Almost Forever by Kathy Clark

Author:Kathy Clark
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2016-07-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

“Get out of here…fast!” Justin yelled.

Lori started the truck and gunned it onto the highway until safely away from the roadside brush fire. She pulled off onto the shoulder and shoved the gearshift into park with a hand that was visibly shaking. Justin jumped out of the truck, ripped off his shirt, and began to beat the remaining flames off the hood and fender. He checked underneath to be sure the fire hadn’t reached the engine or undercarriage.

He got back into the truck. “Follow them!”

“We should call somebody,” she said, glancing at her phone on the console.

“I’ll call while you drive as fast you can. Maybe we can catch them.”

Justin dialed 9-1-1 as Lori sped around trucks and tractors like the white flag had been waved on the last lap of a stock-car race. When the operator answered, Justin told her, “There’s a brush fire at the historical marker on the county road about a mile and a half south of 290.” He closed the phone.

“I’m not seeing the truck,” Lori said as she passed a truck pulling a load of hay. “Make a wish.”

“I wish we’d catch up to those dudes. That couldn’t have been random,” Justin told her, his gaze moving down all the little county roads and driveways they passed.

“You wasted your wish on that? I had at least a dozen things I wished for.”

He glanced at her briefly.

She focused on the road as she passed a very surprised Mercedes driver.

Justin picked up the phone again and dialed. “Hey, can you look up a black Dodge Ram 2500 crew cab, probably 2011 or 2012. Texas plates ending in four five.” He listened to his brother laughing at him. “Right, I know, I’m the Ranger. I was just too busy watching Lori’s truck burn.” He went on to tell Nick what had happened. “Yeah, I know there are about a million black Dodge Ram crew cabs in Texas, but do your best to narrow it down.” He listened again, then added, “Thanks,” and hung up.

“Brother?”

Justin nodded. “Hopefully the list won’t be too long.”

“How do I explain this to the insurance company?” Lori asked.

“Without using my name.”

They had gone about ten miles without any sign of the black truck. Lori glanced at Justin uncertainly. “They could have turned off anywhere.”

“I know. We should have caught up to them by now. Guess we should head back to your house.”

She nodded and at the next driveway made a U-turn and headed back. They were alive and had one more clue. Now all they had to do was find someone on the list who had known Mark and owned a black Dodge pickup.

Justin frowned as he tried to put all the pieces together. “You know what bothers me?”

“That my paint job is blistered off?”

“It doesn’t look like it’s too bad. A little sanding and paint, and it’ll be good as new. What I was thinking about is what if those Grand boys knew that firebomber was coming?”

“They sure did act nervous.”

“Like they were being followed,” Justin concluded.

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