by Lynn, Davida
I thought again of my parents. It was maybe the second time in as many days. By now they’d probably called everyone we knew in Colorado Springs and the police. They might have even called my sister. The idea suddenly struck me that I needed to call her.
Esther would be the only person I could reach out to. She would understand, and she would take Eddie and I in once we made it to California. I made a mental note that calling her was of the utmost importance. Then I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I woke up to darkness. The clock beside the bed read a little past five in the morning. Eddie was in a deep sleep, his thick arm across my waist. I tried to count how many hours I’d been out, but I couldn’t believe that it was nearly ten.
A smile crept onto my face as I lay next to my man. I couldn’t help but love that even in sleep, he was doing his best to protect me.
I drifted off again, feeling a peace that I’d wished for finally work its way into my soul.
The second time I woke up that morning, Eddie wasn’t in the bed. He was at the small table near the door, staring out the window. I sat up.
“What’s going on?”
He barely turned to me. “Not sure, but I don’t like it. There’s some suspicious car outside. It’s driven through the parking lot twice now. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”
I turned my body to the edge of the bed, wanting to be ready no matter what happened. My clothes were in a pile at the edge, and I started digging through them for my socks.
“Do you think it has to do with the guy in Frisco?”
Eddie shook his head. “Awful long way for someone to drive for revenge. What’s that, a thousand miles? Nah, probably nothing.”
I had no idea how many miles I’d ridden on the back of the Harley. I knew it had been two long days of driving straight through, stopping for gas and quick snacks. I pulled my jeans up my legs and stood up.
Resting a hand on his shoulder, I asked, “You want me to get everything together?”
“Not sure. I was gonna run an idea past you.” His eyes were still focused outside the room.
“Go for it.”
“We need money. Probably another two hundred would really seal the deal for us. Bakersfield? That’s where you wanted to go?”
I nodded. “My sister’s there. I want to call her sometime soon, if we can. She’ll take us in and won’t say a word to my parents. What are you thinking?”
Eddie turned to me, letting the curtain fall back into place. “There’s a small bank in town. I drove past it this morning while you were out cold. One teller, probably no camera. We’d need to stash the Harley and find a getaway vehicle. It’s a small town, probably nothing’s locked.”
I listened, adrenaline already surging in my veins. We’d never truly robbed a place, but the thought—just the thought—was so hot. I wanted to interrupt him and tell him “yes.” I trusted him, and I trusted his plan, even if he was coming up with it on the spot.
Eddie had talked about boosting cars, and I was so eager to take the danger to the next level. It was addictive, and just like an addict, my fixes were getting bigger. I listened, but in my head I could already feel the weight of the gun in my hand, and the money in the duffel bag as we sped out of Nevada.
“What do you think?”
I thought through the simple idea. I didn't see too many glaring holes. “Can we see what the police presence in town is like? And can we see if there are cameras? If not, I‘m in.”
Eddie stood up, the morning sun bathing his large chest. “You know what I’m asking you to be a part of, Faith?”
I nodded, speaking like it was nothing more than a lunch order. “Yes, Eddie. We’re going to rob a bank.”
Eddie headed over to the front desk to speak with the owner when she arrived later that morning. He needed some information, and he wanted a solid alibi for us. When he came back, he filled me in on what he’d learned.
Her name was Dolores Allison. Her late husband had left her the Dusty Lodge in his will, the “only mean thing he’d ever done” to her. She’d been running the place for the last few years, just waiting until Social Security kicked in so she could give the place up.
When Eddie mentioned seeing a suspicious car drive by slowly, she waved it off. Delores said there was a jealous ex in town. The guy looked everywhere for his ex-wife, and since she’d stayed at the Dusty Lodge when they were separated, it was one of his usual haunts.
Eddie said that the old lady was sweet, and it would be easy to establish an alibi, if needed. She seemed eager to give up information, so he’d asked about the bank. It was small town, indeed: two tellers working with a manager splitting his time between that branch and another in Moapa.
We decided to stay on in Mesquite for at least another day, which would drop our money down to less than five bucks. The bank job was inevitable, but that didn’t really have any effect on me. I wanted to do it. I wanted that thrill and the rush only danger could give me.
That day, we went out for a drive, telling Delores we wanted to enjoy the small town atmosphere. We were actually planning out the routes in and out of the bank and scouting for getaway vehicles, but the slow, short drive was actually nice after two days of hard riding.
