Page 7 (1/2)
He straddled the Harley and pressed the starter button The engine kicked in at once He revved it a little, then shut it off The woman said, "Who are you?" "I can’t tell you that"
"But why not?" "This one’s too sensational It’ll make nationwide headlines"
"I don’t understand"
"They’d splash my picture everywhere I like my privacy"
A small utility rack was bolted to the back of the Harley Jiun to it
With a tremor of vulnerability in her voice that broke his heart, Lisa said, "We owe you so irl had one slender ar to their conversation Her eyes were out of focus, blank-and her mind seemed far away Her free hand was at heron her knuckle; she had actually broken the skin and drawn her own blood
He averted his eyes and stared down at the cycle again
"You don’t owe ," he said
"But you saved-" "Not everyone," he said quickly "Not everyone I should have"
The distant growl of an approaching car drew their attention to the east
They watched a souped-up black Trans Aes
With a screech of brakes, it stopped in front of them Red flames were painted on the fender back of the front wheel, and the rims of both the wheel wells were protected with fancy chrolistened like liquid ot out He was about thirty His thick black hair was combed away from his face, full on the sides, a ducktail in back He earing jeans and a white T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal tattoos on both biceps
"So here?" he asked across the car
Jim stared at him for a beat, then said, "These people need a ride to the nearest town"
As the er door opened, and a woer than her coy tan shorts, a white halter top, and a white bandana Unruly dyed-blond hair sprayed out around that piece of headgear, fraround for Max Factor She wore toosilver earrings; three strands of glass beads in different shades of red; two bracelets on each wrist, a watch, and four rings On the upper slope of her left breast was a blue and pink butterfly tattoo
"You break down?" she asked
Jiuy said "This is Verna" He was chewing gum
"I’ll help you fix the tire"
Jim shook his head "We can’t use the motor home anyway There’s a dead man in it"
"Deadbeyond the Road king
Verna ide-eyed
Frank stopped chewing his guun on the Harley rack, then looked at Jiain "You kill them?" "Yeah Because they kidnapped this wolanced at Lisa "That true?" he asked her
She nodded
"Jesus julanced at Susie She was in another world, and she would need some professional help to reenter this one He was certain she couldn’t hear a thing they said
Curiously, he felt as detached as the child looked He was still sinking into that internal darkness, and before long it would s hiuys I killed-they wasted the husbandthe father His body’s in a station wagon a couple of miles west of here"
"Oh, shit," Frank said, "that’s a rough one"
Verna drew against Frank’s side and shuddered
"I want you to take them to the nearest town, fast as you can Get et them out here"
"Sure," Frank said
But Lisa said, "WaitnoI can’t" Jim went to her, and she whispered to him: "They look likeI can’tI’m just afraid"
Jim put a hand on her shoulder, stared directly into her eyes
"Things aren’t alhat they appear to be Frank and Verna are okay
You trust me?" "Yes Now of course" "Then believe me You can trust the
"I know," he said firmly
She continued to meet his eyes for a few seconds, then nodded and said, "All right"
The rest was easy As docile as if she had been drugged, Susie allowed herself to be lifted into the back seat Her mother joined her there, cuddled her When Frank was behind the wheel again and Verna at his side, Jiratefully accepted a can of root beer from their ice chest
Then he closed Verna’s door, leaned down to the open , and thanked her and Frank
"You’re not waitin’ here for the cops, are you?" Frank asked
"No"
"You’re not in trouble, you know You’re the hero here"
"I know But I’uess You want us to say you was a bald guy with dark eyes, hitched a ride with a trucker going east?" "No Don’t lie Don’t lie for me"
"Whatever you want," Frank said
Verna said, "Don’t worry We’ll take good care of them"
"I know you will," Jim said
He drank the root beer and watched the Trans Aht
He cli heavy shift to slide the gear wheel into place, rolled in a little throttle, released the clutch, and rode across the highway He went off the shoulder, down the slight incline, onto the floor of the desert, and headed directly south into the immense and inhospitable Mojave
For a while he rode at over seventy h he had no protection fro He was badly buffeted, and his eyes filled repeatedly with tears that he tried to blaely, he did not mind the heat In fact he didn’t even feel it He eating, yet he felt cool
He lost track of time Perhaps an hour had passed when he realized that he had left the plains and wasacross barren hills the color of rust
He reduced his speed His route was now filled with twists and turns between rocky outcroppings, but the SP was the machine for it