Page 21 of Longest Ride

“Dark blue Silverado. Two years old, Sheriff. It’s pretty new and Harry takes good care of the truck.”

Billy jotted down the information in his notebook, then handed her a card. “If Harry or Alex happen to contact you, call my cell, and tell me.”

“I will. Thank you for looking for him, Sheriff. I’m worried out of my mind.”

We went back to the squad and the Bronco had gone stone cold inside while we were in the house. “This weather is the shits,” said Virge.

“Be quicker if we don’t go back to the shop,” said Billy. “I’ll call and tell Ted to meet us down at the Quarry Cutoff and bring the dogs. Save us a trip back to Coyote Creek.”

“Good thinking, boss,” said Virge.

Salt Lake City. Utah.

Driving out of Salt Lake City, I stopped at a truck stop to use the bathroom and to stock up on water and Cokes for Eldon. Barely able to lift his head, he could drink from a bendy straw and that’s what I’d been giving him—lots of drinks.

He wouldn’t—couldn’t eat any food.

Inside the convenience store, I bought a burger for myself and picked up a sandwich for later. I took two candy bars, a six-pack of Cokes and a dozen shrink-wrapped bottles of water.

At the front counter, I asked for a carton of smokes, paid for everything, and lugged it all to the truck.

While I was piling it all on the passenger seat, the driver of the truck parked next to me unlocked his truck.

I turned around and asked him, “Would you know how far it is from here to Texas?”

“What part? Texas is a huge state.”

“North of Houston.”

“Just a guess, but I’d say twenty hours or more.”

I let out a sigh wondering if Eldon would live for another twenty hours. “Thanks.”

“That your truck?” He grinned at me.

“Yes, it is.”

“Uh huh.”

Why do guys think I can’t drive a truck?

Quarry Cutoff. Montana.

Quarry Cutoff wasn’t a well-travelled road. Hardly anyone lived on the road leading into the old quarry. Dense bush on both sides of the road made it a favorite for hunters.

It might have been plowed once since the storm, but parts of the road were drifted in again.

“There’s the dark blue Silverado,” said Virgil.

“Yep. It looks like his friend Alex found Harry’s truck,” I said. “He’s parked right behind it.”

“Both trucks are covered in a lot of snow,” said Billy. “The hunters haven’t been back here.”

“How long is Ted gonna be?” asked Virge.

“Shouldn’t be much longer,” said Billy. “He said he was leaving right away with the dogs.”

“While we wait for Ted, we’ll take a look in both of the trucks, just to be sure.”

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