Gaia's Champion

Jason woke to the sunlight streaming through his apartment window and blinked against the bright light. He smiled, knowing that today was going to be a good day! Having found out Brad's secret and exposing him, had dusted the bastard in a way that he would never recover! He still shivered at the thought of what both he and his dad had gotten away with for all those years.

He also felt a pang of sympathy for Luke, who had found out the real reason behind the breakup with his high school sweetheart. The poor guy must have been going through a brand new form of hell, now that he knew why she'd left. Jason sighed and hoped that Luke old wounds could now heal, with the son of a bitch now on his way to becoming Bubba's little bitch.

Jason couldn't help but snicker at that last thought, thinking it was fitting that Brad finally wound up behind bars. How he'd eluded everyone and fooled them into thinking he was the golden boy, Jason would never know. At least he was now going to a place he belonged, where he would quickly find himself at the bottom of the food chain. One thing Jason did know about prisons, was that such places either hardened you, or they broke you.

Shaking away the grim thoughts, he stood up and walked over to his bathroom, setting himself up for a shower. The hour was early, but Jason was fine with it, as he wanted to go and see Joe and Henry earlier than usual today. He had a feeling that they would want to talk to him before the workday started, so he made his shower a quick one.

After toweling off and moving along to his work attire, Jason walked out of his apartment, thinking he'd buy his breakfast and lunch today. He sprinted to the nearest Timmies and picked up a breakfast bagel, some Timbits and a coffee. Once he had his food, Jason raced to the nearest bus stop before sitting down to eat.

As he waited for the early bus to arrive, Jason noted that Latina he'd seen a few days ago. She had noticed him, and her eyes widened in excitement when she saw him. Unconsciously, she licked her lips and walked over to the stop to stand right next to him, inside the hutch. Reaching into his Gaian senses, Jason took in the feelings that the girl was going through and he almost choked on his food.

Taking a beat to clear his airway, Jason focused on the sensations he gleaned from the girl. She obviously found him attractive, turning to face him once or twice, like she wanted to say something. She hesitated and turned back, looking for the bus, but giving Jason smoldering looks out of the corner of her eyes.

Jason could sense that she hadn't been laid in some time, but he could also tell that this woman had been hurt recently. He warred with indecision for a few moments before settling on talking to this girl. His Gaian senses also told him that this woman wasn't very social and could use a friend. He smiled and broke the ice, speaking first.

"A nice turn of weather we're having, isn't it?" he asked her.

"It is actually. It almost reminds me of home some days," she replied with a faint accent.

"Oh? Where is home for you?" he wondered.

"Zihuatanejo, Mexico," she replied shyly.

"Really? I hear it's beautiful there!" Jason stated, wondering what it was like there right now.

"It does have its charm, but there are days where being here are just as nice," she stated. Jason would have asked further questions, but the bus arrived just then, ready to transport them to their jobs.

"Let's chat some more on the way to work?" she asked. Jason smiled, and they both clambered aboard the gargantuan transport. The two of them started talking, each one learning more about the other. Jason could tell that this girl was really into him. Not just from his Gaian senses, but also from the way she was fawning over him. He could tell that she REALLY wanted to get to know him better, in every sense of the term.

"I really would like that, but I am kind of seeing someone at the moment," he told her.

"Oh?" she said. "Are you close to this someone then?" she wondered, her guard going right up.

"In a sense, but I could tell that you were looking kind of lost and could use a friend to talk to. I know it sounds weird and I may sound like a bit of creeper, but that's the truth of it. If you want slap me upside the head and call me all kinds of names, I get it," he told her honestly. She then studied him, almost clinically, trying to determine if any lies had been told. Unlike other guys, the woman could sense that he was being truthful about all of this.

"This... someone you are seeing, you don't keep secrets from them?" she wondered, gauging his reaction.

"Nope. Honesty is a big factor in any relationship. If you can't be honest, in any relationship, then what you have is one big lie," he told her, sensing that she wasn't as perturbed by his admission.

"Would I get to meet her?" she wondered; her curiosity piqued.

"If you wanted to. It's entirely up to you. I wouldn't expect you to answer me now, as that would be rude of me. We've just met, and I don't even know your name," he told her. That won him a small smile, and she replied to him.

