. Chico, ask Miguel how many kids there are?"

Chico asked Miguel and he looked around at the guys and the cop, wondering why they wanted to know about the children. Chico saw the worry and explained about the bicycles better and what the club wanted to do. Miguel was overjoyed at what kept transpiring, as every day brought another gift of kindness from strangers. He told Chico the number of kids and then started naming them off. Chico laughed and stopped him, making him pause. Chico said there was eight children between the two families, then asked how many were able to ride a bike. Miguel thought and realized that none knew how to ride, but five were big enough to try it.

"I'd say it's time to wind this up, thank Lumpy for a great meal, as always, then our good friend Wayne will make sure we get to Ryan's with all haste in our quest."

"You're kidding me? Another escort, to get bicycles?"

"We are emissaries on a mission of goodwill, we can't be held up."

Wayne shook his head, knowing he either went along, or they'd be pissed at him.

"Let's go then. You got a way of picking these things up?"

"Yeah, I got Clay's pick up, Miguel's not too keen on riding."

"Alright, let's do it."

JT paid Lumpy and shook his hand, leaving an extra twenty for himself in his palm.

"See you boys soon, Good seeing you Officer Unser."

Everyone waved as they left and mounted up. Windows rattled and vibrated, as engines started up, then the procession followed Wayne, heading back into town and on to Liberty St. The curb space was filled and the noise stopped, then the throng went in to the hardware store. Paul Ryan was taken aback by the intrusion of so many at one time, then noticed Unser and wondered what it was about.

"What's up, Officer?"

"Hi Paul, got some folks here interested in those bikes you got in back. I was telling them about them and wanted to know if you'd give them a deal on them."

"You want more than one bike?"

"Yes, Mr. Ryan. We're wondering what you'd sell your stock for?"

"Call me Paul, JT, you're old enough to now. Just want you to know, I miss your dad, always enjoyed talking to him when he came in."

"Thanks Paul, it's nice to know people still remember him. He liked coming here, even if he didn't need anything."

"Yeah, nice to just be with the guys and shoot the breeze about stuff. So what do you need all these bikes for?"

"It's for a bunch of kids who can't afford them. One is for this guy's son, Domingo. The fruit cart rolled over his leg and broke it badly and is going to need therapy after, but there's no way in hell they can afford it, so we figured a bike would be good, once he could stand up okay. Then Keith figured a girl's bike might be better, because it'd be easier to get on, then he figured, why not just buy all of them and all the kids could ride."

"Helluva lot of figuring there, JT, but I like where it leads to."

"Yeah, you get used to it after a while. JT likes to tell a story if he has something to say."

It was JT's turn to blush, knowing he was caught rambling again.

"So, how many bikes do you need?"

"How many you got?"

"I have six set up and a bunch more still in boxes."

"Let's have a look."

Paul Ryan made his way past the garden tools and pointed out the dusty bikes sitting there. At one time, any boy, or girl would have been clamouring to have one. Now, they were considered too old looking and not cool enough to ride. The Schwinn's were great bikes, but looking cool wasn't what they were noted for. Miguel stood silently, but in great astonishment, at seeing the bicycles, knowing they were for his son and the other children and only a handshake away to own.

JT asked about the ones in boxes and Paul showed him the rack farther back with six stacked neatly.

"So, what kind of a deal can you do for all the ones on the floor and the ones in boxes?"

"All twelve? Well, let's see."

Paul went about doing some calculations in his head and looked at JT squarely.

"You give me thirty a bike and I'm happy, how's that?"

"Twenty five and it's a deal."

Paul thought on it a moment and nodded his head.

"Seeings what you're buying them for, deal."

They shook and before they released hands, the guys were rolling the bikes up the aisle and out the door. They grabbed the six in boxes and stacked them in the back of the pick up and them lay the bikes on top of each other and tied them down. JT came out with Paul and they shook hands, as the club mounted up and brought the deafening roar of their bikes to life.

Unser stood beside JT and looked at him sarcastically.

"Suppose I have to escort you to God knows where now?"

"No, it's cool Wayne. We're heading to the shop and Chico and Manuel can put the rest of the bikes together tonight. It's been fun, Wayne, I like the VIP treatment."

