me, "They found a big shipment a year ago."
"That a fact?"
"Yes, ma'am," the cowboy said. "A whole heap of mare-i-jew-wanna. Somewheres in the neighborhood of a hundred thousand dollars' worth. Made all the news."
"Is that a fact?"
"I shit you not. Some dude with a hundred pounds of whacky tobacky crammed into a couple of suitcases."
The dog stopped at one of the storage holds and gave it extra attention.
"A hundred pounds?" I said. "Now, why'd he think he could get away with that?"
"Dunno," the cowboy said. "He's just eat up with the dumbass, I reckon."
The dog stopped sniffing and backed away from the bus. The officer walked back up to the front and waved at the driver. "All clear," he said.
The driver—a short man with charcoal-black skin and chalk-white hair—got off the bus grumbling about the delay. "What's the use in keeping a damn schedule," he groused as he walked into the bus station.
The girl at the counter was still on the phone, but she gave him a little wave.
People got off the bus. Two guys in their twenties. A middle-aged couple. A tall kid with headphones.
The cop took the dog back to the SUV and opened the door. The dog leapt inside.
The cowboy said, "Well, now that the show's over, how about we talk about me and you."
I said, "Maybe some other night, cowboy. Getting a little late for me."
"Late? Ain't but ten thirty."
"Little late for me."
More people getting off the bus. A redhead in her fifties. Another guy in his twenties. A kid, no more than eighteen, yawning and stretching.
"Aw, it ain't late, darlin'. You got to live a little, burn tomorrow's candles tonight. I'm the right feller to do it with, too."
"Some other time."
Another guy. Then another. Finally Alexis and Kaylee. They were accompanied by a young man, or at least he was talking to Alexis. She nodded politely and scanned the parking lot.
"You know," the cowboy said, "you keep saying 'no' but something tells me that—"
I turned to him. "You're mistaking my politeness for indecision, so let me shoot you straight, cowboy. I think you're gross. Now scoot the fuck on out of here."
He stared at me for a moment before he nodded, mustered his dignity enough to tip his hat, and walked back into the motel.
The young man followed Alexis and Kaylee into the bus station. Passengers were buying Cokes and candies from vending machines.
Alexis took Kaylee to the bathroom. I could see that the young man was waiting for her, but when he finally surrendered to his bladder and headed into the men's room, Alexis and the girl slipped out of the ladies' room. Alexis led Kaylee outside, saw me and nodded. We both headed to the other side of the parking lot, away from the open field, closer to some dumpsters in an alley behind the motel.
We got there at the same time. "This way," I said.
Over my shoulder, I could see Jack start her truck, back up, and leave the IHOP parking lot. She met us out by the service road a moment later.
And we were gone.
* * *
We rode in silence until we were back on I-30, heading back toward Osotouy City, where we could connect to I-40.
Alexis smelled like cigarettes and old sweat. I cracked a window. Kaylee leaned against her mother and was asleep within a minute or two.
Jack glanced down at my feet. "You track mud into my ride?"
"I tried to scrape it off. Sorry."
Over her shoulder, Jack asked, "Who that boy you talking to?"
"Some guy I met on the bus."
Jack shook her head. "You running from a bunch of killers and you strike up a fucking conversation on the bus."
"He started talking to me," Alexis said. She leaned back in her seat and shut her eyes. "I think he wanted a hand job."
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"I don't know. He just had that 'please-give-me-a-hand-job' vibe."
Jack said, "Yeah, I know that vibe."
* * *
The drive was four hours. Jack wouldn't hear of anyone else driving her truck.
Alexis and Kaylee slept.
Jack played some songs on an iPod that she plugged into the radio.
"That a fact?"
"Yes, ma'am," the cowboy said. "A whole heap of mare-i-jew-wanna. Somewheres in the neighborhood of a hundred thousand dollars' worth. Made all the news."
"Is that a fact?"
"I shit you not. Some dude with a hundred pounds of whacky tobacky crammed into a couple of suitcases."
The dog stopped at one of the storage holds and gave it extra attention.
"A hundred pounds?" I said. "Now, why'd he think he could get away with that?"
"Dunno," the cowboy said. "He's just eat up with the dumbass, I reckon."
The dog stopped sniffing and backed away from the bus. The officer walked back up to the front and waved at the driver. "All clear," he said.
The driver—a short man with charcoal-black skin and chalk-white hair—got off the bus grumbling about the delay. "What's the use in keeping a damn schedule," he groused as he walked into the bus station.
The girl at the counter was still on the phone, but she gave him a little wave.
People got off the bus. Two guys in their twenties. A middle-aged couple. A tall kid with headphones.
The cop took the dog back to the SUV and opened the door. The dog leapt inside.
The cowboy said, "Well, now that the show's over, how about we talk about me and you."
I said, "Maybe some other night, cowboy. Getting a little late for me."
"Late? Ain't but ten thirty."
"Little late for me."
More people getting off the bus. A redhead in her fifties. Another guy in his twenties. A kid, no more than eighteen, yawning and stretching.
"Aw, it ain't late, darlin'. You got to live a little, burn tomorrow's candles tonight. I'm the right feller to do it with, too."
"Some other time."
Another guy. Then another. Finally Alexis and Kaylee. They were accompanied by a young man, or at least he was talking to Alexis. She nodded politely and scanned the parking lot.
"You know," the cowboy said, "you keep saying 'no' but something tells me that—"
I turned to him. "You're mistaking my politeness for indecision, so let me shoot you straight, cowboy. I think you're gross. Now scoot the fuck on out of here."
He stared at me for a moment before he nodded, mustered his dignity enough to tip his hat, and walked back into the motel.
The young man followed Alexis and Kaylee into the bus station. Passengers were buying Cokes and candies from vending machines.
Alexis took Kaylee to the bathroom. I could see that the young man was waiting for her, but when he finally surrendered to his bladder and headed into the men's room, Alexis and the girl slipped out of the ladies' room. Alexis led Kaylee outside, saw me and nodded. We both headed to the other side of the parking lot, away from the open field, closer to some dumpsters in an alley behind the motel.
We got there at the same time. "This way," I said.
Over my shoulder, I could see Jack start her truck, back up, and leave the IHOP parking lot. She met us out by the service road a moment later.
And we were gone.
* * *
We rode in silence until we were back on I-30, heading back toward Osotouy City, where we could connect to I-40.
Alexis smelled like cigarettes and old sweat. I cracked a window. Kaylee leaned against her mother and was asleep within a minute or two.
Jack glanced down at my feet. "You track mud into my ride?"
"I tried to scrape it off. Sorry."
Over her shoulder, Jack asked, "Who that boy you talking to?"
"Some guy I met on the bus."
Jack shook her head. "You running from a bunch of killers and you strike up a fucking conversation on the bus."
"He started talking to me," Alexis said. She leaned back in her seat and shut her eyes. "I think he wanted a hand job."
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"I don't know. He just had that 'please-give-me-a-hand-job' vibe."
Jack said, "Yeah, I know that vibe."
* * *
The drive was four hours. Jack wouldn't hear of anyone else driving her truck.
Alexis and Kaylee slept.
Jack played some songs on an iPod that she plugged into the radio.
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