(EXCERPT)

- Chapter 6 -

Valerie’s contact information glared brightly at him. He pressed the call button again. No cigar. It went straight to voicemail. Her phone must be off. He glanced up at the snowy road. Before he could toss the phone away, a notification popped up,

Low Battery

20% battery remaining.

Low Power Mode

Close

Dee tapped on the low power option. He tossed the phone on the dashboard. It didn’t matter none. Both the journey to and the pit stop in Reno had been smooth sailing.

That drive to Reno had given him a solid idea of what else to get her. Once she saw what he had in store for her, ooh was she going to love him even more. He was known for his gift giving after all. He glanced at the triple bagged surprise for Valerie which had been moved to the front seat. Alongside it now sat a small expertly wrapped present.

Dee squinted at the road up ahead. The two lane stretch of i-80 felt longer than he remembered. He was beginning to see more cars the closer he got to Truckee.

Since leaving Reno the light snowflakes had changed into a heavy snowfall. He’d been through worse. At least he had none of that fog to worry about anymore. His fingers were beginning to ache like crazy. Reluctantly he rolled the window up. While keeping one hand on the wheel he stretched one set of fingers out slowly, then the other. Man, arthritis sucks. As if right on cue he let out a series of coughs.

He reached for a giant coffee thermos, and knocked back a few more swigs, almost empty. Who needed overpriced Starbucks crap when he could have the good ol’ cheap stuff straight from his own coffee machine.

“Yeah, now that’s right, let’s do this!” He pumped himself up again. This storm was gonna pass. He was gonna get to his daughter. She was gonna love him and hug him as he told her all about his recent accomplishments. Dee grinned. Maybe he should call her again?

Before he could reach for the phone, he spotted a flashing sign up in the distance.

            Winter Storm Warning. Chains required. Expect delays: 6 hours.

            Tune into local station WKFM for more information.

“Aw hell!” Dee raged. “You’re gonna make me miss Christmas at that rate!” What time was it? Late afternoon, but it looked like nightfall what with those angry clouds up above. Dee tapped the steering wheel now gritting through the pain of his aching fingers. Truckee had to be at least another 15 miles up the road, he was so close.

Dee knew his baby could plow through any snowstorm without a hitch. If he got stuck in that traffic, there would be no Christmas miracle for him. He snapped his fingers. The idea of a lifetime came to him! He knocked on the sticky note covered dashboard. He could cut through Glenshire and be there in no time. This was his moment!

Just like that he swerved The Office into a turn, nearly missing the offramp due to the heavy snowfall. He caught it just in time, because up ahead the cars were stopped on the road. He knew this was a genius idea! He could see it now; the image became clear in his head. There she was in the distance; Valerie saw him from afar. She ran towards him laughing, skipping, and there he was in all his muscular glory as he caught her in a warm embrace and swung her around in circles. Dee knew if he ever allowed himself to cry, that memory right there woulda done it.

He let out a cough as The Office started the ascent up a long windy little road. Shoot, he hoped no one was coming down. His baby nearly took up both lanes. That snowfall outside was turning into something awful. He rolled the window back down for the view, aching fingers be damned. He peered out into the distance at the canyon that marked the previous part of his journey from Reno. The snowfall was very difficult to see through now.

As he was about to let out another cough, The Office beat him to it with a loud grinding sound that flared up from the engine. That wasn’t good. Dee kicked the pedal to the metal. They sped up. He turned his head in all directions. Sticky notes began flying out the window. The Office roared with a louder grinding sound. Smoke rose from beneath the hood. Dee held on to the wheel frantically for dear life. His foot pressed the gas pedal. Sticky notes flew in every direction. The Office let out a nasty screech. More smoke poured out. More noises poured out. The deadly check engine light flicked on. “You got this baby!” He roared like a madman.

The Office lost all power, the momentum carried it farther, and a little farther, and just enough as it crested the rise of the hill. Dee smacked the gear into neutral as it cruised to the side of the road. Dee and The Office slid to a jarring halt.

Dee bashed the door open and jumped outside. He lifted the hood to be greeted by a wave of smoke. A groan escaped his throat. Even if she could be repaired, this was no time.

Dee looked out across the canyon as he pondered his options. What would Schwarzenegger do? A grim determination washed over him. He carefully shut the hood. He then removed his cowboy hat, held it to his chest with one hand and rested the other hand on the hood. He wasn’t gonna cry. Real men don’t cry.

“No tow’s coming out here on Christmas. This was all you baby. I’ll come back for you and fix you up real good.” Dee patted the hood gently. He now felt the harsh snow blowing against his face. He was cold. Nothing was gonna stop him though. He had a daughter to save!

Dee walked back around to the driver’s door which he had left hanging open. The road behind them was covered in sticky notes. Nothin’ to be done about that now. He got back in the car, shut the door, and soaked up the warmth. It only took him a few minutes to change.

In no time at all, Dee opened the door and stepped back out with clothing more suited for the journey ahead. He was nothing if not prepared due to a lifetime of adventure. He patted down the yellow snow pants, zipped up the neon green jacket, and replaced his hat with a bright orange beanie. He grabbed his go bag and peered inside. There was a mix of food, water, and winter necessities. He reached for another much smaller knapsack and gently put both of Valerie’s presents inside. He then swung his go bag over both shoulders like a backpack and the present bag over his head/shoulder like a knapsack.

Before he could shut the door, he snapped. He reached into the backseat and pulled out a pair of snowshoes. He kissed them, and then attached them to the side of his backpack.

Dee shut the door and gave The Office one last pat. “Wish me luck baby.”

He walked away. He had to prepare himself for the unexpected leg of this journey. He rubbed his aching fingers before sliding on a brightly colored pair of ultra warm gloves. This would be nothing. What was it 10, 15 miles to town? He could hike that in his sleep! He walked a little further away while following the road beyond the hill. Dee stopped himself and turned to look back.

“Aw hell.” He couldn’t have walked more than a quarter mile from The Office, but it was already obscured by the fog of a whiteout.