Among the Oil Derricks: Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

 “A body was found in floating down the Pecos river this morning, the police have not been able to identify…”

“Curse you, Johansson, curse you!” Asdis muttered furiously flipping off the TV. “Wefel?” she paged.

“Yes, Doctor?”

“Contact Scott Elem for me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

A few minutes later the phone rang. “Hello?” Asdis answered expectantly.

“Asdis, it’s me, Elem,” a rough voice cave over the phone.

“Elem, I want you to find some boys to - um - give Hayden Ares some hospitality.”

“What about Johansson?”

“I’ll invite him to my house.”

“I’ll get my boys to contact him immediately.”

“No! I don’t want a lot of attention.”

“Oh, I see.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“Good, I expect to know how the dinner went over the news report tomorrow.”

“It will be a pleasant supper!”

“I am sure it will be. I hate to miss it, but I am busy.”

“One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“The payment?”

“This is a measly meal, you can afford a favor.”

“No, I can’t.” Elem replied cooly.

“Very well,” Asdis replied in exasperation, “One grand.”

“Nonsense, five.”

“Half a million? That’s ridiculous! You know I am on a limb bargaining over the phone!”

“Four,” the man replied evenly.

“One fifty.”

“Three fifty.”

Asdis hissed through her teeth, “Two.”

“Three fifty.”

“Two…”

“Three fifty or I’ll hang up right now.”

“Three fifty. The usual account.” Asdis agreed with a sigh. She knew she was trying to rip him off and he was too smart for that. It annoyed her, but she couldn’t help but a respect a talented criminal mind like herself.

*Click* She knew that she would soon have what she wanted. Three fifty grand was a small price to pay for such short notice. She had no idea where in the world Elem was or how quick he’d have to act to find the boys to the job. He couldn’t use his usual crew. She was actually asking for much, once she thought about the details of the job. At least she knew he wouldn’t fail.

“Hades, where have you been?”

“Trailing the kid, what do you think?”

“Did you hear the news?” Hades shook his head. “About the murder?”

“Was that you?” Hades asked hotly.

“It was one of Asdis’ men. They’ve been trailing us.”

 “Asdis has it in for you now,” Hades shook his head.

“You think I don’t know that?” Seth hissed, “And the police will be on the trail, too!”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Hades answered languidly, “Asdis won’t want you to get arrested because of the damage it might do to her. She’ll kill you first.”

“I know she will!” Seth nearly shouted.

“Why couldn’t you have taken care of him quietly? At least have thought of a better place to hide the body,” condemned Hades.

“So you think you could have done better?” challenged Seth, “Do you think you would have done better?”

“I did do better. I caught two of her men shadowing me earlier. Both have found their way to their graves just fine.”

“Is that what’s up with your face?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“No, it just looks like someone mistook it for a baseball with a bat.”

“Shut up, I didn’t use my gun so the bullet can’t be tracked, unlike yours, and their bodies haven’t been found, unlike your man.”

“What did you do with them?”

“One I hid in fresh cement and the other I dumped into a ravine.”

Seth stared at him. Fresh cement? He wondered what it would be like in twenty, thirty, maybe more years when the cement is dug up and a body is found. It was slightly amusing and slightly horrifying to him. “Two? And you managed them alone?”

“What did I say, leave the violence to me,” Hades didn’t mention that his entire torso and back were rainbow colors and sore as anything. “Anyway, what are we going to do?”

“Watch our backs, we’re almost done.”

“Getting the kid, but what about harvesting?”

“We can wait a few years,” Seth suggested.

“A few years!” Hades yelped, starting from his chair he had been laying in, “I’ve waited almost five!”

“She’ll be after you, too, you know?”

Hades grumbled something under his breath.

“I’m going to set some of my guys on to her,” Seth mouthed. Hades looked at him oddly then understood.

“I’ll check,” he mouthed back. He spent the rest of the evening searching through the apartment for bugs and cameras. If he couldn’t find them, they weren’t there and they weren’t.

