Part 6

"Hello, hello-- Letty!" Vince cried into the phone receiver.

He waited for a response, but nothing....

"Letty?" He asked again, "Letty grl-- that you? Come on grl...."

But again, nothing-- Just as Vince was about to speak up yet again, he heard the soft click of the phone on the other line. She had hung up--

"Damnit....... Fuck!!" Vince hollered. "Why the hell had she not spoken up?" He thought and then answered himself, "You know why man-- she�s afraid of Dom find�in out."

Vince had been sitt�in in back of the shop since Let had called. It was all run�in thru his mind-- What to do about Let. He knew she wouldn�t have called had it not been urgent. Letty and him-- they had become like family. She was like his kid sister. He didn�t know exactly when it had happened. One day he had just looked at her and known that he would protect her with his life. Somewhere throughout the years, the two had taken to one another. Neither had experienced a great childhood and it seemed that what they had between the two of them kinda made up for it. They were as close as blood relatives could get-- maybe even closer.

Vince took another puff of his cigarette and then tossed it to the ground, crushing it with the heel of his boot. He�d find her. He had checked his caller ID the moment after she had hung up, and had written the number down. All he had to do now was to find out where the number had come from.

"Tomorrow," Vince said to himself.

Tomorrow he�d find out where she was and he�d go from there.....

It ended up taking somewhere near three weeks to get it all planned out and into action. He told Dom that he was go�in out of town for a bit to release some tension and to maybe look at a few cars as possible build-ups. Dom had argued some at first, asking who would replace him at the shop, but them gave in shortly after. Since all the shit had gone done in Cali, Dom seemed to have grown a soft spot and V was just glad to be there at the moment.

And so Vince found himself behind the wheel and on the road. He drove, all the while pondering what was in store for him once he reached his destination. What had scared Letty so badly that she had called him seeking his voice and had also made her hang up without a word.... He didn�t know yet, but he was determined to find out.

Hours and miles later, Vince was still at the wheel. He had somehow managed to push the situation to the side for a while and was just enjoying the feel of the wheel beneath his fingers and the smooth vibrations of the engine thrumming. The windows were rolled down in invitation to the sweet coolness of the night, and the wind rolled thru the atmosphere of the stuffy vehicle catching in the damp curls that laid on V�s forehead. It was humid, but it was just the way Vince loved it: a night ride in the solitude of nature. To most, Vince was just a wiley coyote. Most people saw him as a no good piece of white trash with a temper to rival the devil himself, but beneath it all-- there was a soul that thrilled at nature and god, and at all the wonders of the world. Just-- most people wouldn�t dare to take the road less traveled and give the old coyote a chance to shed his second skin.

All of a sudden, V�s head snapped to the side and he hit the brakes with force. There on his left stood an old wooden sign with faded, peeling paint--

"Welcome to Saren, " it read--

Vince�s breath came in labored huffs, as his fingers searched the steering wheel with steel talons. He was there, in Saren-- he was so close to Let. But it was night, and he would have to wait for morning. He thought on it and realized that in order to put up a fight with Letty, he was going to need some energy himself. His best bet was to find that motel and head in for the remainder of the night and to start out at first light. Vince eased his foot back slightly from the break pedal and regained his focus. He relaxed his grip and put the car into forward motion. Rolling on down the old highway, Vince entered the town and found himself before the bright red glare of a worn-out Vacancy sign......

Maybe 10, 15 minutes later, Vince had acquired a room and had thrown himself onto the stale bed. He didn�t bother to peel his clothes off or to move under the covers. He had simply kicked his boots off and dove right for the bed. He laid there moments not catching onto the rhythm of sleep. He starred up at the rotting ceiling in the dim light from beyond and was blank. He thought nothing, but instead was paralyzed-- and then he was gone, drifting to the melodies of the night.

As the first golden rays of early morning light seeped thru frail curtains, Vince�s lids lifted and his mind easily worked its way to consciousness. It was morning. He looked over to his side at the glowing numbers on the alarm clock and read,

"6:45...."

