Chapter 12 #3
She stood and watched as Shyanna thought. After what seemed an unbearable amount of time, Shyanna stood, picked up her shotgun, and dropped it onto her shoulder. “Let’s start in the easiest spot.”
“Yeah?”
She strode to the door and Amber and Amos followed. “Let’s find Jimmy Fuller.”
Shyanna made no attempt to hide her shotgun as they walked toward Amber’s car. They hadn’t gotten all the way to it when SammyJo pulled up. “What the hell? What are you doing?” she almost screamed when she opened the car door and stood inside it, staring at the little group.
“I’m going to find Jensen,” Shyanna said matter-of-factly.
Amber piped up. “And we’re going to help her. Are you with us?”
SammyJo let out an enthusiastic, “Fuck yeah! What do you need me to do?”
Shyanna only had to think for a second. “The cops found his trailer and truck out west of here, and I assume they meant the same highway. If that’s correct, they’ll have the highway marked with fluorescent spray paint.
I need you to go find those spots. Watch your odometer and figure out how many miles away for each.
And take a good look at the terrain. Notice if there’s anything remarkable about it.
They found the trailer first, and they said it had a flat, so it may still be there.
Then they found the truck. I really think the locations will give us some clues. ”
“Okay. Will do. Let me get Gretchen and we’ll head out.” Shyanna figured that was the barrel racer.
“Where’s Jimmy?” Amber asked Shyanna as Amos looked on.
“He’s in one of three places―his trailer, somebody else’s trailer, or a motel room.”
“What if he’s in none of those places?” Amos asked.
“Doesn’t matter.” Shyanna slipped into Amber’s car. “We have to find him. I think he’s our key to finding Max a little faster, and I can guarantee Max knows where Jensen is.”
“Where to?” the college student asked when she started the car.
“Let’s drive by his trailer, and let’s look as we go to see whose lights are still on. I’m not above knocking on doors,” Shyanna said as the car began to roll. One way or another, she’d find Jensen, and god help those assholes if anything had happened to him.
Jimmy’s trailer was dark, and Shyanna beat on the door, but he didn’t seem to be there.
She picked the lock, looked around, and confirmed it.
Tossing stuff around, she didn’t find any trace of Jensen, any of his things, or hers, for that matter.
She watched as they drove through line after line of trailers, but lights were off everywhere.
They were headed out of the arena lot when Shyanna yelled, “STOP!”
Amber jumped. “What?”
“Where’s the one place we wouldn’t look?” Shyanna asked with a grin. When neither of them answered and just stared at her, she asked, “Whose trailer obviously shouldn’t be in use tonight?”
“Jensen’s?” Amos offered.
“No. A dead man’s. Back up, turn around, and at the last drive, turn right.
Dale’s trailer is red, orange, and yellow.
Big living quarters with only two stalls―mostly camper.
” Shyanna watched out the window as they neared the drive.
“This one right here,” she said, pointing, and Amber turned.
They slowed and she watched until she spotted it.
“That one.” Amber slowed. “No. Don’t stop here.
Go down about four more trailers and I’ll walk back up,” Shyanna ordered.
“You’re not going by yourself,” Amber announced.
Shyanna shook her head. “I have to. You guys can’t be implicated. If you are, swear that I forced you at gunpoint,” she said.
“No way,” Amos said, shaking his head. “Amber, stay here. I’m going with you,” he told Shyanna.
“No, you―”
“I go or you don’t. Jensen would want it this way. He’d want you to have somebody with you, somebody who has your back. Let’s go,” he said and threw open the door, helped her out, and they strode down the drive.
There was a tiny light on in the trailer, and Shyanna pointed toward the window, but she was too short.
Amos sidled up, peered in, and nodded to her.
Once she had her phone in her hand, she hit the RECORD feature and slipped it back into her jacket pocket, then reached for the door knob.
Amos moved up beside her, but she shook her head.
Then she thought better of it, stepped back one step, and slammed the door just under the knob with a powerful kick.
It flew open and banged against the wall behind it. “What the―” Jimmy sat up on the sofa where he’d been sleeping and it was obvious he was surprised to find Shyanna’s shotgun in his face. “Owens? What the hell?”
Something inside her torqued and she suddenly found herself absolutely and positively furious. “Where is he?”
“Who?”
“You know fucking well who I’m talking about. Where is he?” He began to stammer but she yelled, “Jensen, you sumbitch! Where is he?”
“I-I-I-I-I don’t know,” he stuttered.
“The fuck you don’t. You’d better start talking.
I have no problem putting a slug right through your stupid head.
” Her hand was steady, her eyes steely, and her mind made up.
He’d give her some information or he’d be taking his last breath.
“Where is he, Fuller? I’m not leaving until I have what I want.
” His hand slid down the back of the sofa.
“Uh-uh-uh. Don’t you dare, not if you want to see sunrise.
Let’s hear it. Where. Is. Jensen. Strader?
I’m going to count to five and you’d better have something interesting to say. ”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Owens,” he repeated.
“Then let’s try something a little different.” Shyanna sat down on the edge of the dinette table and kept the gun leveled at his head. “Where’s Barlow?” Something flickered across Fuller’s face, and Shyanna knew she was on the right track. “Uh-huh. Let’s hear it.”
“I-I-I-I don’t know,” he answered, eyes wide.
“You know, Fuller, I’m getting kinda tired of this.
” Shyanna stood and pressed the barrel of the shotgun against his temple.
“And very, very bored. If you know nothing about any of this, you sure have a short memory, because I’ve been watching you hanging out with Barlow.
You two are up to something, and I want to know what it is. ”
“You’ll have to ask Max,” Fuller answered.
Shyanna smirked. “Oh? And why is that?”
