Hey, Mack: Secondhand Warriors, #1

By Joe Greer

'To serve America' was their siren call.

 

When soldiers were wounded and thrown on the trash heap by the military, a mysterious Command gave them a second chance.

 

Mack and Bernice had no choice. They were drafted by Command, by the Narcos, and by an armed faction of the Rodeo. A man has to do what he has to do and a girl's unrequited love draws her along for the wild ride. Laws are scoffed across oceans and continents.

 

This collection of badass people is shielding America from its enemies with no holds barred. One man's criminal is another man's patriot.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Distributed Sensing Solutions
• Release date: Jun 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223732907

Book preview

HEY, MACK

Book One

Secondhand Warriors

Joe Greer

Copyright © 2022 by the author

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's vivid imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in longhand writing from the author.

Published by Distributed Sensing Solutions

First edition: June 2023

Cover Design by: selfpubbookcovers.com / John Bell Art

Hello Earthlings,

It is only a few dollars, please don’t steal.

If you get this any other way than via an e-vendor or bookstore, go to one and buy a copy. An old retiree thanks you.

Joe Greer

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

More from Joe Greer

Portals of Yahweh series

Roswell Boneyard

Ghosts of Atlantis

Muturi Deception

Warriors and Spies

Wheel of Giants

The Phaux

Deusdia, In the Portals of Yahweh Universe

Deusdia, Cats and Raiders

Deusdia, DeeDee Finds A Cat

Multiverse Bomb Squad series

Blake Spiral

Dearth in Norway

Contents

Takeoff Delay

The Ranch

Longhorns

Cowboys and Robots

Where Demons Roam

Shephard in Sheep’s Clothing

Power Hates A Vacuum

Herman

Yearnings

Chihuahuas are Sneaky Bastards

Plans for a Cold Serving

Going Gangster

Pirates

Fishing a Fish

Negotiation in Nassau

Traitor

Takeoff Delay

The roughneck used his whole body as an extension of the chain to whip it up and around the next joint of drill pipe as it inserted into the hanging string. Not half a second passed before the driller’s assistant opened the air valve of the tugger winch spinning the pipe to its seat. Tongs grasped the top and bottom to cinch them tight. The roughnecks were already bent over with their hands on the slips. String up, slips out, and the drill string went downhole almost in freefall. The roughneck fed the chain into its bucket ready to be wound around the pipe again.

Mack grinned at the driller. Halfway! She may be old but she’s slow, he shouted over the sound of giant diesel motors. The others grinned too. Their rig was an ancient piece of shit resurrected to make some dodgy businessman money in yet one more oil boom. They were proud of her.

Be careful with that chain or the old slut will bite your fingers off, the driller shouted back and held up his hand missing the index finger.

This one? Mack held up his middle finger.

Yeah

Mack nodded his head in agreement as he helped drop the slips on the pipe and begin wrapping the chain. The other two roughnecks were fetching the next stand. ‘Focus’ he told himself as they started another cycle. They were a good team and paying attention is what kept them all safe with their hole fingers intact.

The bit had just gotten to bottom and drilling ahead when the twelve hour shift ended. The last shift in the crew’s hitch. Climbing the stairs to the rig floor, the new crew gave a few happy shouts to see the pipe trip done without them.

Hey, Mack, you headed back to Laredo tonight? the driller asked as they headed toward the parking area where the shuttle bus waited.

Naw, I’m going to the man camp. Head out in the morning.

Let’s get a beer at Paco’s. I’ll run you to the man camp after.

Sounds great. Tripping pipe makes me thirsty.

Places like Paco’s always exist around boom towns. Lots of men with money and nowhere to spend it. The beers were cold accompanied by cheap women, overworked and ugly. They bellied up to the bar with the driller calling out, A Bud and a Jack, each.

A forty-something woman in a short skirt and pushup bra for a shirt squawked, Hey Bud, I got your Jack.

Not tonight, Arlene, the driller chuckled.

From behind the wide back, Mack snickered, Yeah, he’s with me.

The prostitute laughed at the anonymous comment, knowing better. Suit yourself, I’ll be over here, she said and moved over a couple of stools to give real clients a clear approach. It didn’t take long before a pudgy guy in clean coveralls came up to strike a deal.

Drinks came, the boys shot the whiskey and took a long pull on their beers.

You know Mack, since coming onto my crew we got much faster handling pipe. The guys keep their eyes on you like you’re a quarterback. You play ball in school?

