Detours, Debts, and Destinies

Esteban Dixon sat in his packed car outside his Baltimore apartment, ready to leave his old life behind. California called, a new job in hand, but before he could fully close this chapter, one last adventure beckoned. His two best friends, Milton Conrad and Cohen Aceveds, insisted on a road trip to make the cross-country trek memorable. Esteban agreed—it was either this or never seeing his friends again.

Milton, a lovable idiot with a compulsive gambling problem, stood by the car’s passenger side, already losing interest in the conversation. Cohen, Esteban’s older, crankier, and married friend, reluctantly joined the trip on the advice of his wife. She figured he needed a break, and helping Esteban relocate felt like a noble cause—until Cohen remembered how much he hated Milton’s antics.

“How much trouble could we really get into?” Esteban shrugged, before tossing the car keys to Milton, who immediately fumbled them.

Chapter 1: The Gamble Begins

First stop: Wheaton Flats, a small town between nowhere and nothing. Esteban wanted a break from driving, Cohen needed coffee, and Milton…well, Milton saw an opportunity. Before Esteban or Cohen realized it, their so-called friend was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Milton?” Cohen asked, glaring at Esteban, who was already tired of his role as peacekeeper.

Five minutes later, Milton burst out of a nearby casino, grinning like an idiot. “Guys, I won big! Look at this!” He tossed a few crumpled bills into the air like confetti.

Esteban sighed. “How much of our money did you lose before that?”

Milton hesitated. “Okay, so I lost most of it, but I did win something at the end!”

“That’s it. I’m driving,” Cohen grumbled, seething as he yanked the keys back.

Chapter 2: Breaking Down in the Middle of Somewhere

Not far past Silverside Junction, their road trip took an unexpected turn—literally. Cohen, too busy yelling at Milton, didn’t see the massive pothole ahead. The car hit it hard, and the front tire blew out.

“We have a spare, right?” Esteban asked, hopeful.

Milton, still distracted by counting his meager winnings, sheepishly admitted, “I…uh…might’ve sold it. For gas money.”

“You sold the spare tire!?” Cohen’s face turned bright red.

They were stranded. Broke, without a functioning car, and stuck in Copperhead Desert, a barren wasteland. The trio needed money, fast. Milton, never one to miss an opportunity to make things worse, suggested they pick up odd jobs at a nearby town, Sagebrush Cove.

Chapter 3: Azibo’s “Not-So-Stealthy” Pursuit

Unbeknownst to the trio, they had attracted the attention of Azibo Cave, a hitman with a reputation for being lethal—though not particularly bright. Milton had borrowed a substantial amount of money from a wealthy, sharp-tongued elderly woman named Lyanna Collett, and now Azibo was on the hunt.

Azibo, however, was anything but subtle. His attempts to track Milton were hilariously unsuccessful. At Moonstone Diner, he accidentally ordered the same meal as the trio, sitting one booth over and listening intently to their conversations—only to spill hot coffee on himself and be escorted out by the staff for causing a scene. At Goldspan Motel, he checked into the room next to theirs and, while trying to eavesdrop, fell asleep listening to a true-crime podcast that ironically mirrored his own incompetence.

Chapter 4: The Final Stretch

After working at Cactus Creek Auto Shop to fix their car, the friends were finally back on the road. Milton, who had miraculously not gambled away their last paycheck, was unusually quiet.

“What’s wrong?” Esteban asked.

Milton hesitated. “I’ve been thinking…maybe California is my chance to turn things around. I’ve been messing up my whole life. Maybe this is a fresh start.”

Esteban exchanged a glance with Cohen, who, for once, wasn’t scowling. “You sure? You’d be far away from…well, all your problems back home.”

“Yeah, but maybe that’s the point,” Milton said, surprisingly sincere.

As they neared Sunset Plains, the final leg of their journey, Cohen dropped Esteban and Milton off at their new apartment. Esteban felt a pang of nostalgia, knowing their road trip was over. “You sure you don’t want to stay for a bit, Cohen?”

“Nah,” Cohen replied, already grabbing his bags. “My wife’ll kill me if I’m gone any longer. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on Milton, and it sure as hell won’t be me.”

Chapter 5: The Twist

Unbeknownst to Milton, his reckless gambling spree across the country had left a trail of accidental chaos. From casinos to questionable loan shops, Milton’s antics had somehow—and hilariously—implicated both Azibo and Lyanna in a series of minor crimes. Through a bizarre chain of events, it was discovered that Lyanna had been running a series of illegal schemes connected to the businesses Milton had visited.

The authorities traced Milton’s chaotic journey back to Lyanna, and during a comically botched “confrontation” between Azibo and Milton outside of Silverstone Bay, both Azibo and Lyanna were arrested for a web of criminal activities that Milton had unwittingly exposed.

As Azibo was dragged away in cuffs, he shouted, “You’re lucky, Milton! But next time…”

Milton, grinning, waved as if they were old friends.

Epilogue

Esteban settled into his new life in California, Milton decided to stay behind and genuinely try to turn his life around, and Cohen returned home to his wife, who was more than happy to hear his complaints about the absurdity of the trip.

And in the end, somehow, everything worked out—though not at all how they had planned.

With Milton staying in California and Lyanna and Azibo out of the picture, it looked like Esteban’s new life might be quieter than expected—at least, for a little while.