Page 53 of Midnight Ride

Wild Stallion Ranch.

We’d been up all night looking for Tammy and Travis had lost it twice. He totally freaked out, screamed, and cursed and punched holes in the drywall and broke stuff.

I had to go with Virge’s theory. Somebody took her. We’d never find her by driving around. Should I say that out loud? Was Travis already thinking that?

“Virge thinks somebody scooped her, Dad.”

Travis sat at the end of the table with his head in his hands. “Yeah, I know. I got it, son. Virge is right. She ain’t lost. She was kidnapped.”

“The feds are right on our doorstep,” said Billy. “We could…”

“I ain’t using those fuckers to find my own kid,” snapped Travis. “We’ll find her and when we do, I don’t want any feds looking on.”

“I got it,” said Billy.

“Better eat something before we go to the station. It’s gonna be a long day. Harlan, make fried egg sandwiches. Virge, you make toast and help your brother. I can’t go near a stove right now.”

I hopped up and grabbed a frying pan. Me and Tammy made fried egg sandwiches lots of time. One thing I knew how to cook.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

Bad went to worse when we got to the station. The feds were already there in the squad room—the man working at the vacant desk and the woman sitting at my desk. I had no place to sit.

“You and me are in the break room, son.” Travis turned to Molly. “Molly, see you in the break room?”

“Sure, Sheriff. Be right there.”

I poured coffees for me and Dad and was adding a bit of cream to mine when Molly walked in.

“Close the door,” said Travis.

“What’s wrong?” asked Molly. “Where’s Tammy?”

“Somebody snatched her off the side of the highway last night and I don’t want those goddamned feds to know I lost my own kid. We’ll find her ourselves.”

Molly teared up and was ready to lose it. “How will we find her? Do we have a tag or anything?”

“Nothing.”

“She just disappeared,” I said.

“Oh, no.”

A knock on the door and the woman fed stuck her head in. “Sorry to interrupt, Sheriff, but Agent Chapman and I would like to take a look at the original crime scene this morning to get us started. Could one of your deputies take us there?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll have Ted take you. Harlan, go tell Ted where he’s going.”

“Copy that.”

I walked the woman back to the squad room and gave Ted the news. He didn’t look overjoyed.

“Copy that. I’m ready as soon as you are.”

They left and I went back to the break room.

Molly asked, “Do we have a plan for today, Travis?”

“I don’t know where to start, Molly. I can’t think.”

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