"So, I can get back to being a cop again?"

"Sure, can't feel safe without our D.C. on the job. Thanks Wayne, you've been a big help."

JT and Unser shook hands, then JT led the club away and back to the clubhouse. Wayne stood with Paul Ryan and watched them make their way through town, losing sight of them, but the deep rumble continued echoing back to them.

"Good guys, that bunch."

"Never would have thought that myself, till now. That's a right decent thing they're doing, helping out others like that."

"Yeah, right decent, Paul. Well, better get back to doing my job. You have a nice day, Paul."

"You too, Wayne."

They waved and Unser drove off, while Paul Ryan stood shaking his head, amazed at what had transpired.

Marietta was happy to see Chico back and came out to see him when she heard the truck pull in. Everyone greeted her affectionately, then went into the clubhouse with the boxed bikes.

Beers were opened and joints rolled, as the bikes were taken from the cardboard casings Laughter filled the large space, as they talked about riding as a club on them, adding Unser's fairy godmother comments in as well.

They assembled the half dozen bikes in no time and walked them over to the air pump to fill the tires. When they were checked out, the guys ended up riding them all and having fun following JT around the yard and through the buildings. Marietta and Miguel laughed and watched them, as they resorted to acting like kids. Once the fun and games was over, the bikes were left in the clubhouse and the shop locked up. Marietta had a dinner prepared for Miguel, who would spend one night alone, while she went back with Chico to the commune.

Tonight was the night chosen by the girls. The one where a trip into the unknown recesses of their minds was going to happen. Miguel said goodbye to the crew and watched as JT locked the gate, shutting him in for the night. He didn't mind the feeling of security, a stranger in a strange place. He watched them head away and went back in, looking at all the bikes lined up and served his dinner up on a plate, then sat looking at them smiling.

The club rode out to Calaveras, the road theirs to enjoy. Chico wanted to have fun, but Marietta's fears made him decide against doing anything. Several rode without hands on the bars, but no one attempted any of the tricks Chico was noted for.

They were well greeted before they even stopped, the girls anxious to begin their trip to acid land. The bikes were put away in the shed and Tinkerbell refused to let them go to the house, until she was given ample attention by everyone.

"She's getting pretty bossy, isn't she, Moon?"

"Maybe, but you know Piney, she gives us the sweetest milk and it's because of that affection she gets."

"Yeah, I do like her milk. Guess it's a decent payoff."

"It takes so little, to receive so much."

"True words there, Moon."

They went in and once the guys were settled, Moon took the small box and opened it. He tore off small squares of paper and placed one square on every girl's tongue.

"How soon before they start getting off, Moon?"

"Not too long, Otto, about ten minutes or so."

"Alright. All packed for your trip, Baby?"

"Oh yeah, Baby. Take good care of me?"

"Sure will, Cindy."

The other girls expressed the same from their partners and when it was assured they were safe in their minds, several began undressing, stripping naked and started dancing around the room. The other girls were quick to follow and the expectant psychedelia had the dozen naked girls excited to experience it. They danced in a circle, the guys enjoying their feminine charms displayed for them.

It wasn't long before the laughter and giggling stopped and eyes began growing wider. The affects were subtle at first, but soon grew more pronounced, as the trip to LSD heaven began. It was amusing to see them explore the surreal world around them, as reality and fantasy blended into one for them. They were letting them do whatever they wanted to do, as long as they weren't going to get into trouble, or get hurt.

Golden and Azure found their connection together something to explore and began making out as they stood. Fingers disappeared inside their bodies, as their tongues writhed and twisted about the other's. Those that saw them, came over and their mouths were met with kisses, as hands excited their bodies.

The guys just sat and watched, taking in the changes to their women and weighed them against their own decision to try acid or not. They looked at each other, smiling at the display, knowing sex would be on the menu tonight, but the dish served, would be new and something exotic. Moon put on some psychedelic music by Donovan and the song Season of the Witch filled the room.

By the first hour into the trip, none of the girls were making much sense about things and the guys began wondering how crazy they would get. Their part in taking care of them just got a bit harder to do, as the unknown world of acid came fully into effect.