by B. B. Hamel
“Where is it?” one of the older women called out. I ignored the dirty looks they were giving Hartley and me.
“Right here.” King pointed to a patch of ground, overgrown. “Doesn’t look like much, but everyone get off your ATVs and come on over.”
The group killed their engines and walked over. The ground next to King looked normal right up until we were on top of him. Suddenly, in the underbrush, a hole into blackness opened up.
“Wow,” the young boy said. “How deep is that?”
“Who knows,” King said. “Truthfully, it’s not all that deep.”
“Have you been down there?” I asked him.
“Once, as a boy. It’s dangerous though. These old mine shafts are liable to collapse at any second, plus who knows what kind of gasses are in there.”
“What about the newer shafts?” I asked him. “Get into those?”
He grinned at me. “Sure, but we’re not supposed to. The safe ones are mostly still active, actually.” King grabbed a rock and dropped it down into the hole. The rock disappeared, and I never heard it hit the bottom.
“Seems deep to me,” one of the older women said.
“Oh, it’s deep, but relatively speaking it’s not that bad. A couple hundred feet, maybe, if I had to guess.”
I whistled and the group laughed. Hartley smiled at me.
“Okay, back on the road,” King said, and the group got back onto their ATVs.
As we pulled out back into line, I managed to swerve around Hartley, laughing as I went. That earned me a look from King, but at least I was ahead of Hartley in line.
The rest of the tour went about as I expected. As we got deeper into the hills, we couldn’t chase each other around as much and were forced to stay in line for the most part. King showed us more mine shafts, some active and some long abandoned. He told ghost stories about the area, pointed out local wild life, and at one point let us ride around in a muddy, swamp-like area, getting everyone absolutely covered in dirt.
The most satisfying moment of the whole trip was watching Hartley spray that family of four with mud during our little romp in the swamp. I couldn’t help but laugh at the evil grin on her face. The kids loved it, but the parents were clearly a little annoyed. That didn’t slow Hartley down one bit, though, and she managed to sneak into line ahead of me for the remainder of the ride.
Finally, after about an hour or two of riding, we wound our way back into the main compound. We dismounted and a couple of workers took the bikes, parking them and cleaning them off.
“Looks like I won,” Hartley said to me as we headed back toward the main building after a short debrief.
“Looks like it,” I said, smirking at her. “What’s your prize?”
“Just the honor of beating a badass SEAL.”
“Okay then. Consider yourself an honorary badass.”
“I’ve always been a badass; you just didn’t know it.”
I laughed as we came back into the main building. Brock was standing behind the counter, looking dumb and big as usual.
“How’d it go?” he asked.
“It went great,” Hartley said, flashing him her best disarming smile. That girl seemed to know instinctively when to turn her damn charm on.
“Hey, can I get a map of the area back there?” I asked Brock.
“Huh? Oh yeah. Sure.” He grabbed a little map from behind the counter.
“You mind showing me where those mine shafts are?”
“We’d love to show people what we saw,” Hartley said.
He glanced at me. “You’re not going back there, right?”
“Of course not,” I said. “We’re not dumb. This is just to brag to the buddies, you know.”
“Sure.” He began circling a few spots. “These are the ones you saw.”
“What about the ones we didn’t see?” Hartley asked, leaning against the counter.
Brock smiled at her. “Well now, there are a few of those, too.”
“Any of them fun?”
“They’re all fun, if you know what you’re doing.”
“Do you know?” Hartley asked.
“Course I know. I grew up here.”
“Wow. That’s so amazing. Can you show me some cool ones?”
“Well, there’s this one and this one. And this one here is deep as hell. People don’t go down there, but we do sometimes.” He circled a few spots and Hartley nodded along. “Maybe I can show you them one day. What you say about that?”
“I’d love it, Brock,” Hartley said, taking the map from him. “Call me.” She quickly walked out the front door.
“Wait. Your number?” he asked, but she was already gone.
“Thanks,” I grunted, and then followed her out.
Watching that was like seeing a master musician performing at the height of her power. She’d gotten all that information from him absolutely effortlessly. All she’d had to do was lean forward on that counter, show off a little cleavage, flash a little smile, and let him see her muddy, beautiful skin. Brock had fallen for it like the dumbass he was.
But fuck was she good. I’d thought I was going to have to get that stuff out of him myself, but she’d picked up on what I was doing immediately. My cock was half hard in my pants from watching it.
“How’d I do in there?” she asked as we climbed into the car.
“Fuck, Hartley. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that little performance got me very, very hard.”
She blushed and laughed. “I take it I did a good job.”
“You did a great fucking job.” I wanted to reach across the car and grab that thick hair of hers, pull her toward me, and kiss her hard.
Instead, I started the engine. “Let’s go clean this fucking mud off,” I said.
“Sounds good to me, badass.”
