Whispering Springs, New Mexico

Chapter Five

The day dawned bright and clear. Leisurely, Hektor Estevez entered the worn kitchen and lit the gas stove. It wasn't long before the percolator began to brew his morning pick-me-up. The aroma of fresh coffee filled his nostrils.

Lackadaisically, the older man sauntered into the service station office. Then, squatting before the old-fashioned safe, he spun the combination lock. A lone bank bag sat upon the middle shelf. He emptied it into the cash register. Other than the hippie's fiver, there had been no profit from the previous day.

Hektor wandered outside. The lonely road showed no sign of traffic. Returning to the office, he perched upon his stool.

With no excitement to capture his attention, Hektor's mind returned to the trio of young people. Why did they bother him so much? the older man wondered. There was something about them that what—amused him—perplexed him—haunted him? He'd never shown any interest in his customers. Why them?

Where were they? Hektor wondered. Were they at some flophouse in Albuquerque? Or were they in Whispering Springs? Every part of him wanted to believe they were in the city. However, he knew the ghost town had been their destination.

"Confound it!" Hektor exclaimed to the empty gas station office.

No one was going to stop here, Hektor finally decided. It wouldn't hurt him to take a ride out there. He would check it out then come right back.

Flipping the open sign to the closed side, the older man strolled to the wrecker parked beside the garage. He could take his pickup, but that bus looked ready to conk out. If they were stuck, he would have to pull them out. After cranking the engine several times, he finally began to roll.

The old road was more pitted than he remembered. Furthermore, the wrecker's shocks weren't in great shape either. Hektor's oversized gut swayed back and forth beneath the steering wheel as they jounced along. Still, he overrode thoughts of turning back. For all, he knew "those kids" were far away and long gone. It wasn't an outing for an older man. He was only going to Whispering Springs for a look-see.

The miles slowly passed. The sun rode midway between the horizon and high noon. Shading his eyes from the glare, Hektor peered ahead of him. Whispering Springs should lie straight ahead, yet it hadn't appeared. Hitching himself forward, he opened his eyes and stared. There was no movement in the desert.

Then he saw it. A movement far ahead caught his eye. Blinking, he looked again and lost sight of it. It must have been a sunspot, Hektor thought. The desert could be deceiving. Still, he pressed onward.

The movement occurred again, stopped, and moved again. Intermittently, it nudged forward and halted. For a moment, the older man believed it might overturn. Pressing the accelerator, he sped up. The wrecker jolted then stabilized. Ahead of him, he was able to make out the shape of the VW bus.

The kombi lurched then stopped. The driver's door flung open. A figure leaped out and stood with its arms pressed against its sides. Then it kicked the wheel. Finally, it began pounding the vehicle with its fists.

Creeping ever closer, Hektor was able to make out the figure of the young hippie girl. Continuing her rage, she eventually threw herself onto the ground. Sitting with her legs crossed beneath her and her arms wrapped around her chest, she stared daggers at the vehicle. The gas station attendant pulled up next to her and leaned out of his opened window.

"What's the problem?" Hektor asked, startling the girl.

Instead of answering, the child covered her face with her palms and sobbed. Gently, the older man squatted beside her and tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"It can't be all that bad," he stated, pulling her head onto his shoulder.

Uncertainly, Gia stared at her companion. If he only knew, she thought, he would not make such a ludicrous statement.

"Tracey's hurt," she finally wailed. "He...he fell, and now he won't wake up. My brother sent me to find you. He's waiting with Trace."

Again Gia covered her face and cried. Then, she wiped her face dry with her palms.

"He knew I couldn't drive the bus, but I couldn't stay in that...that ghost town," she continued. "Now the bus is dead."

"Okay," Hektor stated, sighing deeply. "I'll tell you what, young missy. Why don't we go in the wrecker and see how your friends are doing? If we can move them, we'll bring them in. Otherwise, I'll come back for the bus, tow it in and call the state police to pick you up."

"The fuzz?" Gia moaned, afraid of the authorities.

"You gotta get your friend to a hospital, missy," Hektor explained, standing to his feet. "There's no other choice."

Sauntering around the VW, it didn't take long for Hektor to realize it had taken its last ride. Well, he'd tow it in, but that was that. His main objective was the help the kids as best he could. Assisting the girl into the wrecker, he made an arc around the bus then regained the rutted road. It was still many miles before Whispering Springs came into sight.