Page 20 of Home on the Road

She laughed as if the comparison was funny. Harry could tell from both her tone and words as well as the look in her eyes, that she was slipping over the edge into crazy.

“If you don’t like him, why drag him back with you?” Sam asked, his tone gentle, as if he, too, realized this woman was nuttier than a pecan pie.

“Because if he doesn’t, I’ll lose everything. Ziggy’s father wrote his will long before he married me, and then never updated it. If Ziggy ever finds out his father left him everything, he’ll kick me out and I won’t have anything. Now shut up and stay still,” she said, waving the gun between Harry and Sam. “You’re not going to trick me into dropping my guard. I’m taking Ziggy back with me and he’ll work at the diner until I find me a new, richer husband. Then he can do with the place whatever he wants. But until then, he owes me and I refuse to let him go.”

Chapter Thirteen

Ziggy raced into the room where he’d slept his first night with the brothers. His phone was in here, but where did he leave it? He looked around frantically, trying to remember where it was.

Spying it on the dresser with the charger cord, he grabbed the slim cellphone and immediately dialed nine-one-one.

“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency,” the emergency operator sounded bored.

“I need help. Police, sheriff, possibly an ambulance. I’m not sure of the address, but it’s the Myles Brothers farm. There’s a crazy woman holding Sam and Harry hostage.”

“Hold on, sir. Take a deep breath and try to calm down. What’s your name, please,” the operator’s tone grew intense and no longer sounded like he would fall asleep in the next five minutes.

Ziggy took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm him down. Harry and Sam were in trouble and he was the only one who could save them.

“My name is Ziggy Montrose. I work for Three Myles To Go Trucking. My stepmonster showed up this morning and she pulled a gun and is holding Sam and Harry hostage while I pack my belongings so I can go back to hell with her. I need police, sheriff, whoever is available in the next three minutes. And if she actually shoots someone, we’ll need an ambulance, too.”

“All right, sir, I’m going to put you on hold for just a minute, while I verify your location and get units rolling.”

“Tell them not to use sirens, or you’ll set her off,” Ziggy said as he pulled out his bag and began to toss clothes into it.

He knew there was no way the police could get there in the next few minutes, and the only thing he could do to save Harry was pack his bag and pretend to go with her, stalling allthe way.

Ziggy had just finished packing when the dispatcher spoke, “Sir, we’ve got several units headed in your direction and the first unit should be there in about five minutes. Can you stall her until they arrive?”

“I’ll do what I can,” Ziggy said. Thank you for your assistance.”

“Don’t hang up, stay on the line.”

“I’ll try, but she won’t like it.”

The operator went silent a moment before he said, “Turn the volume up all the way and slide the phone into the waistband of your pants. Cover it with your shirt. That way we’ll be able to record what is going on. I won’t say anything, we’ll just listen.”

“I’ll try,” Ziggy said, doing as the dispatcher suggested.

Once he had the phone situated, he grabbed his duffel bag and headed back downstairs. He took his time, and hoped Terry would not lose it and shoot them in the meantime. He began mentally counting down the seconds until help arrived. He just hoped they showed up sooner rather than later.

At the kitchen door, he paused, until Terry yelled, “I saw you, boy. Get your ass out here, and let’s go home.”

****

Harry heard the screen door open and Ziggy step out onto the porch. He wished he could talk to the man, even for just a few minutes. He needed Harry to know that he loved him and he was doing this to keep him safe.

“I’m here. Let them go.”

“Go get in the car. You’re driving. Then I’ll let them go.”

At least Terry shifted the gun to point in his direction and not the Myles brothers.

Instead of heading directly to the car, Ziggy approached Harry. He knew that if Terry got him in the car, he would never see the man who held his heart again. And that was more thanenough reason to fight. But, at least for these next few minutes, he needed to appear compliant even as he stalled for time.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around the man and hugged him tight. “I should have known she would do something like this.”

Harry returned his hug, then turned so he stood between Ziggy and his stepmonster. Then he lowered his head and whispered so only Ziggy could hear him. “Your father left everything to you. That’s why she needs you back so badly.”

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