Redwood Nine: Season 03 Ch. 08

Piney phoned the shop and Lenny answered, happy to hear he was home. The smile vanished instantly when he heard the news about what had just happened. Despite the need to be protected in the compound, they weren't going to leave one of their own unprotected. Bikes were started and the gate opened, the club rolling out as one. It was less than fifteen minutes to get to Piney's, passing Wayne in his cruiser. Unser tossed everything on the seat and caught up to them, as they headed down the street to the Winston's.

The bikes were parked so the driveway was blocked and there was no access to the house from the street. Piney held the door with his good arm and the guys went inside and greeted his family. Unser parked so his cruiser blocked the entire street and went in as well.

"What are you guys doing here? You're supposed to be locked down at the shop?"

"Wayne, we're not going to sit there and be safe, while Piney and his family have no safety at all. We're all safe, or none of us are safe. No one is getting near here. I don't care what the neighbours are thinking, let them think whatever they want. They'll know soon enough what happened and know why we're here."

"Look, I don't want no trouble happening here. There's no one around the shop to get hurt, but here, there's women and children all over the place."

"Then that makes it all the reason to have a car patrolling the area."

"I will, Mr. Winston, but I need the guys to get back to the shop pronto."

"Hey, don't tell us what to do. If we want to stay here, we'll stay here. You do your job and we'll do ours, got it?"

Stan and Lorelei saw the defiance in authority and the look on Wayne's face, that he was going to heed his words and do as JT told him. Confusion set in, wondering what was going on between everyone.

"Okay, but get back there as soon as you can, just so I know where you are and keep things safe, like I'm supposed to."

"No one is going to fuck with us, Wayne. We can take care of things here."

Lorelei gasped at the use of the language and was more than shocked at seeing the guns they were all carrying. JT took a gun out of his cut and gave it to Piney, who tucked it in his. Unser saw everything, yet didn't question it, totally shocking the other three.

"You're allowing them to have guns, Officer?"

"In a way, I got no choice. Want me to take them away and as soon as I leave, you got some people with guns knocking on the door?"

Stan thought about it and realized the right to bear arms actually meant something in this case. As much opposed as he was to the Amendment, it made sense to have it there. The era was blurring into another one and nothing was making sense during the change.

"No, I guess not. We're just not happy having guns in the house."

"Understandable, Mr. Winston, but I know these guys won't use them, unless they absolutely need to, isn't that right, JT?"

Wayne tried to look like he still had some kind of authority in the situation and JT realized it. He had made his point and felt Wayne needed that boost back up.

"Of course, D.C. Unser. They stay where they are and won't be touched, unless it's a do or die situation."

"Let's make sure it doesn't come to that."

"That would be on your shoulders to make happen, not ours."

JT passed the torch of onus back to Wayne, making him call the shots again.

"I'll have a guy patrolling the area and stop anyone that looks out of place. Better to have some people upset at the delays in things, than have something happen."

That seemed to finalize the situation to an uneasy resolve, both sides firm in where they stood. Unser said goodbye to everyone and went back to his cruiser and got on the radio. He stayed out front until another cruiser pulled up and he gave him instructions to patrol the immediate area and stop anything coming near the house. The two cruisers departed and inside the house, an uneasy feeling still hung in the air.

Lorelei looked at her son and JT, then to the other club members, her distress clearly showing.

"Why are you boys carrying guns? I don't like the idea of you having those."

"Mom, we have them so we don't get killed. We might as well just stand there and let them shoot us, if we don't."

"Piney, I've lost one son to a senseless battle, I don't want to lose another. You and JT, all of you boys for that matter. I just can't bear it."

Tears were coming the more she spoke and Stan comforted her, looking at the guys forlornly. He understood on one hand, but couldn't accept on the other. Life had become an arena of conflict, everything changing value and importance.

