Longest time out on the road

Knock knock knock at the motel room door.
"Must be Tex" I told Darlene as I got up to answer the door.
I had left a note under my wiper with the room number on it. Save him from getting the run around at the desk trying to find me.
"Yall decent in there?" he hollered.
"Of course we are, ya big goofball. And if you didn't bring any beer, you ain't gettin in here noway" I responded.
"Aww hell, that ain't no problemo, amigo" he drawled as he entered with a twelve pack in each hand.
"Glad you could make it buddy. You get one of them almond loads from Luanne?"
"Yeah, buddy. Hit the spot too. Ba able to run back by the house. This time of the year, I like to stay off of I-40 anyway.
You looking good Darlene. Feeling ok?" he asked her softly.
She was looking better. The bruises were fading somewhat and some decent food and rest had brought some color back in her complexion.
She was relaxed too. I could tell she enjoyed our company, although she didn't say alot.
She mainly just sipped on her beer and read the tourist brochures that were on the dresser.
"Ricky, you reckon it would be ok if I took some of these home with me?" she asked, holding a pamphlet extolling the wonders of Yosemite National Park.
"I don't know babygirl. Hate to see you get in trouble" I told her with a deadly serious look.
"Trouble? What do you mean?" she asked innocently.
"Well they don't take to kindly to thievery out here in California. They liable to track you down all the way back to South Carolina" I told her.
She stared at me questionately before throwing her empty beer can across the room at me causing Tex to crack up.
"I done told you I ain't no dumb hillbilly, Ricky Reed. Next time I'm throwing a full one." she said trying to keep a straight face, but not succeeding.

After we settled down, Tex put on a straight face and cleared his throat.
"What's up man?" I asked him.
"Yall hear about that girl that got killed at the truckstop in Ontario Sunday night?" he asked.
"Oh shoot, what the hell happened?"
"Don't know much. I just stopped by there this morning for some breakfast and to call Luanne after I got unloaded.
The waitress was telling me about it. A driver found her laying behind the back row about five in the morning.
Said he just got up. Fixing to go deliver. Just walking around checking his trailer tires and there she was. Cut up pretty bad."
"#### it man. They got any ideas? I hate to think a trucker done that."
"Not really. She said there was some speculation it could have been some bikers.
Said the Pagans run the ###### and the dope in that area, but ain't no telling, I reckon."

 

With a three PM load time only two miles away, we stayed right up to checkout time at noon.Still had plenty of time for a nice meal at the cafe next door.
With nothing else to do, and two hours to spare, we decided to head on over to the shipper and hope to get loaded early.
Well so much for that plan. Upon arriving, we discovered three trucks in line, still waiting to get through the gate.
Talking to the drivers, we learned that the first one in line had a one o'clock appointment and the other two had two o'clock pick-ups.
So much for getting loaded early, but never know until you try.
One of the drivers recognized Tex's Peterbilt from the truckstop that morning and struck up a conversation.
He said he was parked only a few spots away from where the woman's body was found, and the local police were out investigating before the sun was up.
"Yeah, the cops were banging on my door at five thirty this morning" said the red bearded trucker from Nebraska.
"Wanted to know how long I had been parked there, what time I went to bed, who I seen walking around, all kinda stuff.
I told them the truth. Heck, I been there since friday, after I unloaded in Pico Rivera.
Spent Sunday afternoon in a bar in Riverside, and they could alibi that if they wanted.
As far as seeing anybody in the parking lot goes, I don't even remember the cab ride back to my truck.
According to a couple of drivers, she kept coming and going from this cabover in the back row.
But they don't think she was hooking on account of the time she spent in each truck. Just in and out."
"No sir, don't sound like it to me neither" Tex offered. "Anybody get a name off the truck?"
"If they did, I didn't hear it. But one dude said the last time he remembered seeing her, she was with some rough looking dude walking across the lot.
Didn't know if he was with the one with the cabover or not."
"Any idea what this fella looked like?" I asked.
"No, afraid not" Redbeard answered.