Yeah, I was varsity in football and soccer at East Laredo High. Started as a linebacker. When I was at Marfa, I played JV football.

Thought so. No scholarship offers for college?

I wasn’t that good. Haven’t tried getting accepted yet. Right now, I’m auditing some classes at Laredo Community College before I take my ACT tests. With a high score, I could get into UT Austin’s Robotics program. THAT is what I really want.

The driller laughed, Robotics? So, you go to work on the oldest rig in the basin?

I just turned eighteen and the big outfits won’t take anyone under twenty-one.

Just eighteen and you’re in this place?

Don’t tell Paco. He’s the don’t ask, don’t tell kind of guy.

More like don’t care, the driller drained his beer, Another?

No thanks, I’m not much of a drinker.

The driller nodded and motioned for another beer for himself. Arlene and her erstwhile client’s negotiation were getting louder. The boys decided to listen in on the entertainment.

Two hundred for a suck fuck. The girls all have a fixed rate here, Arlene said firmly not yet ready to give up and move on.

A hundred and I get to take my time, Smart Well coveralls declared.

There is a fixed rate for a reason. I can’t charge you more even if you are a soft wanker.

Well, me and the boys all agreed you are worth a hundred. We took a vote.

In exasperation, Arlene spun her barstool around and saw... Mack. A beautiful hard body in first bloom. She glanced over her shoulder for a second. With a loud voice, she said, Hey boy, how about I give you one for free?

Mack stuttered, Me? Uhm...Uhmmm...

The driller smacked him in the back of the head and said, Free.

Yeah, sure. Can I touch your titties too?

You better, Arlene said and hopped off her barstool.

The Smart Well guy moved quickly to get between them. Stay out of this, he warned Mack.

Your time was up mister, Arlene said tugging at his shoulder.

He shrugged her off. This would show her who was the real man. He took a swing at Mack who easily leaned back out of the arc of the haymaker.

Mister, you’re making a mistake, the driller advised.

Stay out of it or my boys won’t, Smart Well said and gave a quick jab. Mack didn’t see that one coming and it connected.

Mack shook his head frowning and made the decision. His waist twisted back then whipped forward engaging his whole upper body into a straight line punch into Smart Well’s eye. The guy’s knees wobbled, then he sat down on the floor out cold.

Oh baby, let’s go, Arlene enthused pulling Mack toward the door.

The driller smiled and turned back to his beer. He had chugged a third of it when the bartender caught his eye and motioned with his chin. Four Smart Well guys were heading to the door too.

Well shit, he said, chugged the rest of his beer, and joined the parade.

Outside, the Smart Well crew trotted to cut Arlene and Mack off from the RV park.

Well shit, the driller repeated breaking into a trot of his own, the beer sloshing and expanding in his belly.

The clean coverall gang surrounded Mack and Arlene. You’re obviously a dumb roughneck. Mess with one Smart Well and mess with the rest.

The driller walked up to stand beside Mack and let out an enormous belch.

Good one, Arlene laughed getting psyched up on the drama.

Now what, boss? Mack asked.

Four against two so hurt them bad and fast. Don’t stop moving.

Two and a half, Arlene said and pulled a blackjack out of thin air or was it curly hair?

Between a middle-aged driller’s brute strength and a young linebacker’s athletic moves, the fight didn’t last long. Arlene knew enough to stay out of the thick of it. She scuttled in to make strategic whacks to exposed joints and noggins. The Smart Well guys were finally smart enough to stay down.

You okay?

Got a kick in the ribs. Don’t think any broke. It’ll hurt like hell tomorrow. You?

Naw, nothing. Dumbasses tried to get in body blows, the driller chuckled.

Me, I’m hotter than a ten-dollar pistol on Saturday night. Come on boy, let’s get you cleaned up before I get you nasty, Arlene said in extreme agitation. She was pulling desperately on Mack’s arm.

The driller started to go back across the lot to the bar when a truck flashed its headlights. ‘Aw shit the toolpusher,’ he thought and veered over.

Hey, boss.

Get in Jim, the toolpusher said as he pushed a pump shotgun into its vertical rack. A questioning look from the driller got a reply, I knew you could take those pansies. The shotgun was to make sure it was a fair fight. Want a beer?

Sure

The toolpusher opened the console and pulled out a couple of cold ones from an improvised cooler. You and the boy come in bright and early tomorrow to the site. I’ll cut your paychecks.

He didn’t start it and I couldn’t let the boy get hurt, the driller stammered.

