Bonner Incident

by Thomas A. Watson

  “Fine by me, Boss,” Ben said bellowing fog out. “We should be completely done next week. The thermometer in the crawler said it was twenty degrees.”

  Joshua spun on his heel heading toward his truck. “Ben, don’t go jinxing us,” he said. “You can’t say it out loud.”

  Breaking into a trot, Ben ran up beside Joshua and fell in step with him. “You mind if I make the first run to the mill and then I’ll get back to working the site?”

  “No, but why?”

  “I want to ask the foreman at the mill if they could spare a few more trucks to haul for us,” Ben said looking at the stack of logs. Even after loading both trucks, Joshua hadn’t made a dent.

  “Ben, they’re paying for those other two trucks running, I’m not. I’ve never heard of a mill so desperate for timber, they used their own trucks and aren’t charging me for mileage. Believe me, if they weren’t paying for those two trucks, all we would be running is our own. The company is strapped, if I’m going to continue paying the crew weekly until our next job.”

  They walked on in silence until they reached the truck and climbed back inside and Ben looked over at him. “I know, me and the boys talked it over and we’re going to pay for two more trucks,” Ben said, shocking Joshua. “With six trucks running, we can have the logs out of here by the end of the week and start on clean up.” Ben didn’t want to tell Joshua that he was going to ask for more than two trucks.

  “You know how much that is going to cost?”

  Nodding, Ben answered, “About two grand a day.”

  “You do realize it’s Tuesday,” Joshua said grabbing a biscuit. “Not saying that’s not a good idea, but you’re talking about ten grand and I can’t pay any of you back until winter.”

  “Gene called his sister at the bank and filled out for a loan for all of us. She brought the paperwork out to his house last night, and we all went over and signed it. Josh, with just four trucks running, we won’t get the cut logs cleared out till the end of next week.”

  “Shit, if it was just our trucks, it would be the week after,” Joshua said trying to figure out how to pay the guys back before winter.

  Grabbing his coffee, Ben looked away. “All of us still have half of our New Year’s bonus. So we don’t have to borrow that much.”

  “How in the hell have you hung on to seven grand for four months?” Joshua said choking on his food. “Money burns a hole in your pocket faster than William’s.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, Ben snorted, “Just been puttering around the house when I’m not working for you.”

  In shock, Joshua stared as his buddy. “It’s getting that serious between you and Barbara?”

  “Whoa now, hold on,” Ben said throwing up a hand. “It’s not serious. She’s just nice to be around.”

  “Ben, I’ve known you your entire life, and you’ve never dated a woman for more than six months straight with the exception of Penny, and that was seventh grade. I thought you were breaking up with Barbara before Valentine’s Day,” Joshua said and started counting up how long that made and realized that it was a record for Ben.

  “Well, ah, she moved in three weeks ago,” Ben mumbled.

  Blown away, Joshua’s body went numb, dropping his food and coffee mug. Luckily, the coffee mug’s spill proof top was closed. “She’s got a kid,” Joshua mumbled.

  “Yeah, Sammy is great,” Ben smiled. “I turned the guest room into his bedroom.”

  Stunned to the core, Joshua just blinked. Yeah, Ben had other women ‘stay’ at his house, but never had he said one ‘moved in’ and never with a kid. “Why in the hell didn’t you tell me?” he finally said then his body jerked. “You were over for supper last week and didn’t even bring her?”

  “Hey, I’m adjusting here, so don’t go spazzing out on me,” Ben said shoving his mouth full of food.

  “Sonya’s going to kick your ass,” Joshua said reaching to the floorboard for his mug.

  Swallowing the mouthful, Ben took a sip of coffee. “Hey, you tell your wife she can chew on your ass, not mine.”

  “Sonya chews your ass out every time she sees you. Mostly for running around acting like a male whore and sleeping with anything that had a crack between her legs,” Joshua said wiping dirt off of the top of his mug. “I’ll probably have to take her to the hospital when I tell her.”

  “Well, don’t tell the guys yet,” Ben said. “I want to give it a few more weeks at least before I tell anyone else. You know, in case I fuck it up.”