The remaining Disciples went back to the clubhouse, after being thoroughly questioned before being released. They gathered outside the smoking ruins of their clubhouse, the scattered remains of their once-prized bikes, now twisted and distorted beyond anything they looked like before. Rage brewed inside them all, the tragic loss of their brothers and the prized possessions, kept the blood lust boiling inside them. Despite all the loss, they swore to avenge the deaths and be compensated for the financial loss as well. The phone booth on the corner down the street was their only way of communicating now, but calls were made to distant charters and new replacements were on their way to continue the war.

Stink got his name, not for any smell he may have had, but for all the shit he caused. He was bent on making his club number one and wanted to prove that to any and all. It wasn't hard to keep the hatred for the Sons fuelled, putting the blame for everything on them. The club had six charters and so far four had come and been a party to the violence. The last two were contacted and he knew it would be four hours before thirty four riders would be heading north and south, joining up with him.

Spectators standing around, looked at the burned down building and motorcycles, the scene one of chaos and destruction on a grand scale. Several of those spectators were local black youths, ones who were listening to what was just said about more bikers coming. Those youths were part of the 3B's and it didn't take long for that news to reach Benny's ears and minutes later, through the earpiece of the phone, into JT's ears.

JT called Jimmy and told him about it and was told he would make a call to La Roca. JT thanked him and hung up, dialling the Holiday Inn and asking for Dominic Moderno, Luigi's cover name. The news was related quickly and plans of action were put into place. JT had the club prepare for another attack and for once, time was on their side to respond to the threat. JT thought about his talk with Unser and decided he needed a heads up on it, just to keep things tight between them. Wayne was very grateful for the news and called Stockton sheriffs and let them know.

Before clubs moved north and south, opposing forces were already being put in place. The southern borders of Stockton were put on alert to watch all roads leading in to the city, while those in the north watched as many roads as they could.

Luigi and the team were ready in minutes and had the Cadillacs heading north and south. Luigi and Alphonse were becoming frustrated at seeing nothing but flat land in the valley heading north. They were north of Stockton, looking for high ground to snipe at the club, but nothing held any value as a position. They went through Thornton and came across an area along the Cosumnes River. It was well treed and gave plenty of cover to stay hidden, as well as a clear shot at the road for a half mile ahead. They turned off I-5 and pulled onto the secondary road and headed back towards it.

Five miles south of their position, the sheriffs were setting up their own place to lay in wait. They wanted to stop and detain the bikers, preventing them legally from making it to their destination. The sheriffs to the south were doing the same, picking a location inside their border that afforded them a way of stopping the club from reaching the other members.

Marco and Dino drove by them, heading outside their border and continued looking for the high point of land to take up a position. The land remained flat and useless to shoot from a point of cover. The hills to the west were too far away to take a shot, leaving them driving aimlessly in their search.

The highway coming north was filled with traffic of all kinds, but one group of vehicles stood out from the others. Sixteen bikes en masse were making their presence known to who they were and they were given right of way on the road. Reputations had been made not to interfere with them and they used it to their advantage, as the distance closed to Stockton.

Ten miles back and closing, were twenty four bikes en masse, led by La Roca. They were tasked with disrupting the club from making it to Stockton's borders any way they could. La Roca's idea of disruption was hot lead on the open road. They would be able to cruise up to them unchallenged, as there was no rivalry between them. Once in place, guns would speak for them and cause the disruption they needed to achieve.

Tom and Chico were cruising the back roads of Calaveras, taking ones that afforded them a good view of the surrounding area. Chico was dying to go to the farm and see Marietta, but Tom said they couldn't go near the place, to avoid bringing attention to it. The longing ate away at him, being separated from the woman he loved, as they drove to a point in the road and stopped, keeping an eye on the roads in the distance. Tom lit a joint and passed it to Chico, hoping it would lessen his misery, as he thought of Flower and how fond he'd grown of her.

The world seemed peaceful, but those that knew, knew it was only a matter of time and that peace would be shredded apart by guns and violence. It was still hard to come to terms with the why of it all, but facts remained, they were involved and had to see it through to the end, no matter how bitter it turned out.

