The cars were on opposite sides of the highway, hurtling towards each other. Tracy kept her eyes locked forward, not daring to glance over and possibly let them see any signs of weakness.
Dizzy had no such compunction. “Oh my God!” Dizzy said, fear twanging his voice two octaves higher, which immediately had the added effect of de-pubertizing him.
“What?” Tracy asked. She could only picture the worst. Red Neck Number One was alive, jaw-less and seeking revenge. Or it was Eliza herself come to finish them off personally. “Fine!” Tracy steeled herself. “I’ll finish the bitch off myself.” The words flowed out easier than she would have imagined. Now if she could only infuse some belief into her words she’d be all set.
“I just saw…” Dizz started.
“A man with no jaw?” Tracy finished.
“Ooooh gross,” Angel said from under the dashboard. “How does he eat licorice?”
In spite of her fear Tracy still managed a grin at that statement.
“A man with no jaw? No, and I agree with Angie, that
“What did you see?” Tracy asked as she saw red brake lights flare to life in her side view mirror.
“I just saw the biggest man I have ever seen in my life!” Dizz said with amazement.
“What color was he?” Tracy asked. Durgan might be under control to not kill Mike, but she didn’t think that extended to the rest of his family or whoever else he might run across.
“What?” Dizz asked. “Oh. He was black.”
“You’re sure, Dizz?” Tracy asked.
“Positive, and the driver was a white girl. So what?” Dizz asked.
“Can I get out from under here? It smells like feet,” Angel giggled.
“Yeah, come on up here sweetie and get your seatbelt back on,” Tracy said as she took the Subaru over the grassy median.
BT and Meredith
“Did she see us?” BT asked as he tried to fit his immeasurable bulk under the console. His success rate was much, much less than Angel’s.
“Umm let’s see. She just crossed over the grass and is now heading this way, so my guess is yes.” “Does everyone in the Talbot family have to go to a special ‘smart ass’ class before they can be considered an actual family member? I mean, do you guys have to get certified or something?” “I don’t think you’re going to fit,” Meredith told BT.
“Is she still coming?” BT asked without turning around.
“No, no, she thought better of it. It looks like she’s heading the other way.”
“Really!?” BT craned his neck around to confirm this new information. “What? She’s not turning around!” BT said, more than a little miffed.
“You’ve known my uncle how long?”
“Hilarious, drive. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I am not driving away from my aunt,” Meredith said as she pulled over, placing the car in park and getting out.
“What are you doing? We have to leave!” BT said in alarm.
Meredith peeked her head back in. “You scared of Aunt Tracy? I mean, you should be, she’s probably a good buck ten, buck fifteen tops.” “How long you known your aunt?” BT asked in disbelief.
Meredith actually stopped to think about that point. “I guess you have something there. If she has to deal with Uncle Mike then I guess she must have some serious brass tacks.” “Of that I can assure you,” BT said, slowly getting out of the car, dreading the confrontation that was about to ensue.
“Meredith, BT?” Tracy asked as she pulled the car up alongside them and quickly hopped out. “What are you guys doing here?” “I guess we could ask the same of you,” BT said. “Is everything alright, where’s Mike and the boys? Okay I get it now,” he said after looking over the precious cargo she was hauling in the small hatchback. “Where’d you pick up the vagabonds?” “We are not bagavonds!” Angel said coming out of the car, yelling at BT’s knees. “Mommy says we’re Protestants!” “Holy crap mister, you’re huge!” Dizz said, slowly approaching BT as if he were a carnival attraction. Ryan grabbed his sister before the giant inadvertently stepped on her.
“You first,” Tracy said, circling back to her original question.
“What do you think?” BT said.
“I wanted to help, Auntie,” Meredith said. “I was kinda also hoping that we’d come across Melanie and I could let Dad finally grieve instead of holding onto any false hope.” “And
“I owe your husband my life Tracy, probably a couple of times over.” BT looked at her defiantly for a moment then off into the distance, obviously hoping she would let it slide.
Tracy immediately looked away when she noticed a stubby tail wagging from the rear of Meredith’s car. “Henry?” Tracy walked over to open the door and pet the dog.
“See, I told you he was supposed to come,” BT said, nudging Meredith. “He just saved my ass.” Henry licked Tracy’s face, leaving a trail of saliva down her cheek.
“Oooh gross!” Angel exclaimed as she came up to pat Henry’s broad face. Henry turned his attention to the girl’s sticky fingers. Angel squealed in delight as Henry began to clean up all the sugary goodness left behind.
Tracy stood back up, wiping the slime from her face.
“We didn’t know he was in the car when we left,” BT said, preempting the next question Tracy was sure to ask.
“Yeah we didn’t realize he was there until I just didn’t think any living human could possibly make that stench, not even BT,” Meredith said, pointing towards the big man.
“The more I get to know you Meredith, the funnier you get,” BT said.
Meredith did a small curtsy and grinned at him cheekily.
“How do you know where to go? Tracy asked.
“Ron gave us a radio. The plan is to have Mike do his nightly call and then Ron lets us know where he’s at.” An idea rapidly began to formulate in Tracy’s head. “Meredith, I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to, but I can ask you.” Meredith’s attention was rapt, but Tracy hadn’t even begun to ask before Meredith had figured it out. “You want me to take these kids to Dad,” she said, her voice full of resignation.
“My kids and husband are out there,” Tracy pleaded. “I can’t leave them, I can’t.” “I understand, Auntie, my sister is out there too though. Even if I don’t think she’s alive I want to find her.” “I understand, I do. I’m sorry,” Tracy said with the full impact of reality striking her square on the shoulders.
“Why don’t we all take these kids back and with the two of you driving we’ll be able to catch up in half the time,” BT reasoned.
Tracy and Meredith both thanked the big man enthusiastically for his idea. Meredith could rid herself of the guilt and Tracy could latch on to hope. Within five minutes they were both heading east on I-90 back towards Ron’s.
CHAPTER ELEVEN – Talbot Journal Entry 7
We had been on the road for an hour or two. I was feeling much more subdued than I had been in a long while. We were now a lean band of four, a high powered fire team. I mostly had what I wanted, my wife, daughter and Henry were safe. That stupid adage, be careful what you wish for, came to mind. The dramatist within me always thought Tracy would be stroking my head as I lay dying on the battlefield. Strange thought, obviously, I just figured that would be the way it would play out. The thought of Gary filling in for Tracy just didn’t have the same dramatic effect.
“Dad, I really have to piss,” Travis said from the back seat.