“Because if I tell you anything, they’ll kill me,” he whimpered.
“Well, then, let’s see. You don’t tell me, I kill you. You tell me, they’ll kill you. Hmmm. Sounds like your options are pretty slim right now.”
“I have to tell you, I’d take my chances with you over them.”
Shyanna shook her head. “Thing is, you won’t get an opportunity to take your chances with them if you don’t talk to me right now, because I’m going to remove option number two.
What’s it gonna be, Fuller? Any regrets on your way to your grave?
Remember, I’ve been in prison before. It’s not a really big deal, so I figure I’d rather go there than let you walk free when Jensen’s in some kind of trouble. ”
That seemed to be the trigger. “Okay, okay. Max took him. I don’t know where.”
“Did you help load him up?” Fuller nodded. “So what’s your part in this?”
There was silence for a few seconds before Jimmy said, “I hit him in the head.” Shyanna could feel her fury deepening until he said, “I figured he’d at least have a chance that way! If I hadn’t knocked him out, Max would’ve killed him on the spot.”
“And then?”
“We loaded him in the back of his own truck and Max drove away. And I haven’t seen either of them since.”
Shyanna stared into his eyes. “Where. Is. Max?”
“Some motel in town. I don’t know where. Look, I―”
“Shut up. Just shut up.” Shyanna sat there, trying to figure out what to do. “So, where’s your duct tape?”
“I don’t have―”
“Jimmy, I can either immobilize you, or I can kill you. Your choice. What’ll it be?”
Jimmy sighed. “Dale keeps it under the driver’s seat of the truck.”
“Keys?” When Jimmy pulled them from his jeans pocket and held them up, Shyanna snatched them from him and pitched them out the door.
“Somebody helping you?” he asked.
“None of your damn business, asshole,” Shyanna spat. In seconds, the roll of duct tape rolled toward her on the floor. “Tape your ankles.”
“Myself?” he asked.
“No. Get your garden gnome to do it. Yes, of course, you dumbass. I’m waiting. Hurry up.” She watched closely as he taped his ankles together. When he was finished, she told him, “Turn around. And hands behind your back.”
Once he’d spun, his legs up on the mattress, Amos stepped into the trailer and bound his wrists. “Put a piece of tape over his mouth too,” Shyanna said.
“Aren’t you going to let me lie down or something?” Fuller asked. “I could fall off the bed backwards this way!”
“Don’t give a shit. Just shut up.” She looked on as Amos stuck the end of the tape on the back of Fuller’s neck, wrapped it around his head and across his mouth, then drew it back around the back, wrapping his head at least three times.
“Nicely done.” Instead of speaking, Amos nodded.
Shyanna pulled out her phone and stuck it around in front of Fuller so he could see it.
“I recorded all that. If I find Max, I may call the cops and tell them where to find you. If I don’t, you can sit here and die of thirst and I won’t give a shit.
Better hope I find him. Let’s go,” Shyanna told Amos as she walked out of the trailer.
“And bring that duct tape.” She heard Amos close the door behind her and she smiled.
They slipped into the car and shut the door to a stunned Amber. “Well?”
“He says he doesn’t know where Max is. I think he’s telling the truth. All he knows is a motel room in town.” Shyanna braced the shotgun between her legs in the front seat. They hadn’t even pulled away when Amber’s phone rang.
“It’s SammyJo. Here―talk to her,” Amber said, handing her phone to Shyanna.
“Hey! What did you find?”
“I found the trailer. It’s still sitting there, and it’s only about three miles from the arena. And get this: The tire has a slit in it. It didn’t pop. Somebody flattened it.”
“And?” Shyanna asked.
“They must’ve towed the truck, but you were right.
They painted on the pavement. It’s between nine and ten miles from the arena.
Without seeing it, I don’t know how it was parked or if there was anything wrong with it, but there wasn’t any oil or antifreeze on the road leading up to it, so it’s not like it blew something. I’d say it was parked.”
“Did it look like they’d looked around for Jensen there?” Shyanna asked.
“Yeah. Some of the grass is trampled, but that’s about it. What now?” SammyJo asked.
“As you drive back this way, look at the terrain like I said. See if there’s anything unusual about it, or any spots that look different than most of the lay of the land.
They didn’t have time to take Jensen much of anywhere.
He’s got to be there somewhere. We’re heading to town.
Fuller says that’s where Max is.” Shyanna sighed. “Thanks, SammyJo. I appreciate you.”
“I’ll give you a call in a bit and we’ll head that way.”
“Sounds good.” Shyanna ended the call and sat there with the phone in her hand. She had no idea where to even start, but they had to try. “You guys are staying in a motel, right?” she asked Amber.
“Well, we were,” the girl answered with a grin. “I’m kinda not right this minute, you know?”
“Wow. Makes me sound like a slut,” Amos quipped.
“How many floors?”
“Um, three, I think,” Amber answered.
“And how many motels are there in town?” Shyanna asked.
“Out here near the arena? Only three.”
Shyanna’s brain was running a mile a minute.
“He’s up to something. We don’t know what, but we know it has something to do with a pharmaceuticals company.
And if he’s doing what we think he’s doing, he’d have a lot of product to handle.
He wouldn’t want to move that through a building and up an elevator, or try to carry it up one or more flights of stairs. ”
Amos threw in, “He’d want something with a door that opens on the parking lot. Straight from the car to the room.”
“Exactly. How many of those?” Shyanna asked Amber.
“Two of the three.”
A slow grin spread across Shyanna’s face. “And which one would be the cheapest?”
Amber chuckled. “That would be the Creekside Inn.”
“That’s where we start.” Shyanna tried to sit back and relax just a little. They were on the right track.