Jeurridam Ch. 07: Henderson (Mid)

"Free schools?" Luke asked, the idea sounding too good to be true.

"It's a big idea but I feel it can be pulled off with enough research, money and control over the population... My dad already has one foot in the door with that but with our relationship so strained at the moment, I'll have to let him cool down. And he would not buy a single word I say until I can prove to him I don't need him. And if that's the case, he may still be upset that I'm the cause of the wrench in his empire and just be too difficult to work with..." I sighed.

"Who else can help?" Luke asked.

"My sister's best friend can... But I already used him once, don't wanna use him again. He's such a nice kid but will fucking hurt you!!!! I don't even want to open that door again." I said back.

"Ugh, every relationship you ever had sounded strained..." Luke noted.

"Yeah, I kinda have that effect on people." I shrugged. He looked at me with a grin, slowly reaching for my hand.

"You have more effects on people than you know." He said, propping his feet up on the dash.

"I do, huh?" I responded with a chuckle.

"You're like so driven and cutthroat but really, really genuine and kind despite your ambitions. I've seen how people who're driven can get. I've never really seen a person go after their dreams and succeed the way you have yet still stay down to earth. You left the streets, that escort life and not long after, you're here... with a job, making a way for yourself! Like, who does that? Who can do that? Who's that driven, let alone blessed. I mean, if you can follow your dreams, I can follow mine..." He said.

"You know I really don't like praise..." I laughed.

"Sorry." Luke shrugged.

"And what's your dream?" I asked, truly curious.

"I know this is going to sound so dumb, but I wanna be with you, Zeek. Like, forget everything else! I just want it to be you and me!" He said, looking deep into my eyes. It truly shocked me. This boy had fallen for me but I wasn't quite there yet. However, with time, I easily could fall for him just as he's fallen for me. I tended to fall relatively easily, anyways. Maybe I was a hopeless romantic.

We reached the lake, filling up the water tank with the pumps. Many people were here filling up their tanks as well. This place had me on edge, being too close to Fool's Paradise for my liking. I looked around and the drum filled up. Da Lagon was known to have informants lurking in unexpected locations when a potential conflict was going on. Considering how high ranking Rion was within Da Lagon and how wicked he could be, I didn't want to take chances. The beretta was on my hip, ready for any quick action. Maybe I should have rode to the Arizona side of the Bay of Vegas to fill up the tank. Then again, they probably would have expected that and be staked out over there or something, I don't know. Da Lagon had me just that nervous.

"You okay?" Luke asked, sensing my worry.

"Yeah, um just not a fan of this location. Too close to East Paradise... That's prime Da Lagon's territory."

"Oh..." Luke sighed, now understand. Da Lagon was big enough to be a serious threat to any faction in Jeurridam and had quite a bit of pull. With it just being Luke and I on our own, we stood no chance. I didn't quite know if Da Lagon was done with me yet, and I'd be a fool to think it was. With Luke being someone I cared for, the last thing I wanted was for him to be caught in the middle. He'd most certainly get hurt.

"Let's get moving..." I said, the tank reaching capacity.

We left, heading dozens of miles south to Jackrabbit Territory. The Sonoran was nothing but cactus, shrubs and dirt. No one was around for miles, just us. I reached for the glove department, pulling out a scope.

"It is foraging time for jackrabbits," I said to Luke, "They'll be out in the open but still are ridiculously hard to see. Look for big pink ears." He took the scope.

"Okay." He responded.

I got up walking to the back of the truck. I opened the truck box, pulling out a brand spanking new deer rifle. It was resting next to Uncle Miguel's shotgun.

"Zeek..." Luke called out, sounding unnerved.

"Yeah." I responded.

"There's someone out here." He said. It caused me to look up. Luke was sitting on the hood of the truck, looking down the scope.

"What?" I asked, going to see for myself. I looked down the monocular seeing a buggy, one with alarming familiarity, "That's Da Lagon. Damn it, we shouldn't have went to the lake! I knew we'd get followed." Luke looked at me, not liking the way I sounded.

"Followed?" He asked.

"Yes... We, my friend, are being stalked..." I sighed, not at all pleased, "An informant must have seen us at The Bay of Vegas... They now know what we look like, what we're riding in now and probably are relaying every bit of information to whoever's in charge... I hope they're not following me for the reasons I think they are... This, man I hope not..." I said, upset and confused.

