The bell to the gas station door chimed, Avary looked up from her writing and saw a family walking in. They definitely were tourists passing through her small part of the world. This was the last stop for most before driving into the mountains. A gas station, souvenir and groceries stop built in an old cabin building. "Miss, is there another gas station in the next few miles?" The wife asked seemingly annoyed, having been bickering with her husband as they wandered the store.
"No, not for about another 200 miles. That's why we've so many signs posted warning people." Avary states putting down her note book. "See I told you, why do you never listen." The wife snapped at her husband who seemed irritated, "Fine, I just thought the signs were to get more money.. These kinds of places are like that." He spoke like Avary wasn't there. Paying for the snacks and souvenirs their two boys had picked out.
"Have a wonderful day," Avary watched them leave shaking her head, throughout the day not much happened. A few more travelers passed by, a few townsfolk. Avary had inherited the Marsh Station from her grandfather; he had raised her due to her mom just disappearing one night. Leaving an old man to raise a baby alone, but he was his whole world. Avary had learned much from him, but it wasn't old age that cut their time short. It was cancer, and he didn't try to fight it.
After all, the town was remote and he'd need to travel too much and too often four hours away just to try and fight it. He died like he lived, on his own terms. Avary stopped looking at the photo of him and her smiling.. Tears built in her eyes, it had only been a month since he passed.. The door chimed and a man walked in, causing her to snap out of it. "Hello," she said, surprised she hadn't heard an engine or car.
A man wearing jeans,brown work boots, a black hoodie and a dark blue cap stood there holding a red gas container. Avary now realized what had happened, "Ran out of gas?" The man nodded, walking to the counter, "Yes. Five on the pump," he handed her cash, Avary nodded. The man spoke without any accent, definitely from out of town. He had a five o'clock shadow, his eyes looked black, and she could see his hair was faded up and kept long on the top due to a longer strand of brown hair that came loose from his hat.
Avary found him quite handsome, only seeing men looking like him in the city magazines that sat on the shelf's to sell. Most people traveling through were young backpackers, teenagers/college kids, families on vacation and truck drivers. Looking at the time she could tell it was gonna get dark soon, "I can give you a ride back to your car. It's gonna be dark soon and it'll be dangerous walking in the mountains at night." The man looked at her eyebrow raised, questioning her offer.
"I will be alright. Thank you." He turned and headed outside to the pump to fill the gas can. Avary watched him, he was confident but she knew the mountains were quite dangerous. Bears, wolves, cougars and people driving recklessly. 'He could be a creep.. you offered and he said no.' Avary thought to herself, trying to ignore her want to help. 'He could be a serial killer..' she glanced back outside to watch him finish up.
Avary sat half an hour had passed, she felt something urging her to go check on him. "Damn it!" Grabbing her jacket and flash light she headed out, locking the door and leaving a note. -Be back soon!- jumping into her Grandpa's old pick up she headed down the road in the direction he had headed. Driving slowly with the brights on she was nervous she couldn't see him, "Maybe he got to his car.." she spoke aloud.. but froze seeing the familiar gascan knocked over on the wrong side of the road..
Jackson cursed to himself not stopping for gas; he backtracked with a gascan to the gas station he'd seen. Arriving, he was surprised to see only a young woman there by herself. In such a remote place, since the town was an hour away. She stood frozen staring at a photo of an old man and what Jackson believed to be her as a child. His arrival broke her from her sadden gaze, she smiled greeting him. "Hello," she was not what he expected.
Her long blonde hair braided off to one side, bright green eyes looked as if she was about to cry. "Ran out of gas?" Her asking made him feel foolish, for not paying attention to his gas gage or the warning signs posted. "Yes. Five on the pump." He just wanted to get back to his car quickly since he had finished his job here. The girl took the cash ringing him up, she kept stealing glances at him. Was he dressed too suspiciously, could she sense he was dangerous..
He snapped out of his own thoughts as she offered him a ride back to his car. 'Driving a strange man back into the mountains..? If she only knew the danger men possess.. What I've just done..' Jackson starred at her for a long moment. 'It would save time.. but if she asks too many questions I might have to kill..' "I'll be alright. Thank you." He didn't want to kill her just for being nice. Outside he pumped the gas thinking she may find trouble in the future being kind to strangers like himself. He could sense her watching him, and he didn't mind it.
Watching her from the corner of his eye, she seemed tormented with her own thoughts. Jackson had never paid attention to women before but she was different. She was a natural beauty, no make up, sun kissed skin, dressed in a man's plaid button up, back under shirt, light jeans and boots. Jackson sighed, finishing up as he headed down the road, 'I've got to get out of the area.. My job is done. No need to stick around and get caught.'
The girl was right; it got dark quicker than expected but he didn't fear the dark. No he relished the darkness. After all his job was to be the thing you fear hiding in the dark. A hit man, it was just work to him. Money paid well, he had been hired by many people. The networks he used to offer his services were very hard to maneuver. Mainly governments, countries and the very wealthy could contact him.
Jackson had grown up in the foster system, kicked out fifteen he'd managed to get picked up by a recruiter looking for mercenaries. Lying about his age, forging paperwork he found himself overseas. Doing odd protection jobs, killing without hesitation just a way to survive. The goal is to be the best and train himself to be a ghost no one could see or find.. As Jackson walked the image of that girl kept popping into his mind. A feeling of being watched broke him off that train of thought.