Redwood Nine: Season 02 Ch. 04

Season 2

Ch.4 Fate Accompli

Fate was true to form and played everything out the way it wanted. The storm had passed, leaving the air clear and fresh and the day, ready to begin, but Fate had thoughts of anything it wanted, in store for it. Eyes were opened and looked at the day anew, with opened minds to see new things. JT appreciated the feelings he felt inside himself, none of the prior misery holding any ground. With the sight of the growing dawn, came the dawning of his life and what was still awaiting him to attend to.

While some still slept in Euphoria's arms, JT got up and made his way outside, standing at the end of the porch to relieve himself into the bush growing there. Birds were happily praising the passing of the storm and life was celebrated gaily by nature's creatures. JT zipped up and breathed in the air deeply, stretching his body as far as it would go. Looking around at the property, it was hard to imagine anything bad happening in such a serene setting. Life seemed perfect here, so far removed from society's reach and influence.

He tried to imagine what kind of people Golden's grandparents were, living out here alone, living off the land. He wondered how much influence they had on Golden, in being who she was today and if they were like-minded people themselves. He had to laugh at his own thoughts, as he imagined the aged couple wandering around the place naked together. Life would indeed be well lived, if he had a place like this.

Suzy came out wrapped in a blanket, with two lit cigarettes in her hand. She gave him a long kiss, then put one cigarette in his mouth and smoked the other. JT put his arm around her, as they looked at the valley brightening with the rising sun, diminishing the long cast shadows of earlier.

"I love you, Suzy."

Suzy looked up at JT smiling happily.

"I love you, JT, with all my heart and soul."

Lips were met with a stronger sense of their love for each other, as their hearts shared what they held inside. The door opened and several couples came out, looking much the same as JT and Suzy. Blankets and sheets were the easiest thing to stave off the still, cool air on the girls skin, while dry pants felt good to the guys. The needs were the same as JT's and the bush at the end of the porch, was well watered with urine. The guys checked their boots and shoes and found them still damp. With no other choice, they were pulled on and they went over to the bikes, wiping off the rain that still sat on them.

JT looked at everyone, as he primed his starter and jumped down. Nothing even sounded like a spark of life in it.

"This might take a while guys. Let's see who the lucky fucker is, that has a running bike."

One after the other, starters were jumped on hard, in hopes their bike had weathered the storm and would start. Only one bike cracked the morning silence with metallic thunder and that was Piney. Scowls were worn, as he smiled proudly at them all.

"Fucking Indians. Best bikes going."

"Fuck you, Piney, my Harley will kick your Indian's ass any day of the week."

Piney turned to Otto with a seriousness on his face.

"Let's go then, Otto. Today looks like a great day for a race. Let's do the road two miles out and turn and two miles back. Ready? On your mark, get set, go!"

Piney popped the clutch and spun the tire, shooting mud up in a spray. He braked after a few feet and stopped, turning around to Otto again.

"You gotta be on your bike to race, Otto. Oh that's right. You ride a Harley and they don't run. Sorry about your luck."

"Fuck off, Piney. I'll get my bike started and then we'll see who's laughing."

Otto primed his starter and jumped down hard and the engine coughed. Otto looked at Piney and smiled evilly, as he jumped down again it almost caught.

"Now you're fucked, Winston. Let's race."

"Ooooh, I'm scared."

The guys and girls were laughing, enjoying the friendly feud between brothers. Otto jumped down again and the engine caught for a few seconds and died. He jumped down once more, after adjusting the choke and it roared to life, Otto revving it up to clear the moisture out. Keith got off his bike after three attempts and rubbed his sore leg.

"I'm sorry boys. I can't jump anymore, the leg's buggered. Can one of ye's give it a go for me?"

"Sure, brother."

Wally came over and adjusted the choke and held the throttle wide open, as he jumped down hard on the starter. The engine coughed and sputtered, but Wally kept it going long enough, to clear out the cylinders and got it running smoothly. Wally got off the bike and held it for Keith, who came around and got on.

"That's grand of you brother, so it is. I thank you, my leg thanks you."

