For as long as Boyd can remember, he's been pushing pins into a map. Carson City, Las Vegas, Albuquerque -- all places he wants to see, for a dozen different reasons that wouldn't mean a thing to anyone else. When he finally gets a chance to purchase the '70 Plymouth Duster of his dreams, at a price that even he can manage, Boyd jumps at the opportunity.<br><br>Oliver seems like just another kid with a broken dream when their paths cross in Vegas. Against Boyd's better judgment, he offers to let Oliver hitch along for the ride when Oliver confides the need to get out and get gone.<br><br>But isn’t long before Boyd realizes Oliver's reasons for running are more complicated -- and more dangerous -- than Oliver let on. Boyd doesn't like people who play hardball, and he definitely doesn't like people messing with a man who's managed to light a fuse that Boyd forgot he had.

Road Trip

“What makes you think she’s gonna let you come back then?”


Above them the balloons looked monstrous, and too close to the ground. Flames surged and died, surged and died, as the pilots controlled their descent.


“I’ll be honest,” Oliver said. “Tell her I have nowhere else to go. Promise to get a job and give her money. It’ll work. I’m sure of it.” He turned his face to look directly at Boyd and smiled a weak smile. “If a stranger is nice enough to help somebody like me, sure as hell she’s going to, right? I mean, we were family for a little while.”


Something buzzed far too close to the two of them and Boyd startled. “What in the fuck—”


Oliver’s expression darkened. He dug into his back pocket and pulled out a phone. “My phone. It’s telling me it’s dying. No more charge.”


“Ah,” Boyd nodded. “Sorry about that.”


Chapter 18