The Long Drive into the Wilderness

Maggie had been quiet for the first two hours, only answering him with her preference when they had stopped for coffee and a fast-food sausage biscuit. She'd spent the rest of the morning staring out the window, her face pensive.

People hate uncomfortable silence, he thought, so I guess it's just a matter of time.

True to his guess, Maggie lasted less than fifteen minutes. She stirred and looked at him. "It's kind of tense in here without the background noise."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"So what's the plan? Are you staying in Oklahoma City?"

"For the moment but not forever. What about you?"

She shrugged. "Like I said, I have nowhere to go. Do you have a job or anything lined up? Do you know anyone here?"

"Not a soul. I plan on getting a regular job, keeping a very low profile, and working on the next step."

"Then I think we should stay together." She eyed him. "And you should shave your head and grow a beard. I already changed my hair color. Change your appearance and they won't be looking for the right people."

Dale didn't have the heart to tell her that the Petrovs would be pressing hard to find his fake identity, which would lead them right to him, regardless of his appearance. Thank God I used two different sources for my two sets of ID.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Maggie continued. "And we should get married."

He blinked. "What?"

"That would help disguise us even more."

"Uh, no."

"Pose as married, then--or at least, as boyfriend and girlfriend. Once you're ready to move on, we can 'break up' and go our separate ways."

"That is a terrible idea."

She swiveled in her seat. "Am I that unappealing that you couldn't stand to be seen with me?"

"Of course not," Dale said, thankful he--for once--knew the correct answer.

"Well, what's the problem, then?"

"The problem is that I'm not equipped--mentally or financially--to take on responsibility for someone else right now."

"I'll get a job. I can take care of myself. You won't have to do anything for me. My last name is Johnson--and Margaret is my middle name. My first name is Allison. Do you know how many Allison Johnsons there are in the country? The odds of them finding us based on my name are slender, so I don't add any risk for you. Two sets of eyes are better than one, and two brains are better than one. I've fired a gun before and you can help me get better. We'd be better off together."

Dale forced himself to keep his eyes on the road. He licked his lips. "I guess I know what you've been thinking about this whole time."

"I figured I had to have a strong argument or you were going to tell me no."

"I'm still going to tell you no."

Maggie chuckled. "You're thinking in terms of liabilities, not assets. You have to ask if the benefit of having a second person with you outweighs the risk of the same."

"I am." Dale took a deep breath. "I don't trust you, Maggie. I can't."

Her eyes bored into his. "Can't trust me, or can't trust yourself?"

"Either. Both." He shrugged. "Same difference. Maggie, I'm not a hero. If Yuri catches up to us with blood on his mind, I can't say I wouldn't hand you over to him to save myself."

"Do you think you would?"

Dale didn't know for sure either way, so he deflected. "Wouldn't you do the same?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"There you go."

Maggie nodded, as if she'd guessed his thoughts. "I know it's a risk but no more than my other options. I'm sorry if the suggestion of marriage startled you. You're right, it was dumb. I was just brainstorming and something told me they wouldn't be looking for a married couple. It was for form's sake, I promise." She took a deep breath. "We'll be in Oklahoma City in a few hours. Give me a day or two to change your mind." She smiled. "And no, I don't mean by sleeping with you. If I can't, I'll go my own way and won't ask anything further. Deal?"

Unsure what else to do, Dale nodded.

Fuck me sideways.

#

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while wondering, for the tenth time, what the hell he was doing. The temptation to drive away was all but overpowering but he kept the vehicle where it was.

God damn it, Dale. You and your bleeding heart.

Maggie emerged from the gas station's convenience store, a plastic bag swinging from one hand. She caught Dale's gaze through the windscreen and beamed him a high-powered smile before climbing into the passenger seat. As she shut the door, she said, "I half-expected you to drive off and leave me."

"I thought about it."

"Well, I won't complain that you didn't." She paused. "I really spooked you earlier, didn't I?"

"Yeah."

She dug into the bag. "I get the impression it was more than a run-of-the-mill reluctance at my suggested cover story." Her eyes darted his direction though she kept her head down.

