For MamaBirdCat. A story challenge featuring Low Light in ten chapters.
The usual disclaimer: don't own not making a profit
The Road Goes on Forever: The Highwaymen
Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound
0830
Low Light woke up with his whole body shaking. There was a hum in his ears. It took him a while to realize he was in bed. No, he was in a bed. It wasn't his. He couldn't see. The shades were drawn. He didn't have his goggles. He didn't have his cap. His pants and boots were gone. The thin blanket was rough. The back of his neck was wet. There was a dent in the bed next to him. It smelled like clay and talc. There was someone with him. There was some-she next to him. She had long slender fingers that were dangerously low on his stomach. If they went any further he would have to pay her a twenty. He cussed. He didn't remember any of it. He took a mental inventory. His body still felt the same. He knew that much. He opened his eyes.
The room was dark. Low Light rubbed his face. He took the chance and looked over. It was Mary. But it wasn't the Punk Princess Mary he met the day before. Her hair was cut into a short blond pixie. It was almost as short as his. Her eyebrow ring was missing. What he could feel she was all long arms and long legs. Her skin was smooth and white. All of it. He could tell by the way she had her thigh on his hip. She was asleep. Without her makeup on she looked older than what he initially thought. He was glad for that much. He lifted her hand. She sighed and turned over. Now that he was awake he knew why he couldn't see. The room didn't have a window. It had a back pull out hatch that took up the length of the back of the RV. He was on the highway heading towards Cheyenne Mountain. He gathered his pants and boots and walked to the front.
The RV was forty two feet long. There was only the back bedroom. It was separated by a bi-fold door. The living area had a kitchenette with a two burner stove and a small refrigerator. The table folded down to make another bed with the seats. God was in the captain's chair. He had a stainless steel coffee mug on the arm rest. He was listening to a CB. He was staying in touch with the production crew. Low Light zipped and buckled his belt. God looked in the rearview.
"Christ Alive if you don't look like the poster child for a 1-800 number." He grinned. "There's some juice in the fridge. The good stuff I keep under the sink." He said.
Low Light grunted. His head was spinning. He had to steady himself when the RV took a turn. He pulled out a Naked. He only took two swallows. He went to the sink. The rest he filled with two fingers of Gilby's. He put the cap back on. He shook it to mix it. He yawned and scratched his arm. He sat next to God in the passenger seat. The arm rest swung out. It had its own cup holder.
"You know the best cure for a hangover is Mac?" God asked.
Low Light snorted. It was an old joke of theirs. "To never sober up." He said. He took another drink. "Where are we?"
God tapped the GPS. "We're just outside of Thompson. We'll get there by ten PM." He said.
"Shit my rifle." He said. He rubbed his jaw. He was rough this morning.
"It's in the back." God said.
"I forgot my bike." Low Light said.
"It's on the trailer next to mine. See I take care of you Mac. Everything is taken care of. Would I steer you wrong?" He said.
Low Light didn't answer. He looked towards the back bedroom. "Did I…?
"What the dirty boogie?" He laughed. He shook his head. "No you can thank your whiskey dick for that. You were too far gone. You couldn't have saluted General Hawk himself if you had to. Consider it a gift from me to you for old time's sake. Mary's good for it if you want to take her for a spin though." He said.
Low Light winced. "No thanks. Next time keep it for yourself Pete." He said.
"Mary's a good girl but she's a bit young for me." God said. "She's perfect for you though"
"She's not my type." Low Light mumbled.
God looked over and laughed. "Are you kidding me Mac? Why I remember the days when you could drink all night, fuck all day, and still be ready for the shot come sun down. I can't count how many back country bars I had to pull you out of. Do you remember that time in Maseru?" He grinned. "You didn't see the light of day for three days," He laughed. "I have to say that sweet little mulatto girl really did a number on you. She's probably still walking funny."
"Don't remind me Pete." Low Light mumbled.
God looked over. He patted his arm. "Cheer up kid! The Terrible Twosome ride again!' He said.
