title: Passenger to Dallas
author: Dameron, J.T.
description: It was snowing when she approached his car. Dan was a good driver, had a good car, and had over a thousand dollars from the busy night before the snow started. On snowy nights he worried more about the safety of his passengers while driving on the icy roads than of robbery or drunk drivers.He had picked cab driving as a retirement job for the excitement of the night life in Denver, not to mention the good money he made. With over a thousand dollars cash in his pockets from the busy night he wasn't worried, after all, like any good cabbie he was armed to the teeth and knew how and when to fight.Many a night he drove ladies to the shelters without ex-boyfriends or ex-husbands following. He also picked up a lot of ladies from the bars and got them home safely. He was proud that he got people home or to the airport safely and on time through snow, rain, ice, or rush hour traffic.Dan's first glance at the girl wearing nothing but a soaking wet hospital gown had taken in her near nakedness, lack of purse or wallet, and the raw red bands around her wrists and ankles. His second glance saw the fear in her eyes, the snow in her hair, the bare feet in the snow, and the graceful way she moved around the front of the car to the passenger door.Dan Lasker reached over to unlock the door out of force of habit, not wanting to unlock all the doors with the switch. He then cranked up the heat for her as she buckled in.At the click of the seat-belt she said, Drive somewhere quickly!It was all he needed, as the car started moving, he saw trust in her eyes slowly replace the fear, Yes, it was love at first sight, but he planned only to take her where ever she needed to go then drive himself home.There were two cars behind them as he left the parking lot at high speed and she wanted him to drive her 800 miles. She had a price on her head, half a million dollars and a deadline to be in Dallas.A long drive dodging bullets from every killer in the west while trying not to lose his life or his heart.