Chapter 16: On Wheels

I’ve practiced with Prophecy some more. Under safe circumstances, obviously, and it’s quite amusing. I don’t think I’d ever get this good at playing catch, for one!

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 5th Entry

AxEl was never further from his phone but for a few minutes. He’d pace around the house, start studying and stop all in a matter of moments because of his impatience.

After enough time spent on that routine, he resorted to playing around on his desk. Legs kicked up, AxEl idled around with a pen in his hand, writing and overwriting the same plan a hundred times.

He was reminded of just how much time he spent walking around and delivering Prophecy to his dealers. Can’t believe I missed this many episodes of the show, he thought to himself, watching it with feigned interest.

He grew uncomfortable with his legs on the table, so he put them back down and stared down at the ground. This isn’t normal. I shouldn’t be thinking of work right now.

He eyed his phone. But tomorrow, I’m going to start it again, won’t I? Will I still be walking around when this expands beyond Barksight? He looked at his hands, felt at the wounds under his body that had healed. I can’t.

He walked to the fridge, grabbing some leftover food his mother had prepared the night before. Chewing on the sandwich, he pondered. A car drove past his street, stealing AxEl’s attention. He looked outside, watching it speed away in a few seconds.

Cars. I need Cars, AxEl thought. But where would I get them? AxEl retreated to the computer, placing his fingers over the keyboard and searching.

Too expensive, was what he concluded after only a few moments of checking. He returned to the lounge and sat around, thinking of and discarding a million ideas until his mother’s car could be heard arriving. AxEl worried for a moment that he would expose himself, but realized with bated breath that everything he’d written was still back in his room.

His mother entered the house and went straight to the coat rack. FenEl looked surprised as she glanced over at AxEl sitting all too normally.

“Welcome home. Is something wrong?” AxEl asked her. FenEl didn’t say a word. She took a moment to drop her bag on the table next to her and took a seat on the sofa next to AxEl.

“I’m surprised to see you here so soon. Usually you spend the whole day, sometimes even the next, outside with Nook.”

AxEl snorted. “Let me have my space, mom.”

She placed a hand over his head and ruffled his hair. “I know. It’s still nice to see you around the house.”

She looked across the hall into the kitchen and back at AxEl a moment later.

“You cleaned up?” she asked. AxEl followed her eyes to the empty trash can and clean floors.

“Huh,” he said to himself. “Yeah.” He’d barely even registered it as cleaning. He was so used to making sure the professor’s house was in good order that it had become routine to him.

Stolen novel; please report.

His mind drifted back to his mother’s car, however. That brought back the issue to the forefront of his mind once again.

“What are you thinking of?” FenEl asked as she examined him.

“…I was wondering. How good are you with managing problems, mom?” AxEl asked.

“Decent. I’ve had to deal with a fair few resource disputes. They get nasty.”

“Then if...hypothetically, you had a product and you wanted to move it around to sellers. Like fruits,” AxEl said.

“Fruits?” FenEl repeated, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

“Y-yeah, fruits. I wanted to get it from the… farmers, to the markets. But I don’t have any drivers,” AxEl continued.

“Then hire some. You give them their fair wage and you get your produce delivered to the markets.”

“But I don’t know where to get them! And I don’t want people who don’t know to know…”

FenEl’s amusement turned to confusion. “That you sell fruits?”

AxEl nodded slowly. FenEl thought for a moment while the silence stretched between them. AxEl was almost about to stomp out of the room himself when his mother answered.

“You could just poach someone else’s drivers,” she said almost noncommittedly.

“What?”

FenEl stretched her legs and then settled back. “If we find a good employee at another office, we make them an offer to work for us. Not enough good workers in Barksight, so we have to get what we can work with. Competition’s too tough.”

AxEl thought for a moment. Anyone working with the Revolvers would be involved one way or another. That way he wouldn’t have to compromise himself by bringing in someone who could reveal the whole operation.

He stood up from his position, alarming his mother.

“Thanks, Mom!”

“Something’s gotten into you,” she said nonchalantly. She was pulled up from her position and pulled into a hug by her bear of a son.

“Definitely something,” she muttered but returned the gesture. AxEl pulled away from her and then put on his hoodie.

“Where are you going at this hour!” She asked.

“It was a math problem. Last one on mine and Nook’s assignment. I’ve got to go tell Nook about it. Thanks for helping!” he blurted out before rushing through the door.

She stood in her own home once again, alone. “But you could’ve just called him…”

****

Near a hospital, a truck stood delivering crates of a product that AxEl couldn’t gleam any information about. He’d focused solely on the logo on the truck’s side.

Dox Transport Vehicles.

Lex stood near him with the same carefree attitude he carried with him everywhere. AxEl couldn’t deny though that he had his ways. A driver tucked his hair into his hat as he finished placing the last of the crates near the entrance. He looked sturdy, but short. AxEl walked up to him as he set the last crate down.

“Hello.”

Smooth. Natural. The man looked disoriented for a second but put on a smile. Lex flashed one back but let AxEl continue his conversation.

“Hi, kid,” he replied.

“Must be tough work,” AxEl said, pointing towards the boxes that were being carried away.

“Oh, it is. But it’s mighty rewarding,” the man answered, wiping the sweat on his face with a handkerchief.

“Really?” AxEl asked, though his voice cracked. The man eyes hardened almost immediately into a glare. Lex put a hand on AxEl’s shoulders and pulled him back.

“Don’t mind the kid, he’s fresh. I think what he meant was that, yeah, it’s rewarding, but are you sure this is the best you can do?” Lex said.

The man’s glare didn’t leave, however. “You think I’m simple?”

“I think you’re too good for this,” Lex said. “Could be earning a lot more than you are, at least,” he said with a scoff.

The man crossed his arms after closing the door on the back of his truck. “I’m fine with moving around these hospital supplies, thanks,” the man said. He waved them off and began walking towards his car door.

“Fifty percent,” AxEl blurted out. The man stopped after hearing that.

“Fifty percent what?” he said.

“I’ll pay you whatever Doxen’s giving, plus fifty percent if you work for me instead.”

Though his stature was shorter than AxEl, he still felt intimidated as the man came up to him. He didn’t break his gaze, however.

“Do you really have that kind of money to be throwing around?” the man asked.

“That’s not your problem as long as you get yours, is it?” AxEl answered. Lex was about to intervene but stopped once he heard AxEl’s reply.

The man licked his lips before looking around the streets.

“Not here, talk to me somewhere else,” he said as he moved towards Lex and whispered something to him. AxEl stood there awkwardly until the man entered his truck and drove away.

Lex rubbed his nose and then approached AxEl.

“He gave me his number. When can you meet with him?” Lex asked and AxEl smiled.