Low Light had nothing to say after that. For the next ten miles he was quiet. Now that he had juice in his system he started to relax. There was just one more question he had to ask. He dreaded it.
He squeezed his eyes shut. "Pete."
"Yeah" God said.
"What about the other thing." He said. He lifted his hand. He didn't want to know but he needed to know.
"What the nightmares?" God asked.
Low Light nodded.
"Nah I told you that you wouldn't have any nightmares last night." He said. "It worked didn't it?"
"What worked?" Low Light asked.
God lifted his hand. "Hold on."
He took the CB out. He held it up to his face. "This is God's team checking in. The sun is shining." He said.
Some voice Low Light never heard crackled. "Copy that the next stop will be Grand Junction." It said.
There was static. "God" Trick Shot said.
God smiled. "Hey kid! How are you?"
"Not so good." Low Light heard him say. He was instantly more sober than gin and juice could do. He sat up straighter. He listened closer. "Is Low Light with you?" Trick Shot asked.
"Yeah he's sitting right here." God said. "Do you want to talk to him?"
"No not on a CB." Trick Shot said. "I just wanted to know if he was OK."
"Yeah I told you I would take care of Mac. Don't worry about it." God said.
There was more static. "Answer your phone MacBride!" Beachhead yelled.
There was clicking and feedback before the CB went dead
"Fuck." He said.
God hung up the CB. "Shit did you join the military or a monastery Mac? That guy has been blowing up your phone all damn night." He reached on the dash. Low Light's cell phone was blank. He blinked at it. "I finally had to turn it off. You would have never gotten some sleep." God said.
"Pete what did you do?" Low Light whispered.
"It would've never ended. I was up until one o'clock in the morning with that asshole knocking on the door. That E wanted to know where you were. I told him you were busy. And you were at the time. Sure you were busy sleeping but he didn't have to know that." God said. He had his eyes on the road. "I helped you out there Mac. I did you a fucking service."
He pushed in the cigarette lighter. A new cigar was in the ashtray. Low Light heard the lighter click. God took two angry puffs and rolled down the window. The cab was silent. God turned on a country and western radio station. It was playing Hank Williams Sr. He blew out smoke. He tapped the ash out the window. Sparks flew from the wind.
"Is he always that persistent?" God asked. He turned his head to check the other lane. He was passing a slower Hum Vee. He turned on his blinker. Low Light thought he saw Lifeline driving. Cover Girl always did say he drove like a grandma.
"You have no idea Pete." Low Light said. He finished his juice before he turned on his phone. There were five new voice messages. He had unread texts starting a little past eleven PM.
2230: First voice message. 'I don't want to know what you're doing but you missed check-in.' Beachhead said.
2300: Second Voice message. 'Pick up the phone Cooper. It's Wayne. Bye.' Beachhead said.
2320: Third voice message. 'Alright. Have fun with Little Miss Purple hair. Never say I didn't do you any favors.
That makes up for Saturday.' He sounded sarcastic that time
0010: Fourth voice message. 'God dammit Cooper. If you won't listen to me then listen to Dixon. He looks
up to you. Don't let him go down that same road.' Beachhead said. His voice didn't sound angry as
much as it sounded disappointed. Low Light deleted it.
0015: Fifth voice message. 'Low Light? Low Light? Are you OK? You're not answering your phone.
Beachhead is here. Give me a call back. It's Dixon. I sure hope you're OK. I'm sorry for last
night. I shouldn't have left you. Anyway give me a call when you get this. Bye and I'll see you in
the morning. Bye. It's Dixon.' Low Light deleted that one too.
He started reading his text messages.
Low Light held his phone away. The name on the screen was one he wasn't expecting. It was written a little past Beachhead's second phone call. The font was in cursive. They weren't known to be friends. The truth was they hardly knew each other. It was in passing. He never paid it any attention. They just knew Beachhead. That was probably where she got his phone number.
2302: Hi Cooper
It's Courtney
Wayne isn't mad if that's what you're afraid of. He's more worried than anything else. You know how he can be.
