“My dad left me a 1989 D5. It’s got a six-way blade. All I do is crank it up every few months and move it around. It hasn’t done any work in years.”
Raising his eyebrows, “How much you want for it?” Arthur asked.
Pointing at the pistol in Arthur’s hands, “You let me make one of those with your help and we can call it even,” Chuck said.
“When will you have a few days off?”
With a content grin, Chuck leaned back on the trailer. “I have two weeks off at the first of June.”
“Okay, let me know exact dates so I can gather up the steel.”
“Some of the hydraulic hoses need replacing,” Chuck told him.
Shrugging, “I can make hydraulic hoses,” Arthur laughed.
“My vacation starts the first, how about I deliver the dozer on the third and I can make the gun?” Chuck asked.
When Arthur nodded, Chuck clapped his hands as Arthur told him, “Sounds good.”
Shaking Arthur’s hand, Chuck turned and grabbed the eggs. “Well, let me get back to work,” Chuck said, heading for the cab.
Arthur headed to the patio as Chuck backed up and headed down the driveway. Pulling out his phone and tapping the screen, Arthur tapped the program for the front gate camera. When he saw Chuck drive through, he tapped the button to close the gate. “Momma will like the dozer,” Arthur said, jumping on the buggy.
He checked the other greenhouses and finished the midday chores, then headed to the house to grab a bite to eat.
It was after one when he stepped out the back door and saw Kong sitting on the patio. “Why are you staying up here?” Arthur asked. “Go kill an elk.”
Slowly standing up, Kong strutted away and Arthur kept an eye on him as he walked to the shop. Grabbing a crowbar and a cordless impact drill, Arthur went back outside and started uncrating the boxes. When he had the massive CNC open, he looked at it and was very surprised at the shape it was in.
“Well, I’ll just have to hook it up and see how much work needs done,” Arthur said, moving over to the smaller crate. The smaller crate was still seven feet long, four feet tall, and almost five feet wide. But compared to the massive CNC crate, it had looked tiny.
When he had one end open, his cellphone chimed again. Giving a groan, Arthur pulled his phone out. “Oh, hell no,” he shouted, tapping the screen that showed an older pickup sitting at the gate. He turned the volume of the speaker back to max. “Rudy, what the hell do you want?”
A scruffy-looking man in his late twenties stuck his head out the window. “That speaker is loud as shit,” Rudy said, looking at the camera. “I brought your stuff back.”
Genuinely surprised, “Oh,” Arthur said, turning the volume down on the speaker and opened the gate.
Putting his phone back, Arthur continued working to uncrate the machine. Minutes later, Rudy pulled up and Arthur looked over and saw the old riding lawn mower he’d let Rudy use. It was one of the first he’d rebuilt and since he had two more, he hadn’t been in a hurry to get it back. The fact that Rudy had waited until Arthur had demanded Rudy return his stuff was what bothered Arthur.
Rudy got out and walked over while looking at the CNC. “That’s one of those metal working machines, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Arthur answered and set down his crowbar. “You brought everything back?”
“Except for the posthole diggers,” Rudy said. “I’m putting a fence in at Ms. McDonald’s place. That’s why I need to ask if I can borrow the augur.”
Giving a sigh, Arthur nodded. Ms. McDonald was in her late seventies and went to his church. “Just bring the shit back,” Arthur moaned and Rudy nodded.
Moving over, Arthur helped Rudy pull the ramp out and Rudy unloaded the mower, then stacked the rest of the stuff around and on the mower. Seeing that Rudy had more of his stuff than he’d known about, Arthur tried to remember when he’d let Rudy borrow everything. The fact it was his was undeniable, Arthur had engraved or welded his initials on all of his tools and equipment just for that reason.
“So, can I get the augur now?” Rudy asked.
Arthur didn’t answer and just headed for the buggy with Rudy following. Driving down to the barn, Arthur still couldn’t remember letting Rudy borrow a sander, air compressor, paint gun, or the electric jackhammer.
Stopping at the barn, he helped Rudy load up the augur in the buggy and headed back up to the house. “You need anything done around here?” Rudy asked.
“Nah, just keeping the place up,” Arthur replied as the answer hit him.
“Anytime you need a hired hand, let me know,” Rudy said as Arthur stopped by his truck.
“Will do,” Arthur said with a false smile, then helped Rudy put the auger in his truck.
Rudy climbed in his truck and waved as he turned around and headed down the driveway. Pulling his phone out, Arthur saw Rudy drive out the gate and then tapped the phone, shutting the gate. Shoving his phone back in the holster, he jumped on the buggy and sped off.
He drove between the two knolls behind the house and the trees became thicker along the small dirt track he was on. The track had a gentle rising slope and Arthur rounded a curve and stopped at four shipping containers. All four containers were on a leveled brick platform, bolted together.
There were four other storage areas like this around the property and one refrigerated shipping container near the textile barn. They used it for a meat locker and processed meat in it. The groups of containers were just
