chapter 20
MOON PIE WAITED impatiently for Levi to arrive at the Gold Mine. He passed the time by looking at pictures in the Commercial Dispatch—the Columbus newspaper that covered almost everything that happened in the Golden Triangle, the area formed by Columbus, Starkville, and West Point. Moon Pie loved to see the published photos of everyone who had been arrested recently. Their mug shots and criminal charges were right there for all to see. Moon Pie rarely read an article, but he savored perusing the pictures.
Mustard dripped from his gas station sausage biscuit as he flipped the pages and glanced up to check the time. When he heard Levi’s truck pull up near the back door, he finished the sausage and tossed the biscuit into the trash. Moon Pie was pissed, and he took a deep breath to calm himself.
The moment Levi stepped through the back door, Moon Pie punched him in the stomach. Levi buckled over and then dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.
“That’s for being stupid,” Moon Pie barked, his fists clenched by his side.
“I deserve that,” Levi said under his breath but loud enough for Moon Pie to hear. Those simple words of repentance kept him from getting a further ass kicking.
Moon Pie flopped back down in his desk chair and stared at his half brother sitting on the floor, catching his breath.
“Just what in the hell were you thinkin’?”
“Man, I was just tryin’ to make some extra cash, bro.”
“Don’t I pay you enough?”
Levi slowly stood, walked to an armchair, and sat down. “I just wanted to make some extra foldin’ money, you know. I’m really sorry, Moon.”
Moon Pie glared at him. He didn’t like incompetence. “You’ve developed a bad habit of doing things without tellin’ me or askin’ me, and some bad shit always happens.”
“I know. I know.”
“And I get a call from our cousin at midnight saying you’ve been arrested? Just how in the hell did you get outta jail so fast, anyway?”
“I don’t know…maybe he’s learnin how the system works.”
“I don’t know why we even use him.”
“He’s family, and he’s cheap.”
“He’s an ambulance chaser!” Moon Pie said in a louder-than-normal voice. “We can’t go to the next level with him watchin’ our back.”
“Well, I’m out. He got me out. And fast too.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Moon Pie lit a Marlboro and aggressively exhaled the smoke. He was suspicious of Levi’s quick release. After another long drag from the cigarette, he made up his mind.
“Take your shirt off.”
“What?”
“I said take your shirt off.”
“You don’t think that I would—” Levi asked in an astonished tone.
“Take it off, or I’ll rip it off!”
Levi stared at him in disbelief. He was hurt more than angry. After a few tense moments, he unzipped his jacket and pulled a long-sleeved T-shirt over his head, revealing his bare chest.”
“Satisfied?”
“Pants too.”
“Shit, Moon, I’m your brother!”
“Half brother, and you proved yesterday that you ain’t got shit for brains.”
Levi unbuckled his jeans. With a quick downward motion, he dropped them to the floor and stood there in dingy tighty-whities, completely humiliated and praying that Bailey didn’t walk in on them.
Moon Pie started laughing. It was apparent Levi wasn’t wired.
“Okay, pull ’em up. In this bidness, paranoia’s healthy. That’s your school-of-hard-knocks lesson today.”
“You ain’t paranoid, you’re psycho.”
“Careful with your mouth. You better show me some respect or I’ll give you another black eye. I can’t be too careful. Tomorrow we’re gonna pick up a pile of cash, and a lot could go wrong. I need your mind in the game.”
“Where we goin’?” Levi asked curiously.
“They wanted someplace remote. I suggested we meet their moneyman at the Coon Dog Cemetery near Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It’s about halfway, and it’s extremely isolated.”
“I always wanted to see that place.”
“It’ll bring a tear to your eye, my li’l half brother. Now get your shit together. Go home, shower, and for God’s sake, put on some clean clothes,” Moon Pie ordered. “We’re gonna make a delivery tonight.”