Page 19 of Final Ride

“Look down there, Cleo.” The locals can’t afford to get the truck Tammy stole out of the hole she put it in. Are you up for a hike down the side of the mountain?”

Cleo wagged her tail and Bobby took a couple of deep breaths before starting the treacherous trip downward to the wreckage.

Bobby checked his watch when he reached his destination, and it had taken him a full half hour to get down the mountainside without falling ass over tea kettle and breaking his neck.

When he got to the truck, Cleo was already down there waiting for him. She had far less trouble balancing on the steep decline than Bobby did.

“Freightliner, Cleo. Tammy stole another Freightliner because that’s the truck she can drive best. I wonder where the poor guy is who owns this truck. Do you think he’s lying dead someplace?”

Cleo wagged her tail, her tongue hanging out panting.

“I can picture it, Cleo. That bitch Tammy turned on the guy and took his truck after he was nice to her. We have to get even for this guy and for Ray and especially for me. Who knows how many other guys she killed and took their trucks or their fucking wallets?”

Driver’s door was smashed in and jammed shut, so Bobby had to climb in the passenger door. He searched the cab, glove compartment and under both the seats.

The cops had been there and taken what was in plain sight, but how thorough had they been? Bobby stuck his hand under both seats in the cab and came up with nothing but Tammy’s phone.

Bingo.

“Look at this, Cleo. We’ve got her now.”

Climbing up the side of the mountain took longer by fifteen minutes. Forty-five minutes to climb up the steep embankment and when he got to the top, Bobby had to sit behind the wheel of the Wrangler for a solid five minutes to rest before he got his wind back.

“Tammy’s phone is dead, Cleo. What we need is a charger to fit her phone, then we’ll be able to find her. Let’s go find one.”

Newport Service Center. North Carolina.

Bobby pulled into the service center in Newport and filled the Wrangler with gas. Next stop was the convenience store, hoping they had a charger that would fit Tammy’s phone.

The store had several different models and one of them was the correct one. Bobby bought it along with a few other things he needed for the trip. Water, beer, snacks and more dog biscuits.

He jumped into the Jeep and patted Cleo on the head. “Now we need to find a motel where we can charge the phone.”

Best Western Hotel. Staunton. Virginia.

Celebrating their first night on the road together, Willy wanted something special. He got a room for them at the dog-friendly Best Western.

They checked into the room like a couple of honeymooners and Willy couldn’t ever remember being happier.

Leaving the dogs in the room with their bowls of kibble, Willy and Tammy ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. After dessert and coffee, they returned to their room, leashed the dogs and took them for a long walk.

As they got into bed together for the first time, Willy was elated and romantic, but Tammy felt like she was cheating on Eldon. A powerful feeling she struggled to get out of her head.

To counteract the guilt, she kept telling herself that Willy loved her, and Eldon didn’t. She knew it was true, but it still broke her heart.

Super Eight Motel. Newport. North Carolina.

Bobby was anxious to check into the hotel, charge Tammy’s phone and see if he could get the tracker working.

Finding the phone was a gift and Bobby took it as a sign that he was meant to find Tammy and put an end to her killing spree.

He was close to her now and could feel the excitement of the chase.

Bobby stuck the charger into the phone and plugged it into a wall outlet while he fed Cleo. He took a shower and cleaned up for dinner, then checked the phone and it wasn’t finished charging.

It had to come all the way back from the dead. It had been under the seat of the truck for a long time.

He left it plugged in, left Cleo watching it, and walked down the road to a diner. Sitting alone, he ate a burger and an order of coleslaw.

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