"Rosa. My name is Rosa."

"Rosa. A lovely name. My name is Jason. Jason Bjornsson," he responded.

"Bjornsson? Like the son of Bjorn Ironside?" she giggled.

"That is how the legend of my last name goes, I suppose. My dad tried telling me about it when I was younger, but I never was good at listening to him as a kid," Jason admitted with a chuckle. "Might have to ask him to tell me the story again."

"Please do! It would be really cool to know that my new friend is a descendant of Bjorn Ironside!" she gushed.

"A big fan of Vikings, are you?"

"And a major history buff! You know that Bjorn Ironside was a real man and a king?" Rosa asked him.

"I had my suspicions, but never really did my research," Jason admitted, thinking on the matter. Maybe his Viking heritage had something to with him being selected as a Druid? He'd have to talk with Mina further about this. They would have continued talking more, but Jason saw his stop approaching.

"I'm afraid this is where I have to get off," he told Rosa.

"Well, we live in the same neighbourhood, so I guess I might see you around?" she asked.

"Very likely. Unless you want to exchange numbers?" he asked. Rosa nodded, and they traded phones, inputting each other's numbers into the phones. Once they had them, she smiled and bid him a good day as he got off the bus. He could sense from her that the farewell was genuine and that she looked forward to seeing him again. Smiling, Jason headed away from the bus and down to the worksite.

He trotted along, happy to see that both Joe and Henry were here this early. He walked on up to their trailer and knocked, hoping that they'd answer him. Henry was the one who answered and was surprised, but happily so, to see him there.

"Jason! What brings you here this early?" Henry wondered.

"I saw what had happened all over the news and thought I should come by to check on how you guys were doing! Brad and his dad, doing sick shit? I mean, I knew that Brad was a piece of shit, but from what I saw all over the news, he took the term 'depraved' to a whole new level!" Jason told him, being careful about his choice of words. The agreement from Ms. Van DerBrandt was that Joe and Henry were to know nothing of his involvement, of which Jason could not have agreed more.

"You're telling me! It's good that you stopped by! We will need you today, badly! Come on inside and I'll tell you what's going on," Henry implored him. Not one to argue with an employer who'd been good to him, Jason went with him. He took the seat offered by the man and faced Joe, who had a grim look on his face.

"We're caught in a bit of a tough spot, Jason. Brad was the only other one running our crews, after we'd sent you on... administrative leave. We just wanted to let you know that we had no choice but to send you home yesterday. But now, considering what Brad and his father, Dustin, has been involved in, we could not keep him employed here. We can only hope that this doesn't blow back on us and none of the girls here were ever accosted by that..." Joe let the term hang in the air, at a loss for words.

"Go ahead and say it, Joe. I won't tell anyone," Jason promised.

"That boy was a serious and absolute piece of shit! He didn't deserve the job he held, or the bonuses we gave him! He's not even worthy of being called a human being!" Henry ranted.

"That is something we could not agree on more, brother," Joe nodded. "Not only has he been let go, but it seems that most of his crew might have been in cahoots with him with that shit!"

"What do you mean?"

"It turns out, that more than half the crew under him, are persons of interest to the police. They told us they needed the names and address of everyone else under him and how to contact them. More than half of these guys called in, citing that they were sick, before we could ask more. Given how close Brad was with some of them, we can only assume the worst," Joe told him.

"Damn! So, what will happen to the rest of those under him, who didn't call in sick?" Jason wondered.

"They're all being reassigned to your crew until we can make some new hires to replace our losses. Not sure if anyone will want to sign on with us, in light of this shit! I can only hope that we can keep on to the end of the year," Joe lamented.

"I might be able to help with that. I know of a few guys who are looking for some extra work and could use the experience. Maybe I can make a few calls and see what they say?" Jason offered. He knew that Joe and Henry were good men and were put in a horrific position by Brad. If he could help them save their business, he would.

"If you could do that, that would be a blessing! Anything you could do to help us out would be greatly appreciated!" Henry told him.

"So, does that mean I'm off suspension?" Jason asked.

