An abandoned road - Absaroka County, Wyoming
"Where the fuck are we going?!" Vic shouted. "This is ridiculous. We're in the middle of nowhere!"
"I'm not even sure where I'm supposed to be going," The Ferg admitted with some hesitation. "Henry told me to drive West on this road and that I'd know where to stop when I see it."
Vic let out a sigh and sulked. "This is bullshit," she declared as she reached for her cell phone.
"Good luck getting a hold of him," The Ferg said as he watched her dial a number.
"I'm calling Ruby," Vic replied. "She always knows where he is. How'd you know where to pick me up?"
"Walt told me you'd be home," The Ferg responded before giving Vic an accusing look. "He didn't tell me you'd shoot at me."
"Well... you should have knocked!"
"I did knock!"
"Well... you should have told me who you were!" Vic shouted back just as Ruby came on the line. "No, I wasn't talking to you Ruby. I know who you are."
"I should think so," Ruby replied. "And if you're looking for Walt he's at the Red Pony.'
"I thought he was transporting Hector to the next county?" Vic asked rolling her eyes.
"Well something happened with that detective from Denver so-"
"Never mind, thanks Ruby," she said with a sigh as she started to dial the Red Pony's number.
"You know most people look through the peephole when-"
"Not now, Ferg," Vic said giving him a look while the phone rang.
Vic had been expecting the smooth greeting that Henry always gives when he answers the business line. Instead it was her boss.
"Red Pony."
Vic frowned for a second or two. "Walt? What are you doing answering the phone at the bar?"
"Because Henry just got arrested," Walt replied tersely.
"What?! Why?"
"Because the Denver police thinks Henry murdered the guy who murdered my wife," Walt replied. Again, tersely.
"Jesus Christ, Walt!" Vic shouted and holding up a hand to The Ferg to keep his mouth shut and asking questions. "Then what the hell am I doing out here while-"
"Vic!"
"Seriously, you need my help! Christ! Did you forget I was in homicide before I-"
"Vic! Shut up!" Walt bellowed. "I don't need you here right now! In fact it'd be best if your were just completely off the map for a while."
"Why? Is this because of Lizzie?" Vic groaned. "I swear, Walt. I want nothing to do with-"
"It's got nothing to do with Lizzie," Walt snapped. "It has to do with a certain deputy hiring a certain Indian named Hector to go beat the shit out of another certain police officer from out of town."
Shit. Vic didn't say anything for a long moment or two. She didn't even breathe for that time period as well. How the hell did he know that?
"Walt..."
"I don't want to hear it and I don't want to know," Walt replied. "Between Gorski and Hector it's best for all of this if you take a transfer until this whole thing blows over. Henry told me about a place and they had an opening there at their station. I had Ruby make arrangements. I don't want to hear anything about it. You're going there. You hear me?"
Vic let out a very long sigh. "Fine. I'm going. But where exactly am I going?"
"Dunno," Walt replied. "Fan-something."
"That's really specific, Walt," Vic shot back sarcastically. "How is Ferg supposed to get me there if even he doesn't know where it is?
"Well, Henry was a little vague on the topic on account of him getting arrested and all," Walt replied in even tones. "I expect you'll get there when you get there. Ferg will give you his Bronco and then I'll send Branch to pick him up in a bit."
"Okay! Well thanks for sending me some place nobody knows about or knows how to get there!" Vic snarked.
"You're welcome," Walt replied, no doubt missing the sarcasm. Or just accepting the sarcasm. He tended to do that a lot.
"Well apparently Ferg, we're suppose to-"
Ferg slammed on the brakes throwing Vic, her phone and some of her hastily gathered belongings among the front seat.
"What the hell?" she shouted.
The Ferg's eyes were big and round and his mouth was hanging opened. He didn't say a word and pointed at the big giant glowing portal standing in front of the car.
"Shit," Vic said pulling down her sunglasses. "God damn it, Walt. Where the hell are you sending me?"
The Ferg shook his head and started to get out of the car. "I don't know, Vic. This is crazy. Like... Twilight Zone crazy."
"No, shit," Vic replied as she moved into the driver's seat.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" The Ferg gasped. "I mean who knows what that even is?"
"Don't know," Vic said taking a huge breath. "But I'm going through it."
"Are you nuts?!" The Ferg shouted.
"No," Vic said quietly. "I just trust Walt."
And with that being said she pushed down on the accelerator and the Bronco zoomed through the portal.
