Chapter 131

Not one, but two people walked toward me from out of the crowd. Well that seemed to answer my question about what Swamp Dog wanted me to do with the SUV. One of them should have my flight information for heading home.

"Hello my name is Hanna. Colonel Marten sent me." A very fit looking woman with very red hair said to me. "Sorry to meet you under these conditions."

"Don't worry about it I was the one ready to go," I said.

"Good for you," the guy following her said. "You have a ticket waiting for you at the American Airline desk. It should be there now."

"Then you collect your bags and I'll collect the ticket. If the boss had told me there were two of you on the way, I would have had my bags and be ready to go now. You are going to drive me back, right?"

"Our instructions are to wait while you pack, then drive you on any errand you need to do, so that you can make your 6PM flight out." the woman said,

"Fair enough," I agreed searching my special wallet for the credit card. I handed it to Hanna. I was standing at the ticket counter, when I realized I had no idea who the tall handsome man, with the two facial scars might be. He hadn't introduced himself.

"I'm Sylvia Porter, Do you have a ticket for me to Charlotte N. C.?" I asked the clerk.

"No ma'am, we have ticket for you but it's to Raleigh N.C." She said.

"That must be a mistake. It should have been to Charlotte," I said.

"So you don't want this ticket to Raleigh. It was prepaid," she demanded expecting that to make a difference.

"Okay, I'll take it," I agreed. The only reason I would be going to Raleigh was to visit the Swamp Dog Compound.

I found Hanna and her scarred friend waiting for me in the baggage pick up area. Upon seeing me she asked, "Would you mind, if I drive. I find it best just to jump right in."

"Not at all," I said handing her the keys.

"We left a SUV just like this in the long term parking area of the Raleigh Durham airport. There is a GPS and a map in the glove box marked with the route to the compound." Hanna said.

"I do hope they are not planning to have me disappear in the swamp," I said smiling.

"No, they are not. At least not before they interrogate you," she said.

"Breakout the water board," I said.

"I don't think you are in any trouble. Now is there anything I should know?" she asked.

"Nothing much, I think I have broke Soda's personal security team. You shouldn't have any trouble from them. I would caution you to keep in mind they are all carrying weapons, even if they are mostly for show. If they pull them to shoot a bad guy, I would personally get behind something," I explained.

"I'll keep that in mind. How is this woman Joan to work with?" Hanna asked.

"She never gave me any problem, except I would keep your friend there on a short leash, she is a barracuda," I explained. "She will probably hit on you as well. She likes to have something to use for leverage on all the hired help."

I had Hanna stop at the UPS store, so I could pick up the packing supplies to ship the .38 Detective special to county seat. When we reached the motel, she took my room for her self, then booked one for the friend who never spoke. That became my nickname for him, The man who never speaks, seemed to be as goad a name for him as any.

I sat packing the pistol waiting for some idea of what was going on. When I finished I came right out and asked Hanna, "Where am I headed next? I need to know so I know where to send this," I said.

"I have no idea. Is there anyone who will hold it for you," she asked.

"Yeah, I guess there is," I said.

I quickly called Mary Ellen. "Hi honey, I want to send you a package and have you hold it for me. Don't open it Mary Ellen, but you can have a dope dog sniff it, if it makes you more comfortable."

"I'm find too, how are you," she said humorlessly. "Of course I will hold it for you."

"So, I think I will be home soon, but I'm not sure," I said honestly. "UPS should be delivering a package from china for me to the apartment. I didn't think of using you as a package drop until just this minute. I don't want this on laying on the porch till I can get back."

"I get it. Don't worry I'll keep it handy for you." she said. "When you come home you are going to owe me. It isn't much to do, but I will hold it over you till you pay up."

"You know I'm good for it," I said then rang off. When the call was finished I put Mary Ellen's store address and my name on the box. I convinced Hanna to let me stop and get a burger on the way to the ups store and then to the airport. I didn't want to depend on finding anything open when I got into Raleigh at 8PM. Well at least not anything on the route laid out for me on the map in the dash of a strange SUV. I knew from my game warden days how sparse restaurant were in the backwater areas in that part of the country.

Since I was flying out, I had to trash my box openers. That was one detour along the way to the compound I would make come hell or high water. I didn't like the idea of flying naked. I couldn't even take the stun gun so I had packed it along with the .38.

Now Hanna said to me. "If you are ready to travel, just give me your Glock and I will take it off your hands."

"I think before I surrender my weapon I want to verify it with the home office." she nodded her agreement. She had no choice, I was armed and she wasn't.