“Rick guided her to the outside balcony where they made love under the springtime mountain night. As Renee moaned across the valley below, Rick realized that he hadn’t closed the door and that her delightful calls probably echoed into the lobby below. There was a thought that he should close the door. But he didn’t.”
― Rich Hoffman

“More helicopters hovered to the south, and a large troop carrier lifted off the ground a mile ahead. These weren’t the same helicopters Rick had left behind in Tennessee. These were new ones from North Carolina. They must have had a plan, but Rick wasn’t in any hurry to run to his doom. He slowed down to seventy miles per hour and looked at Renee.
“I love you, too,” he said.
Renee’s heart lurched into her throat. The reserved look on his face was something she wasn’t used to seeing. “Do you think this is it?”
“I don’t know.” He looked again at the fuel gauge.
She put her hand over the gauge, covering it from his view. “Do you remember what you told me once?”
Rick smiled. “That, sometimes, it’s best not to know.”
“Just don’t quit on me. Don’t make this a worthless gesture.” Renee forced him to look at her.
Rick feared running out of fuel in the middle of these mountains. He feared the fury of the Firebird’s losing power, rolling to a stop, becoming helpless, and giving all these patrolmen a chance to catch up to them and gun them down like Bonnie and Clyde. Surely, they would use lethal force and nothing else.
But as long as that engine ran and Rick was behind the wheel, they had a chance to live. And every second of life mattered.
“OK, just hang on,” he said, meeting her gaze. He reached over and kissed her gently.
Renee relished the kiss, closing her eyes and then opening them wide to take in the mountains. Did it hurt, getting shot? She wondered if she’d know when the last drop of blood flowed out of her body. What would happen to Rick? Would he be with her? Would they know each other without bodies? The mountains sure were beautiful.”
― Rich Hoffman, Tail of the Dragon

“More helicopters hovered to the south, and a large troop carrier lifted off the ground a mile ahead. These weren’t the same helicopters Rick had left behind in Tennessee. These were new ones from North Carolina. They must have had a plan, but Rick wasn’t in any hurry to run to his doom. He slowed down to seventy miles per hour and looked at Renee.
“I love you, too,” he said.
Renee’s heart lurched into her throat. The reserved look on his face was something she wasn’t used to seeing. “Do you think this is it?”
“I don’t know.” He looked again at the fuel gauge.
She put her hand over the gauge, covering it from his view. “Do you remember what you told me once?”
Rick smiled. “That, sometimes, it’s best not to know.”
“Just don’t quit on me. Don’t make this a worthless gesture.” Renee forced him to look at her.
Rick feared running out of fuel in the middle of these mountains. He feared the fury of the Firebird’s losing power, rolling to a stop, becoming helpless, and giving all these patrolmen a chance to catch up to them and gun them down like Bonnie and Clyde. Surely, they would use lethal force and nothing else.
But as long as that engine ran and Rick was behind the wheel, they had a chance to live. And every second of life mattered.
“OK, just hang on,” he said, meeting her gaze. He reached over and kissed her gently.
Renee relished the kiss, closing her eyes and then opening them wide to take in the mountains. Did it hurt, getting shot? She wondered if she’d know when the last drop of blood flowed out of her body. What would happen to Rick? Would he be with her? Would they know each other without bodies? The mountains sure were beautiful.”
― Rich Hoffman, Tail of the Dragon

“And you’ve spent your whole life wanting to be an outlaw,” James said. “And you wonder why I don’t listen to you.”
― Rich Hoffman, Tail of the Dragon

“But think about it. We’ve tried for over twenty years to do everything right, to save our money, to pay our bills, to raise our kid, and to live within the law. We’ve done everything the right way, at least to the best of our ability.” Rick grabbed her hand. “But that’s not enough. That guy is right about at least that much. He’s giving us a chance to do something that will lash out, and he’s willing to pay for it. I can see the sincerity all over his face. He’s not trying to con us. He just wants an ally, a foot soldier.”

“Why you?” Renee asked bluntly. “Is it that hard to find someone crazy enough to do something that extreme?” She caught herself and started laughing. “Maybe it is.”
― Rich Hoffman

“Witnessing the Vette’s demise, the way Rick felt, there wasn’t a king on Earth who he would bow to. No religious figure whose hand he’d kiss. No icon of history he’d worship. No one whose autograph he’d seek. He was becoming a legend, and he was alive to feel it happen.”
― Rich Hoffman