Mesquite was a growing town, with new construction springing up everywhere. It was sleepy and vibrant at the same time. I was able to leave the sweatshirt back at the motel and finally enjoy the fall air in the dry Nevada desert. It was worlds better than the hours and hours of frozen fingers clinging together for warmth.
My love for Eddie grew more in those two days than I could have imagined. He had sacrificed his body to carry me as far from Colorado Springs as possible. The weight of that wasn’t on him, but he took up more than half of my burden. It was a debt I didn't think I could ever repay.
I held onto him with an iron grip as we rode through the small town. It wasn’t for fear of freezing to death this time, but I wanted him to know I was grateful for all he had done—and all he would do, as I’d soon find out.
I walked down the street, getting some air while Eddie scouted the town. Outside of a convenience store there was a payphone, and I decided it was time to make a hard call. After dropping my money in, I dialed my sister in California.
Three rings in, she picked up. “Hello?”
I was gripping the phone hard, and I got choked up the second I heard her soft voice. I couldn't get a word out. The receiver shook against my ear as I tried to say something.
“Hello?” There was fear in her voice this time, and I knew she’d hang up. I had to speak.
“Esther. It’s me. It’s Faith.” I sounded like a little girl again. It was the voice that came out when I knew I was in trouble.
“Are you okay? Tell me you’re all right.” She was a rollercoaster. She spoke quickly, her tone trading highs and lows.
I smiled, the lump grew harder, and I fought the quiver back. “I’m all right. I’m all right. Everything is fine. I guess I don't need to ask if Mom and Dad called you.”
“Faith, where are you? They are worried sick.”
“I’m sure they are, but Esther, I’m not going back. Dad... I don't know. Dad went crazy. He was talking about sin and demons inside men. I got scared, Esther. It felt like he was talking about... I don't know.”
I may not have known, but she did. The silence told me that it wasn't the first time she’d heard something along those lines.
I asked, “You know what I’m talking about, don't you?”
My sister waited a long time to respond. “Yes. I know. I remember. Faith, he did the same thing to me, and I worried for you and for Mom from the moment Matt and I left. Did anything happen?”
I couldn’t hide the quiver any longer. “No. Nothing happened. I asked Eddie if he would leave with me, and he said yes. We’re just inside Nevada.”
“Nevada?” She knew the answer, but asked anyway. “You’re coming here?”
“Esther, where else can I go? I’ve never been outside of
Colorado. You make California sound like a dream. I really hate to put you out, but could Eddie and I stay with you for a day or two until we figure out what exactly we’re going to do with ourselves?”
She was sniveling, and I couldn't tell if it was out of that rush of joy after fear, or it had to do with my father. Either way, it was hard to hear her through the tears. “Faith, of course you can stay with us. You are more than welcome. I’ve always been afraid of Dad. Part of me is glad you got out before anything happened.”
“Thanks, Esther.”
“When will you be here?”
I tried to think through the route. It had been two days already. “I’m not positive. Eddie might know better. Three more days? I mean, if you aren't going to be around...”
She stopped me. “Don't be silly. You are more than welcome here. Call when you get into Bakersfield, and we’ll meet somewhere. I’m not going to try to give you the directions to our place. I’m not going to say anything to our parents. You and I will figure that out when you get here. I’m sure you’ve got enough on your mind.”
“Thank you so much, Esther, I love you.”
“Love you, too. And enjoy yourself. I bet it feels good.” With that, she hung up.
It did feel good. Being away from my parents, being on the road with Eddie, being alone with Eddie—it all felt amazing.
I let the sun bake my skin on the walk back to the motel. It was a good day.
“I’ve got an out-of-state pickup truck located. It’s got Arizona plates, which will throw the cops in the wrong direction once they find it abandoned. The place should be as dry as a tumbleweed when we go in. I’ll be on watch while you get the cash. I want us in and out in two minutes. I don’t care if they’ve got gold bars. This is about a living wage, you understand?”
I nodded. I understood that this was about enough money to last until California. There was more to it, but that wasn’t what we were talking about. These were the steps. A, B, C.
“We take off in the pickup with the cash. No shots fired. We’re gonna head east in the getaway car. Just outside of Mesquite, we ditch the pickup. Literally. I want to leave it in a ditch, make it look like we hitchhiked or snagged another ride and kept going back into Colorado or Arizona.
“The Harley will be waiting for us beneath a small underpass just inside Arizona. We’ll take the access road back into Nevada.”