I grinned at her. I knew it wasn’t supposed to be fun, but I’d still had a fucking blast with Hartley. She was brave and funny and outgoing, and riding through the woods with her was the most fun I’d had with a woman in a long damn time. Normally it was all fucking, but Hartley wanted to make me impress her, as crazy as that was.
I was about to pull out of the parking lot, smiling to myself and buzzing with want for Hartley, when suddenly a person appeared next to the car.
I looked up and blinked, taken completely aback.
It was like seeing a ghost. She smiled at me, leaning down and squinting into the car at me. She waved, her long hair blowing in the wind, looking like the last time I saw her.
Jane Caldwell knocked on the window, looking curiously at me through the glass. I wanted to hit the gas and get the fuck out of there as my past came rushing back at me.
Instead, I rolled the window down and got my shit together.
11
Hartley
She was tall and blond, the girl who knocked on the window. She was thin and beautiful, almost like a model. She wore tight jeans and an old T-shirt, and she somehow made them look incredible. Her eyes were deep sea green and she had this expression on her face, playful and coy, that made me sink back into my seat.
Travis rolled down the window. “Janey,” he said.
“Travis fucking Rock?”
He nodded. “Been a long time.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” She leaned down on the window, smiling widely, friendly and open.
“Took my friend here on your ATV tour,” he said. “Hartley, meet Janey Caldwell.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said.
“Same to you,” I answered, feeling shy for some dumb reason.
“Why didn’t you find me and say hello?” Janey asked.
“I don’t know,” Travis said. “Seemed like you might not want to see me.”
She shook her head. “Don’t be stupid.”
Travis pushed the door open and Janey stepped back to let him out. I joined them, leaning on the hood of the car. She was taller than me by an inch or two, and Travis didn’t tower over her like he did with me. I co
uld see her resemblance to her brothers, though all of their features somehow looked perfect on her face.
They hugged briefly and she laughed. “I can’t believe you were going to drive away without saying hi.”
“Truth is, Janey, I figured you wouldn’t want to see me. It’s been a long time.”
“Come on, I don’t blame any of that on you. The accident was a long time ago.”
“It was.”
“How have you been?”
“Good,” Travis said. “I’m in the Navy now.”
I raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
“I heard,” she said. “That’s amazing. What are you doing home?”
“On leave for a bit, thought I’d bring Hartley to see the old haunts. I heard about the ATVs tours, figured it’d be fun.”
“Yeah? How’d King treat you?”
“He’s a prince, that man,” Travis said.
Janey laughed and put her hand on his shoulder, real friendly. Maybe a little too friendly.
“That’s King. He’s got a knack for the tourists.”
“That he does. How’d you know I was here anyway?”
“King recognized you. Only mentioned it in passing though. You almost got away with it.”
He nodded. “Almost. Damn.”
“It’s really good seeing you, Travis.”
“Same to you, Janey. Glad you’re doing well. I hear you guys are killing it on these tours.”
She smiled and nodded. “People seem to really like them. I think it’s mostly because of King and the boys, but I’ll take some credit too.”
“Your parents good?”
“Good as they ever are,” she said.
There was a short pause and then Travis nodded. “All right, Janey. We’re going to head out.”
“Oh no. Are you sure? Come on, come back and have a drink. We’ll catch up.”
Travis shook his head. “Sorry. We got plans. Another time though, promise.”
“How long are you in town for?”
“Couple weeks at least.”
“Good. Here, take my number.” Travis got his phone out and she read him her number. He typed it in and then called her. “Text me if you want to get together.”
“Will do.”
“Bye then.” She hugged him again and then turned and walked off.
Travis gave me a look and then got into the car. I walked around and got back into the passenger’s seat.
“She’s the leader of a gang?” I asked him after a short silence.
He laughed and shook his head. “Guess so.”
“She looks like a model, Travis.”
“She always did. That was why my brother liked her.”
“Has she always been so . . . tall?”
He smirked at me. “Are you a little jealous, Hartley?”
“Jealous? Not even a tiny bit.”
“I think you are. I think you’re worried I’d rather get a taste of her pussy than yours.”
“Cut it out, Travis.”
“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning toward me. “That dripping wet cunt of yours is the only thing I need.”
I sighed and shook my head. “Be serious for once.”
He put the car in gear, laughing, and pulled out of the parking lot, heading back home. “I am being serious.”
“Do you really think she’s the head of some gang?”
“Toad wouldn’t lie about that,” he said.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Besides, the Dixie said the Caldwells were the target themselves. Janey in charge or not, we still need to do this thing.”
“Fine,” I said. “You’re right. Just, it’s strange. I can’t imagine that girl in charge of a gang. She just seemed too nice.”
“Don’t let that shit fool you, Hartley,” he said seriously. “For some people, life is like wearing a series of masks. They can be whoever they want, putting them on and taking them off at will. Janey always was good at pleasing people. She was popular and nice. It wouldn’t surprise me if she had a whole closetful of masks, ready to be worn at any moment.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. You’re right about that.” I looked at him, studying his face intently. “What’s your mask look like, Travis?”
