Chapter 14: Cheese, cheese and more cheese

Amber kept the big RV and trailer at fifty-five miles an hour on the winding road. The girls took turns sitting in the front seat or snapping pictures out the side windows at the scenery with their digital camera. She also watched as dozens of emergency vehicles flew past her heading the way she had come along with several news vans.

"Mom, what's going on? Why did we leave the beach so fast?" Amy asked as she took a sip of her coke.

"Something happened back there sweetie, and your dad and I thought it was best to get away before to many people started asking us questions," Amber replied as she pulled out and went around an old Ford Fairlane that was traveling at forty miles an hour. As she went by, Amber noticed the two occupants were sitting side by side, and the woman had her head on the man's shoulder. They looked to be in their eighties and appeared quite happy. She prayed she and Victor would be like that in their late years. Waving to them, she pulled ahead of them and back into the lane. Two hours later, they were approaching Yachats, Oregon, when Cindy came to the front of the RV.

"Mom, I brought you a sandwich," Cindy said as she placed a covered paper plate down.

"Thank you sweetie ... is Daddy up?" she asked as she turned the blinker on as she saw a sign for a Cheese and Crackers store. "You want to try some fresh cheese?"

"Yes Mom, Daddy is in the bathroom, and Cheese?" Cindy said as her eyes went wide.

"I think I have a cheese monster," Amber said with a laugh and pulled into the parking lot.

"Three Mom, we all love cheese. Grilled cheese, Sliced cheese, Mac and Cheese..." Amy replied from the passenger seat as she started ticking off the many ways to eat cheese on her fingers.

Amber shut the RV down laughing as Victor came out of the back. Getting up, she turned and walked over to him. Draping her arms over his shoulder, she said, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel a lot better. I used a lot of my power there. The food helped, but the sleep shattered the migraine I developed. Now, where are we my Chinese doll," Victor replied as he kissed her.

"We're at a Cheese and Crackers store in Yachats, Oregon," she said when they broke their kiss.

"And why are we here?" Victor asked.

"CHEESE!" the three girls shouted as they ran by to their bedroom.

"Ahh, I see we have cheese hounds," Victor said as he picked up his wallet off the counter.

"Yup, let's go feed them," Amber said with a wink.

The girls were right behind them as they descended from the RV. Victor helped each of the girls down out of the vehicle, pulled the door closed and set the alarm. Amy stood between Victor and Amber holding their hands, Cindy took Amber's free hand while Lisa took Victor's and they walked to the store entrance. Victor released Amy's hand and pulled the door open. Letting the girls go first, he followed with Lisa. Standing in the doorway, Victor closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. The smells of all the cheese crashed into his senses and his stomach rumbled.

Lisa started giggling when she heard her Daddy's belly. She reached out and patted him on his tummy, and said, "Don't worry. We won't forget you!"

Laughter burst around them and Victor, blushed as he opened his eyes. He looked at Lisa and then leaned down and kissed her on her head as he replied, "Don't worry? We won't forget you? What's that all about cheese hound? Are you hungry for cheese?"

"Your belly is talking, I guess you like cheese too!" Lisa replied and then added, "Yup, I am hungry, for cheese that is. Let's go! My belly feels like it's been forgotten because it hasn't had cheese in days," and grabbed his hand.

The laughter followed them as Victor wandered around the store as the girls filled a cart with various cheeses. He was looking at some Swiss cheese when he noticed the police car pull in and park behind the RV. 'What do they want?' he thought as he watched the man get out and examine the paper plates in the back window. Turning he looked at Amber and walked over.

"Stay in here. I'll be right back," Victor said.

"What's wrong?" Amber asked as she set a five-pound block of Cheddar cheese in the cart.

"Not sure. I'm going to find out," he replied and walked to the door. Opening the door, he crossed the parking lot towards the RV.

Officer Jenna Diaz finished typing the license plate into the computer and waited for a hit when she noticed the boy walking towards the RV. Getting out, she adjusted her holster and waited for him to reach her.

"Can I help you officer?" Victor asked as he reached the car.

"Can you tell me where your parents are? I need to ask them some questions about this RV and Coos Bay," she said.

"Well my mom is in California, the RV belongs to my wife and I, we're on our honeymoon heading north up the coast. We were at Coos Bay, but left this morning after having breakfast there," Victor replied.

"Yours?" Jenna said in shock, "That's a good one. Now please tell me the truth!" she said as she pulled out her small notebook.

"It is the truth," Victor replied as he looked back at the store and then back at the officer.

"If you own it, show me the title, and where you got the money for the vehicles," she ordered.

