When Mike and Steve returned with the nearly new bathroom on a trailer, both adults and children applauded their efforts. “There’s a bonus,” said Steve. “Approximately 20 rolls of toilet paper inside! Please use sparingly!”
Lonnie headed back to his truck and met Sheila and Dan. “Well,” asked Lonnie, “what’s the verdict, Sheila?”
“She fixed it,” said Dan, before she could answer. Lonnie was getting annoyed with Dan, and his cop instinct kicked in, telling him something wasn’t right about him.
“So, what’s the verdict, Sheila?” he asked again, looking in her eyes. She didn’t answer and looked at Dan. “Do you mind if she answers, Dan?” he asked.
“Okay,” he replied. “Go ahead, Sheila.”
“Well, sir,” she finally spoke. “It’s fixed, I’m pretty sure. Can you start it up and see?”
“Lonnie,” said Mike, overhearing the entire exchange. “Can I have a word?”
“Sure, Mike. What’s up,” he asked, as they met out of earshot of the two strangers.
“What’s the deal with the girl?” Mike said with a grin. “She looks like she’s going to wash the grease off her hands and head straight over to take first prize in a beauty contest.” Then, in a serious tone, he added. “You want me to take care of this guy?”
“Take care of him how, Mike?” asked Lonnie.
“With Vlad down, we need a good mechanic,” Mike continued. “And if your truck does start, we may need to add to our group, but we don’t need him. I can take this asshole for a little walk, and it’s done. It sounds like he doesn’t know the first thing about trucks anyway.”
“Hold on, Mike,” said Lonnie. He got in the truck and turned the key. It started right up and sounded good, better than good, he thought. He put it in gear and drove forward about 30 yards before returning to the circle.
“You fixed it!” he told Sheila. “I’ll talk to the group tonight. Come back first thing in the morning if you want to hear my answer.”
“We were looking to stay here tonight and get some food too,” said Dan. “We fixed your truck,” he continued. “Looks like you owe us now.”
Lonnie laughed at this as Mike’s face was turning red with anger.
“No, Dan. Sheila fixed my truck, and without being asked to do so. We’re done here for today,” as he put his hand on Mike’s shoulder.
The night was a feast of fresh venison, canned corn, and pantyhose sprouts with Italian dressing.
“Who wants to say the prayer tonight?” asked Vlad, now comfortably sitting up on the trailer.
“Me, me,” said many of the kids, all raising their hands. “Okay,” he laughed. “Jax, you’re up.”
Jax stood and asked everyone to close their eyes and bow their heads.
Dear Lord, thank you for this special day. I just love the way you made us, and I love you. Amen.
“Amen,” we all said in unison.
“Oh, and I forgot,” announced Jax:
Thank you for making Mr. Vlad better, and for the deer to feed us and for the new potty, as he giggled.
We all had a good laugh and relaxed just a bit.
“I know it’s the first day of our trip,” I said, loud enough for all to hear, “and it’s not what I or any of you expected, I’m sure. We had some bad things happen, and some good as well. That’s how it goes.”
“Kelly…have you seen her?” asked Mike loudly to the group. There was some quiet talking between the other women when Joy spoke up.
“Mike, we last saw her about an hour before dinner. We thought she was with you,” she added.
“Kelly!” he called out. “Can you hear me?”
Everyone was silent, even the children. There was only the sound of the crackling fire and the wind in the trees.
“We have to find her!” said Mike. “She must have wandered off and gotten lost.”
“Okay,” said Lonnie. “Here’s the plan. Lance and Jake, you take the north side of the highway. Mike and I will take the south side. There are a lot of open areas, so I don’t think she got lost. She may be hurt, so let’s be thorough.
“You guys go out about a half-mile,” he said, looking at me, “and go around east to south in a circle. Mike and I will do the opposite. Let’s get night-vision binoculars for each group. Jim and Vlad will each have a pair, as well, to keep an eye out over the group. If we come up on trouble, be sure you know which way our group is. There can be no friendly fire here.
“All six men going and staying will have a radio. Everyone else stays inside the perimeter, with no exceptions.”
Jake and I headed out without our flashlights on. It was one of those clear nights with a nearly full moon that lit up the landscape enough to see clearly. It reminded me of my childhood days, roaming the Ranch as a boy after dark on a clear summer night.
I didn’t want to draw any attention by using a light or calling out. We walked slowly about 30 feet apart, side-to-side. Jake and I carried an AR-15 and our pistol of choice. Lonnie and Mike opted for the same.
We all met up in a clearing.
“I’ve got something up ahead, about 200 yards out,” said Mike.
“I see it,” replied Lonnie. “Looks like a small campfire.” There was a man’s voice raised and sounding agitated.
