you folks all right?
i figured that much. you want a hand pushing it off the road?
i sure would if i could, mister, but my c.b. blew a fuse this morning. i'm waiting till i hit the truck stop on i-40 to get it fixed.
about 60 miles.
i'd offer to take a look, but it's hard to say with these new engines. used to be, you could give 'em a kick and a holler and they'd start right up. now it's all computers and chips.
that could be the problem. you been running it pretty fast?
tell you what. if you want a ride, there's a little diner up the road. belle's. they got a pay phone. you could call a tow truck from there.
suit yourself. not many cops on this road, that's why the truckers use it. maybe you'll get lucky. good luck.
sure thing. how about you, mister? i could take you both just as easy.
watch your step, ma'am.
jesus, pal, what the hell you doing?
no.
huh?
how should i know where your wife is?
mister, i don't know what you're talking about.
nope. sorry.
mister, i never seen you before in my life.
look, mister, i don't know what you want, but --
officer, he's crazy -- i don't know what he's talking about.
i don't know, officer. i'm driving along, suddenly this fella runs me off the road and starts hollering about his wife. i swear, i never seen the guy before.
no, sir.
hell yes, officer. go right ahead. name's red, by the way. red barr. my permits are all current. you can check 'em out.
nothing, empty load. i'm heading to fresno for a pick up -- ball bearings or something.
tell me about it. too much competition nowadays. one horse guys like me gotta drive halfway 'cross the country just to get a payin' job.
no problem. i understand.
yeah. personal stuff. clothes and whatnot. you want to take a look?
look, i don't mean to butt in, but maybe you got my truck confused with someone else's.
officer, i'm sorry, i'd like to stay and help, but i really got to make it to fresno.
much obliged. good luck findin' your wife, mister. no hard feelings.
you're a tough man to get a hold of, jeffrey.
it's not me we're talking about. question is what you want.
see, i've got something you might want to buy. can't show you the merchandise right now, but i can describe it for you. about five- five, hundred and fifteen pounds. i'd say three, maybe four of that is tits. black curly hair upstairs and down. interested?
bring him up here.
welcome to brackett, jeff. if ever there was a two-bit shithole in the middle of nowhere, this is it. one gas station, a half-dozen stores and a v.f.w. hall. see that building?
that's the bank. brackett commerce bank. you with me?
then here's the drill. you're gonna walk in there and tell the manager you want an express wire in the amount of $90,000 from your account in boston. got your wallet?
you ask for the money in cash. small bills.
today's payday at the copper mine, so don't take any horsecock about how they haven't got it. if the manager gives you a hard time, that's your problem. it's your wife who's counting on you.
she's tucked away someplace safe. you get her back as soon as we get the money. simple as that.
now a smart guy like you, you're already thinking about calling the cops, right?
iron man to blacktop, let's open the gate.
like i said, jeff, if you want to call the cops, there's nothing i can do. hell, with the fire you've got in your eyes right now, i figure you're fixing on calling the f.b.i., c.i.a. -- even the 82nd airborne.
problem is, you can see this town for miles around. so ask yourself: how's the law gonna get here? they gonna fly in? drive in? either way, we'll see 'em. so let me be very clear: if we see one unmarked car, one plane, one human being who even smells like a cop -- this deal is dead.
now take a look at the building with the flagpole.
there's exactly two cops in this town. one of them's inside pulling ass duty; the other's on patrol in the foothills. now a minute ago one of my men called in a non-injury accident on the i-40 connector.
it'll take that good ol' boy 20 minutes to get to the connector, another 10 to see there's no accident, and another 20 or so to tool his way back. 50 minutes all in.
that's your deadline. if for any reason one of those cops pulls into town before i'm looking at a bag of money, your wife is dead, you're shit out of luck and we're gone for good.
see, that's why there's no risk to us in this thing. you do the legwork. we sit back, we watch, we listen to our scanners, we monitor you every step of the way. if at any moment we don't like something, we split. period. helluva lot safer than sticking up 7-11s, wouldn't you say?
put this on. you can't go into the bank like that.
how about it, jeff? time to get the show on the road?
no shit. i can see that. how much you got?
good. turn left and start walking toward the main road. get in the first car that stops.
when i say so. now walk.
i don't know, dammit, he was supposed to be here a half hour ago. there's reports on the police band about a cop down and this place is crawling with uniforms.
look, i'm getting out of here. stay off the airwaves. bring the girl and meet me at the barn.  you got that?
hey, deke, you miss me?
i told you, we've got some stuff to take care of. won't be more than a couple of hours -- i promise.
say, deke, how 'bout opening up the barn for your daddy?
deke, c'mon over here, i got something for you.
guess which hand.
nope. try again.
nope.
okay, okay, i'll give it to you.
deke? deke, you back there?
tell me about it. you get any word on earl?
so it got a little fucked up -- so what? we stay out of the area for a while, things will cool off.
dammit, al, what the hell you doing?
fuck that, you can work on it later. help us with the girl.
must've died from the exhaust.
i'll get some plastic. we'll bury her before it gets light out.
shit, it's my wife. help me get her in the freezer. just a second, arleen.
returns and takes amy by the legs. al and billy lift her by the arms. as they carry her to the root cellar, red peers into her terrified face.
don't worry, honey. it's not as bad as it sounds. it'll take you about 10 minutes to suck the air out. probably won't even feel it.
c'mon, let's go.
sure thing, honey.
 so there i am, it's a howling snow storm, i've got 2000 live chickens that are supposed to be in denver days ago, and this cop is busting my balls because i haven't got chains.
so what happens but this big old rooster, damn thing must've weighed ten pounds, he reaches out toward that highway patrolman.
 just reaches out with his beak, see, and.
now hold on, mister. i don't know who you are or what you want --
mister --
i don't know, honey. just stay calm --
don't listen to him, deke. keep the gun on him.
he's lying, deke. he can't get me. just pull the trigger.
plug him, boy! do what i tell you!
that's right, boy. do it. don't worry about me.
do like he says, arleen. he's crazy.
this ain't gonna work, boy.
it's okay, arleen. take it.
the switch is on the right.
it's all right, son. just ignore that stuff.
remember this moment, pretty boy. 'cause whatever happens, no matter how far you run, i will hunt you down and kill you like a dog.
sonofabitch --
you think you can come into my life and fuck with me? nobody fucks with me!
you think you can fuck with me?!
screams!
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