“By the way,” Hades mentioned cautiously as Seth prepared for bed, “I’m going to be gone early this morning.”

“How early? Where?”

“Around three. I don’t know how long. I’ll probably be back before you’re up. If you hear the door, don’t come running out waving a loaded gun, okay? I’ll have one with me when you do.”

“Fine,” Seth closed his bedroom door as Hades closed his.

It was just before dawn and a tan truck sat pulled off the road. There weren’t many people driving down that road at that time. Two people sat inside. One in the driver’s seat and the other in the passenger seat. It was Selena and Hades. Selena had snuck out of the hotel room and met Hades around three that morning.

They chatted it up about nearly anything, alluding very little to Seth and Hades’ job. Hades had his arm over Selena’s shoulder, but that was all she would allow, saying that she didn’t like to move forward in relationships too fast. “Besides, if I give you everything,” she laughed, “before making you like me, then you’ll be done before I have a chance to show you how much you need me, because you do.” Hades did not protest.

“So, are you taking me to meet your boss today?” Selena asked as the sun crept up, her chair pushed down and her high heel shoed feet resting on the dashboard.

“I don’t have a boss,” replied Hades moodily.

“That’s a relief,” answered the young woman carelessly.

“Sure, I’ll take you to meet my partner today, but later.”

“Whatever you want, but I’ll be going in a few days if not,” informed Selena.

Hades glanced at her curiously then said cautiously, “What do you mean if not?”

Selena laughed awkwardly, “Well… uh… I don’t know.” Her eyes darted around the truck anxiously.

“I think I see what you mean,” saved Hades, “if Seth blows his top and I can’t calm him down, you’ll go back to your family. If he gives the A-ok, you’ll stay with me.”

“That about sums up what I know of it,” confirmed Selena.

“Then I think I’ll introduce you tomorrow,” Hades told her uncomfortably. His mind went over Seth’s possible reaction. If he couldn’t convince his partner she was a good idea, she’d be heading back to wherever she lived in the US with her family and Seth would have be furious with him. That was not a comfortable thought. Loyalty only went among criminals so far. Even the best of friends had to watch their backs for a dagger.

There was a moment of silence when Selena happened to glance out the window down the road. “Uhh… Hades!” she murmured anxiously.

Hades looked. Barreling down on them was a van with at least two obviously armed men inside. He muttered a four letter word before saying, “It’s Asdis’ people!”

“Who?” Selena sat up before immediately dropping back down. The van had squealed broad side off the road and a shot was fired out. Selena threw her arms over her face as she flipped over to protect herself from the shards of glass that flew around the cab of the truck mini-seconds later. Hades shoved open his door which was on the far side from the attacking van and crawled out. Selena scampered over the middle table and climbed out, ducking behind the tire and slamming the door shut.

Hades was crouching behind the open back door and pulling something out. Selena glanced up just in time to see him pull out a fully automatic AK-47. Slamming the back door shut, he crawled around Selena, cocked his gun, and, setting it on the hood of the truck, shot several rounds before ducking back. This time, Selena had her own semi-automatic glock out and cocked.

Suddenly, both she and Hades became aware that the van was driving again. It was driving straight towards them.”What are they thinking,” Selena cried rolling to the edge of the front of the truck. Hades was right behind her.

“If we jump out fast enough… hurry, this side,” he pulled her to the other side of the truck, “they won’t expect us from this end. When I say go, we jump, raise your gun and shoot.” Selena nodded. “Go!” The two jumped out of the way just as the van barreled into the truck pushing it. The van’s glass shattered. Selena’s eyes scanned the area. Where were the drivers? Hades lifted his AK-47 and shot two times. Her eyes darted to where he had shot. One then another bloody body fell to the ground. “Played right into her hands,” Hades shook his head and muttered.

“What?”

“Asdis only hires professionals,” Hades warned, “These fools are obviously not. The only experience they’ve ever had is from action movies. Asdis set them up for something she knew I could handle.”

“Why?”

