Chapter 1: A Fellow Traveler

Halfway between Colorado Springs and Pueblo on southbound I-25, Adam spotted a hitchhiker standing at the intersection of the interstate and a dirt road that led west into the foothills. Cold wind swirled and the light snow alternately drifted down and then sideways, pulsing with the gusts. He thought, What a crappy night to be trying to catch a ride!

He rarely ever stopped to pick up hitchhikers because there were just too many nut cases running loose in the world, but compassion overtook him in this case, and he slowed his Volvo to pull onto the shoulder fifty feet past the hopeful soul with his thumb sticking out in the cold air. The guy looked small, dressed in jeans, heavy boots and a bulky hooded parka, and he had a good-sized, fully stuffed backpack sitting on the ground next to him. As soon as he saw the brake lights glow, he grabbed it up and came running.

Adam reached back and pushed open the rear door for him toss in his pack. He was pleased to see the guy was considerate enough to set his wet stuff on the floor and not the seat.

As the hitchhiker slid into the front seat and pushed back the hood of the bright blue nylon parka, Adam found himself looking at a girl; well more like a young woman in her early twenties, he guessed. They locked onto each other's eyes, both trying to get a quick read on the other. They must have been satisfied with what they saw because friendly smiles quickly followed.

She began, "Thanks for stopping. I was about to freeze my butt off out there! Miserable weather for October, isn't it?"

He stated the obvious, "Yeah, you definitely could've chosen a better night to be traveling. Where ya going?"

"Where are you headed?" She rubbed her hands together in front of the dashboard vent blowing warm air.

Adam turned the fan up to high to help with the thaw. As he pulled back onto the highway, he shrugged and said, "Not too sure. Maybe Santa Fe, Maybe Albuquerque, somewhere around that area. South, anyway. It mostly depends on where I can find some kind of work."

"So you're uncommitted, huh? Well, I'm on my way to just outside Taos."

"Yeah? Actually, I was thinking I'd like to see Taos because I've heard some nice things about it. I suppose I could take you there since it's not that far out of my way."

"Um, I think it is pretty far out of your way if you're headed for Santa Fe, but it's worth seeing. I wouldn't want to cause you any inconvenience, but I'd be happy to pay for a gas fill-up if I could go all the way with you." She blushed just a little bit, thinking of the possible double entendre in that comment, and hoped it slid by without his notice.

It didn't, but he had the good grace to let it pass. "Naw, I'm good, but thanks for the offer. Do you know Taos? Because if you do, I'll stay overnight at a cheap motel and you can give me the two dollar tour. I get the impression it's kind of an artsy tourist town with a ski resort."

"Mmm, I'm not all that familiar with it, but I've been there a couple of times, so I guess I could show you some of the high points. You're right about the art community, and there is skiing nearby. The architecture is interesting because most of the buildings, even the newer ones are adobe. I'm not sure, but I think there's some kind of city ordinance or building code that requires strict conformity to that local tradition. Anyhow, if you're going that way, I know a motel on the outskirts of town that's not too expensive. Trying to find a cheap one might be futile though."

"Not too expensive sounds like it might be inside my price range, so sure, I'll follow your recommendations. In the mean time, I was thinking about finding a place in Pueblo to stop for dinner. That okay with you?"

"You bet! I haven't eaten since breakfast and it feels like my stomach is gnawing on my spine. If you won't let me help with the gas, how about I spring for dinner? I can afford it."

"Fair enough. I'm kind of in the mood for something like a hot roast beef sandwich, so I guess that takes the fast food joints out of the picture. You okay with that?"

"A man after my own heart. I'm not a big McDonald's fan, either."

"You know, if the weather hadn't been so rough, you'd have still been standing back there on the side of the road. I almost never pick up hitchhikers."

"I hear you, and I'm grateful. I think ninety-nine percent of the driving public feels the same way. Can't say I blame you, though, since there's always a little risk involved. Maybe that's part of the appeal for us thumb-waggers." She reached over and patted him on the shoulder and added, "But you're safe with me. I'm unarmed, and I don't even kill spiders if I can avoid it."

He laughed, "Thanks, that's good to know. You got a name?"

She looked like she had to think about it for a couple of seconds. "Well, I have a first name I'll share with you since I'm going to be your tour guide. It's Willie, short for Wilhelmina. And may my parents be forever damned for dropping that one on me. I believe I was named after my stinkin' rich grandmother in my parent's bid to secure a prominent position in her will. What's yours?"

"Adam. I guess I was named after Eve's boyfriend. How'd you come to be standing out in the middle of nowhere in a snowstorm? You live around here?"

"I came from nowhere near here, and my last ride dropped me there when he turned off I-25 to head up to his acreage in the mountains." She chuckled, "He invited me to spend the night out of the storm, but I wasn't so sure he was all that, um, honorable, if you know what I mean."

Adam nodded his understanding. "Sorry that happened. Obviously, it's not just the hitchhikers that present a risk. But you are an attractive woman, so I'd guess you've had some practice at fending off guys, dishonorable and otherwise."

"Thanks for the compliment. To be honest, he was an older guy, probably in his sixties, so maybe it was just a little wishful thinking on his part. He didn't really come off like a dirty old man. I mean, he wasn't crude or grabby or anything."

"Well, that's good. Would you mind turning on the radio and searching around for a local station? I'd like to get some idea what this storm is going to do."

"Sure, but I'm thinking the worst of it is up north toward Denver and Fort Collins. I hear they're expecting a couple of feet of snow along the northern front range."

"Really? Wow! I must have just missed it when I drove through that area a couple of hours ago. You should be able to get a Pueblo station from here, maybe even Trinidad."

Willie scanned the dial and found a C&W station in Pueblo. Between an old Dolly Parton song and a recent one by Garth Brooks, the DJ announced they were expecting light flurries and gusty winds overnight from Colorado Springs to the New Mexico state line. Nothing to be too concerned about for the moment, but bigger storms were expected in a few days.

It was soon fully dark and the traffic was thinning out. Adam was glad he'd picked Willie up because it was the kind of blackness outside where the snowflakes flying into the headlights and over the windshield could be hypnotizing. It was good to have a diversion, someone to talk to.

For the next several miles, they chatted about nothing much in particular, avoiding any personal probes as the Volvo slid smoothly over the rolling hills along the foot of the Rockies. Before long, they could see the glow of city lights reflecting off the clouds in the distance.

Adam asked, "Are you at all familiar with Pueblo?"

"Nope. I've been through it a couple of times, but I never stopped. I think It's a pretty good size city, though. We shouldn't have any trouble locating a decent place to eat tucked away between the fast food joints, but we might have to get off the highway to find it."