Ch. 15: Extinguished
"Hey."
Cady was standing at Ferg's desk when Vic walked through the door. Vic started to shed her outer layers, shrugging out of her jacket and draped it over the back of her chair. Her eyes swept around the office, taking it in. It felt like an eternity since she had been here in a work capacity. Vic pulled at one of the sleeves of the thermal shirt she wore underneath her uniform shirt.
"Hey, what's up?"
Cady straightened up.
"Not much so far. How are the roads?"
Vic picked up her Flyers mug and crossed to the coffee pot to pour herself some. If she was going to be here all night, she would definitely need the caffeine.
"Not bad yet. But…the wind is getting crazy."
Cady's eyes flicked to the open blinds. Darkness had descended on them, but the wind howled and beat at the windows like an angry spirit trying to force its way through the glass. Her eyes moved back to Vic.
"Just checked the radar. The snow will be here soon."
Vic shook her head as she sipped her coffee and walked slowly back to her desk.
"It's snowing a little now. Just not bad."
Setting her mug down, Vic started to sit when Cady gestured her head in the direction of her office.
"Can I see you for a minute?"
Vic glanced to Ferg who gave her a clueless look and then to Cady.
"Sure."
The word came out hesitant. Leaving her coffee on the corner of her desk, she followed Cady. Cady closed the door behind them and turned to Vic.
"I hope I'm not causing problems?"
Vic clearly didn't understand what she was getting at.
"Problems?"
Cady walked by Vic to her desk, which she leaned on
"Yeah, calling you in. I'm sure dad isn't thrilled."
Vic let out a low sigh.
"He's not. But, he'll get over it."
Cady studied her before speaking again.
"I want you to get the phones while Ferg and I answer any calls."
For a long moment, silence stretched out between the two women. Several looks worked their way across Vic's features, none were overly positive.
"You called me in to answer the phone."
There was a hint of disbelief in her tone. Cady shook her head.
"No, I called you in just to be on the safe side. My preference is for you to stay here."
Judging by the look on Cady's face, she wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect from Vic. She mentally braced herself for a bad one. An angry one. Vic surprised her by continuing to just look at her and seemingly have no audible reaction. Vic's throat moved with a swallow and she looked down at the floor. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other before she looked back up.
With a barely there nod, she started to turn towards the door. Cady spoke up.
"Where are you going?"
Vic turned back to her and walked backwards towards the door.
"It's hard to answer the phone if I'm not at my desk."
With that she pulled the door open and left Cady's office. Walking back to her desk, she dropped into her chair. Ferg gave her an apprehensive look as she reached out and picked up her hockey puck.
"Everything okay?"
Vic's chest heaved with a breath as she met Ferg's eyes and began to move the puck from one hand to the other.
"No. What's going on with Zach?"
He stammered for a few seconds over the topic change.
"Uh…not sure. Something about his mom having an accident and needing surgery."
Vic grimaced.
"Damn."
She picked up her coffee cup and sipped the cooling coffee. Turning her chair towards the window, she looked out at the light snow fall.
xxx
Walt paced the small space in the apartment. With only one lamp on, the room was dim. Along with the wind ramping up outside creating otherworldly noises, the atmosphere was decidedly gloomy. A night like this made him miss the security and warmth of the cabin. If he closed his eyes, he could picture the living room with a fire crackling away. He would be in front of it with a book if Vic were at work. Or with her draped against his side if she were home as the snowstorm battered the outside.
Walt shook his head, forcing the vision away. This wasn't the time to allow himself to get pulled into what could have been. He hoped that Vic was right. That the weather would paralyze Cain and keep him caged up wherever he was. He knew the night would go one of two ways for the department. Either everyone would heed the warnings and stay in or someone would venture out and land in trouble that required help. In the first case, Vic would be in for a long dull night. In the second, the night would be long, but also dangerous. For many reasons.
His mind drifted back to another stormy night with snow and cold wind. A long drive to deliver a convict. A night that turned into an eternally long, deadly day. Memories were funny things. Sometimes you had no control over them. It was strange the things that came to him sometimes. Within the massive, unforgettable memory, there were small snippets. Mere seconds of a conversation that he should have forgotten.