"So what are we going to do? What does this mean? Are we in trouble?" Luke asked, quite fearful. I didn't like seeing him this worried.

"Just hold on..." I said, going back to the rear of the truck. I loaded a clip of .306s into the rifle. Luke watched as I entered the truck, rolling down the driver's window.

"What are you doing?" He asked as I looked down the scope of the rifle. Two shots rang across the desert, startling the boy. He looked at me, completely horrified, "You didn't..."

"I did... I don't like games and Da Lagon most certainly thinks we're game to play." I said.

Luke looked down the monocular, seeing two dead informants, one's head pressed against the dashboard while the other hanging half out the bed of the buggy, blood pouring from his head. The boy was so shocked, obviously never seeing dead people before.

"Get in the truck..." I said. He looked on, seeing me in a very different light, now. There was a bit of apprehension but he got in nonetheless. His eyes were locked onto the rifle sitting across my lap. Horror filled his eyes as he saw the truck was heading towards the Da Lagon buggy.

"Wait... we're going over...."
"Yeah..." I said, sensing the boy's fear.

We arrived at the buggy. I wasted no time in searching the bodies and the buggy. Luke just stood there, horrified. I didn't blame him. He was naive to this lifestyle and he needed to learn quickly, especially if he was going to be with me.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah..." He nodded.

"Good," I said, moving the the dead man in the passenger seat to the bed of the buggy, "Follow me in the truck... We got to get rid of the buggy."

"How?" He asked.

"We're," I said, checking every possible nook and cranny of the buggy for a tracking device, "Are gonna drop this buggy in the bottom of the Bay of Vegas... From the Arizona Side..."

"Okay..." He nodded, pushing himself along.

I applauded him for this. Many people would fall apart at the sight of murder but Luke was holding his own. We rode across the Hoover Dam to the eastern shores of the Bay of Vegas. I tied heavy dredging chains to the two men, putting the buggy in neutral. Luke was there to help me push the buggy into the deep water. We watched the buggy and men sink. Despite Luke's willingness to go along with this, the murders would forever loom in his mind.

"I'm so sorry..." I said to him.

"You did what you needed to." He sighed, forcing himself to wrap his head around it all. The boy was a straight trooper.

I spent the day taking precautions just in case things blew up. I dropped my safe off with every single thing I've earned at the Mill in A99. If my truck was ever looted, no one could steal anything too important. Luke stayed on look out, making sure we weren't being watched from afar. By the time we sorted everything out, it was nightfall. I couldn't let us go hungry tonight. We rode to Western Jeurridam, the City of Rust.

"There's a place," I began, "Called Sal's Mojave Kitchen. I used to go all the time but haven't been on that side of town since I was like sixteen."

"Cool... they're still open at this time of night?" He asked.

"They close in about forty minutes so we need to hurry." I laughed.

We arrived to a very short line. There was a familiar face working the night shift.

"Darren!!!" I called out. The boy looked up, surprised to see me.

"Oh my God, Zeek it's been so long!" The boy sneered. Luke and I ordered, waiting for our food, Darren just staring at him, "He's your new boy toy?"

"I wouldn't say that... we're trying to make it mutual." I said, blushing. Luke looked at me with those lustful green eyes.

"Uncle Sal hired this new guy... he's fucking hot! Like, I feel like I should know him from somewhere but I can't put my finger on it. He's like one of the guys you feel love at first sight for. The thing is though, he's been working here for a few weeks and I don't know a single detail about him! Not only that but he's mean as fuck! He had the audacity to make it plain and clear we aren't friends..." Darren chuckled, preparing our orders.

"He sounds like a real keeper..." I teased.

"Man, I can't talk to him. He keeps it super work casual... I was running late today because my buggy was having ignition rod issues and he chewed me a new asshole! Then one of the Merchant Clan boys chatted him up about going to the northern Mojave for whatever reason and he was game! I was like what the fuck, you're gonna go to the fucking wasteland with some scrawny little desert idiot but not even talk to me... I tried to warn him about the Mojave, how dangerous it is but bruh... He wasn't having it! He was like, you don't know me well enough to think I can't handle myself out there so stop trying! I know the damn desert better than you know the crack of your ass!" Darren continued.

"Damn, he sounds vicious..." I joked.

