“Oh, shit, what do you want?” Justin said.
“I’m your boss, asshole,” he said, glaring back at Justin. “You and I have some personal issues that need to be settled. But that’s not going to happen now. We’ll talk about that some other time. I need to clue you in on your job right now.”
“Ok, Richard.”
“First, I want you to know that it wasn’t my idea to have you drive busses. I don’t want anyone working here that I can’t trust, and I sure as hell can’t trust you. You have certain skills that got you this job. I’ve got to live with that, but I don’t need to like it, and I plan to make your time here as difficult as possible. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“If I have anything to do with it, you’re going to get the crappiest busses and the worst assignments. I hope for both our sakes that you quit, maybe even drop out of school. But until then, I need to make sure you abide by the rules. Mr. Gholson probably told you about the opportunities to earn extra income. But I’m sure he didn’t provide you any details of what you need to do to earn that income.
“Justin, on certain trips, a backpack with your name on it will be loaded into your bus, which must not be opened or removed until someone contacts you when you reach your destination. When you are carrying this backpack, you are not to leave the bus for any reason. When you reach your destination, do not let any of the team members remove it. It will be labeled with your name on it. It must remain on the bus until someone approaches you with an S of O business card and mentions my name. When they do, you are to hand them the backpack, and they will hand you an identical backpack with your name on it. You are not to leave the bus. You are not to leave that bag unattended. You are not to open either backpack. They are sealed, and we will know if they have been opened. You will deliver the backpack left with you back to me at this office when you return to campus. I will pay you a cash bonus for every successful trip.”
“What the hell are you up to, Richard?” Justin asked.
“Don’t question it, asshole. It’s none of your business and trust me when I say that if you tell anyone about our arrangement, you’re going to find yourself floating at the bottom of the campus pond. Justin, I’m telling you that this is something you don’t want to ask questions about. The less you know, the better. Just do exactly as I tell you, and you’ll make good money and live to spend it.”
It was at that point that Justin realized that Richard knew and perhaps even had something to do with the two bodies in S of O’s fountain.
Richard continued. “You happen to be traveling with a special backpack today. Make sure it is safely transferred to St. Louis, and make damn sure that the backpack given to you in the exchange is returned to me. If you fuck this up, asshole, you won’t live to see tomorrow. If you think about crossing me or telling someone about our conversation, consider that I am not the only one that knows about our arrangement, and if you screw me over, you’re also screwing people that are a hell of a lot meaner than me. They wouldn’t stop at killing you. They will go after your family and anyone close to you. And, if you’re thinking of quitting this job, or walking away, understand that no one walks away without serious consequences.”
Richard handed him the keys to bus 13. “You may recognize the bus you’ll be driving today. It’s the same one that Tyler drove last weekend when the brakes went out, and he crashed it into a tree,” Richard said with a smile. “Don’t worry, though. I’m pretty sure the brakes have been fixed. Funny thing about Tyler, he didn’t much like the arrangement we had, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. I trust you’ll do the same.”
Five minutes later, Justin was on the bus and pulling up to the athletic building. Coach Moffitt was waiting. “Justin, I’m glad you’re driving us. I hope you’re a better driver than Tyler. We don’t need any more accidents.”
“Yes, coach. I agree. Do you think I could have a cup of coffee from your thermos before we take off?”
“Sure, get the bags loaded, and I’ll pour you a cup. Hope you like it black and strong.”
“Absolutely, the stronger, the better.”
The team was arriving now. As they did, they left the bags at the rear of the bus for loading. He opened the luggage compartment at the bus’s rear to start loading. That’s when he noticed the black backpack already loaded inside. It had a tag on it marked “Justin Wade.” It looked like a plain, ordinary backpack. There was nothing suspicious about it. He loaded the team bags in front of it, shut the compartment and got on the bus.
“Hey, Justin,” Earl hollered. “Have you ever driven a bus before?”
“No, but there’s a first for everything,” Justin said, smiling back at his friend.
“I just hope Tyler didn’t give you lessons,” Earl replied.
Then Eric spoke up. “Justin, isn’t this the same bus that we wrecked last week. It still has a dent in the front where it struck that tree.”
“Yeah, it’s the same bus. But they assured me that the brakes have been fixed.”
“Well, I hope you tested them before you came to pick us up,” Earl said, laughing.
“No, I didn’t have time. I thought we’d test them together on the hills going up to Springfield.”
“Very funny, Justin,” Earl replied.
The buses in S of O’s fleet consisted mainly of retired school buses, repainted and refurbished by student mechanics. Most were ten years old or older. The one Justin was driving was closer to fifteen years old. The floor was rusting. The seats were torn. Several of the windows were cracked, and others wouldn’t open. The heater barely worked. The cross-country team was used to getting some of the worst busses. There were some new ones in the campus fleet, but those were used for the basketball and baseball teams. Those were the two sports that brought in the most revenue and alumni support to S of O.