The mood at the farm was one of sad remorse. No matter how it was explained, the impending separation of the two sides was imminent. Marietta knew it was only a day away before she started at Berkeley and would be staying with Chico's cousin and his family. Still, knowing the break up was happening, made her heart sink in despair like the others, sharing in their pain. Tinkerbell wandered over to the group of girls and nudged at them, but only received hands pushing her away.

Moon and Star watched the girls from the porch, feeling their misery themselves. Moon had to harden his heart, knowing he had to stay strong and stand firm on his decision. As much as he tried to protect the sanctity of the commune, it was coming apart slowly, bit by bit, as love was put aside in favour of the negative feelings they shared.

Unser had his men stationed at all the roads that could lead to the shop, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious in nature. What used to pass for normal, was now questioned and otherwise innocent people were stopped and checked out, before being allowed to continue to their destination.

Luigi and Alphonse took up their position and readied the rifles. The scopes were adjusted, then Luigi made his way up a tree to get a better view of the road in the distance. The bikes were easy to spot, as they made their way south to them, so Luigi climbed back down and picked up his rifle and told Alphonse to get ready. The low rumble of engines became louder, getting fingers on the triggers and eyes focused through the scopes.

"We take out the two behind the leader, then take out two more farther back. That will stop them and hopefully decide to return. If they don't, we're going to have to rely on the cops to do it and they aren't the best back up to have."

"Maybe we should be using the M60, take out more of them then?"

"Maybe, but we need to do this quietly and that thing makes too much noise and points out our position too easily."

"Yes, not looking good for us this time."

The first sign of the bikes appeared over a low crest in the road and the two zeroed in on their targets. Luigi whispered 'Now' and both barrels discharged almost at the same time. By the time the first two bodies were blown off the bikes, the bolts were ejecting the cartridges and the scopes were focusing on the second targets. The leader heard the noise of crashing bikes behind him and saw the mayhem begin. Two more riders were taken down and their bikes began a chain reaction of crashing riders behind them.

The scene was one of confusion, trying to deal with downed riders and the threat to their own lives. Some turned around and drove back the wrong way up the highway to escape, while others drew their guns and looked for the threat. Traffic piled up behind them, completely blocking their escape backwards, leaving them to take cover behind their bikes. Luigi and Alphonse dismantled the rifles and packed them back in their cases. They walked through the trees back to the Cadillac and put their guns in the trunk.

Luigi drove along the side road past the club, still unaware of where the threat was from. They pulled onto the highway and drove down to them, joining in with the other spectators and surveyed the damage they caused. Acting as innocent as the others, they asked what happened, looking as surprised as the other bystanders.

Ten minutes later, sirens were screaming loudly, as the sheriffs arrived on the scene. The chaos was more then they could handle, dealing with the carnage on the highway and dead bodies, as well as the hordes of people now surveying the scene. Drivers became impatient, trying to drive past everything on the shoulder, making the two mobsters smile and knew they had achieved their goal and the mission was a success. It became a time of observation and noted the members and what they were saying to the police.

La Roca had made up the distance between the two clubs, keeping a half mile distance to avoid suspicion. He raised his hand and pumped his fist, signalling his crew to get their guns ready. Hands reached inside cuts and flicked safeties off, then throttles were twisted to get them going faster. La Roca wanted to pick the right moment to ride by and take out the lead riders, then continue on, before they had a chance to retaliate.

There was no traffic near the club, as the Aztecs began riding by the Disciples from San Diego. The Aztecs were doing closer to seventy by the time guns came out and the bullets began felling riders. As predicted, the rest behind panicked and swerved to avoid running over the members in front. La Roca kept his speed up, putting distance between them and the wreckage they caused. Eight of the riders were too injured, or dead, leaving ten still mobile. They took off after the Aztecs, engines racing through every gear to catch up.