Laughter rang out again, then one by one, the bikes began showing signs of life. They let them run and warm up, drying out any remaining moisture, as they stood on the porch again in a group.

JT looked at the bikes as he spoke, voicing the reality everyone was still hesitant to acknowledge.

"I have to go to Dubrowski's and get things set up for mom and then I have to go to St Thomas and find out about Jake and what I'm supposed to do about him. Piney, I'd like you to come with me, but I need you to be at the shop and take care of everything there. All the customer's cars need to be picked up and all the suppliers need to be informed to stop deliveries. Call all the suppliers and let them know what's happened, if they don't already. Once I take care of all of this, I'll get to the books and square them up. Look up Arthur Lowen and call his office and tell him we'll be in tomorrow to see him."

The guys were greatly eased in their minds, that JT was back in the saddle and riding hard. He was focused and calm and that was all they needed to see. There was an expectation from them to help and JT saw it.

"Lenny, I want you and the guys to start digging up whatever we can on our friend. I want to see something more, than what we have already and know who he is."

Despite the cryptic speaking, it drew more attention and questions.

"What friend is that, Baby? Do I know him?"

"No, no one you know. Would you come with me, Suzy? I'd like to spend the day with you. I want to go and see how Marlene is doing, too. She might be strong enough to talk to us and let us know what happened."

"Yes, I'd love to, JT. I want to see Marlene too and see how she is."

All the girls and most of the guys were anxious to know how she was, as well. JT thought for a moment.

"Okay, once I'm done at Dubrowski's and I know what I'm supposed to do with Jake, I'll call the shop and everyone can come to the hospital and we can sit in the waiting room, I guess. No way we can all go in."

There was an agreement that being there, was as good as they could hope for and a hope they could at least peek in and say hi. A brighter tone was given to the somber start of the day, knowing there was still a life to celebrate and wish well in her recovery. JT took a moment to think of Jake and realized he was no longer a part of the present, now a memory of the past. Despite what part of his life he was now in, his death would always be a part of his present day, every day, until justice was served in his behalf.

"Okay, the bikes all seem to be running okay, so let's shut them down and go inside and get started. Any chance we can get a cup of coffee in us?"

"Yes you can, JT. One of things you brought was instant coffee, so we just need some boiling water and you're all set. I believe we have milk and sugar as well. Once we have the farm up and running again, we'll have eggs and fresh milk."

"Where are you getting animals from?"

"We'll sell the bus and use the money from that. Gotta be worth a couple of cows and some chickens at least. Phoenix and Star have almost finished repairing the barn, so it can hold the animals again. The girls and I have been making fences for them, from the old fence that used to be there. One thing I would greatly appreciate, if you come across any, is nails. We're getting very close to being out of them."

"Not a problem, Moon. Lenny, make that happen for them, okay?"

"Not a problem. I'll stash a couple of boxes at the back of a house and wait until dark and get them. Oswald has chilled out a bit, since stuff hasn't gone missing in a while. They won't miss them, they always over order, just so we don't run out."

"I can't say as I approve of stealing, but the gifts we are given, are always accepted with gratitude. Money has become a scarce commodity, so we reuse every nail, bent or not."

"Money isn't an issue for us, Moon. The club will be happy to gift you some money, especially since you're taking care of our women. Knowing they're safe and away from all that shit back there, worth the green, brother. How much do you need? Couple hundred do you for now?"

"Seriously, John, you have no idea how grateful we are. Our friendship has blessed us in many ways. We seem to have what you need and you have what we need. Speaking of need, those materials we said we would need at some point, is getting to that point. We need to get some added living space built, before winter arrives. As much as everyone is comfortable being together, it is not good to be cramped together, like we are. Trust me when I tell you, the joy of having any bathroom time, is a rare commodity."

Looking around at the dozen women, JT and the others knew exactly what Moon meant and chuckled.

"Understood. I promise, we'll get that material to you soon. Give us a couple of weeks to get everything back to some kind of normal and we'll get the stuff you need and hopefully, our time to help build it."

No one could argue what the two were discussing and planning, the matter of a vote wasn't in question, when it came to the situation they were all in. As much as they needed Moon and his people, they needed them and their assistance. They had a reliance on each other to survive at this point, neither able to go it alone.

