“Mister Fred, I’m a little scared,” Nikki said.
“Me too,” Fred said.
Nikki’s eyes widened in the dark. “You are? Bullshit.”
“Fear is a natural emotion. If you control it, it keeps the mind sharp.”
“Okay, but I’m still not sure I believe you. I don’t think anything frightens you.”
Fred surprised her by emitting a slight chuckle. “If you only knew. Alright, they have their wind back, mostly. We need to get going.”
Chapter 34 – Trading Post Business
The ice had caused Johnny G and Riley to stay at the warehouse in Wilmington for an extra two days. During that time, they were able to explore the area without threat of hostiles. They successfully found several items they could use back at Hook and items that could be used for barter.
On the second night, after another marathon sex session, Johnny G was lying on his back and Riley was by his side with a leg draped over his lower torso. She slowly stroked his chest, and soon her hand made its way south where she began fondling him.
“You’re insatiable,” Johnny G muttered.
Riley emitted something that might’ve resembled a giggle. “I can’t help it.”
Johnny G grunted. “I don’t think I have it in me.”
She lightly slapped him on the chest. “You’re no fun.”
After a minute or two of silence, he felt like he could safely fall asleep, but it was not to be.
“Do you like me, Johnny?” she asked.
Here it comes, he thought. He learned quickly that Riley needed constant affirmation, and if she didn’t get it, her mood darkened. She could sulk and pout all day.
“Absolutely,” he said. “More and more every day.”
“Really?”
“Yep. You know, I’ve noticed something about us.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“We get along. What I mean is, we don’t argue, and our conversations are nice. Years ago, I dated a woman that looked a little bit like you. She was pretty, but she would argue with anything I said. I ended it after a couple of months.”
“Was she prettier than me?” Riley asked.
“Oh, hell no,” he quickly replied. “You’re much prettier.”
“Thanks, baby,” she said and then reached back down and began stroking his penis. “Round two?”
The next morning, Johnny G was surprised that he was the first to wake up. He crawled out from under the warm blankets and was hit by frigid air. The fire in the stove had gone out during the night, which he figured would happen because there was not a dampener in the flue. He also suspected there was little in the way of insulation in this building. It was originally a warehouse after all.
He hurriedly dressed and walked over to the only window in the room. Pulling aside the blackout curtains, he peered outside. He heard Riley stirring and looked over. She had the blankets pulled up to her chin.
“Good morning,” he said.
“It’s cold. How’s the weather outside?”
“It’s sunny. I don’t know if it’s going to get above freezing, but the sun certainly helps,” he said and walked over to the stove. It took him a few minutes before he got a flame going. He tossed a couple of small split logs in before closing the door.
“It’s going to take a few before the fire catches and we get some heat,” he said.
“Sounds like you need to get back under the covers where it’s warm,” she said, grinned and pulled the blankets down slightly, exposing her breasts. After some more beckoning, she persuaded Johnny G to yank his clothes back off and crawl in.
After, the two of them lay on their back, panting heavily.
“We need to go back today,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because I’m the number two man at Hook and I’m already two days behind in my work.”
Riley blew a raspberry between her lips. “You don’t know how to have fun.”
It took some prodding and badgering, but he managed to get Riley moving and they were on the road two hours later. They drove cautiously and arrived back at Marcus Hook before sundown. They separated, with Riley going to find her father and Johnny G finding Roscoe in his office. He looked up from something he was reading.
“How was your vacation?” he asked with a grin.
“Funny,” Johnny G replied and sat opposite him. “Do you have anything to drink?”
Roscoe reached down and came up with a bottle of Jack Daniels. He poured a generous amount into two coffee mugs and pushed one of them over to Johnny G. He nodded. Roscoe had a case of Gentlemen Jack hidden away somewhere and only occasionally drank it. He was trying to make it last until someone down in Lynchburg, Tennessee, reopened the distillery.
“Thanks. I’m drained.”
“I bet,” Roscoe said. “So, tell me all about it.”
Up until now, Roscoe only suspected the Fitzgeralds’ involvement in the murders, but now Johnny G told him everything, except for Riley’s unquenchable sex drive. Roscoe listened thoughtfully while he sipped his whiskey.
“So, all they’ll ever have is circumstantial evidence, that being they were on the road at the same time as Rochelle and the Lillard women,” Roscoe surmised.
“Yeah,” Johnny G said. “What do you think? Was it right or wrong of me to help destroy the evidence?”
“Only time will tell, I suppose. Don’t get me wrong, I do not condone cold blooded murder,” Roscoe said. “But we were not complicit in the murders, nor did we know they would do this. We were only complicit after the fact. Did she ever give a reason why they did it?”
“Nope. I could’ve asked her, but I didn’t.”
“Hmm. Well, I know if this blows up on us, I know you’ll make the necessary corrections,” Roscoe said.
“Yes, I will,” Johnny G promised.
“Alright, now let’s talk more about this trading post. It’s an idea I’ve thought about from time to time,” Roscoe admitted, “but the diesel production and our crop and livestock management have stretched our manpower. Plus, the construction of the safe road into Philadelphia has been extremely laborious.”
“We’ll start seeing it