He glanced at me, his face breaking into his usual cocky smirk. “I don’t wear a mask, sweetheart. What you see is what you get. I’m as open as they come.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” I said softly, but he only laughed in response.
People weren’t always what they seemed. Was he trying to tell me something about himself? Travis seemed like a cocky asshole, a bad boy and a player. But he was good at heart, and he was clearly doing what he could to keep me safe. Could I trust him, even if he had a closetful of masks himself?
I wasn’t ever going to get a good answer for that, unfortunately. As much as I wanted to get underneath that cocky swagger of his, that man had so many defenses built in.
As we drove on, I hated to admit to myself that he might be right. I might really be jealous of that Janey girl. The way she touched him, how beautiful she was, it all just seemed too easy for her.
I was never popular growing up. I was a normal girl, smart and good at some things, but nothing ever came super easy to me. I worked hard for everything I had, because that was how my parents had raised me. I wasn’t sophisticated, wasn’t perfect. I was a little rough, a real farm girl.
Janey though, she seemed like she belonged in a big city, not in some backwoods town like Knoxville. Just being around her made me feel a little smaller, a little embarrassed.
Maybe she was the leader of a violent gang. That could make sense if she had the power to make people feel so small. Even Travis had been slightly less cocky around her, though that was probably because of their complicated history together. I couldn’t even guess what that meeting had been like for him.
Janey Caldwell. She was interesting to me, and I’d only met her for a few minutes. I suddenly found myself wanting to know her better and wanting her to know me.
That was a powerful quality to have, maybe the sort of quality a real leader needed.
We drove in near silence for the rest of the ride. I thought back on the day and found myself smiling. Despite the strange encounter at the end, I’d had a ton of fun with Travis. I had loved beating him on the ATV, making him laugh, and fooling around with him. He had a surprisingly good sense of humor, plus he made me simply feel good.
Then there was tricking that meathead into giving away some secret mine shaft locations. That had just made me feel useful and important. I’d been worrying that I was going to be a drag to Travis, that he’d be able to do all of this better without me. But I wasn’t going to step aside and let that happen. In the end, I was going to be in control of my own fate.
My head was so full of questions and concerns as Travis parked the car near the apartment and climbed out. He grabbed his bag as I got out and followed him, lost in my own mind.
He paused outside the door while I unlocked it absently. He moved ahead of me, brushing past me. I blinked.
“What’s the rush?” I asked him.
He held up one hand, his face all business. “Wait here,” he said.
I blinked. “What?”
“Wait here.” He pulled a gun from his pants. I hadn’t even known it was there.
“Okay,” I said, suddenly afraid.
He disappeared up the steps. He waited outside my apartment door before pushing it in and going inside, his gun held ready.
I stood there rooted to the spot, fear coursing through my veins. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.
There weren’t any sounds, no gunshots or shouts. A minute later, Travis stepped back out of the apartment and waved me up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I got to the top of the stairs.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said softly. “Someone from the Dixie Mafia is here.”
I went to ask more questions, my heart beatin
g fast in my chest, but he stepped away and into the apartment. I followed him and shut the door behind me.
Sitting at the kitchen table was a man I’d never seen before. He was thin and gaunt, almost too thin. His hair was thinning and there was slight stubble along his face. He wore a dark suit and had a gun on the table in front of him, within reach but not too near him. He smiled as I stepped into the room.
“Hello, Hartley,” he said. “My name is Culver. Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Talk to me, not her,” Travis said, his face hard.
Culver looked at him. “Okay, Travis Rock. I will, although the girl can speak for herself.”
“What do you want?”
“I’m here to check up on the two of you.” Culver leaned back and crossed his legs and arms. “How are you doing?”
“Hoyt didn’t tell me you’d be stopping by.”
“Hoyt doesn’t know everything.” Culver smiled. “Please, sit. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
Travis nodded at me, and so we sat at the table with Culver. He nodded.
“That’s better. Now, Travis, have you made any progress?”
“Some,” Travis said.
“Elaborate.”
“We visited their compound today. I did some preliminary scouting. I suspect they’re keeping the shipment on site, somewhere on the compound.”
“What makes you think that?”
He shrugged. “Logistics. If this shipment is as big as your employers said it was, I doubt they’d take the time to lower it down into some mine shaft. No, they’re likely getting ready to sell it off, and it makes more sense to keep it close at hand.”
“I accept your logic,” Culver said, nodding.
“The place is well guarded. Easy sightlines everywhere, plus a lot of closed-circuit cameras.”
Culver seemed pleased. “This is why we are giving you this job, because it is a difficult one.”
“Yeah, it is difficult.”
“But you have connections to these people, don’t you?” Culver continued.
“I do.”
“We know all about you, Travis Rock. We know about your family, about your brother, about your friend Toad, and about Markus.”
Travis didn’t blink. “I hear what you’re saying.”