“Can you see where you’re going?”
“No, but neither can they.”
She turned to look out the rear window. Lights flashed in tri-color blurs through the mist and precipitation, but Trapper was rapidly increasing the distance between them and their pursuers.
She said, “Do you mind explaining why you’re doing this?”
“Remember when I told you that you could get lost out here if you knew where you were going?”
“Yes.”
“I’m testing that theory. Glenn’s department will have been tracking my phone. The guys after us will find it in a minute or two, get out to investigate, and by the time they remove their thumbs from up their asses, we’ll be several miles away. Hard to find us in this,” he said with a gesture toward the weather.
“Tire tracks.”
“They’re a worry, but I don’t have a choice.”
“The choice is to stop. Go back.”
“Not a good choice.”
“You’re fleeing the police, Trapper. In a stolen truck.”
“I didn’t steal it.”
“But it’s stolen property.”
“I doubt they’ll quibble over that.”
“In light of kidnapping, probably not.”
“I didn’t kidnap you.”
“What would you call it?”
“We’re adults. We left together. Simple as that.”
The truck swerved when he made a left turn. She grabbed the handhold above the window. “It’s not at all simple, Trapper.”
“It’s believable. We were only one door-knock away from getting nekkid, and Glenn knows it. He thinks my intentions are impure. His son, Hank, told me he’s worried because any involvement with me would be the worst thing that could happen to you.”
“I tend to agree.”
“Only because you haven’t been nekkid with me yet.”
“Trapper, this is serious.”
He dropped his crocodile grin. “I know.”
Taking his foot off the accelerator, he slowed down gradually until the vehicle rolled to a stop. He pushed the gear into park and turned to her. “Say the word and I’ll take you back to town. No argument. You can tell them the tension of the past couple days caught up with us and we needed a breath of fresh air, or that we were so relieved over The Major’s improvement, we went for a joyride. Tell them I dragged you off by the hair, but you talked me out of ravishing you. Whatever you tell them, I’ll back you up. Carson will confirm that I didn’t know I was driving a stolen vehicle.”
She thought it over and asked, “Then what?”
He raised his shoulder in a semi-shrug. “The dust settles, you do your scheduled interview tomorrow evening. You wait and see what happens.”
“I don’t believe anyone is going to make an attempt on my life while I’m on live national television.”
“Me either. But what about next week? Two weeks from now? A month? Are you willing to live with that ongoing threat?”