I was almost to my cube when Melodie caught me in the hall. “Roger’s pissed. What did you do?” When I said nothing, she went on, “How’d the presentation go?” She giggled. “Nate?”
“I really need night vision goggles.” I turned and walked out the front door.
“Nate?” I heard as the door closed. I kept going.
***
“I got some tools here,” I said indicating a small pile of trowels, wrenches, pliers, and other assorted hand tools. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with it all, but whatever.”
The stinkbug waved its antennae at me.
“I haven’t had any luck finding night vision goggles. There’s a sporting goods store outside of town that claims to have some in stock. I’m going to head out that way…”
My phone started to ring. The stinkbug flew over to it and landed, walking over its surface.
“I think I might have just lost my job. Roger’s not happy with me.” The bug turned and looked at me. I shrugged. “Maybe we got the contract and he’s calling to congratulate me. Not likely.”
The bug flew to the tools and lit on the handle of some wire cutters.
“Yeah, I don’t know. In case we want to dig up and examine one of those ‘bushes.’ I’m not sure. I need to get a bag or back pack to carry all this stuff. I’ll pick something up when I buy those goggles.”
The phone stopped ringing. I picked it up and read the number. “Yup. That was Roger.” The bug walked to the end of the wire cutters handle and waved its antennae and its forelegs at me.
“Yes, my plan is to get extras of everything. As long as I can carry it all.” I clipped the phone back to my belt. “All right. I gotta get going before the store closes. You need anything?”
The bug was still.
“All right, then. I’m off.”
***
“You want three of these? You’ve only got two eyes,” said the salesman with a grin.
“Presents. For my hunting buddies, you know,” I said.
“Hunting, huh? Just remember, it’s illegal to use anything but ambient light for aiming.”
“Oh yeah. Yeah, right. We’re just – um – prospecting.”
“You don’t look like the hunting type.”
I shrugged. “I want to learn.”
“You have a rifle?”
“Actually, no. Maybe I should get one.”
“What were you going to do? Throw rocks?” The salesman chuckled.
“I was just gonna borrow my buddy’s.”
“What are you hunting?”
“Um, deer.”
“I could set you up with something perfect for deer,” said the salesman with a wink. He knew a sucker when he saw one. And that sucker was me.
“All right. Hook me up.” Having a gun might not be the worst thing. “Ammo, cleaning kit, case… Give me the works.”
The salesman straightened up. “You sure?”
“Yeah. And I need a backpack to carry all this stuff at once.”
“And three night vision monoculars?”
“And those too. And my tool box. And toiletries. And a change or two of clothes.”
“What?”
“I need a good pack. You have a few of those around here right?” I pointed toward the camping section of the store.
“What kind of hunting are you going to do?”
“The best kind.”
The salesman shook his head to clear it. “You really want a gun?”
“Yeah. Hook me up.”
He left me standing at the counter. My chest tightened at the thought of what I was about to put on my credit card. I had never carried a balance before. But now, with losing my job (probably), this wasn’t going to get paid off for a while. I giggled. I had to be honest to myself. I was having fun. The salesman returned with a long box. “I think I know why women like to shop,” I said.
“Only this is way better than a purse or a skirt. And this is what you need,” he said as he opened the box, revealing a dismantled rifle.
“Perfect.”
Read Chapter 25.
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Penny Higgins - Storyteller • Artist • Scientist 