Chapter 5

I’m glad I thought to bring enough cash so we wouldn’t have to use my debit cards for something like this. The deposit on the vehicle was steep, but it was printed on the lease agreement, so I figured it was legit and paid without a fuss.

“Will you be traveling local, Mr. McCaul?”

“Yes, I’m from up on the mountain and I’ll only need transportation for a few days while I’m down here.”

Before he could continue the conversation, I took the keys to the late model Chevy pickup and left his office. I drove around the block, then stopped next to Louis’ vehicle. Amanda was out and running to get in as soon as I leaned over to open the passenger door.

“If this wasn’t a matter of life and death, I’d be having fun,” she told me.

“Let’s hope the next time we lease a vehicle, we’ll be free to use both our names and IDs.”

“When this is over, we’ll never have to lease a vehicle again unless we fly to somewhere there’s a beach and we need a ride. My Daddy has a collection of cars and trucks that will keep us busy just wiping the dust off and taking them for joyrides.”

“I had an older model similar to this one, before the roads deteriorated into such bad shape up there, then I sold it. That’s when I contacted Kyle and started using his chopper service...

“We need to find a clean, out of the way motel. We’ll need to get carryout food and take it back to our room until we know your brother has been detained.”

“Rusty...”

“Yes.”

“When this is over and we’re free to live our lives without hiding, can actually we go somewhere there’s a quiet beach and call it our honeymoon?”

“Absolutely ... For now, how about a burger, with fries smothered in ketchup, for our first night out on the town together?”

“I love it ... but only if you’ll agree to help me work off all those extra calories.”

“That was my plan.”

“We’re getting a text.“

“From what number?”

“You only have three numbers stored and it’s none of them.”

“What’s the message?”

“L call L from your payphone.“

“That has to be Louis. Something is up. We need to drive back by the bar and call. Do you know if he has more than one cellphone?”

“He’s keeps a drawer full of those, pay-as-you-go phones. He told me once that I needed to do the same to keep anyone from tracking me.”

“Then we’ll buy a half dozen tomorrow and activate all of them. We’ll tell Louis, but we won’t give out the numbers, even to him unless we text or call him.”

There were cars parallel-parked on either side of the no parking zone when we drove past the bar. I had to park near the next corner and we walked back to the payphone.

“Louis?”

“Lee?”

“Yes, what’s up?”

“I went back to my office after we talked, so I could get the cards you wanted. When I left, I drove Vanessa’s car from the garage and left mine in front of the office. There was someone standing in the shadows near my car. Be careful and I’ll call you tomorrow at 7:00 am.”

“Let me call you. We’ll have new numbers by then – so be aware.”

“Gotcha.”

“He’s gone. Did you hear all he said?”

“Yes. Someone is not leaving anything to chance. I just hope they didn’t follow him here to meet us earlier.”

“Damn – I didn’t think of that.”

“Let’s get something to eat and find an out of the way motel.”

“I need to run in and pee while you’re ordering.”

“I’ll pull up over here in the shadows and you can pee on the parking lot. I don’t want you out of my sight until this is over.”

“Rusty! Do you think someone could be watching us?”

“I doubt it, but I’m not taking any chances. It took me a lifetime to find you and I’m not going to lose you to some deranged, so-called step-brother or anyone he may have hired to kidnap you or kill you.”

“You scare me talking like that, Rusty!”

“I meant to scare you, Amanda! I don’t know what Daniel expects to gain by taking you out of the picture, but whatever it is, he can have it all if I get you free and clear ... Slide out on my side and we’ll both pee while we’re here. That way, I can watch out for you. When you get back in, lie down in the seat until I have our burgers and find us a motel.”

Two blocks past the burger drive-through, I spotted an older motel with a drive-through canopy covering the entrance to the office.

“Lock the doors behind me and I’ll be right back.”

I must have looked out toward the truck ten times as the guy was taking my money and giving me the key. I wrote down a fake name and license number, and paid in cash. The old guy was counting the money for the second time when I walked out.

The motel parking lot has only one entrance and exit, and that’s under the drive-through canopy. There were about a dozen vehicles scattered in front of different rooms. The rooms are all ground level and the entire unit is built in a square U shape. We were in number 24, which is at the end of the U, opposite the office. There was only a row of hedges between where I parked the pickup and the street. I backed in so the license plate wouldn’t be visible unless someone walked behind the truck ... If we had to leave in a hurry, we’d be headed out.

From what I’ve learned, Daniel has killed two people ... Amanda’s parents. If he’s that deranged, he won’t stop until he knows for sure Amanda is dead. I hope if he comes, he comes at us from the front so I’ll have a chance to take the bastard out first.

