Eastbound Through Iowa

Eastbound Through Iowa

By

Jamey O’Donnell

“Thanks for the ride. Appreciate it” said the hitchhiker as he shut the back door of the Impala.

Every little bit gets you that much closer, he thought to himself as the car pulled away.

Sydney, Nebraska. Hmmmm. He wondered how long it would take before he got a ride out of here. Last ride took an hour before someone stopped for him, which wasn’t too bad.

Wasn’t that long ago when he’d been stuck at an on ramp for a day and a half.

Can’t really blame people for not wanting to pick up a stranger anymore, especially these days.

Danny surveyed the territory, and all he could see at this juncture was a 24 hour gas station at the on ramp. Other than that, there was nothing but wheat fields. The mosquitos were already getting nasty, and the sun hadn’t gone down yet.

He walked across the highway to the gas station next to the on ramp to get a bottle of soda and a candy bar before hitting the ramp, hoping he wouldn’t be there long. Spending the night out there would be hell with all the mosquitos, being eaten alive and not getting a wink of sleep.

It was 1977 and Jimmy Carter was President.

Gas prices were still through the roof at 62 cents a gallon and inflation was as crippling as ever. Just 6 years prior you could get a gallon of gas for 19 cents, but times they were a changing, and 19 cent a gallon of gas would never be seen again.

Danny had been traveling around the country for the last month, looking for something unknown, but when he found what he was looking for, he’d know it when he found it.

Fresh out of college with a degree in energy, there wasn’t much demand for someone with his degree, so he saw no hurry in attacking the job market, and instead cashed out his savings and hit the road to find his Shang-ri-la.

He had family scattered around the country, but he really wasn’t looking to be close to anyone he knew. He figured his adventure lay somewhere he’d never been before, with nothing but strangers.

College was grueling for him, especially his senior year. He fucked off his first two years and played catch up his remaining two, and barely graduated with a 2.8 GPA, barely enough to land a job in a healthy market.

When he began college, it was before OPEC started their crap, and gas and oil was still a very profitable field to go into, but a lot changed in the last four years.

In the back of his mind, he figured he’d eventually end up in either Texas, or maybe Oklahoma, but with the ways things were now, that might be a few years down the road.

What he was thinking about in the short term was getting a decent paying job, maybe doing construction, or some kind of labor that paid a decent wage.

His savings were starting to dwindle after a solid month of wandering, so he was really starting to think about landing somewhere and staying for a bit to recoup his bankroll.

After spending his first month going up the coast from California, he toodled around the Portland and Seattle areas, but couldn’t take the rain, so he was now heading east toward Chicago. He had an aunt there and a couple cousins, and though he wasn’t planning to stay there long, he could make a few bucks picking up some work there while staying rent free, then maybe head south toward Florida.

They had just opened Disneyworld, so maybe he could find work down there doing God knows what.

After plunking down his 80 cents for his pop and candy bar, he walked to the on ramp, mentally preparing himself for a long wait. There wasn’t much traffic going in any direction, as he was literally in the middle of nowhere on Interstate 80.

Taking off his backpack with his bedroll, he leaned them against the Freeway Entrance road sign, and waited for his first car.

15 minutes went by before a car had entered the on ramp, but it just sped on by, not even acknowledging his existence, and it would be 45 more minutes before the next car hit the ramp. They too drove on by, a van containing a church gathering of some sort, heading off to parts unknown.

The sun was starting to go down and it would be dark soon, and a lot harder to get a ride.

Like I said earlier, it wasn’t as easy as it use to be hitchhiking. There were strange things you heard about people being robbed, or even murdered by hitchhikers they had picked up, so not everyone felt like taking a chance to help someone out.

Just as Danny was about to throw in the towel for the night, a Cadillac turned on to the ramp and he put his thumb out, not expecting anyone to stop, but 30 feet past him the car suddenly stopped and starting backing up toward him.

The guy inside rolled down the passenger window and said, “How far are you going?”

“I’m heading east, so wherever you’re going is good with me” Danny said.

