When the Road Went Silent novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: The Tuesday Run

Boone didn't look at Cade's finger.

He looked at the old man, then at me, and his red face went grey.

"He's saying anything to save his skin," Boone said. "You all know that."

"Then answer one thing," I said. "Who rode escort on the Tuesday run last week?"

A young man by the wall raised two fingers.

He was a prospect, barely twenty, and he wouldn't look at Boone.

"Me and three others," he said. "Hatch sent us ahead to the diner at the bridge. He said the truck was running late and he'd bring it in himself."

"Did the truck come?"

"No, ma'am."

"I keep the books," I said to the room. "The treasury paid the hauler three hundred and forty thousand dollars for a load that never arrived. My husband told me it was a bad debt."

Every head turned to Cade.

"Boone said to write it that way," Cade said hoarsely. "He said it would blow over."

"You signed a lie into my father's books."

"I didn't know where the truck went!"

"But you knew it went somewhere," said the old man.

Cade shut his mouth.

Boone slapped both hands flat on the table.

"Fine," he said. "You want to hear it? The Hounds paid me a hundred grand to point that truck at them. They'd have paid more for the road itself."

Nobody breathed.

"Gene would have sold this club in five years," Boone said. "He was dying and too proud to say so. I was the only one with the stomach to get something out of it."

"My father's name does not go in your mouth," I said.

"He's dead. He doesn't care."

"I do."

I took the ring off my thumb, laid it on the table and put my hand over it.

"Boone Tackett. Until this club votes on you, you don't ride, you don't sign and you don't hold a patch. Your keys go on the table."

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then he dug in his vest, took out a ring of keys and threw it down so hard it skidded to the old man's hand.

"You think the Hounds will let this go?" he said. "They've been promised Lake Road."

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