I rubbed my temple as I looked at Sam standing beside me, his eyes fixed on the envelope in my hand.

"We just got back two days ago from a long route, John. I'm still exhausted. I don't think I can accompany you this time." He sighed dramatically before adding, "I'm still young, and I'd like to enjoy some good pussy before the next cargo delivery kills me. So, good luck soldier, you have to do this mission alone."

"Are you done with your drama?" I asked flatly.

This wasn't new. Sam and I had been working together for years. He let out another dramatic sigh and tried giving me the most innocent look he could manage. Unfortunately, it didn't work. When he realized it wasn't working, he groaned and straightened up... that was the sign that he was finally serious.

"So," he said, crossing his arms, "what are we delivering this time?"

"Hotel equipment. The owner is shifting his business from West to Eastern Europe."

Sam frowned immediately. "Why the hell are they taking old shitty stuff with them when they can just buy new ones?"

"Shut up, idiot. If everyone thought like that, who the hell would use our services?"

"But still, John..."

"Talk less and work more," I cut him off. "Go check if everything's ready or not."

He groaned but returned to work anyway. That was Sam's specialty. No matter how dramatic he acted, when it came to work, he was one of the most serious people I knew.

A faint smile tugged at my lips as I checked all the important documents inside the truck cabin once again. After that, I ordered a few snacks and drinks for the route. It was going to be a long drive, and running out of food in the middle of nowhere wasn't exactly on my bucket list.

Thirty minutes later, once I was satisfied that everything was ready, I slid into the driver's seat. The cabin's passenger door opened, and Sam climbed inside before shutting it behind him. Without wasting another second, I pushed the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life beneath us, heavy and loud, vibrating through the entire truck like a waking beast.

We had a long journey ahead of us... nearly 3000 kilometers. With the EU driving regulations, the trip would easily take four to five days.

I let out a quiet sigh as the truck moved smoothly along the endless highway. Long roads always had a strange effect on the mind. After enough hours, the world began to feel unreal. Just asphalt and headlights.

Beside me, Sam leaned back against the seat. One glance at his face was enough for me to know he was about to fall asleep. I didn't say anything. It was better this way. He'd rest first, then later we'd switch and I'd get some sleep while he drove. That was how we always handled long routes.

The low hum of the engine filled the cabin. I let out a tired yawn before checking the time. According to the tachograph, it was almost time for our mandatory forty-five-minute break. After driving for more than thirty minutes, I finally pulled the truck into a petrol station.

I reached over and shook Sam's shoulder. "Wake up."

He grunted something unintelligible before slowly opening his eyes. Both of us climbed out of the truck to stretch our legs. The cold evening air hit my face instantly, carrying the sharp scent of rain and diesel fuel.

After refilling the tank, we headed inside the small shop attached to the petrol station. We grabbed coffee from the vending machine before noticing a few truck drivers sitting around one of the tables. Sam and I walked over and joined them.

One of the men glanced at us over the rim of his paper cup. "Where are you heading?"

"East," I answered.

The man nodded slowly, but before he could say anything else, another driver joined the table. He was older than the rest of us, probably in his late fifties, with tired eyes and rough hands that looked permanently stained with engine oil.

We talked casually for a while until he finally asked about our route again. The moment he heard where we were going, his expression changed slightly.

"The sun's about to set, and the weather's turning bad. You boys should wait until morning before continuing."

Almost every driver at the table nodded in agreement. "Yeah," another man added, "those mountain routes get muddy and slippery when it rains."

I exchanged a glance with Sam before giving them a small smile. "We can't really stop. The journey's already long enough. If we wait, we'll lose another whole day." I lifted my coffee cup slightly. "We'll be careful. We won't overspeed."

The table fell silent after that. The men simply looked at us but didn't say anything further. After that, we bid them farewell and climbed back into the truck.

As soon as Sam settled into his seat, he glanced at me. "Want to rest? I can drive for a while."

I shook my head. "I'll tell you when I'm tired."

He simply nodded. A few moments later, the engine growled back to life, and once again the truck rolled smoothly onto the endless road ahead. Light rain began drumming softly against the windshield while the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon, staining the sky orange before darkness swallowed it whole.

The farther we drove, the more isolated the route became. Traffic thinned. The roads grew quieter. Even the scattered houses became rare, appearing only once every thirty or thirty-five minutes like forgotten ghosts beside the highway.

Beside me, Sam kept talking about his new girlfriend while I focused on the slippery road ahead. "...and then she tells me I'm emotionally unavailable," he scoffed dramatically. "Can you believe that?"

I snorted softly.

A moment later, he reached for the water bottle near his seat only to realize it was nearly empty. He twisted around to check the snack boxes stacked behind us before looking back at me. "Is this the last bottle we have?"

"Yeah."

"We need more water."

"I'll stop if we find a motel or a diner."

Sam nodded before immediately returning to his endless conversation. That was one of his traits. Once he started talking, shutting him up was nearly impossible.

More than two hours later, we finally came across an old roadside diner. Its flickering neon sign barely worked, buzzing weakly through the rain like it was struggling to stay alive. I parked the truck outside and stepped down onto the wet ground.

At that point, I only wanted to buy a few water bottles and continue the journey as quickly as possible. The moment I stepped inside, a man wearing a thick wool shawl approached me from behind the counter. A few seconds later, Sam climbed out of the truck and joined me inside.

"I need some water bottles," I told the man.

He nodded silently before disappearing into the back room. A minute later, he returned carrying seven or eight bottles inside a plastic bag and handed it toward me, but Sam was quicker and grabbed it first.

As I passed the man the money, he suddenly asked, "Where are you heading?"

"East."

The moment the words left my mouth, the man's face changed. The color drained from it almost instantly. His eyes shifted between me and Sam before he spoke again, this time in a low warning tone.

"You should continue your journey in the morning. The road ahead isn't good. The rain has already started. The route will become muddy and slippery."

The exact same words. Almost word for word. Just like the old driver from the petrol station.

"And if your truck gets stuck in the mud," the man continued quietly, "you won't get any help until morning."

Beside me, I noticed worry lines forming on Sam's forehead for the first time that night. But I still wasn't in the mood to waste hours resting for no reason. I just wanted to deliver the cargo and get this route over with.

"It's okay," I said with a polite smile. "We'll be careful. It's not the first time we've driven through bad weather."

The man stared at us for a long moment, then he said softly, "I'm not saying this because of the weather."

A small knot tightened in my stomach. "What do you mean?" I asked.

But the man only looked toward the rain-covered windows behind us. And said nothing.