by David Archer
The short little woman squeezed him tighter for a second, then patted him on the shoulder as she let go. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
She turned and headed into another part of the house, and Ralph started up the stairs. Noah followed, looking around at the grandeur of the mansion. It appeared to be relatively new, but the architecture was impressive. The house was built almost entirely of stone, and there was a small waterfall flowing down the wall opposite the stairway.
“Nice place,” he said.
“Yeah, Pa built it back when I was little. It’s pretty nice, I guess.”
They reached the top of the staircase, and Ralph entered the first door on the left. Noah followed him inside, and the boy turned and looked at him.
“You really gotta stand here while I change?”
“Your dad said I’m not supposed let you out of my sight,” Noah said, “but you can step into the bathroom if you want. Just don’t try going out the window. I’m pretty easygoing, but I can get awfully pissed if I feel like I’m being played.”
Ralph grinned ruefully and shook his head. “Okay, okay,” he said. “Be right back.” He grabbed some clothes out of his dresser and stepped into the bathroom that was attached to his room. Noah could hear him moving around inside for a moment, and then he was back. He pulled his belt out of the pants he had taken off and threaded it through the loops, then looked up at Noah again.
“So, I’m supposed to be taking over from Ronnie Sneed,” he said. “I figure we might as well go on out and talk to him today, start the whole transition thing, right?”
Noah nodded. “If that’s the plan,” he said. “Tell me about Sneed.”
Ralph led the way out the door and started down the stairs. “Ronnie’s been with the old man probably longer than anybody else,” he said. “Back in the day, he was part of how everything got started. That was with him and some others boosting cars and bringing them into the yard to cut up. Him and Pa got to be good friends, and Pa put him in charge of running the drug operation when he took it over. That was before my time, of course, but I’ve heard the stories over and over.”
Marlene was nowhere in sight when they got to the ground floor, so Noah followed Ralph out the door. Jake and Shawn had been leaning against Shawn’s car, but they snapped to attention as Noah came out the door.
Noah looked at Shawn. “Ralph needs to go see Ronnie Sneed. I want you to lead the way, and we’ll follow.”
“Yes, sir,” Shawn said, and he and Jake got back into his car as Noah and Ralph climbed into the Charger. Shawn pulled out and swung around, and Noah fell in behind.
* * * * *
“Is that everything?” Sarah asked.
Wally looked at the two men who were loading the trailer, and they nodded. “Looks like that’s all of it,” he said. “Just be sure to drive carefully. Have you ever pulled a trailer before?”
Sarah chuckled at him. “I’ve driven a Freightliner with a fifty-seven-foot trailer,” I said. “My dad taught me when I was fifteen. I’m pretty sure I can handle a sixteen-footer.”
Wally grinned back. “Yes, I’m sure you can. I’m also sure you’re ready to get on the road, so don’t let me keep you. I just want you to drive safe and be careful.”
“I will,” she said. She looked around at Neil, who was already climbing into the passenger seat, and slid in behind the wheel. She powered down the window and smiled up at Wally one more time. “I guess we’ll see you when we see you,” she said.
Wally waved as she drove away. He was sure she wasn’t terribly happy with the car they had provided, but his understanding of the character of Angie Madison was that she was a simple type of girl. Sarah was leaving her Camaro behind and driving off to Arkansas in a ten-year-old Ford Explorer.
Of course, Wally’s automotive crew didn’t leave anything to chance. While the SUV looked like a typical one, it had been built to crank out well over six hundred horsepower. If it came down to it, the little SUV could probably outrun most late-model Corvettes.
Sarah looked over at Neil. “You got everything? We need to make any other stops before we leave?”
“I’m good,” the skinny kid said. “Jenny left this morning on a mission of her own, so I’m ready to hit the road.”
Sarah smiled and tapped the horn twice as they passed at the security gate, waving at the guard on duty. Most of the guards at R&D were familiar with her by now, and this one smiled and waved as they drove past.
