Monday, 7:30. Just another uneventful start to another uneventful week. The garage door opened slowly, letting in the the lush, orange rays of morning sunlight. Inside sat a dark blue, armoured transport van, owned jointly by the Red Mesa Savings Bank, and the state.
The engine whirred to life, and the truck took to the road.
The driver, Ted McAdams has filled this position for many years. He knows both his vehicle and the route he drives on, almost better than the back of his own hand. Every week started the same. Monday and Tuesday were the days of picking up requested amounts of money from the Bank, and delivering them to the chash depos and other banks around the state. The rest of the week (weekends not included) is then spent gathering depostis, to be taken back to the Bank. This was usually not a one-van-job, but today would turn out to be different. As Ted neared the Bank, he saw two familiar faces, Philly Collin, and his young new partner, Chad Hansen.
Ted used to have a partner too, his name was Winston Davis. He always rode shotgun with Ted, his favorite thing being looking at the scenery as they passed it by. Even though they have been tredding the same roads for many years.
The Sun was already pretty high, as Ted pulled up to the entrance of The Bank, in the middle of nowhere, at exactly 8:00. If he was one thing, it was precise.
"Ted, you're here!" Philly greeted him cheerfully. As Ted looked around, there was a severe lack of armoured vans around, aside from his own. "What's going on?" he asked "Where are the others?"
"About that." Philly said in an apologetic tone "You're alone for this week."
Ted looked at his colleague with empty eyes. He was slow to process the information, and only regained conciousness, when he felt his glasses slipping off of his nose.
"All the other trucks are waiting to be serviced." Philly continued "It seems you're the only one, who's been taking good care of the equipment!" he took a dramatic pause before continuing "But management said to tell you, they'll dobule your salary for the time being!"
Ted still wasn't delighted, because he knew he'll have to drive all around and across the state, and he had to do it all alone too!
Yeah. Ted used to have a partner. But only used to. A week earlier, Winston was summoned as a witness to a criminal trial, about the recent break-in at The Bank.
Things took an unexpected turn, when the whole thing was pinned on him, stating that the guy who broke into the Bank, didn't actually break in, but was instead beaten up and stuffed inside a money-bag by Winston.
After the suspect was cleared of all charges, multiple investigations were launched against Winston, which lost him his job at The Bank. Rumors say he's joined some criminal organization to get back at the system that displaced him.
Ted couldn't believe any of that. He's known Winston for years! There is no way he'd beat somebody up and stuff them in a bag! And he especially wouldn't join a criminal organization out of spite!
...
Philly sprung the driver out of his stupor.
"Ted! Hellooo! Ground Control calling Ted, you hear me?" he shouted. Ted shook his head, then looked at his colleague.
"Here's the list of places you'll need to visit. You know how this goes, old fella, you've done it countless times!"
Ted took the paper and dropped it on the seat beside him. Winston would have taken that and said "Long trip? Bad time to leave the kitchen light on then..." and the two of them would share a chuckle. Ted was really missing his partner.
But there was no more time to dwell on that, so he pulled down his hat down, pushed his glasses up, and started on his multiple-day journey.
The desert road that led to the Bank was as desolate as ever, with only the Sun looking down on the lonely money-truck.
Aside from the sound of the running engine, there was nothing to keep Ted company. He tried turning the radio on a few times, but nothing he liked was on the air.
Winston used to like the radio. He wouldn't turne it on all the time, but every trip, there was at least one song, he would jam to.
Later, the engine's humming became only an undertone, to the bustling sounds of the Big City. The traffic was going at a snail's pace, and to Ted, it felt like time was moving even slower. He rolled by a small, café. "If I get there on foot and back with whatever coffee you want before you pass that shop, it's your treat, but if you're further along, it's on me!" Winston would say. He did this a few times, when the pair would be caught in rush hour traffic here.
But Ted was already past the coffee shop, by the time he finished flashing back.
