Jem…Chapter 58
Chapter 58
It was one twenty six when the plane landed in at Lester B. Pearson and two men got off the plane and made their way to the rental car stand and were soon on their way north by north west towards Harper’s Point.
They didn’t say much but drove hard and fast one twenty to one forty the entire way. The older of the two was familiar with the roads and highways here being Ontario born and bred.
They stopped for gas a few times and again once they got into the large town pulling into the 24/7 gas bar and convenience store closest to the highway and the larger malls and such for the town.
The younger of the two had walked down the street and had bought their coffee from Tim Horton’s rather than the likely burnt coffee in the service station. He passed the older one his coffee then leaned on the side of the car and slowly ate a sour cream doughnut with the glaze on it. The older man smoked two cigarettes and took out a cell phone and he autodialed.
It rang a few minutes before a sleepy but wary voice asked. “Yeah…”
“Dane Roberts?”
“No…why do you want Dane for?”
“Club business.”
“Club business?”
“Huey gave me this number.”
The man that had been woken up slowly sat up. Huey was the chapter second. The sort of moral compass for the chapter and the handler of the day to day things of the club. The fact that this was club business was a really serious thing.
The chapters were like member clubs that made up the organization. The fact that this guy was using Huey’s name meant this was legit.
Dane sat up and wiped sleep from his eyes. “Okay it is Dane.”
“I knew that, we’re up at the gas station by the Howard Johnson’s get up here.”
He got up and quickly woke his friend and the jumped in the Monte Carlo and headed up to meet the guys that were sent here on club business.
He was nervous and not as he pulled in and the car was a rental and one guy in his thirties had long blonde hair to his shoulders and was in full patch. (Biker jacket with the club patches and gang ranks.) He looked again recognizing the man “Wild Bill.” He was sort of one of the sergeant at arms for The Choice. (Satan’s Choice.) It’s the biggest Biker gang in Ontario and most of Canada even having made a deal with the Hells Angels club to patch over their people in Canada to The Choice and Choice members patched over to Angels south of the border to keep the peace and to be a bigger family with the increase of other gangs.
“Wild Bill.” Was a legacy with family in clubs all over the place. And he didn’t look happy.
He walked over and offered his hand and they shook and so did his younger friend in his twenties. Short cut blonde hair and ice blue eyes that stared into you.
“Bill.”
“Dane.”
“Can I ask why you’re here?”
“You guys are down here looking for payback.”
“Yeah but it’s personal.”
“Not anymore.”
“How so?”
“You got word the Ruston kid was here from Adam Marshal right?”
“How’d you know?”
“Huey said you got word from a rich puss, the people that told me the rest are family.”
“Family?”
The ice man with him quietly said. “Blood.”
Dane frowned not good. “Look Bill, we got the right for payback.”
“Not saying you don’t but it’s just the way that it is. Mike Rushton’s nephewed in.”
“That’s not fair.”
“And If I can give you a piece of the kid?”
“Not gonna happen, he’s pissed off marshal and the little fucker is psycho.”
“I’ll take care of him.”
“Marshal said that he’ll fuck with our families. Mess with jobs and parole and all sorts of connected shit. I figure I might be able to blackmail him into a truce with some footage I’m got.”
“I’ll need that.”
“You don’t get it the kid’s a psycho.”
“No, you don’t get it this was me asking.”
“Okay, shit…okay…”
He reached in his jacket and he passed Bill the other two video cameras. “We get a piece of Mike?”
“Yeah…I’ll make it happen…but it’ll be a clean fight, and win or lose it’s over.”
“And if he really gets hurt?”
“Then he really get’s hurt but it’s over.”
“What if he get’s killed.”
“No…no killing you two kill him then I kill you.”
Dane hated the way the ice man with Bill was looking at him. It was just unnerving…that and this guy wasn’t patched but here on club business? He didn’t like that at all.
