Big Maria by Johnny Shaw

Author:Johnny Shaw [Shaw, Johnny]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Published: 2012-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-EIGHT

“Here’s the deal. Your granddaddy said you’re supposed to watch this fella like you did Ricky. Keep him alive, sober, out of trouble. He’ll talk like he don’t belong, but you know tweakers. Lies and pity and cowcrap. If you need to, gag him.”

Bernardo and Ramón leaned on their shovels, listening to Harry. They appeared to be digging some kind of canal in the front of their property. They were shiny with sweat and red from their natural coloration and too much sun. If one of them held a lace-bodiced woman by the waist, he would be camera-ready for a romance novel cover.

Cooker sat in the front seat of Harry’s car. Twitchy and scared, he didn’t like the looks of those Indians. For all he knew, the two savages were digging a mass grave.

Ricky sat in the backseat, an eye on Cooker. The dogs barked. He placed a hand on Cooker’s shoulder. Cooker jumped. Ricky said, “I hope you like dogs.”

“How long do we keep him?” Bernardo asked.

“Until Frank says, I guess. I’m just the messenger. He asked me to drive the guy up here. You been to see Frank yet?”

“Today, maybe. I sent a card and a bouquet of dahlias.”

“We. We sent them,” Ramón cut in.

“Those are the big, alieny flowers, right? I like those.”

Bernardo climbed out of the long hole and dusted himself off, kicking up a thick cloud.

Harry walked to the car and helped Cooker out. He practically had to drag him. Not because he was resistant, but his legs had gone limp from fear. Ramón climbed out of the trench to join them.

Harry said, “If you want, put him to work. He doesn’t look like much, but he’s wiry strong. Help dig your ditch.”

“It is a moat.”

“Like around a castle?”

“Yes. Better than a fence. When it is done, we will line the bottom with barbed wire, broken glass, and punji sticks covered in dogshit and Saran Wrap. Then we will fill it with water. Our compound will be impenetrable.”

“And piranha fish,” Ramón added.

Bernardo rolled his eyes and whispered loudly to Harry, “I joked about piranha, and now he has it in his head. Piranha would be ridiculous.”

Harry kept his mouth shut and nodded. He turned to Cooker. “You’re staying here. Keep quiet. This could have gone another way, but it didn’t. This thing ends right, may even be a payday for you.”

Cooker looked at the two big Indians and nodded.

Bernardo grabbed Cooker by the arm and threw him in the hole. Cooker landed awkwardly, twisting his ankle. He looked up confused and had to sidestep the shovel that landed in the dirt between his feet.

“Kind of rough on him,” Harry said.

“But alive. That is our only promise. If we are slow to make it down the hill, tell Papa Frank that his friend is safe. We will make him very strong.”

It took Bernardo and Ramón three days to finally get down the hill. The moat had consumed them. With the extra labor, they saw the opportunity to exceed their initial completion date.

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