Page 36 of Two Chambered Heart

“The second transport truck is arriving.”

Jason waited for the second truck to pull up so that his team could load the crates from the first truck to the next.

The new truck had just the one driver. Everything had been meticulously prearranged between him and Archie earlier in the week. It was the regular protocol. They switched security companies often, to ensure no one got too much information on the routes and process. For the second transport, they always used random truck drivers sourced through databases, trying to find drivers with criminal records or criminal association to ensure that they could eliminate the threat if Jason felt any sensitive information had been compromised.

Archie circulated more instructions, dismissing everyone.

Jason waited for the transport team and the EP team to leave. He waited for the “all clear” from Archie before giving a burner phone with the coordinates to the trucker.

“I’ll be following on my bike.” Jason told him. The trucker's thoughts kept returning to the shipment, his interest piqued.

“Just you?” the trucker asked Jason, sizing him up. Jason flagged the plan that was unravelling in the man’s mind.

He opened his leather jacket with a savage grin. All his weapons—knives, guns and even grenades—were on proud display.

“I’m all I need,” Jason warned the man.

It was enough for the trucker to abandon his immediate intentions.

“You’ll follow the map on that phone to the coordinates I’ve given you. No detours, no stops. Is that clear?”

The man nodded. He had a large eagle tattooed on one side of his neck and the American flag on the other, which stretched and contracted with his submission.

“Good.” Jason put his helmet back on.

He followed the trucker through the country highways to the next warehouse. The one they had just left was empty and abandoned, scouted after their previous exchange point became compromised. They had several warehouses in secure locations, never keeping all of their stock in one place, just in case.

Arriving at one of Alpha Moneta’s warehouses, Jason shut off his bike and headed towards the truck. Archie had automated the warehouses completely. An electric forklift truck made its way to the trailer, remotely operated by Archie. Jason opened the doors, hopped in and loaded one crate onto the lift before the machine left and another took its place.

The muscles in his arms protested against the load. After his workout this morning, his biceps were feeling particularly sore. He ignored it, stacking another crate on the next lift, doing it two more times before the truck was unloaded.

Once the lifts were back in the warehouse, the thick metal garage door secured itself by Archie’s long-distance command.

Jason rounded the truck to the passenger side of the cab and got in.

The trucker looked at him, and Jason analyzed him—his hideous tattoos, his pockmarked skin, his gnarled hands.

“What are you doing after this?” Jason asked.

“Uh… going home?” the man said, confused by Jason’s question. His answer was true.

“And where’s home?”

“Listen, buddy, that’s none of your business.” But Jason already knew where home was for him.

“Do you know where you are?” Yes, he did. “Do you know how to get back here from where you live?” Another affirmative. “Will you come back here?” Jason pressed on.

“No, of course not!”Lie.

“Who’s waiting for you at home?”

“My girlfriend.”

“You got kids?”

“No.”Truth.

“Tell me about your girlfriend.”

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