The basketball team had been to the NAIA tournament for six of the last ten years. They had won regionals the last two years. Stands were packed for their games, and they even had local television and radio contracts. The baseball team had even more success than the basketball team, although they brought in less than half the revenue. They had been runners-up to the NAIA National Championship twice and had won Regionals four of the last six years.
Other sports teams at S of O were treated like bastard children compared to the basketball and baseball teams. Their budgets were smaller for equipment, uniforms and travel expenses. They rarely attended competitions that were too far for the team to be able to drive to and back from on the same day. Baseball and Basketball teams got the priority on the athletic building’s facilities like the weight room, locker rooms, hot tub and swimming pool.
In reality, S of O wasn’t much different than most private schools whose resources were limited and who prioritized budgets based on projected revenue to the athletic department.
Based on income-producing ability, the cross-country team was at the bottom of the list. They brought in zero income, and their travel expenses were high. Coach Moffitt had done the best he could with his limited resources. His teams had done well, and the cross-country program at S of O was highly regarded. He had a reasonable amount of pull with the school’s administrators, and he used that pull whenever he felt it was necessary. He had used that pull to get approval to travel to larger competitions like the one they were going to that day in St. Louis. He had also used that pull to get the team into a special athletic dorm suite at Brown Hall. Other than the Basketball and Baseball teams, no other teams roomed together in Brown Hall.
The trip to St. Louis was long but uneventful. Most of the team slept. Justin spent his time thinking about Richard and that backpack.
What was inside it?
Who was the person that was going to pick it up?
What was Richard involved in, and did Risa know anything about it?
Did Richard kill the boys in the pond, and why were they killed? Did it have something to do with what was in that backpack?
Who were the others involved that Richard alluded to? Was Karl Gholson involved? Was Coach Moffitt involved?
Tyler was involved, according to Richard.
Did his involvement have anything to do with the bus accident? Is that why he left school so abruptly?
At this point, Justin had no answers. All he had were questions. He wanted to tell someone. Whatever Richard was up to had to be illegal.
But what if Richard’s threats are true? What if other people were involved, people that would not think twice about harming me or my family?
He couldn’t take that chance, not yet, not until he had more answers, not until he knew exactly what Richard was up to and who else was involved.
Forest Park was nestled in the central west end of St. Louis. It was bordered on the north and west side by million-dollar homes and mansions built in the early to mid-1900s. On the east side were elegant restaurants and Barnes Jewish Hospital. On the south side was Highway 40, a major highway connecting downtown to the east and the suburbs to the west.
The race was to begin in the northern section of the park between the art and history museums and the public golf course. Justin parked the bus in a public parking lot across from the golf course. He opened the door and wished each team member good luck as they got off the bus.
“Aren’t you coming, buddy?” Earl asked.
“No, I can’t. I was given instructions not to leave the bus.”
“Nobody is going to know, Justin,” Earl said. Come on, you can see the start and finish of the race from the terrace of the golf course.”
“No, this is my first day driving. I better follow the rules.”
“What? Are they afraid someone might steal this old bus? They’d be doing us all a favor if they did steal it,” Earl said jokingly.
“Good luck, Earl. Do me a favor and shout as loud as you can so I can hear you every time you pass someone.”
“I’ll do that, buddy. See you on the other side.”
Justin waited anxiously for about thirty minutes before someone approached the bus. He was a young man with stringy, long hair with tattoos covering his arms and legs. He looked a bit like a homeless person. His clothes were dirty and worn. He was smoking a cigarette.
He knocked on the door of the bus. At first, Justin was afraid to let him in. Then, he pulled out a business card with School of the Ozarks printed in large letters. Justin opened the door to the bus.
“What the fuck, man?” he said. “I thought you weren’t going to let me in. Got the backpack for me?”
“Yes, it’s in the back. Do you have something for me?”
“First things first, asshole. You give me your backpack, and I’ll give you mine.”
Justin went to the back of the bus and got the backpack. He handed it to him. Without saying a word, the man took the backpack and started to walk away.
“Hey, wait. You’re supposed to give me one.”
“Be patient, little man. I’ve got to make sure you’re giving me everything. I’ll be back.”
Justin watched the man disappear behind several rows of cars. He was gone about ten minutes before he returned carrying another backpack. He said nothing, just threw the backpack inside the bus and left.
Justin was shaking. Everything about the man gave him the creeps. He took the backpack and stuffed it underneath his driver’s seat. All he wanted to do was to get the hell out of there. But he had to wait for the team.