“I’m heading to Chicago, so if you want a ride, get in”

Chicago? Damn! That’s the best offer he’d get all night he thought, so he picked up his gear and threw it in the back, then jumped in the front seat.

As they hit the Interstate, the guy turned to Danny and offered him his hand.

“Donnie Jackson’s the name. Pleased to meet you.”

Danny was awful glad to meet him too, and especially grateful for the ride out of that shithole.

“Danny Lesko. Nice to meet you too” Danny responded, smiling from ear to ear while shaking Donnie’s hand. “I thought I would be spending the night out there. Thanks for picking me up”

“No problem. Glad to have the company. How long have you been there?” asked Donnie.

“About 3 hours, but that place was in the middle of nowhere, so there’s no telling how long I could have been stuck there.” Danny answered. “Do you mind if I shut my eyes for a while? I know you’d like some company, but I just need to catch up on a few winks. Would that be ok?”

“Sure thing man. Go ahead. You don’t snore, do you?” asked Donnie, but he was joking.

“I’ll try to keep it down” Danny answered back jokingly.

Danny leaned his head against the passenger seat window and drifted off to sleep, barely able to keep his eyes open, as he listened to the AM radio station that was playing a song he’d often heard, but for the life of him, couldn’t remember the name.

A couple hours had gone by when Danny opened his eyes and he noticed the road sign saying they were 180 miles to Lincoln, Nebraska. The clock on the radio said 10:30. He straightened up in his seat, catching Donnie’s attention.

“Welcome back to the world Sleeping Beauty. You were out like you were dead.” Said Donnie.

“Hey. I really needed that. Thanks.” Said Danny.

“We’ve been making good time” said Donnie as he put a bottle of pills up to his mouth, swallowed a few, then put the cap back on them and stuck the bottle in his shirt pocket.

“What are those? You got a headache?’ asked Danny.

“No. I’m fine. Theses are just some of mother’s little helpers. You know, what the Stones sang about?”

Speed. Crosstops. Danny was familiar with those from college. A lot of his classmates would take them while pulling an all-nighter cramming for a test. Danny even did some a couple times, and they worked wonders.

“Oh yeah. OK. Whatever gets you through the night.” Said Danny.

Donnie looked over at him, not quite sure if Danny was being sympathetic or a smart ass.

“I’m planning on driving straight through to Chicago, so I ain’t got no time to sleep” Donnie stated.

“Ok by me” quipped Danny.

Donnie seemed like someone from the big city. He talked fast, drove fast, and probably did everything else in his life fast.

He had to be in his early to mid 30’s and he dressed like a man looking to succeed.

He was wearing a nice shirt, tailored pants, and what looked to be a pretty expensive Italian leather jacket.

“What do you for a living Donnie?” asked Danny.

Donnie paused before answering, not quite knowing how to answer his new found friend riding shotgun.

“A little bit of this, and a little bit of that.. I do a lot of things. I move money, for one. Investments, procuring things for people, stuff like that. Under the radar kind of stuff.” He said.

It wasn’t much of an answer, but it would have to do. Danny was in no position to question what this man did, but just wanted to know what it was, and if he didn’t want to say, that was ok too.

“What about you? What do you do?” Donnie asked.

“Nothing right now. I just graduated from college with a degree that won’t do much for me at the current rate things are going. I got a degree in oil and gas, but the way things are going these days in the world, I’m not optimistic about my chances landing a job, so instead, I thought I’d spend some time and see the country, see what America looks like from this point of view.” Danny responded.

“Right on man. I’m guessing you’re about 22 or 23, right”? asked Donnie.

“23” Danny answered.

“Hell man, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. No rush, no hurry. Take your time. When you are ready, you’ll know. Hey Danny, I have to pull off at this truck stop to get some gas. Are you hungry?” asked Donnie.

“I could definitely eat” Danny said.

“Good. After I fill up, we’ll pull into the diner if they have one, which they should. It’s a truck stop, right? We’ll get some dinner.” Said Donnie.

As they pulled up to the pump, Donnie asked Danny if he wouldn’t mind pumping the gas while he went in to pay for it.

