8 Protection

The following days had a special word attached to them. One that I hadn't been able to use since that first run with Ricky. Calm. I was calm for the first time.

The next day a package showed up on my door steps with four-hundred bucks, and a note from Adal.

"Your cut for the run Fox. Rest assured Hound got his cut too. You both may as well split the money you found in Ricky's bag since he won't be bothering you anymore"

After splitting that money with Johnny I was sitting on six hundred dollars. With the three I got for the first run my total was nine hundred. At that point in my life I had never seen so much money. The first thing I did was pay for a tow truck to take the three-oh-two over to Tony's place. I dropped all that money in his hands aside from a couple twenties I held onto for food.

He didn't ask where I got all that money, but he did give me a look. A look that said he knew I was into something bad for my health. He and I both knew I'd never tell him what it was though.

The next item on my personal list was to survive until my parents came back. With that item seemingly taken care of by Adal I was left with nothing to do. I suddenly found myself back at square one. Right where I was before Johnny called me that day.

No college plans, No job, and no future. I felt profoundly empty. For a while at least I had a purpose. Something to do that was more than just a minimum wage job. I had a taste of some real excitement. Something in my heart wanted that back. I wanted that high I felt running the trail with Johnny next to me and a trunk full of drugs.

That was probably what sunk me in the end. The fact that I couldn't get that feeling out of my head. I tried to distract myself by tinkering on the fox body and looking for a job. Hell, I even did a little bit of research into college for automotive mechanic education.

None of that mattered though because in a way I had been tainted. I was forced to recognize my talent for driving, and at the same time I was offered one of the most exciting job opportunities ever for doing it. It was against the law, and against my morals. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't deny I wanted it.

That feeling didn't go away when my parents came back like I thought it would.

It was a chilly afternoon when they came home. I was doing little more than relaxing in my room when I heard the car doors in the drive way. The two of them came walking up to the steps looking more than a little tired from the road.

Mom had tired rings around those eyes of Her's that mirrored mine. She had heterochromia too so we shared the one brown and one blue eye thing. Dad's charcoal black hair was greasy and messy from days of being on the road. It's hard to take care of yourself properly when you're driving for days on end.

I welcomed them home with open arms. Not something I did often, but after what I had been through in the past days I felt a hug was in order.

It's funny how a week's worth of near death experiences makes you miss your parents. The people who can make everything better. The people responsible for me. Despite how hardcore I was for handling my problems while they were gone it was endlessly relieving to have them in the house.

At the same time Adal was clearly keeping his end of the bargain. Johnny and I both didn't hear a thing from Ricky over the course of the next few weeks. Every now and then I'd see an odd-looking guy in a suit on the street corner. He would flash me a slight smile and a nod. Strange how a body guard from a drug lord would make me feel more protected then the town's police force.

Everything just continued. Like nothing happened. Like I never made that run at all. It pulled at something in my chest. I guess the feeling was yearning. I was yearning for something, and I knew exactly what I wanted.

The relational side of my head hated it. I was at war with myself.

I kept telling myself I was still a good person. I was a good kid. I'd go to college and graduate top of my class I just needed to focus. Just keep my head down and work like in high school. I kept telling myself repeatedly, but the other half of me wasn't having it.

It was like I was a super hero and I couldn't tell anyone. A super hero that broke speed limits and ran drugs of course, but a super hero no less. Still I had a shred of sensibility that wouldn't let go. It needed a push, and I got that push on Halloween night.

A knock came at the door at about sundown.

"Jack get the door for me dear?"

On my mother's orders I did so finding Johnny with an award-winning smile and a surprisingly nice looking gray suit jacket. Above a red V-neck sweater with nice tie tucked away underneath it. I frowned at him instantly crossing my arms.

"What you suddenly don't dress up for Halloween?"

"No sorry, I grew out of that a few years ago. Who are you anyways?"

His eyes went big and bright. From his back he pulled a cartoonish oversized revolver.

"Do you feel lucky punk?"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"You're kind of on the wrong side of the law for that one Johnny."

"Maybe I am but dirty harry is a bit in the gray himself. Suits me just fine. Besides what's your excuse?"

"For what? Not dressing up?"

"Yeah exactly. You could have easily done Steve McQueen! Black turtleneck and some shoulder holsters and boom. You've even got the driving skills for it"

I sighed deeply and leaned on my door frame.

