a tow truck when an old guy with a pickup drove past the other way, made a U-turn and came back. He pulled over up behind them and rolled down his window. “You fellas okay?”
“Yeah,” Nick called back. “Goddamned mice with antlers.”
The guy laughed. “Didja at least get some venison out of it?”
“Nope. Ran off like nothing happened.”
“Fucker. Need a tow?”
“Sure. Can you help?”
“Got some chains in the truck.”
Between them, they got the car up onto the level shoulder. The old guy waited till Nick pulled the car forward a few yards to be sure nothing was dragging or clanking. Then he gave them a “Merry Christmas” and a wave and was gone.
Weirdly, Nick was starting to feel better than he had all day, like the bit of excitement had cleared his head. He turned to Brian. “Ready to head home?”
Brian nodded. He held out his hand. “Yes. And I’m driving another mile. Keys?”
Nick paused for one uncertain second, but Brian’s hand wasn’t shaking and there was a steady determination in his eyes. Nick grinned and dropped the keys in Brian’s palm.
****
Brian was really, truly ready for his own bed by the time they hit familiar home territory, close to midnight on Christmas Eve. Nick drove doggedly but without the flair he’d had when they’d left their roadside motel that morning. Brian was in that weird state where he was dead tired, but restless and antsy from doing nothing but sit for hours.
“Is the gas gonna make it?” he asked, for something to say. It wasn’t a totally useless question. Everything they’d passed in the last hour was closed up, and the gauge was close to the red.
“I think we’ll be fine.”
“I suppose even old Isaac’s Gas-Food won’t be open at this time of night.”
“Probably not. Though it’d be like him to take advantage of everyone else closing.”
They were coming up on the local landmark and Brian glanced over. The main lights were off, but something moved at the back of the lot. “Looks like his raccoons are still up.”
“Huh?” Nick took a quick glance, then his eyes narrowed and he tensed. He slowed the car but didn’t stop as they passed, crested the rise, rolled down the other side… where he pulled over.
“What?”
“Thought I saw something weird.”
“What something?”
“A guy.” Nick frowned, his expression hard to make out in the dim dashboard lights.
“You think Isaac was still there?”
“Maybe, but if it was Isaac, why would his car be parked as far from the station as possible. He’s an old dude. He wouldn’t hike when there’s no need.”
“It was?” Huh?
“Mm.” Nick seemed to come to a decision. He popped the car into park. “Stay here.”
“Why?”
Nick bent, swiped under his seat, and came out with his gun.
Brian’s gut clenched. “Oh, hell, no. What’re you doing?”
“Checking things out. You’ll be fine here.” Before Brian could protest, Nick slipped out of his seat and was gone back up the road.
Brian fumbled for the door handle. He’s the pro. Follow orders. You have no clue what you’re doing. He ignored the smart voices in his head and hurried after Nick, whispering, “Wait!”
Nick stopped, suddenly enough that Brian almost bumped into him. In a low voice, Nick muttered, “Go back to the car where you’ll be safe.”
“No.”
“Fuck.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s probably nothing. Listen. Stay back, get your phone out, be ready to call nine-one-one if I tell you to. Do not get between me and any kind of trouble, and if anyone starts shooting, drop to the ground. Right?”
Brian blinked, trying to remember that stream of directions. Shooting? “Right.”
“Stay behind me.” Nick jogged off, fast but silent along the edge of the pavement toward Isaac’s.
Brian followed, trying to make equally little noise. As they reached the top of the hill, Nick gestured sideways with his hand and slowed, moving off the pavement to the weeds along the fence line. Brian did the same behind him.
A hundred yards down the hill ahead, the shabby gas station sat dark and quiet behind the glow from the single streetlight. As Brian watched, a flicker of light beyond it showed the trunk of a car being opened, off under the trees.
“Stay,” Nick muttered, heading down the hill.
I’m not a dog. Although he wasn’t an idiot either, so he followed slowly, letting Nick open more space between them. Digging out his phone, he covered the screen with his palm and pulled up 911, careful not to actually call yet. Is that guy stealing stuff? The dark figure below lifted something out of