"I mean... no. He actually didn't yell or shout or anything... he just said it as plain as day like normal conversation... That's what made it bite the most! That's how I knew it was genuine disinterest. What made it worse was how he kept saying he needed to get away from it all, take a break, saying he had a lot going on... However, he didn't go into specific detail always diverting me away. All it does is make me want him more..." Darren smiled.

"It may be a blessing in disguise bruh... This dude sounds uptight as hell. You don't want a relationship of that kind with someone you're gonna have to be in the workplace with." I advised.

"You may be right... What am I supposed to do when I show up to work tomorrow? I always try and talk with him but damn, he's just too vicious." Darren asked.

"I don't know..." I said shrugging, "With someone like that, I'd suggest you keep it super work casual with them. No small talking, just straight professionalism. This dude seems like he's totally stressed about something and taking it out on you because you're coming off as the odd man out. In a way, you're bringing this upon yourself... I know you Darren. Don't be late to work! Don't use your title over him! Don't even prod into his life... This is what you do bruh... impress the dude with work efficiency and crack little jokes every now and again to try and see if he has a sense of humor. Do not be pushy... I know how you get when you want something."

"Bruh, thanks!" Darren laughed, "You always got that good words to spare..."

"Thanks." I said back, Darren handing us our food, "We're off..."

"No! NO!" Darren shouted, coming out of the shack, "How the hell you're just gonna appear like this then vanish the same way... with you and your boy toy... No, you're gonna tell me how you've been." He pointed to a bench, ushering us to sit.

"Man, about three months ago, I was strung out. Did something stupid and got out of it by the grace of a helpful friend and a determined sister. I've been clean since but that little stupid thing I did, ruined my dad's empire and now he's piecing everything back together... I got kicked out and have been on my own for about a month and a half and things are looking up for me." I sighed.

"God, bro, where are you staying?" He asked.

"I'm camped out in Henderson." I said.

"Damn, that's not safe! Bruh, that's not safe at all!!!! You know you can stay with me..." Darren offered.

"No, that's not an option. I got a goal bruh." I smiled. Darren slowly turned to Luke.

"And you?"

"Zeek and I are just," Luke said, nothing but lust in his eyes, "travelling together..."

"Zeek? He let you call him that... You're doing more than just traveling together..." Darren prodded.

"See, this is why that guy you like at the restaurant is treating you like shit for remarks like that!" I joked.

"Bruh... please tell me you're not boning each other! Please let me be wrong! Y'all can't lie to me!" Darren laughed.

"I mean..." Luke responded, unsure how to answer.

"Oh God, you are! How'd you two meet?" Darren asked. Luke and I looked at each other.

"We were escorting the same stretch of street... Decided to work together... have been inseparable ever since." I shrugged.

"Damn..." Darren said, liking the way it sounded, "Just wish I could meet someone that way..."

"You will bro..." I said, getting up, patting Luke on the shoulder, "Come on..."

"You two seem to be in a rush..." Darren said, watching us leave.

"I got to wake up early for work tomorrow!" I laughed.

"Come back soon, ya here!" Darren said.

"I will!" I smiled.

Luke and I rode back to Henderson.

"You two seem to know each other quite well." Luke noted.

"We do... He's an old family friend... a bit of an idiot but seems like he's getting his shit together so I'm glad for him." I said.

"Not even gonna lie," Luke began, "That was my first time in the City of Rust..."
"Really?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, it's beautiful... like a metal forest." Luke said, "I can't believe people actually live there..."

"It's not like the rest of the desert. It's quite comfortable there... Not even gonna lie, if my relationship with the Merchant Clan wasn't so strained, I'd move there in a heartbeat." I chuckled.

"Merchant Clan?" Luke asked.

"Biiiiiggggggah tribe of bandits. Huge! Almost as big as the Logatti. They control the northwest, we control the Logatti control the southeast. When they clash, everything caught in the middle is just obliterated! Gangs like Da Lagon, Raging Diablos, and the Sky Carps get the hell out the way. No one wants that kind of heat..." I said.

"Damn." Luke said, truly astounded, "So... we're being stalked by Da Lagon?"

"Yeah and I'm not at all happy about it. Da Lagon's mercs are masters of surveillance... I mean it's scary how good they are at it. That's why I wasted no time in killing those two goons." I sighed.

