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Starting the engine, she swung the vehicle around, floored the gas pedal, and headed out of town after the sheriff ’s Jeep

Lute had arrived at the far but a roofless, burned-out shell littered with cigarette butts and e and, as he learned when he looked inside, the concrete silo was infested with bats

But the real probleas

He drove the truck and trailer into the barn, knowing that to go on wouldin the open a mile or tn the road, under the hot sun At least there was shelter here But there was no water, no food, and no gas Screa every filthy word he knew, Lute kicked at the tires

His theft of the horses and trailer had been as se over ice cream But now he’d fallen victias, and all he had thought of was setting the damned place on fire

The horses stirred in the trailer, the uring he’d take care of that later How long could they last in this heat? How long could he last? Somehow he had to find a way out of this mess

There was soas in the Vespa, but he didn’t have a hose to siphon it into the truck Still, he could ride it down the road This infernal cow path had to end up somewhere civilized

Feeling better now that he had a sensible plan, Lute climbed up to unload the Vespa fro the horses loose, but the barn’s rickety walls wouldn’t hold the They could push their way out and wander off while he was gone Better to leave them locked in the trailer If they died there because he couldn’t returnwell, they were just horses And if he couldn’t sell theood to him anyway

The Vespa wasn’t all that heavy, but with the trailer hitched to the back of the truck, getting it dokward Lute was just lowering the scooter off the side of the truck bed when his ears caught a sound that chilled his blood It was the un vehicle,rapidly closer over the bumpy road

Lute’s hands froze, letting go of the Vespa It crashed to the ground, landing on its side Unless the approaching vehicle belonged to a stranger, it would be someone after him—the Tylers most likely

The Vespa didn’t appear daed, but it wasn’t fast Lute decided that his best chance was to stay out of sight, keep quiet, and if anybody got too close, use his pistol to scare them off

The pistol was in the truck, under the seat As the engine noise grew closer, he checked the clip, cocked the gun, and crouched on the floor of the cab to wait

Sky pulled the truck to a stop fif

ty yards up the slope froh-powered binoculars to his eyes and peered into the sunlight

“Think he’s in there?” Beau asked