Eleven miles later, I pulled into a Sunoco station in West Jefferson. I had only drank water earlier, and I was ready for another coffee and chocolate, besides that, we were quickly approaching the point where we would jump on I-270 to skirt around the bottom of Columbus, so I wanted to make sure everyone was where they needed to be on pump fuel. Rachael and I went over the math, and I put another four gallons in the Valiant, and six in the Belvedere.

Dale seemed to have recovered, and the remaining miles clicked off pretty easily until we were about five miles from the motel. I was cruising along at about 3200 rpm when I lost my interior lights and taillights. I assumed it was the same fuse that had cost me my trans-brake last year, and since I had my brothers behind me and still had headlights, I continued on to the motel.

If we thought the Days Inn Reynoldsburg was a den of iniquity on Monday when we checked in, it was far worse on Friday morning at 2:30 AM! We parked next to the front entrance with our cars in a well lit area next to the main road, but I still wasn't comfortable with all the crazies still milling about. Dale, Boone, Rachael, and Billy all headed in with our bags but I waited behind to keep an eye on things while a pair of mid twenty year old gals were parked in a van next to us. Dad took a cue from me and loitered about at the back of the Belvedere. The women were jumping around in the van like they were all jacked up on meth, and I figured they would be going through the interior of our cars two minutes after we went in, so I waited. Finally a guy came out of the motel, and the girls grabbed their bags and followed him in, so I got out of the Valiant and walked over to where Dad was standing.
"You ready", I asked him, "I was just waiting for those girls to get out of that van parked beside us".
"I'm worried about that black guy in the bushes at the corner of the building", Dad motioned, "He's been on his phone since we parked, probably calling his buddies to come steal our cars!"
I laughed and slapped Dad on the back, "I saw him, he could care less about our cars, so let's go get some sleep!"
"What makes you so sure?" Dad gave me a stern look and didn't budge.
"Did you see the brown Crown Vic that pulled in loaded down with painted up gals right behind us?"
"No", Dad shook his head, "I must've missed that".
"Well, he's their pimp, or look out, or both. Two of them were let in the side entrance of the motel, and two of them went to those semis parked around back, so he's more concerned with them than he is our cars."
Dad smiled, "and you caught all that?"
"I put myself through automotive school as a graveyard cashier for convenience stores in the worst parts of Phoenix, Dad", I laughed, "seen it all before!"

I showered and crawled in bed without exchanging any words with Boone at all, and Rachael was already out when I entered the room.