The day was scorching hot and bone dry, the air smelled like burnt toast, and everyone’s nerves were on edge. Only Zeke was calm. He patrolled the perimeter, making jokes about Benson’s terrible morning breath. It didn’t take long before a few of the others chimed in with their own complaints
“Ya know, with as loaded as he is you’d think he’d have hired people for that sort of thing.” Audrey offered while keeping her eyes trained to her oxygen meter reader.
“I’m pretty sure all of Perry Benson’s dough is still being funneled through daddy dearest.” Tony’s gravel filled voice half growled, “You must have noticed our payment was under Benson Sr. after all.”
“Little Perry sure is checking all the boxes for the rich kid stereotype” Zeke smirked as he shifted the weight of his weapon to his left side again.
“Is it comment for their kind to shoot a documentary right on the edge of Hell’s gate?” Audrey raised an eyebrow at Zeke, as the back of her hand wiped sweat from her brow.
“I think eccentric is a prerequisite for the Benson name at least.” Zeke shook his head and rolled his eyes.
I kept my peace as this exchange continued. Everyone knew the Benson kid had issues but at the end of the day, no one had made any of us take this job. It was senseless to despise someone for their wealth when that was the very thing that drove us here. At least we were prepared, we had the gear and the skills to, at the very least protect, ourselves. The true insanity came from the crew we were hired to protect. None of them had ever been so close to the Dragon’s nesting grounds before. Muscles twisted and burned along my neck and shoulders as my eyes lingered on a smoke-filled distance. Roosting season was the most volatile, but no one had ever truly witnessed what the Dragons did at this time and Perry Benson was determined to be the first to find out. My fingers flexed, then tightened around my gun once more. All this just to prove himself. At the end of the day, I suppose he and I really weren’t all that different, and that was my reason for hating him.
<- The Adventures of Dr. Pumpernickel ~ Sacred Tears short story prompt ->