“Premium. Fill it all the way to the top partner. Thanks.” He said as he walked into the cashier station.

Premium? Danny thought to himself that this guy must have money. Who drives cross country and buys premium?

After filling up, they pulled over to the diner, went inside, and found a booth, as they pretty much had the place to themselves at that hour of the night.

Donnie picked a spot away from the few truckers that were in there.

“Evening men. What can I get you started on to drink?” said the waitress as she sat menus down in front of them.

“I’ll have coffee, black.” Said Donnie.

“Coke please,” said Danny. “So tell me Donnie, where did you start driving from?”

“Denver. That’s where I live and do business. I’m making a delivery to some of my associates in Chicago, and I have to be there by tomorrow night. That’s why I’m driving straight through, otherwise I’d be getting a room somewhere.” answered Donnie. “Do you know anyone in Chicago, since that’s where you’re going?”

“I have an aunt there and some cousins. Thought I’d stop in and spend a few days there, possibly pick up some work, and then continue on down south.” said Danny.

The waitress came back with their drinks and took their order, then hustled back to the kitchen.

In the light of the diner and sitting directly across from him, Danny was getting a much better look at Donnie, and he was a sight to behold. He looked like he’d been up for days, not beginning a road trip on his first day of driving.

His clothes looked even more expensive in the light, but they also looked like they’d been on him for days

Donnie reached back into his shirt pocket for his bottle of pills, took a couple out and popped them in his mouth, washing them down with his coffee.

“Do me a favor Danny. If you see someone suspicious in here that I don’t see, let me know. I’m carrying a very large amount of cash, and there could be a couple of Mexican characters looking to rob me before I get to where I’m going,” said Donnie.

Holy shit! This guy can’t be for real, thought Danny. Now he was wondering if he should be looking over his shoulder for two shady Mexicans.

“Seriously? What do they look like?” asked Danny.

“They look like Mexicans man. How many Mexicans do you see out here in the corn fields? Don’t be stressed out about it. I just want to make sure all my bases are covered and I don’t get blind sided. Besides, I’ve got her with me” said Donnie as he opened his jacket to reveal a pistol in a shoulder holster. “I just need to see them coming.”

This was starting to get creepier by the minute, but the ride was worth it, Mexicans or no Mexicans.

What Danny didn’t know was how much danger he was in.

A few hours before Donnie had picked him up, Donnie was in Denver completing a dope deal with one of Denver’s most notorious high-level distributors.

A deal had been struck for 25 pounds of high grade cocaine at $8000.00 a pound, with Donnie selling the cocaine. Donnie had done this same deal several times before as a middleman between his associates in Columbia and his connect in Downtown Denver. He would pick up the cocaine and deliver it after exchanging product for cash, then deliver the money back to the Columbians, making a nice piece of change every time he did it.

Donnie also had a really bad gambling problem and was into his bookie for 75 grand, and was being pressed ultra-hard for the money with threats on his life.

Feeling like he was being boxed into a corner, he devised a plan to replace the cocaine with a worthless substitute, drop off the phony cocaine and split with both the money and the real cocaine. Since he’d done this so many times before, there was no need to sample the goods before exchanging them for the money, and that is what he relied on to make his getaway.

By the time the buyers figured out they’d been cheated, Donnie was well on his way with $200,000.00 and 25 pounds of pure cocaine toward the Nebraska border, heading north on Interstate 76, turning into Interstate 80.

What he didn’t know was that the buyer always put a tracking device in the bag just in case something like this were to ever happen.

Not only was his bookie after him, but now he had the buyer, along with the Columbians, and all would kill him on sight, but it was the buyer Donnie needed to be worried about first and foremost, because unbeknownst to him, the buyer was tracking him, and when they caught up with him, they would get their money, and the cocaine, and Donnie would be in pieces in some cornfield in either Nebraska or Iowa, depending on how long it would take them to catch up.

Unfortunately for Danny, he would be collateral damage in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Hopefully you won’t need to use that, but I’ll keep an eye out for you” said Danny, trying to assure Donnie that everything was alright and there was no one that looked suspicious inside or outside of the diner.