“Okay…we’ll lay off you handle marshal then tell us where and when we’re to show up to get some.”
“I have your number.”
They left pealing out of there pretty fast and drove for awhile. He looked at his companion. “We’re right in the middle of this shit and…dammit!” Dane punched the dash of the car. “How the hell did that little bastard get nephewed in!?”
His friend’s frown turned into a scowl. “My brother’s doing twelve because of that shit. It’s not fucking fair that we just kick his ass and leave him be. There should be blood.”
“Oh there’ll be blood, only it won’t be us doing it.”
“No?”
“No, we’ll get those two dumbfucks to do it.” Dane smiled. “And even if they don’t get the job done…we can finish the job when we get a piece. Bill can’t go back on his word.”
“And Marshal?”
“Bill’s problem now…he gave his word it’d be fixed and he’s gotta keep it one way or another. I’ll bet that blue eyed bastard with him is a hitter.”
“Yeah…dude wasn’t a biker but he wasn’t clean either.”
“No…and I’m glad to be out of there.”
*** (Later that morning.)
Bill and his companion pulled into Cedar Springs country club and golf resort and gave the keys to the bewildered valet. The young man knew that he should say something to these guys as they looked more like bikers than club members. But he kept his mouth shut until they were well passed him and them he called security.
The pair strode into the restaurant and scanned the place and walked calmly towards a table where an older man in his seventies and another man in his forties or fifties were having drinks this early.
Security came pretty quickly until the man in his fifties waved them off bewildered. He rose and took his drink and went outside through the patio doors gesturing for Bill and his friend to come with him. A man joined then once outside in a simple grey set of dress pants and a polo shirt and a blazer.
He stared at the blonde with the icy eyes and got a cold calm stare back.
Bill walked over to the older man and he lit a cigarette.
“There’s no smoking here young man.”
“Don’t really care, You’re Marshal senior?”
“One of, I’m the one that you want to talk to though.”
“Fine, your namesake he’s done. He reached out over a kid in his school that wasn’t taking his bullshit. I take it you know who I’m talking about?”
“Yes, young Michael Rushton.”
“Yes and that’s a problem.”
“I don’t see how, he’s a cops kid and he involved himself in an undercover investigation that led to several members of your organization going to prison. I warrant he’s getting what he deserves.”
“I won’t argue payback’s due. That’s not while I’m here.”
“Oh?”
“Oh indeed Adam.”
The escort man in grey says. “That’s Mr. Marshal to you.”
The icy eyed on steps in front of the grey clothed bodyguard.
Stares into his eye again and takes a sip of his Tim Horton’s coffee.
Adam Sr. coughs. The body guard backs down and steps back out of the way.
Icy eye’s takes another sip of his coffee. No words, no sneer just…ice…and sip…
Bill looked at Adam Sr. “Your boy broke the rules.”
“Oh what rules?”
“He threatened to use your families influence to make the lives of my club members and their families a living hell.”
“Oh, and if he did?”
“It’ll be dealt with young man.” The eldest Marshal was outside now still strong for a man of his years. “It’ll be dealt with and it won’t happen again I give you my word on that.”
“Fine by me.” Bill took out the video cameras and passed them to the younger Marshal who looked calm but unhappy with the sudden shift in things. Bill ignored him and walked over to the elder Marshal.
“We have an understanding young man, my grandson leaves the club alone and we won’t have an issue.”
“That’s right; it’s what I’m here for.”
“Good enjoy your day.”
Bill nodded to his friend who left with him and they walked across the manicured lawns to the front of the building and the valet rather than go around and Bill tipped the scared young man a fifty and looked over at the two police cars that were there waiting across the street from the club.
He drove right up to one of the police cars and powered down the window. The local cop did the same. “You know what I am?”
“Maybe.”
“Call Marshal and ask…I don’t want to see any of your asses near me or this ride. I see your dirty bacon ass and there will be problems.”