I'm not happy about this, Walt.
He knew the feeling.
Walt refused the let the memory take root. Dwelling on the past would do them no good right now. Either of them. He glanced at his cell phone. It lay on the bed, the screen dark. She said she would call him. She implied more than once. He was already debating calling her. But, he kept talking himself out of it. This wasn't him. All this fretting and pacing.
Yet, here he was doing just that.
He forced his eyes away from the phone, determined to wait. It's possible she was simply busy. Not possible, but likely. As though she read his thoughts from across town, the phone buzzed to life and lit up. His preset ringtone met his ears. Vic had teased him about never changing the ringer. She pointed out how many different options there were. Sounds. Music. But, Walt never bothered.
He also didn't bother to check the number when he grabbed the phone off the bed and answered it. He just knew it was her. He knew it.
"Hey."
There was a brief pause before she answered.
"Hey, how's it going?"
The sound of her voice was like music in his mind. Comforting.
"Just listening to the wind."
She moved on the other end of the line, probably in her chair. He could picture her there, by the window, leaned back the way she did when she wasn't busy. She might even have her feet up on her desk.
"How are things there?"
He almost got lost in his mind again.
"Quiet."
"That's not a bad thing on a night like this."
Another beat of silence.
"No, it's not."
Before he could speak again, a sudden burst of wind outside battered the walls and the solitary lamp flickered. Walt held his breath for a half second, waiting to see if the power would go out. It stayed on. For now.
"Power is flickering."
He heard her move again.
"Yeah, ours has done that a couple of times. Hope it doesn't go out."
She paused again and seemed on the verge of saying something. Something on her mind, he thought. That might explain why she seemed off during this conversation. Just as he was considering breaking the silence, she spoke again.
"Have you talked to Cady? Tonight?"
"No."
More silence.
"Why?"
He heard her chair creak and the sound of her boots on the wooden office floor.
"She has me on the phones."
That statement relieved him. But, he could hear the displeasure in her voice.
"Think I went behind your back?"
She exhaled.
"I hoped not."
"She's trying to keep you safe."
Another loud exhale.
"I don't like being treated like a child."
Walt's instinct was to defend Cady. He understood the decision. But, he also knew Vic didn't like to feel constrained. Even after being injured on the job, she always pushed to come back to work. She was not meant to sit at a desk.
"I know."
That was all he offered up. He heard a door open and close in the background and the low murmur of someone talking. He could tell Vic was walking.
"I'm gonna go. I'll call you later. Especially if I'm bored out of my skull."
He tried not to smile at the dry comment.
"Okay. Be careful."
"Yeah."
The call disconnected and the wind outside let out another mournful howl.
xxx
Vic's eyes rolled upward towards the ceiling as the lights in the office dimmed and then lit back up. The wind with this storm was ferocious. It sounded almost alive outside the window. The sound and the flickering lights gave her an uneasy feeling. The world around them was taking a beating and they would likely not have power come sunrise.
As if it was trying to prove her point, the wind screeched again and the lights performed the same dimming and coming back. It was like watching a battle play out around her. One without weaponry. Unfortunately, she was pretty certain of which side would eventually win.
Vic sighed. The minutes were very slowly turning into hours. She lit up the screen of her phone with a swipe and she could see the long hours that still stretched out ahead of them. Nights like this were when she missed working with Walt. They would either be out scoping for those who needed help or she would be in his office, relaxed and talking while the night droned on outside. She couldn't even begin to count the hours they spent that way. Before and after.
She heard the toilet flush behind the door marked Reading Room and then the water turned on at the bathroom sink. Ferg came out wiping his hands on his pants. Before he made it to his seat, the phone rang.
Vic leaned forward and picked it up before the second ring reached completion.
"Sheriff's Department."
Ferg paused where he stood, knowing he would be the one going out if it were a legitimate call. Her eyes shifted up to him as she scribbled out some words.
With a polite "okay", she hung up.
"We got a stranded motorist out on thirty-six. Sitting on the side of the road with her flashers on. She said the last thing she saw was the Absaroka County sign. Maybe a mile in."
