Lisa Ch. 08b: Evil

Jessica had started crying. Burying her face in his chest, Jessica continued to cry.

"What did you give her?" Riley asked. Josh handed the package to Riley who looked at it and then passed it to Scott, who continued to pass it around.

"What a great gift ..." Amanda said, looking it over again before handing it to Sara.

Jessica nodded as she finally managed to get control of her emotions. "Thank you Josh. I love it." She kissed him.

"Here Jess, here's my gift." Angus said handing her a small envelope. "It's not quite as emotionally moving as Josh's ..." Angus said and Jessica snapped her eyes up to ensure that Angus truly was as calm about Josh's gift as his voice implied. "But I think you'll like it just the same. Open it."

Jessica fumbled with the envelope and produced a key from it. She looked at it and then at Angus.

"I know you love racing cars, but your first love was motorcycles. This is for you ..." he said sweeping his hand to his right where Sean and Corey stepped aside and revealed Riley standing next to a brand new motorbike.

"Angus!" Jessica exclaimed.

"I know Jim got you one ..."

"Second hand ..." Jim said.

"Second hand." Angus agreed. "It's here, as a spare, but this is brand new. And we all ..." Angus continued sweeping his hand to indicate everyone present, "have one too. They're in the barn there." He nodded to the new structure to the right of the pool house, "And we've created a dirt bike course in the back field for us all to ride on."

"Thank you Angus!" Jessica said throwing her arms around him. He picked her up in a bear hug.

"You're welcome ... Riley and Jim will be giving you their gifts back at the house tonight ..." Angus said.

"And we have gifts too ..." Leah said, "back at the house."

"But for now, do you want to go for a ride?" Angus asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Then you'll need this ..." Scott said handing Jessica a box, "it's still part of Angus' gift. And so is this." He said producing a new helmet. It was black with a pink thunderbolt on either side. "And this ..." he added producing new riding boots.

"Open the box ..." Angus said placing Jessica on her feet. Jessica ripped the box open to find a riding suit. It too was black with a pink thunderbolt on the back.

"Thank you!" Jessica said again, while sliding one leg into the suit. "Can we ride?"

"Okay, okay, let's go." Angus said with a laugh.

*******************************************************

"This is the life." Chris said, raising his beer bottle in the air.

"Hear hear." Riley said raising his. Angus, Corey and Sean did the same. Following a couple of hours of riding ... everyone at varying speeds - from Sara's five mile an hour crawl to Jessica's one hundred miles a minute – they had returned to the pond for another swim. Riley, Angus, Corey and Sean had pulled a few lawn chairs together, each taken a beer and kicked back.

Jessica was curled up with Josh on another lawn chair, not exactly in the distance but far enough away from everyone else, reading the comic Josh had made for her.

Jim and Scott were down by the pond with everyone else having a blast.

"I wish ..." Corey started, "I wish ..." he repeated after a swig of his beer, "that it never had to end."

"Unfortunately we have to head back to the house to take care of the horses and the dogs." Riley said, "But we'll continue there. Have dinner, campfire, jam ... the fun won't be over, not by a long way."

"That's not what I meant." Corey said, "I wish that this ..." he said nodding to the surroundings and all the people in them, "and everything back at the house didn't have to end, ever. But now that Daryl's folks believe that he and his clan took off, I guess it will have to end. "

Silence ensued. The night before Riley had received a call from Tom. He wouldn't divulge what changed his mind but he called to say that he believed that Daryl and his clan had run away. He said they wouldn't bother them anymore ... apologized for the inconvenience. The men had decided to leave the news as a final birthday gift for Jessica. As of tomorrow she would be free to go wherever she liked, whenever she liked. They all would. But unfortunately this also meant that Sean and his clan would have to go back to work. They would see each other less and to the men this meant that the window of opportunity for asking them to leave the clan with them was closing. But this statement of Corey's opened an opportunity for the question to be asked.

Riley and Angus exchanged a look. A look filled with hope. Could Corey be saying what they thought he was?

"Amen." Sean said and Chris nodded.

"What ... what was that look for?" Corey asked, looking between Riley and Angus.

Riley looked to Angus who shrugged.

Riley sat up and planting his elbows on his knees he leaned forward.

"How serious are you about that?" Riley asked Corey, "About never having this end?"

"Very serious." Corey said. "I'd love to have a normal life ... this life." He looked around. "I'm tired of killing people for the sake of killing people. I guess you probably don't want to hear that ..." he said looking down at his beer. "But that's how I feel."