He does the same thing with me L.O.L. Can you give him a call back? Please? I don't think he's going to go to bed
until you do. He promised he wouldn't yell. He just wants to know if you're alright. I do too. So give him a call. If
you don't want to call him you can call me at 555-408-0695 and I'll let him know. I promise.
Talk to you later
Courtney
It wasn't long afterwards that Beachhead left the message about Mary. That must have been when she went to the trailer. It wasn't a far stretch to figure out what was going on. Low Light didn't hear about any of it until he woke up. The previous night was forgotten in a silver flask. He felt guilty. His friends were just worried about him. He could have told them he was fine but the truth was he wasn't. Now that God was here all of the familiarity came back. He was the same. Low Light was the same. He didn't have over protective Staff Sergeants breathing over his shoulder. He didn't have wide eyed hazel eyes looking up to him. He didn't have any of it. He was relieved. He checked the next message. Trick Shot's military photograph showed up. He groaned. He was the last one he wanted to hear from. He didn't want his worry. He didn't want his concern. He didn't want his looking up to him. He didn't want any of it. He wished General Hawk had never put him with the kid. The kid trusted him too much. It showed in the final shot. He gave him his goggles. He used the new scope. He wouldn't know the real reason why Low Light did it. He looked over at God.
The kid stood between him and God.
His smiling face stared at him.
He reluctantly opened it. His words were short.
2345: Low Light Beachhead is here. I had to tell him everything. I'm sorry. PS: It's Dixon. Bye.
Low Light deleted both of them. He didn't want to read the last one. The number was blocked. It was unfamiliar. The time stamp was past one o'clock in the morning. It was the last one. That was the time Beachhead knocked on the door. There weren't any voice messages or texts after it. It hung on his phone flashing to be read. He opened it.
0117: MACBRIDE WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN SIERRA GORDO
Low Light looked at it twice. He re-read it. The words hung in the air. When his phone vibrated he almost dropped it. There was a text message from Beachhead.
0937: Are You Busy
0938: No
Low Light wrote.
0939: What Happened
0939: Nothing3
0939: I Called You
0940: Yeah I just got iit
0947: Dixon Is Here
0948: Yeah. Thanks.
0948: You Okay
0949: 6eah
0949: Ducking fat fingers'
0949: Fuycking
0957: Did You Drink Dixon Told Me I Saw Purple Hair Go In
God Stopped Me
God picked up his phone. He swiped his finger across the screen. There was a number on speed dial. He hit send. He looked at it a moment. The recipient rang and clicked. He hung up. Low Light didn't notice. He had his face in his phone. He was busy text messaging.
1003: I'm fine Bech
1003: Howw's Dixon/
1004: He Disobeyed Orders He's Down To Your Level He Was Supposed To Keep You At His Side At All Times
1005: Shit. Don't take it out on him Beachhead.
1010: Thought That Would Get Your Attention No I Didn't I Didn't Tell Hawk
1010: ^hanks 2ayne
1010: We'll Talk Later
God turned up the radio. "Do you know what they call country music without drinking Mac?" He said.
That was a new one. Low Light put his phone away. He looked over. "No. What?" He said.
"Gospel music." He laughed.
Behind him Mary opened the door. She was undressed. She had a pie patch. When she stretched she showed her whole body. It was white. Her stomach was flat. She had a cross hanging from her naval. Her breasts lifted with erect pink nipples. They were pierced. So was the bottom. Low Light stared.
"Jesus girlie put some clothes on!" God said.
"God you are such a prude." Mary said. "It's 2013."
She said it more like 'God? You are such a prude' in a flat affect not like "GOD! You are such a Prude!"
She bent underneath the sink. Low Light had a view he hadn't seen in eight months. She took out the Gilby's. "Can I?" She asked. She shook it in the air.
"Go on Mary." God said. He looked over at Low Light. "Well shit Mac you don't need my permission. Get your ass back there!" He said.
Mary laughed.
It was noon.
Low Light didn't wake up until Grand Junction.
End Chapter Ten
Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound