7

Jax Is Really Alive

"

Chapter 49 Recap Hale takes over the crime scene shutting down traffic in both directions and tries to minimize the number of people who see Nero dead and nailed to the Welcome to Charming sign.

It's Mrs. Hale's birthday and Tara and Hale visit her in the cemetery. She was killed by a drunk driver who had been stopped at a sobriety check point and allowed to go despite being drunk. That changed Hale from mellow pot dealer to law and order Hale.

That evening, Jax tells Tara he, JC and Opie are going to the party Chibs is throwing for the new clubhouse. Tara fears that Jax will get sucked back into the MC.

"

Chapter 50 Lyla and Ima

"

Jax spent Thursday looking at traffic cam footage and trying to find some clue as to who took the boys. It was a waste of time. They had made no progress. Jax wasn't used to sitting all day and getting nothing done.

He would have preferred to do this MC style and gone out and talked to people—just ask around. Maybe that would turn up some kind of clue.

The inaction was driving him crazy. They needed some kind of break, some piece of information they could follow up on. He believed that they would be able to trace Abel through all the video footage and find who had him.

Why the hell wasn't the kidnapper making demands? This reminded him of Abel's kidnapping when he had had to wait to find out the price for getting him back. He was willing to pay whatever kind of ransom the kidnapper demanded as long as he got Thomas back.

He didn't think Tara could live through losing Thomas. Later of course he would hunt down the people who took Thomas and kill them. You have to punish the behavior or it will be repeated. That's one thing the MC got right.

Tara was anxious and it wasn't just worry over Thomas. She was worried that he would suddenly rediscover his love for SAMCRO and want to rejoin the MC. He told her that she was being ridiculous that that would never happen, but he could see the concern in her eyes.

Jax was more concerned about JC getting caught up in SAMCRO again. He'd spent a lot of time helping rebuild the clubhouse and he seemed to enjoy being around the guys again. He wanted the best for JC and he didn't think that meant returning to the SAMCRO life.

Opie didn't seem to have any regrets that he wasn't part of the MC anymore. Donna must have finally gotten through to him about the evils of the MC or getting beat to death for the MC and specifically for Tig's recklessness trying to kill Laroy and mistakenly killing Veronica Pope had soured him on MC life.

At the end, Jax saw SAMCRO too clearly, but he'd still been unable to bring it down. He loved his brothers too much. Now, he wanted to look at SAMCRO and find the truth. Was the MC a cancer that needed removed or could it be saved somehow? How could that be done?

It was easier to think about the MC because he felt like he could make some progress when he thought about it. He could think about Thomas and not get anywhere. All he knew was that he was somewhere nearby, but that didn't narrow the area enough for a search.

He turned on the TV and flipped through the news channels. The hunt for Jax Teller wasn't on the news much. A brief twenty second update and that was it. No mention was made of the search for the kidnapped boys. Hale said that they weren't looking for the kids because they think he took them.

The news about Nero's death was the big story. Hale's press conference went smoothly. He provided carefully worded information. He didn't want Charming's residents to panic at the violence. This wasn't supposed to happen in this perfect little town.

Jax thought Chibs would cancel the party for the clubhouse, but JC checked and was told the party was still on. Maybe Chibs was going to use the party to reassure residents they could still rely on SAMCRO to take care of the town.

Tara insisted on going to the party. Ryland had pitched in to help via phone and told her that he didn't have enough security to protect her and as Lorna's daughter, she couldn't put herself at risk. Jax was surprised that she accepted Ryland's ban. He wondered if he could be on call for future arguments with Tara.

He kissed her on the cheek and promised her that he would be careful and he would not rejoin the MC. Opie looked at Tara and promised he'd keep Jax in line.

"I'm so glad you're here," Tara said to Opie.

"I'm glad to be here now," Opie said. "It took me awhile to get here. I've put Donna through hell."

