Every Precious Thing

“Stop in the first gas station in Tusayan,” he told her.

“You’re not in charge.”

“You know the area better than I do, but isn’t this the last town before the park? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to top off our tanks so we don’t run out later?”

He could hear her breathing on the other end, and then the line went dead.

The town turned out to be basically a half-mile strip of motels, restaurants, touristy stores, and not much else. The Grand Prix sped right past the first place to get gas without even slowing.

Logan brought up Diana’s number again, ready to hit redial, but then the Grand Prix’s brake lights flashed, and it turned into a station right across the street from the National Geographic Grand Canyon visitor’s center.

A needless power play, he knew, meant to show him they were the ones in charge. Diana and her friend stopped beside one of the pumps, and Dev pulled the El Camino in behind it.

Dev started to get out to fill the tank.

“Wait,” Logan said.

His friend looked back at him.

“I’m going to leave this with you.” Logan put the Fitzer on the dash.

“Where are you going?”

“With them,” Logan said, nodding at the other vehicle.

“Are you sure they’re going to like that?”

“I don’t care. What I want you to do is drive into the park. Our shadow will follow you. Once you’re there, park somewhere there’s a lot of other cars, and keep an eye out for her. I’ll check in with you later to make sure she’s out of our way.”

“Okay, but one problem,” Dev said. “No phone, remember?”

“I’m going to take care of that right now. Fill it up. I’ll be right back.”

Logan got out of the El Camino and walked over to Diana’s car. Her big companion was standing by the pump, filling up their tank. He glared at Logan, making it clear he was not nearly as convinced of Logan’s good intentions as Diana was.

Being the first time Logan was able to get a good look at the man, he noticed something beyond the glare- the nose, the cheeks, the set of the man’s jaw. They were nearly identical to Diana’s.

And Sara’s, too.

Diana lowered the passenger window as Logan walked up.

“I need your Blackberry,” he said.

“I don’t think so.”

He quickly laid out his plan.

“You didn’t get rid of that thing already?” she asked, shocked.

“That would have only made her come for us sooner. This way, she won’t think anything’s up.”

She shot a glance at the street, then back at him. “She could be driving by us right now.”

“She could be, but she won’t.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“I don’t, but it wouldn’t make any sense. She knows where we are. She also knows that Dev and I know what she looks like. She won’t chance that exposure. We can use her trust in her equipment against her.”

He watched as Diana processed this, the tension in her face easing only slightly once she realized he was right. “Who are you?”

He smiled. “Can I have your phone now?”

She handed him her cell.

Back at the El Camino, he gave it to Dev. “Be careful.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Dev said, looking at Diana’s friend. “You’re the one who needs to be careful. He might be a problem.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Logan retrieved the small canvas bag he kept behind the El Camino’s bench seat, and shoved in the pistol he’d obtained the night before. By the time he walked back to the Grand Prix, the big guy was already behind the wheel. He looked back in surprise as Logan opened the rear door and climbed in.

“What are you doing?” he said.

“He’s coming with us,” Diana told him.

“Hell, no, he’s not!” He looked back at Logan. “Get out of the car!”

“We’re wasting time,” Logan replied, his eyes locked on the man. “Let’s go get your sister.”

There was a full second’s delay before both Diana and her brother realized what Logan had said.

The man gaped at him. “How did-”

“Richard,” Diana said. “Just go.”

The brother-Richard-continued to stare at Logan. “I told you we couldn’t trust this guy. He already knows too much. It’s just a trick. He’s playing us to get to her!”

“Think about it,” Diana said. “He knows where Emily is. If he’s with them, he doesn’t need Sara anymore.”

Richard still seemed less than convinced.

Diana looked at Logan, and back at her brother. “I trust him.”

Richard narrowed his eyes and said to Logan, “You make one wrong move, and I will kill you.”

“You could try,” Logan said, staring back. “Now, are we going to just sit here? Or are we going to go help keep your sister alive?”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Something was going to happen soon. It had to. They were running out of road. According to the map, not far ahead was the town of Tusayan, and then the Grand Canyon. There was a road that traveled along the southern rim to the east that eventually ran into another highway, but Erica couldn’t imagine them going that way. South on that highway would take them back to Flagstaff. It would have been considerably easier for them to take that route originally instead of the interstate to Williams then north to the park on the state highway.

No. Wherever they were headed, they were getting close. She was sure of it.

As she was about to check the monitor again, her phone rang.

“Yes?” she said.

It was Clausen.

By the time the call was done, Erica was smiling more broadly than she had in months.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Instead of turning right and continuing in the direction they’d been headed, Richard went left out of the gas station parking lot, up one block, then left again onto a deserted side road. Within a minute, the town was behind them as they headed east.

Though the road had been paved, it was obvious that maintaining it had not been a huge priority. Mix that with the snow and summer rains and it was almost a wonder there was still any asphalt left at all.

“Where are we going?” Logan asked.

Richard glanced at him in the mirror and then refocused on the road.

As Diana opened her mouth to respond, her brother said, “Don’t.”

She looked at him, exasperated. “Richard, just drive. Let me do the thinking.”

It was clear this wasn’t the first time Richard had been similarly rebuked by Diana. He looked annoyed and uncomfortable, but he said nothing.