“Lansing’s people are not going to collar the Bridgestones before we do. To steal a line from General Patton, ‘I’m going to beat that gentleman to Messina.’”

Chapter 11

Chapter  11

Leonard Bridgestone pulled a gray pickup behind a supermarket and parked near its loading dock. As expected, the area was deserted. Ernie parked the stolen UPS truck next to the pickup and together they untied the tarp covering the pickup’s bed.

Leonard helped Ernie haul the Enduro motorcycle out of the bed and get it upright on the asphalt. He checked the large ice chest strapped to its rack. He squinted as his brother gave the ice chest a soft caress before pulling a ten-foot-long, three-by-six piece of lumber from the bed of the pickup. Leonard followed him to the rear of the UPS truck and hoisted its roll-up door. Bound and unconscious, the driver was stripped down to his underwear. Although the driver’s uniform didn’t fit Leonard perfectly, it was close enough. Ernie slid the three-by-six in next to the driver. Shaped by a table saw, two of its squared edges were cut at 45-degree angles along its length so it could be easily driven over when the time came. The bottom of the three-by-six also had a V-shaped channel cut along its entire length.

“Are we sure about this?” Leonard asked. “It’s not too late to call it off.”

“Of course we’re sure, they killed Sammy.”

“This won’t bring him back.”

Ernie frowned. “What, you having second thoughts?”

“Getting out of the country is going to be a lot more difficult.”

“Shit, we’ll get out. Is that your only reason?”

Leonard didn’t like the accusatory tone. “Do I have to spell it out for you? Use your fucking head, Ernie. This is a huge thing with huge consequences.”

“Hey, take it easy. I didn’t mean nothing by it.”

“Once we do this, there’s no turning back. You know that.”

“I know,” Ernie said.

“Do you really? Do you have any idea? I wonder…”

“We already talked about this.”

“Well, we’re talking again.”

“So talk.”