Again, I nodded. It all made sense. For just one day of scouting and planning, I had to admit that it was a solid plan. My heart raced as I imagined the entire thing going down. I could barely contain myself, and it was an active struggle to keep listening to Eddie lay out the plans.
“Mesquite PD will be en route after maybe four minutes, giving us a two-minute head start before they even get to the bank. In and out of Nevada, then back in. We’ll give Delores every impression that we are in for an afternoon nap, so if the heat comes back to us, we can use her as an alibi. It helps that she’s deaf in one ear and can barely hear the cars coming and going.”
I hated to find a chink in his armor, but there were avenues that we hadn’t discussed. “Won’t it look suspicious if we skip town the day of a bank robbery? I mean, if they are looking for people from out of state, won’t we be high on the list?”
Eddie nodded. “Absolutely. I guess it’s a good thing Delores didn’t check to make sure the license plate number I gave her was correct. Jason Arnett and Ella Wills will be long gone to New Mexico by the time Mrs. Alison gets a visit from the PD.”
I had to admit that the plan was pretty flawless.
“What’s left to do?”
He smiled at me, “Well, Miss Wills, you’re going to go establish the alibi. Mention travel down to Vegas after we leave here tomorrow. I think you’ll like Delores. She’s nice.”
I rubbed my hands down my face, trying to wrap my head around it all. “We’re really doing this, aren't we?”
“Unless you want to settle in Mesquite. I’ll get a job as a janitor at the high school, and you can raise us some kids and get fat. It’s up to you.” He had that cocky smile on his face as he swayed back and forth with me.
I knew he was joking, but a part of me was intrigued by that future with Eddie. The fast lane was nice, but it took its toll. Sometimes that toll was the freezing cold wind of winter, other times it was far greater. I knew that the danger would catch up to us one day sooner or later, and I thought at the time that I was smart enough to be one step ahead.
Eddie really didn’t strike me as the settling down-type. The Harley, the robberies, the incident at the gas station in Frisco—he was as wild as they came. I didn’t think I could break that horse. I didn’t know if I wanted to.
Eddie swayed me in the direction of the bed, and we made love. Despite being a dangerous biker, he and I hadn’t gone all the way before then. He was very patient with me, but that afternoon, I was ready for him. He was rough, the way I quickly discovered that liked it, but I could see him watching my eyes for pain, real pain. He manhandled me and made me his woman the day before we planned to rob a small town bank.
I remember hearing about Bonnie and Clyde when I was a girl. I hunted through the library for books about them, but only found brief mentions and footnotes. I knew they were bank robbers and lovers in the thirties. I didn’t think my mother liked my questions about them.
I knew it was a romantic idealization, especially since they went down in a hail of gunfire, but as Eddie and I lay naked on the bed after making love for the first time, I couldn’t get that image out of my head: a modern day Bonnie and Clyde on a Harley in the deserts of the Southwest.
We dozed for an hour or two before getting ready to set the plan into motion. I was going to talk with Dolores and get our alibi straightened out. There was no fear when it came to the robbery. Talking with the old woman who owned the motel, though? That scared me somehow. I was worried about giving us away or making her suspicious. Eddie reassured me, saying that the old was looking for any ears that would listen.
He was right. He always had a way of being right.
“Vacancy. Come on in and stay a while,” read a carved wooden sign.
I knocked softly on the door and opened it. A bell hanging on top jangled as I stepped into the small office. A radio was on playing classical music that was almost inaudible. Beside an empty water cooler sat two old chairs. The place looked like every hint of the recession fell into this one room.
“Hello?”
There was a desk in front of me littered and stacked with papers. I was sure I could flip through and find a newspaper exclaiming that we’d landed on the moon. An old, smoke-stained clock on the wall told me it was near quittin’ time, and the hands had succumbed long ago.
Behind the desk, a door led to what was probably a back office, and if Mrs. Alison was hard of hearing, I was going to have to make sure she heard me.
“Mrs. Alison?” I called out, hoping she wasn't asleep.
After a second, there was a slight cough. “Just a second!” She sounded cheerful, and I waited near the desk as I heard her getting up from an unseen chair.
The door opened, and an older lady stepped forward. Her voice was meek, but she looked like she had a perpetual smile on her face. It was the contagious kind.
“You must be Ella. Jason was going on and on about you.” She made a show of cleaning off the desk for me. Three things changed from one pile to another before she washed her hands of it with a huff.