"Sorry not for me. Steve McQueen is a little out of my league as far as cool goes"

"Bet your girl Jess has other ideas about that"

"Bet Jess has got nothing to do with this"

Johnny slipped away the play revolver and stepped back off my door steps.

"Whatever, toss all that crap out of your head tonight. I've got a Halloween party lined up"

"Sorry. I'm still not a party type of guy. Besides all my friends left this town. I've got no one to party with"

In the midst of our conversation my dad pulled up. His pickup truck slipping a little on the wet gravel. I noticed then the car by the road. It had to be how Johnny got to my house, because I was always his ride.

My dad offered only a head nod to the both of us as he slipped past into the house. He looked worse than he did the day he came back from that drive. Hair a mess and rings around his eyes. He barely acknowledged the world around him now.

"Your dad seems kind of out of it lately"

"Yeah. He has. Money issues. It's been getting worse over the years. There isn't much opportunity for the big bucks in this town"

Johnny casted his eyes to the ground with his arms crossed. At almost the same time he and I locked eyes. The idea crossed us both for a moment before I waved it off.

"Nothing can really be done about it. It would be easier on them if left for college or got a job"

"Well at the least take a ride with me in my new car"

I hopped down the steps and walked over with Johnny to his car. A Cadillac Deville. Looked like the nineties.

"Ninety- five?"

He shook his head.

"Nineteen-ninety"

It was a nice navy-blue hue but other than that it looked like a beater. The seats inside where tore up and the headliner sagged in the back seat. I smiled a little to myself and rubbed the roof.

"Well... It's got character"

"Hey it was a steal. Seven hundred bucks for it. Not all of us can have amazing race cars."

"The fox body is hardly amazing. It can just take a beating well. As far as the three-oh-two is concerned any Mustang GT off the lot brand-new could smoke it. It's just got that classic style I love."

"But it's also hands down more powerful than anything I can afford right now. It doesn't really matter what I'm driving anyways. As long as it gets me from place to place."

Johnny leaned against his new car smiling a little before it faltered.

"If your family is having money problems then why don't you do some more runs?"

"Out of the question"

I answered flatly turning and looking out at the empty barn. The half-moon shone down on it softly in my yard. Hopefully the three-oh-two would be back there soon.

"Jack listen..."

Johnny began by sucking in a deep breath and stepping up next to me.

"I'm thinking of going back to Adal. That money was good and God knows my family could use more. I think you feel the same"

Johnny paused letting that line sink in. I heard him take in another breath and shuffle around beside me.

"You have a talent Jack. You're good at this. I'm sure Adal will find something for me to do, but without you I'm just the Hound. You and I both know he wants the Fox and the Hound"

"So you're only talking to me because you know he wants me and you want to tag along"

"No that's not... It came out wrong. You and I are a great team man. We can do something with this. I'll go to the gun range and get better at my end, and you are already the best drive in the world. Together imagine what we can pull in"

I zipped up my jacket against the cold wind. Weather man threatened snow this week, but it never came. Just stayed damn cold the whole time. When I heaved out a breath I could see it clearly in the moonlight. The white fog mingled with the twinkling stars above. One last breath of defiance against my rebel side. The side that wanted so desperately to run again. The side that wanted nothing more than to hammer down in my car and never look back.

I let out one more breath of defiance against it before I gave in.

"Believe me Johnny I've thought about it... I could help my parents and put away some for me to get out of here. I'm so close to getting the three-oh-two in top form. If we kept doing it no doubt that all my problems would get fixed"

I turned back to him slipping my hands away in my jacket pockets. He stood now leaning back against his car arms crossed waiting for a definite answer from me.

"We have to think about the new problems we will be creating"

"With Adalwolf at our back we won't have any problems. I've talked to his guys. Adal has connections like you wouldn't believe. Cops are no problem, Other cartels won't touch us, and we will have endless favors from him. He loves us. Well more specifically he loves you, but since we are a package deal."

I pulled my cell from my pocket with a hesitant hand.

"You sure you trust Adal that much? We keep going down this path and we won't have anyone else to trust but ourselves."

Johnny sighed and shrugged.

"I'm not doing anything else with my life. You make the call Fox"

So I did just that. I opened my phone and called Adal up. I could hear the smug in his voice.

"Yes my little Fox?"

"We want to run again. Call us back when you've got a time"

I could feel the sneer pull across his teeth over the phone. He was totally right about us and that was almost enough to make me reconsider the whole deal.

"Will do Fox. Keep your phone handy"