Interstate Blues

Chapter Seventeen: The Remains of the Day

December 21st, 2019
Ouray, Colorado

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jack asked again, slowing the Blazer to a stop as the intimidating electric fence that surrounded the compound loomed up ahead. He glanced surreptitiously back at the duffle bags in the back seat before turning his gaze to Ash, who seemed more jittery than usual.

"Not really. But we're doing it anyway," Ash grumbled stonily, while Jack coaxed the car forward until whoever was manning the control station spotted their vehicle and opened the gates easily. Driving down the long, narrow road, he felt nerves crawling up and down his spine uncomfortably.

"You're supposed to feel like that, Jacky." Dick appeared in the rearview mirror like he'd been there all along, and maybe he had. "You're about to step into a den full of fucking monsters. I say turn around now."

Jack shot him a dirty look, but otherwise outwardly ignored his warning. Internally, however, he was trying to dampen his fear so nobody would know just how much what he was about to do scared the living hell out of him. Ash was their family's drug-dealing bad boy. Jack usually just got dragged along as an unwitting party. Except that time, it felt like he had a lot more of a hand in the night's adventure.

"It ain't gonna be so bad. We got this." He jumped out of the Blazer the second Jack parked. "Lee said she'd be right out." With that, he started pulling the bags of drugs out of the car and dumping them into a pile on the icy ground.

"Ash!" Her voice carried across the yard, sounding like music to their ears. She jogged over, jumping into his arms and burying her face into his chest. "Thank you so much for this. We weren't prepared to be at max capacity so soon." Lee sounded exhausted as she leaned back just enough to look up at Ash.

"So you're drugging up the monsters?" Jack smirked thinly as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the trees.

Lee shrugged, fighting back a yawn. "Have you ever had to be around a hundred of them packed together in one dining hall? Everyone would be happier if they were a little drugged up." Dark purple bags hung below her sea green eyes, and no amount of make-up would've masked the exhaustion that hung around her shoulders.

Ash brushed loose dreads out of her face and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Concern marred his features as he stared down at her quizzically. "Do you need some more help? I'm pretty sure I could wrangle up a few of my buddies to come keep an eye on things." Jack had the feeling that if Lee didn't have a reputation for being so stubborn, Ash would've had an entire team of bodyguards protecting her.

"I've got it covered, babe," Lee responded casually, just as two guys lumbered out the front door and across the yard toward them. They were both big and burly with dark skin and even darker scowls. "Perfect timing. Guys, these are my cousins, Reggie and Darius." The men both shot each other knowing smirks as they planted themselves behind Lee, who was still wrapped up in Ash's arms.

"You must be Ash," one of the brothers commented, holding a hand out in a friendly gesture. Keeping one arm firmly around Lee's waist, Ash shook the guy's hand stiffly. "I'm Reggie."

"Nice to meet you."

"You want these in your office?" Darius asked Lee, even though his intimidating glare hadn't left Ash.

"Yep. Just put them behind my desk and keep watch. I don't want anyone trying to get the goods before I can sell 'em. And be careful with that shit," she ordered, when the cousins slung bags over their shoulders, managing to get the entire load in one go. When her cousins had disappeared back into the main building on the compound, she turned to Jack and winked. "They have four more brothers that I've employed and a few teenage kids. We've got a regular old family business in the works."