"You are off suspension immediately, and to receive a pay raise! If you can help us out with more people to sign on with us, that would more than justify you getting it!" Joe told him.

"All right then! There's no point in calling them now, as they're probably out job hunting or whatnot. I'll call them at the end of the day and see if they'll play ball," Jason told his employers.

"Thank you, Jason! Let's get some breakfast! On us! It's the least we can do!" Joe offered. Not one to turn away the offer of free food, Jason left their office with them and they took their truck down to the Denny's that was just around the corner. They walked in and were seated fairly quickly, as there were few people in the diner at that hour.

Jason ordered himself a Grand Slam breakfast, since he hadn't eaten yet. He was also certain that he'd be busy today, so he'd need his strength. Joe and Henry also put their orders in before they got down to business.

"So, how many people from Brad's crew are coming in from what you've guessed?" Jason wondered.

"Grand total, three. From what we have put together, these three were the only ones who weren't part of Brad inner circle of friends," Joe told him.

"Three?? That's not a lot of people!" Jason griped.

"From what we've seen of how they work, you should find them amenable to you directing and leading them," Henry responded.

"Well, let's hope that they don't mind hard work," Jason stated.

Maybe a minute later, their food arrived, and the three men dug into their breakfasts. Though it was getting close to starting time, they all took the time to enjoy their food as they ate. As promised, Joe and Henry picked up the bill and left a generous tip for their waitress, before leaving to head back.

As they rolled on up to the job site, they saw that some of the crew had already started arriving. Jason's crew was all there, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed. Except maybe Terry, as the burly Scotsman looked like he could have used a few more hours of shuteye. Jason was certain that his lack of sleep could be traced to both Wendy and Karen, who both looked more than chipper his morning.

"Ok, everyone gather around. We have some things that need to be discussed and I don't want anyone missing anything," Joe started, waving his arms to bring everyone in. Jason's crew moved close, as had three other landscapers that Jason didn't recognize. He assumed that they were the remnants of Brad's crew. He quieted his thoughts as things began.

"All right everyone, we have some news about what's going on today. From now on, until we say otherwise, everyone here will integrate into one crew, under Jason here," Henry announced to the assembled landscapers. This news was greeted by a round of enthusiastic applause, as everyone there liked Jason.

"Because of what happened yesterday, a lot of the crew haven't reported in. Because of the seriousness of the charges that are being laid against Brad, we can only assume that those who didn't call in, were somehow involved," their boss went on. This was met with shock, as some of the women there wore looks of disgust at this news.

"Due to the sudden shortage of workers, I'm afraid that everything that the second crew was responsible for, now falls to the rest of you. But don't be too fussed about it, as I have faith that you will all manage the workload just fine," Joe said hopefully.

"Challenge accepted," Jason told them with a smile on his face. His whole crew looked up at him like he was nuts, but Jason never shirked from a challenge. They shrugged and thought if Jason would give it a go, then they should as well. He hadn't let them down yet, and he wouldn't.

"All right, Jason, Russ, Kade, Dani, stay put. Everyone else, get everything started up. We have a big day ahead of us," Joe finished.

With that, Jason's crew dispersed while Joe introduced him to his new crew members. There was Kade, short for Arkadiusz, who was a swarthy Ukrainian man with blond hair and green eyes. He stood at maybe five-foot-eight and his frame was larger than Jason's, with a fair bit of muscle on him. Jason knew that this guy was a hard worker just by looking at him.

Then there was Russell, a lanky East Indian man, who stood at six-foot-three and had obviously adapted to a Canadian lifestyle. He had the dusky skin and black hair associated with most of his race, combined with a short beard and brown eyes. The look he had about him was one of both mischief and trustworthiness, which was an odd combination.

Then there was Danika, who was introduced as Russ' second cousin. She was the same height as Kade, though much thinner, but solidly built. She looked like she was maybe one-hundred and seventy pounds, but most of it was muscle, as her physique was almost bodybuilder level. Despite her thick stature, she had curves that made her features all the more alluring.

She had high cheekbones, a slight beak of a nose, almond-shaped eyes that were dark brown. Her face was finished with an angular jaw and a sharp and pointed chin, framed by her ink black hair. Though her rack might have been implants, they were small, which didn't stand out too much on her muscled body. Her hips though, were properly shaped and were perfectly round.