Sean and Chris looked worried as they looked between Corey, Riley and Angus.

"Actually, that's exactly what we wanted to hear." Riley said. "We intend to leave the clan ... we just have to figure out how. And we want you ... all of you, to come with us."

"No fucking way." Sean said as he, Corey and Chris stared at Riley.

"Fucking way." Angus said. "Do you think all of you would come?"

Sean nodded as he looked around. "We can ask, double check. I guess the weakest link is Quinn. Not sure how dedicated he is to the cause."

"Assuming we're all in ... how would we do it? We sure as hell don't want to be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives. You know as well as we do that no one leaves the clan." Corey said.

"Not alive anyway." Chris added.

"We don't know how we'd do it." Riley said. "I guess we were waiting to see if you'd come with us. And we hoped you'd have some ideas."

"We'll find out if we're all in. Now." Sean said.

"Quinn too?" Angus asked.

Sean nodded. "If we're going to have a problem with him we better find out now ... take care of it now ..." and there was no doubt about what Sean meant by 'take care of it'.

"Not here." Riley said. "No violence Sean, not with Jessica around. She has a strict no violence rule ..."

"Right ..." Sean said with a laugh, but it petered out when Riley and Angus stared at him.

"To be clear ..." Riley said, "and you should be too when you're discussing with the others, we're leaving the clan, and we're leaving violence. We want a normal, peaceful life. Any issues that we still have with the government Jessica intends to deal with in court." Riley couldn't help but smile when he said it.

"You're kidding ... right? That's a joke?" Corey asked.

"No joke." Angus said, "Jessica's finishing high school so she can get her law degree. And that's the deal if you come with us. No violence, a peaceful life, and if you want to take issue with the government you do it the legal way."

"I know it's a lot." Riley said. "If you need time to think, fine. If you decide you can't come, I hope you'll help us or at the very least not hinder us when we go."

Sean, Chris and Corey looked at each other and then nodded.

"We're in." Sean said. "Give us half an hour and we'll tell you about the rest of us. We just have to be careful about Rick and Abe ... wouldn't want them to catch on. Chris, you take Mark and Justine ..." he nodded at the pair who had just gone by them on their way to the pool house. "Er, is something going on with you three or is that going to be a problem?" Sean added when Mark slipped his hand into Justine's.

"No we're together now. The three of us, Mark asked when we got here. I guess polygamy is in fashion again." Chris said with a meaningful look at Riley and Angus.

"Yeah, that's us ..." Angus said, "trend setters."

"We need to distract Rick and Abe, and one of you two need to be with me when we ask Quinn. I'm not sure that I can peacefully deal with him if he says no." Sean said.

"I'll get Abe and Rick to help me put the motorcycles away." Angus said.

"Let's leave Josh and Jess out of this." Riley said. "If everyone agrees to come with us we can tell her tonight. Another birthday gift."

The others nodded and Sean, Corey, Angus and Riley headed down to the pond. Chris followed Mark and Justine up to the pool house.

Within moments Rick, Abe and Angus were heading toward the barn.

"We need to talk." Sean said when the others moved to go back into the pond.

"That doesn't sound good." Caleb says.

Quinn eyed Sean, Corey and Riley as they subconsciously spread out into a semi-circle, effectively blocking the way for any of the group to move past them. The only option would be to jump into the pond and swim across ... and Quinn seemed to be considering this as he looked at the pond, the land beyond it, and back at Corey, Sean and Riley.

"You look nervous." Sean said to Quinn.

"You look like I should be nervous." Quinn replied.

"What's going on Sean?" Amanda asked, taking Quinn's hand. She looked petrified.

Sean looked at Amanda, and then Caleb, Don and Stan who had moved to stand next to Amanda and Quinn. When Sean had let Quinn join the clan he'd had a few reservations, the biggest of which being that Quinn was a complication. He was an unknown. Sean sighed. This was definitely a complication.

"Riley, what's going on?" Scott asked. It was clear that Sean was not looking forward to the conversation and that alone sent alarm bells in both Scott and Jim's minds. But Riley waved his hand at them in a downward motion and shook his head.

