This is the fourth place we’ve come to—at the first three the whores weren’t out yet, but now it’s full dark and they will be. She signals, gets off the highway and drives straight past the well-lit, gas station part of the rest area, heading for the nearly dark parking lot where a bunch of big rigs are already parked for the night. She pulls into an empty spot about thirty yards before the first row of trucks begins.
This is also one of the biggest truck stops in the area, stretching a good two hundred yards into the darkness of the highway beyond.
From what I can make out, the place is about half full, mostly by long-haul rigs, though there are some smaller trucks among them too, and even vans. We’re definitely suspicious, parked at the start of the rest area, in her tan-colored SUV that must be glowing in this darkness. Most of the trucks are dark, but some of the truckers are congregated in small groups, some playing cards, some eating, a lot of them just smoking and talking loudly. Women in fishnet stockings, miniskirts or short shorts, and tight tops are walking among them, trying to score.
Some of them are freelance, but most of them probably work for the Riders who even have a whorehouse near here, unless I’m very much mistaken. This is very much Horned Riders MC territory and if I could’ve stopped her coming her I would’ve. But she Googled all the truck stops and assured me we’ll be visiting them all until we find this Lacy woman. I should be steering as clear of the Riders as I can because the moment I see one, I won’t be able to control my actions.
And even if I could somehow rein myself in, I’m sure none of them will when they recognize me. This was such a bad idea.
“Is that her?” I ask as a fragile-looking prostitute walks past one of the few working streetlights. The darkness swallows her up again almost immediately.
The truck stop is lined with streetlights, but only every fourth or so is actually working, so the only light is coming from the moon and the pockets of men and the lanterns, or flashlights, or whatever they’re using to light the space they’re occupying.
Veronica is taking a long time to answer. When I glance at her, she’s intently peering at the darkness, her already big eyes huge. She looks scared like she should be.
“I think it’s time we get out of here,” I say. “We can come back in the daytime or something.”
“No,” she says and opens her door. “I’m going out there to look for her. I can’t see a thing from here.”
“Don’t,” I say my heart racing real fast and I don’t know if it’s because I need to avoid the Riders at all costs, or because I’m afraid something will happen to her.
“Don’t,” I say again, but she’s already out of the car.
She’s still wearing that pink skirt and little baby doll shoes, and if she goes into that dark pool of sharks out there, anything can happen, and most likely will. I’m willing to bet that most of the guys out there haven’t seen a pure and healthy-looking woman like her in ages. At least not in a place like this.
Shit.
I don’t have a choice, I have to go with her, so I don’t think too hard before exiting the car too. I’m not armed in any way, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a total disaster. More likely it’s a disaster. All this darkness is bound to be hiding a Rider or three.
She’s walking fast towards the first of the trucks, where a petite woman with short red and very straight hair is peering into the dark cab of a truck. She almost falls off the step as Veronica calls out to her.
“Are you Lacy?” she asks.
The kid—and I can tell she’s still a child and not just a very small woman even in the near darkness—looks at her with wide eyes and open mouth and doesn’t say anything.
“Are you?” Veronica repeats. She’s close enough to see her face more clearly now, so why the hell is she still asking? Isn’t she supposed to know this Lacy we’re looking for? This makes no sense.
The kid shakes her head, turns on her heels and disappears into the darkness between two trucks.
“You scared her off,” Veronica says accusingly. “You should stay back.”
Yeah, that’s gonna happen.
But I let her get a little ahead of me as she follows the girl who seems to have vanished.
Veronica’s heading straight towards one of those pockets of light and the catcalls and whistling starts as soon as the light hits her.
“What have we here?” one of the men says appreciatively, followed by, “Are you out slumming, pretty girl?” from another, and, “I’ll show you the best time you’ve ever had,” from a third.
They shut up as I join her in the light. “She’s with me. Back off.”
They’ve made a sort of half circle around her, and there’s actual gratitude in her eyes as she glances at me. The guys are all tense, but I don’t think they’re gonna come at me. Still, I better try and diffuse this as soon as possible.
“We’re looking for Lacy,” I say. “Have any of you seen her tonight?”
There’s a small folding table behind them, atop which a camping light is illuminating the remains of their dinner and their poker game, so I figure they’re regulars here.
“Lacy?” one of them says, a grizzled, skinny but wiry man with many of his teeth missing. He’s the one who promised Veronica a very good time. “What do you want with her?”