Pumpkin Spice, стр. 22

not turn to look, would not stop to catch his breath, his feet kept his pace steady and he liked it that way. No goblin would abduct him on this day. His fist gripped the wheelbarrow tighter, the front wheel digging into the dirty ground beneath him. He took a deep breath. That feeling of being followed creeped behind him, his neck hairs were aroused with suspicion. Only two miles until he reached the other side of the woods.

The other side of the woods housed a massive pond. Maybe it was a lake, Reuben didn’t quite know. The land was filled with evergreen trees, in the distance Reuben could see deer drinking out of the body of water. He took a deep breath and quickly glanced behind him. He thought he saw something staring back out at him. Nonsense, he thought, nothing came after him on the walk through the woods, regardless of what his senses were trying to trick him into believing. Perhaps the goblin of the woods was nothing more than a made-up children’s story.

Reuben had to deliver the parcels before nightfall, he wanted no part of those woods at night. As terrified as he found the walk through them during the day, it would be much worse that evening. Since it was autumn, the days were getting shorter and time was not on his side.

He did his best to deliver the packages as quickly as he could. Each recipient greeted him pleasantly enough, though not too enthusiastic about it.

The walk home was nerve-wracking for Reuben, but it seemed to go quicker. Gone were his endless fears of being watched, no feeling of cold dark breath against his neck. It was, quite frankly, a walk in the park. Before he knew it, he was back at the offices of the Barabbas boys. Barnabas greeted him with a smile and pat on the back. “Any worries in them there woods?” Reuben didn’t feel like admitting to the fears he had during his first journey so he shook his head no. “Good, good!” Barnabas smiled, “Tomorrow I got two more for ya, and three the next day. We’re booked solid.” He cackled. While Reuben was thankful for the employment and opportunity, he was not overly excited about going back into Kobold Woods.

The remainder of the week was filled with Reuben walking back and forth through the Woods delivering an assortment of packages, varying in weight and shape. Every night when he returned home, he was thankful, but a piece of his heart would be crushed as his wife would ask him how his day went, and he had to lie and talk to her about fictional clerical work he had to do throughout the day.

One day in late-autumn Barnabas called Reuben into his office yet again. Reuben entered. There was Cassidy hovering above Barnabas’ left shoulder, there were the posters on the table, there was an over-flowing ash tray. Once again, just like last, Barnabas asked Reuben to sit across from him. This time he poured two glasses of rum and slid one to Reuben. “We’ve come to trust ya, Reuben.” Barnabas clanked his glass against his employees. After taking a sip Barnabas slammed his glass down on the table, leaned back in his chair and scratched the back of his head. “How do you think we make our business here, Reuben? Importing/exporting?” Reuben nodded, “Yeah, that’s what the paperwork showed.” Barnabas let out a loud cackle. “It’s a nice thought. Sure. We make our money importing and exporting bullshit packages. Has it ever crossed your mind what’s in them parcels you deliver every day multiple times a day?” Barnabas sipped his drink. “Once or twice, but my mamma taught me to mind my own business.”

“Your mamma was a smart lady.”

“Indeed she was. God bless her soul.” Barnabas put his hand on a poster and slid it across the table. “Look at this here.” Reuben picked the paper up and examined it. It was a wanted poster, Reuben looked at the sketch of the man on the poster. It was no one he knew, Barnabas slammed his glass down after taking a long sip, “We’re hunters, Reuben. When someone needs someone, we find them. Those packages and parcels you’re sending out… those are ‘confirmations’ of our success in obtaining these bounties.” Reuben was in shock; he didn’t know what to say. He knew the Barabbas boys were not entirely kosher but this was on another level. “It’s time for you to upgrade your abilities.” Barnabas stood up, “You’re big, you’re strong, and you’re smart. You want money? You need more money? This is how you do it. You hunt, you find, you earn. Three step rule.” Reuben didn’t know what to say, he didn’t have an evil bone in his body, “I don’t know Barnabas…” Barnabas quickly cut him off, “Don’t know what?”

“Don’t know if I’m the right guy for the job. I’m quite comfortable delivering parcels and even doing paperwork, but tracking people down…” Barnabas couldn’t help but cut Reuben off once again, “Criminals. Hunting down criminals. The scum of the scum. Wife beaters, molesters, bank robbers, you name it.” Cassidy jumped it, “We’re basically law enforcement.”

“Basically law enforcement.” Barnabas smiled that gross devious smile. “Just think of all the money, all the things you can get for Penelope. Gold. Silver. A house. Anything your hearts desired would be yours.” Without warning Reuben nodded to Barnabas, “I’m in.” He felt he had been cast under a spell. “Good, good. I need you to get me that man right there. Tobias Klide. He owes some chumps on the other side of the woods some money. They’d rather his head at their front door then their coins.”

“You want me to kill him?” The thought of murder suffocated Reuben, Barnabas once again cackled, “Kill? Ha ha, no! I want you to catch him, snag him, and you bring him to the old mill.” Barnabas explained. “Then what?”