He sighed, and turned the corner.
A few guards were waiting outside, for the blue van to pull up. Standing among them was a guy, with a bushy brown moustashe. As Ted arrived, he spotted him ammediately.
"Oh come on!" he grumbled under his nose "This isn't fair..."
They quickly got the bags out, and let Ted continue on his way.
The rest of the stops in the city were largely the same. Exept of course for the absence of bushy-moustashed guards. After that, came the smaller establishments all around the state.
Ted was getting tired. It was now the evening, and he's been driving for most of the day. Thankfully, the GPS showed a motel some 20 minutes away, which was still in managable range. He was soon there, and pulled into the parking lot. Only a dark-grey sedan was there, aside from him.
He checked into a room for the night, but he had a hard time falling asleep.
"Hey Winston!" Ted called as he tapped his friend's shoulder "What's going on?"
His moustashed friend didn't turn around, just kept on walking. He was fuming with anger, which set in right after his initial shock had died down.
That lawyer guy.... How could he pin it all on HIM?! That knot was tied on the outside, sure, but it wasn't him, who tied it! It must have been the accused. That's why he was on trial in the first place! That slikck bastard! He broke into the Bank, got caught, and THEN, he has the audacity to make HIM the scapegoat?!
"Winston? Please talk to me!" Ted kept prying, but it was no use. His partner was seeing red.
"Come on! I'll give you a ride! On the way we can figure out how we can sort out this mess!"
Winston spun around at a bullet's speed. "No, we will NOT sort out this mess!" he yelled "Didn't you hear them just now?! I am the number one suspect! This will ruin me!" He paused for a moment, and let out a defeated sigh "I am also fairly certain, you can't give me a ride. If someone saw me in the van, they'd think I'm up to no good. Then they might investigate you, and lose you your job too!"
Ted couldn't bare to see his friend like this. But what could he do? They have known each other for a very, very long time. "Pfweh! I would not lose my job. And neither will you! I'm sure this will blow over REALLY soon, and you will be re-instated as my partner in that van! You'll see!" Ted proclaimed, with a determined smile on his face. Winston however, was not phased by his friend's speech. In fact, he really didn't like Ted's overly optimistic tone. It made him madder still. How would he know? And why is he smiling? Is... Is this a joke to him?! And as nothing more coherent and clever came to his rage-clouded mind, he shouted at the unassuming Ted.
"How would you know?! Huh?! And why are you smiling?! Is this funny to you?!"
Ted was caught very much off guard by this outburst, and fell back. He's never seen Winston like this, ever. Not even close to it. "You know what, Ted?..." Winston continued, now looking down on his former partner "Screw yourself, and your stupid van too! It doesn't matter! If I'm fired, I'm fired! I was getting bored of this stupid job anyway!" and with that, he turned scab, and tramped way, leaving in his wake a very dazed and confused Ted McAdams.
Then he woke up sweating. He looked over, and saw the alarm-clock on the bedside drawer. It read 7:51. He turned back on his back, staring emptily at the ceiling. This stupid dream again. Why does it have to be this one every other night? The worst part is that it's not even a dream.... Obviously, he couldn't answer that for himself, so instead, he shut his eyes. - Aaahhhhhh, Idon'wanna goooo..... - he groaned to himself. Still, work was work, and Ted was a good employee, dedicated to his craft. Even if right now, he hated driving that truck more, than he has ever liked it.
From there on, the venues were largely only smaller towns, and there was still a long, long road ahead.