He nodded as he pulled his heavy Carhartt jacket on and zipped it up.
"Broke down?"
Vic frowned.
"Not sure. She was upset. Just said she can't go any farther. Probably just panicking."
Ferg pulled on a hat and jerked it low over his ears.
"Alright. I'll call in when I get to her. Let you know what's going on."
Vic bit her lip as he fished in his pocket for his keys. He took three steps towards the door when Vic stopped him.
"Ferg, take the truck."
He turned, looking surprised.
"Really?"
She nodded and grabbed the keys from their perch on her desk.
"Yeah."
She tossed him the keys.
"Safer than that damn Charger in this shit."
He gave her a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Vic."
She nodded.
"Be careful. Call if you need me."
"Sure thing."
With that he was out the door, his boots clunking down the stairs. Vic spun her chair towards Cady's office. The door was closed. It had been since their conversation. Vic turned back around just as the lights in the office flickered again. They dimmed, lit back up, then dimmed again. Vic expected the light in the room to come back to full force.
Instead, the wind finally won the battle and the lights went out completely.
xxx
"God damn it!"
Cady's flashlight lit up Vic's face as she hunched over the generator.
"No luck."
Vic shielded her eyes and shook her head.
"No. Useless piece of shit."
After the incident with the FBI and Walt walking up a mountain alone, he was insistent that the department needed a generator. Unfortunately, on their meager budget, they hadn't been able to afford one that was all that dependable.
Cady sighed heavily.
"I should've had Ferg check it this afternoon."
Her flashlight beam dropped as Vic lifted her own light and they made their way carefully back to the office.
"We've got some lanterns. A few candles."
Vic used her free hand to rifle through a storage closet.
"Old school, huh."
"Looks like that's how we're doing it tonight."
They gathered up what they needed and lit up the office as best they could. Vic looked around the room. The lantern on her desk bounced off the wall eerily.
"That will have to do."
Cady looked at Ferg's empty desk.
"Ferg call in?"
"Yeah, he found the lady. Apparently, she had a panic attack when the storm set in. He said he was gonna get the car off the road and take her somewhere safe. She can get the car later. When it's safe to be out."
Cady smiled a little before her expression turned more serious.
"I'm sorry about all this."
Even though she wasn't specific, Vic knew what she was talking about. She sat down and leaned back in her chair.
"I know."
Her first urge when Cady assigned her to answer phones was to argue. But, given her own concerns about Walt, she understood the motivation. She didn't like it. But, she understood it. Still, that didn't completely defuse the frustration she felt.
"Dad would never forgive me if something happened to you on my watch."
Vic shook her head.
"That's not true. Besides, I'm not your responsibility."
Cady's head cocked.
"I'm the Sheriff. You work for me. So…how are you not my responsibility?"
Vic shrugged.
"Because I'm adult and I make my own choices. You Longmires have such a save the world complex."
Cady smiled again. But, she could see that Vic meant it.
"I'll tell you like I told Walt. If something happens to me, it's not on you. Either of you."
Cady gave her an amused look, ignoring the more serious aspect of her comment.
"What do you mean us Longmires? The last time I checked you were in the family now. Legally. Just because you don't carry the name doesn't mean anything."
Vic smiled faintly.
"Hmm…marrying in is different. It's in your blood."
Cady grew somber.
"You do know if something happened to you…"
She paused like she was struggling to finish the thought.
"…he wouldn't recover."
That was putting it mildly. Censoring the harsh truth. They both knew what kind of a tailspin that would send Walt into. What Cady didn't know was how dark Vic's own world had gotten once before with the thought of something happening to Walt. While, most of the time, she did a good job of keeping those thoughts away now, lately they had been closing in on her more and more. It made her feel trapped. Claustrophobic and helpless. Cady had never been privy to what she went through in the days and weeks that followed her being shot.
Physical trauma was easy enough to recover from. It was the mental pain that did the most damage. That never really went away. Not completely. It merely retreated to the shadows of the mind and waited like a monster under a bed. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a comeback and wrap long its long tentacles around all that was good.
