Page 57 of Ride With Me

TWO MURDER PEAS

KL HIERS

CHAPTER 1

It wasa dark and stormy night.

The sky flashed with lightning, rumbles of thunder following close behind to signal that the rain was on its way. There was a scent of something dead, the acrid smell of decay wafting by with the breeze. The wind picked up, and the very air felt charged.

Honestly, it was the perfect setting for a horror movie.

Blue Harris was hoping the rain would wait until he found shelter, but the next town was at least twenty more miles away. That would take hours by foot, and he expected that he would be drenched by then.

No one picked up hitchhikers these days.

It wasn’t safe.

Not just for passing drivers; it was dangerous for Blue as well. He was young, only twenty-four, and his fair face was an invitation for unwanted advances out on the road. He had learned what to expect when men’s gazes lingered for too long, and though he was more than capable of defending himself, he?—

A car that had passed him was now slowing down.

Blue stopped.

He hadn’t seen anyone else out except for the occasional semi-truck, and he certainly wasn’t expecting anyone to pull over for him in the middle of the night on a desolate interstate.

Especially with the storm that was brewing.

Then again, the impending weather could have been the cause for the driver’s kindness.

Or they thought Blue might be an easy target.

Desperate.

The car pulled off the road a few yards ahead, right in Blue’s path.

Blue’s teeth itched, a roll of thunder rumbled overhead, and he started walking again.

The car was a late 90s truck, boxy and conservative, and it appeared to be waiting for him.

As Blue got closer, he wouldn’t have been surprised if it pulled away in a hurry. People could be dicks. But the truck remained, and he stepped up to the passenger-side window to peer inside.

The window rolled down, and a man’s deep voice asked, “Need a ride, boy?”

Thunder drummed again, much louder this time.

“Sure.” Blue waited for the door to unlock before he opened it, and the interior lights of the cab came on to give him a quick glimpse of the driver.

Older, maybe in his forties, bearded. He was watching Blue like he wanted to gobble him up.

That was fine.

Blue wasn’t worried.

“Thanks.” Blue took off his backpack and sat down. He shut the door, turning off the light. He put his backpack between his feet and then reached for the seat belt. “I appreciate it.”

“Where ya headed?” The man was definitely not from around here. He sounded Southern, as if his gravelly voice was soaked in swamp water and made all the words run together.

“Next town is fine,” Blue replied. “Thanks again for stopping.”

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