Page 39 of Burning for You
Levi
I’ve been waiting at Bozeman Airport for hours, disguised as a taxi driver—wearing a baseball cap and a pair of Oakley sunglasses. Jesse has hired a legit taxicab from his friend, a one-man band in Billings who only operates on weekends.
It’s only a matter of time now. Her flight has just arrived, and I make my move into the taxi stand. I let others overtake me, until I see Carolyn.
I pull up right in front of her.
Seemingly relaxed, she smiles at me and loads her small suitcase into the trunk.
“Armory Hotel, please.”
She could’ve chosen an accommodation near the airport, but I guess she’s looking for a five-star stay. Well, she’s in for a surprise.
I observe her through the rear-view mirror. Apparently absorbing the Bozeman scenery, there’s no hint of my passenger getting antsy.
Until I speed up and zoom out of the city.
“Hey! This is not—”
But I never let her finish. Carolyn is thrown back in her seat, leaning left and right as I take a swift turn to leave the highway. When I stop, I point my gun at her and fire.
The tranquilizer dart hits her neck. Her surprised eyes slowly turn dreamy, and she’s mumbling something. It doesn’t sound like ‘help’ or ‘no’—her tongue now rests on her lower lip. It could be something that starts with an ‘L.’
I continue driving after she’s completely unconscious.
My eyes vigilantly look left and right, ahead and behind while my brain keeps telling me I’d better not draw any attention, or everything will be fucked up.
Jesse is nowhere to be seen when I stop at our designated meeting place. Gross panic drives me to scratch my arms, leaving dry streaks on my inked skin. The plan is, Jesse will take the taxi back to Billings while I’m carrying on with another car.
“What the fuck?” I can’t believe my eyes when that other car turns out to be a truck hauling a horse trailer.
“I’ve reclaimed Grudge,” Jesse says, pulling up right behind ‘my’ taxi.
“He’s inside?” I say. Crazy as my brother is, I can’t help investigating. It is my boy Grudge, after all.
“A down payment for my gratitude,” Jesse says, peeping into the taxi, obviously checking if Carolyn is there. “I never thought you’d have the balls to take that bitch.”
“You couldn’t be more conspicuous. Don’t you think a normal truck would be wiser?” I pat Grudge and hug him. My equine friend sighs slightly and then nickers.
“A horse trailer fits our situation, Jeans. We run a ranch. Ranches have horses.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Besides, I didn’t want her to feel too at home.”
“How did you get Grudge?”
“I just took him back.”
“Christ!”
My head is filled with words: fool, idiot, imbecile, moron. But I look into my brother’s eyes and his intentions are there, bare and honest. I can’t let him return Grudge now.
“I paid for the horse,” Jesse admits.
“Really?” No wonder he doesn’t look guilty.
“You don’t believe me? I don’t always lie, you know,” he says. “I sold my watch.”