“Amanda, stay down and I’ll come around to open your door. You’ll be hidden by the hedges until we get to the back of the truck. I’ll unlock now, so we can go straight in. Stand up straight and walk to the door on my left side, the less you’re seen, the less chance anyone will have of recognizing you.”

I took the carryout bag with our burgers, and she held the one with our drinks. I held her arm just above her elbow and walked as fast as I could into the motel room. I took one quick glance behind me, around the parking lot and saw no one moving, no one watching.

I threw the deadbolt and hooked the chain, but I knew both of those security locks together were useless if a man my size wanted to come in through that cheap door. I checked the locks on both windows, then turned to see Amanda sitting on the bed naked with our sandwiches laid out.

“Rusty, we’re safe now, and I love you even more for all the precautions you’ve taken. Take your clothes off and sit on the bed with me. We need to eat before our food gets cold and our drinks turn to water.”

“This is our first night together off the mountain. Up there, I know each sound, each bird that calls, and each time a leaf falls. Down here, we’ve already seen and heard enough to not relax for one minute.”

I walked over to open the bathroom door and turn the light on, turned off the light over the bed, and turned on the TV. There was plenty of light to eat ... but not enough to be seen if someone was watching for shadows through the windows.

I stripped in front of her and sat on the bed. “Our first picnic together.”

“As soon as we get back on the mountain, I want us to pack up and have a real picnic. I love it up there and already I miss the freedom of being up there with you. Do you realize, I was naked for a month?”

“I know and I loved each minute of it after I knew you were alright.”

“When we get back, I want you to stay naked with me as much as we can. I love seeing you naked. You’re so big and handsome and strong and you move so easily and smoothly when you walk. Now, hurry and eat your burger and fries.”

“Did you eat yours already?”

“Yes ... I have a love-hate fixation for them. I love them – then hate myself for eating them.”

“Is this where I come in and bail you out?”

“Yes, but first I need a shower. Come shower with me and wash my back.”

“Take one of the .45s and put it under a towel on the vanity. I’ll be there as soon as I rig the door, the lamps and the windows.”

She stood in the bathroom doorway and watched as I rigged one of the sash cords on the drapes, around one of the lamps, and the other sash cord around the doorknob. Now, we’ll hear anyone trying to enter the room.

We were up early the next morning. Both of us needed another shower after that wild night of sex. I hope she never loses her enthusiasm for sex. She wants to try it all and she has one hell of an imagination.

We went to Walmart first, and though I was never ten feet from her, each of us were making separate purchases of four, no-contract phones, at different checkouts. I gave her a hundred so she could pay cash. I waited and let her exit in front of me, then I followed a few feet behind her to the truck. I opened the passenger side and hit the button to unlock the driver’s side, then walked around to get in. She had slid down low in the seat before I drove off the parking lot.

“I have the first phone activated. I’m texting Louis.”

“Tell him we need to meet someplace out of the way and we don’t need to hang around when he hands us your ID cards.”

“He told me to find a parking spot behind the Post Office. He’ll drive in close beside us and pass me the envelope through the window. Then we can leave immediately.”

There was a note taped to the brown envelope Louis had passed to Amanda. I’ll call you later – be careful.

I stopped at a drive-through to get coffee and breakfast sandwiches. We still had thirty minutes before the license office opened at the Court House. At five til, we walked into the Court House and located the office where we were to receive our marriage license. I did the talking and when the woman asked for identification, I slid my drivers license through the window. I just knew we were in trouble. She glanced at it and shoved it back, then handed me our papers.

We were hurrying toward the truck with Amanda laughing. “I just knew she was about to ask for my drivers license.”

“I did too, then she shoved mine back through the window and I was ready to grab the papers and run.”

Back in our motel room, I turned the TV on. As we sat on the bed, there was a police update in progress, about the missing person case of Lee Amanda Nielsen.

“Look, there’s Daniel.” She was hurrying to the TV to put her finger on her brother. Standing near him was Kyle.

“That’s Kyle behind him. They must be including the search teams in their update ... Daniel sure doesn’t favor your mother or father. I’m glad Louis told us that he was never adopted.”

“Look, Rusty ... they’re calling off the search. Turn the volume up.”

...”We’ve called this news conference on the missing person search for Lee Amanda Nielsen – to inform you – that on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department, the State Police, the FBI, the National Guard, and all the many hundreds of volunteers, we’re suspending the search and rescue operation for Ms. Nielsen.