Capítulo 17: Sam
Being done with the smell of gunpowder for the day, Jaxon grabbed something to eat and headed for his office to plan for the trip that lay ahead.
The only problem regarding his trip currently was that he didn't where he would go to begin with. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out a map and spread it out before him. He needed to leave his small town, but the destination was still a mystery.
He was just about to light his cigarette when he heard the old answering machine beep.
"Hey, you old bastard! Why don't you pick up your damn phone?" A man with a rough voice with a tinge of a Southern accent yelled out of the answering machine, "I need your help! So call me back."
"That was something..." Jaxon muttered, "I didn't know the damn thing still worked."
Grabbing the number, Jaxon called the man back as he waited for the other person to pick up.
"Hello?" The man answered with the same voice he had heard before, "Who is this?"
"Ah! You called my office a minute ago... I apologize for not being able to pick up the call." Jaxon said, "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
"Who- Oh! you must be the boy Henry took in... kid, I need to talk to that old man so hand him the phone. His age must be getting to him since he can't even hear his phone ring!"
"I see..." Jaxon took a deep breath, "The old man is dead, he passed away a couple of months ago."
The line fell silent for a moment, and then there was a heavy sigh from the other end.
"Dead, huh?" The man's voice sounded grave. "Sorry to hear that. Henry was a good man, despite his stubbornness."
"You're telling me about it." Jaxon said with a slight laugh as he lit up his cigarette, "I am sorry that you didn't get the message. With all his contacts, it was already a bit difficult discerning friends from clients."
"Yeah, I can imagine," the man replied, his voice softer now, "Well, kid, since Henry's not around anymore, I guess I'll have to deal with you. Name's Sam."
"Nice to meet you, Sam," Jaxon said, trying to sound polite despite his curiosity about the man's intentions.
"The last I talked to Henry, he said he was teaching you the ropes, so you any good?"
"The job? I am great, in fact, you won't find anyone better even if you go look for them." Jaxon lied through his teeth shamelessly,
"You don't have to sell it to me, kid." The voice on the other side laughed, "But it's good to see, you and the old Henry share the similar trait of bullshitting. I just hope you're half as good as he was."
"I'll make sure you won't be disappointed," Jaxon replied, flashing a grin that could charm a snake. "So, what's the problem?"
"I run a trucking business out here in L.A, and recently we've had a surge in robberies. My drivers are furious, and the cops aren't doing much to help."
"Robberies, huh? That sounds like quite the problem," Jaxon replied, leaning back in his chair and taking a drag from his cigarette. "And you want me to put a stop to it?"
"Not exactly," Sam answered. "I want you to find out who's behind it and make sure they never bother my trucks again. And if you can, recover what they've stolen."
"Any leads on who's behind them?" Jaxon asked, grabbing a notepad and a pen, trying to sound professional even though he was already thinking about how much fun L.A. sounded.
"We've got a few suspicions, but nothing solid. I need someone who can dig deeper, someone who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty."
Jaxon nodded, feeling a rush of excitement. This was exactly the kind of challenge he'd been looking for. "I am the man for the job."
"So when do we start?"
"Get here as quickly as you can, we can talk details then," Sam replied, "My address is..."
After exchanging contacts and getting his address, Jaxon hung up the phone. Leaning back in his chair, and taking a drag from his cigarette, Jaxon glanced back at the map he had laid out shaking his head.
"I guess, that confirms my destination," Jaxon said out loud as he estimated how long it would take him to reach L.A. from where he was, "If I drive without resting much, I should reach there within 3 days max, quicker if I don't fuck around."
Stretching his body he got up, "Let's not waste time then,"
Jaxon didn't have much to pack from the get-go, so he wasn't sweating over the small stuff, but since he planned on traveling for a long time, he made sure to carry all his essentials stuffing them in a worn duffel bag.
He went over to drawers and pulled out every single ammo he had lying around, and a couple of pairs of clothes.
He looked around the office one last time, taking a deep breath. Memories of Henry flooded his mind—his mentor's gruff laughter, the countless lessons taught with a mix of patience and sarcasm, and the way he'd always insisted on doing things the old-fashioned way. Jaxon shook his head, clearing his thoughts. This was his journey now.
"Let's see now that's all done with... I should drop by the house."
Jaxon couldn't help but sigh at the thought as he got ready, slinging the duffel bag over his shoulder.
Jaxon locked up the office, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hall as he made his way to the parking lot. His Mustang stood gleaming under the dim light, a faithful companion ready for yet another adventure. He tossed the bag into the back seat, slid into the driver's seat, and started the engine.
The purr of the Mustang's engine was a comforting sound, as he pulled out of the parking lot driving away.
Dropping by the mall, he picked up the phone Emily had requested of him, although still feeling a little sting in his heart while he paid the price, he still bought the phone.
With the phone safely stowed in his bag, Jaxon drove to Emily's place. The drive was short, but his mind wandered through a maze of memories and emotions. He parked outside her modest house, the porch light casting a warm glow in the gathering dusk.
He walked up the steps and knocked on the door. Emily answered, her face lighting up with a mixture of surprise and warmth.
"Jaxon! I didn't expect you to drop by so soon," she said, stepping aside to let him in.
"Hey, Em," he replied, smiling. "I got the phone you wanted."
He handed her the box, and she took it with a grateful smile.
"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes searching his. "Wait! Does this mean you're leaving already?"
"Things just happened to work out, I've got a job waiting for me in L.A., a friend of the old man wants me to solve a case for him," Jaxon said as he held Emily's hand, "So I figured, why wait long,"
"But I thought we would still have some time left for us to hang out..."
Jaxon felt the weight of Emily's disappointment. He sighed, squeezing her hand gently, "This isn't goodbye so stop being so mopy, you brat!"
"I guess..." Emily nodded, "Just don't forget your promise, okay..."
"I won't." Jaxon looked up to find Emily's dad glaring at him through the living room as he nodded at him, despite being ignored he still yelled out, "I'll be gone for some time now, so please don't hesitate to call me if something happens, no matter how small the problem is."
The man snorted turning away as Jaxon couldn't but roll his eyes mumbling to himself, "Petty bastard!"
"And you brat, take care of the office for me!" Jaxon said turning away, "By the way, my promise only stands as long as you get good grades or else I might just leave you here!"
Ignoring Emily, he hopped back in his car as its engine roared, grounding him as he mapped out the route in his head. He had a long drive ahead, and he intended to make the most of it. As he pulled out of the parking lot, the small town he called home receded into the distance, replaced by the open road and the promise of the unknown.
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