Chapter 51

Not too much later, I’d parked the car as close to the back entrance of the motel as possible. I left Coop—and my backpack—in the car, went around to the front, saluted the desk clerk when he looked over at me, then continued on as if I was headed to the elevators. I walked past them to the end of the hallway, opened the back door and returned to the car. First, I put Coop’s gun in the backpack, which I put it in the trunk for the time being. Then I carefully eased Coop out of the car. He was back with me at that point—barely—which made getting him into the motel, and the elevator, minimally easier, since he wasn’t dead weight. When we got to our room, I pulled back the covers on the bed. After grabbing towels from the bathroom to put under his side I helped him lie down. A missing towel or two? Hell. They’d think we’d done like half the other tourists and taken them as souvenirs. A sheet? Not so much so. And explaining blood stains on the mattress would be a no-go.