“Y..You threatening me?”
“Yes…you’re a fucking dirty cop and a coward too. If you were any kind of real cop then you’d already have been inside giving me a hard time. Instead you’ve got two cars and six guys counting the two that you have in hiding to jump us if you got the word to.”
“I’m the police chief!”
“You’re a gutless fucking wonder; I’m not here long so just stay the fuck out of my way.”
Icy eyes leaned ahead in his seat sipping still at his coffee and stared at the local chief…then a slight smile…them he winked. He tapped Bill with his arm. “Done?”
“Are we?”
“Yy..Yes..”
“Good.’ Bill pulled out fast and headed downtown and found a place to park in the back of a lot and waited to see if they were tailed.
Billy looked over at Davey. “I really hate these fucking red necked towns. I grew up in a place like this with the cops sucking dick to the local money….”
Davey tossed his empty cup into the closest garbage can. “Well looks like you scared the crap out of the pigs at least.”
“Y’know if they came in and been in my grill about us being there like any cop not on the take would’ve done then I wouldn’t have an issue. But they were more afraid of getting the marshal family’s noses out of joint they just… Like I said the same thing where I grew up. It’s why I joined the club, we might be a lot of things but we do get our own justice.”
Davey looked at Billy. “What now?”
“We give John’s cousin a call and meet him and talk to the Mountie and his kid.”
“Oh this’ll be lovely.”
*** (Back at the country club.)
Adam Marshal the 2nd looked to his father and passed the video recorders to Simon. “Can I ask why the hell you just caved into that cretin?”
His father lit a cigar and walked over to one of the outdoor tables and lowered himself in properly. He did a slow savoring french inhale of the cohiba then nodded.
Adam cried out in sudden pain as Simon drilled a strong martial punch to his kidneys. He dropped to a knee and was gasping. The oldest Marshal leaned forward exhaling smoke. “Are you done questioning my authority? Or do you still need to be reminded of just who holds the reins of power in this family?”
He didn’t actually wait for an answer as Simon calmly belted him hard in the temple making him wobble on his knee.
Everyone saw…and nobody saw all at the same time…it was like he was suddenly invisible and didn’t matter…it filled him with enough rage at being treated like this by his father and ignore that he refocused and stayed upright.
He spat out some bloody saliva…and took a sip of his scotch…even hit twice he hadn’t spilt his drink…funny the little coping mechanisms one develops to survive. He savored the hurt of alcohol on bleeding gums. “No sir, I was just curious.”
“Well then I’ll enlighten you. We have a deal with various organisations, it’s a fact of life if we want product to move without mishap on the roads then there are some organisations that we all pay taxes to.”
“That’s protection money.”
“Yes and its money well spent because we do get protection and consideration. It’s exactly the same relationship that we have with the people that help us do what we do.”
“But we’re the Marshals? You’re telling me that we don’t have some way to drive home to these people that point?”
“Go to war; make their lives miserable and the lives of those around them?”
“Yes if we have to.”
“No, one they have more money than we do. Two they play by different rules son we pull a mortgage they blow us up in our cars.”
“We hire people, muscle.”
“All the good muscle knows not to get involved in this. We cannot get law enforcement to do it either because they would be snooping too close. It’s the way of things boy, if not them then someone else and they have numbers…and are very good at going off the grid. We use the grid as our weapon. It’d be a war that they would win in the end with a sniper rifle.”
“So we take it and what this character has done to my son?”
“We’re not. You son did right by telling them where to find them. They would have owed us if he hadn’t gone and tried to dominate an animal bigger than he has any clue of. You’ll educate him about all of this?”
“Yes sir, I should have known about these things sooner.”
“I’m not dead yet son and while I’m still breathing the secrets in this family stay with me and those I choose to divulge them to.”
“I should know.”
“Yes and you siblings think it should be them too.”
The elder Marshal got to his feet. “Educate the boy, and do it tonight I want no misunderstandings you hear me. And send him to me when you’re done.”
