The man who’d yelled at him was talking on his cell phone.
Rigby shoved her into the van, slammed the door and ran to the driver’s side.
Where had that guy come from? There wasn’t supposed to be anyone else here.
Getting in fast, he cranked the van over.
We have to get out of here. Fast. That guy is probably calling the cops.
He peeled out of the parking lot, burning rubber.
It was bad luck that someone had seen him take her.
Don’t draw so much attention.
He forced himself to slow down to the speed limit until the edge of town.
So far, so good.
Pressing the pedal down as he left town he hurried to get to the cabin.
This is the only tricky part. Everything else had gone well this time.
He’d put a stolen license plate on the van. The bread truck he’d stolen the plates from would throw the police off at first, as planned, but not if the highway patrol or sheriff spotted him driving this van now.
Good thing Montana roads could be a long stretch of nothing. But she’s not secured. I’ve got to do that before she comes to. She might hurt herself trying to get away and I don’t want her bruised. Her skin is so fair, she bruises easy. If she’d just be a good girl this time and do as I say.
He glanced over at her. How to secure her and steal another license plate was on his mind. His thoughts continued as he kept looking in his rearview mirror, watching for any sign of a law enforcement officer.
Once we reach the cabin, no one will find us. Then it will just be the two of us, forever. Just me and my woman.
* * *
Travis wason his way home from working a security job when he noticed Ellen’s car in the parking lot of the elementary school.
What’s she doing at the school so late? Did her car break down earlier? If so, she should’ve called me. Did she get a ride home?
He slowed and pulled around into the parking lot to check. As he turned into the parking lot, he saw a light on in her classroom.
So, she’s working late. Or she forgot something and came back for it. Either way she shouldn’t be here at the school, alone. I can’t believe she did that, knowing her past and the fact Mortimer is still at large. What would’ve prompted her to do this?
Reaching for his phone, he pulled out on the main road.
He would call her right now and find out what she was doing. Hank was waiting on him to give him his new assignment and some supplies and he’d be late if he stopped now to talk to her. But he also wasn’t going to wait until later to talk to her. That she was at the school alone in the evening right before dusk surprised the hell out of him. He would’ve bet money that with Mortimer still at large, and after her last experience, that would be the last thing she did.
Which just went to show what was said about women being unpredictable. Sometimes they surprised the hell out of him.
Just as he was dialing her on his cell phone, it rang.
Hank Patterson.
At the same time, a sheriff’s gray SUV passed him, lights flashing, siren screaming, and in his gut, Travis knew.
Picking up his phone he answered. “Hank, what’s up?”
Travis was headed to the Brotherhood Protectors office to pick up his assignment folder and supplies, as planned, so Hank had little reason to call, unless something had changed.
“Ellen is missing,” Hank said.