“We have the advantage, unless they have night vision as well,” said Lonnie. They crouched down and, using the binoculars, saw two people sitting just beyond the campfire.
“Any sign of Kelly?” asked Lonnie.
“No. It’s Sheila from the truck and that asshole what’s-his-name,” said Mike.
“Let’s approach but real slow,” said Lonnie. “I don’t think they’re armed, but who knows.”
They slowly reached the makeshift camp and were undetected until the last ten feet, when Lonnie yelled out, “Don’t move,” shining his flashlight into Dan’s eyes.
“Hey, what the hell?” yelled Dan, standing up.
“Where’s my girl, Danny?” said Mike, in an accusing tone.
“What the hell are you talking about?” replied Dan.
“Kelly. She’s missing. Have you two seen her?” he asked, unzipping the gray tent just beyond the fire.
“Hey, man. That’s our property!” yelled Dan.
Mike, ignoring Dan, shined his light into the near-empty tent. Two sleeping bags, a small cooler, and a toolbox were all there was to see.
“Listen,” said Lonnie. “One of our group, Kelly, went missing a couple of hours ago. Have you seen anything out here?”
“No,” said Sheila. “I’m so sorry, but no, we haven’t heard or seen anything here.”
Lonnie noticed a small trickle of blood coming out from the right corner of her mouth.
“What happened,” Lonnie asked her.
“She tripped over a rock and had a little fall,” Dan said quickly.
“Sheila,” he said again. “What happened?”
“I just told...”
“I’m not asking you, Dan,” said Lonnie. “I’m asking her.”
Dan stood up again, clearly unarmed, and Lonnie met him chest-to-chest, only feet apart. Dan had a good five inches in height on Lonnie, but both knew the score if it went bad.
“Have a seat, Danny boy,” said Mike, feeling flushed again, like earlier in the day. Dan slowly sat down.
Sheila replied, “It’s just like he said. I’m good at fixing things but get a little clumsy from time to time.”
“You hear or see anything, you let us know,” said Lonnie, clearly as a statement.
“Hey man, I’ve got something over here on the road,” Jake said to me in a low voice.
As I reached him, he was looking at a neatly folded stack of items on the side of the road but visible to anyone walking or driving by.
On the top was a hair clip inlaid with turquoise, a ring, and what appeared to be a note held down by a small rock.
“I recognize the clip,” I said. “I’m pretty sure it’s Kelly’s. I don’t know what that note says, bu
t I think Mike should be the one to read it,” I added.
Jake was way ahead of me as he radioed Lonnie. “Hey, guys,” he said. “We’ve got something over here about 150 yards up on the road.
“Is it her?” asked Lonnie?
“No,” replied Jake, “but we think it’s some of her belongings.”
Ten minutes later, Lonnie and Mike walked up. Mike had wanted to run the whole way, but Lonnie convinced him to take it slow and observe their surroundings.
Mike saw the pile and reached for the note. Lonnie pulled out a small BIC lighter so Mike could read it.
“Dearest Michael,” it read. “Do you remember this hair tie? You gave it to me four years ago, along with this promise ring.
“For nearly three years, I kept waiting for you to ask me those four words every woman wants to hear, but they never came. I gave up somewhere along the way and had been waiting for something big to happen that would point me in the right direction. Well, it doesn’t get much bigger than this.
“The group, this group, is one of families, and I don’t belong. I thought I could stick it out, but I can’t. I do love you, Michael, and I wish you the very best. Please don’t try to find me.
“Love, Kelly.”
Mike handed the note to Lonnie and walked towards the camp.
Lonnie quickly read it, setting the lighter to it, and watched it burn on the pavement.
“Let’s go,” he told Jake and me. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow,” and started walking.
He caught up to Mike, leaving Jake and me behind.
“Guess we leave the stuff?” asked Jake.
“Yeah. I think it’s done,” I replied.
We headed back, lagging behind, so Lonnie could talk to his old friend and partner.
Lonnie made a point of addressing the group before bedtime, including the kids.
“Kelly,” he said, when he got their attention, “has decided to go her own way and leave our group. Any adult here is welcome to do so at any time along the way if they so choose. We will not be discussing this anymore, so if there are any questions, ask me now.”
There were no hands raised.
“Mr. Lonnie?” asked Jax, standing up. “Do you think God will watch over Ms. Kelly?”
“I think He will. Yes, I’m sure of it.
“We have a big day tomorrow,” Lonnie continued. “As most of you know, we had damage to our lead truck today. A woman outside of our group was able to fix it and get us back on the road. With our good man and most excellent mechanic, Vlad, down right now...”
“But not out!” yelled Vlad from inside his tent.
“Well, we could use a hand. She comes with a companion, and if all here agree, maybe they could tag along for a little while before we make a firm decision about them. All agreed say ‘aye.’”
