Shadow in Serenity

eighteen


The dilemma that plagued Logan was getting harder and harder to resolve. It was time to move on. The problem was, he didn’t want to leave.

This had never happened to him before. In fact, he wouldn’t have believed it was possible. Oh, there had been times over the years when he’d grown fond of a woman, enjoyed her company, and regretted leaving her. But this was different.

Enough of that. His problem was that he hadn’t made enough of a score yet. He just had to refocus. He needed to step up the promotion of the park. Go in for one last sweep of the town, get the money out of any remaining townspeople likely to give it to him. But to do that, he needed something new to tell them. Some new morsel of hope to seal the deal. He needed a gimmick.

As he thought, his fingers absently flicked the remote control of the television, skipping past channel after channel, until finally he came to the country music video station. Dolly Parton sat in a bar with some of her music cronies, singing “Romeo.” Logan had been to her park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, two years ago, and he’d thought then that someone with more imagination could have done a better job of planning it. But it didn’t matter, since it was her name that drew crowds.

And suddenly it came to him. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? That was what Serenity needed for its park. A star who could be a partial investor, and whose name would draw millions, not just from Texas but from all over the country.

He watched the next video flash on the screen, an old one featuring Roland Thunder, the winner of five Country Music Awards last year. This video was made long before he became famous as the country/rock star who was also a NASCAR champion. Forbes had listed him as one of the richest men in America last year.

Logan doubted he could convince everyone that Thunder had agreed to put his name on the park, not this early in the game. But he could tell them that Roland was considering his involvement. The mere possibility would have people lining up outside Logan’s door to give him more money, and those who already had would dig deeper.

Logan brainstormed possible names for the park. Roland Land came to mind … No, that wouldn’t work. Roland Park … Thunder Park. Not good enough. But maybe … Thunder Road, like the Springsteen song Roland had covered and put back on the charts. Yes, he could see it now. Would the town buy it?

As Jack got off the bed and came to lie at his feet, Logan reached down to stroke his coat. The truth was, Logan wasn’t having much fun figuring out new ways to fleece the town. It had become a chore instead of a challenge. A lonely job. A job he’d rather not have, but one he was stuck in, because he’d already dug himself so deep.

In a job like his, there was no turning back. He’d made his own prison, and no one else could set him free.