“I don’t know that person, but I know he ain’t Ben.”
I let it go, knowing it was bound to be a waste of time. As long as we reached the motel today, I was willing to humor Tammy and her horse-loving friend.
When we passed a sign indicating Bakersfield was a few miles ahead, Tammy turned right. We drove on a dirt road I wasn’t sure was meant for cars, but Tammy drove with confidence. A few minutes later, I spotted a ranch house ahead. It looked like a painting—a hidden gem in the open plains. The closer we drove, the more horses I noticed roaming freely.
“Should they be walking around like that?” I asked.
“Ben thinks a horse dumb enough to leave should do so.”
We parked in front of the two-story ranch house, where an older man was sitting on the porch in a rocking chair. He stood up, wearing a red flannel shirt, faded jeans, and a cowboy hat.
“Anything that I should know before talking to him?” I asked, unbuckling my seatbelt. “Something I shouldn’t say?”
“Don’t comment on his tail.”
“His what?”
She shook her head. “A joke.”
We climbed out into the smell of fresh hay and earthy manure. Two nearby horses turned their heads to watch us.
“How long has it been, you old bat?” Ben walked down the stairs.
“It’s been a minute, you hillbilly fart.”
They hugged warmly, then Ben sized me up. “And this handsome young man must be Jonah.”
I stepped forward and offered my hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“Ben will do just fine.” He shook my hand, his palm as rugged as I expected. His bright, green eyes appeared younger than the rest of his face.
“Come inside. I made iced tea.”
Despite the warm morning, the house felt cool. It was hard to miss the rich collection of firearms decorating one of the walls.
“Just for show,” Ben said in response to my stare.
We sat in the wide living room—Tammy and I on a crimson leather couch, and Ben in an old armchair in front of us. I held my iced tea, expecting Tammy and Ben to dive into reminiscing, but Tammy wasted no time. “I’ve told you the gist of what we’re facing. Do you have any more questions?”
Ben held my gaze. “I met Hayden once. He seemed like a fine man. Once we find him, you two are welcome here to ride the horses.”
Once we find him.He couldn’t have known how much I appreciated hearing that. “Thank you. Will you be coming with us to the motel?”
“No,” Tammy said firmly, as if they had already argued over that. “We can’t draw more attention to ourselves. Ben will be our backup if we need him to be.” She glanced at me. “We’ll focus on gathering intel for the time being, not on engaging with The Society.”
I waited for her words to sink in. “Not engage? How are we supposed to free Hayden, then?”
“Once we find out more about their location, we’ll rendezvous here and decide on our next steps. I may have lost my contact with the FBI, but Ben hasn’t.”
Ben winked. “The curse of being so damn likable.” He saw my somber expression and cleared his throat. “I know the clock is ticking, but I think we can all agree that Hayden is either dead or still has some time. We need to do this right.”
“Fine, but I don’t understand why you need to look at my tracker.”
“Maybe I don’t, but that’s not the real reason why Tammy brought you here.”
My muscles tensed. I turned to Tammy. “You lied to me?”
“Relax, Jonah. Listen to the man.”
