“Do you think people know he’s here?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I would assume as much. I mean, I wouldn’t go anywhere without people knowing.”
“Do you think he has anything to do with it?” I ask, pulling myself up into the truck’s bed and walking its length.
He stops before just looking up at me, shrugging, but I can see the hurt in his eyes, so I assume that his automatic response is to assume the worst.
“If he’s connected to you at all, you can’t bury him here.” I say, sitting on the roof of the cab, swinging my feet slightly, watching him at the tailgate.
“Then what do you suggest we do with him?”
Rubbing my hands together. “A sink hole.”
“What?” he laughs out.
“Just hear me out. A sink hole, but from a collapsed mine shaft.”
“Yes.” He nods his head sarcastically. “Because those are just all around here.”
“There’s actually quite a few. The mine collapses, creating a sinkhole, and there’s like an air shaft that is hundreds of feet deep, if not more.” He looks up at me in awe as I just grin at him. “Just toss him in, I mean. They’re mostly marked, and how many people do you think are going to go fuck around in one that’s already proven to be dangerous?”
“I’m sure they do.” He mumbles to himself, but I can tell he’s not completely hating the idea.
“Sure, but how likely are they going to get around to it? Plus, with the elements, animals, and shit, I doubt by the time they get to him, if they ever do, they won’t be able to get anything?”
“Except the bullet.” He tilts his head at me.
“Then let’s get the bullet out beforehand.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
“Dig it out.” I roll my eyes at him. “I mean, he’s already dead.”
I watch him as he contemplates my opinion, taking it all in, and listening to me.
He nods his head. “And do you know where one of these mine shafts is?”
Enthusiastically, I nod my head this time as he walks around the truck, looks at me, reaching up, and grabbing a hold of my hand to help me down.
As soon as my feet touch the ground, he pulls me into him. “You’re kind of psycho.”
It makes laugh. “You know what they say about telling someone they’re psycho, right?” I ask him as he tilts his head. “It upsets the ones who really are.”
“What have I gotten myself into?”
“Looks like a could be murder rap.”
He shakes his head again as he pulls me behind him back over to where the body lies and where he has already unrolled the tarp. I feel him move next to me as he slips on the gloves. Flipping open his pocketknife, he walks over to the body and finds where he’s bleeding at. I watch him as he presses the tip into the hole, slicing it open wider, causing more blood to ooze from it.
I hear a slight ting as the blade hits the bullet, and Zane looks over at me with a satisfied smirk. He digs it’s out. I slip the gloves onto my hands and move over to the head of the body.
“Ready?” He asks me as I nod my head in response. “Good. On three.” He counts out, and we both turn the body over onto the tarp. He looks up at me again, nodding, and I follow his lead as we wrap the body in the tarp, like a pig in a blanket. “This is gonna suck.” He mumbles as he looks up. “I can drag him.”
“Nah, I’ve got it.” I nod to him as I position myself, squatting down, and he counts out until we’re lifting him into the bed of the truck. Zane flips the bed cover down, concealing the crime, and he looks back at me. Pulling his gloves off quickly, he pulls me into him and presses his lips to mine.
?
I can’t help but look around Zane’s truck as we drive away from the compound.
