California Roll

Then the young kid put the barrel of his weapon within short inches of Sowles’s sternum. “Don’t make him ask you again, old Tom.”

“I guess you ain’t cops, are ya?” Sowles said, almost spitting the words. “I’m drivin’ to Ukiah. I gotta get a load of beer tonight,” Sowles said.

“You empty then?” the older man asked.

Sowles nodded but didn’t answer the question. He figured they were backwoods hippies, dopers off the grid as far as he could surmise, probably looking to steal a load.

“Empty or loaded, man?” the young guy asked.

“I ain’t got nothin’,” Sowles said. “I said, I’m pickin’ up. Take a look.”

“This coon’s a smart-ass. Let me have him,” the younger man said.

“Chill, Aaron. I got it handled,” the older man said.

Sowles scowled. “Aaron, ahh, yes, Aaron, a Jewish priest and the brother of Moses, fits the hair and beard,” he mumbled, as he felt the cold steel of Aaron’s barrel on his chest.

“You’re a smart-ass coon, ain’t ya?” Aaron asked.

“I ain’t done nothin’. I’m comin’ back from a cardboard delivery in Eureka,” Sowles said, figuring that he might die whether he spoke to the men or not. “What d’ y’all want?”

“Well, that’s real nice, old Tom, but I didn’t ask you where you came from.” The big guy then looked at Aaron. “Didn’t you just tell this dumb sumbitch that we ask the questions here?”

“Yep, I sure as fuck did, Winnie,” Aaron said.

Sowles had both their names now, Aaron and Winnie.

“I ain’t here to cause no trouble,” Sowles said.

Winnie inched closer. “There he goes talkin’ again when he wasn’t addressed. I don’ know what we’re gonna do with you, old Tom.” He looked at Aaron again. “What d’ ya think, Aaron? What should we do with this big mouth, Black sumbitch?”

“Take his truck and fuck him up,” Aaron said. He began laughing. “Good rhyme, huh?” he asked Sowles.

Sowles looked away. He was starting to consider the possibility that they might kill him.

Winnie glared at Sowles. “What were you doing on the Scully property last night?”

“Scully property?” Sowles asked.

“Yes, the Scully property. Don’t play stupid with me, old Tom.”

Aaron interrupted, stepping closer to Sowles with his shotgun pointed in his face. “Boy, I will fuck you up. I mean I will kill your Black ass right now. Answer the man’s question!”

“I’ll ask it again,” Winnie said. “What were you doin’ on the Scully property last night? This place right here, Scully Brother’s, right here, Scully’s place, ya dumb fuck, you’re damned near standin’ on it.”

Sowles thought fast. “Scully Brother’s? Oh, here on the lot, ya mean. I was sleepin’. I was tired, man, you know what I mean? I was ’bout to run outta diesel.”

Both men stepped back a few inches, keeping their weapons leveled at Sowles chest. He could see that they were contemplating something, maybe what they could steal. “I swear, I didn’t do nothin’ or take nothin’!” Sowles said. “Look inside.”

“Shut up,” Winnie said. “I don’t know what you did or didn’t do, but you ain’t goin’ to Ukiah.” He nodded to Aaron. “Zip ties on this buck.”

Aaron nodded. “My pleasure.”

“You own the rig, old Tom?” Winnie asked, returning his attention to Sowles.

Sowles nodded. Aaron giggled stupidly. “I can drive that piss-poor Kenworth,” he said.

“You ain’t drivin’ the rig,” Winnie said. He pointed to Sowles. “He is.”

Sowles shook his head. “My company know ’zactly where I’m at and what I’m doin’. They ain’t gonna be happy if y’all take me off my route.”

“Like we give a shit,” Aaron said, as he moved behind Sowles and began searching him. Sowles tried to pull away. Without hesitating, Aaron coldcocked Sowles in the back of his head with the butt of his weapon. Sowles went facedown. He squirmed and then became motionless. Aaron smashed him again in the back of the head. He zip-tied his wrists.

“I guess I am drivin’,” Aaron said.