Page 76 of Midnight Ride

“I’m bringing Tammy’s purse for her,” said my brother. “She might want it. Got her initials on it right in the fuckin leather.”

“Yeah, bring it with us.”

Virge opened the back door of the truck and whistled for the dogs.

Lethbridge Hospital.

Korva Garrison asked at two different nurses’ stations for his brother Franko. He was given a room number and took the elevator to the fifth floor.

Korva and his buddy Milo Gerba walked into the ward and found Franko bunked in with three other guys.

Franko’s face lit up when he saw his brother.

“You ready to go?” Korva asked, his accent thick.

“Yeah. Get me out of here, Korva.”

Franko couldn’t get out of bed without help and Korva was in the process of hauling his brother’s ass off the bed when a nurse came in and argued against it.

“He can’t get out of bed for another few days. Mister Garrison is recovering from major surgery.”

Neither of the Garrison brothers were good listeners, and Franko ignored the nurse’s protests. “I gotta go.” He put on the clothes that his brother had brought for him. Barely able to stand on his own, he had to lean on both Korva and Milo to get dressed.

“Are you signing yourself out, Mister Garrison?” asked the head nurse at the desk in the corridor.

“Looks like it.”

“You’ll have to sign this form, sir, before you leave.”

“Sign it, Korva.”

Franko was white as new snow and close to passing out when he reached his truck. “Hey, you guys got my truck for me.”

“Cops were swarming your trailer, so it was touch and go,” said Milo. “Too bad about Ray.”

“The bitch killed him,” mumbled Franko.

When Franko was comfortable in the back seat, Korva asked, “Where are we headed?”

“Coyote Creek, Montana. I gotta get my girl back. She belonged to Tibor for five years and now she belongs to me. Been looking for her for a long time and now that I found her, I ain’t letting her go again. Besides, she shot me in the nuts and capped Ray. She’s got a lot to make up for.”

Korva grinned. “Sounds like a wild one, Franko. You gonna let me have a turn with her?”

“Maybe, if you’re nice to me.”

Pushing the speed limit, Fontana Freight barreled through Lethbridge heading west. Feeling happier than he had inmonths, Eldon whistled along to a country song on the radio. He nearly jumped out of the driver’s seat when Tammy let out a scream so loud, she drowned out the country station playing Curb Lund’s big hit,The Truck got Stuck.

Eldon gave out a holler, “What the hell, Tammy?”

“There they are.” she pointed, and Eldon was looking in the opposite direction.

“Who?” Eldon twisted around trying to see who Tammy was pointing at.

“That’s Franko Garrison’s truck. The guy who kidnapped me and raped me. He’s in the back seat and his brother is driving. I hoped he bled out and died, but I didn’t get lucky, Eldon. The fucker is still breathing.”

“I’ll get him.”

Eldon turned the wheel of the big rig when Korva turned south. “If they’re heading for the border, Tammy, I can’t cross.”

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