  Nodding, Joshua reached over patting Ben’s arm, “Happy for you, brother.”

  “I don’t know if I’m happy or not. More like scared of a tiny woman with the name, Barbara,” Ben groaned as headlights entered the valley. “Guys are here, let’s get this shit done.”

  Glancing out his window as Ben opened his door, “I’ll try to pay you guys back when the mill pays me for this job,” Joshua said opening his door.

  “Nope,” Ben said getting out. “You’ve always been there for us. This is our gift to you.” After he got out Joshua turned, looking through the cab at Ben standing on the other side of the truck holding his door open. “Besides, the only way we can keep our great jobs is to make sure you keep the business.”

  They shut their doors as the other two trucks pulled up and shut down. Joshua shook his head, seeing both trucks had trailers with track steers on them that they used to clean up a site. Gene got out of the first truck wearing a huge grin. “Got it,” he said looking at Ben.

  “I told him,” Ben said walking over and the others got out. Gene gave Ben a glare. “Hey old man, don’t start, I had to tell him so I could drive the first load in, or he’d do something stupid like mortgage something.”

  “Thanks guys,” Joshua said walking around and shaking the other guys’ hands.

  “Joshua,” Gene said as he stepped over and shook his hand. “You’re the kind of boss a worker dreams of working for. You’re always fair and think of us first, not the money. I thought working for your dad was awesome and that he was the best, but I have to say, you outdo him.”

  Ben put his hardhat on, “Okay ladies, if you’re going to kiss, keep the tongue minimal, we are on a job site.”

  “Your foreman leaves a lot to be desired,” Gene said letting Joshua’s hand go, looking over at Ben.

  Pulling on his gloves, Joshua nodded. “I grew up with him, so I’m used to him.”

  “Josh, I’ve known both of you since you started logging with us when you turned fifteen, and I still want to beat the shit out of Ben,” Gene said with a scowl that turned into a grin. “Should’ve done it when he was a scrawny little shit. Now he’s so muscle bound, we should feed his big ass some hay.”

  “You had your chance, old man,” Ben snorted with a bellow of fog. “Gene, you stay on the Hahn since you’re the best at it,” Ben said and then turned, giving each person their job for the day. “Guys, I want some serious assholes and elbows so we can get off this site.”

  “I’m for coming out this weekend and just working through,” Chris said and everyone else nodded.

  “Guys, I can’t afford the overtime,” Joshua said with a sigh.

  “Well, you sit your ass at home and we’ll come out here,” Chris said putting on his hardhat. “If the work is done and you’re not present, it’s not overtime; it’s magic.”

  “They teach you that shit in the army?” Ben laughed.

  “Hell no, they taught me to hurry up and wait, along with complete the impossible with nothing,” Chris said walking away.

  With Chris and Ben climbing in the log trucks, everyone headed off to their jobs. Keying his radio, Joshua watched the log trucks start to roll off. “Ben, for God’s sake, make sure you punch the right tab on the load board and make sure you have on your safety vest and hardhat. I don’t need any more hassles,” Joshua said, then added, “And please don’t get in a fight with anyone.” Letting the microphone go, Joshua grabbed his chainsaw out of the back of the truck and balanced it on hi
s shoulder with the thirty-inch blade sticking out in front of him and motor behind his shoulder. Holding the blade, he headed off with the cutters, or fallers, to fall or cut some trees down.

  The sun had just come over the mountains when the mill’s log trucks showed up and Joshua went and loaded them up. When the second truck was loaded, he looked out at the massive stacked pile of logs waiting to be loaded up. They had only started hauling loads to the mill last Thursday. On any other operation, the trucks would’ve started running as soon as the skidding; or pulling logs to the landing or loading area. But this job was a little bigger and with a shorter time constraint than Joshua normally took with just his crew.

  So he’d used everyone for a week straight on the site and that’s why there was a massive pile of logs. The only reason he had even started sending his trucks Thursday was the mill had called him last Wednesday night begging for logs. That’s why on Thursday, he’d started sending trucks to the mill because they said they were sending two to start bringing in the logs.