Ted tried not to think about his ex-partner as much as he could, but on such a long roadtrip, things that reminded him of Winston were everywhere. As he got further away from the city, the stretches of nothing, but open road between stops kept getting longer. Which would have been great, if Winston was there! He loved gazing out the window, watching the scenery as they passed it by. It let his mind wonder, and whenever he thought a thought was interesting enough to share, they would talk about it for a while. Thinking he would explode if he had to listen to just his own thoughts and the passing of the wind any longer, Ted turned on the radio again. It cracked and wooshed with static a little, before finally finding a channel. - ...a misterious rumbling noise was heared from the Red Mesa desert, east of the city. Satellite images show nothing out of the ordinary, and no sisemic activity had been recorded overnight. Researchers of the area are still trying to find out what could have caused the unnatural noise. - "Well, that's interesting!" Ted thought. He found it a little wierd, that neither Hansen, nor Collin have called him. They were on good terms, and he was sure at least one of them would contact him, if something unusual happened at the Bank. On the other hand, he took this as a good sign, as they probably didn't reach out because there was nothing wrong in the first place. The radio-host tore Ted from his thoughts.
- Well, ladies and gentlemen, you heard our friend! The next song goes out to those, spending long hours on the road! Keep on trucking, and Lake Shore Drive, here we come!
Ted weered right, onto the dirt shoulder and slammed on the brakes. He just sat there, letting the song play for a few moments, before grabbing the emergency hammer from the glove compartment, and he started smashing the radio with it. After it was poperly broken, he even managed to force it out of the dashboard, and threw it out the window. Now that that was dealt with, he was ready to continue.
It was one of Winston's favorite songs.
The sun was on top of the sky now, and time must have been around noon as Ted completed a few pick-ups. He was feeling terrible. All he could think about was Winston! Everywhere he looked, he saw Winston! Everything lead back to Winston. Sometimes he stopped on the side of the road, because he had to get out, and walk a little. No matter what, his best friend was everywhere, despite not being around at all. He thought he was losing his mind.
Some hours and two more pick-ups later, he stopped at a place, called Roadside Bar and Inn.
It was only the late afternoon, but Ted decided to rent a room for the rest of the day, and the night. He couldn't continue on like this. Aside from a guy with chops and a cowboy hat sitting at the counter, there was no one inside. Ted took the seat next to him. The bartender appeared in a minute. "What can I get you sir?" he asked.
"Something cold. Something cold would be nice."
"A beer? We've got some fresh barrels on tap!"
"No, thank you. I've got be driving tomorrow. The last thing I need is alcohol... I'd like a pop."
The bartender nodded, opened a bottle of soda and put it in front of Ted, before disappearing into the back-room again.
"So" said the man in the hat "What's the bother?"
Ted didn't look at him, just took a sip from his drink like no one's talking to him.
"Come on partner. I know that look. Seen it in the mirror copula' times myself."
Ted sighed, and slowly turned to the Cowboy.
"Must you really know? It's not exactly a good topic for conversation, especially with a stranger..."
In his voice was frustration, but on his face was more sadness and defeat. He's never felt this this terrible, ever before.
"Look my friend, I'm not a doctor and I don't know you. But DO know that face, and I know what it means." the Cowboy continued. He offered Ted his hand, and after a few moments of hesitation he shook it.
"Ted McAdams."
"My name is Rupert Price. Pleasure metting you!"
"The pleasure is all yours."
The two of them sat there for a little while without saying a word, only taking sips from their drinks from time to time. Ted, felt his chest swelling. His breathing was slowly but steadily getting heavier, his face was getting more and more red, and he could feel a ball forming in his throat. He could feel, that in no time, he will be overwhelmed by all of this, if he doesn't do something quickly. Meanwhile, Rupert was slowly chipping away at a bowl of peanuts and his drink, sometimes sneaking a look at Ted to see if he's ready to talk. Not much later he was.
"He was my best friend, you know?" Ted exclaimed "The very best! We probably knew each othet better than our own mothers...."
He smiled, and chuckled a bit at the memories, flooding his mind. Rupert sat there in silence.
"And then... Then he made a mistake! An honest mistake, and they made him pay a big price for it!"
He kept telling the cowboy of how poorly Winston was judged, investigated, and fired.
"...and it's only been a week since, but I... I miss him!"
