Hard Trauma by Franklin Horton

Author:Franklin Horton [Horton, Franklin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-05-07T16:00:00+00:00

25

Ty pushed through the day with the help of satellite radio and metal playlists on his phone. He tried not to think about Deena and Aiden. His sister was worried he’d take his life in some shabby motel room and he’d been closer to that than he wanted to admit. He also tried to push thoughts of the possible arrest warrant from his head. He expected at any moment the local sheriff’s department would call and ask where he was. The way his luck had been going lately, it would probably be one of those condescending assholes he’d bumped heads with the day the Gretchen went missing.

Heading for Tucson, Ty took the opportunity to ditch I-40 and head southwest on the two-lane Route 54. He traveled through flat, scrubby desert past the Mescalero Reservation, turning onto route 70 just before Holloman Air Force Base. At Las Cruces, New Mexico, he hit the interstate again, heading west on I-10 into Arizona.

The landscape was both alien and fascinating. Ty was enthralled by the harsh beauty of it. The terrain was so moving to him that he wondered how he could have been deprived of this for his whole life. It was like he’d been sheltered from some important piece of knowledge, like Luke not knowing that Darth Vader was his father. Why had no one ever shown him this?

He was compelled to stop at a scenic overlook and take in the beauty. He’d been unable to stop himself yet soon experienced a wave of guilt. There was a girl in the hands of strangers and he was gawking at rocks like he didn’t have a care in the world. He got back in his truck and hit the road again.

With hours to kill before he hit Tucson, he decided to take a chance and call Cliff Mathis. He was so excited about getting a hit on the RV tag number he’d forgotten Door Kickers International was also based out of Tucson, according to their website. God, he hoped he didn’t sound like an idiot. There had been a day when he had the confidence to call anyone and do anything. He didn’t feel the same anymore. Most days he felt like he’d been demoted to the rank of Loser. Before he could talk himself out of it, he punched in the number and made the call.

“DKI, how may I help you?” answered a pleasant female voice.

Ty liked the way they used the abbreviation. It gave the name a more professional demeanor and sounded a little less like a professional wrestling alliance. “I wanted to speak to Cliff Mathis please.”

“Can I ask who’s calling?”

“My name is Tyler Stone. Tell him I’m calling from the Wasteland. He’ll probably know what that means.”

“One moment please.” The receptionist put him on hold and a bland electronic tune filled his ear.

Shortly, a male voice was on the line. “Cliff Mathis.”

“Hello, Mr. Mathis. You don’t know me but my name is Tyler Stone. A friend named Jessica gave me your number.

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