Page 35 of Final Ride

“Thanks. That’s a load off. Now I have to fly back to Montana and clean up the mess I’ve made up there.”

“No mess, Dad,” I said. “We’ll clean that end up in no time flat.”

Travis laughed. “Glad you think so, Harlan. There’s a little more to it than you know about.”

Austin-Bergstrom Airport.

Dad turned in our rental Jeep and we checked in for the flight to Montana. I hated the thought of being on the plane that long and the only thing that kept me sane was knowing I’d be able to text Lucy.

“You boys might as well sleep until it’s time to land and eat lunch,” said Travis. “This is a long boring flight but it’s the last time we’ll have to do it. Next time we come to Texas, we’ll be driving and hauling all of our stuff with us.”

“A truck, a Jeep and towing three Harleys and a horse trailer.”

“And Billy will be driving his own truck,” said Virge. “A huge fuckin’ convoy, Dad.”

“We’re not sure about Billy yet,” I said.

Travis laughed. “Billy has to make his decision first, Virgie. I hope he’s coming with us, but it’s up to him. None of us are going to talk him into it if he wants to stay in Montana. Wouldn’t befair.”

“He ain’t gonna stay in Montana,” said Virge. “I think he’s pretty much decided already.”

“My brother is a mind reader.”

“Ain’t saying that,” said Virge. “I can just tell.”

Ivy Lea Bridge. New York State.

As he got closer and closer to the border crossing, Bobby watched for a spot where he could kill Tammy and get rid of her body. He couldn’t cross with a prisoner in the back of his Jeep.

He turned down one of the many river roads that led to cottages and fishing camps all along the Saint Lawrence River. Cruising by slowly searching for the right spot, Bobby came across a camp that seemed deserted.

“This looks like the place, Cleo.”

Bobby eased along the dirt path leading to the little wooden shack, looking for any sign of habitation and there was none. Grass and weeds had grown high since the last fisherman had been here.

“Could be a rental, Cleo. Nobody’s been using this place for a while.”

He parked the Wrangler in the long grass and shut off the engine.

“You can have a run, Cleo, but don’t go far.”

Cleo jumped out and took off exploring while Bobby walked around to the hatch of the Jeep and opened it. “Time to move, Tammy. We’re here at your final resting place.” Bobby chuckled.

Tammy’s eyes were wild as Bobby tossed her over his shoulder and hauled her inside the fishy smelling shack.

The second he ripped the tape off her mouth, she shouted at him, “You can’t do this, Eldon. We’re meant to be together. I’ve been searching all over the country for you so we could get married and be happy.”

“You’re a nutcase, Tammy. You always were since the first day you hopped into my truck. At first I was too hard for you to see it, but my vision has cleared up a lot in the past few months. You are a genuine murdering whacko.”

Tammy kept screaming crazy stuff at him and Bobby’s uncontrollable anger took over. He lost it completely, ran out to the Jeep and jerked his tire iron out from under the front seat.

He ran back to the shack waving the tire iron in the air and shouting curses down at her. “You almost killed me twice and I owe you for that, but this is for Ray. You killed Ray for nothing. You didn’t even know him, and he didn’t do a damned thing to you. You fucking maniac bitch.”

Tammy screamed when she saw what was coming at her and tried to roll out of Bobby’s way.

Bobby leaned over and took a swing at Tammy’s head. He was deadly and well-practiced with his weapon of choice.

They were screaming curses at each other so loud, Bobby barely heard Cleo barking and clawing at the door to get in. His fit of anger had taken over so completely, he’d forgotten he’d left Cleo on her own outside.

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