Chapter Fourteen
Tuesday, August 26 th .
Super Eight. Buffalo. Wyoming.
I was too tired to get up, but when my alarm went off in the gray light before dawn, I dragged my ass out of bed. The only thing keeping me going was thinking about seeing Lucy at the end of this long trip to Texas.
Virge never said a word as he went with me out to the hotel parking lot to feed the horses. He stumbled around behind the horse trailer, and I could hear him puking back there. Tried not to laugh but it was hard not to. He liked to brag about how much beer he could hold, and we both knew it was a joke.
Dad came out later with the dogs on their leashes and took them for a walk twice around the hotel property while he had a smoke.
With the chores all done for the morning, we went back to our room and packed up. Dad checked the room to make sure we didn’t forget anything, Virge spent another ten minutes in the bathroom pulling himself together, then we went downstairs for breakfast.
By the time we got through the lineup at the buffet, and I saw food on my plate, I was the next thing to starving. My brother didn’t wipe out the buffet like he usually did. This morning he wasn’t eating. Only black coffee on his menu.
While we drank a second coffee before we left, Dad called Billy to see how he was doing.
“That Detective from Watertown called again, Travis.”
“Did Tammy say something?” asked Travis.
“He didn’t say. All he told me was he sent all the latest reports on her to the station email.”
“You get a chance to read them yet?”
“Not yet, but I’ll forward them to Harlan’s email, and you can read them for yourself.”
“Thanks. I’d like to read what the doctors are saying about her. If she’s been running crazy again, she may have to go back to the mental hospital for another stay.”
“Yeah, there’s that,” said Billy. “Hope that ain’t true, but the hospital might be easier on her than a women’s prison.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” mumbled Travis. “I’ve heard horror stories about girl gangs in the slammer.”
Billy laughed. “Hope I never personally find out about how brutal those girls can be. Ain’t on my bucket list.”
“Same.” Travis chuckled. “That’s one experience I don’t need before I cash out.”
Trauma Unit. Watertown New York.
Tammy woke from a drugged sleep and glanced around the room she was in. In the back of her brain she had a picture of Eldon trying to kill her with his tire iron at the fishing camp.
Could’ve been just a dream. I wonder where Eldon went. I have to find him and stop all this fighting. We love each other and we shouldn’t fight. He was mad about Willy.
Her garbled thoughts turned to Willy, and she watched the door to see if he was waiting for her to get better. Possibly the hospital staff wouldn’t let him in to see her because she was a prisoner.
Yeah, that must be it. He can’t get in to see me. How long has he been sitting in the waiting room?
Maybe Eldon killed Willy. Be just like him. He was always jealous. Then she remembered Cleo growling and jumping on Willy at the fishing camp.
Tammy hoped Cleo didn’t hurt Willy too badly. He was a good person and didn’t deserve to be chewed up by that huge, crazy dog.
A nurse came in and smiled at her. “How are you doing today, Tammy?”
“Okay. I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
“Well, aren’t you the nice polite little girl. Do you feel like eating some Jell-O?”
“I’m not too hungry.”
“We’ll get you on regular food soon, young lady. All of us here at the trauma center are happy you’re going to make it.”
“Thanks for being nice to me. I don’t deserve it.”
“Nonsense. Everyone deserves the best care we can provide.”
Maynooth. Northern Ontario.
As soon as Bobby opened his eyes and the morning sun blasting through the window almost blinded him, he heard Cleo whining. She was determined to go outside and investigate the bear’s nighttime visit.
“I’m tired, Cleo, and I don’t want to get up this early. Can’t you wait for another half hour?”
Cleo could not wait. Barking to get out, she scratched at the back door.
“Damn it, Cleo. I’m coming. Let me check outside first. I don’t want you running into Mrs. Bear out there and getting torn to bits. You have no idea what kind of a mess you could get into.”
As soon as Bobby opened the door a crack, Cleo pushed her huge body through the opening and was gone.
Nose down, she sniffed around the porch then followed the bear’s scent to the trees at the side of the cabin and kept going down into the ravine.
Bobby whistled for her, and she didn’t come back right away. When she did return, Bobby put her in the truck to get her mind off the bear and headed for the store.
There was a little white frame general store not even a mile down the highway from the cabin. The old guy who owned it sold groceries, gas and seasonal items for the cottagers who came in droves starting every year at Easter weekend.
Bobby bought a case of beer, a carton of smokes and a few groceries. He filled the truck with gas and paid for it all at the counter.
Without knowing who he was or where he came from, the old guy asked, “Mrs. Powell at her cabin? She hasn’t been up here for a while. I know she lives in Texas. Beautiful lady.”
Bobby grinned. “She’s here now. I’ll tell her you were asking about her, sir.”
“Thanks. Appreciate it.” The old guy grinned.
Bobby loaded his purchases into the truck and said to Cleo, “That old guy is creeping me out, Cleo. He knows where we’re staying. The only way he could know that, is if he was watching us. Fuck. He might give us trouble.”
Cheyenne. Wyoming.