“How’d you guys do?” he asked as the team returned to the bus.
“We finished sixth,” Brad Connelly said back.
From the looks on the other runner’s faces, it was going to be a long, quiet ride home. That was fine with Justin. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation. His mind could not get away from that backpack and what kind of trouble he was involved in. He worried about Risa.
Does she know about Richard?” he wondered. “Is that why she is afraid to leave him?
One thing was certain, he needed to talk to her as soon as possible.
It was a little past 8pm when Justin arrived back on campus. He dropped his teammates off and drove the bus to the parking lot. He grabbed the backpack and walked to the office. Lights were on inside. Seated at the desk was Richard.
“Let’s have the bag, asshole,” he said as Justin entered the office.
Justin handed him the bag and watched as he examined the outside to make sure the lock was not tampered with and the bag hadn’t been opened. Then he reached into the desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. He sat it on the edge of his desk.
“Take it. You earned it,” he said to Justin.
“I don’t want it,” Justin responded.
“Take it, damn it,” Richard said. “If you don’t, someone might get the idea that you aren’t to be trusted, and I don’t think you want them to think that. Although, if you don’t take it, I believe I will enjoy watching them deal with you.”
Justin reached down to take the envelope. Richard grabbed his arm before he could lift it from the desk.
“Just one more thing, asshole. Stay away from Risa. Someone else may think you are useful, but I swear to you, if you continue to see Risa, I’ll fucking kill you.”
Richard released Justin’s arm and let him pick up the envelope.
Justin took the envelope, put it in his pants pocket and walked out the door without saying anything.
He walked back toward Brown Hall, stopping at the bench on the far side of the fountain first. It was a chilly night, temperatures in the forties with a slight breeze that made it feel ten degrees cooler. The area was quiet. No one was around. He sat on the bench, pulled out the envelope and opened it. Inside were ten twenty-dollar bills.
Justin suspected that what he delivered to St. Louis was illegal. Now he was certain of it.
Whatever Richard had involved him in was bad. He knew that. He sat on the bench wondering what he could do, wondering who he could trust, wondering if Risa was involved. He sat on that bench for over an hour thinking. Then he walked to Brown Hall and to his room.
“Where have you been, buddy?” Earl asked. “We’ve been back for over an hour.”
“Just needed to clear my head,” Justin replied.
“Well, sit down. Have a beer,” Bobby said, holding out a cold Budweiser. “Earl and I went into town and bought a case. We figured the team needed to relax and unwind after the terrible day we had.”
“Thanks, Bobby. I didn’t realize either of you were twenty-one,” Justin said.
Both Bobby and Earl laughed.
“We’re not,” Bobby said, “but Earl has a driver’s license that says he is.”
“How’d you manage that, Earl?” Justin asked.
“Twenty bucks and a name of a senior that is a whiz making fake IDs,” Earl replied.
Justin looked around. Besides Earl and Bobby, Dennis Glenn was the only other teammate in the common living area of the suite.
“Where are the others?” Justin asked.
“They went to their rooms,” Earl said. “They were afraid coach might stop by, and they didn’t want to get him any madder than he already was.”
Bobby held out his beer. “Let’s toast to better days, boys.”
Everyone tapped beers and then took swallows.
“Man, this beer tastes good,” Justin said.
“Damn right,” Earl said.
“By the way, where were you, Justin?” Bobby asked.
“I needed to walk and think a little bit. It was a stressful day.”
“Stressful? all you did was drive the bus. We’re the ones that had our asses kicked and then had to listen to coach scream at us,” Dennis said.
“OK, enough talk about today’s race,” Bobby said. “Let’s talk about something pleasant.”
“Like girls?” Dennis said.
“I think you better talk about a subject you know something about, Dennis,” Earl said, laughing.
“Buddy, I saw Risa tonight outside the liquor store in Branson,” Earl said. “She was waiting in a car, a new red Camaro. She was on the passenger side with the window rolled down. She called me over when she saw me. She asked about you, Justin, and how you were doing. I told her that you were doing OK. Then she saw someone coming out of the liquor store and motioned me away. She looked afraid.”
“Did you see who the guy was?”
“Yeah, I saw him, but I didn’t recognize him. I don’t think he was one of Richard’s teammates or another S of O student, though. He was short and heavy-set with long thin hair tied into a ponytail. He had tattoos all over. I tell you, he looked a little scary to me.”
“Damn, Earl. Do you think she is in some kind of trouble?”
“I don’t know, buddy. But I think if she was worried that she would have said something to me, asked for help or told me to call the police.”
“You really seem to care about that girl,” Bobby said.
“Yes, I do,” Justin replied. “I’m worried about her. I think she may be mixed up with some bad people.”
