Page 67 of Small Town Hunter

I have a cousin who lives in Colorado– cousin Betty. More like a second cousin. She’s old, with no children and about sixteen cats, as I recall, according to Sarah Jane.

I never told Sarah Jane about Trina. That’s a phonecall I am not eager for. But it will go a lot better if I’m not taking Trina back with me to Virginia.

So Trina can stay with Aunt Betty until she makes contact with this grandmother Mamie lady. If she can bear to be parted from those jewels she’ll have some money.

Problem solved.

And I’ll never see her again.

Fuck that.

McCall’s caris right where I left it. The back tires are still done in just as I expected. I check the mileage on the dash and confirm the obvious, that he hasn’t moved it since I left.

So now what?

I run through options. Really there’s just one: suss out if the target is still in that motel at all.

If yes, drag him out.

If no, go back to Trina. We could go get breakfast. Go back to the motel, to that soft bed…

I don’t want McCall to be in there. The promise of riches suddenly seems hollow; the risk too steep. But I’m a soldier. Soldiers don’t back out of an assignment.

I think of Ruby, that sweet little girl who doesn’t have anybody to take care of her.

I took this mission to set us up for life without her Ma.

But if I get killed? If I go in guns blazing and McCall shoots me dead?

And then there’s Trina.

Trina waiting for me, wondering where I’ve gone. Her tender trust in me breaking apart as she thinks I abandoned her to the road. Who will tell her I’m dead? Eventually she’ll give up waiting, and take herself out to that highway, hell bent on California. Some devil or pimp will pick her up, girl pretty as that, and hurt her.

Maybe she’ll come back here to that sniveling bastard.

I promised Ruby I would take care of her.

I promised Roman I’d find his gold.

What did I promise Trina? Nothing. IwantTrina. I want Trina like air and water.

But my wants are not a priority. The mission is.

Man up, soldier.

I take my gun from the holster and move towards the motel doors. Failure’s not an option— it never was.

I reframe it in my head— a useful skill when fear threatens to overpower will. If I succeed in this mission, I set up my daughter. If I succeed, I can get stable. Give Jess what she wants and get that divorce.

I can ask Trina to be with me.

I’m halfway to the motel when pain explodes across my skull. I stumble; the ground rushes towards me like a fist. My last thought is Trina’s arms around me, ushering me to a bed of dark, soft roses.

TEN

TRINA

I pounce on Crash’s phone at the first ring.

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