Hortons Bend

Mercedes and started to get out but Price was already walking towards their car. He stopped at the driver’s side window and said “Gentlemen, slight change of plans.”
    Ragland didn’t know what to say and instead looked over at Curtis. Price motioned to the backseat of their sedan and said “We’ve got too many vehicles on this road. I’m going to keep you company for a while.” With that he opened the back door and slid into the seat. “Everyone comfortable?” he asked from the back seat. They both nodded without looking back. “Good” said Price “but we’re going to find another location to park than the one you’ve chosen. Just go back in the direction from which we came and I’ll show you another spot.” Curtis obeyed and backed out carefully.
    It was dark now and Ragland had some difficulty spotting where Price wanted him to pull into. “Here it is! Stop right here” Price told him. “That’s it. Now slowly back in. We’ll be able to see what we need to see right here” he added. Ragland did as asked. Once again it was a location that he and Curtis had not noticed before. The location was overgrown and low lying privet limbs scratched the roof of his sedan. “Yeah that’s why he wanted to ride in my car” Ragland thought as he stopped the car. Price asserted his authority from the backseat. “All right fellas. I really don’t expect anybody to show up tonight but we do need to keep a watchful eye. We’ll need to get out from time to time and look down the road. Supposed to be a little front coming in tonight but I don’t expect a storm.” Price had already opened the door to the sedan and said as he was getting out “I’ll go first and keep an eye on things at the edge of the road.”
    Ragland looked over at his companion but didn’t say a word. The breeze had started and both men watched as the leaves swayed in the trees. They could both see Price standing near the road but he didn’t remain stationary . In a nervous manner he moved around from time to time. They both got out of the car and walked down to the road to break up the monotony. Price glanced over at them but didn’t say a word. The silence was broken when his cell phone rang and he walked back to the sedan. It was Banner calling to check in but Curtis and Ragland were not privy to this information. Price walked back but before anyone spoke a word the three men noticed a car coming in their direction. Instinctively they stepped back into the woods. As the vehicle went by, Price reacted immediately. “What the fuck is she doing out here?” he whispered. The other men said nothing since they neither recognized the vehicle nor the passenger in the dark. “I better call Banner back” was all Price said as he walked back to the car. Ragland and Curtis could barely make out his conversation. “Listen, Herschel. I just saw Barbara Peabody drive by. Now why in the hell would she be out this way?”His conversation was muffled briefly but picked up again. “Hey I don’t know. She’s the last person who I expected out here.”Both Curtis and Ragland strained to hear him but stopped trying when another vehicle was approaching. They could see the lights in the distance and turned towards Price to motion him in their direction. “Look. I’ve got to go. We’re here and I’ve got to get back where I can see. I’ll call later” he said as he hung up and walked over to the road.
    Jeanie drove her pickup slowly as she got closer to the King farm. Brody strained his eyes to see if he could make out the farm house. Lights were on, of course, but the rest of the area looked vacant. No tractor lights were present in the fields and that was a good sign. He told her to drive past the farm and turn around. He wanted to make one more pass and he would get out well above the driveway. There was a tree line along a small intermittent stream that he could walk and place him in the floodplain. Jeanie turned around about a half mile from the farm and drove back slowly. Neither noticed the two vehicles just inside the woods nor the three men who were watching them intently. When Jeanie came back during her second pass, Brody told her to slowly come to a stop. When she did he looked over at her. She carefully handed him the package. They made eye contact but Brody didn’t say a word but instead opened the door of the truck. He grabbed his backpack from the floorboard and slipped it on. Before closing the door and looked at her