We drove south for hours through Wyoming. Needing food and a rest for himself and the boys, Travis pulled into the Golden Arches for a break.
I followed him into the parking lot, and it was a good place for us to stop with two big rigs. This parking lot had lots of room for the horse trailer and the Jeep towing the Harleys.
We parked near the back of the area and Travis let the dogs out and stayed with them while me and Virge went inside to order.
Travis held both leashes and at times it was a battle of strength between him and the dogs. Max and Sarge were wiry and muscular. Incredibly strong.
He tried to hold them back, but they insisted on pulling him over to the fence between McDonald’s and the Citgo gas station next door.
The dogs whined and rooted in the long grass that lined the fence. Travis moved closer to see what they were after.
“Okay, I see him.”
He could see a kid lying there all beat up and he told Max and Sarge to sit while he knelt down and pulled the weeds away to take a better look.
“Hey, what are you doing here, son?”
The boy didn’t answer right away, but he was alive and breathing.
“You need help, kiddo?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. If you decide you do need help or some food or a drink, my boys will run in and get you a burger and a Coke.”
“I’m good,” he mumbled. “I don’t need nothing.”
“Whatever you say. I’ll be over there with the horse trailer if you change your mind. We’re on our way to Texas and we got room for one more if you’re looking for a ride or some new scenery.”
Travis walked back to the trailer and took the dogs with him. He sat the dogs down and lit up a smoke while he watched the boys come back from the restaurant.
Carrying bags and a drink tray, they hurried towards him. “Who were you talking to over there, Dad?” asked Virge.
“Homeless kid. I offered him food. Best if we let him come to us on his own.”
“I can’t see him too good in the weeds,” I said. “How old is he?”
“Fourteen, fifteen at the most. He’s small for his age. All beat to hell.”
“On drugs?”
“Could be, but he looks like he got himself beat up recently. The cuts are fresh and barely crusted with dried blood. He’s not moving too fast.”
We were leaning against the truck eating our burgers and drinking our shakes when the kid pulled himself out of the weeds and limped across the parking lot towards us. He was hurt bad but wasn’t complaining.
“You want a burger before we leave here?” asked Travis.
“I guess I could eat.”
“I’ll go,” said Harlan. “Anything special you want?”
“Nope.”
“Be right back.”
I came back with a burger and fries in a bag and a large Coke in my hand for the kid. He was sitting in the front seat of Dad’s truck, and it was easy to see he was in a lot of pain.
“This is Corb, Harlan. He’s decided to ride with us to Texas. Y’all take Max in the Jeep and Sarge can ride with me. Corb might need room in the back to lie down after he eats.”
“Copy that, Dad.”
Virge and I went to the Jeep, and it was my brother’s turn to drive. He slept all morning he was so hungover. My turn to sleep. Right after I checked to see how far it was to Texas and looked to see if Lucy had texted me.
Colorado/New Mexico Line.
Crossing into New Mexico, Dad pulled into the welcome rest area to give the dogs a run. Virge parked our Jeep next to Dad’s big Ford, and I leashed Max.
He whined to get out and go for a run with Sarge, but Dad was slow getting Sarge out of the back of his truck because the boy had fallen asleep half on the dog.
Black and blue marks were showing up on his face, neck and arms, and the kid must have been in pain. I figured Dad would be stopping at a clinic soon enough.
Longhorn Motel. Amarillo. Texas.
We put in a helluva long day of driving, and it was late when we stopped at a motel in Amarillo, but we made it to Texas and that was our goal.
Travis didn’t mention it to the boys, but as soon as they crossed the line from New Mexico into Texas, he noticed half a dozen bikers trailing their little convoy.
He kept his eyes open while the boys exercised the horses and fed them and bedded them down for the night. Travis took the dogs on a stroll out to the road where he walked up and down looking for the Harleys and he didn’t see them.
After the chores were done, he put the boys in the room and went to Taco Bell alone. He brought back a load of Mexican, and the boys were happy enough to eat in the room and crash. They had no idea he was keeping them in the room for a reason. They were as tired as he was.
Before going to sleep, Travis called Annie.
“Hey there, Annie-girl. We’re in Amarillo, and with any luck we’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Great. You’ve still got some miles ahead of y’all, Travis. Jacks and Lucy are ready for your horses.”
“Thanks. Only for a few days while I run around and do the legal stuff to close the ranch.”
“Happy to have you, sugar. Kids are counting the days until the boys get here.”
“Bringing one more,” whispered Travis. “He’s a rescue.”
“Can’t wait to meet him. We’ll have a couple of beers together tomorrow and talk about that phase of your new operation.”
“Copy that.”
The boys were asleep when Travis heard Corb get up and go into the bathroom. When he came out, Travis sat on the side of the bed and talked to him in a whisper, “You need some Advil to help you sleep?”
“Maybe it would work.”
“I’ve got some in my shaving kit. Hang on a minute.” Travis gave him two Advil with a glass of water. “Tomorrow we’ll stop at a clinic just to get you checked out.”
“Thanks for helping me. Don’t know why you would.”
“I’ve got boys of my own. Guess that’s why.”