Dreamland

Keep on Truckin’

My sister and brother-in-law recently started their own independent trucking business. They asked me if I want a job driving, and I accept. Rick takes care of the truck maintenance and getting contracts, Carol does the books and hiring. I’m staying at their house until I can find a place of my own. They aren’t charging me any rent, but I have to clean house for them when I’m in town.

I just got back from a run. I delivered a shipment of pasta to Bethesda Maryland, brought back a load of books and dropped them off in Orlando. Carol’s first husband shows up at the office looking for a job. He looks to me like he’s strung out on drugs. He tells my sister he’s clean and sober, recently got his trucker’s license. He wants a chance to make something of his life. She hires him, and tells him to go see Rick about a delivery assignment.

After he walks away, I confront my sister. “How could you hire him? He’s obviously on something!”

She replies “No, he says he’s sober now. I think we should give him a chance.”

As she’s saying this, I get this vision, as if I’m telepathically seeing him through her eyes. He looks clean cut, his eyes are bright; a much different image than the man I just saw. I’m not sure if this is wishful thinking on her part, or if he’s somehow hypnotized her. I just get a bad feeling about the whole thing.

I go out to the yard to talk to Rick. He’s just sent the guy out with a truckload of electronics goods, to be delivered to Dallas. I tell him of my suspicions, but he trusts my sister’s judgement. I walk back to the office.

The truck doesn’t show up in Dallas, and Carol’s ex doesn’t answer his calls. Rick calls the police, has them locate the truck (the trucks all have tracking devices installed). It’s south of El Paso, in Mexico. They contact the authorities. The truck is empty, and the driver is nowhere to be seen. He obviously planned the whole thing, sold the shipment and ran with the money. Rick books me a cheap flight out of Orlando. I fly out to pick up the truck. At least we get that back.