Page 29 of River Ride

6:30 a.m.

We ran into the house and Travis was in the kitchen sitting at the table with Annie and Rowdy drinking coffee. He was trying to be a better host.

“Bad news, Dad.”

“Don’t start the day off like that, son.”

“Don’t want to, but Tammy is gone. We searched everywhere for her.”

“Look again. She must be here somewhere.” Travis was on his feet pacing and looking like he was going to lose it.

“Something else, Dad,” I said. “Better sit down.”

Annie eased Dad down onto a kitchen chair and stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders.

“Okay, tell me, Harlan.”

“Your squad is gone. Billy put a BOLO out on it.”

“Aw, fuck.” Travis dropped his head into his hands and stayed that way for a couple of minutes. “She’ll go to Canada. Let me call Mark Garson in the border office and see what time my Bronco crossed.”

Travis stepped out onto the front porch and made the call while Virge and I got coffee and Lucy ran upstairs to get dressed.

Lucy came running down a few minutes later crying. “Mommy, you won’t believe what Tammy did.”

“What’s the matter, honey?” asked Annie. “What did she do?”

“She took my wallet, and I checked the closet to see if she took all her clothes and I think she might be wearing her uniform. It’s gone.”

“Oh, my nerves,” said Annie. “She’s driving the sheriff’s squad and possibly wearing her uniform. She had this planned. Definitely planned.”

Travis came in from the porch and said, “The Sheriff’s Bronco crossed the border point at 4:00 a.m. What time is it now?”

“Six forty-five,” said Rowdy.

“We’re almost three hours behind her,” shouted Travis. “I’ve got to get organized.”

I watched Dad come apart. He was breathing heavy and sweating like a pig, just like Billy said he did when he was going to have a PTSD flareup.

Being the calm one, Billy took over. “We can’t all go looking for Tammy. I’ll take the station. Ted and I can handle anything that comes in today. Tomorrow is Saturday, so you have three days to find her, Travis. Take the boys with you and go.”

Travis nodded.

“Rowdy and I will stay here with the kids and take care of the ranch. Do you want me to pack a bag for you, Travis?”

Dad stared straight ahead while Annie ran down the hall and did it anyway.

Virge and I ran upstairs and threw clean clothes in a couple of duffels, and we were ready to go.

“Should we bring our guns, Harlan?”

“Yeah. Just in case.”

“What a shitshow this is gonna be,” said Virge. “Dad might lose it while we’re in fucking Canada, and then what?”

“Wait until it happens,” I said. “Might not.”

“I wouldn’t bet my fucking ass on it, Harlan.”

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