Ted broke down. He bumped his head on the counter, looking sideways at his soda bottle.
"Well" Rupert began, as he turned to Ted "I kinda get it. Me and my brother were really close, before he got ill, and died over 8 years ago. That's when I joined the academy, to become a policeman."
He sighed. Just like Ted, he was flashing back, to when he worked on cars with his brother.
"You see, I wanted to get as far away from what we did together, as I could. I just couldn't bare to put on overalls, get dirty with oil and smell like gas again."
Ted sat back up. He didn't look at Rupert, but he was listening.
"But after some time I thought "Does this help? Is me, avoiding all of that better?" And the answer was no. So now, every time I change the oil, a wheel, or do any work on my car, I think of him. All the good times we shared. And that does make me a little sad, yes, but it also makes me happy. You know, fond memories. It's sad that they are just that, but it's very cool, that they happened in the first place!"
Ted finished his soda. He still wasn't looking at Rupert, but this time, his expression was different. He no longer looked like he's in a never ending downward spiral, and more like someone, who's ready to make change.
"Thank you Mr. Price. I think I needed that."
Ted said, and he smiled. It was a weak, fragile smile, but a genuine smile nontheless.
"Don't be kiddin'! Any time."
They shook hands again, and after paying, Ted went upstairs to his room.
That night, he could finally sleep. He slept sound, and without any dreams. Not even a passing thought about his partner. In the middle of the night, a suddent green light illuminated his room, coming through the window. It went away faster than it appeared, and barely anybody was still awake to see it. The next morning, Ted woke up fresh, ready for the rest of his journey. He slept well, and it was written all over his face.
He only had one pick-up left to do, before heading back to the Bank. This one, much like the latter part of his journey, was out in the desert. This was the final stretch, and with his renewed energy, Ted was looking forward to it. The savings bank he was going to pick up money from, was located at the edge of the same desert, as the Bank.
Ted was finally in a good mood. He turned on the radio on his phone, and sat it on the other seat. By midday, he had arrived. Picking up the money now meant, that he could be back at The Bank in four hours tops.
But it wasn't going to be that easy. Even from a fair distance away, the building seemed deserted. As he got closer, Ted became sure, that he won't be picking up any money here. The small concrete struckture was in a rather poor shape, with paint and plaster chipping off in places, and the glass in the doors and windows was so dusty and dirty, that they were no longer transparent. The door handles were chained together, and a sign saying "Closed. Government Property. No tresspassing!" hung on them.
Ted slowed to a stop to see what's up, but as soon as he did, he heared the roar of engines close by.
He looked left, and saw a gang of bikers riding right towards him! Then, when he looked right, the exact same sight greeted him! - "Shoot!" he yelled, as he slammed the truck into gear and kicked the accelorator.
The engine roared like a furious animal, and the truck jumped. The bikers soon caught up, and Ted quickly realized, he was in a high-speed chase. The speedometer on the dashboard was only designed for about 70 mph, but on steeper downhill sections, the truck could go as fast as 90. The bikers were relentless, bullying the van from all sides. Ted felt much courage at first, but as time went by, tension only seemed to grow, as his attackers did not back down, no matter what he tried.
He bumped one guy who was getting a little too close, probably looking to jump on. He fell, and knocked out two more riders. That still left Ted with eight, but it was something.
Then, as if by a miracle, he spotted a grey sedan in one of his side-view mirrors, approaching fast, and with a blinking blue light! It bumped two bikes out of the way, as they were pulling up next to the van. At the wheel was Ted's newest friend, Rupert Price, this time with a badge over his chest.
A biker felt brave, and pulled up between the two vehicles. Ted exchanged a quick look with Rupert, making sure they were both thinking the same thing, before squeezing the biker between the two of them. This was the final straw for the truck however, which couldn't take the stress placed upon it anyomre, and the front left tire blew. The van swerved left as a result, knocking out another biker. Ted slammed the breaks hard, still trying to catch the last of his persuers off guard, but with a tire down and the speed the truck was still going, he ended up flipping the thing onto it's side.