Jason had reached out to each one of them with his Gaian senses when speaking to them and could sense nothing wrong with them. He sensed no malevolence from any of them, and he smiled at this. He knew that they wouldn't be a problem for him or his crew.

"Well, now that we're acquainted, I'll have you all know that I run a tight, but fair crew. There will be no lollygagging, and if there's one thing I do, it's lead by example," he told the newcomers.

"That's a relief. I welcome having a boss who pulls his weight just like the rest of us. Brad was one of those kinds who just delegated shit and stood there watching us work," Russ told him, his tenor voice carrying no accent.

"Well, I'm not Brad. If you want proof of that, then gather your things and let's get started. We have a lot of work do," Jason told them.

"Let's see what you got, bossman," Danika's dulcet tone carrying the weight of a challenge.

"Like I just told Joe and Henry, Challenge accepted."

******************************

Luke arrived in his van not long after their shift started, arriving maybe a quarter hour before eight. He was early, but he liked to be early when showing up for an interview. It showed both discipline and initiative, which were qualities that most employers valued. He killed the engine and sat there for a minute, thinking over what had happened in the past twenty-four hours.

Old wounds that had long stayed closed were now open again. He finally learned why Dominique did what she did and after thinking on it a while, he knew that was why she ran away. It angered him that she couldn't bring herself to tell him, but she always had a difficult time asking for help. Even though it had been years since he'd gotten over her leaving like that, it still hurt.

Luke thought about what might happen if he ever saw her again. But that wasn't likely, as he'd done a full on grid search for her afterwards. He'd done successive searches for several years after, but they always came up empty. Wherever she was, she'd been smart about staying off the grid. A couple of years ago, he just gave up and moved on, not wanting to stick himself in the mire of the past.

Taking a deep breath, Luke took his keys in hand, got out of his van and walked up to the trailer. Smelling the fresh morning dew on the air gave the man a sense of peace. Putting away that piece of shit who had made his life hell in more ways than one, it was one hell of a good start.

Sure, Brad and Dustin would have to face due process, just like everyone else, but the evidence was stacked too high against them. There was no way they'd wriggle out of this. They were going away to dark and unfriendly place, each with their own three-hundred-pound fiancé named Bubba. He smiled vengefully as he knew that those men would be getting their just desserts.

Luke sighed, feeling that this day would be a good one, as he stepped up to the door and knocked. The door opened and he once again was face to face with Karla Dressler, who was surprised to see him there. Her surprise quickly gave way to a smile which lit up her beautiful face.

"Ah! Mr. Barton! Here early I see!" she stated happily.

"I always like to be early, no matter who I'm meeting. And please, Mr. Barton is my dad. Call me Luke, Ms. Dressler," he told the woman.

"In that case... Luke, you may call me Karla. Please, come inside!" she said, stepping aside, inviting him in.

Luke brushed past her, and he could feel his loins tighten. It had been a while since he'd been this close to a woman. Despite how he felt from earlier, Karla's lush form was having an effect on him he did not expect. He could see that her ample chest was heaving slightly, and he smiled as he saw that she was just as affected as he was. Closing the door, she walked to him and asked him a question, which she had to repeat.

"Would you care for some coffee?" she asked him with a sweet smile.

"Yes please! I think my brain needs an extra jolt this morning," he said, feigning tiredness. She nodded and walked over to where a large and expensive coffeemaker stood. Karla puttered around, making three coffees total: one for Luke, one for her and one for her aunt.

"How do you take your coffee?" she asked.

"Black, four sugars, please," Luke replied, as he took his eyes off her sculpted ass to speak to her directly. He blushed as he knew he'd been caught looking, but Karla just smiled wider and went back to setting up their drinks. She finished them up and walked over, a coffee in each hand, setting Luke's down in front of him.

Karla sipped her drink and wondered how she was going to break the ice with this man. Sure, he was a geek from his clothing and his demeanor, but something about him sparked her attraction to him. She couldn't place it but knew that she was going to explore it. Karla looked back to where she had left Carlotta's coffee and shook her head, wondering why her aunt liked it cool.