It was evening when Erik turned off the highway onto Route 40. He had stopped for an early dinner in Idaho Springs, which had given him a chance to check out the small town. It was all right, he supposed, but a bit too commercial and not far enough from Denver. His next stop would be Empire, which was supposed to be a nice place, according to the waitress he’d talked to while he was eating. “Nice if you like small towns, that is.” He’d bitten back a laugh, considering the fact Idaho Springs was hardly a big city.
Empire, with its plethora of trailer parks, did nothing for him, so he kept riding west until Route 40 seemed to turn back on itself. There was a two-lane highway at the turn, which continued in a westerly direction. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he followed it, once he checke