He slowly rolled himself out of bed and sat at the bed�s edge while rubbing his aching right shoulder. The joint was often sore now as result of the stress and damage of the accident. After soothing its aching, V decided on a quick, hot shower before heading out. V threw his clothes on the bed and headed for the bathroom.

Vince emerged from his motel room almost 20 minutes later, wearing the same clothes as the day before-- his black mesh shirt layered over a white wifebeater, showing off the art of his many tattoos. He made his way to the motel office and a bell jingled as he walked in. Seconds later, a small elderly man appeared at the desk. His hair was peppered gray and he had a thick mustache. His looks, however, were not deceiving, V knew his kind-- he would be easily bought. V walked up to the counter and laid a hand down before the man.

"I�m look�in for someone, " he said, "A woman who has been stay�in here."

"I�m sorry sir, but we cannot release any client information. It�s against policy" the man spoke.

"Well," Vince stated, " She�s my sister-- so�s I�m not just anyone. Something has come up and I�m need�in to get in touch with her. She�s got brownish-black hair just past her shoulders and caramel, honey toned skin and she�s maybe this tall.." he finished motioning with his hands.

As the man�s mouth twitched with movement, V pulled out his wallet and laid a fifty on the counter. The man stuttered and closed his mouth, looking nervously from the bill to Vince.

On instinct the man�s hand moved towards the counter, but stopped inches away as he looked up and said, "Yes, there was a woman.... a Miss Rodriguez in room ten. She looked about as you say, but she left last week...... I do now where you can find her though-- at the garage down the street. U keep going straight, then you....."

Vince strolled out to his car with a smile on his face--

"Hell," he said with a chuckle, "That�s my grl-- shoulda known I�d find her in the nearest garage--"

He opened his driver side door and got in, and then started his engine and pulled out onto the street. He passed a few buildings and the grocery store, and all to soon found himself before what he deemed to be the garage he was looking for. It seemed to be a service station to. He pulled on up to the gas tanks as he was low on fuel anyways and excited his car, leaning against its side with his hands in his pockets. As V looked up, his gaze fell to that of a tall, well defined man with long dark hair.

The man approached and tipped his head slightly in greeting and voiced a hearty, "Morn�in Stranger."

"Morn�in," Vince stated, "Fill �er up."

The man gave another nod of the head and replied, "All right then."

After the car�s tank was full, V followed the man into the garage�s small front desk and paid what he owed. V pretended to glance around at the various supplies behind the counter and then looked up at the man.

"This the only garage in town?" Vince asked.

"Yes," the man answered.

Just then, a voice drifted thru from a side door that was being pulled open.

"Ash, where�d you put that damn........"

--But the voice broke apart as it�s owner stepped into the room--

Vince looked straight towards the owner of the voice and his glare softened.

"You knew I�d come," he stated, "It�s okay now baby grl. I�m here--"

"Vince....." Letty spoke up with tears strangling her words, and then dropped the soiled rag from her hands and hoisted herself towards his outstretched arms.

V caught her and lifted her from her feet into his arms, rocking her slightly.

"Man grl, U don� know how damn much I�ve missed hav�in ya around." he said.

Letty squeezed her arms around him even tighter and pulled back her head as he sat her down onto the concrete floor-- and cracked a complete, glowing smile at him.

"Man Bro, I missed U to-- more than you know. So how ya liv�in?"

Ash looked on in thought as he watched Letty emerge as a butterfly from the cocoon that she had tightly been constructing. He wondered just who this man was that had brought out her rarely given smiles--

And Vince, he played along for the moment-- as though nothing were amiss. And as he stood there making small talk, he looked at Letty-- he really looked at her. --Something was different, very different. It was almost as if her body had taken on subtle changes. Vince could feel it in his body all the way to his core--

-- a massive, brewing storm hovered overhead.......