The Disciples couldn't close the distance between them, both clubs running full out. It became a matter of who were better riders and would win or lose the race. Both had plenty of gas in their tanks, but the use per mile was high and distance wasn't in La Roca's favour. Staying on I-5 wasn't in their best interest as a result, so La Roca decided on another plan instead. He hoped the Disciples weren't as good on dirt roads, as they were. The first cutoff had them leaving the highway and heading into the plantation areas, racing by migrant workers who stopped to see them go by. Minutes later they watched the other club go by and workers found their way to the road to see the action.

The Aztecs were leaving the other club behind, proving their ability to ride on roads like that, was better than their adversaries. La Roca waited for a time when they were out of sight from them and had his club pull into the orchards and stash their bikes out of sight. They drew their guns and waited for the riders to show up and ambush them again.

The sound of the engines grew louder and they kept out of sight until they were almost beside them and opened fire again. This time bodies dropped and few were left able to ride. The procession ground to a crashing halt and before they could recover, La Roca and his men came out from both sides and began shooting the members as they lay bleeding and injured, or trying to pick their bikes up. Two minutes and a reloading of weapons, brought an end to the threat of the Disciples from San Diego.

Blood ran and pooled, soaking into the dirt road and staining it. La Roca and his club got on their bikes and continued down the road to the first access road to I-5 and they began the trip home. They avoided coming up on the earlier hit and took the cutoff before it and headed east to the plantation roads to bypass it all together. Miles past, they headed back over and the sinister smiles of the Aztecs were seen on the faces of drivers on the I-5, making them contemplate the reason for such a look.

To the north and south of Stockton, enforcement and emergency personnel were trying to deal with the aftermath and calls were made to superiors to report the results. The information made its way to the top in minutes and before long, Wade and Grant were discussing it between themselves.

"I hope we know what the hell we're doing, Keith?"

"Me too, Harvey, This could really blow up in our faces and cause a shit storm to rain down."

"Yeah, the mayor is busting my ass every day to have this dealt with, but the son of a bitch doesn't have the first clue what we're up against. This ain't nickle and dime stuff, this is a fucking war we got going on here."

"Same here. I just don't have men and resources to handle anything and my guy thinks I could take on the Japs at Okinawa."

"Nice to be at the top and shout out orders and not have to worry about getting it done."

"Yeah. Okay, so what the damage up there? We got any innocents hurt?"

"You know, not a one. Twelve out of eighteen bikers aren't ever going to ride again. Seven dead, four by gunshot and the rest are so fucked up, I doubt they'll be able to walk again, let alone ride."

"Well, that's what we were hoping for, so nothing coming back at us hard there. Any word from the south end?"

"Not yet. Hopefully they decided not to come."

"Nice wish. If these guys are staying together like they are, they'll be heading your way soon enough. You have enough men to handle them?"

"Oh yeah, sent four cruisers, two men each, so I.... hang on, Harvey."

Wade was interrupted by an urgent knock at the door and ushered the person in. The dispatcher handed him the report sheet of what happened on I-5 north twenty minutes ago. He looked over everything carefully, looking for any signs of innocents involved and sighed in relief.

"Harvey, still there?"

"Yeah, yeah, what's up?"

"Just got a report come in. Seems whoever, took out some of the ones coming north, but none came into town that we know of. Some reports of them chasing another club north and then they left the highway somewhere and haven't been seen, or heard from since."

"You think they're coming here?"

"No idea, but be on the look out along back roads into Charming, they might try that."

"Who's the club they were chasing?"

"No idea. No one got their name or recognized the patch. Seems it happened so fast, they had no idea what happened, until shots were fired and bodies began dropping."

"Sorry about their luck, no skin off my nose."

"Mine either. Okay, looks like this round is basically over and we wait for the next. I hate this fucking not knowing. That's the part that pisses me off. I don't know what these guys are planning and can't do shit, until they do."

"Yeah, leaves us playing catch up all the time. Just lucky my guy Teller here, heard about them coming, from a friend."

"Still have my suspicions your guys are mixed up in this more than they're telling us."

"I had my D.C. check them out thoroughly and he said they aren't up to anything criminal that he can see. Fucking guys are like heroes around here to the people. I don't know Keith, the guys check out okay."