Page 83

“Filling up. More room tomorrow when a bunch of you asswipes get arraigned.”

Once Smollett was out of my reach, he hollered out curses at me. I ignored him and headed to the back door.

Tammy and I brought in Virgil’s two buddies from the Brownwood trailer park. The older of the two was Ken Burt. The other one, Al Gooding.

We’d get all the booking done on Monday morning and give Molly enough reports to keep her busy until Friday at quitting time.

“Moving done, Tammy.”

“I’ll run across and get the food. Be right back.”

Best idea yet. We’d feed the prisoners while we were here so we wouldn’t have to come back again today.

Ten minutes later she was back with three bags of containers, and I helped her dole the food out along with Cokes from ourmachine. And we were done.

Locked up the run and locked the front and back doors and that was it.

Tammy drove Virgil home in the squad, and I rode the bike. Couldn’t wait to see Travis’s face when he saw his bike coming home to him.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Travis didn’t disappoint me. He was really surprised to see me come riding in the laneway on his Harley. Him and Billy were sitting on the front porch tossing a few back.

Travis got to his feet wearing a big smile. “Hey, son, you got my baby back.”

I set the stand and Travis limped down the porch steps to have a closer look. He rubbed his hand over the airbrushed pictures of Max and Sarge and grinned. “Glad to have her back, boy. You find Virgil?”

“Tammy’s got him in the squad. He’s drunk but he’s all yours. He stole from you, so you do what you want with him.”

“Yeah, I might have to talk to him alone in the garage for a few minutes.”

“I’m gonna get a beer. The jail is so fuckin full, they’ll be using each other for mattresses.”

“Can’t wait to see it,” said Travis. “I should be good to work for a few hours tomorrow.”

“No need to rush, Dad. I have high hopes of Danny Burridge rolling as soon as he gets his senses back.”

“Yeah, I hope he gives up the whole gang,” said Travis, “but you shouldn’t base your police work on hope.”

“No? What should I base it on?”

“Yourself. You make it happen, son. That always worked for me.”

Tammy pulled in and I walked over to the squad and Jerked my brother out of the passenger seat. His leg wasn’t healed, and he wasn’t walking worth a shit.

I got him into the house and Travis followed us and Billy was right behind Travis. Nobody wanted to miss what was coming next.

“Virgil, I’ll speak to you in the garage.”

Virgil nodded.

Chapter Sixteen

Monday, August 5th.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

I woke up at the first hint of dawn and my brother wasn’t in the bed on the other side of my room. “Aw, Jeeze, you better not be gone again, bro.”