She also seemed tired, reminding me I hadn’t been the only one who unpacked today.
Lying in her small guest room with the cold breeze blowing through the window, I was out within minutes, one step closer to finding Hayden.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tammy hadn’t been exaggerating about the damn birds. They woke me up at five in the morning while it was still dark outside, but it meant I’d slept for over eight hours—a downright miracle. I stretched my stiff muscles, noticing the sound of movement from outside the room. I pushed myself out of bed and walked into the kitchen, rubbing my eyes.
“Morning,” Tammy said, already dressed for the day and sitting at the table. By the smell in the kitchen, she had been awake long enough to have at least one cigarette. “There’s coffee.”
“Thanks.” I poured myself a cup and went to sit at the table.
“You slept okay?”
I nodded and took a sip. “It might have been a coma. You?”
“I don’t need much sleep. Do you have a gun?”
That woke me up faster than the caffeine. “Yes, it’s in my bag.”
She nodded, pulling her gray hair into a tight ponytail. “We won’t have much chance in case of a firefight, but we should still be armed.”
I sipped my bitter coffee. “I’d rather avoid a firefight. Did you tell your friend that we were coming?”
“Yes. Ben’s expecting us soon. Take a shower and make yourself a sandwich for the road. We’ll take my car.”
I didn’t like leaving my car behind. It wasn’t much to look at—or to drive—but I drew comfort from having it with me. “I prefer to drive in my car.”
“I don’t do well with other people behind the wheel. If we’re taking yours, I’ll be driving.”
I nodded. “Fair enough.”
“I did a search on Delight’s Hot Springs Resort. It will be a four-hour drive from Ben to there. They don’t have many reviews online.”
“If The Society is paying them, they might require them to keep a low profile.”
“Could be. Seems that the motel is divided into small cabins, spreading over a large area. I’m not sure if it’s good or bad.”
“I’d say it’s good.”
“Why’s that?”
I shrugged. “Because I can’t do anything about it.”
That almost earned me a smile. “Finish your coffee and go get ready. It’s going to be a long day.”
*
I’d never seen anyone follow the speed limit so religiously as Tammy. Even when the early-morning roads were wide open for her to accelerate, she stuck to the traffic signs as if God had placed them there.
“Ben lives close to Bakersfield,” Tammy said as we drove north through the vast expanse of the San Fernando Valley. The hills surrounding us seemed dry yet striking against the deepblue sky. “He has a small farm for raising horses. Always felt to me like he preferred them over people.”
I noticed fondness in her voice and stopped myself from asking if there had ever been something between them.
“Why do you think he could help?” I asked, still getting used to someone else driving my car. It felt as though my body had been misplaced.
“Besides horses, Ben’s into electronics.” She glanced at me through her large sunglasses. “I want him to take a look at your leg.”
I tried to keep my annoyance at bay. “Why? I told you that Hayden already had someone examine it.”