“Because an anonymous tip is going to float into the police station as soon as they investigate telling them about a tourist who might just be the one they are looking for,” Hades snapped irritably, “This is bad. Look, you’re in on this now, and the fact is, you can’t get out.”

“What exactly are you saying?” Selena looked him sassily in the eye.

“I’m saying it will be in your best interest to be willing to work with us. The good news now is that that Seth can’t say no unless he wants another murder.”

“Hmm… well, I didn’t want to go anywhere anyway.”

Hades smiled at her while saying, “I’m calling Seth.”

“Seth? This is Hades. Where are you?... Perfect, come out and get us, will you?... It’s not like I’ve not put myself in a risky position for you plenty of times, you get out here or else!” If he had been using a flip phone he would have slammed it shut, but as it was, he could only furiously press the ‘end-call’ button. Not nearly as satisfying. “Seth is coming. Here, let’s get into this field so nobody who stops can see us.”

He and Selena climbed through the barbed fence. Selena tore her skinny jeans, but they were already artificially torn, so it didn’t look much different. Her shirt though she’d be getting rid of as soon as she was home. Hades couldn’t have cared less about his clothes and if they were torn or not. He wore blue jeans and a basic grey T-shirt. Selena could tell Hades was worried someone would arrive and report the accident before Seth arrived, but thankfully Seth arrived first.

He was not very happy and glared as they approached. “Who’s that?” he nodded towards Selena.

“My girlfriend and our new confederate. Drive on,” Hades climbed in front seat and Selena climbed in the back.

“Your what?” Seth hissed pulling back onto the road.

“I said it once I won’t say it again,” Hades replied.

“Look, girl, what’s your name?” Seth looked back at Selena through the rearview mirror.

“Selena,” she replied.

“You don’t want this guy, he’s way older than you and he’s done things a kid like you can’t imagine. Why don’t you go back to your family or whoever before it’s too late,” Seth pleaded in a fatherly voice so far from his heart Hades nearly vomited. Instead, he crossed his arms angrily.

“That’s alright, I think I know what I am getting myself into,” Selena shook her head, “I think it’s wonderfully thrilling and I also think you’ll find me a more helpful confederate than you can imagine. I am eighteen, but you’d be surprised about what I know. For instance, your illegal AK-47 was bought on the black market in New York two years ago. It cost you a bit, ‘cause there were only forty in that shipment and plenty of demand for them.”

Hades started, “How’d you know that?”

“My boyfriend helped receive the shipment.”

“See, Hades, she’s taken.”

“No, I broke up with him three months later. He was a stupid jerk and when I say stupid, I mean he was unintelligent. I had no patience for it,” told Selena.

“You won’t get much better from this guy,” Seth grumbled. Hades barely restrained himself from a violent reaction.

“I think I will,” replied Selena coyly.

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” Seth muttered.

“It’s too late, Seth, she knows too much anyway,” Hades interrupted. Seth glanced back at Selena and observed her until Hades exclaimed about a curve in the road.

“Fine, you’re in,” Seth gave a sharp nod returning his attention to his driving.

“You mean it?” Hades asked warily.

“I do,” was the resolved answer. Hades knew Seth’s voice when he didn’t really mean what he said, but he seemed very honest right here. He knew Seth wouldn’t risk killing her while he was on her side. Selena smiled in relief. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath.

“Hades! Hades!” a furious voice shouted several hours later from the living room of the apartment. Hades stumbled out of bed he felt like he had just climbed into and wandered into the room, groggy eyed. “Listen to this!” As it was, there was nothing to listen to because the anchor had just finished the report and was moving on to others topics. “The crash is all over the news! The police are trying to identify the victims! How much longer do you suppose until Asdis give her anonymous tip?”

“She won’t do it right away,” Hades replied in a morning voice.

“Thank goodness for that,” snapped Seth, “We have to move fast!”

“We can stick to the plan and bring him in tonight,” Hades said, “but we’ll have to grab him this time. No more psycho stuff.”

“Fine!” Seth relented. He was too prideful to admit that that had been a foolish attempt made for his scholarly curiosity.