The Hitman's Last Job(45)

“Shit!” the bus driver could be heard shouting from his seat.


The four passengers watched as he jumped down onto the road and inspected the smoke rising from under the hood. He looked outraged at the incident and they could hear him complaining as he looked into the engine.

After a while he pulled out his cell phone and the passengers watched as he paced anxiously up and down the side of the bus while shouting at whoever was on the other end. After a few excruciating and confusing minutes he eventually came back on the bus and addressed the passengers.

“Sorry guys. Looks like this ole mule ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon,” and he huffed and crossed his arms angrily.
“But where are we?” Carl leaned forward and looked out the window again.
“On the edge of Corpus Christi,” sighed the driver as he took his hat off and wiped his bald head.
“But now what?” the skater kid at the front of the bus was angry.
“Yeah they gonna send another bus or what?” the older guy was incensed.
“Calm down guys,” the driver raised his hands as if he was surrendering. “Another bus is on the way as soon as they find someone to drive it. Then they’ll be taking you guys back to San Antonio where they’ll compensate you,”
“But we don’t wanna go back to San Antonio! That’s stupid!” Anna stood up enraged.
“Yeah we’re not going back! Can’t the new bus just take us where we’re going?” the skater kid stood up next.
“Look all I know is what the guy said on the phone and he said you’re all being picked up and taken back home,”
“This is f*ckin’ stupid,” the skater kid lost his temper and stormed off the bus.


Then the older guy took his turn. “Fuck this. I’ll just hitch the rest of the way,”

Carl looked over to Anna who was bright red with anger. “And what do you wanna do?” he asked.

“I’m sure as hell not going back. Anyway can we just keep moving somehow?” she suggested.


But the driver interjected. “There’s a hotel not too far from here. You could always head there and make a trip of it,” he put the idea out there to placate the situation.

“Aaw f*ck. We’ve really gotta be over the border like today,” Carl cupped his face in his hands and leaned forward onto his lap.
“That bad eh?” the driver approached the couple cautiously and sat a couple seats in front of them.


Anna nodded to show the severity of the situation.

“Family emergency?” he asked.
“Yeah…..” Carl fumed. “It’s a family emergency,”
“Damn, I’m so sorry,” the driver sighed. “If there was a way I could pay for you to travel I would happily oblige. Just hate seeing people in trouble,” he looked to the floor genuinely upset.
“I guess we could jump out now and start walking. Just hail a cab to the next station?”
“Seems like a plan to me,” Carl looked up to her and nodded.
“Well I guess it’s a goodbye from me then,” and the driver waved farewell as they jumped down onto the street.


Yet again the couple found themselves walking aimlessly in the middle of nowhere.

“This is just….. Shit. I have no other words I really don’t,” Carl fumed. “I’m just tired of all this,”
“You think God’s testing us?” Anna asked him as she jogged to catch up with his long, angry strides.
“You think there’s a God?” he replied dryly.
“I’m not even sure anymore,” Anna looked to her sneakers as she pounded her blistered feet on the sidewalk.


They walked in silence for a few minutes until a little row of shops came into view. Carl spotted a grotty looking bar and nodded to it.

“Fancy a drink?” he asked.
“Shouldn’t we be trying to hail a cab?” Anna protested.
“Come on, live a little,” Carl smiled.
“Ok fine. But don’t get in trouble for giving booze to a minor,”
“Ah shut up. When I was your age I could drink any old timer under the table,” and he pushed open the door.


Anna had never seen a dive bar in real-life before and the first thing that hit her was the smell. Stale tobacco and watered down beer mixed with cheap aftershave.

“Urgh…. God,” she felt the need to cover her mouth.
“Just relax,” Carl laughed at her. “It’s cool. What you havin?”
“I dunno,” she shrugged. “Same as you I guess,”
“Good luck,” he grinned cheekily as he approached the gnarly looking barman.


He looked up from the glass he was cleaning as if he had been interrupted from an important job.

“Two double scotch and sodas,” Carl asked and the barman nodded without saying a word.


He slid two glasses down the bar as the couple climbed onto stools that sat between the local patrons.

Anna leaned into Carl’s side. “This place is scary,” she gripped his arm.

“And everything we left behind wasn’t?” he asked sarcastically.
“I guess,” she shrunk back and wrapped her fingers around her glass.


But as she got settled into her surroundings she noticed that all the guys along the length of the bar were staring at her. Some gawped at her chest while others tried to flirt and make eye contact. She shivered as she was reminded of her father in every one of their faces.