She trusted him implicitly, starting forward at the same time he did.They made it across the street as Brantley was putting something in the backseat and closing the door.
“I’ve got an address.”Brantley gestured toward the truck.“Let’s go check it out.”
Reese didn’t ask what he’d just stashed inside under the radar.He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“An actual address?”He was having a difficult time believing that.It was never that easy for them.
“Well, not anactualaddress, but a vicinity.Just as good.”
No, it wasn’t.Johnson City was a vicinity, and they’d spent more time in this small town than Reese cared to.
However, it kept him from having to go in the hair salon, so he wasn’t going to argue.
After getting Tesha water, Reese helped her into the truck, connected the seat belt to her harness, then joined Brantley.He had the air conditioner on full blast, his attention on the map showing on the navigation screen.
“Bobby said Marty’s been around here visiting his niece.”
“Marty?”Reese grinned.“A killer named Marty.”
“We don’t know that he’s killed anyone.He simply pretends they’re dead.”
“Oh, right.Yes.”
“Anyway.He said to take 290 west to Flat Creek Road.”
“Well, you drive and I’ll enter the address,” Reese instructed.
A few minutes later, with the navigation system showing how far they had to go, Reese stared out the window as they made their way out of the small town and into the more rural area.They were pretty much leaving civilization and heading into the great unknown.
“I hope you’re not plannin’ on goin’ door to door,” Reese said when they’d been on Flat Creek Road for a minute or so.There were dirt driveways every so often, all protected by closed and locked gates.The only thing that gave away that there were houses somewhere off in the distance were the mailboxes with reflective numbers on them.
“Nope.Just gettin’ a feel for the area.”
That didn’t help much.
They passed a dry creek bed.When there was water, it would’ve flowed right over the road, which explained why it had been repaired more than once.
Just past that were a couple of sections of fence that seemed entirely out of place.Then more grass, more trees, and another gated property with a mailbox.
“And you think Calloway’s holed up somewhere out this way with Kylie?”
“If we’re lucky.”
Reese didn’t bother asking how he expected to find her if that were the case.
They passed several houses that were closer to the road, then a gated entrance to a farm, as well as a sign that warned of loose livestock.They kept going.There were fewer driveways the farther they went.The road narrowed, the outer edges washed away by water that flowed along the sides when the rain came.
When they drove over a cattle guard, Reese had to wonder how far they were going to go.
He observed out the window, noting more cattle guards, more trees, less grass, and fewer homes.The road continued to deteriorate, clearly not a priority for the county.
And then they reached the end of the line.The road they were on dead-ended into another.At least they didn’t have to turn around.
Reese peered over at Brantley.“Which way now?”
Brantley didn’t respond, but he took a right as though he knew exactly where he was going.
Since it was clear the man wasn’t interested in chatting, Reese made note of the road they were on—County Road 205—and how far they were going.The good news was that the area wasn’t abandoned.The fences along the road were maintained, and large parcels of land were dotted with recently baled hay.Still, most houses weren’t visible from the road, although there were garbage cans every so often at the end of the driveway.
