George was involved in transporting cargoes of various categories, from foodstuffs to military equipment and explosive chemicals. In addition to him, there were three other drivers on staff. A logistician was given separate authority, organising the shortest, least congested and safest routes. From time to time George also had to hire a team of mercenaries to escort the cargo and make sure it got from point A to point B smoothly. It was a small group of four men that he had been working with for quite some time.
The leader of this group was named Fred. Yes, the same Fred they'd sat in the bar with. And who was so genuinely excited about Michael's imminent birth. By the time the boy was just 14, Fred was 52 years old. He looked like a typical daredevil: a T-shirt with a giant skull print on the chest, a black leather waistcoat with no buttons, pierced ears with piercings, red lenses, worn torn long shorts and black sports trainers with ornaments on the edges. Behind his back hung a short-barreled shotgun, with ammunition on his belt. At his sides were pistols in holsters. His group had two identical brown Safari jeeps with machine guns instead of back seats. George felt quite secure with mercenaries with such a solid combat arsenal accompanying him.
During the transport, one jeep was in front of George's car and the other was behind it. Since Michael's father and Fred were best friends, and the former was a regular customer, Fred always gave a substantial discount on his group's services. In addition, he was a frequent guest at the Silver house. He could even come uninvited to a party, or just show up when he had some free time on his hands. At the table Fred often talked about his orders and the trouble he'd been in lately.
Michael always admired him: his courage and bravery, fearlessness and selflessness. Secretly from his parents, the boy always dreamed that when he became an adult, he would be trained for the military, becoming a successful mercenary like Fred. He dreamed that he would help the local population and protect them from trouble. A bright pipe dream of a naive boy immersed in his dreams. Only then he didn't know that such a job involved not only good deeds, but also dirty orders, which Fred deliberately didn't tell him anything about.
Good news
753. It was spring. The buds on the trees in Ounvilshen began to blossom and flowers woke up from their winter hibernation. The town was filled with the wonderful colours and smells of blossoming plants. April was approaching, which Michael had always looked forward to. It was his birthday that month, and every year he and his family would go out and have fun. George had arranged his schedule so that he wouldn't take bookings at this time, or at least not participate in them, and Mariana would take a couple of days off. There was no such thing as a holiday. The cities had no social security or pension fund. Employers refused to pay for days off, but with advance notice they would at least provide them.
The Silvers lived in the industrial area of the city, which was mostly machine shops and private sectors made up of small one- and two-storey simple houses. Some of which had broken tiles or other minor damage. The location was not chosen at random, but primarily for George's business orientation. In addition, property prices were many times lower than in any bedroom community in Ounvilshen.
Compared to other buildings, the Silver house looked tidy and had a fairly large area. It had two floors with a total usable area of about 110 square metres. In the backyard was a small garden, which was tended by Mariana. Next to the house stood two garages, one of which was mostly used as a storage room. It held tools and boxes of old junk. The other was for George's rented vehicles, which he temporarily left outside before his next assignment.
An ordinary evening in a warm, family atmosphere. Mariana scurried back and forth, serving the food and clearing away the excess from the table. George and Michael sat opposite each other, as befitted the heads of the family, and talked. From time to time Mum also kept the conversation going. The dialogue was about everyday life: about Michael's success at school, about his father's recent orders, about his mother's clients and about the upcoming practice of the boy.
– I have a surprise for you. I think you'll like it. – George turned to his son intrigued, putting a solid piece of chicken fillet in his mouth. Mariana came quickly to the table, dropping everything she was doing. She took her seat, resting her face on both palms and looking at her husband.
– We're all listening to you very carefully, darling! – Mariana said animatedly, watching Michael's father chewing the chicken she had prepared.
– Anyway, I'm not going to wait and I'll tell you straight. Soon you'll be fifteen years old. And I think you've had enough of polishing your training prototypes. It's time to get down to business! I've arranged with the headmaster of your school that this year you'll be interning at our firm's headquarters under my close supervision. In short, from tomorrow we'll work together and I'll take you on assignments. – George began his short monologue, but did not have time to finish it, because Mariana jumped off the chair and began to hug him tightly and kissed him on the cheeks and in the eyes.
– Mariana exclaimed during her passionate outburst.
– Mana, Michael's watching! Stop it…,’ George said quietly and embarrassed.
– It's okay, Dad! It's really cool! Let me give you a hug too! – said the son, getting up from the table and walking over to his father. Then the child hugged him tightly and pressed against his shoulder.
– That's it. That's enough, that's enough. We're having a party,’ George laughed, hugging the family back.
– Take your seats, we really have a lot to discuss. – Silver Sr. said seriously. Mariana and Michael obeyed him and returned to their seats, continuing to listen carefully to the information.
– So, as you realise, this is a big step towards your bright future, so you need to take it as seriously and responsibly as possible. Even though we're family, I'm going to treat you the same way I treat the rest of the staff. Perhaps even more demanding. But it's all for your own good. Once you get a job or start your own business – life will not give you any favours. On the way will constantly arise problems and turmoil, which must be solved independently on the basis of experience and knowledge. It is not enough just to turn the steering wheel and press the accelerator. Over time, you will realise that the transport business is a much more complex process than it seems at first glance. You don't have much experience in driving yet, but I think you should be able to handle this baby. Come on! – George finished his monologue, and everyone headed for the exit of the house.
There was another car in the parking lot next to my father's truck, an old generation yellow passenger car with gray decorative stripes on the sides. The seats were covered with dark brown leather covers, and the interior trim was made of high-quality wood material. On the roof, above the front seats, there was a rectangular glass sunroof with an opening mechanism.
– What do you think? Do you like it? – George said proudly with a smile, crossing his arms over his chest.
– Am I going to drive it? By yourself? – Michael answered the question with a surprised question.
George: “We'll take turns. 50-50. Half the road you drive, the other half I drive.”
Michael: “A-F-I-GET! How long are we going to be traveling for?”
George: “About 600 kilometers. We have to deliver it to a powerful businessman in New Hampshire. It's his car. It broke down and he left it here for repairs. It's a legend, even if it is a bit old! We'll take the truck back. I've already caught the next order. We'll have to deliver it to Lockfood City. We'll hitch a ride home from there. But that's not far from here. Think of it as your first little real adventure.”
Michael moved closer to the car to get a closer look at it, “Dad, thank you so much! I won't let