Vic worked hard to keep it at bay. She knew Walt did as well. In their day to day lives, it was easy enough. They stayed busy and they were happy. They slowly reconstructed walls that could keep the bad out. But, when something happened like the arrival of Will Cain, the darkness stormed those same gates with a fury that was unmatched.
Vic didn't answer. One wasn't really required. Cady hadn't meant it as a question. Just a truth that no one really wanted to give a voice to. Walt had come back from the edge once before. It would be easy to say he could do again. But, the truth was that he scraped his way back. Clawed really. That tired out a body. It wore out a mind. Fighting back once was a hell of a battle. Fighting back a second time, after another crippling blow, would require a miracle.
None of them believed in miracles anymore. If they ever really had.
xxx
Walt carefully made his way into the bar. It was quiet. Closed early tonight because of the weather. Walt shined his small flashlight carefully around the room. It seemed strange in the dark. What he needed were candles. Or some powerless form of light that could sustain him until morning.
He moved around the bar and started to rifle around looking for anything helpful. The only thing he came up with was a half used box of matches. He stuffed them into his back pocket. Just as he bent in again, the office door opened. Walt stood up straight, the hair on the back of his neck standing up and shined his light in that direction.
It came to rest on a figure who held up his hands.
"Walt?"
Tom.
Walt let out a breath.
"Didn't mean to startle you."
His eyes moved beyond the man in front of him and into the office of the bar. Several questions filled his head all at once. There was no light in the room. Not a flashlight. Not the flicker of a candle.
Tom shrugged.
"Figured it was you when you came down the stairs."
"I was looking for candles."
Tom smiled and his eyes moved up to where the lights would be.
"Don't like the dark?"
Again, Walt felt a prickle run through him.
"Don't mind the dark. But, I like to see something if it's coming for me."
His tone was no longer friendly. It held a warning. Maybe something even darker. The two men continued to stand, watching each other. Finally, Tom stepped back.
"I've got some candles in here somewhere."
He motioned for Walt. Walt hesitated but Tom turned away like he didn't notice. Now that the man's back was turned, Walt followed him. At a distance. He finally gave a voice to the obvious.
"What're you doing here?"
Tom glanced his way as he pulled open a drawer and started to sift through the contents.
"Started snowing before I could get cleaned up and closed. The tires on my old car are not up to this weather. Seemed safer just to stay here."
Walt looked around the inky office.
"With no light?"
Tom kept his eyes on the drawer, Walt's small flashlight providing the only illumination.
"Nothing to do anyway. I was on the couch dozing."
He finally found what he was looking for. He came up with a handful of candles, four as far as Walt could see and he offered them up. Walt extended his hand and took two.
"This will do. Thanks. Just me up there."
Tom closed the drawer and narrowed his eyes a bit.
"Just you?"
Walt nodded.
"Vic went in to work. The storm."
Tom studied him with an expression he couldn't decipher in the dark.
"Is that safe?"
"She's worked plenty of storms."
Tom shook his head.
"No, I mean with that guy still out there. What's to keep him from trying something?"
"Hopefully, the weather."
Walt raised his hand.
"Thanks again."
He took a step back when he heard Tom's voice.
"Walt, with all due respect…"
Walt paused and turned back around.
"…isn't it your job to keep her safe."
The comment seemed wildly inappropriate.
"Excuse me?"
Tom gestured at Walt's left hand.
"She's…your wife. Am I right? It's your job to take care of her."
A deep frown settled over Walt's face.
"It's really none of your business."
"That's…that's fair. But…"
Walt cut him off.
"But nothing. I've…tolerated a lot from you where Vic is concerned lately. But, I won't tolerate you questioning my concern for her well-being. Or accusing me of not keeping her safe. I sure as hell won't explain myself to you."
It was the first outburst he'd had about it. And, it felt satisfying. Tom didn't seem upset by the verbal pushback. He merely tilted his head at Walt like something confused him.
"You've got the wrong idea."
"Do I?"
Tom inhaled and set one of the candles in his hand on the office desk in a holder. Pulling a lighter from his pocket, he flicked it and lit the candle, watching it spark to life. Replacing the lighter, he leaned on the desk, the room a little less daunting now.
