CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE: SECRETS AND LIES

"Howdy," Red drawled, tipping an imaginary hat. "I'll be your tour guide through this here slice of paradise." Mason hesitated, his hand still on the wheel. "That's really not necessary. We can find our way from here." Red's smile widened, revealing teeth that seemed too white and too sharp. "Nonsense! I insist. It's dangerous out here for city folk like yourselves." Before they knew it, Red had slipped into the backseat next to Claire, who instinctively pressed herself against the door. As they drove off, Jack's truck disappeared into the night, leaving them alone with their strange new companion. Red launched into a series of bizarre stories about the desert, his voice rising and falling in an unsettling cadence. "You know," he said, leaning forward between the front seats, "this desert's got more secrets than a politician's mistress. Why, I bet you folks have got some secrets of your own, don't you?" Claire felt a chill run down her spine. How could he know about their recent