Olivia, the previous year – late afternoon, day one
The truck bounces along the rough, dirt and gravel road, while Olivia continues to sleep. The sun is low in the sky, and it looks as if it could snow. Suddenly, the vehicle hits a deep pothole, jarring the cab violently, and causing the girl to awake with a start. She looks over at the driver for assurance, and instead is alarmed by the look she sees on his face. She’s seen the same leering expression before on the faces of teenaged boys, ogling her and her friends at a football game, or a school dance. At those times, it was a source of mild amusement, but in this case, it is cause for concern. Suddenly, she doesn’t feel safe.
Looking around, she observes the fact that they are no longer traveling on a main road. Where am I? she thinks. Panic begins to set in; her eyes well up with tears. “Where are we?” she cries.
Dave takes his foot off the gas pedal; the truck immediately begins to slow, the rough surface of the road acting as a secondary brake on the big semi. “It’s okay, Little Lady,” he replies. “It’s just a shortcut that I take sometimes.”
“But, why?” asks Olivia, with more than a little fear in her voice.
“Relax. It’s okay,” says Dave. “It’s a nice day, and I’m just enjoying the scenery. Besides, it saves me about twenty minutes.” He feels a bit guilty, but then assures himself that, indeed, he is telling the girl the truth. It really is a shortcut, and he’s taken it many times before – just not with a pretty girl sitting alongside him in the cab.
“You swear you’re not going to try any funny stuff?”
“God, no. I swear; it’s just a shortcut. I wouldn’t even think—”
“You better not. I’ll call the police. I swear it,” says Olivia. Her words belie her thoughts, which are mostly about what he might do to her.
Dave is perspiring profusely, and his brain is working at warp speed. He can’t afford any trouble, but he senses that this girl could be just that. Maybe he should get rid of her.
“Look,” he says, “if you want me to drop you off, I will. I just don’t want any problems, okay?”
Olivia is surprised by his offer. Maybe she was wrong. God knows she doesn’t really want to have to find her way out of this backcountry. She hasn’t a clue where she is. Besides, she reasons, he is a cripple. What harm could he possibly do?
“Okay, okay. Don’t get so excited,” she says. “I’ll stay. It’s just that I didn’t like the way you were looking at me. You know…like…horny or something. You’re not a perv, are you?”
Dave starts to smile. “No, I’m not a perv,” he says. “It’s just that I’m not around such a pretty lady very often. Well, okay, almost never. After all, I’m only human. Right?”
“Yeah, whatever,” replies Olivia, feeling somewhat foolish. “Hey. You can’t blame me. I mean, I don’t even know you. Not really.”
Dave wiggles a bit on the big leather seat. He can think of lots of clever answers, but decides not to reply instead. His silence speaks volumes to Olivia, who scrunches up closer against the door, and away from Dave.
Twenty minutes later, the truck rumbles over a rise in the road, and a cluster of building appears in the distance, down in a modest valley. There are a gas station, a diner, and a couple of small shops. As they approach the buildings, Olivia rolls the window down, and cranes her neck to read the small, white sign on the right side of the road announcing “Treadwell, population 475.” What appears to be a black and white, police cruiser, with a spotlight and whip antenna, is parked in the small parking lot adjacent to the diner. She decides to take her chances and asks Dave to drop her off.
“Are you sure?” he asks, incredulously.
“Yeah. I’d like to stretch my legs and maybe get something to eat,” she says. Then, sensing that she might have hurt the truck driver’s feelings, she adds, “I hope you don’t mind. I really enjoyed riding with you.”
Pulling the big rig to the side of the road, across from the diner, Dave turns to face Olivia, who already has the door open, and is about to climb out. “Look,” he says, “I hope you didn’t think I was—”
“What? A perv?” She smiles broadly. “Nah,” she says. “I just got a little nervous, just waking up like that and all. Forgive me?”
Dave blushes. “Yeah. Sure. No hard feelings?”
“Nope,” she replies. “I really appreciate the ride. I’ll be fine; don’t worry. Take care, okay?”
“Okay. You be careful, too.”
Dave waits until Olivia is safely on the side of the road, slips the big shift lever into gear, and slowly eases the tractor-trailer out onto the road.
From inside the diner, Red Buckner watches the whole scene with curiosity. As the truck pulls away, a smile creases his face, and he watches intently as the attractive, young girl crosses the road, and makes her way to the front door of the restaurant. He picks up the sports section from the newspaper spread out on the tabletop in his booth, and scans yesterday’s scores for that of the Yankees-Red Sox game. Olivia enters the diner, and takes a seat on a stool at the far end of the counter.
Olivia pays for her hamburger, fries, and soft drink, and makes her way outside. Red drops a dollar bill on the table, waves at the heavyset waitress behind the counter, and follows the girl out the door.
As Olivia walks past the old police cruiser, she peeks inside, and sees the police radio, hears its squawk, and feels a sense of security.
“Need a lift, Miss?” asks Red, from behind, his voice directed at the receding back of the teenaged girl, who has continued on.
Olivia stops, turns slowly, and looks back at Red’s imposing form. “Me?” she replies, finger pointed at her chest.
“Yeah, you,” says Red, with a big grin. “I couldn’t help noticing you get out of that semi. You are hitchhiking, aren’t you?”
Olivia’s radar goes into overdrive. “Oh, no. He was just a friend of mine.” She’s afraid there might be an alert out for her, and her journey might be over before it’s even begun.
“Hey, it’s okay,” says Red, as if reading her mind. “I don’t care. I just don’t want to see you get yourself in any trouble. If you know what I mean.” He winks after the last sentence.
Olivia feels the tension drain from her body. She has no idea where she is, and maybe this policeman can at least get her to where she can hitch a ride on a highway. She smiles sheepishly, and says, “Well, actually, I am kind of hitchhiking. I’m trying to get into the city.”
“Which one?” Red asks .
“New York. It’s the only one, as far as I’m concerned.”
Red grins, and Olivia realizes she’s been had.
“Oh, you…you’re just teasing me, aren’t you?” Her face reddens in embarrassment.
“Kinda,” says Red. “But, I’m serious about the ride. If I can get you someplace safe, at least I’ll feel better; knowing you’re okay. How ‘bout it; want a lift?”
“Sure,” replies Olivia. “I was kind of hoping to get to Roscoe. Actually, I thought that that was where the guy in the truck was taking me.”
“What happened?” asks Red, a look of concern on his face. “Did he try something?”
“No, no,” replies Olivia, shaking her head. “Honest. It’s just that he took a detour, and I think I got a little scared. That’s what he said, anyway. It was my idea to get off here.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah; I’m sure. I know he would have taken me to Roscoe. I made him let me off. Besides, I wanted something to eat.”
“Well, okay. If you say so. Anyway, why don’t you hop in, and I’ll run you over the mountain and into Roscoe.
Olivia breathes a sigh of relief, opens the big passenger door, and climbs inside. “Thanks, mister…I mean, Officer. I really appreciate the ride.”
“Not a problem. Buckle up, and we’ll have you in Roscoe in no time at all.”
Thirty seconds later, the big, black and white police cruiser leaps out of the parking lot, and heads off down the road in a cloud of dust.