Dale looked away. Without answering her, he pulled away from the pump, turned onto the on-ramp, and continued west. When he'd left Virginia, he'd only had the shell of a plan in place--the barest details that he'd have to sketch in as he went. Events in Tennessee had derailed his intent to generate something more comprehensive.

He glanced at the woman next to him, who rested her elbow by the window, her chin in her palm, and stared at the passing scenery. The smart move, Dale knew, was to ditch her, to leave her somewhere and disappear. That would mean going further than Okie City, since she knew he'd be there. He thought, Maybe if Yuri catches up to Maggie, he'll be satisfied with that.

Dale suppressed a harsh laugh. Yuri wouldn't be satisfied until he had Dale's balls on a platter.

And more than that, in defiance of both his ruthless mind and sense of self-preservation ... he couldn't abandon her. Something about the young woman made him want to protect her. She reminded him of--

He wrenched his mind away from where that line of thought had been taking him.

An hour later, they came to the outskirts of Oklahoma City. A steady wind blew perpendicular across the interstate--strong enough for him to notice but not really enough to affect his driving. He watched dirt swirl in the gusts and eddies. The entire land seemed to be one giant dust bowl, straight out of a John Steinbeck novel. He pursed his lips. "Kind of a desolate landscape, isn't it?"

Maggie shrugged. "I grew up in West Texas before my folks moved to Iowa when I was thirteen, so this is normal to me."

"Whereabouts?"

"A town called Odessa. You remember that show Friday Night Lights, about the high school football team? The town in that show was loosely based on Odessa.

"I've heard high school football is popular in Texas."

"Practically a religion. Are you a sports fan?"

"I used to like hockey when I was young but I lost interest when I got in my twenties."

Maggie crossed one knee over the other. She was wearing the same mid-thigh bicycle shorts she'd worn the night before, and he found his attention drawn to the smooth skin of her sleek legs. Maggie said, "What took its place?"

Dale returned his eyes to the road. "I got married."

Maggie's eyes widened. "You mean--"

"It's been over for a while."

"Oh." She licked her lips. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It was for the best. What about you? Any ex-husbands I need to worry about?"

"No, I never crossed that line." She lowered her gaze. "I came close with Vasily but ..." She trailed off.

The vision of his erstwhile-comrade's blood-splattered face filled Dale's mind. All he said was, "Yeah, okay."

Not really knowing where he needed to go, Dale drove all the way through the city until he spotted another no-name motel, to which he exited and pulled in. The clerk--a bald guy with a pot belly peeking from under his tee shirt--made no issue of renting the room early, or for cash. Dale didn't see any security cameras and the guy seemed more interested in swatting flies than paying Dale any attention, which suited him just fine.

He returned to the car. "All right, I paid for two nights. This place is pretty low-key so unless Yuri and his crew get wind of my ID, they shouldn't be able to pin us down yet."

Maggie nodded.

"I need to look for a job and an apartment, preferably ones that are close to one another. I guess you need a job too."

"Absolutely. Like I said, I want to pull my weight. I don't want to freeload, Dale. If I do, you'll kick me loose, right? And I think my best chances are sticking with someone who has a vested interest in not being found by the same people. That makes us partners, right?"

"Pretty much," Dale replied. "We won't be getting married, because neither of us need to be putting our names on official documents any more than we have to." He hesitated, then plunged on. "I'd prefer to pretend we're brother and sister, but if you want to pose as my girlfriend, we can do that."

"If I'm your girlfriend, then I don't have to worry about people hitting on me." She chuckled. "Other than you of course."

"That's fine, Maggie, but understand something: this cover story doesn't come with any expectations. I am not going to demand sex. We'll split whatever chores need to be done. We do need to be honest with each other about what we're seeing and hearing out there. If you get a whiff of Yuri or his people, you have to tell me immediately, and vice versa. You also can't be going out partying or anything. Neither of us can. We're supposed to be a couple and that would draw attention. If and when you meet someone you're interested in ... we'll address that then. Do you think that will work?"

Maggie was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was guarded. "I think that will work."

