Blacktop Wasteland(61)

“That boy was like a broke icebox. Couldn’t keep shit. Fellas like that ain’t good for nothing except target practice,” Lazy said.

Beauregard didn’t look down at Quan’s body or at Ronnie’s prone form on the floor. He stared at a spot on the wall behind the desk.

“Pick him up, will you?” Lazy said. Carl grabbed Ronnie and sat him in the chair again. Lazy scooted his chair forward until the legs were pressed against Quan’s thighs.

“Here’s the thing, boys. You owe me. So, you gonna get this done. Cuz if you don’t, I’ll kill everyone you love. I’ll do it front of you and I’ll do it slow. Maybe I’ll have Burning Man light ’em up. Maybe I’ll have the boys beat ’em to death with hammers. It don’t really matter how, just know they gonna end up dead. And you’ll join them. I promise you that. My word is my bond,” Lazy said. He got up and put his hands on his knees. He locked eyes with Bug then turned his attention to Ronnie then back to Bug.

“I can see the hate in your eyes, boys. That’s fine. Hate me all you want. If you wracking your brains for a way to get at me, let that shit go. If God couldn’t kill me when I was born, you two ain’t gonna do it now. You try anything funny and I’ll make you choose which one of your loved ones get they throat cut first,” he whispered. He stepped back and clapped Billy on the shoulder.

“Burning Man here is gonna give you the info on the route and the day and time. You gonna get a throwaway phone with one number on it. When it’s done, and I mean as soon as it’s done, you call that number. Other than that, I think we finished here,” Lazy said.

“Get up,” Billy said. Beauregard and Ronnie rose. Jim Bob pushed them toward the door.

“Get to walking, Rock and Roll,” Billy said.

Ronnie blinked. His eyes began to water but at last he began to walk. Beauregard looked over his shoulder at Lazy then followed Ronnie out the door.



* * *



When they were gone, Wilbert and the kid got a tarp from behind the crates and wrapped up Quan’s body. Carl helped them. After they had the body wrapped up, Wilbert turned to the kid. “Go get the van.”

The kid jogged out the front door. Wilbert started gathering the rolls of cash. Carl moved the three chairs back to the corner near the crates.

“We could take that truck,” Carl said.

“Yeah, we could, but then Shade would know we got a man on the inside. Let them boys try and get it. He sees a mixed-race crew he won’t put it on us. He thinks all we are is a bunch of backwoods racist rednecks,” Lazy said.

“Ain’t we?” Carl said.

Lazy smiled. “That’s beside the point.”

The kid came back into the store. He and Wilbert carried Quan’s body out to the van. Lazy crossed his legs. Carl leaned against the wall. He knew Lazy was about to pontificate.

“That truck gonna have more than a thousand pounds of platinum coils on it. We killing a bunch of birds with one stone. We keep our man on the inside. We put a dent in Shade’s pocket. We gonna get back triple what them boys pinched. And when they bring us the truck, I’m gonna let Burning Man turn them into fucking candles,” Lazy said.

“You always got a plan, don’t you,” Carl said.

Lazy smoothed his vest with his wide hands. “It’s like my Daddy used to say. While they picking apples, I’m planting seeds.”





TWENTY-TWO



The car dropped them off just off the exit.

“Here’s the phone and the time and the route. You got a week,” Billy said. He handed Ronnie a flip phone and a scrap of paper through the window. Jim Bob spun his tires as he pulled away. Gravel flew up and nearly hit them. It was late. Beauregard checked his watch. Nearly five in the morning. The sky was still dark, but sunrise was just around the corner.

“Bug, I didn’t know,” Ronnie said. Beauregard started walking. Ronnie trotted behind him. “I swear I didn’t fucking know. How could I? Bug, what are we gonna do?”

He caught up with Beauregard and put his hand on his shoulder. Beauregard spun around and clamped both hands on Ronnie’s throat. He dragged him off the shoulder of the road and down into a ditch bed. Ronnie grabbed at Beauregard’s arms. He might as well have been trying to bend steel with his bare hands. Beauregard’s biceps stood out in sharp relief under the sleeves of his shirt. He put his full weight on top of Ronnie as he squeezed the life out of him. Ronnie tried to scratch at his eyes, but Beauregard’s arms were too long.

“You … need … me…,” Ronnie squealed. It came out in a garbled mishmash, but Beauregard caught it. Ronnie’s eyes began to flutter in their sockets. Beauregard let him go and fell back against the ditch bank. Ronnie propped himself up on his left elbow. Rubbing his throat with his right hand, he coughed up a wad of phlegm and spit it on the ground. “It’s just you and me, Bug. We need each other if we gonna get out of this.”

“Shut up. Just shut your mouth and listen for a minute. You know he ain’t gonna let us go, right? Even if we pull it off, he’s gonna kill us anyway. Just like he killed Quan. Just like he killed Jenny. Just like he killed that lady that was the manager. You heard what he said about the cops. He cleaning this shit up. The only reason we still alive now is because he wants that truck. And he’s scared of that guy he was talking about. That’s our ace in the hole. The truck and his fear,” Beauregard said.