JT and Moon hugged, thankful for each of their parts played, in making two dozen lives as happy as they could.

"Now, before we take off, I do believe three of you want to experience some high speed harmony. Let's do that and we'll head out afterwards."

Phoenix, Star and Moon got on the back of the bikes and the riders were off, the passengers hanging on tightly. They cruised through the winding roads between the hills, keeping things easy to get used to, taking the curves slow and not banking too steep. Once the road became straighter, the throttles were twisted open and the speed was doubled in seconds. The passengers clung on for their lives, feeling the forces trying to pull them off the backs of the bikes.

Eyes began to squint tightly against the onrushing wind, as the speed went over seventy. The last curve ahead was it and then it was a long, straight stretch for over ten miles. JT banked into the long, left hand sweeper and then twisted the throttle open wide and the exhaust spoke everything that was needed to be said. The need for speed. Triple exhaust notes blared into the open air around them, as they reached the magic speed of one hundred. JT turned his head and shouted back to Moon to feel what he was talking about.

Moon focused on the harmony of the notes, each one in tune with the other. JT held it right on one hundred miles per hour, letting Moon experience what he was feeling. The speed and the sounds all became one thing, blending into a vibration that hummed through them. Moon was understanding what JT was experiencing and understood where his freedom lay. He could feel it coming from JT, the energy of what he was feeling was strong. The road was where JT belonged, it was his place of freedom, a place where he felt at one with everything.

The long, straight stretch ended and the guys slowed down to turn around.

"Did you feel it, Moon? Did you feel how it all comes together at that speed?"

"Yes I did, John. Definitely not something I'm looking forward to doing again, but I understand it better. I felt that blending of the vibrations at a hundred and it is your point of absolute freedom, the point at which it is strongest in you."

"No argument there, Moon. I do feel freer. Maybe I'm going fast enough to leave all the bullshit behind me?

"That would be good if it was true, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, bullshit can go as fast as anything else, or the world would be moving at a hundred miles an hour, just to leave it behind."

"Fuck it. I love what I'm feeling and that's all that matters."

Moon had no reply to offer and sat still, as JT started back along the winding road to the farm. The riders pulled into the lane and stopped in front of everyone, who were waiting for their return. The passengers got off and despite their feelings of being scared, their smiles were evidence of the thrill they had.

"John, I can't thank you enough for the ride and the experience, it was most... illuminating."

"Glad you liked it, Moon. Okay, we need to get things in gear and do what we set out to accomplish today. Guys, we ride to the clubhouse and get things started and Moon, whenever you and the rest are ready, come down and wait until I call and we'll head to the hospital and hopefully see Marlene."

"Sounds good, John. It'll be a while yet, before we have a dozen women ready to go. Figure around noon and we'll be there."

JT looked at the seriousness of Moon's face, as he told them and had to laugh, as he looked about at the women and saw the state they were in. He reached out for Suzy and pulled her into a passionate kiss and embrace, to which she gladly responded to.

"Once we take care of club business, I want you by my side for the rest of the day, okay?"

"I'll be stuck like glue, Baby."

Some of the other guys expressed similar invitations, wanting to continue yesterday's developments at some point. Once goodbyes were said, the bikes were kicked to life and throttles twisted to spur them to readiness. JT took a last look at them all and the house behind them and smiled warmly. He gave a nod of his head and let the clutch out, moving towards the gate. The rest followed and the club was once again in formation and filling the air with conflicting notes of horsepower.

The fifty miles to ride, was done with haste and purpose, nothing pleasurable to what they were riding for. JT pulled to the gate to open it and found an envelope stuck in the fencing. He pulled it out and saw it was addressed to him. He looked it over and saw it was from Arthur Lowen, then tucked it in his cut and opened the gate. The guys rode in and JT closed the gate, but didn't lock it. He rode down and parked, the guys wanting to know about the envelope.

He left them in suspense, as he opened the door and turned the lights on. The bay door was opened and the guys waited for JT, as he took the letter out and opened it. He read for a minute to himself and then smiled, the more he read. He looked at the guys, looking at him with smiles, waiting to know the good news.