#

They stayed in the rundown hotel for three nights before Dale was able to find a job loading trucks at a building supply yard. Maggie insisted on them sleeping in the same bed each night, saying it was stupid for him to sleep on the floor when there was a bed available ... and each night, she snuggled against him, though they both remained dressed. Their last morning in the motel, he awoke after a full seven hours of sleep spooned against her. It took him a few moments to recognize that was the longest uninterrupted sleep he'd had in over two years.

Maggie proved her resourcefulness by locating the tiny one-bedroom furnished apartment that was immediately available only two blocks from his job. Dale thought the place was a dump but it was clean and he could easily afford it on his own, let alone with her contributions. Within a day of that, she found a job working line prep in a diner several blocks in the other direction. Neither of them would get rich but Dale figured they'd both be able to sock away some running money if it came to that.

It took him about an hour on the job to spot two of his fellow employees deep in the piles of lumber and pallets of concrete bags engaged in what was clearly some kind of drug deal. He stowed that information away for his own reasons. Unsavory people knew other unsavory people, including those who could forge him a set of new identification documents. He let his hair and beard grow out. Dale knew that wouldn't protect him from any real scrutiny but it might allow him to get by at a casual or distant glance.

For her part, Maggie was a perfect roommate. She let him know when and where she was going, and--via the cheap flip phones he'd installed with burner apps--was always on the ball if she was going to be late or delayed. He got a beater sedan with his dwindling cash reserve and she demonstrated another positive when she took over the routine maintenance, saying that her father had taught her basic automotive care. Before long, she had the car running better than it had when he bought it. She took care of more than her share of tasks at the apartment and again insisted Dale share the lone bed in the bedroom, though they gave each other privacy for showers and getting dressed.

Maggie remained pleasant and upbeat, and Dale discovered she had a silly, juvenile sense of humor. They'd been in the apartment for a month when, as he walked in the door one day after work, she'd greeted him, waited until he took off his boots, then doused him with a can of Silly String before she ran giggling to the bedroom. He'd chased her and tossed her to the bed, where Dale tickled her until she cried uncle. They had both ended up tangled up and laughing before extracting themselves.

Apart from that, she made sure to hug him each night and thank him for not turning her out and for keeping them safe. In turn, he began to thank her for all her hard work in the apartment and out. They ate dinner together most nights and talked about their days. They spent their weekends and time off cleaning or just hanging out and talking. He realized she didn't really like television or sports, though she enjoyed a wide variety of movies. Unwilling to spend much time online for security reasons--which limited their ability to stream--they scrounged a DVD player at a thrift store and picked up used movies at a local swap meet. They'd sit on their ratty couch and watch together. Maggie would often fall asleep with her head on his shoulder. The first time, Dale didn't know what to think, other than he enjoyed her body next to his. After that, he welcomed the opportunity and would put his arm around her.

At one of those trips to the swap meet, they had been flipping through a pile of DVDs when Maggie spotted a jacket she wanted to look at in the next stall. Dale nodded and kept browsing while she moved a few feet away. He found something that looked good and went to ring it up.

The vendor gave him change and smiled. "Hope you and your wife like this."

"Wife? No, we're just dating."

"Oh, sorry," the woman said. "You looked so comfortable together I thought you'd been married for a while."

Dale nodded, though he glanced at Maggie, who caught him looking and smiled.

He resisted the urge to probe about her past and she respected the same boundary, which made their chats light and easy. Dale found her intelligent and empathetic and his level of comfort with Maggie increased daily, growing to the point that he found that he looked forward to returning to their apartment each night--and he thought she felt the same. Because of their work shifts, Maggie both left earlier than him and was home first. When he entered the apartment, she always had a smile on her face as she greeted him.

He made some discreet inquiries around the yard and made contact with a guy who did produce false documents. Dale paid for a set for himself and, after some hesitation, procured a set for Maggie as well. When he showed them to her, she said, "What's this?"

"Remember when I had you take those pictures in the booth? Fresh license, birth certificate, and Social Security card for you, in case we have to run again."

