Redwood Nine: Season 02 Ch. 01

Naked women came out to greet him and that was the last thing he needed at that point and discouraged any contact with them. His gruff manner put them off and they stood back from him, wondering why he was in that state.

"I need to see JT, where is he?"

"He's out walking with Moon, out there in the valley somewhere. Moon took him to mediate on the peacefulness and calm his spirit."

Piney saw a glimmer of hope, that JT wasn't as bad as he thought he was, hearing that he was out walking. The girls asked him to come inside and they'd make him something to drink and eat, if he was hungry. He asked for alcohol, in any form, but was told none was on the property. He asked for the next best thing and Suzy quickly rewarded him with a pre-rolled joint and a light. He took a deep draw and held it in, feeling it relax him to a much lesser state of distress, than he was in when he arrived. He never bothered to offer anyone else hit and smoked it by himself, feeling he deserved a whole one for all he'd been through already. Suzy could only imagine what it might be this time, that brought Piney back so soon. Whatever it was, it wasn't good news, judging by Piney's lack of smile, or any humour.

He was finding a small modicum of peacefulness, as he sat in the old, red velvet arm chair, with his eyes closed. The girls sat away from him, letting him have his space and the need to let go of what was bothering him. His eyes shot open the moment he heard Moon and JT coming back in. They walked into the living room and JT was looking around for him. Piney was shocked at first, seeing JT and Moon both naked and exposed to him, but he could also see a sign of calm and peace had returned to JT as well. Seeing that made him bite back the words he had thought of to say and fought for new ones to say instead.

"Hey JT, I see you found the new lifestyle to your liking. How's that working out for you?"

JT was smiling at the words, clearly happy with where his head was, at that moment.

"It's the greatest feeling, Piney, you got to try it."

"I'll pass. I just don't feel the urge to let everything hang out and run around naked, dancing in the flowers and shit. I'm glad it makes you happy though. How are you, buddy, feeling a bit better about things?"

"Yeah Piney, I'm doing okay. Moon helped me sort it all out and I'll be coming back tomorrow. I just want to be somewhere else than back there, right now. Jake knows what I mean. I have to see him when I get back and see what he can help me with, to take care of mom."

Piney froze inside, not wanting to give anything away just yet. He was hoping for something to lead him into it and make it easier to say.

"Yeah, I can dig it, JT. It was just too much to deal with and everyone's sorry for dumping it on you like that."

"That's cool, Piney. I know they were just trying to help. It just fucked me up having everything hit me all at once and I didn't know how to handle it, when I was already fucked up thinking about mom."

Piney nodded, looking at the nothingness of space, his mind off in its own dimension at that point. He looked at Moon, putting as much of a smile on his face as he could.

"Could I talk to you, Moon? I want to know if you can help me with something too."

Moon welcomed him to join him and Piney got up and stopped, rubbing his hands on his pant legs.

"Could you do me a favour though? Could we not do the naked thing, I'm just not there yet."

"No problem, Piney, hang on."

Moon went over to the old rocking chair and took his robe off the back of it and pulled it over his head and let it fall and cover him, almost to the floor.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Alright, come. Tell me what's on your mind, Piney."

Piney walked up to JT and they one arm hugged each other and smiled, but Piney knew JT sensed trouble in his eyes, when he looked at him. He walked outside with Moon and strolled along the worn path to the fields. JT sat in the same armchair Piney was in earlier and relaxed, the fact his best friend was there now, making him even more at peace.

Piney waited until they were almost out of sight of the house, before he stopped and looked back and then to Moon. Moon waited, as he saw Piney collecting himself, knowing he had something of tremendous importance to unload.

"How's JT doing, Moon? Really. Is he ready to deal with shit yet?"

"He's over the worst of it, but he's still carrying a lot of hurt inside and it may be a while, before he's fully over the loss of his mother. I know that's not what you want to hear and want to ask me something else, am I right?"

Piney nodded, looking out at the valley and the hills beyond, as he readied himself to tell Moon the news.

"I came up here, because some seriously bad shit just happened at the motel and JT needs to know, but if I tell him, it could really fuck him up bad. I don't know what to do, Moon?"

