Page 68 of Midnight Ride

“How did you know I felt like that too?”

“I didn’t, but could we?”

“I want to, Eldon. I want to stay with you and ride in the truck and eat in truck stops and sleep in the sleeper bed. Like for always.”

He grinned. “Amen to that.”

Stampede Motel. Alberta.

There was no way they could make it home to the ranch, so Travis pulled into a motel on the highway and he and the boys got a room for the night.

“I thought we’d be going after Tammy in the other direction, Dad,” said Harlan.

“We’ve got no direction for her, son. No idea how to find her. Driving across Canada aimlessly is a waste of time. Tammy is on her own with her gun and I think she’ll buy a burner phone and call one of us.”

“I hope you’re reading this right, Dad. I think we should be going in the opposite direction.”

Travis ignored Harlan. “I’m gonna keep putting money in her bank account so wherever she is, she can eat or get a room. I have no fuckin idea what she’s thinking right now, boys.”

“I’m with Harlan, Dad,” said Virgil. “I don’t think we should go home until we look for her some more.”

“Tell me where you want to look, Virge. Convince me that it will do any good.”

“I can’t. I just don’t want to give up.”

“We’ll never give up,” said Travis. “Not ever.”

“Okay. If we’re not giving up, then I’ll go home.”

“We’ll work it from another angle,” said Travis. “We’re going to find your sister.”

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Billy got up in the morning and the house had a definite chill to it. Winter was coming and he should bring in wood for the woodstove in the front room.

He brewed a pot of coffee and called Travis to see where he was. “Hey, what’s going on north of the border?”

“Nothing good, I can tell you that.”

“You haven’t found her yet?”

“Nope. We found the guys who took her, and they aren’t faring well, Billy. Tammy killed one and left the other one to bleed out, but she wasn’t there.”

“That’s still great news,” said Billy. “She’s alive and on the move. That’s something to be thankful for.”

“True dat. We’ll be home in a couple of hours and fill you in on all the details.”

“You have an idea where she went?”

“No, we don’t. I’m hoping she’ll buy a phone and call one of us. It’s senseless to drive across Canada when we have no idea where she’s headed. We have no direction."

“Driving the highways is a waste of time. I agree with that. Come home and we’ll work it out.”

“Be home in a few.”

“Copy that.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

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