THE DEAL

Sam B ender rolled the battered ford to a stop in front of the worn phone booth at the Pullman truck stop. dropping a quarter into the phone he dialed eppi s number. on the fourth ring a sleepy voice answered. a second of explaining the call and eppi came to the phone. sam explained he found the back pack but it wasn't within reach because of the rain and flooding. eppi told him he would be at the ranch by mid morning. he hung up. sam wandered into the truck stop and sat at the counter asking for coffee. the blonde waitress smiled sweetly and poured the cup full.  sipping coffee sam was thinking about his days chores. but that back pack kept coming back to his thoughts. was it drugs or what? why the big deal? that rigsby was involved raised a lot of suspition right off. of coarse the dea agent was like a spoiled dog, give him one scrap and he will try to take the whole meal! getting up from the counter he went to the cash register to pay for his coffee that he hadn't drank. handing a doller to the waitress he glanced out the window. rigsby stood at the front of his truck twirling his sun glasses. sam stepped out on the sidewalk and stopped and looked at the little crook. as sam stepped down from the sidewalk and started for his truck marvin made a show of adjusting his service pistol on his hip. sam ignored him and walked on by. rigsby turned and stepped up behind sam and put his hand on the truck door to keep it shut.
   " rigsby get your hand off my pickup, and if you touch that gun ill make you eat it" sam growled
  " your going to talk to me bender, ime fed, ime the guy who is in charge here. I have a warrant to search your ranch, inch by inch if I have to to get what I want" marvins lips were pulled tight across his teeth in a wolfish grin.
   " search and be damned, now get your rotton hand hand off my truck"  a warning that rigsby didn't heed
   " your going to talk to me now........" rigsby couldn't finish his sentence because sams fist was smashing into those pearly white teeth. rigsby staged backwards but not before a white knuckled left clipped him under the chin. he me;lted to the pavement and landed on his hands and knees.
   sam stepped up to land a kick into the crooks mid section but then thought better of it.
   " leaning over he pulled the glock from the agents belt. " ill keep this for you until you grow up to a big enough man to carry it. you touch me or ANYTHIN I own again ill kill you! and you know ill do it!!
  sam looked up and the blonde waitress was
  "  standing in the café door. a smile crossed her lips. she winked and went back inside. rigsby was still down when sam pulled out of the parking lot  and took the two track road back to the ranch.


   3 hours later eppi pulled into the ranch yard. sam was at the barn shoing a horse.
   as eppi walked up sam straightened and  stuck out his hand. the big papago smiled and shook it
" you shouldn't have worked that little jerk over, you made a bad enemy. but I know he had it commin" eppi was grinning
   "I had him for a enemy already, I just served notice on the little s o b.  how did you find out so soon? sam asked
    the waitress told me a while ago. I guess rigsby tried to scare her into tattling on any thing you did. she hates him too" eppi was shaking his head slowly
 sam reached to a shelf over the door of the saddle room and took down the glock he had taken from rigsby." you can give this back to him when you see him. I didn't want the shit head shooting me in the back when I left."
  eppi took the pistol and stuffed it behind his belt after making sure the safety was on. sam had already unloaded it.  " ok sam wheres the back pack?"
   its at the vekohl crossing at the bender well. with the flood water runnin we cant get to it. ill take you down and show you if you want to.  but before I do I want you to promise to leave the girl alone, where ever she is"
   " ill take your word that's the deal. and I don't care about your house keeper. I wont tell anyone at border patrol......unless they ask me. I wont lie for you sam.  but what about rigsby. what if he finds the back pack before you get it? eppi was puzzled
   " hes too short to do anything about it if he found it. and you can bet he isn't going to bring any help he might have to share with. whats in that bag anyway? " sam asked
   " I don't know but its mighty important to that little jack ass. I didn't think there was enough drugs in there to get this excited about. but then I hear he is in trouble with the farmer. your right he is a lien little crook. but he is a dangerous one. watch your back. ill see what I can do to find a I d for your girl friend in the house." eppi was ginning ear to ear
  " sam glanced at the house and saw nothing to give sissy away" how you know?"
   " ime paid to know you dummy" eppi was walking to the car " ill be back in a couple days unless you call me , ok?
  sam nodded pushing his hat back on his head letting his brown hair fall down into his eyes" damn wagon burner!"