Staring out of the large bay, upstairs window, Adrian Samuels watched as the kombi van rolled to a stop just in front of the range house before the back door of the van opened and out spilled some of his children, including a young man whom he had not seen before. Looking back at the narrow muddy road, he watched as the old red pick-up truck that seemed to have been following the kombi drove past the gate and disappeared around the corner. Looking back down again, he watched as the van was unloaded and the supplies were carried inside as Sunshine grabbed the young man's hand and led him towards the mansion.
He turned his head and looked over his shoulder at the closed door as he heard Sunshine's excited voice as she led the young man through the mansion and up the stairs, no doubt giving him a quick tour of the house before a minute later, leading their newest member of the commune back downstairs again. He smiled and shook his head as the footsteps and Sunshine's excited voice faded away. The name of Sunshine certainly fitted the young woman well, she reminded him of a ray of sunshine that could light up anyone's darkest day.
His attention turned back to the window and the two men below. He frowned as he heard the front screen door slam closed before he saw the sneer and flash of hate appear on Markus's face as Sunshine appeared from beneath the landing roof. Still leading the young man by the hand as she led him back down the stairs past Lucas and Markus, Sunshine paused just long enough to say something to the two men that he could not hear. Wrapping the young man's arm around her shoulders as she led him towards the swimming pool and the stables and fields beyond, he saw her glance back over her shoulder, smiling, at the two men.
Returning his attention back to the spot where the pickup truck had disappeared out of sight, he frowned, the local cops did not bother to pretend that they weren't cops and would coast slowly past in their marked patrol cars and the locals would make sure that they were recognized usually by screaming out obscenities and threats as they demanded the members of the commune leave and tourists never ventured this far off the public roads in fear of getting lost or stranded on the often rain soaked and boggy roads.
Hearing the door open behind him, Adrian continued to stare out of the window as Lucas and Markus entered the room.
"We've got all the supplies you wanted us to grab from town. Adrian." Lucas told the tall, robed man softly before adding. "And we picked up a hitchhiker on our way back and invited him to join us."
"I saw him." Adrian answered distractedly, unsurprised that Lucas had picked up another youngster who was looking for the type of freedom and free love that the commune offered, as he continued to stare out of the window at the spot where the unfamiliar pickup truck had disappeared out of sight.
"He's gunna be trouble!" Markus muttered angrily.
The younger man turned towards his friend and hissed, "I've already told you that if you're so worried about him, we will get someone to keep an eye on him but at the moment we have bigger trouble to worry about than a new kid that you're jealous of just because Sunshine has the hots for him!"
"What trouble?" Adrian asked, dismissing Markus's warning and ignoring Markus's angry guttural growl at Lucas's annoyed admonishment as he waited for Lucas to continue.
"Word on the street is that there are two 'Frisco cops in town askin' questions about the commune and about Linda, Angela, and some of the other girls that have left. They're askin' when the last time was anyone saw them in town and if they spoke to anyone about the commune."
"They're asking about Linda and the girls?" Adrian frowned, confused.
Lucas nodded.
"But why would they be asking about them?"
The younger man shrugged again before voicing the same suggestion he had utter to Markus downstairs, only minutes before, "Linda was a runaway, maybe some of the other girls were as well…"
Adrian shook his head, "Linda, yes, maybe some of the other girls but Angela was twenty-five."
Lucas shrugged, not sure what other reason there could be for 'Frisco cops being interested in them. The local cops, he could understand, maybe even the feds but there was no reason he could see why the 'Frisco cops would be interested. As far as he knew none of the girls who had left had even come from San Francisco.
Stroking his beard, Adrian turned back towards the window, staring out of the window in what both Markus and Lucas knew was a silent dismissal.
"What about the new guy?" Markus demanded angrily, shrugging out of Lucas's light hold on his arm as Lucas turned and began to lead him towards the door.
Spinning around, Adrian glared at the large man, "What about him?"
"I'm telling ya, he's trouble." Markus growled.
"Like Phoenix was trouble?" Adrian growled, "When you decided he was paying too much attention to Linda?"
Markus's face paled as he repeated weakly, "I'm just warning ya, Adrian, I think this kid is trouble."
"And I'm warning you, leave him alone! I don't want a repeat of what happened with Phoenix! Not with the 'Frisco cops now snooping around as well!" Adrian growled before ordering, "Now get out of here!"
"I'm going, I'm going!" Markus muttered as he turned and headed towards the door with Lucas following closely behind him as he grumbled, "But don't say I didn't warn ya!"
Ignoring Markus's grumbles, Adrian ordered, "Not you, Lucas, I want you to stay."
Lucas stopped and turned to look questioningly at his guru as Markus stomped out of the room and slammed the door hard behind him.
"Do you think that he's right, that this new kid might be trouble?" Adrian asked as he walked across to where the younger man was standing.
"No, I think he's just another kid looking for Nirvana," Lucas told the older man truthfully before adding, "Besides the kid was hitchhiking when we picked him up, there was no way he could have planned us coming along and picking him up."
Adrian nodded before he ordered softly, "I want you to keep a close eye on him."
"Why?" Lucas frowned in confusion, "You don't really believe Markus's jealous accusations, do you?"
"No, not for a minute," Adrian rushed to reassure the younger man, "But with this sudden interest in us from 'Frisco cops over the girls who have left and after what happened to Phoenix-"
"If you're worried about the cops finding Phoenix's body and linking him back to us, don't be. We weighed it down and dumped it out to sea. There's no way anyone will ever find it."
"I know, but still keep a close eye on the new kid, will you?" Adrian ordered as he wandered back to look out the window as he heard the screen door slam closed. He watched as Markus stormed down the front steps before heading towards the stables, roughly brushing against the new kid as Sunshine, still snuggled against his side, led him back towards the house as Nancy began to ring the bell for lunch. "I don't want a repeat of what happened to Phoenix, happening again, especially when we all know just how jealous Markus can get and that as free spirited and as loving as Sunshine is, she also likes to be a tease." Adrian sighed as he turned back towards Lucas, who acknowledged his order with a single, silent nod of his head.