Most every adult replied “Aye.”
“Any opposed?” asked Lonnie.
All were quiet.
“Okay, we will get a schedule together for tonight, with each man spending one hour tending to the fire smoker and one hour on perimeter patrol. This plan will give everyone enough time to get rested.”
Our first night outside was quiet by new-world standards. Occasional gunshots were heard far off in the distance. Each family had a tent, and there were a few single tents mixed in.
My shift was from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Jake lent his pocket watch, having the only one that still worked, and it was passed down with each shift change.
Daylight came about 6:30, and Ringo was barking for the first time since yesterday.
Dan and Sheila approached slowly, and Lonnie met them just outside the camp.
“You’re up early,” said Lonnie.
“We still have a little packing to do if you’re taking us on,” said Dan.
“Did you find the girl?” asked Sheila.
“We got everything worked out,” replied Lonnie.
“Lance, Jake. You guys got a minute?” Lonnie called out.
“Sure,” we each replied, and headed over to where they were talking.
He had filled us in last night on the duo and wanted us to help keep an eye on Dan.
Lonnie addressed Dan and Sheila: “The group has decided to bring you guys along as our mechanic is down for a while. It’s a temporary thing for now, and we will see how it goes.
“You will be under our roof, and we have a particular way of doing things. Any questions?” asked Lonnie.
“Maybe Mike can help us with our belongings?” asked Sheila. Both Lonnie and Dan glanced at her with a questioning look.
“No. He’s busy, but maybe Jake and Lance have a few minutes.”
“Sure,” I said. “We need about 15 minutes to finish with the meat.”
Joy, Lucy and Tina were inspecting the venison strips.
“If they snap when you bend them, they will keep for a long time,” said Joy.
“Just like the Indians probably did,” replied Tina. “Veronica and Suzie have been a great help, right girls?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” they both said. It was clear to me that Tina was now the adopted mom of these two beautiful girls. She loved them, and they loved her.
“Thank you so much,” Tina whispered to Jake and me, “for bringing my girls home with you. We talk about their mom and dad every day, so they don’t forget.”
“I knew from the first day you met them that you would be their new mom,” I told Tina.
After breakfast and our first camp pack-up, we were ready for day two. Nancy gathered a few of us together to talk about Vlad.
“He’s doing okay, considering everything, but he’s going to need a proper cast. He had a rough night.”
Lonnie went over the day’s instructions, including keeping an eye out for a hospital or a medical center. They would most likely be picked clean of meds but should have supplies for casting left.
Lonnie pulled Joy and Nancy aside.
“I want Sheila to ride inside with you. Maybe she will open up to you about Dan. I’m pretty sure he’s abusing her, but she won’t talk about it.”
“Sure, Lonnie,” said Joy. “We will see what we can find out.”
We took up the same positions as yesterday. Lonnie introduced Dan and Sheila to the group.
“Dan, you’re in the trailer with Lance and Jake, and Sheila you will be inside with Joy and Nancy.”
“Now wait a minute,” said Dan. “We ride together or we don’t go.”
“Okay,” replied Lonnie. “Grab your things and go.” It was a bluff, and Lonnie knew it could go either way, but the ground rules had to be set.
Sheila spoke up and said, “Dan, I’m going with them.”
“All right. All right,” replied Dan. “We’ll go.”
We pulled out of camp at 9:30 a.m., according to Jake.
“Slow and steady today,” said Lonnie over the radios. “We have some miles to make up, but let’s be safe about it.”
Jake and I were talking with Vlad. “Are you nervous about riding back here in the trailer?” I asked.
“Nah, that’s was some crazy shit, but lightning never strikes the same place twice, so I’m good. Plus, now I’ve got deer jerky,” he said, laughing and holding up his Ziplock bag filled with six-inch-long strips.
“What do you think about the new mechanic?” I asked.
“She’s good, far as I know. I didn’t get to see the damage firsthand, but I know it was bad. Not sure about her guy pal, though,” he added, nodding towards Dan, who was out of earshot at the end of the trailer.
Joy was expecting her to be reserved about discussing what Lonnie believed to be accurate.
“He hits me,” she said, without being questioned. “I’m sure Lonnie told you about the blood he saw last night. I just heard that he was a cop, so I’m pretty sure we didn’t fool him with our story.”
“Where did you two meet?” asked Joy, hoping to bring down the tension just a bit.
“We met at a mechanic shop,” replied Sheila. “I used to work for
his dad, who owned half a dozen garages across North Texas. Dan was the trust-fund kid who was always around but didn’t do a lot. I liked him at first, but that faded quickly over a few months, when he started hitting me. The first time I was shocked that it happened, you know. I was packing my things as he apologized over and over, saying it would never happen again.
Next World Series (Vol. 2): Families First [The Road] Page 2