"How bad is the news, Piney?"

"Bad, as bad as it fucking gets, Moon."

Moon looked at Piney squarely and could see in his eyes, Piney was fighting against some serious issues he was dealing with.

"Can you tell me? I might be able to help, if I know what it is, you have to say to him."

Moon could see a sign of hope in Piney's eyes and knew it was a chance to relieve himself of some, or all of the burden he was carrying.

"Not long ago, only a few hours actually, someone came to the motel and shot Jake and Marlene. Jake is dead and Marlene is barely hanging on. JT just told me he has to go and see Jake tomorrow and talk about stuff to do for his mom and how do I let him know this shit happened?"

Moon was devastated by the news. It was far beyond what he imagined it to be and was left reeling to begin thinking on how to tell JT about it, knowing his fragile state. Moon looked at Piney, then back at the house where JT was resting in a peaceful state, then looked off to a place of hope, one where he hoped to find an answer. What he had just learned about Jake, from JT, was that he was like a father to him, someone he had grown close to, admired, respected. He could tell from JT's choice of words, that he held strong feelings for Jake, ones he would call love.

Knowing how the loss of his mother hit him, he could safely assume just as much pain and anguish would be felt, knowing of Jake's passing as well. There was no choice of keeping it from him, he had to face his mother's funeral in a couple days and he'd know what happened then. Finding out that way, he could only imagine JT wanting to dig his own grave and jump in, cover himself over with dirt and die.

There was only the truth to be told, no matter what. All he wanted to come up with, was a way to tell JT and keep him from losing it. He looked up at the sky, the blue fading with the sun going down, searching it for the answer.

The scene at the motel had settled into an uneasy calm, as the reality of everything was accepted. Now, it was dealing with the aftermath of its effects. They huddled in one room together, the feeling of safety in numbers, giving the girls the only sense of security they had, despite the guys being there with them. Otto voiced his thought to everyone and the guys felt another hit to the spirit.

"Does Clay know about this yet? He's back out in Stockton, doing the college thing, isn't he?"

Once more, the aftermath of the tragedy, brought more hurtful thoughts to their minds. As they thought more on it, they realized Clay was just as close to Jake, as JT was. He'd been with him longer and had more history between them, but they weren't as sure of Clay's feelings for Jake, as they were with JT.

"His number is in the shop somewhere, I can go find it and call him, let him know."

Lenny nodded and thought on it, then decided he needed some distance from all of it and said he'd go do it. Lorraine was overly clingy and driving him crazy trying to deal with it, making him become edgy and he didn't want to lose it at this point, over something trivial. She eked whatever attention she could from him, before he left and pouted hard, as he went out and jumped down on the starter and fired up his bike. Some watched through the curtains, as he rode down the road to the shop, while others looked up to the office, to see what had transpired since they last looked.

The scene was ominously quiet, with no more sirens and flashing lights. No more police radios squawking on and off and garbled voices, or vehicles coming in and going out. Things seemed to be back to normal in a sense, except the knowledge of a murder still hung like a shroud over them.

Piney finished his cigarette and looked at Moon, hoping he'd searched the sky and everywhere else, to find the answer. He crushed it out on a rock and flicked it away with his finger, then spoke softly to ask.

"Did whoever it is, they are, give you an answer, Moon?"

Moon turned to Piney slowly and he saw the face of desperation pleading with him that he had.

"Yes, they have given me an answer, Piney. Not a magic one, that would somehow relieve us of this burden, but an honest and truthful one. No matter how I asked, the answer always came back the same. JT must know what has happened and know the truth of it. I asked for a way to tell him and not destroy the fragility of his spirit and the reply was always the same, tell him with love. Piney, no matter how we tell JT, it's always going to come down to the same thing said to him, Jake is dead, plain and simple."

Piney couldn't argue with any of what was said, nor could he deny whoever/whatever the reasoning of being honest. All it came down to, was their love of JT and sparing him any further injury to his soul and the love they had, was the only answer to their dilemma.

"So, how do we tell him, Moon? Can't just say, 'Hey JT, just thought you ought to know some asshole just came to the motel and shot Jake dead and Marlene's in hospital fighting for her life.', or is that what we're supposed to do?"

