Crimson Highway by David Wickenhauser (i can read with my eyes shut txt) 📕

“The gunshot … who?” Hugh asked, looking at Jenny. She pointed to the officer’s right hand, which held a small .25-caliber handgun. His backup gun.

Officer Donovan wanted to speak. Jenny helped him raise his head slightly. “My backup gun. Ankle holster. Couldn’t let you have all the fun.”

Hugh had been so busy charging into the guys who were holding Jenny that he hadn’t noticed when one of them, the one holding the gun on Jenny, had been shot … by Officer Donovan.

Seeing that Hugh arms were still handcuffed behind him, Jenny removed the key from Officer Donovan’s belt, and freed Hugh’s hands.

“Come on, Jenny, Help me move the officer into his patrol car. Then we need to radio for backup.”

They helped the officer stand up, and began walking him toward his patrol car. He was regaining his strength and his balance with almost every step.

“It’s nothing, really. Just got conked on the head,” the officer said. “Hey, big guy, how about yanking that piece-of-junk screen out of the front seat so I can sit down.”

“By the way, thanks.” Donovan said. “I was never so happy to see someone break out of my patrol car. You do come on awful sudden, don’t you.”

Suddenly, they all turned as they heard the roar of an engine, and the squeal of tires on pavement. The Buick was rapidly disappearing down the road. All the hijackers were gone. The two relatively ambulatory ones had apparently picked up their dead companion, and then had helped the crippled one climb into the vehicle.

Watching the Buick drive away, the officer said, “Guess none of those guys was mortally wounded,” The officer had missed the action when Hugh had fallen on the guy with his knee to his throat.

“I think one of them was,” Hugh said, but he didn’t want to press the issue.

The officer picked up the mic to radio in the incident, and to get units chasing after the Buick.

When he had finished, he looked at Hugh. “That was a pretty fancy bit of combat there. Where did that come from?”

“It wasn’t my first time,” he answered, not wishing to say any more

“Obviously, this was a setup,” the officer admitted. “And apparently you were supposed to be the victim of a hijacking. I guess we picked up the wrong perps. Pretty clever of them using us like that.”

Then he gave Jenny a long, appraising look. “And you, little lady, what do you know about all this?” he asked, putting his official Idaho State Police voice into it.

Jenny appeared worried about the officer’s question. She looked back at Hugh, pleading with her eyes.

“Officer, I think I can explain,” Hugh said. “It was obvious that they had forced her to go along with this hijacking, holding something over on her.” The truth of which Hugh intended to find out sooner rather than later.

“And, I don’t intend to press charges against her. So, what happens now?” Hugh asked.

“How about if you two follow me into Twin Falls, where we can sit down and compare notes so I can write up my report. Then you’ll be free to go.”

Hugh and Jenny quickly nodded agreement.

Chapter Seven

Officer Donovan found his duty weapon on the ground where the hijacker had dropped it after being shot. There was not a significant amount of blood in the area, so he figured he must have only winged him.

He then got back into his cruiser and onto the highway headed toward Twin Falls, checking his rear-view mirror to make sure that Hugh was following in his truck.

The officer knew where the travel plaza was in Twin Falls, of course, so he led Hugh there as a convenient place to park and meet.

Inside the travel plaza café, over coffee, the officer asked for Jenny’s driver’s license, and wrote down the information on it for his report. Then Hugh told the officer all that he knew, and suspected, about the men in the blue Buick … leaving out any reference to Jenny’s possible involvement in it. He would deal with her later.

He even told Officer Donovan about the recent Susanville attempted hijacking, explaining to the trooper that there was just too much of a coincidence … four guys, etc.

At this, he saw Jenny raise her eyebrows.

“That Buick is most likely history by now,” Officer Donovan said. “It will probably turn up abandoned in some used car parking lot, either here or in Burley or Jerome. And the lot owner will probably be missing a car. All we can do is put out an APB.”

Seeing Jenny’s curious look, he explained, “All points bulletin. Be on the lookout. It seems that we have a multi-state hijacking ring operating here.”

Jenny nodded, keeping a studiously neutral expression on her face.

“Only thing I’m not clear on is why they seem to be targeting you in particular?” the officer asked Hugh.

Hugh had his own theory on that, and he hoped to find out the truth as soon as he had some extended private time to talk to Jenny. But, he didn’t reveal any of that to the officer.

Instead, he said. “I don’t know. There is a lot of empty road out here, not that many trucks. I just happen to be in the wrong places at the wrong times, I guess.”

The officer wrapped up his note-taking, and shook hands with Jenny and Hugh. “You know? I owe you one, big guy. I honestly believe I’d be moving into my permanent new home in a pine box right now if it hadn’t been for you,” he said. “No charge for the broken screen in my car, by the way.”

Hugh laughed. “No problem.”

“I mean it. I owe you. If there is anything I can do for you, give me a call,” the officer said, handing his card