The Invisible Hand - A crime novel

Chapter 99

After pizza, Sam tells me how the Man Camp is clearing out. She watched the soft-sided campers come down. A whole row of trucks left in the afternoon. Each looked like a scene from The Grapes of Wrath.

"Winter is coming. It's always nasty. Most of the workers probably want real housing," I say.

"I thought there weren't enough hotels and dorms?" Sam says.

"There aren't. That's why some people will tough it out here," I say. "We're in a nice RV. We'll be OK for the time being."

"You want to stay the winter?" Sam says.

"It's like you said before. We make as much money as fast as we can. Then we leave. Hopefully that happens before the big snow hits," I say.

"You're not worried Les is going to keep us here anyway?" Sam says.

I clear the paper plates from the table. Dump them in the trash.

"Maybe. Why do you ask?" I say.

"Two guys watched the RV all day," Sam says. "One of them is that scrawny guy who blasted himself in the face with his shotgun."

I stop clearing the table. "Seriously?" I say.

"He's his usual asshole self. Face is all messed up, though. Like horror movie bad," Sam says. "You didn't get hassled coming into the Man Camp tonight, did you?"

"Nope. Did those guys give you trouble?" I say.

"Wouldn't let me take a walk," Sam says. Perks up her eyebrows. "Sort of an off topic question, but what about your nightmares? Those getting better or worse?"

I forgot about those. Mostly because I haven't had one in a while.

The thought of the shadow people makes me pull an eyelash out. Sam notices. I turn away so she can't see me eat it. Make it look like I raise my hand to my mouth to think.

"Fuck the nightmares, how long do we have before Les makes you go back?" I say.

Sam is a commodity out here. With the shortage of women on the prairie, he can't afford to wait for long.

"Couple weeks, if Les allows it. Most likely much less than that. Sewed my own stitches today so I didn't have to visit the camp doctor," Sam says. Quiets her voice. I can barely hear her. "They'll want an inspection of me. To test me for readiness."

My face mimics Sam's "no fucking way" look.

"Two weeks. That's not much time," I say. Then realize what I missed earlier. "Wait, did you say you left the RV? Asked to go for a walk?"

Sam's eyes look away from mine.

Damn it.

"What the hell, Sam? They're going to think you're ready to go back," I say.

"I went to tell those guys to fuck off," Sam says.

It's hard to blame her for being herself. But still. Damn it. It sabotages the timeline. It's almost like she wanted to expedite the situation. Why? I have no fucking clue. Makes no sense.

"They're going to come for you a lot sooner. We don't have two weeks. We have two days. Or two hours," I say. Run a hand through my hair. "Why'd you do that?"

"Didn't think it was a big deal. Walking around is one thing," Sam says. "Doing...that...is another."

"These people don't think like that," I say.

Sam grabs my arm. Squeezes it.

"Wil, listen. They can't do that. They can't do the inspection," she says.

There's something off in the way she says it. A real fear. But there's something beneath it, too. A monotony. Almost like she doesn't mind having this conversation. Scripted concern.

I don't mention it, though. That's not the issue. The issue is how we get the hell out of here in a matter of hours, not days.

"Promise me you won't let that inspection happen," Sam says.

Les's guy gave me more rounds for the revolver. I'm already in this deep. Wad of money in my left pocket. Gun in my right. Only person I've ever really cared about in front of me.

Yeah, this is a promise I can make.

I take Sam's face into my hands. Look right into her eyes.

"I promise," I say. "Best thing to do is for me to work the rig tomorrow. Not raise any suspicions with Les. Then make a clean break for it once I get back."

I kiss her. It's soft. And long. Like the threads on a prairie smoke flower before the wind carries it away.

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