Neither of them knew JT had come out and walked over to them. He was just behind them, covered by the bushes between them. It wasn't until they heard someone trying to catch their breath, as though they were fighting to breathe, then a sickened cry wailed out. Moon and Piney were shocked by the sounds of extreme agony in his voice. They jumped up and pushed past the bushes, heading for the source of the sounds. They saw JT on the ground, his head between his knees, silently sobbing, then his head raised and he gasped in a deep breath and wailed as loudly as he could again, until the breath was spent and exhausted with grief.

They sat to either side of him and laid hands on him, but nothing took him away from that moment he was in. Moon and Piney could see the pain written clearly on his face, the tears pouring in rivers of salty anguish down his cheeks. He just sat and wailed, until his voice grew hoarse and ragged, then laid his arms on his knees and laid his head on them, his sobbing weakening, as he drained himself of any and all energy he had recently built up.

"JT, I'm so sorry, brother. I didn't know you were there, man. I didn't want you to find out like that, I didn't. I was asking Moon to help me find a way to tell you, so it didn't end up like this. Awww, man, I am so sorry."

Moon's soft voice spoke next and he accompanied it with a soft stroking of JT's hair.

"It is true, John. We were sitting here asking the spirits to find a way for us to break this news to you."

JT fought against the turmoil in his body and mind and asked them what happened. Piney knew that onus landed on him to explain and began, telling everything he knew had happened. He tried to tone it down and soften it, in any way he could, but the truth was the truth, no matter how much he tried to sweeten it. The final part of telling him they had to identify his body, had him shiver, knowing the reality of death was coming to him.

JT's sobs seemed to end suddenly and a different attitude seemed to be taking him over. He raised his head and one thing the both of them saw on JT's face, was rage, one that was growing with each breath he took.

"I know who it was, that killed Jake."

The pair were stunned by his announcement, knowing that even the police had no suspects yet. Piney looked at JT and watched him turn his face to him, the rage glaring out of his eyes.

"Fucking Clive Brock, that's who."

"How do you know it was him, JT? What makes you say that?"

JT's voice was pure malice in its tone, as he explained.

"Only one person would want to see Jake and Marlene dead and it's him. Gus told us they had a run in before and ended up in jail and Marlene told me Jake would never leave her, no matter what Clive threatened him with."

Piney understood JT's logic, knew in his heart, that he was more than likely right in his assumption, but he was still stunned at how he had put it together so fast, when everyone else was still reeling in shock about it.

"How do you know, JT? What makes you say it was him?"

"I know Moon, I just do. It's weird, but I feel like Jake just told me himself. I could hear his voice in my head telling me, it was him."

At first, Piney was going to pass it off as frivolous thoughts and realized how much power he'd seen first hand, when it came to what he'd seen already. He thought more on that and realized Jake's spirit could very well have come to him and told him. He looked about the scenery, the splendour of its beauty a backdrop to what lay unseen about them. He challenged his own beliefs and gave him the benefit of the doubt and accepted his explanation.

"Jake told you it was him, JT?"

JT's face had lost the sadness in it and was replaced with nothing more than vengeance, payback for the loss in his life, payback for the loss of his father figure's life.

"As clear as you talking to me now, Moon."

"Then you must tell the police and have him arrested, JT."

JT's face was set in stony determination at that point, no more weakness of sad emotions engulfing him in misery.

"Take me back, Piney. I need to deal with this."

Piney was unsure what JT meant, by dealing with it, but it was better than what he thought this was going to turn out like.

"Sure, JT. Go get your clothes on and you can ride with me on my bike."

JT needed nothing else to be said to him and he got up, wiping the grasses away, that had stuck to the bare flesh of his ass. He strode with absolute purpose towards the house and Moon and Piney followed after him. JT went in and up the stairs to where his clothes were and got dressed. He never even looked around for Suzy to tell her he was leaving, as he came back out smoking a cigarette and was anxious for Piney to get started.

"JT, be careful, my friend. We will be down in a day to be with you, to lay your mother to rest. Our thoughts are always with you and we pray for your spirit to be healed."