He inhaled his cigar and walked back into the country club and like magic the sounds of society and life restarted like Adam Marshal the first waved his hand and the kind recommended life to resume.
Adam the second stared at the lawn and then his glass of scotch and then drained it and threw the crystal glass to the bricks and rose to his feet willing himself to be steady through sheer anger.
His father had all the knowledge in his head and wasn’t willing to share it or let him have access to the family archives.
Otherwise he’d have been dead a long time ago.
He needed to talk to his son…someone had to pay for what he just went through. This was his fault…he’d make sure the beating, that the lesson stuck. He left stalking off to the parking lot and yelled at the valet to get his car ready.
*** And now Jem…
It was a really good night with the food and getting things done and how the girls were all happy and I had a really great nap too.
I had headed to bed and the girls were doing some more things online with our fans but I was sleepy and had been drifting and nodding off on camera in front of everybody.
I missed the guys leaving but I didn’t miss the kinda sorta pout that Brooklyn had when Mitch took Mike with them.
And I took my cue from that and went to bed in my own bed before and without Rayne.
No she didn’t do anything but I think it’s best if we still take things slowly. I really am sort of scared about being in this relationship. There’s feelings coming out that I really never thought that I’d face and so much of that is scary stuff.
Does everyone who’s facing the choice to transition go through this much doubt?
I still fall asleep pretty easy though. I have made a choice to face all of this stuff head on with choosing to be Angel.
It’s after nine when I get up and the girls are actually still up first and I have some raisin bread toast with my carrot cake styled cream cheese icing spread on it and a cup of coffee out on the front steps as the girls jam and play a bit getting into practice.
I still like my morning Zen time. It’s nicer still with a freshly mowed lawn and a newly painted house. It just feels like we accomplished so much really even though it was just a few little things.
I head in and I pick up the phone when it rings. “Hello?”
“Morning Pumpkin you and the girls are still coming over?”
“Yeah Daddy sure do I need to pick something up?”
“No but we’ll be having two guests joining us if that’s okay. Their friends of your cousin Jenna.”
“Sure Daddy I can do that. I can’t wait to meet them.”
Comments
The time's they are a changing...
Some interesting pieces of the puzzle were shaken out this chapter and it is increasingly becoming about much more than Adam. The whole Marshall family is now engaged and given the culture of physical violence in the family Adam is going to be looking to take the beating he's going to get out on someone. Now the bikers are involved in a serious way and Brook's family are worryingly coming back into it. That's without even the whole Jem v Summer thing!
Come what may, I think Mike's time as undercover cop was coming to an end anyway what with talk of settling down in Harper's Point. He also needs to have a shot at a normal childhood or as much of one as he has left. If he can nail the Marshall's it would be a heck of a way to retire though. The gladiatorial combat afterwards to settle scores sounds rather ominous though...
It looks like Adam isn't the only psycho in the family though. The apple didn't fall that far from the tree, which in a weird way is a relief. A family that unstable is only held together by patriarchal force which means if you can get to the senior Marshall through junior Marshall, the whole family could come falling down. The worry is how much blood would have to be spilled to do that and free Harper's Point from the grasp of the Marshall's.
When all of this goes down, I can't help but want the girls out of town because otherwise I really do worry for their safety.
Another enjoyably icky chapter. :-)
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
You wrote down my thoughts
You wrote down my thoughts again :D The whole situation just got way more complicated, now that the marshall father and patriarch are involved. What seems strange that they're somewhat willing to escalate the situation. I'd actually expected that the old man would just end the conflict, but no, apparently it will become even more dangerous.
If Mike is lucky and they escalate it too far. Police from outside will become involved and the bikers as well as the marshalls will be taken out.
Bailey, thank you for writing this captivating story,
*hugs*
Beyogi
The Grandfather didn't push for things to escalate at all.
