Faster by Alex Schuler

Author:Alex Schuler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level 4 Press, Inc.
Published: 2020-12-29T09:42:43+00:00

22

It had been a brutal winter in Lordstown, Ohio, especially that particular February when temperatures regularly slid down to zero. Ted had forgotten how ruthless the dead of winter could be in this part of the country. He was thankful he had made it through to the end of April and spring was beginning to peek through.

The Lordstown Complex, located along I-80, spanned over nine hundred acres and included multiple facilities, including metal, paint, and assembly buildings. John Wolff had managed to get Ted a job working in the main assembly plant since January. His dad had to pull a few strings to make it happen, which Ted was grateful for, but he also knew it was the last place he wanted to be, for many reasons.

Inside the complex, Ted was perched on a catwalk, staring at the line of half-built vehicles below him. The procession of cars seemed to go on for an eternity. His mind was elsewhere. Five and a half months after Detroit, and all he could still think about was Sam. He hadn’t heard from her once since she had left the hotel room in Royal Oak.

The whir and hum of motors and equipment were interrupted by the occasional voice of someone calling out from below. The sounds also masked the footsteps of his father walking up behind him.

“Working late?” John asked his son.

Ted glanced back at his dad before returning his gaze to the activity of the assembly line. “No, I was just enjoying some alone time.”

“Your brothers were looking for you.”

“Did they leave?”

“Yes, but they plan to come by the house this weekend for Sunday dinner.” John waited for Ted to continue the conversation, but was met only with silence. “I hear good things about your performance, Ted.”

“Uh-huh.”

Ted watched two robots off in the distance, spot-welding a frame. The flying sparks of orange reminded him of the embers rising from the torches at the Temple of Forgiveness he and Sam had seen last September. He tried to ignore the cold, piercing stare he could feel from his father.

“What’s wrong, Ted?”

“Nothing.”

At 6’3”, John stood even a couple of inches taller than his son. They shared similar features, including those deep blue eyes and short tempers. John’s temper flashed now as he turned and grabbed Ted by the shoulder and twisted him around.

“Bullshit. You’ve been moping around since the day you came back home. Yeah, things didn’t work out for you with that stint at DSU, and corporate Detroit rejected you, but you’ve finally got a real job. You should be happy. Do you know what I went through to get you in here? GM’s been struggling with record losses lately. We suffered through that awful strike. I went to bat for you, Ted.”

“I know, Dad. It’s just that this isn’t what I wanted. This wasn’t supposed to be how my life turned out.” He yanked his shoulder free from his father’s grip and leaned against the bright yellow safety railing, casting a blank stare toward the assembly line below.

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