Maggie gazed at the paperwork, then met his stare. "You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to take, uh, take a worry off your mind." He had started to say, "to take care of you," but stopped himself.

From the look on her face, Maggie had known exactly what he meant. Her eyes shone with gratitude and something Dale couldn't quite place. She said, "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing, Maggie. I just wanted you to have options, like ..." He hesitated. "Like if you wanted to move on."

Her smile made his toes curl. Maggie stretched her neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. As for options, I'll stay here."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

Her answer made Dale feel better than he wanted to admit.

Less than a month later, their document guy was killed in a shootout with another gang and his house burned to the ground. Dale felt a twinge of self-loathing that news of the fire brought only relief, as any paper trail to their fresh IDs were now erased.

Watching Maggie strut around the apartment in her shorts and tank tops reminded Dale he hadn't been with a woman in over a year. Seeing her on her tiptoes as she bent over the interior of the car engine--which put her toned legs and tight ass on particular display--gave him instant erections. Circumstances being what they were, he indulged in a lot of hasty spank sessions in the shower. He suspected she knew what she was doing to him but Maggie didn't directly flirt or give any outward sign that their relationship was anything but platonic convenience. Unsure about her intentions and unwilling to rock the boat, Dale kept his growing attraction--and sexual edginess--to himself.

On examination, he realized that he was becoming attracted to her more and more with each passing day. Maggie was cheery and bright and her toothy smile warmed him to his toes. Every time she pressed her body against him, he was reluctant to let her go. Her evening greetings grew to always include a kiss on the cheek, and he caught her speculative gaze on him all the time--and each time she would blush and look away. Maggie had always held his hand when they were out--to "maintain the image," she'd said--but he noticed that each time she did, her thumb stroked his hand. Dale thought her hugs grew longer and harder over time but given his own turbulent feelings, he wasn't sure if he was only seeing what he wanted to see, instead of what was true.

For the first few weeks, he kept on his toes, ever-vigilant for some sign of Yuri Petrov or any of the family's goons to show up ... but he hadn't gotten a single hint or uneasy feeling. He was tempted to check his old secure email to see if his handler had tried to contact him but given how he'd been forced to flee, Dale knew that was suicide. He stressed to Maggie that she needed to be ready to leave at the drop of a hat and she'd agreed, keeping a running bag ready, right alongside his. All in all, after almost three months in Oklahoma City, Dale had no complaints and even felt himself slipping into a state of complacency.

That complacency made it all the more jarring the night Maggie told him she had a date.

Dale stared at her, unsure if he'd heard right. "A date?"

"Yeah, I told my coworkers you and I were going through a break, even though we were still living together until one of us could move out. One of the guys at work asked me to come hang out at his place tomorrow after work." She kept her eyes on the saucepan and continued to stir. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I ..." It took Dale a moment to realize that he did mind. The notion that she was endangering their cover barely touched his mind. He'd gotten so used to having Maggie at home with him every night that the idea of her being out with people he didn't know made Dale very uncomfortable, and something else. It took him a few seconds to recognize that "something" as jealousy and possessiveness. He quickly tamped down on it. "I ... I guess not."

Maggie glanced at him. Some emotion flickered across her face, and was gone before he could identify it. She said, "Don't worry about Jim. He's only twenty-two and he grew up here all his life, so I don't think he's a threat to rat us out."

"Twenty-two? That's a bit young, isn't it?" Dale knew he was being petulant. He heard the tone in his voice and hated that he'd let it slip out.

Maggie shrugged without looking up. "Is it? You've never asked me how old I am. Besides, being young means more stamina, right? Don't worry, I'll have dinner done for you before I go, you'll just have to heat it up."

Dale retreated to the bedroom. He stared out the window at the parking lot of the complex. The pane had been dingy and clouded when they moved in but Maggie had cleaned it with dogged determination, like she did everything else. She'd really treated their apartment like a home.

It is a home, he thought. Or maybe it was an illusion. Maybe I just wanted one so badly that I was imagining it. Maybe she was never as invested as I thought and I was just lying to myself.