He was now shivering uncontrollably as ice formed in his eyebrows and his face changed to a dark shade of blue.

“You better start talking,” I said.

He hesitated as his eyes drifted past me to the path that disappeared into the woods on the hills.

I rose to my feet, like I was out of patience. Actually, I really was done with this whining fake tough guy. The woman was safe, and I had no more time to waste. I turned and took one step before I heard him say, “Okay, okay.”

He had the manic speech of a guy who was not only scared but maybe on too much speed or meth. No wonder I found these guys through a drug dealer. What else was there to do up here so isolated?

“Was there a girl here? Fourteen, cute, brown hair?”

Couch Potato Man shrugged and said, “I guess.”

This time I grabbed him by the throat. It felt like I was holding a block of ice. But it got his attention.

He nodded his head. “She was here, she was here, but I’m not sure where she went. She wasn’t supposed to see anything. No one was. It was just a misunderstanding.”

I looked at the cabin in the wilderness and said, “Why are you here? What the hell are you asswipes doing?”

“Look, I answered your question. Do you want to find the girl or not?”

I was tired of being jerked around. I had a lot of questions that needed to be answered. I lost it. I pulled my pistol from my belt and shoved it in the creep’s face. The barrel pushed against his nose, making him look like a terrified Porky Pig.

Couch Potato Man knew I was serious and called out, “Try the trail, try the trail.” He turned his head and I followed his eyes along the trail that led into the woods. “Straight up the path a ways. She might be up there.”

I realized this guy was like the devil. He could tell you what you wanted to hear, but it could also be a lie. The whole setup gave me a bad feeling.

I left the man on the ground as I released my grip and stood up. I said, “Tell me what you’re doing here. I don’t care what happens to you or the others, I need answers.”

Couch Potato Man looked up at me and said, “Who the hell are you anyway?”

“Just a guy worried about his family. Now talk.”

“I told you, mister, follow the path and you’ll find out everything you need to know.”

Then he told me a little about what I might find in the hills. And it didn’t sound inviting.

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

When I entered the cabin, shoving Couch Potato Man in front of me, the other guy who had shown up with the woman said, “You better not have said anything, Becker.”