JT knew Moon had done all he and everyone could for him at that point and hugged him, letting him know how grateful he was for all they'd done. He asked Moon to keep Suzy there, until they came down the following day. Moon knew without being asked, that JT wanted him to break the news to Suzy, sparing him that onus in having to do it himself. He hugged Moon closely, letting him know how much he valued their relationship as friends, then looked at Piney and told him to start it up.

The deafening rumble obliterated the peacefulness, birds and small animals taking flight from the scene. Piney readied himself and JT sat on the small bumper seat behind him. He put it in gear and the pair moved off down the lane to the road, no heads turning back to look, or hands waved to say goodbye, as the engine roared louder, Piney twisting the throttle and gearing up, as the came to the road. Moon listened to the sound fade away, wondering what fate was going to bring to his friends.

JT put his hands on his knees and leaned into Piney, moving with him in synchronized balance through every corner. Even though Piney was going as fast as he could, JT felt the urge to go faster still. It seemed no amount of haste, could get him where he wanted to be, fast enough. The beautiful panorama was wasted on them, only the strip of blacktop between the lines was all that mattered. Every straightaway stretch was met with faster speeds, slowing only enough for corners and bends.

Once out of the country, traffic picked up and soon, Piney was waiting for the right moment to pass the car in front and get ahead. Car after car was pulled past, by them, riding the yellow line, even if a car was coming the other way. Horns blared at them and curses yelled from windows, but nothing phased the two from doing what they had to do.

For all that the focused destination was Charming, once they hit the city limits, Piney's dread became more pronounced, as JT's vengeance-fuelled rage could be felt behind him, getting stronger with each mile they closed in on it. They reached the final stretch of road and drove it with purpose, coming up to the motel, now seen in the distance.

The sound was heard inside by the group and it had them all getting up and going outside, knowing Piney was back. It surprised them all completely, seeing JT on the back, but their worry grew more and more, as they took stock of the look on his face. There was a look of certain death in it, for the one he was thinking of. Piney pulled up to them and stopped, everyone unsure of how to even approach JT at this point. He got off and looked at them all, their faces full of uncertainty in them, combined with the fear and sadness they felt. He couldn't think of anything to say to them, anything that would ease their minds, while his was reeling with blood lust.

JT walked away and up to the office, where an officer was still stationed outside. He went to the cruiser and the cop came out to see him. JT didn't recognize him straight off, but it dawned on him that he was familiar. Their eyes met and the cop said hello.

"Hi John, guess you don't remember me. From Charming High, we were in the same classes together."

JT was stunned by the announcement at first, making him break his train of thought and threw him off of it. He looked at him closer and remembered back that far in his mind, the memory coming to him. Kevin Needham wasn't someone he knew very well, but he was a decent enough guy.

"Kevin, Kevin Needham, right?"

"Yup. Officer Needham, now. How are you, John? Terrible thing that's happened."

JT hesitantly shook his hand and stood looking at the office door.

"Yeah, totally shitty thing that happened. The guy that got murdered was close to me, like a father, you know? I just talked to him hours ago and he was going to do everything he could to help me and now some fucker shot him. You know anything? Any idea who the guy was? How's Marlene, is she going to make it?"

Needham looked at JT and saw the turmoil in him, wanting to know whatever he could about it and make some sense of it.

"We have a description of the guy and the car and we have an APB out to the county and the state, on him. I can't say anything more than that, I'm afraid. Mrs. Brock is in surgery, from the last report I got and she's hanging on by a thread. The doctors told us she has a thirty percent chance of making it, she's in really bad condition. Both bullets hit her lungs, so they're trying to keep the oxygen in her, while they dig the slugs out and sew her up. It'll be a miracle if she makes it, that's all I was told about that end of things. Sorry it's not better news. Do you have any idea who it might be, that did this?"

JT tried not to let on about his suspicions and diverted any attention to himself away, by lying.

"No, I was out in Calaveras, when it happened. Look, my mom just died Kevin. This morning and I was out there, after I had talked to Jake, trying to deal with it, when Piney came and told me."