worth a lot more.
“So why’d you choose this gig? You could be working legally. Or not living in a jungle.”
“You’re fucking with me.” Jackson looked incredulous. “I have infinite funding. I’m not on any federal watch lists,” he ticked off points on his fingers as he went through the list. “And I’m living in a forest. It’s a stoner’s dream.”
“Whatever. Let me hit that.” I took the joint back from him.
“Oh, now you like my weed?”
“Get over yourself.” I shoved him lightly. He stumbled.
“Asshole.”
We walked in silence after that. Jackson wasn’t much of a talker. Unless you asked him about the genetic differences between two strains of cannabis, of course. We had rounded the southeast corner of the plot when up ahead of us a twig snapped. I clapped my hand over Jackson’s mouth and pulled him into the trees to our right. It happened again. A foot scuffing on the ground. Then voices.
Technically, we should have drawn and waited. Any intruder was taken back to camp where Marco and I decided whether to kill them. Thus far, we’d escaped such an unpleasant decision. Maybe that was why I ducked into the dark cover of the trees.
Jackson tried to shrug me off, but I put a finger to my lips before letting go of him. He nodded.
“It don’t make sense.” The voices got closer.
“I know it don’t.”
Great, I recognized the voices. Frank and Niño, the two most outspoken members of my fan club.
“He lost it bringing that cunt up here,” Niño said.
I was almost positive I was that cunt. Mostly ’cause I was the only chick at the camp.
“Stupid move,” Frank said.
“Bitch ain’t gonna last,” Frank went on. “First sign of weakness and she’s gone.” They were walking right past us now. Only two feet away from where Jackson and I stood mute and trying not to breathe.
“Once she fucks up, we get to take care of the problem, right?” Niño asked.
I couldn’t hear a response beyond their laughter. Fuck.
Next to me, Jackson was vibrating and biting his lip. He watched me, waiting for a cue. I pressed my finger to my lips again and he nodded.
Frank and Niño were five feet ahead of us now, thirty or so from the corner.
I crept out of the trees, my hand twisted in Jackson’s shirt. Silently, we crossed the path, praying they wouldn’t turn, and slipped into our forest of cannabis. Jackson stayed at my heels as I ran between the plants, careful not to touch them. My hand was still gripping his shirt as I half dragged him behind me. With my other hand, I cupped the butt of my AK to keep it from bouncing around.
Frank and Niño’s voices carried through the night air. I couldn’t tell what they were saying anymore, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to break from the plants on the other side before they turned the corner. And they were close. I started running faster. Jackson stumbled, but I kept him moving. He didn’t look happy about being dragged, but he clutched his gun and picked up his feet.
They were almost to the corner, but we were faster.
“No, these are only females,” Jackson said loud enough for them to hear as we tumbled onto the path. Boy was smart. “We can’t have the male plants or they’ll pollinate.” He acted like we’d been discussing pollination for hours. Fascinating.
“Wow. So the sticky stuff?” I struggled to keep my breathing even.
“Yeah, it’s the females trying to get pollinated.” Jackson sighed. “I wish chicks in the real world were like that.” He sighed again, but this time I could tell he was just panting discreetly.
Running was hard.
“They are, junior.” Niño came up close enough for his presence to be obvious. “But you’re such a momma’s boy they don’t want shit to do with you.”
“Leave him alone.” I used my I’m-in-charge voice. It didn’t work.
“Sure. When he’s dead.” Niño shrugged like it might not be that long.
Jackson scoffed, “You’ll never outlast me.” In a rare
“So why’d you choose this gig? You could be working legally. Or not living in a jungle.”
“You’re fucking with me.” Jackson looked incredulous. “I have infinite funding. I’m not on any federal watch lists,” he ticked off points on his fingers as he went through the list. “And I’m living in a forest. It’s a stoner’s dream.”
“Whatever. Let me hit that.” I took the joint back from him.
“Oh, now you like my weed?”
“Get over yourself.” I shoved him lightly. He stumbled.
“Asshole.”
We walked in silence after that. Jackson wasn’t much of a talker. Unless you asked him about the genetic differences between two strains of cannabis, of course. We had rounded the southeast corner of the plot when up ahead of us a twig snapped. I clapped my hand over Jackson’s mouth and pulled him into the trees to our right. It happened again. A foot scuffing on the ground. Then voices.
Technically, we should have drawn and waited. Any intruder was taken back to camp where Marco and I decided whether to kill them. Thus far, we’d escaped such an unpleasant decision. Maybe that was why I ducked into the dark cover of the trees.
Jackson tried to shrug me off, but I put a finger to my lips before letting go of him. He nodded.
“It don’t make sense.” The voices got closer.
“I know it don’t.”
Great, I recognized the voices. Frank and Niño, the two most outspoken members of my fan club.
“He lost it bringing that cunt up here,” Niño said.
I was almost positive I was that cunt. Mostly ’cause I was the only chick at the camp.
“Stupid move,” Frank said.
“Bitch ain’t gonna last,” Frank went on. “First sign of weakness and she’s gone.” They were walking right past us now. Only two feet away from where Jackson and I stood mute and trying not to breathe.
“Once she fucks up, we get to take care of the problem, right?” Niño asked.
I couldn’t hear a response beyond their laughter. Fuck.
Next to me, Jackson was vibrating and biting his lip. He watched me, waiting for a cue. I pressed my finger to my lips again and he nodded.
Frank and Niño were five feet ahead of us now, thirty or so from the corner.
I crept out of the trees, my hand twisted in Jackson’s shirt. Silently, we crossed the path, praying they wouldn’t turn, and slipped into our forest of cannabis. Jackson stayed at my heels as I ran between the plants, careful not to touch them. My hand was still gripping his shirt as I half dragged him behind me. With my other hand, I cupped the butt of my AK to keep it from bouncing around.
Frank and Niño’s voices carried through the night air. I couldn’t tell what they were saying anymore, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to break from the plants on the other side before they turned the corner. And they were close. I started running faster. Jackson stumbled, but I kept him moving. He didn’t look happy about being dragged, but he clutched his gun and picked up his feet.
They were almost to the corner, but we were faster.
“No, these are only females,” Jackson said loud enough for them to hear as we tumbled onto the path. Boy was smart. “We can’t have the male plants or they’ll pollinate.” He acted like we’d been discussing pollination for hours. Fascinating.
“Wow. So the sticky stuff?” I struggled to keep my breathing even.
“Yeah, it’s the females trying to get pollinated.” Jackson sighed. “I wish chicks in the real world were like that.” He sighed again, but this time I could tell he was just panting discreetly.
Running was hard.
“They are, junior.” Niño came up close enough for his presence to be obvious. “But you’re such a momma’s boy they don’t want shit to do with you.”
“Leave him alone.” I used my I’m-in-charge voice. It didn’t work.
“Sure. When he’s dead.” Niño shrugged like it might not be that long.
Jackson scoffed, “You’ll never outlast me.” In a rare
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