 

Something about Tex was nagging at me, not in a bad way. Just trying to figure him out and realizing I had known him less than two weeks, though it seemed longer.
People on the road seem to bond quicker for some reason I never quite figured out.
Maybe everything is accelerated due to the subconcious knowledge that your time together is limited.
I once spent three days on the CB with a guy from California back to North Carolina, and felt like I knew him better than some folks I had grown up with.
Anyway, I figured the best way to find out something was just to ask. I waited until we were both backed to the dock and had at least another hour to wait around.

"Hey Tex, I been meaning to ask you something, if it ain't too personal" I began.
"Fire away hoss. Won't know until you ask." he replied.
"You ever been a cop?" I said, getting right to the point.
Tex laughed a little before answering."No, sir, not me. Now what in the world makes you ask me that?"
"Now don't get me wrong. I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just the way you were kinda taking up for them cops back at Blythe.
And the way you were talking to that fella about the murder down in Ontario. And I see where you were heading with that.
I see it too, but I hope we are both wrong. Anyway, just seems you know more about things than the average fella"
"Well I didn't know it showed" he answered. "Fact is, I give it some serious thought. But not sure if I really have the discipline it takes.
Especially compared to truckin. I'll tell ya what led me in that direction if you want to hear it."
"Of course I do, buddy. It's got to worth hearing."
"Alright then, I hope so. My grandfather was a Texas Ranger. Back in the thirties through the fifties before he finally had to retire.
Started losing his eyesight and just couldn't pass the physical anymore.
Couldn't even take a desk job, not that he woulda wanted that anyway.
Paps was part of E company, out of Midland. They covered a big territory and Paps was stationed out in Pecos.
You think it's barren now, he said it was pretty much still the wild west then.
Matter of fact, he was on horseback a lot of those years back then.
Didn't have the four wheel drives they have now, and that was the best way to get around some of that undeveloped country.
Especially hunting down a desparado in some shack up in the desert.
What most folks don't realize is the Texas Rangers is more than some glorified bunch of county sheriffs.
They were, and still are, a sophisticated law enforcement agency. They actually serve as the state bureau of investigation.
They get training equivalent to the FBI. Paps told me he was thrilled when they sent him to Washington D.C. to take an FBI training course in forensic investigation.
Yeah buddy, I would sit with him for hours listening to his stories. He always emphasized the investigating over the shootouts.
But he said one usually led to the other. But he always stressed you can't have too much knowledge. He called it recon.
Said the more you knew going in, the more advantadge you had if the lead got to flyin.
Won't never forget that shootin iron of his. Great big ole Colt .45 revolver with an eight inch barrel.
First time he let me hold it, I was only four years old. Took both hands to keep the barrel level.
But that's about it, brother. Just took a stong interest in the law, but never followed through.
I figure some of his lessons sunk in anyway. He was a wise man and I'm glad he was part of my life."

 

I could see it now. Give ole Tex a badge, a gun and a haircut and he could play the role.
He had the demeanor required. Thoughtful, patient, with an underlying strength.
He wasn't the only trucker I would meet over the years to come that seemed well qualified to do something else.
Something more important, more glamorous. After all, seems like anybody could drive a truck. Doesn't require a lot of smarts.
What keeps us out here doing this? That's something I never came up with a definitive answer for but dwelled on it nonetheless.

Two hours became six and it became evident we weren't covering a lot of ground tonight.
Tex was actually loaded an hour before me, but waited around for us.
We decided to at least make it to Barstow for the night. Then after some sleep, head over to Needles and drop back down on I-10.
Easy ride down 99 to Bakersfield, then we turned east on 58 and across the Tehachapi pass.
I only wished it was daylight. I tried to describe to Darlene the view one sees when travelling west and topping the last hill.
The base of the San Joaguin valley lays out before you like a patchwork quilt.
Not that I expected her to, but I recommended she go to the library and check out GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck.
His descriptions of this area are priceless. Every time I cross the Colorado River near Needles, I am reminded of the chapter where the family bedded down for the night.
Enoying the cool, lush greenery of the river bank before the treacherous journey across US66, which is unchanged today with the exception of a four lane interstate highway.
The only difference lies in the modern, more reliable equipment we have today to cover that barren stretch with no water, no facilities of any sort and often 120 degree temps.