"Come in. Sit down."
Walt stayed where he was. Tom smiled.
"Walt, you're armed. We both know it. I'm not gonna try anything."
After another few seconds ticked by, Walt set down the two candles he was holding and walked back into the office. He didn't sit down. Tom moved around the desk and sat in the lone chair in the room.
"I grew up on the Rez. I know you know what that's like. My father left us when I was about five or six. So, it was just my mother raising me and my sister. She's younger. My sister. She was…such a beautiful person. I don't mean physically. She had a beautiful spirit."
Walt shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"She got married when she was seventeen. I wasn't happy about it. But, it was her choice. To be honest, her moving out lessened my mother's burden. One less mouth to feed. But the man she married was…he was weak. And, he drank. The first time she showed up with a bruise, I told her to leave him. Told her she could stay with me if she was scared. But, she kept insisting it was just once. And, he didn't mean it. I couldn't make her do anything. So, she went back to him."
The man stopped and took a deep breath.
"The bruises kept popping up. After some time…it became the new normal. I moved off the Rez and took a job out of town. Making more money. She was dead within a year. Now, he's in prison for the rest of his life. And, that beautiful woman is gone."
He paused again, his dark eyes moving from Walt's.
"Vic…reminds me of her. She has the same spirit. The same look in her eyes. I'm not…trying to…"
He was searching for his words now. Treading carefully.
"I would never make a move on another man's wife. Or even his girlfriend. I never intended for you to think that. But, this man…this Cain…he is dangerous and he will extinguish the light that is in her."
Walt had no reason to trust the man. But, he had built a career out of reading people. And, the story he was hearing sounded real. It sounded sincere. Walt reached up and ran a hand over his hair.
"I'm sorry. About your sister. And, for making assumptions."
Tom gave him a friendly smile.
"No harm. I don't blame you. She's a…she seems like a hell of a woman. Were she single, this might be a different story. But, I've seen the way she looks at you. You're a lucky man. Still, I can't stomach men like this."
He stopped and held Walt's eyes.
"There's…something else I should probably tell you."
The comment piqued Walt's curiosity.
"What's that?"
For the first time, Tom seemed uncomfortable.
"When you moved in upstairs, Henry asked me to keep an eye on you. On both of you"
That sounded about right.
"Henry did?"
Tom nodded.
"Yeah. He asked me not to tell you. But, it seems like now is the time."
Several pieces fell into place with that information. Walt stretched his hand out.
"I appreciate your honesty."
Tom shook his hand. He gestured to the bar.
"Want a beer?"
Walt shook his head.
"No thanks. I should get back…upstairs in case Vic calls."
"Sure. Let me know if you need anything."
xxx
"That guy ever call you back?"
Cady raised an eyebrow at the question.
"Yeah, he did. Haven't really had time to get together, though."
Vic sat leaned back in her chair with her boots propped up on the corner of her desk.
"But, you're interested?"
Cady shrugged.
"Sure. Why not?"
Vic bit her lip. Cady knew there was a question just on the tip of her tongue.
"What?"
"Are you over Zach?"
Cady's face flushed a little red. Before she could answer, Vic spoke again.
"I mean…you guys seemed pretty serious there for a while."
Cady's face took on a sad look.
"We were. I love…loved him."
"Love or loved. They're not interchangeable you know."
Cady gave her a look.
"I know. I…I don't know. Some days, I think I'm over him. Others…not so much. Love in confusing."
Vic grinned at her.
"Yeah, no shit."
Her smile faded a bit.
"Still…if you have feelings for him…"
Cady shook her head.
"I don't see us getting back together."
"I get that. But…tread lightly. Don't…rush into something before you're ready."
Cady nodded.
"Like I said before, right now, all I'm looking for is a little fun. I've about given up on a real relationship."
Vic's face turned sympathetic. Cady looked around.
"Shouldn't Ferg have been back by now?"
Vic shrugged.
"I would've thought so. Maybe he made another stop."
Cady frowned.
"Then, he should have called us and let us know."
Vic sat up, her feet dropping to the floor with an audible thump.
"Want me to call him?"