"So why are they coming after us?" Luke asked.

"They're not afterus... They're after me! Rion obviously doesn't want to let me go. He said never step foot back in Paradise and I didn't. This though, stalking me, can't be good." I sighed.

"So am I in danger then? What are we going to do?" Luke asked.

"I don't know..." I shrugged, "I say we carry on at Henderson but just be extra on guard... We don't have single off guard moment..."

"You know," He began, "I will ride with you until the end... Like, no matter what happens out here, I want it to be you and I." I looked at him intently.

"It will be..." I said. He held my hand, this bond we were foraging becoming something I knew would last forever.

As soon as the truck parked in Henderson, the boy was on top of me! He quickly began undressing me, kissing me every which way. He was nothing but raw passion. Slow kisses led down to yet another amazing blow job. However, this time, he didn't finish me off with a cum-ready tongue. He stripped out of his clothes and was ready to hop onto it.

I couldn't let him simply do that. I laid him across the dash, spreading his cheeks. My long tongue slid between his splayed ass, hitting all the right marks. The boy's body squirmed in pleasure as I laid my tongue down right. I brought him back down to my shaft, it sliding into his ass with an audible pop. Every inch of my shift disappeared up his ass. Luke knew how to work that ass! He'd go down loose, spreading his ass. Then he'd come up with his ass clenched adding an intoxicating amount of pressure. Gawd, he knew how to work this ass.

It was only a quickie but it was everlasting in our minds. That night, we slept cradled on each other in the back of the truck until the blare of my watch sounded. The routine was the same, a brisk morning workout followed by some kinky morning sex in the desert. I'd work, come back to the camp to find Luke studying his heart away. Then we'd go out hunting, growing closer and closer to one another. It was all I could ask for, all I ever wanted...

Saturday came and it was my day off. We spent it rummaging through the town, shopping for necessary things and talking to the Henderson locals. Despite this being a camping settlement with many lesser privileged people, these people were some of the nicest most genuine people you'd ever meet! Everyone knew each other well and Luke and I were starting to become local favorites, despite it only being three days.

We were in a market warehouse, sorting through produce. We wanted to try something a

bit different for dinner tonight. Luke stood over the long rows of fruits and vegetables, unsure what he wanted.

"How the hell do they even grow this out here in the desert?" Luke asked.

"You haven't seen Star Nursery right up the road in Whitney, have you?" I asked him smiling.

"No, what is it?" He responded, looking at me.

"It's a mega greenhouse with like every plant growing there! It's Logatti..." I chuckled.

"I swear, everything on this side of town is Logatti." Luke said, not too surprised.

"Yeah, their hands are in absolutely everything..." I said, looking at the custard apples on the stand. They were very firm and healthy. I remember Heaven making a salad out of this.

"So there's an entire building filled with like... plants other than desert shrubs and cacti?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, but it's heavily guarded since it's the highest desert commodity." I said, chuckling, "Let's get some turnip greens and head out."

"Okay." He said.

We got a small amount of groceries, heading back to our camp. It was a walk made quite uncomfortable when Luke's keen eye noticed a vaguely familiar face tailing us. He tapped my shoulder.

"Zeek..." Luke said, sounding weary.

"Yeah?" I responded, looking at him. Worry was written all across his face.

"There's this guy..." He said, quickly glancing back, "He's been following us all day but stay just out of like suspicion range, or so he thinks... Not to big a fan of this..."

"Do you have your pistol?" I asked.

"No, I left it in the safe back in A99." He said.

"I told you to keep it with you at all times!!" I said through the grit of my teeth.

"I didn't think I needed it, when I'm with you!" He said back, as innocent as ever.

"Look... This place will throw you a curveball faster than you ever could think!" I said, reaching into my pants, "Here," He grabbed my spare matte baretta, "Keep this on you at all times..." He looked at me, somewhat shocked by this.

"Okay." He said, putting the gun under his clothes.

We arrived back at the camp, setting up some chairs around two large kettles. Luke looked around trying to find the mysterious man following us but he had vanished into the camp grounds. He sighed, watching as I began stripping the greens off the stem.

"This is what you wanna do..." I began, "You want to grab the stem and gently twist the leaf off, then drop it in the kettle. Like this..." I demonstrated it to him. He tried it but found it quite difficult.