Tina was tired, hungry, and miserable. She had no watch and no cell, but she guessed the time to be around 2:30, maybe three o’clock, in the morning. All she knew was she had been walking for hours. The bright lights of Albuquerque were just a glow on the horizon as she plodded along the back road that paralleled I-40, head down in dejection and fatigue. She had tried to boost a car several times, but with no tools she had come up empty. Her plan was to turn off highway 333 onto Mountain Valley Road and walk toward the thrum of I-40. Mountain Valley had to cross I-40 somewhere not far from her current location and that meant a bridge … and a place to crash for the night. Across the road, a collection of squat buildings loomed in security lights. She couldn’t be certain, but they looked like small warehouses or something similar. With a sigh, she crossed the road to check it out. Maybe there would be a delivery truck or something she could hotwire, or at least sleep in. It would have to be more comfortable than sleeping under a bridge in the dirt.
She had no luck finding an open vehicle, but when she peeked through the narrow window of one of the buildings, she could make out the glowing numbers on a clock: 2:18. It was hard to tell in the dark, but it might be a break room of some kind. Tina turned sideways and compared her profile to the window’s width. It would be a tight squeeze, but she had gotten through tighter before.
Prepared to run if she sat off an alarm, she turned her face away and rammed her elbow into the glass. The shock of the impact traveled all the way to her shoulder and she hissed in pain. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. She picked up one of the large stones used in the landscaping, turning the rock until she had the best grip and weight balance. She once again turned her face away and gave the glass a hearty smack.
The glass may have stood up to her elbow, but it was no match for the rock. The glass shattered but didn’t break out. It took another blow with the rock, and a push from her foot, before the glass began to crumble and fall away. She cleaned the glass from the edges, and then slipped into the room.
What a break room! Easily the size of her entire trailer, the break room had a pool table, microwave, refrigerator, the biggest television she had ever seen, and a few video games and pinball machines. But most importantly, it had a huge couch that looked perfect for sleeping.
She rummaged in the fridge before pulling out a package of hotdogs and a beer to wash them down with. The dogs would be better heated in the microwave, but before that, she needed to make sure she was alone. Eating two of the weenies cold, she slipped out of the break room and began to explore the rest of the warehouse.
She didn’t know what was going on here, but she had finally hit the jackpot. There were three cars, all unlocked: an almost new Audi A6, an equally new BMW M5, and a new Jaguar F-Type! She ran her hand along the flanks of the Jag as she admired its sleek lines. Farther back was a collection of motorcycles, all Harleys as best she could tell in the dim light. Next to them were a car lift and a huge rolling tool box. Farther back still was another room, probably an office or another break room, and a large trailer of some type.
She smiled. She had stumbled onto a breaker, someone who dismantled cars and sold the parts. She had been in places such as this many times as she stole and dumped cars. She was going to take one of these cars and they couldn’t even report it stolen! She did a little happy dance at her sudden good fortune. But first, food! As she walked back to the break room to nuke some weenies, she noticed a bike set off to the side. She wasn’t an expert on Harleys by any means, but this bike was obviously old—very old—and perfect in every detail. She could ride a bike … and this one called to her. But not as much as her stomach did.
She quickly heated the remaining six dogs and devoured them one after the other, washing them down with a Lowenbrau. She would like another beer—it wasn’t often she could afford a good beer—but if she was going to be driving, she needed to be sharp. She all but skipped out of the break room. The food and her change in fortune had jazzed her up and pushed fatigue and sleep away. She was headed to the office at the back, intending to look for the keys for the cars, but she paused at the antique Harley again. She turned her back on the machine, but made it only two steps before turning back. This is so stupid! She raged at herself. Any of the three cars, but especially the Audi or the BMW, would be a much better choice. But the bike … it spoke to her, and she wanted it.
She licked her lips, trying to talk herself out of doing something stupid. Finally, her lips pursed in annoyance, she levered the bike off its side stand and began to push it toward the big roll up door.
“Going somewhere?” a deep voice asked behind her.
The voice grabbed her attention, but not as much as the sound of a gun being cocked did. Closing her eyes, Tina slowly lowered the bike back onto its stand and raised her hands to ear level.
“First smart thing you have done tonight,” the voice said.
“Are you going to kill me?” Tina squeaked out. She had been in some tight spots before, but never this tight.