"Quinn, when you came to the clan you and I had a conversation about your expectations, and the contributions that you intended to make to this clan. You were sufficiently vague that I couldn't get a good sense of what you were really about. Then I had a chat with Tristan. He characterized you as a quiet moderate that leaned heavily toward not supporting the cause. He said you weren't happy with the more fanatic beliefs of many in Tristan's clan. Hold on ..." Sean said when Quinn started eyeing the rifles that lay scattered on the grass around the pond. They'd brought them for protection against animals, since Tom was no longer a threat, but had left them mostly unattended. "Before you do anything stupid, hear me out. You'll notice that I let you join our clan. Moderate to even extreme moderation, if you catch my drift, works for us."

Sean paused to let his words sink in. And after a moment they did. Quinn shifted his eyes from the guns to Sean and looked somewhat relieved.

"Given all of that, I still know jack about you. Regardless, I'm going to give you the same options that I'm giving everyone in the clan. You have to decide how dedicated you are to us. How far you're willing to go for us. If you have any doubts, any misgivings, we're going to give you the chance to leave right now. To leave, and never come back."

"No ..." Amanda whimpered.

"Sean man, that's hardly fair." Don said, "We just started working on our relationship with Amanda. How can he know if he's devoted to us or not?"

"He has to have some idea." Sean said, "Besides, there will be a chance for people to leave after our talk too. But they'll be leaving with some information that makes us very vulnerable. Betrayal at that point would lead to a death sentence."

Riley cleared his throat.

"Hey, not even Jessica would argue with that." Sean said.

"Jessica?" Jim demanded, bobbing and weaving to see past Sean, Riley and Corey. Desperately trying to see Jessica, "What does this have to do with Jessica?"

"Relax Jim." Riley said, "Jess is just fine. She's still lying with Josh on the lawn chair, see?" he step aside and pointed to where Jessica and Josh still lay looking at the magazine.

Jim and Scott relaxed when they saw that Riley was right. Jessica was still curled up with Josh.

"Jessica doesn't want any violence and we're trying to ensure that for her." Corey said. "But if any of you decide to stay and hear what we need to discuss and then decide that you can't live with it ... you will have to vow to keep the information to yourselves. I think even Jessica would agree that a leak would be sufficient to warrant the death penalty."

"She doesn't know this is happening, does she?" Scott asked Riley.

Riley shook his head, "We want to include this as part of her birthday gift later tonight."

Scott nodded. Jim wasn't sure that she'd agree with this tactic but if this conversation was going to be about what he thought it was going to be about, he had to agree that there were no alternatives.

"So." Sean said, "Quinn, do you want out now, or will you take your chances and stick around for the conversation and then keep that info to yourself for the rest of your life whether you stay or not?"

"Sean ..." Caleb said.

"And you four." He said to Caleb, Don, Stan and Amanda, "Have to decide if you'll stay or go with Quinn, if that's what he decides."

"Right now? We have to decide right now?" Stan asked.

"Why?" Leah demanded when Sean had nodded at Stan. She looked around at everyone. Sara looked like she was going to cry. Amanda looked near hysteria and all of the men looked worried. Sean, Corey and Riley included, which ratcheted up her level of concern. "Why does it have to be decided now? And why aren't Josh, Jess, Angus, Rick, Abe, Chris, Mark and Justine involved in this?"

"Josh, Angus and Jessica are already in ... as are Scott and Jim." Riley said.

"It's none of Rick or Abe's business, and Chris is talking to Justine and Mark right now." Sean added, tilting his head to where the three sat on a picnic table near the pool house, talking.

"We need to know where we all stand now." Corey added, "There's no point in dragging it out longer. And I think you'd better come here ... now Leah." He added when Leah hadn't moved. Leah narrowed her eyes at his tone but moved to stand just behind him.

"Sara," Sean said, "over here." Sara's mouth dropped open and she looked from Corey to Sean, as did everyone else.

"Sara," Corey said, "Sean told you to do something ..." there was a warning tone to Corey's voice that further confused everyone. Sean and Corey were on good terms again but handing power over one another's sisters to one another was beyond good terms. But Sara moved to stand behind Sean. Fear won out over confusion.

"So, what will it be Quinn?" Sean asked.

"I'll stay." Quinn said. Amanda, Caleb, Stan and Don visibly relaxed.

"Thank you ..." Amanda muttered and pushed her way under Quinn's arm and wrapped her arms around him.

"Okay." Sean said. He looked around at everyone and decided that fast and direct was the best approach now. "We're leaving the clan."

Silence hung in the air as everyone gaped at one another.

Scott and Jim silently moved to stand next to Riley and observe the stunned looks on everyone's faces.

"That's impossible." Stan said.