By the time we reached Barstow, the wind was howling, creating dust storms that resembled heavy fog.
The fine powder would accumulate across the highway like blowing snow in Wyoming.
Rip Griffins was a welcome sight. There were a few spaces available, although not close together.
We agreed over the CB to meet inside for a light meal once we were parked.
I was somewhat closer to the building and told Tex we would get us a booth.
Just a few feet from the entrance I realized I had left my cigarettes in the truck.
Not wanting to pay California prices for a new pack, I decided to return for them.
I told Darlene to wait inside the lobby for Tex and I would find them in the restaurant.

After retrieving my smokes and climbed down from the cab and shut the door. A dark figure blocked the space between my cab and the neighboring truck.
I remained still allowing my eyes to refocus after being exposed to the dome light in the cab.
Then I heard a sharp metallic click and saw the glint of a switchblade knife inches from my throat.

 

Fantastic stuff! I would definitely buy a book full of short stories this good!

 

"Where's Rick?" Tex asked Darlene as he entered the lobby of the truckstop.
"Left his smokes in the truck. Just ran back out there."
"How long ago?"
"Been a liitle while. Oughta be back any minute."
Should have done been back. And how come I didn't see him? Tex thought.
"Just wait right here" Tex told her urgently.
"No, forget that. I want you with me." he said as he took her hand and they headed out the door.

Instinctively. I took a step back.
"Just you hold it right there, plowboy" Ben McTeen snarled.
No mistaking that voice, and as my eyes adjusted to the relative darkness, I saw an oily sheen of perspiration on his overly pale face.
Pupils like pinpoints and a slight tremor in his speech. He surely wasn't looking healthy, no doubt the results of sampling his own product to excess.
"Listen, Animal, no need to get crazy here. Just put that thing down, and we can talk about this.
Whatever it is, it ain't worth doing something you will regret" I said, trying to calm him.
"Doing something I will regret? Is that what you just said? I'd say you are the one regretting sucker punching me trying to impress that little hillbilly bimbo of yours.
Well you ain't so tough now, are you? You just a scared punk without that peashooter of yours.
And I guess you know what we do with white trash back where I'm from? We cut it up in little tiny pieces"

"You ain't cuttin up a #### thing" came a welcome voice from behind Animal, followed by a distinctive metallic click.
Tex had the longest handgun I had ever seen against the back of Animal's skull.
"The first thing you gonna do is fold up that blade you got there and put it in your back pocket. Easy now, son.
I ain't one to quote movie lines, but like Clint Eastwood once said, this thing 'will blow your head clean off'.
Now turn around, real easy like." Tex ordered.
As he turned around, Tex tossed me a set of handcuffs. He ordered Animal's hands behind his back, and I knew what to do.
As I was cuffing his wrists, Tex presented Animal with the what had to be the biggest badge I have ever seen either.
A polished gold star in a worn leather holster, the words TEXAS RANGER, proudly engraved upon it.
Well I will just be ######. Reckon old paps left Tex some souveniers when he passed on.
"What the hell is going on here?" Animal screamed."You can't do this. You ain't no cop"
"Maybe I am, and maybe I ain't. But the fact remains I have a badge and a gun, and you are the one wearing handcuffs.
So I reckon it all comes down to semantics, now don't it. Right now, the four of us are going to take a little walk, with you right in the middle.
Pretty smart nosing in to that parking space, hiding the tractor like that.
But you know what ain't too smart? Riding around with those mismatched mudflaps. Couldn't help but notice when we pulled in.
The civil war is over dude. You need to ditch that rebel flag. Might get you in trouble one day."
Tex escorted Animal down the passenger side of the rig and ordered him to his knees beside the cab.
Tex unlocked one cuff and ran the chain through the step, which was securely bolted to the cab.
"Looks like you're in good company pardner" Tex said, motioning to the cattle trailer next door.
"Holler all you want. See if you can make yourself heard over these brahmas. Good luck."

"I don't reckon this is the best time for a leisurely dinner" I remarked as we walked back to the building.
"Probably not, but I need to use the payphone. How about yall get us something to go while I make this call" Tex answered.