He corrected his son as to why they don't mess with the bikers. He did however drop hints that the two bikers contacted by his grandson should get payback.
Adam the second doesn't see why they should play ball with the bikers at all or at least they should try to find a way to teach them who's really in charge.
But both do believe that Mike should pay for even considering to mess with them though in different ways.
*Big Hugs*
Bailey.
Bailey Summers
A most complete analysis I do say
Sadly even if the Marshalls fall, there has to be a way to prevent some other KOTH (King of the Hill) wannabe stepping in.
Hmmm so Marshall Senior knows all the skeletons then. This however becomes the main vulnerability of organizations of wolves like these is that they can only keep power by terror really and to do so, has to keep knowledge away from ambitious underlings.
Consequently, the only difference in my analysis is that I do not believe we need to get to Senior through Junior. That means if the Senior Marshall can be tracked and the real knowledge of how his organization works is stolen from him AND he dies of a untimely heart attack, let's say, then Marshall the second will be left severely weakened to say the least, if not fatally and the Marshall family crumbles.
Obviously in a normal cooperating, loving family the knowledge to run a family business can't get lost because it is shared but here, we have the classic single point of vulnerability. Losing all that knowledge may help slow down any potential KOTH wannabe (including Junior) from being able to just waltz in and take over. Getting rid of the piss crook cops should slow it down even further.
The only problem I see at this point is that at this point, how much money do the Clubs get from Marshall business and if it is only worth their while to contain the Marshalls and not get rid of them?
Kim
KOTH is exactly what Adam Marshal the 1rst was...
trying to tell his son. Even if they had a pissing contest/war with the bikers there'd be someone there soon after to take their place. With fingers in as many things as they have the Marshals make good smugglers for various people when needed. A lot of people really also don't see how much hijacking happens and theft and other crimes that have to deal with just the shipping alone. Give a little and get a little it's symbiotic.
Adam the seconds willingness to be ruthless to their enemies is good but shortsighted. And he'll have to teach lessons in not getting caught on video to his grandson and teach him some humility and respect to his elders and how the family works.
*Big Hugs*
Bailey.
Bailey Summers
The Marshal Family is a dangerous one even to themselves.
The who bunch of them have been raised in this dog eat dog but fear the leader of the pack way of thinking. They all have had generations of them growing and sometimes breaking away to try to build their own little empires to sometimes take a run at the head of the family, sometimes even toppling who was in charge. Add in every dirty trick in the book and that's the Marshal family.
The youngest Adam is like distilled Marshal over several generations. Add in his legacy name and he's got even more ego going.
It's going to get...
Well that'll come.
*Great Big Hugs*
Bailey.
Bailey Summers
You make decipherability look easy
read a lot,
and almost any other
story I've seen that attempts
this many twists and turns just evolves
into a tangled, indecipherable mess. But you,
you're truly a master at this. Your characters are
such living breathing individuals, keeping this
straight in my mind is a breeze. And a
very enjoyable breeze at that!
Jem's a real treasure
Bailey, a true
diamond.
Wow!
.
.
The girl in me. She's always there, exercising
her ability to see order in the the chaos.
Again I must Trumpet the bonuses of Roleplaying!
Long term games, generational characters binders of NPC's and all of that is excellent prep for twisty story plot writing.
I'm really glad you're enjoying this Lora and the diamond looked like a lot of work:)
I really appreciate it:)
*Huge Hugs*
Bailey.
Bailey Summers
No true black and white here
Begs to question what kind of past Jem's father has. I get the distinct impression Jem's father has called in the nuclear option to protect his family that he really did not want to go to.
The gangs are not clean people clearly as I get the distinct impression they provide protection for stuff like drugs and what not and even the Marshalls know it doesn't pay to poke an even bigger bear.
So to summarize, it is two very big organizations, each with not overly clean hands, as far as the law abiding society at large is concerned, each run by their own brand of 'honor' who are now at odds with each other over an honor thing. It is almost like we just stepped into a parallel version of the Godfather.