The R&D center was on the north end of Kirtland, but there was a bypass road that took them around the city and straight to the interstate. It added about ten miles, but the lack of traffic lights made it popular. Sarah chose it and watched the trailer in her rearview mirror as she pressed down on the accelerator.
“It tracks pretty well,” she said. “Doesn’t wiggle around; that’s a plus.”
Neil had been looking down at the computer on his lap, and he looked up into her face with an expression of confusion. “Wiggle?”
“The trailer,” Sarah said. “A lot of smaller ones like this tend to wiggle around a bit. Sometimes it’s because of the way they get loaded; sometimes it’s just because there’s something not balanced right in the load. I think we’ve got everything loaded properly, though.”
Neil looked over his shoulder into the back window. The covered trailer was just a normal rental unit, the kind you see at dealerships all over the country. Sarah had gone and picked it up that morning, using her new ID and credit cards to pay for it.
“Looks fine to me,” Neil said.
“That’s what I said, it’s fine. It shouldn’t slow us down at all.”
Neil grinned at her. “Aww,” he said, “are you missing your hubby?”
Sarah grinned, but there was a slight pinkish tint to her face all of a sudden. “You bet your ass,” she said. “Noah—I mean, Rex—isn’t going to know what hit him when I get there.”
“Good grief, he hasn’t even been gone a whole week yet.”
“Yeah, well, after the last few months even a day is too long. Now that he’s mine, I want to take advantage of it every minute I can.”
“Speaking of which,” Neil said, “aren’t you going to call and tell him we’re on the road? As you just sort of pointed out with the name slip, we’re supposed to be in character now. Wouldn’t it be normal to call and say, ‘Hey, lover boy, we just got on the road?’ I’m pretty sure that would be normal, don’t you think?”
Sarah stuck her tongue out at him. “Yes, and you’re definitely in character. You’re already being the annoying kid brother.” She picked up her phone off the console between the front seats and hit the icon that would call Noah directly.
The answer on the second ring. “Hey, Angie,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“About sixty-five at the moment,” Sarah said. “Just wanted let you know that we are on the way. It took a little longer to get the trailer and loaded than I thought, so my GPS says we wouldn’t get there before about two o’clock in the morning. I’m thinking about driving straight through, what you think, babe?”
“That sounds like an awfully long drive,” Noah replied. “Don’t you think you ought to stop and get a room somewhere on the way? Maybe Kansas City—you could be there by ten o’clock, probably. Get some sleep and come on down tomorrow?”
“I can’t wait till tomorrow to see you,” Sarah said, putting a bit of whiny sound in her voice. “It’s been too long—I need to be with you.”
Noah chuckled. “Okay, but just be careful. If you start feeling too tired, you stop and get a room somewhere. Understand me?”
Sarah laughed. “Yes, Daddy,” she said sarcastically. “Come on, Rex, you know I can drive. How many times do I drive all the way to Texas to see you?”
“About twenty,” Noah said, the answer instantly coming from the backstory he had been given. “But that was an even longer drive, and you always stopped about halfway. I just don’t want you to overdo it and end up in an accident.
”
“I’ll be careful. How’s the new job going?”
Noah made a coughing sound. “This kid can be a royal pain in the ass,” he said. “I’ve been driving him around all morning, and now it’s getting close to lunchtime, so we’re on the way to pick up his girlfriend at school. I guess he wants to take her out to lunch.”
There was a burst of laughter and a protesting sound that came through Noah’s phone. “I gather he’s in the car with you now?” Sarah asked.
“Yep. I can’t escape the little jerk, but at least his daddy is paying me very well.” He laughed again. “Actually, Ralph isn’t that bad. Pretty smart for only being nineteen years old.”
“I seem to remember you being pretty smart when you were that age. You guys probably ought to get along pretty well, then.”
“We actually do. Although if he tries to buy my car one more time, I may just stuff him in the trunk. Other than you, Black Beauty is my number one pride and joy. I’ve been trying to explain to him that she isn’t for sale, but he doesn’t like taking no for an answer.”