  Jumping down, he headed up the valley to continue to fall trees until he saw Donnie setting down his chainsaw as Kyle backed the crawler up the slope. Seeing Donnie grab some chokers, Joshua headed over. “Donnie, continue cutting. I’ll help Kyle skid.”

  Grabbing the chokers which were just heavy ass cables used to wrap around a log so it could be pulled, Joshua headed up the steep slope. Reaching the first tree, he dropped the cables, still holding on to one as he panted. “Shit, I remember when that was nothing,” he panted, wrapping the cable around the tree and putting one end through the bell that would tighten up around the tree when it was pulled.

  After hooking up six trees, he turned around to hear Kyle cussing. Kyle was coming up the slope and dragging the end of the cable to the massive winch on the back of the crawler. “I was coming to get that,” Joshua said holding out his hands.

  “What? You just want me to sit in the crawler when the boss is dragging chokers up the mountain?” Kyle cried out handing the winch cable over. “The crew would hound my ass for years.”

  Hooking the cable to the choker, Joshua shook his head. “I swear, sometimes you guys are worse than kids,” he said and walked down the slope, hooking the other chokers to the cable.

  Trotting down the slope, Kyle yelled out. “If we were my kids, I would put us up for adoption!”

  “No one would take you!” Joshua yelled back and moved away. When Kyle climbed in the crawler, he hit the massive winch and it started pulling the pile of logs down the slope. As the logs left, Joshua looked at all the tree limbs that had to be gathered and piled up. “That is going to take a while.”

  It was just before nine when Ben called him on the radio. “Hey Boss, almost to the valley. Frank, bring your skidder down so we can swap off and you drive the truck.”

  “You get more trucks?” Gene called back as Joshua headed for the landing.

  “Yep, four more. Boss is going to have to keep his ass in the loader all day every day until we are finished,” Ben called back.

  When Joshua reached the loader, the log trucks entered the valley. He climbed in as they pulled up and started loading them. Frank climbed in the first truck after it was loaded and pulled away to strap down the load as the other truck pulled up. Ben climbed up and opened the door to the loader.

  “Talked to Andy at the mill, and he approved for us to hire four of their drivers,” Ben grinned. “Andy said if we could handle it, he would pull in another truck or two ‘on the mill’.”

  “Damn, he wasn’t kidding when he said they wanted logs,” Joshua said as Ben stepped in and closed the door behind him while Joshua started loading.

  “Boss, they are literally unloading the logs and running them in the mill. Their stockpile yard is empty.”

  “Well, let’s get the man some logs,” Joshua said dropping some on the trailer.

  Having to lean over to fit inside the cab, Ben just grinned. “This will be Frank and Robert’s last run. Andy said he was replacing them with his drivers so they could log, and if we could handle it, he would bring in two more trucks. That way, we’re paying for four trucks and the mill’s paying for four trucks, but would go to six when I told him how big the log pile was.”

  “Ten trucks are too many,” Joshua said dropping the last load filling the trailer.

  “Yeah, that’s what I told Andy, but he said he was willing to bring in two more if needed.” As the truck pulled away, Ben opened the door and two more trucks pulled in the valley. “Yep, time for assholes and elbows!” Ben said jumping down and running to the skidder Frank had been using.

  When the two trucks pulled around, Joshua sighed. “We just might get out of this.”

  After loading the two trucks, Joshua grinned on seeing two more pull in. In a continuing cycle, he would load two and two more would pull in. Frank and Robert were back before ten, parked the log trucks and ran to the pickup truck, grabbing chainsaws before heading up the valley.

  With the entire crew busting ass dragging in logs, Joshua wasn’t seeing the massive pile get smaller, but it wasn’t getting bigger either. At lunch, they didn’t stop. Those driving equipment, ate as they drove and those who weren’t, grabbed their food and ate it as they walked back up the valley.

  Feeling his bladder about to burst, Joshua shoved the last of his sandwich in his mouth and stepped out on the track, waving at the driver of the truck he was loading. After zipping back up, Joshua turned to see the driver laughing. “I held it for three hours,” Joshua said climbing back in the loader.

