Reformed Southerner

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Crosshairs of Uncertainty
The Devil's Road

Crosshairs of Uncertainty

The Devil’s Road — CHAPTER 04: TALL IN THE SADDLE

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R. Austin Barrow
Nov 05, 2023
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Welcome to Issue #13 of The Devil’s Road, a serial novel following the exploits of Samantha Hart, a Sequoyah County Sheriff, full of vengeance and fury using her badge to hunt down her sister's killer as she uncovers a trail of bloodshed that coats the heartland. If you missed it, you can read last week’s Chapter 4: Tall in the Saddle, Issue 02: Escape or Drown.

If you are new to the series, I recommend you check out Chapter 1 which you can read or listen to for free here:

The Devil's Road

The Devil's Road

R. Austin Barrow
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July 27, 2023
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And now, please enjoy Chapter 4 Issue 3 of … The Devil’s Road.


In 2004 an Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations analyst discovered a crime pattern along the Interstate 40 corridor between Oklahoma and Mississippi. Subsequently, The Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) started the Highway Serial Killings Initiative. They discovered over 500 bodies of women along the interstate highway system with more than 200 potential suspects, a trail of bloodshed that coats the heartland. The Devil’s Road is a serialized novel based on this horrific discovery.


There’s a fine line between staying in a motel and living in a motel. Where that line exists for an individual might have a little bit to do with where they came from, or a lot to do with what they now call home. A springy queen bed with new sheets every week is quite the upgrade from growing up on Pine Ridge Reservation, and for Moses, the word “home” hasn’t held any meaning for some time.

A government-issued sedan is the lone car in the dimly lit dirt lot along Route 10. Smoke wafts from the idling engine’s exhaust in the brisk air. The trunk pops open, and the car shifts from side to side as Moses kills the engine, opens his door, and gets out of the driver’s seat.

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