Rupert sped on.
The remaining four bikers all stopped in a line right next to eachother. Ted in the van was dazed, bruised and a little confused, but otherwise all right. The glove compartment door fell open, and Ted saw that the hammer was still there. He grabbed onto it, and was ready to jump out and defend himself agains the remaining threat. Meanwhile, one of the four guys who appeared to be the self-proclaimed leader of those still on their wheels, took off his helmet and walked towards the turned-over van. He told the other three to stay there for now.
"Hey you in there! If you're still alive, well, don't worry! It won't stay like that for much longer! I'm go -" he shouted, but couldn't finish, as he was rudely interrupted by a loud crash, screaming, and metal crunching. The grey sedan with Rupert Price has returned, and and ran right over the three bikers standing neatly in one line.
The leader was caught so off guard by this, that he didn't even look at the truck. This way, he couldn't see Ted McAdams, emerging from the cab and whacking him in the head with his trusty hammer.
The biker was knocked out clean.
Rupert called in for reinforcements.
He looked at the battered Ted, hammer still in hand, and chuckled a bit. "Whew! Looks like I got here just in time, otherwise these guys might have gone to the morgue..." he joked.
Ted offered a weak laugh. It's actually been quite a while since he had laughed at anything, but this was genuine.
"So, what now parter?" Rupert enquired "You're in some serious jelly!"
Now, Ted laughed for real, catching even his new friend off guard. Serious jelly? He was in serious jelly not a minute ago! Compared to a gang of bikers trying to run him off the road, what was a broken down truck to him? He knew this tin can well enough, he could probably make it go if it had only one wheel left!
"No uuhhh, partner, I'm not in any jelly anymore, thanks to you!"
They turned to look at the truck, srenely laying on it's side in the sand, as the Sun was slowly making it's way down the sky.
They secured all the bikers present, untill reinforcements arrived. They have also collected a few Ted managed to deal with before Rupert arrived to help.
After all the criminals were safely put away, the officers helped Ted turn his truck the right way up. They congratulated him on his bravery, and thanked him for his service before they left.
Rupert stayed behind to help Ted change the busted wheel, and check the truck, to see if everything else was in order.
"Well Mr. McAdams, are you sure you don't need an escort?"
Ted was back in the driver's seat. He carefully turned the ignition key, and the engine, though sounding a little hurt, vrummed to life without a problem.
"No, Officer Price, thank you. I will be fine from here! Only an hour away now!"
The two men shook hands again, before they both got going. For a while, they stayed together, but at an intersection, Rupert turned left, towards the city. The skyline of the great metropolis was a littlebit faded, but still visible in the light of the setting Sun.
Ted kept going forward, untill he too turned off the main road. He was home free.
The desert was draped in red, as the Sun was making it's way down towards the horizon. From Ted Pulled up to the bank in his beat-up truck, only to find neither Philly, nor Chad at their post.
The lights were on and their cars were parked in their usual spots, but the two guards were nowhere to be seen.
"Phil?" he called out "Chad? Buddy?"
He got out, and inspected the place, but aside from his missing colleagues, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then he heared some muffled noises, coming fron the building.
Ted grabbed his hammer and entered the building. Straight ahead was the main storage hall, and to the left were a few offices. Light shone through underneath the doors, leading to the offices. Ted, nerously pulled on the handle, and slowly pulled the two wings open.
An unexpected sight greeted him.
Both Philly and Chad were in here, engaged in conversation with someone else.
"Ah, Mr. McAdams!" the stranger greeted Ted "Just in time. Pardon my forwardness, but there are matters to discuss. Now please step in, and if you could close the door behind you please..."
Ted, wanting to understand what excatly was going on, did just like the stranger asked. He entered the office, and closed the doors behind him.