After they finished eating, Donnie picked up the check at his insistence, and they headed back to the Interstate to continue their drive to Chicago.

Danny hadn’t noticed it before, but looking at Donnie drive, his eyes were always in the rear-view mirror, and when a car had come into view and passed along side of him, he always looked into the car to see who was in it.

They had passed through Omaha and it was almost 5 AM when they crossed into Iowa and the sun was just coming up into their eyes.

Danny could see that Donnie was struggling with the sunrise almost blinding him, so he pulled out his sunglasses and handed them to Donnie.

“Here man, try these on. They should help with the glare.” said Danny.

“Thank you. They help a lot. I lost mine somewhere,” said Donnie.

The fuel tank was getting low, so Donnie pulled off the Interstate to get gas.

Pulling up to the pump, Donnie asked Danny to once again pump the gas while he went inside to pay.

As Danny was filling up the tank, he noticed a black sedan pull up to end of the island behind them, but stopped well short of the gas pump, and just sat there. There were 2 men in the front seat, with the man riding shotgun holding a device that looked like a radio, and both men were paying close attention to Danny, but trying to play it off as if they weren’t.

After a night of driving, Danny didn’t give anyone following them much thought, and forgot what Donnie had said about anyone tailing them, so he went back to paying his full attention to the gas pump and nozzle.

When Donnie got back to the car, he was so tired, he didn’t notice the men in the sedan parked well behind them, and Danny didn’t think to tell him about them, not really thinking they could be a threat.

Donnie handed Danny his sunglasses back, as he had bought himself a nice new pair in the station.

“We’re making excellent time. We’ll be in Chicago before dinner time.” Said Donnie.

Neither of them bothered to notice that when they pulled away from the pump, the car behind them followed.

Donnie never saw the car behind him, as they were back several car lengths, not to reveal themselves. After several hours driving, they were almost to Des Moines, and Danny saw there was a huge truck stop ahead a few miles, so he asked Donnie if they could pull in there.

Danny had to take a massive crap, plus he wanted to brush his teeth, put some water on his face, and comb his hair, and maybe change his shirt.

“I wont be more than 20 minutes, I promise” said Danny as he got out of the car and opened the backseat to grab his backpack, and that is when he saw it.

A big black duffel bag, opened halfway, and he could see stacks and stacks of large bills inside of it. There must have been thousands upon thousands of dollars. He tried not to let Donnie see him notice it and grabbed his backpack and shut the door, then went into the truck stop to find the bathroom before he shit his pants.

As he sat on the toilet, he wondered to himself if that was the package he was delivering, or was it something else?

Then he flashed on the men in the car at the gas station on their last fill up.

Maybe there was something to what Donnie had told him.

Maybe he was about to be robbed.

Danny had washed his face and brushed his teeth, and after putting on a clean shirt, he felt halfway human again.

He bought a pack of gum and a cup of coffee for Donnie to make up for the extra five minutes he took in the bathroom, then walked outside and around the truck stop, but wasn’t prepared for the scene he came upon.

As soon as he turned the corner of the truck stop, he almost dropped the coffee he was carrying.

There were several people around the car, looking at the carnage.

Donnie was dead and folded up between the door and the steering wheel, with blood splattered all over the windshield and inside of the car. He had been shot several times in the face, with blood still squirting out of him.

The back doors were open, and Danny could see that the duffel bag filled with money was gone.

The trunk was also open, because that’s where the 25 pounds of cocaine was, though Danny had no idea about it.

Someone asked him if he knew the guy in the car and he said no and walked away.

His head was buzzing from the close call he had. It could have just as easily been him shot dead in that car, right along with Donnie.

Those men at the gas station must have been the ones to do this, and Danny felt guilty that he said nothing to Donnie.

He felt bad for him, not knowing that Donnie had gotten what he had asked for.

It was a great ride from the other side of Nebraska all the way to the middle of Iowa, but had he had it all over to do again, he would have preferred spending the night off of that on ramp, being eaten alive by mosquitos.