Page 17 of Double or Nothing
I never could’ve imagined being in a scenario like this in my wildest dreams.
The day started off enjoying a spinach drink with Kit in his kitchen. Now here we all are, hours later, trudging along in the dark carrying a dead body between us.
Vulcan’s face, illuminated by the headlamp's dim glow, is etched with determination. Sweat beads on his forehead, despite the chilly breeze.
The tarp, with its gruesome cargo, shifts with every step we take, and the metallic scent of blood lingers in the air. The tension in the group is palpable, a heavy burden weighing us down as much as the dead body we carry.
Kit, his headlamp casting a focused beam on the ground, navigates the rocky terrain with caution. Seven, on the other hand, keeps his gaze forward, his jaw set, and his expression determined. The air is thick with uncomfortable tension. Finally, I can’t take the silence anymore.
“I’m sorry, guys,” I say. “This is all my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” they all start talking at the same time.
“It was my stupid ass plan to kidnap you in the first place,” Seven argues. “This is my fault because I talked everyone else into going along with me. I was the one who set things into motion.”
“Don’t apologize for that!” Kit says. “Meeting Jade is the best thing that’s happened to us. I regret putting her through a kidnapping and holding her captive, but not for anything else.”
“I still feel like it’s my fault for not being able to make Ivan talk,” Vulcan says. “Even if he didn’t know where Jade was, he knew who was still looking for her. I blew the interrogation and now we have a dead body to deal with.”
“There was always going to be a dead body for us to deal with,” Seven reminds him. “Ivan was never leaving here alive. We all realize that now. He sealed his fate the moment he broke into Jade’s car.”
“Well, I don’t feel guilty about a goddamn thing,” Leroy says, his breathing labored. “Can we rest a minute? I’m out of breath. This dude is a heavy motherfucker.”
“We’re almost there,” Vulcan says. “Only a little bit farther if you can hold on a few more minutes.”
“Okay,” Leroy replies, huffing and puffing. “Why didn’t we think to bring water bottles? What if the sun comes up before we get him in the ground?”
“It won’t,” Vulcan says. “Not if we hurry. Keep moving your ass.”
We walk another ten minutes and then he stops. “We’ll bury him here,” he says.
“Thank God,” Leroy says with a relieved sigh.
We lower Ivan to the ground with a collective sigh. We've carried him far enough from the RV that discovery seems unlikely, but the task ahead still feels daunting.
“Everyone grab a shovel and start digging,” Vulcan says, his voice a mixture of determination and weariness. “We need to make the hole at least six feet deep, so it’ll take some time.”
We pick up our shovels and begin to dig, the sound of metal striking the hard, compacted dirt echoing through the silent desert. We don’t stop, the rhythmic sound of the shovels cutting into the earth mixed with our labored breaths.
The hole deepens, the mound of displaced dirt growing larger with each passing minute. An hour passes, and the hole is finally deep enough. We carefully lower his body into the hole.
“Fuck you, bastard!” Vulcan mutters, standing over the grave. “I wish I could’ve killed you with my bare hands. Rot in hell, motherfucker!” With one last look at his lifeless form, he throws the first shovelful of dirt on top of Ivan’s body. Stepping back, he waves me closer. “Your turn to do the honors,” he says. I throw a shovelful of dirt in, and the others quickly start filling in the hole with me.
As the first faint light of dawn begins to break on the horizon, we finish our grim task, and Ivan's body disappears beneath the desert floor. When we’re done, Vulcan smooths the dirt to blend it in with the surroundings.
The landscape now appears undisturbed, its secrets hidden beneath a layer of sand and rocks. Exhausted and dirty, we trudge back to the RV, each lost in thought about the hidden grave we leave behind.
8
KIT
“The sun is almost up, and we need to take Jade to a safer location,” Seven says when we reach the RV. “Igor is still out there somewhere. She’s in more danger now than she was before.”
“My ranch is the safest place for her,” I say. “I’d planned to put in extra security measures there anyway for the animals. I’ll call the security company today and have them come out to add more cameras.”
“Please stop talking about me as if I’m not standing right here,” Jade says, crossing her arms in a defiant stance. “I understand your concerns for my safety, but I don’t think we should leave Vulcan here alone. I’m staying here with him today.”
I glance toward the RV where Vulcan has stepped inside to grab water bottles for everyone.