"Guys, listen to this. The guy that came by the other day and I was talking to, the lawyer guy, anyway, he's telling me here, that we have some money coming to us and he is releasing some of it today, so I can take care of my mom's funeral. It looks like, hang on, you have some money coming to you, as well, Lenny."

"Me? What am I getting money for?"

"Hang on, let me finish reading this part. Okay, looks like you owe Stan a huge thanks. He went to see Art and told him what happened when you were evicted. Seems Hale pulled a fast one on you and to keep it from becoming an issue, he's agreed to compensate you one thousand dollars, instead of being taken to court."

"No shit? A grand? Right on, dude. I like this Art guy already. Stan did this?"

"Yeah. I guess he felt you were getting taken for a ride by Hale and decided it was a shitty ride. Went to see Lowen and talked to him about it. Guess we'll find out what legal shit they did to get it, when we see him. Looks like a change in plans, I guess. I'm going to the shop and call him and see if we can get in to see him today. Once I know what kind of money we're looking at, I can head over to Dubrowski's and know how much I can spend on my mom."

"Moon did say Fate always liked to have a few cards up its sleeve. Guess it played a wild card for us."

"No shit, Lenny. This news couldn't be better. Fuck, this takes a load off my mind."

"I bet it does, brother. Okay, call this guy and lets get this party started. I think we need to see Pops at some point today and thank him, too."

"Yeah, we do need to see him, Piney. Alright, I'm calling now, back in a minute."

JT left and opened the shop office, sat at the desk and phoned Lowen's number. His secretary answered and JT told her who he was. Harriet Becker told him Mr. Lowen would like to see him as soon as possible, as well as the other three parties, Piney, Lenny and Clay. JT told her they would be in to see him in less than an hour and hung up. He left the office and went back to tell the guys the news and told the other three that they had to go to Lowen's office. Wally and Tom were tasked with digging up information on Clive Brock, while the others were put to work loading clips and cleaning guns.

The four left and rode out to see Lowen, while the others started on their tasks. The ride was short, only a couple of miles into town, when they pulled in the parking lot and shut down the engines. They went into the office and Mrs. Becker called in to Lowen, to say they were there. Arthur came out and greeted them, then welcomed them into his office. Once everyone was settled, he took out the file and opened it.

Arthur took out an envelope and handed it to Lenny.

"This is your settlement cheque that was mentioned. Stan told me about it and I know Jacob Hale and talked to him. Once I told him what had happened and that I was going to bring the case to court, he made sure his son paid out of pocket, or he'd be finished in the real estate business. Spend it wisely, Lenny and enjoy."

Lenny took the envelope and opened the flap and looked at the numbers and words confirming the amount and smiled broadly, as he folded it and tucked it inside his cut pocket. Arthur took out another file inside the folder and opened it.

"This is Jake's last will and testament. He came in a few weeks back and we made some changes to it. You boys certainly made an impression on him, because he left pretty well everything to you."

The guys were floored to hear what Jake had done on their behalf. They had no idea what, or how much Jake had, but just the thought that he cared about them so much, made each heart in the room a little fuller with a sense of love and respect for the man.

"Now, the biggest thing that changes, is ownership of the garage. It is Jake's request that the garage be called Teller-Morrow now. John, you'll own fifty one percent of it, making you the majority shareholder and Clarence..."

"Clay, please."

"Yes, sorry. Clay, you'll own forty nine percent. Neither of you can sell your half, without the other authorizing it, is that understood?"

"Yeah, I can understand that. But why does JT get more than me? Why isn't it fifty-fifty?"

JT wondered that himself and looked at Arthur for the answer.

"Jake, and I for that matter, felt it best to have a majority owner, for the business' sake. It has nothing to do with liking one of you more than the other."

That appeased JT's questions about it, but Clay wasn't happy with the reasoning and it showed.

"Okay, to the next item, the large Quonset building, now used as your clubhouse, will remain in the ownership of the club, known as the, Sons of Anarchy, for as long as the club remains as such and the taxes are paid on it every year. This shall last to perpetuity, meaning forever. Only the club itself, has the right to sell it, or rent it out. No one person has any rights to it."