Cady nodded. Vic grabbed her cell phone and dialed. Cady watched her closely. Vic listened and shook her head at Cady.
"He's not answering."
Cady's frowned deepened.
"Great."
She stood up.
"Do you know where he went?"
"I know what road he was on. I don't know where he was going after that."
Cady looked towards her office.
"I'm gonna head out and look for him."
Vic was on her feet.
"We should both go."
"Ferg has your truck."
Vic sighed.
"Shit."
Cady's eyes roamed the office looking for answers that weren't there.
"The Charger won't be great in this."
Vic nodded a little. She grabbed her cell phone.
"I've got an idea."
Cady left her where she was, walking into her office for her coat and her own Jeep keys. Vic turned to the window, Cady's movement fading into the background. Again, he answered fairly quick when she called him.
"Hey."
"Walt, we've got a problem."
"What?"
All business.
"Ferg went out on a call and he hasn't come back. We're getting a little worried. He's not answering his phone. He's in my truck, though. Cady has her Jeep. But…the Charger…"
"You want the Bronco?"
Vic paused.
"Do you think you can get here in this?"
He was quiet for a moment. Maybe looking out the window.
"Yeah. I do."
Vic hoped that was true. For all of their sakes.
"Be careful."
"Okay. I'll be there as quick as I can."
Vic ended the call and walked into Cady's office.
"Walt is coming. With the Bronco."
Cady nodded.
"That's good. I am going to go on and see if I can find him. Maybe he's just stopped somewhere or maybe he passed someone who needed help."
Vic forced a nervous smile to her face.
"Right. Call me if you find him."
"I will."
Cady left, hustling out the door. Vic began to pace around the station. She carried her phone in her right hand, tapping it against her leg. Twice, she tried to call Ferg again. Both times, there was no answer. Vic huffed out a frustrated breath. She hated feeling helpless like this. She would feel better if she was out with Cady looking for him. At least that would be something that made her feel useful, not stuck in this damn office twiddling her thumbs.
Her mind drifted to Meg. If something did happen to Ferg, they would need to call her. Let her know. The two of them were planning to marry in the spring. Vic reached up and ran her left hand over her face. She didn't know Meg all that well. She knew there had been some adjustments to be worked through between the two of them. Being the spouse of a cop was never easy. That seemed to be heightened here with so few of them.
Vic pushed the thoughts out of her mind. Nothing was served by what ifs or maybes. She needed to stick to the facts. Jumping ahead and creating scenarios in her head wasn't going to help the situation any. Ferg was an outdoorsman. He knew how to weather the elements. He was smart.
That was what she told herself.
xxx
Walt's windshield wipers beat out a steady rhythm as he drove towards the Sheriff Department. The snow was coming down hard and swirling in the blackness that surrounded him. He was careful, not going too fast. That would only end him up spinning out and winding up in a ditch somewhere. He kept his eyes on the road and both hands steadily on the wheel. This was weather most people couldn't safely drive in. But, he had done it many times over the years. It was that experience he was relying on now.
He let out a sigh of relief when his target came into view. Thankfully, the streets around him were empty with not another car in sight. Walt pulled up and parked on the street. Gripping his hat, he hustled from the Bronco to the front door. Stepping inside was a stark relief. He removed his hat and wiped his face. Stomping his feet, he knew he would leave a trail of melting snow behind him.
When he opened the office door, Vic was there on her feet. She turned to him, her face dark and shadowed in the poorly lit office. The look of worry on her face was as clear as if she were standing in the sunlight.
"You made it."
The words came out on a relieved breath. Walt slapped his hat against his legs and smiled at her.
"Yep. Cady out?"
Vic nodded as she pulled on her duty jacket along with a hat and gloves. She pulled the zipper of her jacket up as high as it would go and pushed out a breath. Walt offered her the keys, but Vic shook her head, her eyes on his.
"You drive."
Truthfully, he was happy to hear her say it. All the way over, he was concerned that she would want to take the keys and go, leaving him at the office. He was pretty sure he wouldn't have been agreeable to this. For one, he wanted to ensure that she was safe. Secondly, he didn't like the idea of sitting around while Ferg sat out, potentially in this snowstorm.