That came out wrong. It isn’t about the fight. You two were off-site so it’s not company business anyway. The rig is getting stacked. Damn insurance company denied coverage. Can’t say as I blame them. Our rig is a fifty year old scrap heap.

Sorry to hear that. Plenty of jobs out there for the rest of the crew, except Mack. He’s eighteen.

He could work as a roustabout.

And barely make over minimum wage. Would you? He has plans for university.

Doesn’t surprise me. He struck me as very bright. Anyway, if you come in straightaway you won’t have to wait.

Thanks for the beer. See you in the morning.

The driller was stupid drunk by the time Mack found him in the bar. He got a room at the man camp too.

A picture containing text, clipart Description automatically generated

MACK RODE HIS MOTORCYCLE up onto the lawn and dropped the kickstand next to a lowrider. The swamp cooler was blowing a small hurricane so there was no satisfying slap to the screen door.

Hello, Mrs. Sanchez, he called out.

In here, come get some lunch.

He walked through to the back of the house and sat down with the rest of the Sanchez’s borders.

You have a good hitch, dear? the stout middle-aged lady asked in Spanish. Here, mealtimes were always in good, formal Spanish. No Spanglish allowed.

Yes, ma’am, he replied in the same tongue. His Spanish was actually better than theirs because he had studied it in school. Except we all got laid off on the last day. They are stacking the rig after running casing.

Oh, I’m sorry. You are a good boy. Another job will come along soon enough.

And an Anglo, Pedro snarked.

Mrs. Sanchez smacked him in the back of the head, Be nice.

Ow, I was just kidding.

Oil field work pays much more than anything else around. Problem is I’m eighteen and all of the good jobs require you to be twenty-one. Not much point going out there if I can’t save money, Mack explained.

Everyone continued making their tacos and small talk. It wasn’t their problem. Pedro kept eyeing him with a thoughtful expression. After lunch, Pedro went to knock on Mack’s door.

Hey mano, sorry to hear about your job man, really.

Mack shrugged, If I can’t save then I might as well get on with it. It will take more years, loans, and part-time work. Others have done it.

My crew always has good money jobs. A job a month will pay everything you need, he offered.

You know I don’t want to get involved with the Narcos. Too easy to get sucked into some truly evil shit and forget about real life.

You wouldn’t have to carry drugs, Pedro argued. Just be our eyes and ears in places we can’t go. At least unnoticed. You clean up nice.

That’s how it starts, easy money, easy work, and before you know it, you’re neck deep in shit or cut off at the neck. Then they use your head for a soccer ball, Mack said wishing his friend would shut up with the temptations.

I get it white boy. We brownies don’t get real world opportunities unless we make them ourselves.

Knock it off. I’m just willing to work for it.

I know amigo. It would be nice to have someone in the gang I can trust working with me. You know, keep evil shit from happening to me. So, what are you going to do until you get in somewhere and the semester starts?

Probably go to the ranch I was raised on and work cattle. No expenses if I stayed in the bunkhouse and ate with the other hands. Maybe kill a few coyotes for the bounty. It wouldn’t be much but it’s a way to not spend what I have saved.

And studying for the ACT test?

Online. Every ranch has Starlink now.

Hermano, you certainly aren’t afraid of work. But no chicas out there in the desert. At least that like boys.

Mack laughed, Yeah, that’s the downside. Just have to make up for lost time when I get to Austin.

You going to stop by the orphanage before heading out?

We have some good friends there still. I’d like to see Manie and Fred, he replied pensively.

I stay away. We haven’t been gone for a year and they keep hitting me up for donations. Like I owe them money or something... Pendejos.

Mack nodded, I get emails from Administrator Julius. He wants me to sign up for auto withdrawals. Think I’ll give the orphanage a wide berth at least until I have a real job.

Hey, let’s go over to Mexico and get a couple of beers at Ruinas Sombrado.

Now you’re talking. Let’s go!

The shady bar used the Roman Ruins motif with low walls, half columns, and plastic vines. The walls and stone columns were pock marked from old gun battles. This was a Cartel hangout. The gangsters felt more comfortable there because if the sicarios came in they could find a little cover and fight back.

Hola, meu gringo guapo, sang out the barmaid. Is been sooo long since we be together.

Hi, Carlita. Been working so I can bring you a little plata, Mack grinned and patted her nearly bare bottom. Bring us a bucket of Modelos then have one with us.

She wiggled her ass all the way