"No it's not." Riley said.

"We'll have to take the clan out." Don said.

"Either that..." Quinn said when Sean shook his head, "or they'll take us out."

"No violence." Riley said. "Jessica will not accept any bloodshed. Ours or theirs. We have to do it peacefully."

"That's impossible." Caleb said.

"Difficult, but not impossible." Scott corrected.

"As Angus and I told Sean and Corey," Riley said, "we're leaving for a life of peace. Jessica intends to get into law and then politics. She will support our cause, legally. That is what you're signing up for if you come with us. We can be free and together, but peaceful. If you don't want that, or don't want to take the risk of leaving, go now. Keep it to yourself, but go now."

Everyone looked at one another.

"I haven't been happy with the clan tactics for a long time." Quinn finally said. "I still want to stay and I'm fine with peace. I've seen enough death to last me an eternity."

Everyone else nodded.

"Okay. Well, keep it to yourselves for now." Riley said. "We can't risk Abe and Rick finding out ... and we can surprise Jessica with the news tonight. She wanted all of you to come with us and she'll be glad to know you've agreed to."

"I need a fucking drink." Don said striding past Sean, "You scared the crap out of me."

"Amen." Stan said and everyone moved back toward the pool house. Corey taking Leah's hand, Sean taking Sara's.

Riley, Scott and Jim hung back.

"We did it. They're coming with us. I can't believe it." Scott said, slapping Riley on the shoulder.

"Jess is going to be real happy about this." Jim added.

"Now we just have to figure out how to get out of the clan without a blood bath." Riley said taking a step toward the pool house.

Jim exhaled and looked at everyone scattered around the picnic tables. All of those people were with them now. They're lives were deeply intertwined. That was a lot to digest.

"You look like you need a drink." Scott said punching Jim in the arm.

"A strong one." Jim agreed.

"I'm buying, come on." Scott said and led the way to the bar.

********************************************************

"I wonder where Angus is." Jessica said when she and Josh closed the comic they'd been reading and sat up.

"It's his turn huh?" Josh asked. He chuckled when Jessica looked at him clearly perplexed. "When we went to speak with Quinn, Amanda and the others about their situation, Quinn made an observation about you and us."

"Quinn did?" Jessica asked, surprised.

"Yup. He noticed that you spend equal amounts of time with each of us men ... with some internal clock, you just move from one of us to the other and give us equal time. You do ..." Josh said when Jessica shook her head.

"I don't plan anything like that ..." Jessica said.

"Well, you may not plan it, but you do do it. Ever since that comment I've been watching. Not a one of us can feel shafted for time with you Jess. And you don't look at a clock or anything. One second you're happy doing whatever you're doing with one of us and then like some internal alarm goes off, you look for the next one of us and find a way to go to them. It's kinda cool."

Jessica got on her knees on the lawn chair, between Josh's legs, and lay on top of Josh coming face to face with him.

"Cool?" she asked pecking his lips, "It sounds weird to me."

"I never said it wasn't weird." Josh said and laughed when Jessica glared at him. "Not everyone can say they have a human timer for a wife." He continued, sliding his hands down her body and resting them on her butt.

"Well, this human timer has to pee and then go look for the next husband in line." She said pecking Josh's lips before pushing away from him. She looked at the comic that she'd been clutching in her hands. "Where can I put this so it doesn't get lost or damaged?"

"In the bedroom in the pool house you'll find a big pink canvas bag. We've been putting your clean clothes and stuff in that. The riding jacket and pants that you've already managed to dirty up are in a laundry bag on the floor next to the bed."

"Thanks." She said getting up, "See you in a bit."

"In about an hour, if I don't miss my guess." Josh said, flipping his cell phone open to look at the time.

Jessica paused. "Isn't that kind of predictable?"

"So?"

"Well, isn't predictable boring?"

"Jessica, you're so not boring. Trust me ..."

"Okay ..." Jessica said before turning to the pool house but she didn't look convinced.

She decided to walk around the pool house to see if she could see Angus anywhere. Everyone was scattered over several tables and they were speaking quietly but with a lot of intensity. But Angus, Rick and Abe were missing, Jessica suspected that they were in the barn with the bikes. A quick bathroom run and she'd go find them. Jessica rounded the corner of the pool house and saw Justine, Chris and Mark sitting at the picnic table closest to the pool house. Each held a beer in hand. They were leaning against the table, backs to Jessica. They looked so relaxed that Jessica had to smile to herself.