Tahoe Deep by Todd Borg

Author:Todd Borg [Borg, Todd]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1931296278
Amazon: B07RFHW3VW
Publisher: Thriller Press
Published: 2019-08-01T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

There was no way to know if the maroon pickup was the same one that had pulled up near Daniel’s house. But its actions suggested the possibility that the driver was following us at a distance, saw us pull off the road, and realized that we must have dropped Daniel off someplace, like in the parking lot.

The concept was possibly far-fetched. But if the pickup hurried, the driver or the driver’s companions could grab the old blind man and get away before Spot and I got there. We’d have to run back to where we’d parked. The delay would make it impossible for us to catch the pickup.

I sped up my trot to a full run. Spot, of course, thought that was fun. The human was running full out. But humans were so slow…

I knew I couldn’t maintain a sprint for the entire distance. It was too far, and I wasn’t in that kind of shape. But I could try.

The traffic was heavy. I had to stay on the shoulder to avoid being hit. In places, the road edge dropped off to a slope too steep to get decent footing. Gravel is hazardous on a slope, like running on ball bearings. I veered down to where the ground was less steep only to have to slalom around trees and manzanita bushes. Spot kept glancing behind to gauge my direction, easily anticipating my movements.

My lungs were at their limit of pain, gasping for breath, trying to keep up my fastest run. We emerged from the forest edge at the upper edge of the parking lot. I rushed onto the asphalt, dodging through cars, both parked and moving. There was a maroon pickup over near the entrance to the lot. It was cruising slowly along the gravel shoulder.

I couldn’t see Daniel. But if the pickup driver had wanted him and had already found him, he would have raced off.

The pickup stopped. The passenger door opened up.

I pushed faster, pumping my legs beyond what I thought I could do.

I still couldn’t see Daniel. The boulder was to the side of the entrance, not far from the pickup. Even if I saw someone come out of the pickup, I couldn’t send Spot after him. If Spot doesn’t have a scent and hasn’t witnessed previous aggressive behavior from a suspect, and if there are lots of other people in the vicinity, there is no effective option.

When I got closer, I yelled, “Hey! You with the pickup!”

Maybe someone saw me. Maybe not. The passenger door closed. As I ran closer to the boulder where I’d left Daniel, the pickup made a 180-degree turn and started moving forward. When it cleared a group of people walking along the highway toward the parking entrance, it sped away, tires squealing on the pavement.

“Daniel!” I shouted. “Daniel! Where are you?!”

I spun around to the back side of the boulder. There he was, sitting on the ground, leaning back against the boulder.

“Right here,” he said. “I’m right where you left me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.