Kim
It was sort of a last option kind of thing for Remy.
But with the attacks on Mike started and things with Jason and he's definitely though of what'd happen if she ever got found out.
*Great Big Hugs*
Bailey.
Bailey Summers
Dane and his buddy
think it won't get back to Wild Bill then they are dumber than I thought.
Adam is just stupid enough to think he can take his dad (he may be smart in some areas but has serious tunnel vision), you have a hornets nest stirring now.
great chapter, thanks
The Marshells-
-Make the Ewings from Dallas look like the Waltons. Like as been said the apple didn't fall far from that tree with Adam. No wonder he's nuts with a toxic family like this!
I also have to agree that Dane is being very foolish. Wild Bill isn't anyone's fool. When someone that far up the feeding chain of a club speaks you listen. Dane and his friend just might find themselves going up against Mike with a handicap. Wild Bill isn't going to Frack around with things this serious.
Adumb isn't going to react well to this. He's unstable and the Old Man just might figure the family is better off without him. I just can't see him just taking the punishment I see coming. He's going to take it out on someone else. If it turns out to be the girls, he's dead. You don't mess with Daddy's little girls.
Just wow Bailey!
So complex and yet so full of everything that's life.
hugs
Grover
Wow!
So let me get this straight, your setting everyone bad up to fall, all at the same time? and you let a straight fight settle the bad blood situation? you have a truly twisted devious mind that is a delight to ponder what you share in your writings.Thank you Bailey
Draflow
Dynasty
(OK Ben, stop humming the theme - or the Dallas theme, for that matter!)
So The Marshalls are a dynasty - like son, like father, like grandfather. They also evidently have no originality whatsoever when it comes to naming their sons (I suppose in the absence of heritary titles / peerages...) :) So now Adam III is going to get beaten up by his dad (Adam II) before being sent to granddad (Adam I) for further "education".
(Aside: I wonder how much his family knows about his "harem" - the girls bound up in his credit card scam. That might possibly be low even by Marshall Dynasty standards...)
Meanwhile it appears as though they're also knee deep at the receiving end of a protection racket (which I suppose is logical since it provides a means for members of the Marshall dynasty to stop resistance)...
...and conveniently, Wild Bill happens to be friends with Angel's cousins and has invited himself around to meet Jeremy/Angel (plus no doubt passing along a heads-up for Mike to be prepared for the showdown with Brook's brothers).
The plot thickens :)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
feeling doubt
"Does everyone who’s facing the choice to transition go through this much doubt?"
Can't speak for 'everyone' but I sure do.
nice chapter. I'm not sure I totally understand what the bikers are doing. Are they going to go after Adam, Mike, or both?
A turning point
I sorta feel sorry for Adam! NOT!! Things are going to resolve soon I feel!!
Pamela
Wow! Bailey
This is some real action I'm looking forward to.
I have a feeling Adam the Third's ego will destroy the dynasty. He has this belief that he is so much smarter than his seniors and I see the end in sight.
Mike may have to endure some pain, but I bet the other side don't have any idea of whom they are taking on!
Your 'ice' man, Bill's mate Davey, is there for a reason yet to be explored.
Meanwhile back at home, Angel and the girls, unaware of the dark clouds forming will give us some great tunes and songs, possibly biased towards a justice theme?
Excellent Bailey, what a great story!
Big Hugs.
Hope Jenna is going well?
Age is an issue of mind over matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!
(Mark Twain)
LoL
Rita
Hmms it's ironic old man
Hmms it's ironic old man Marshall has all the knowledge and is keeping it so his descendants can't kill him, take him out and a lot of this would collapse, I doubt it'd finish the Marshall's but it would probably open the gate for the wolves to start circling.
Big hugs
Lizzie :)
Bailey's Angel
The Godmother :p