Vic pulled her phone from her pocket as they left the office.
"I'm gonna text Cady and let her know we're going."
Walt nodded as they walked down the stairs. Walt opened the door and fell into step behind Vic as she passed him. The wind assaulted them almost immediately and Vic automatically ducked her head down in an attempt to shield her face from the wind and blowing snow. She slid into the Bronco and pulled the door shut with a huff.
"Jesus."
Reaching up, she rubbed her face with her gloves. Her face was already red just from the short walk they just endured.
"Just remember…I suggested going somewhere warm."
He smiled briefly at the memory. Walt pulled his own door closed and removed his hat, tossing it on the seat beside him. Reaching up, he ran both hands over his hair even though it was already impossibly windblown. Starting the engine, he turned the heat back up and pulled out.
"Do you know which direction he went in."
Vic looked out the window at nothing.
"He was going to help a driver. I can show you where."
The going was slow, the Bronco never really reaching normal speed. Twice Walt felt the tires slide on ice patches. Both times, he managed to keep the vehicle moving like he needed it to. Vic had pulled her hat off and loose wisps of blond hair were scattered around her face. She was tense. He could sense it rolling off of her. She gave him the best directions she could.
It seemed like an eternity passed before Walt lifted one hand from the steering wheel and pointed.
"There."
Vic squinted. Sure enough, a small dark colored car sat on the side of the road. Walt pulled off, using his head lights to illuminate the scene. Both of them got out and circled the car. Walt surveyed the ground.
"Truck tires."
He pointed. Vic nodded.
"He pulled out straight then."
Her phone buzzed and she looked at it before raising her eyes to Walt.
"Cady is back at the office. No luck. Said she drove this road all the way down. Didn't see anything."
Walt nodded as he looked off to where the road stretched into a darkness that never seemed to end. It was daunting and looked like it would swallow a car. Still, Walt knew these roads. Well. She was texting Cady back when he tapped her arm.
"Let's go."
He looked at the Bronco. Vic gave him a nod as she texted Cady back and shoved her phone into her jacket pocket. Walt pulled back out and started to slowly make his way down the road looking for any signs of the white truck.
Vic tapped her fingers on the console. She was leaned forward in her seat, the seatbelt pulling against her shoulder.
"You think he had an accident?"
Her voice broke the silence. Walt kept his eyes on the road.
"Don't know. Ferg knows what he's doing. But…these roads are dangerous. Anything could've happened."
Vic shook her head, her eyes shifting from Walt to the road ahead of them. The headlights of the Bronco did little to cut through the dark and the snow. They had only gone a couple of miles when Vic's hand reached out and closed down on Walt's arm.
"Stop."
He pressed the brakes and gave her a look.
"You see something?"
She nodded.
Walt pulled off again as Vic slid from the Bronco and headed straight for the tree line. Walt had no idea how she managed to see it. Or what actually caught her attention. But, sure enough, he could see the white tailgate of her county issued truck.
Walt moved up to the front, pushing his way through the small trees surrounding them and pulled open the driver side door.
"No one's here."
"Walt, come here."
He found Vic standing at the back of the truck, squatted down.
"What you got?"
She pointed at the rear corner.
"This…is fresh."
She was talking about the dent that slightly crunched in the corner. Walt bent down and studied the obvious point of impact.
"Someone hit him."
Vic nodded.
"Looks like they clipped him. Not bad. But, it would have been enough to mess him up in this weather."
Vic stood up and looked around.
"Maybe the other driver stopped and gave them a ride."
Walt's eyes looked distant. Clearly, he was thinking, processing the scene in his mind the best he could in the dark and in the snow.
"Maybe."
Vic was following her own line of thoughts.
"But, he's not answering his phone. It's not in the truck is it?"
Walt shook his head.
"Didn't see it."
Vic pulled out her phone and dialed again. Again, all she could do was give Walt a look that told him it was more of the same. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and looked around.
"So, we got the truck that's obviously been hit. No sign of Ferg or this woman he picked up. His phone could be dead. Could be broke"
She turned her face to Walt, who was standing close to her now so he could hear her above the wind.
"So…now what?"