[NFI & NFB. What do you expect? It's a backstory post!]
"I'm not even sure where I'm supposed to be going," The Ferg admitted with some hesitation. "Henry told me to drive West on this road and that I'd know where to stop when I see it."
Vic let out a sigh and sulked. "This is bullshit," she declared as she reached for her cell phone.
"Good luck getting a hold of him," The Ferg said as he watched her dial a number.
"I'm calling Ruby," Vic replied. "She always knows where he is. How'd you know where to pick me up?"
"Walt told me you'd be home," The Ferg responded before giving Vic an accusing look. "He didn't tell me you'd shoot at me."
"Well... you should have knocked!"
"I did knock!"
"Well... you should have told me who you were!" Vic shouted back just as Ruby came on the line. "No, I wasn't talking to you Ruby. I know who you are."
"I should think so," Ruby replied. "And if you're looking for Walt he's at the Red Pony.'
"I thought he was transporting Hector to the next county?" Vic asked rolling her eyes.
"Well something happened with that detective from Denver so-"
"Never mind, thanks Ruby," she said with a sigh as she started to dial the Red Pony's number.
"You know most people look through the peephole when-"
"Not now, Ferg," Vic said giving him a look while the phone rang.
Vic had been expecting the smooth greeting that Henry always gives when he answers the business line. Instead it was her boss.
"Red Pony."
Vic frowned for a second or two. "Walt? What are you doing answering the phone at the bar?"
"Because Henry just got arrested," Walt replied tersely.
"What?! Why?"
"Because the Denver police thinks Henry murdered the guy who murdered my wife," Walt replied. Again, tersely.
"Jesus Christ, Walt!" Vic shouted and holding up a hand to The Ferg to keep his mouth shut and asking questions. "Then what the hell am I doing out here while-"
"Vic!"
"Seriously, you need my help! Christ! Did you forget I was in homicide before I-"
"Vic! Shut up!" Walt bellowed. "I don't need you here right now! In fact it'd be best if your were just completely off the map for a while."
"Why? Is this because of Lizzie?" Vic groaned. "I swear, Walt. I want nothing to do with-"
"It's got nothing to do with Lizzie," Walt snapped. "It has to do with a certain deputy hiring a certain Indian named Hector to go beat the shit out of another certain police officer from out of town."
Shit. Vic didn't say anything for a long moment or two. She didn't even breathe for that time period as well. How the hell did he know that?
"Walt..."
"I don't want to hear it and I don't want to know," Walt replied. "Between Gorski and Hector it's best for all of this if you take a transfer until this whole thing blows over. Henry told me about a place and they had an opening there at their station. I had Ruby make arrangements. I don't want to hear anything about it. You're going there. You hear me?"
Vic let out a very long sigh. "Fine. I'm going. But where exactly am I going?"
"Dunno," Walt replied. "Fan-something."
"That's really specific, Walt," Vic shot back sarcastically. "How is Ferg supposed to get me there if even he doesn't know where it is?
"Well, Henry was a little vague on the topic on account of him getting arrested and all," Walt replied in even tones. "I expect you'll get there when you get there. Ferg will give you his Bronco and then I'll send Branch to pick him up in a bit."
"Okay! Well thanks for sending me some place nobody knows about or knows how to get there!" Vic snarked.
"You're welcome," Walt replied, no doubt missing the sarcasm. Or just accepting the sarcasm. He tended to do that a lot.
"Well apparently Ferg, we're suppose to-"
Ferg slammed on the brakes throwing Vic, her phone and some of her hastily gathered belongings among the front seat.
"What the hell?" she shouted.
The Ferg's eyes were big and round and his mouth was hanging opened. He didn't say a word and pointed at the big giant glowing portal standing in front of the car.
"Shit," Vic said pulling down her sunglasses. "God damn it, Walt. Where the hell are you sending me?"
The Ferg shook his head and started to get out of the car. "I don't know, Vic. This is crazy. Like... Twilight Zone crazy."
"No, shit," Vic replied as she moved into the driver's seat.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" The Ferg gasped. "I mean who knows what that even is?"
"Don't know," Vic said taking a huge breath. "But I'm going through it."
"Are you nuts?!" The Ferg shouted.
"No," Vic said quietly. "I just trust Walt."
And with that being said she pushed down on the accelerator and the Bronco zoomed through the portal.
[NFI & NFB. What do you expect? It's a backstory post!]