The Empty Tank Trick

Daryl Reynolds has spent years perfecting The Empty Tank Trick—a scam where he pretends to run out of gas at different stations across the country, charming or guilt-tripping clerks into giving him free fuel. It’s an easy con, one that’s never failed him—until he rolls into Miller’s Stop-N-Go in Nebraska.

There, he meets Frank, a sharp-eyed clerk who’s been expecting him. Frank knows all about Daryl’s scam, having heard about it from friends and family who’ve been duped before. Instead of calling the cops, Frank gives Daryl an ultimatum: work off his debt at the station for two weeks or face legal trouble.

Reluctantly, Daryl agrees, expecting to bide his time until he can leave. But as he spends night after night working the counter, stocking shelves, and chatting with Frank, something unexpected happens—he starts to change. He begins to take pride in his work, reevaluating his choices and questioning why he’s spent years on the run.

When a young hustler wanders in one night, trying the very scam Daryl once used, he finds himself on the other side of the con. In that moment, he realizes—maybe it’s time to rewrite his story.