“Sister, the only reason you aren’t dead already is because I don’t want to have to clean up the mess,” the man said, his voice cold enough to freeze water. When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “What are you doing in here, besides the obvious?”
Tina swallowed hard. “I just needed a place to sleep, and something to eat, so…”
“So you aren’t trying to steal my hog?” he interrupted, his disbelief clear in his tone.
“No. I broke in, and ate some stuff out of the ‘fridge. And I was going to sleep on the couch. But…”
“But what?”
“But … never mind,” she said as she sagged against the Harley. She was beaten and she knew it. “Just shoot me, or call the cops, or do whatever it is you’re going to do. I just don’t care anymore.”
There was a long pause. Then the voice said, “Turn around.”
Tina turned and faced a man dressed only in a pair of denim jeans and nothing else. Tall, at least 6’2”, and finely muscled with dark hair, the man had a roguish handsomeness about him. At the moment, he looked sleep tossed and pissed, but she was just too tired to notice more. In three more hours, she would have been up for twenty-four hours straight, not to mentioned stressed out for the last nine.
“Can’t shoot me in the back and claim you felt threatened, is that it?” Tina asked.
“If all you wanted was food, why were you pushing the bike?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got all night.”
Tina sighed. “I’m on parole after pulling a year for B&E. Some chick was hassling me tonight and I punched her out. What I didn’t know at the time was her daddy was a deputy sheriff. Anyway, I stole a car, and … well … here I am. I don’t have any money, and I’ve been up since six this morning. I’m trying to get to Texas, trying to start my life over again. I just needed a place to sleep and something to eat. I ate all the hotdogs in your fridge. I was going to sleep on the couch and leave in the morning.”
“And the bike?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it belonged to you. I thought this place was a breaker and the bike was already stolen. I just needed some wheels.”
“You expect me to believe that if you knew the bike belonged to someone, you wouldn’t have stolen it?”
“No, I guess not. You have no reason to believe me.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Tina asked, afraid to know the answer as the man took her by the shoulder and pushed her along.
“We’re going to check out your story.” He steered her into the lounge and walked her past the trash. On top was an empty hotdog package. “You came in through that window?” he asked in surprise as he eyed the opening. The window is so narrow, he wouldn’t have thought anyone other than a kid could squeeze through it.
“Yeah. It was a tight squeeze, but I have been in tighter.”
“What’s your name?”
“Tina.”
“Okay, Tina. Where are you from?”
“Here. New Mexico. I was living in Santa Fe. I worked at the Honda dealer washing cars.”
“You had a steady job?”
“That’s right. I did. Up until tonight. I don’t want to go back inside. I was trying to turn my life around.”
“So why did you start a fight?”
“Who said I started it?”
“You didn’t start it? Then why did you run?”
“I was sitting there, minding my own business. I was getting a promotion at work and I was feeling good. I just wanted to have a beer or two and maybe get laid. And this bitch knocked my beer over. Got it all over me and her both. She got a little mouthy. I tried to walk away, but she grabbed me and … well … I hit her. Then the bouncer tossed us both out on our asses and she wanted to rumble. Her friend tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. So I hit her again, harder this time. Knocked her ass down that time. Then I find out her old man is a cop. Now, you tell me, who is he going to believe? His own daughter with the bloody nose or me, the ex-con, without a scratch on her?”
“So you went from being involved in a petty bar fight to grand theft auto? Where’s the car now?”
“Yeah. Maybe in hindsight that wasn’t the smartest move I have ever made. I had to stop for gas in ABQ and a cop pulled up beside. I was inside the store, and I didn’t stick around to find out why he was there.” She had no intention of telling him about the other car or the gun in her back.
“And you walked from Albuquerque to all the way out here?”
“Yeah.”
He was silent for a moment. “Get out.”
“What?” Tina asked in shock.
“I should kick your ass, or turn you over to the cops, but I’m feeling generous. So get out.”
“You’re letting me go?”
“If you will get your ass out.”
“Why?” Tina asked, edging toward the door, but not turning her back on the man, afraid of what he might do if she did.
“Because I don’t feel like kicking your ass right now, and turning you over to the cops takes too much time, effort, and paperwork. But if I ever catch you here again, it will different. Understand?”
Tina nodded, then stepped forward and gave him a hug. “Thank you. I’m sorry. You will never see me again, I promise,” she said before backing away and hurrying to the door.