  Dropping in the seat, he saw one of the track steers rolling past, heading up the valley. “Don’t break the track steer pulling logs,” he called over the radio then started loading again.

  “I have Alex on it to start clean up,” Ben called back. “I think before lunch tomorrow, all marked trees will be down. Alex is better on the track steer for cleanup than he is on a saw.”

  “Suck my dick hulk,” Alex shouted over the radio.

  Joshua laughed as the two bantered back and forth, but nobody stopped working. It was three o’clock when the driver of the truck he was loading pointed down the valley. Glancing at the mirror expecting to see more log trucks, Joshua groaned on seeing a gray SUV with an emblem on the driver’s door. “Fuck!” he screamed, kicking the floor of the loader.

  “Ben, come run the loader while I see who the fuck is here now!” he yelled into his radio.

  “They’re back?”

  Kicking open the loader’s door, Joshua grabbed his radio. “I don’t know who it is, but I see an official decal.”

  “Alex, meet me at the landing and take over my skidder while the boss figures out who’s here,” Ben called out.

  Grumbling as the SUV parked beside their trucks, Joshua watched two men get out. One was dressed in outdoor clothes with good boots, all of which looked new, while the other had on a suit and expensive long coat with rubber boots. Both men reached inside the SUV, pulling out hardhats.

  When the driver shut the door and Joshua saw a gun belt, he groaned seeing United States Environmental Protection Agency written on the door emblem. “How can I help you?” he said, stopping a few feet from the driver as the passenger walked around the SUV. Even with the long tan overcoat, Joshua could see the man was armed.

  “Hi, I’m Agent Boyd Weber with the EPA,” the driver said holding out his hand and Joshua shook it. “This is Agent Garret King with the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Labor.”

  “Department of Labor? We don’t have any labor disputes in my company,” Joshua said as Garret came to a stop beside Boyd.

  “Are you,” Garret paused looking at a small notepad, “Joshua Anderson?”

  “Yes,” Joshua said with a sigh.

  “We received reports that minors were working on your site,” Garret said reaching in his coat and pulling out an ink pen.

  “My son was out here yesterday. He didn’t have school and wanted to come to work with me,” Joshua said
.

  “How old is your son?” Garret asked holding his pen over the notepad.

  “Thirteen.”

  As Garret started writing he grunted, “Any other kids working?”

  “No, and the state of Idaho says that kids can work in the parent’s agriculture business.”

  “Not on Federal land,” Garret said. “Exploitation of child labor, family or not is a big deal.”

  “Exploitation!” Joshua shouted making Garret look up. “He was working with his dad on a job site, I wasn’t teaching him how to make drugs.”

  “It’s the law,” Garret said and continued writing.

  With a long sigh, Joshua turned to Boyd. “So, are you here to tell me that we are killing some endangered field mouse with fleas that are almost extinct? On a site, the Forestry Service begged me to take.”

  “No,” Boyd chuckled, “Got a report of encroachments of the green area along the creeks.”

  “Whatever,” Joshua said throwing up his hands. “Are you ordering me to shut down?”

  “Ah, no,” Boyd said looking over at Garret.

  “I’m not here to shut you down,” Garret said glancing up. “If this is processed, all you’ll get is a fine.”

  As two more trucks pulled into the valley, Joshua looked at the two. “Do you need me to walk you around the site or can I get back to work?”

  “No, if I find something, I’ll get you,” Boyd said then moved to the back door of the SUV.

  “You can see we have a lot of equipment moving, trying to get this done before the snow melts, so keep an eye out,” he said spinning around. “I can guarantee you, I’ll never take another job to help out the Forestry Service in my life.”

  Pulling out a backpack, Boyd looked up at Joshua who was walking away. “Mr. Anderson, we are just following up on reports,” he said and Joshua didn’t say anything as he continued walking away.

  Flipping his notepad closed, Garret walked back to Boyd. “I don’t know who he pissed off, but they want his ass,” Garret said as Boyd pulled on the backpack.