“Yeah, well, I expect he’ll lose that attitude pretty quickly with you around. Tell him I said to be glad he isn't married to you. You tell me no a whole lot more than I like.”
“I only have your best interest in mind,” Noah said. “You know I try to give you whatever you want, within reason. I mean, I even went out and bought you a house. I’m afraid you’re going to get spoiled.”
“Hey, spoiling me is your job, now. Don’t act like it’s such a burden—you love it and you know it.”
“I do,” Noah said with a chuckle. “And I love you.”
“I love you more,” Sarah said. “Ha! Gotcha!”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “Yeah, you got me that time. You win. Listen, babe, we’re about to pull up at the school. I’ll give you a call this evening, after I get off duty.”
“Okay,” she replied. “Talk to you then. Love you.”
“Love you more,” Noah said, and then he ended the call before she could reply.
In the Charger, Ralph was looking in his direction and grinning. “That your girlfriend?”
Noah shook his head. “Wife,” he said. “We’ve been married a little over three weeks, now. She was my girlfriend in high school, and when I went to the Fed joint, she waited. Used to drive all the way down to Texas to come see me every couple of months.”
Ralph gave him a lascivious smile. “Federal prison, huh? Did they give you like, conjugal visits, that kind of thing?”
Noah rolled his eyes and laughed. “No, you don’t get that in the Fed. At least, nobody I ever heard of did. Maybe that’s something you only get if you’re a snitch.”
“That could be right,” Ralph said. “Wouldn’t surprise me, anyway. Here, turn in here.” He pointed to a driveway that pulled in behind the school. It led to a parking lot filled with cars, and Noah drove the Charger off to a fairly empty area, off by itself. Shawn pulled in beside him and powered down his window.
“I want you and Jake to get out and stand either side of us,” Noah said. “Look for anything out of the ordinary, but don’t open fire on anybody unless they fire first. Just watch, and be ready for anything.”
Both men nodded as they got out of the car and took up the positions Noah had indicated. He watched them until he was satisfied that they were able to keep most of the area under observation, then turned to Ralph. “Call your girl and tell her to come over here,” he said. “I don’t want you getting out of the car with so many hiding places around us.”
Ralph rolled his eyes but took out his phone. “Hey, Darlene,” he said when she answered. “Come out to the back parking lot. Look for the most incredible black car you’ve ever seen, and that’s where you’ll find me.” He listened for a moment, then chuckled. “Trust me, baby, you’ll know it when you see it. And hurry up, we don’t want you to be too late getting back to class.”
He put the phone back into his pocket and turned to Noah. “She’ll be here in about three minutes,” he said. “You care if we get into the back seat?”
Noah grinned. “I don’t mind, but keep your clothes on back there. I don’t want to have to disinfect it.”
Ralph burst out laughing. “Man, you’re cool,” he said. “If I gotta have a babysitter, I’m glad it’s you.”
“It won’t be me all of the time,” Noah said, “but I’ll be with you a lot during the day.”
Ralph nodded, then pointed out through the windshield. “There she comes,” he said. Noah looked in the direction he was pointing and spotted a pretty blonde girl. She looked young, and Noah turned his eyes back to Ralph.
“How old is she?”
“Sixteen,” Ralph replied. “Her daddy is the mayor. We’ve been dating for about a year and a half now, though. It’s cool.”
Noah shrugged and said nothing. When the girl got close, Ralph stepped out and flipped the back of the front seat forward, then offered her his hand as she climbed inside. A moment later he was settled in beside her and made the introductions.
“Rex, this is Darlene,” he said. “Baby, this is Rex Madison. He’s my new bodyguard.”
“Security chief,” Noah corrected. “I run the security crew that is charged with keeping Ralph alive and healthy.”
“That’s awesome,” the girl said. “I couldn’t believe it when they said somebody tried to kill him. Why would they do that?”
“Somebody’s apparently afraid I’ll be even bigger and tougher than my dad,” Ralph said. “I guess they figure if they take me out now, it’ll save trouble for later.”
