chapter 70
MOON PIE AND Levi were both in shock as Levi drove his truck to the abandoned bomb factory. They left both of their phones at the Gold Mine. Moon Pie was freaking out and kept staring at the ankle bracelet, knowing that he had to get it off soon. He had been ranting, making no sense for the last twenty minutes.
“I’m a dead man,” Moon Pie said as he reclined in the seat. “The sumbitches got the Mexicans’ money and mine. Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“Look, we can figure this out. Okay? Think. Who knew the money was in there?”
“Just you!” Moon Pie gave his half brother an evil look.
“Don’t go there; you know me better than that.”
“That’s it. You did it.”
“You know I don’t know the safe’s combination. Plus, I was at the concert and then at the trailer. Now, both Tam and the Mexicans knew you had the money.”
“Why would they steal their own money?”
“To save your percentage. To cut you outta the deal. To get the other side to kill ya. There’s a ton of reasons, and they’re criminals!”
“My percentage ain’t shit to Tam, but I ain’t considered the Mexicans.”
“That locator shows them where you’re at, where you went after you got the money. They know it all.”
“But why would they steal it back? They’d know I couldn’t get the drugs!”
“No, but you’d owe them. You’d owe them big-time. They might be tryin’ to leverage you.”
Levi could see the old factory’s tall brick chimney rising out of the prairie soil, and it caused him to started thinking about the place. In the 1940s it had been a bustling bomb-manufacturing plant that employed thousands of workers and stored bombs in hidden underground bunkers all over the area. Now it was just a few old buildings and remnants of the past.
“But why?” Moon Pie asked.
“Maybe it’s some kind of corporate-takeover shit. Maybe they want to take over Tam’s operation and need an inside man. What better way to get your attention…do this for us or die?”
“I don’t know. Turn right here. Go behind those buildings there.”
Levi’s old Bronco turned on the gravel road. “Dude, they put a locator on your ankle. How weird’s that? They did it. I guarantee it!”
Levi was making sense to Moon Pie. His mind started really racing as he saw the black truck parked right where it was supposed to be. What if Tam and the Tennessee Mexicans are in on this together and setting me up? What would they gain?
Moon Pie was quickly moving into paranoia. He sat up and took a deep breath. He was in a real mess. The Mexicans were gonna hunt him down unless he came up with the money. Tam would just take his drugs and leave and probably never do business with him again, or, in the best case, slow down deals until Tam’s confidence was built back.
“Flash your lights.”
Levi did as he was told.
“There. They know it’s us.”
Levi pulled the Bronco right up next to the truck with two men in it. Moon Pie recognized Mike’s face. Both men visibly relaxed a little.
“Just you guys?”
“Yep.”
“This is my half brother.” Levi waved. “Ya seen anybody?” Moon Pie asked.
“Nope.”
“Besides being haunted, this is a pretty secure place.”
Mike laughed nervously as he looked toward the building as if he expected to see a ghost in a window.
“Heard from Tam?”
“Not a word.”
Mike didn’t respond. He just smiled and said, “You ready?”
“Mike, we got a problem,” Moon Pie said in the most appealing tone he could muster.
Mike didn’t like problems, and the last twelve hours had been nothing but one big problem. He didn’t respond.
Moon Pie continued, “I got robbed last night, and I ain’t got the money.”
“That’s not good.” Mike suddenly wanted away from Moon Pie. This trip seemed doomed.
“I know. I know. I just found out, and I’m workin’ on it, tryin’ to find out what happened. But I…I wanted to come and tell ya face-to-face. I can’t trust my cell phones anymore.”
Mike didn’t respond. He just stared out the window and then at his partner, knowing Tam would be pissed.
Moon Pie pressed, “I don’t suppose you could just go ahead and let me take the cargo and I get y’all the money later? I’m just thinkin’ of a way to keep the customer happy.” Moon Pie gave a little nervous laugh.
“No. That ain’t gonna work. Tam would never agree to that.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured. Tell Tam what happened and that I’ll be in touch to explain everything.”
Mike cranked the diesel truck. He was ready to go. “I’ll do it.”
“Hey, can you tell me what happened last night?”
“I don’t know yet. Sounds like a setup. I’m wonderin’ now if it’s not related to your missing money.”
Levi and Moon Pie looked at each other. Everything was getting more and more complicated by the minute. Moon Pie said, “Hell, I don’t know. I gotta get it figured out. I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on!” Moon Pie shook his head.
All criminals hated the notion of a setup, mainly because they were all susceptible. Greed or egos or both usually brought them down.
Moon Pie gave Mike a quick salute, saying, “Keep it real, Mike. There’s some crazy, weird shit goin’ on.”
Moon Pie turned to Levi and growled, “Get us the hell outta here.”