March 18, 2016

Phoenix, Arizona 0200

Reggie and Marco had been out on the road for 4 weeks, and they were tired. Tired of the truck, truck stop food, the same highways, and the endless miles of nothingness. Most of all they were sick and tired of being promised hometime and never getting it. Both men loved their job, but sometimes being at home to regenerate is necessary. The longer they were out the more they got on each other's nerves. Little things would start a fight, sock on the floor, snoring. Their last fight was because Marco said that Reggie chewed too loudly. They needed a break from each other. The had been good friends for months, but even good friendships are tested when you're in a tiny space together.

It was as if no matter how many times they requested a load going to California, they kept getting east coast runs. Every time the message came across the Qualcomm system, it was a load to New York, Virginia, or Pennsylvania. The last message Marco sent back was a genuine threat of leaving the truck in New York and they would find a way home. It wasn't long after that they got loads to head back west, and now they were in Phoenix, Arizona for one last drop before home time in California. Marco was happy about the news, so was Reggie, but Reggie could feel they were going to get fired when they dropped their truck after Marco's little stunt.

They were about fifty miles out of their drop when Reggie noticed a man dart in front of him into the street, making Reggie have to hit the brakes hard, almost throwing Marco into the front. A tall, athletic built man with dark hair was being chased by three men who varied in size but had the same platinum blonde high-top fades and black jumpsuits. Hair so light that when the headlight hit them they glowed.

Reggie pulled over quick yelling for Marco, "Get up! Macro get up here!"

"What in the name of all that's good, Man?" Marco said groggily. "You better have killed something hitting the brakes like that."

"Shut the hell up and look," Reggie pointed,"A guy is getting jumped. I almost flattened his ass when he ran into the street."

Marco looked in the direction Reggie pointed and saw three platinum blonde men trying to beat on the darker haired man. The men looked intent on killing him. At first, they weren't armed, but they all began pulling out massive knives trying to cut the man. He was doing a good job of avoiding be skewered but Reggie and Marco had seen enough and jumped out sprinting toward the men. Reggie made it there first and with a yell, he superman punched the tallest of the three men, sending him flying backward, landing on his ass dazed, shocked and confused. Macro followed with a kick to the chest of the shortest of the three men bringing him to his knees gasping for air.

Every man in the group was stunned at the presence of Reggie and Marco. The dark-haired man wasn't stunned for long, because he got up punching the last of the platinum blonde men in the groin bring him down to size, followed by a headbutt, that knocks both men backward.

Soon all the men were up and in a brawl, thrashing, punching, and kicking, each trying to get the upper hand over the other. There was a chorus of swearing and cries in pain that echoed through the early morning air. All the men were engrossed in what they were doing until a cocoa brown woman with hazel eyes came running out with a blood-red cylinder.

"Hey! Platinum Blonde Idiots!" she screamed, "You know what this is, don't you?"

The platinum blonde men stood still the instant they saw what she was holding. Each man fixated on the woman. They acted like the man they were just trying to kill was not even there. Reggie and Marco stood still and had their eyes trained on the woman, wondering what is in the canister that would stop these men cold. A second ago they were killing machines, now they are standing still with no expression, just like the royal guard in London.

"You know what will happen if I dropped it, don't you?" She say

"Uhhhh, I have no idea what that is, what will happen, or who you are," Marco said, slowing raising his hand in the air, with a very confused and scared look on his face.

"You don't want it to spill, do you?" she continued, ignoring Marco and glaring at him at the same time.

The platinum blonde men started to slowly go back toward their truck, not speaking or taking their eyes off of the blood red canister as they did. They moved slowly and deliberately, trying not to make the woman anymore angry than she already was so that she wouldn't make good on her promise. They kept walking backward until they got to their truck. It seems like the tallest man opened his mouth to say something but the driver took off before he could.

Reggie and Marco stood there looking at one another and then stared at man and woman team. They couldn't believe what just happened. They had just helped a man they never met fight off some goons, just like out of the movies. When a woman comes running out with a canister of something serious enough to scare off the platinum guys. They stood there in silence trying to comprehend what was going on.

"If you two ever need a job," the dark haired mans says handing Reggie a card, "We are always looking for good people."

"Thanks for helping my partner. Hope you come to check out The Terminal," the woman said.

And without another word the man and his partner rushed to their trailer to put the canister in. Reggie and Marco heard the keypad noise from where they stood. The look at each other and raised an eyebrow. They had never come across a trailer that had a key code lock system. When the man and woman returned they waved, started up, and pulled off.

Reggie took the card and put it in his pocket as he watched the semi pull off. He looked at Marco and they walked back to their own rig in silence. Both men had the same confounded look on their faces. It looked like they were trying to understand quantum physics but couldn't. They stared into the darkness of the night wondering if the platinum blonde goons would come back and if they did what would they do.

"Marco?" Reggie said, breaking the eerie silence without looking him. "What the hell just happened?"

"I think we just help kick some ass?" Marco asked in disbelief.

"Yes, but why?"

"Because he was getting jumped and we weren't about to sit there and watch that," Marco said with more conviction in his voice.

"Ok then, next question. What was in the canister?"

"None of our damn business! All we need to know is that whatever was in there, scared the holy hell out of the guys and they ran," Marcos said.

"And what about this card he gave us?"

"It's a job offer, dude, nothing more nothing less. We were looking for a move anyways. Why not check it out?" Marco said, getting up and walking to the sleeper. "Let's go make this drop and go home dude. I'm dying to sleep in my bed."