No Turning Back

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Trucker Dempsey

By the time we caught up, we could already see Richtofen examining the generator in the distance. His face was stern, in deep thought, as he assessed the damage and sought a resolution. Dempsey stood nearby impatiently waiting for Richtofen's verdict before he caught sight of us in the distance.

"Ve better find somevhere to hide", Primis said.

"Yeah, how about--" I began as I looked around for a good hiding spot.

"Look, over zhere", Primis pointed out as he indicated to the abandoned oil tanker which lay half out of the metal shutter of the nearby building. 

We both quietly jumped into the cabin and crept low as we peered over the sill of the side window and watched. Dempsey anxiously eyed our movements as his eyes followed us. He was aware of our location and took note to steer Richtofen clear of it. Eventually, the man in question did return to deliver his verdict on the generator. Eagerly, the men gathered to hear him speak.

"Ja, zhe generator is almost fully operational. It has merely sushtained minor damage. It is shimply vone of the cables zhat needs replacing. All I need to do is repair it und it vill be up and running!" Richtofen announced gleefully.

"That's all?" Dempsey scoffed.

"Oh, pardon me, Dempshey. I'm so shorry zhat zhe task vas not complicated enough for jour tiny pea brain to awe over", Richtofen fired back as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. 

"Ugh, whatever", Dempsey grumbled as he walked away.

"So where can we find the cable you need, Richtofen?" Takeo asked.

"Hm, I'm sure ve can pull vone out of vone of zhe mainframe computers... or even zhat tanker over zhere!" Richtofen explained - nodding to the very vehicle Primis and I were hiding in.

Dempsey immediately stopped in his tracks when he heard Richtofen - I could see his heart race with panic. In less than a second, he had swung around on one heel before marching back towards Richtofen - tearing off his angry demeanour and quickly replacing it with a brand new one.

"Ya know what, doc? I've been givin' ya such a hard time these days. Let me make it up to ya and I'll go get you that cable", Dempsey tried to smiled convincingly.

Richtofen raised a brow in suspicion as his glaring eyes scanned Dempsey's face. The marine tried to hold it together long enough to survive Richtofen's terrifying appraisal as his face tried desperately to hold his smile. Richtofen pursed his lips, finally ceasing his mental assault, before allowing Dempsey to do so.

The marine hastily marched over to the oil tanker and made a beeline towards the cabin. As the others looked on in the distance - with Richtofen's menacing glare boring into his back - Dempsey quickly opened the driver's door and sat behind the large steering wheel.

"You sure know how to pick all the best hiding places", Dempsey mumbled without looking at us.

"It was Primis' idea", I explained from under the passenger seat as Primis drew me a look of betrayal.

"Vhat does he vant?" Primis asked Dempsey.

"He wants a cable for the generator", Dempsey replied without looking down at us.

"Hm", Primis replied.

"We're gonna need something better than just a "hm", ya know", Dempsey shot back as he gripped the steering wheel.

"What about the couplings that connect the tanker to the cabin", I asked aloud. 

"Ja, zhose cables vould vould be thick enough to carry zhe current", Primis smiled at me.