Reckoning Road Read online

  “Oh yeah, she’s here. She’s being checked out by the doctor. She had some kind of ordeal tonight.”

  I smiled. Kara had made it to the ER. I didn’t want to press my luck by trying to talk to her. I thought that would be a bad idea. Certainly, the sheriff’s deputies would’ve intercepted that call.

  Then the nurse said, “Hang on—someone wants to speak to you.”

  Damn.

  A voice that wasn’t too familiar got on the line. Sounded like he just woke up.

  “This is John Martin. Who’s this?”

  I stayed quiet. It was him. He sounded weak but much better than when he had spoken to me earlier.

  He said, “Son? Is this you?”

  I wasn’t sure if he really had a son and was asking seriously or if he actually meant me. I should’ve hung up the phone, but I didn’t.

  I said, “It’s the guy you almost hit with your car.”

  Martin said, “I figured. I got you to thank for saving Kara?”

  “I played a role.”

  “Thanks so much. I made a promise to her mother. Long ago. If it wasn’t for you, she’d be dead.”

  I said, “Don’t mention it.”

  “What do I call you?”

  I said, “Nothing.”

  The line was silent, and then John Martin said, “I see. Well. Thank you all the same.”

  “She going to be okay?”

  He said, “Yeah. Don’t worry. I’ll pull all of my sources to make sure she’s relocated again—and somewhere that she wants to go. No more diners for her.”

  I smiled and heard the operator’s automatic warning telling me I was almost out of time.

  I said, “I gotta go.”

  He said, “Good luck.”

  I wanted to say more, but I saw a trucker who was leaving the truck stop, and he looked friendly enough. I hung up the phone and heard the change swallowed up. I followed the trucker and asked for a ride, told him I would pay for it and would be very grateful if I could sleep in the back for a while.

  He agreed with a hearty smile and said, “Come on.”

  I slept uninterrupted for four hours and woke up somewhere in the middle of Arizona. I got out at another truck stop and took the magazine from the dirty US Marshal’s Glock and threw it into a dumpster.

  About the Author

  Scott Blade grew up in Mississippi, where things are very much not what they seem.

  If you liked this book, please leave a review & go to Scott Blade’s website and sign up to receive exclusive previews and content.

  www.scottblade.com

  If you enjoyed this book, please leave a four or five-star review.

  You can also email Scott Blade @ [email protected].

  Also, check out the first book in the Jack Cameron series, Gone Forever, and then the second book, Winter Territory and Foreign & Domestic.

  And coming soon Nothing Left Book 4!

  Thank you,

  Scott Blade