“Why do you say that?” Dennis asked.
Justin grabbed another beer, opened it and drank it down quickly. He needed a little liquid courage for what he was about to tell them.
After downing the beer, he put the empty can on the coffee table and stood up.
“Boys, if I tell you something, can you promise not to tell anyone? I mean, absolutely no one else can know.”
They all agreed.
Justin pulled the envelope from his pocket, opened it and set the $200 that was inside it on the table.
“Damn, buddy. Where did you get that much money?” Earl asked.
“I got it from Richard Conner, Risa’s boyfriend,” Justin said.
“Oh shit,” Earl responded. “What’s going on? Did he try to pay you off to stop seeing Risa?”
“No. He wants me to stop seeing Risa, alright. He even threatened to kill me. But that wasn’t what the money was for,” Justin said.
That’s when he told his friends the whole story. They sat there and listened to every detail. When Justin was done with his story, Bobby was the first one to speak up.
“It’s got to be drugs,” he said. “Drugs are big in the Ozarks, marijuana, cocaine, meth. They’re all being produced down here.”
“How do you know that?” Dennis asked.
“Remember, I grew up in the hills of the Ozarks. Most of the people I knew either made them or used them. Meth is the worst of them all. Once you get on it, you’re hooked. You’ve got to have more and more, and you’ll do anything to get it until only one thing matters in your life, and that’s getting your next hit. This area is the meth capital of the world.”
“I don’t know what was in that backpack,” Justin said. “But it had to be valuable. The bag was locked and sealed. There was no way to open it without someone noticing. Richard threatened I’d end up at the bottom of the pond like the other two kids if I opened it or screwed with him. He said that others were involved, and they wouldn’t stop with killing me. They would come after my family and friends.”
“My God,” Do you think Richard murdered those two kids?” Earl asked.
“I don’t know. He might not even know anything about the murders, and he just wanted to scare me,” Justin said.
“What kids in the pond? What are you talking about, Justin?” Dennis asked.
“Do you remember the storm we had late in summer, the time all the electricity went out on campus?”
“Yes, I remember,” Dennis said.
“That night after the lights came on, I was lying in bed. I was in Rowlison Hall then. It was a really hot, muggy night. I had my dorm window open. It faced the pond. I was just about asleep when I heard a loud, grinding noise coming from the pond. It lasted only a minute or so. But not long after the noise stopped, I saw the red light shining through the window. I got up and looked out. The water spraying from the fountain was red, like blood. It only lasted for a few seconds, and then the lights of the fountain went out.”
“I remember hearing stories of that from several students. No one believed the stories. Everyone assumed they were made up to scare the freshmen,” Bobby said.
“Trust me. It happened,” Justin said, grabbing for a fresh beer. “I went out the window that night. I needed to see what was going on. When I got close to the pond, I saw several men and three or four campus security guards. There were two row boats in the water. I saw them pull up what looked like two bodies wrapped in canvasses with ropes tied around them.”
“Shit,” Dennis said. “Why weren’t there any news reports about them? Why weren’t the police called?”
“I don’t know. But I suspect that the college tried to cover it up. The publicity would have been terrible for them,” Justin said. “Besides, the boys that died in that pond weren’t students.”
“How do you know that?” Bobby asked.
“Because if they were students, the school wouldn’t have been able to cover it up. Besides, I’m pretty sure that I know who they were. I saw posters of two boys that were missing from Branson. An article about them was in the Branson newspaper. The article speculated that they were involved in drugs. The article went on to say that the family had hired a private investigator that was looking into the disappearance.”
“Drugs, I told you boys about how serious the problem is in the Ozarks,” Bobby said. “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if those boys were murdered because of a drug deal that went wrong.”
“Justin, I can only think of one reason someone would pay you $200 to deliver a package to St. Louis,” Bobby said. “You were delivering drugs.”
“I’ve thought about that, Bobby. You are probably right. But I don’t know who I can trust. Mr. Gholson, the athletic director, hired me to drive busses. Richard said a lot of other people are involved. I’m afraid to approach him. He may be a part of it. I can’t do anything until I know exactly what is going on and who is involved. Richard alluded to Tyler being involved. He has left school now. Then there was the other student bus driver that left school and died in a car accident. Whoever the people are that are involved are serious about protecting themselves.”
“Well, one thing is for sure, buddy. You have four friends here that you can trust. We’ll have your back,” Earl said.
“Absolutely, Justin,” Dennis said.
“I’m with you, too,” Bobby said. “I know these hill people. They can be violent when protecting themselves. But most aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer. And almost all of them are a few fries shy of a happy meal, if you know what I mean. I think it’s a result of generations of inner breeding,” Bobby said.