"You and Jax have the great fortune of having wonderful women in your lives who are so kind and understanding."

"Yeah, we do," Jax said chuckling.

"Just don't get killed or hurt," she said.

"I'll text you when we're on the way back. I hope that somewhere, somehow we'll get some info on Thomas."

"I think you need to go back to the MC and close that door in your mind. I'm OK with that. There's nothing to be done to find Thomas. We've reached a dead end. Maybe you'll get lucky and get some information."

Jax would never forget the worried look on Tara's face as he and Opie left. JC was going to meet them outside the TM gates.

They had a new black SUV loaded with alien tech to drive to the party. Louise had made sure that the SUV and their phones were secure.

Jax and Opie didn't bring guns with them. The SUV had weapons, but Jax thought Chibs would search the people at the party. He couldn't afford for there to be a shootout at the clubhouse party. JC was waiting for them when they got there.

"I'm a little nervous," JC confessed.

"We don't have to stay long. I just hope we get some kind of lead on Thomas."

It felt strange to be going through those gates without his cut. Jax was really on the outside now. They walked through the gates and back into the past. Memories flooded back of all the times he'd spent at TM talking, laughing, chasing girls and talking about bikes. So many really great memories.

The teenage good times he'd had with Tara drinking beer on Friday nights, boxing and watching the guys box. Playing jokes and talking shit. Back then, they had been a brotherhood until Clay destroyed the club with greed and gun running.

The only way an MC works is if it stays an MC. SAMCRO was a criminal enterprise like the Mafia. Hale had been right all along that the MC was bad for Charming. His respect for Hale seemed to increase with each day.

There were two guys from the San Bernardino chapter that searched everyone for weapons. There were few women. Jax didn't see any of them get searched which was bad procedure. Women carried weapons in for their men all the time.

Chibs looked like he'd aged ten years. The strain and pressure of being SAMCRO's president was wearing him down before Jax's eyes. Tig was so drunk a crow-eater had to help him stand upright. The other guys must be inside the clubhouse.

Lyla and Ima were there dressed in short skimpy dresses handing bottles of beer out from two huge ice chests to guests. That was another potential problem. Beer bottles are weapons. Also use canned beer at this type of party.

When Lyla saw Jax and Opie, the color drained from her face.

"Ope?" she whispered.

"I get that all the time," Opie said easily. "JC told me I look like some guy named Opie and this guy here," Opie said playfully punching Jax in the arm "looks like Jax Teller."

"Yeah, it's been a nightmare," Jax said. "I get stopped by the cops a lot."

"You don't look much like Jax," Lyla said.

Ima must not have agreed because the second she saw Jax, she left her cooler/beer post and went straight to him.

"My name's Ima. I'm a porn star. Have you seen my work?"

Jax flashed her the Jax Teller panty dropper grin.

"Oh, yeah," he said sliding an arm around her waist. "I'm a big fan. I'd like to get to know your work in greater depth."

Opie caught Jax's eye, but Jax winked at him and he relaxed. Jax's interest in Ima was purely for information.

"I know a little place where we can . . . talk," she said licking her lips and moving Jax's hand from her waist to her ass.

She led him through the crowded outdoor area toward the back gate area. Suddenly a man appeared.

"Get lost whore."

Ima's eyes narrowed.

"Who the fuck are you calling a whore, you dick faced mother fucker?"

The man showed her a gun.

Ima left. She didn't have to be told twice when firearms were involved.

"Who are you?" Jax asked.

"You don't really give a shit about that. What you want to know is where your son is right?"

"Yeah."

"Follow me."

Jax didn't hesitate to follow the guy. He unlocked a side door and led him out to the street. A van pulled up and the doors were flung open.

"Where are we going?"

"To find your boys."

Jax climbed into the van just as he remembered where he'd seen this guy and one of the other guys in the van before; these were the guys that took Nero.

"

Next: Jax finds out who took his kids and why. Finally the person behind this will be revealed.