“That’s terrible,” Darlene blurted out. “My daddy says your dad is what keeps this whole area running smoothly. This used to be the kind of place where drug gangs kind of ran everything, but since your dad took over all that stuff, we don’t have the kind of crimes we used to get. Daddy says we’re lucky to have Jimmy Morgan, so I think we’ll be even more lucky to have you running everything.”
Noah grinned. This girl was obviously full of hero worship, and Ralph was the target. Either that, or she was shrewd enough to know that getting her wagon hitched to the rising star was the smartest way to make sure she came out on top in local society. After a quick glance into her eyes through the rearview mirror, Noah began to think the latter was closer to the truth.
“Where to?” Noah asked.
“Someplace we can get out of the car,” Ralph said. “I don’t even care if it’s burgers. I just don’t want to eat in here.”
Noah nodded. “No problem with that,” he said. “I’m not really a fan of having food in the car.”
He started the car and headed out of town, making the turn onto Highway 221. The farm supply store was only a couple of miles away, and they had picnic tables outside. The weather was balmy, so Noah decided it would be an appropriate place for a lunchtime rendezvous.
* * * * *
“Oh-oh,” Neil said. “Rex just got a message from that other guy.”
Sarah looked over at him. “Great,” she said. “Better send it to him now.”
“Doing so as you speak,” Neil said. He composed the coded message that would give Noah a number he was supposed to call and then typed it into his phone.
* * * * *
Noah’s phone beeped, signaling an incoming text message. He took it out of his pocket and read it quickly, then looked at the other two bodyguards.
“I need to make a phone call,” he said, then got up and walked over to sit down inside the Charger. As soon as the door was closed, he dialed the number. The familiar distorted voice came on the line almost instantly.
“How is your mission going?” the voice asked.
“It’s going,” Noah replied. “You figure out how to set up our meeting yet?”
“That’s exactly why I’m calling,” the mole said. “I’ll be very close to you tomorrow evening. Have you seen the town of Eureka Springs yet?”
“Yes, I’ve been over there.”
“I
’ll be attending a function there tomorrow at seven. At 8:05, I will be finished and will call you. I am going to meet with you, as we discussed, but I want you to understand that I am not coming alone. When I call, I’ll tell you where we can meet, but if my people or I were to see any sign of a problem, I can assure you that you will never leave there alive. Immediately afterward, your wife would become a target. Do we understand one another?”
“Perfectly, like crystal. As I told you, all I want is for you to convince me this is a legitimate offer. If you can get us out, I’m all for it.”
The line went dead, and Noah put the phone back into his pocket. There was no safe way for him to let anyone know what was going on, not until Neil arrived with his computers. He sat there for a moment, then took his phone back out and dialed the number that rang through to Sarah.
“Hey, baby,” she said as she answered. “Miss my voice already?”
“Yes,” Noah said. “And the kid is busy munching on chicken with his girlfriend, with the rest of his security team keeping watch. I figured I had a couple of minutes alone, so I wanted to give you a call.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet. We’re just barely on the interstate right now, got on a few minutes ago. I’ve got my cruise set at eighty, just a little over the speed limit. Hopefully all the cops will be too busy to pay much attention, and I’ll get there a little earlier. I really don’t want to stop anywhere tonight.”
“Well, I admit I hope you don’t have to. Can’t wait to see you, sweetheart. How’s Neil doing on this long ride?”
“Like always,” Sarah said. “Playing games on his stupid computer.”
“My computer is not stupid,” Neil said in the background. “It’s just not quite as smart as I am.”
Noah chuckled. “Maybe I’m just getting horny,” he said. “Been away from you too long, and I can stand to kick his butt in another game of chess.”
“That’ll be the day,” Neil said loudly. “She’s got the volume turned up so loud I can hear you crystal clear.”
“Shut up,” Sarah said. “Ignore him, baby. I’m horny too. If I didn’t have this trailer hanging on the back, I’d kick it up another five miles an hour.”
