Chapter 2

I headed back to Lone Star and to the trailer park. I was just backing up to hook my trailer, intending to leave right away, when John Nathan and his wife Carrol drove up. I didn't know whether to shit or go blind since Carrol was one of the wives I'd been doing the nasty with occasionally while John was working. I couldn't do anything but try acting normal.

"Fixin' to head out, Bill," John asked, in a pleasant tone which eased my jangling nerves.

"I was at that. I'm finally getting off on my camping trip," I said.

I noticed John seemed at a loss for words and actually looked shy and ill at ease. I didn't prod him though and he helped me line up my hitch and get it buckled up.

"I heard from some of the guys you've been buying rifles and pistols they needed to get rid of? Anything to it?" he asked.

"I've bought quite a few, but I've pretty much stopped since I'll be leaving for a while," I said.

He looked so disappointed it almost made me hurt. I didn't know what he needed to sell, but I was damned sure about to buy it if I possiblly could.

"It don't mean I can't still buy some, especially if it's you needing to sell," I said.

John and I weren't really friends or anything, but we weren't enemies either. We'd worked together for a few years, but mostly on different shifts. More importantly, Carrol was good people as far as I was concerned and if I could help him, and by extension her, I was going to.

"Well, I do have an odd one I need to turn into cash. I'll admit right now it isn't the normal rifle, and I'd never have bought it if I'd had even a hint of what was coming.

"It ain't we're short of food or on the skds or anything, but I've got a chance to buy into Scotty's garage and tire shop in Longview, and I think changing my line of work is the best thing for us now. It don't look like the steel mill is gonna revive anytime soon," he said.

"I think you're right about that, sad to say."

"Anyhow, I'm trying to scrape up enough for a down payment for Scotty and when I heard you'd been buying some guns, and giving closer to what they were worth than anywhere else, I though I'd come by and see if you were interested," he said.

"How much do you need to buy in?" I asked.

"Scotty said if I could scrape up ten thousand up front, he'd sell me half the business for forty, and he could get the bank to make me a loan for the other thirty, that way I can pay the bank back out of my salary and my share of the profit," he said.

"If the bank is going to loan money on it, the place must be doing good," I said.

"Oh, it is. I've been working there since just after the layoff and we've got more than plenty of business. Scotty found out I was thinking about starting up my own business and it's why he offered to let me buy in," he said.

"Why don't I just write you a check for the whole thing John and we'll keep from botherin' the bank. I'd rather you didn't spread it around, but I've got the money and it's probably sittin' in the bank you're going to borrow from. If it ain't the same bank it's still about the same deal.

"I'll loan it to you a percent less than what the bank would charge, and with a hell of a lot less paperwork. You'll save money and bother and I'll make a whole lot more than I do on CDs. Scotty is going to have a lawyer draw up real paperwork isn't he?" I asked.

"Yeh, it's already fixed, and I've had a different one look it over. It will all be done legal and everything. But you'd be takin' an awful lot of risk on me, Bill," he said.

"I don't think I'm risking a thing, John. We ain't been close friends or anything, but I know you're a hard worker and I've never heard a bad word about any dealings you ever had with anyone. I'm willing to bet forthy thousand on you," I said.

"You don't even want to see the gun I got to sell, do ya'?" he asked.

"I'd like to see it now that you've got me curious, but it don't really matter. The money for Scotty is yours if you want it," I said.

"I'd be stupid not to take you up. If you'll have a lawyer draw up the papers like you want 'em I'll sign anything you need me to," he said.

"Why don't you, your wife, and I go into the trailer while it's still hooked to the power and sit down at my little kitchen table. I can write out what I want you to sign right now. Do you know what the banker was going to charge you?" I asked.

"Eight and a half, and a five hundred dollar fee for the title work and closing cost," he said.

"See, you've saved five hundred bucks already," I said.

He went to Carrol's window and told her we needed to go inside. She got out and we went in and sat at the table. I found a sheet of clean paper and scribbled out an IOU for forty-thousand at seven and a half percent and dated it, and then he and Carrol signed.

"You can see there's no payment schedule. Pay on it if and when you want to by making a deposit in my checking account, and be sure to save the receipt you get. We'll figure the interest on the time you keep the money and as soon as you make any deposit I'll stop charging interest on that much," I said.

"You mean that's all the paperwork you need?" Carrol asked.

"Sure. If you don't intend to pay it, which I don't believe for a second, all the paperwork in the world won't do any good. Since I'm sure you do intend to pay it, this is plenty," I said, and I wrote out a check while they were looking at each other with their mouths hanging open.

"Now," I said, "let me have a look at the gun you brought."

John was right, he must have been high on something when he bought a Barrett M821A and I couldn't even think of one damned thing to make him buy five thousand rounds for it. I wondered if Carrol had any fucking idea of what it cost. I didn't tell her.

I'd never even seen one of the big bastards, not even a picture of one. I didn't even know what it was until he told me. It was a piece of work though, and he even had the bipod mount with it, and a hard case that seemed nearly big enough for a coffin.

After I'd had a good look, he and Carrol said goodbye and started to leave.

"Hey, you forgot this big thing," I said.

"Keep it, I've never even fired it once and I want to forget completely about it," he said.

"I can't do that. I don't know what it cost but I know it must have been a lot. When you get home, look up your bill and take the whole thing off the note. We'll say I bought it," I said.

"The whole amount? I bought it new and it's used now," he said.

"You just said you'd never fired it. With the way inflation is it's probably worth more now than what you paid for it," I said.

Damned if it didn't take fifteen more minutes to talk both John and Carrol out of giving me a discount. I wouldn't give up though. I couldn't just come out and say I'd gotten a lot of good pussy out of the deal, but I kept it in mind and I figured I was only being fair about things.

They finally left and after they had I put the big gun back in its hardcase and took it to my pickup to put it in the camper shell. I had to make ten trips and scramble all around in the back to find room for those god damned big heavy cartridge cases. It was finally done though and I after I got the trailer unplugged, the holding tank empty, and the water tank full I carried my ass. Next stop, The Big Thicket.

Actually, I knew I couldn't get far with the afternoon halfway done, but I figured I'd better leave anyhow. I didn't want to run into anyone else who had a last minute gun deal on their mind. I was glad John and Carrol had found me, because I felt good about what I'd done. If he never paid me back a penny I wouldn't be too mad, and I knew he would if he lived. It didn't mean I was hot and bothered to do any more good deeds today.