Page 72 of Rough Stock
“Some motel in town. I don’t know where. Look, I?”
“Shut up. Just shut up.” Shyanna sat there, trying to figure out what to do. “So, where’s your duct tape?”
“I don’t have?”
“Jimmy, I can either immobilize you, or I can kill you. Your choice. What’ll it be?”
Jimmy sighed. “Dale keeps it under the driver’s seat of the truck.”
“Keys?” When Jimmy pulled them from his jeans pocket and held them up, Shyanna snatched them from him and pitched them out the door.
“Somebody helping you?” he asked.
“None of your damn business, asshole,” Shyanna spat. In seconds, the roll of duct tape rolled toward her on the floor. “Tape your ankles.”
“Myself?” he asked.
“No. Get your garden gnome to do it. Yes, of course, you dumbass. I’m waiting. Hurry up.” She watched closely as he taped his ankles together. When he was finished, she told him, “Turn around. And hands behind your back.”
Once he’d spun, his legs up on the mattress, Amos stepped into the trailer and bound his wrists. “Put a piece of tape over his mouth too,” Shyanna said.
“Aren’t you going to let me lie down or something?” Fuller asked. “I could fall off the bed backwards this way!”
“Don’t give a shit. Just shut up.” She looked on as Amos stuck the end of the tape on the back of Fuller’s neck, wrapped it around his head and across his mouth, then drew it back around the back, wrapping his head at least three times. “Nicely done.” Instead of speaking, Amos nodded. Shyanna pulled out her phone and stuck it around in front of Fuller so he could see it. “I recorded all that. If I find Max, I may call the cops and tell them where to find you. If I don’t, you can sit here and die of thirst and I won’t give a shit. Better hope I find him. Let’s go,” Shyanna told Amos as she walked out of the trailer. “And bring that duct tape.” She heard Amos close the door behind her and she smiled.
They slipped into the car and shut the door to a stunned Amber. “Well?”
“He says he doesn’t know where Max is. I think he’s telling the truth. All he knows is a motel room in town.” Shyannabraced the shotgun between her legs in the front seat. They hadn’t even pulled away when Amber’s phone rang.
“It’s SammyJo. Here?talk to her,” Amber said, handing her phone to Shyanna.
“Hey! What did you find?”
“I found the trailer. It’s still sitting there, and it’s only about three miles from the arena. And get this: The tire has a slit in it. It didn’t pop. Somebody flattened it.”
“And?” Shyanna asked.
“They must’ve towed the truck, but you were right. They painted on the pavement. It’s between nine and ten miles from the arena. Without seeing it, I don’t know how it was parked or if there was anything wrong with it, but there wasn’t any oil or antifreeze on the road leading up to it, so it’s not like it blew something. I’d say it was parked.”
“Did it look like they’d looked around for Jensen there?” Shyanna asked.
“Yeah. Some of the grass is trampled, but that’s about it. What now?” SammyJo asked.
“As you drive back this way, look at the terrain like I said. See if there’s anything unusual about it, or any spots that look different than most of the lay of the land. They didn’t have time to take Jensen much of anywhere. He’s got to be there somewhere. We’re heading to town. Fuller says that’s where Max is.” Shyanna sighed. “Thanks, SammyJo. I appreciate you.”
“I’ll give you a call in a bit and we’ll head that way.”
“Sounds good.” Shyanna ended the call and sat there with the phone in her hand. She had no idea where to even start, but they had to try. “You guys are staying in a motel, right?” she asked Amber.
“Well, wewere,” the girl answered with a grin. “I’m kinda not right this minute, you know?”
“Wow. Makes me sound like a slut,” Amos quipped.
“How many floors?”
“Um, three, I think,” Amber answered.
“And how many motels are there in town?” Shyanna asked.
