Unexpected Trip
David did not mind the walking. He had been doing it for days knowing there
would come a time when it would be too much.
For now he did not have the nerve to hitch. The car sped past him by several feet before
the turn signal lit up. He recognized
the car. It was at the motel where he
had spent the night and the small road side diner where he ate breakfast. He had never seen the driver though. It pulled off to the side with emergency
blinkers flashing. David stopped
looking behind the way he came and part of him wanted to turn back. He could see cigarette smoke escape the
driver’s door just before the passenger door swung open…
“I’ve seen horror movies start this way,” he mumbled aloud.
He approached the door slowly peaking inside. “Where are you heading?” He remembered her now, the woman with the red
hair and tight jeans a couple of the truckers had made rude comments toward but
she never gave them a second look.
“California.”
“Not a bad man are you, sugah? My momma always warned me about those bad boys. Of course she failed to mention to me they
were the most fun.”
He immediately thought her accent was from northern Georgia
or southern Tennessee. “I like to think
not.”
“Throw your bag in the backseat and climb in,” she turned looking
at him. Her lips were strawberry red, matching her wavy hair as it fell down on
her shoulders. Her face was thin with a
sharp nose. He noticed mostly her big
green eyes, friendly eyes.
“All right.” He
tossed his bag into the back seat before climbing into the passenger seat. He glanced into the mirror on his side, heart
still racing. He knew this could have
been a mistake, every story in his life that started with a beautiful woman
ended in some sort of misery. “Where are
you from?”
“Chattanooga,” she replied.
“Heading to Vegas.” She looked to
him flashing her big smile. He was
certain of it now, this woman was trouble.
She was someone who could get almost anything she wanted with a flash of
her smile. “You?”
“Atlanta,” he replied.
“Running to or from something?”
“Away from,” he replied.
He wanted to say from someone with a smile like yours.
She reached to the glove box opening it and his heart
stopped when he saw the pistol, eyes wide he looked too her and then back to the
glove box. “Don’t worry, sweetie.” She flipped around a moment until the badge
was just as visible as the gun. “You’re
safe as can be.” Federal Bureau of
Investigations, but his heart still raced.
“What’s your name?” He watched as
she pulled a new pack of cigarettes out closing the door in the process.
“David.”
“Trisha.”
They’d traveled the better part of the day when she pulled
into the gas station, David was happy to get a chance to stretch his legs. “Pump the gas for me will you.” David circled to the driver’s door as Trisha
messed around in the trunk and then headed into the station.
The trunk of the car squeaked open, and he let his curiosity
get the best of him as he opened it further.
His heart nearly stopped. The man
was in suit, black and professional with his hands bound and gag in his
mouth. “Ah, sugah, hate to give you the
wrong impression.” He looked up to see Trisha
with her arms crossed and big confident smile.
He looked back to the man with his cold blank expression; the felt of
the trunk was covered in blood. An open
duffle bag at his back filled with money.
“That there is what happens to bad, bad men.”