"Good evening, this is operator twelve, how may I assist you?" answered the efficient sounding woman at the FBI toll free tip line.
"Howdy, maam. I done captured a sho nuff desparado and got him all hogtied for yall.
I can tell you where he is, and yall just come pick him up" Tex drawled, doing an exaggerated performance of his Texas accent.
"Well, is that so?" the operator answered with an amused skepticism.
She was no doubt accustomed to dealing with prank calls, but knew every call had to be taken seriously.
Sometimes a big break come come from an unlikely source.
"Well, sir" she continued, not bothering to ask his name. "Could this possibly be a matter for the local authorities? Have you called the police yet?"
"No maam, I figured I'd go straight to the top. I always admired the work yall do"
"Well, sir. Thank you for the compliment, but could could you tell me why you think we should step in?"
All at once Tex did an about face with his demeanor. If operator twelve was taken aback, she didn't show it.
She seemed to take him very seriously as he told his tale.
"I tell you how much I know maam. This boy acquired a large amount of cocaine in Texas and transported it across four states into California.
I belive that makes it a Federal matter. And I'm pretty sure there is some left over for evidence.
And you might want to look into the death of a woman at the Union 76 truck stop Sunday night in Ontario California.
Not saying he did it, but he was reportedly in her company. He may be what is known as a 'person of interest'.
He had her interest now and she wanted detailed directions to the truck.
"Oh, one more thing. I know the FBI has unlimited resources and all, but whoever shows up here might have a problem with those handcuffs, considering they are over fifty years old.
Tell them they will find the key on top of the right rear inside trailer tire.
Nice talking to you Miss Twelve, but I really need to get going." He said before she could reply.
As Darlene and I walked up with a bag containing three cheeseburgers and french fries, Tex was wiping down every surface of the telephone with a hankerchief.
"Well, folks, reckon we need to get our butts down the road. I hate to miss all the excitement, but I believe they can handle things without us."

 

The Barstow Chronicle
An arrest was made in the wee hours tuesday morning at Rip Griffin's truck stop off I-15 in Barstow.
The South Carolina trucker was found mysteriously handcuffed to his own truck.
He is being held on felony charges of cocaine possession and unlawful possession of a weapon(switchblade knife).
The FBI was also at the scene expressing interest in the trucker regarding a crime committed elsewhere in the state, but declined further comment.

The Ontario News Ledger
Local police report a major break in the murder of the woman known only as "Candy" that occured late Sunday night at the Union 76 truck stop in Ontario.
A South Carolina trucker has been arrested in another part of the state on unrelated charges.
Police chief Arnold "Bucky" Newsome says truck stop fuel receipts verify the trucker was indeed on the premises when the crime occured, but declined further comment.
He credits the breakthrough to "good old fashioned police work".

FBI Interview transcript:
Subject seems to be delusional and suffering from paranoia, possibly drug induced.
Claims to have been arrested by a Texas Ranger. Says officer was seven feet tall with a cowboy hat and a gold badge.
Also claims the man had an enormous pistol. Possibly over a foot long.
After exhaustive interviews, no such individual was reported to have been seen by any other indivduals on the scene during that time.

 

Well, that's all folks. I hope everybody enjoyed reading it as much As I did creating it.
Will Ricky renew his interest in Darlene?
Will the older Luanne spark his interest?
How about Joanie from Jersey?
Let your imagination be your guide. Hopefully we will see Ricky again one day and find out what he's been up to.

I will be away for a while, how long I can't say. I have some off line work to accomplish if I ever hope to submit anything to an agent.
It's been fun, and I promise to be back.

 

good work mustanggt, you do know how to get a guy hooked, and keep them hanging on for more. I will be awaiting your next story when you can put one up on here, i understand about doing stuff offline to get published. When you get a book out, let us know, i know I will go to the store and buy a hard cover, and i am a cheap #$$.

Again thanks for the good writing and the good reading, i hope you can have some fun in the GT with your new route, take a easy man and keep her shinny side up and out of the ditches.

 

Great story. I would definitely like to see more and second the hardcover opinion. Good luck getting published.