"Well the RV and Escalade were wedding gifts to us, but they are in our name," Victor replied as he pulled his wallet out. He pulled out the ownership papers he had folded inside and offered them to her as her computer pinged.

"Stay there," Jenna said as she sat down in her car to look at the computer screen. It showed the owner of both vehicles and she looked at the papers. Inside the folded papers was a marriage certificate for Victor Adams and Amber Lee. She quickly ran the information through the system and came back with a negative hit. Shutting the window down, she climbed out of the car and walked back to the boy.

"Well they're not stolen, now you have a nice day," Jenna said as she walked back to the car and climbed in.

"Officer, where is a good place to eat?" Victor asked as he walked around the front of the car.

"Try the Adobe Restaurant and Lounge right up the street. Their food is to die for," Jenna said with a smile.

"Thank you, we will," Victor said as she backed up and pulled out of the parking lot. He turned around and was heading back to the store when the doors opened and the girls came out carrying bags in each of their hands and talking away. Behind them, one of the stores employees followed with bags in each of his hands. Walking over, Victor pulled a ten out of his pocket and handed it to the young man as he relieved him of his bags.

"Daddy we got lots of cheese!" Amy said as she held up her bags.

"I see that. Are we hungry for real food?" Victor asked as they reached the RV and the kids shouted YES as he unlocked the door. Stepping in, he shut the alarm off.

Victor turned and set the bags on the counter, and then took the bags from the girls as they climbed in. Amber closed the door, and he leaned down and kissed her passionately. The girls giggled as they watched their parents kiss, and then went EWWWW, as he slipped her the tongue.

Breaking the kiss as Amber started giggling, he looked at the girls and said, "Just you three wait until the three of you are old enough to date, and I sit there grilling your boyfriends on where their planning on taking you."

The girls gasped and huddled together. While they were whispering, Amber was putting the items they'd bought away. "Victor, where are we going to eat?" she asked as she opened the fridge.

"I asked the police woman who was out in the parking lot about a good restaurant and she recommended the Adobe Restaurant and Lounge right up the street," Victor said as he opened the next bag and looked at the jars of jelly.

"I will take care of that. Girls, go get cleaned up and changed. Victor, go shave and change clothes," Amber ordered as she took the bag from him.

Twenty minutes later, Victor was at the wheel of the RV and they headed down the street. Pulling into the parking lot, they parked and waited as Amber finished getting dressed. Victor and the girls were waiting in the living area when they heard Amber coming down the stairs from the bedroom. Turning, they saw Amber wearing a black skirt with two green strips on each side. She was wearing a blood red blouse and a white sash around her waist. She had braided her hair and pinned the braid up with several Jade hair sticks. On her wrists were several Jade bracelets.

"You look lovely, Mrs. Adams," Victor said as he stood up.

"Thank you, Mister Adams. Shall we go to dinner?" she asked as she met him halfway across the living area.

"Mom," Amy said.

"You look," Lisa added.

"Beautiful," Cindy said as she finished the complement.

"Thank you girls. I think your father agrees," she said and patted him on his crotch.

"MOM! TMI ... Way too much TMI!" Lisa replied as she started blushing.

Amber laughed, and turned to the door and waited. Victor shook off the awed feeling, rushed to the door, and opened it. Stepping out, he helped each of his ladies down, and then closed and locked the door. Setting the alarm, he took Ambers arm in his and they walked to the door of the restaurant.

Klamath Falls, Oregon;

Vu stood outside the closed Chinese Dynasty Restaurant. Taking a sniff of the air, he could smell the power. Walking around the parking lot, he found the trail and knelt. Touching the ground, he closed his eyes and concentrated. 'Give me an image of the vehicle, ' he thought.

Pouring his power into his demands, six vehicles slowly formed in his mind, they were an RV towing an SUV, a Suburban, several Mini-vans and a Trans-Am.

Standing up, he said, "Look for the following vehicle. A red mini-van with a trailer, a green mini-van with white writing on the sides, a blue suburban with gold stripes and a luggage rack, a copper RV towing a black SUV, and a fire red Trans-Am."

"Disregard the Trans-Am, and the green mini-van," Harry Chu said as he watched the strange man with all the tattoos.

Vu turned and looked at the boy who dared to disregard his orders and took a step towards him, "You dare disregard my orders!"

Harry gulped and tried to step back, but his legs wouldn't work, as he sputtered out, "Never, Sir, it's just ... that the Trans-Am, and the green mini-van belong to one of the churches. They're regulars here. So I figured why waste time on them?"

"I wouldn't have said find the cars if they were not important. Now find them, or..." Vu replied leaving the threat hanging as he turned, swirling his trench coat behind him and walked to his black Lamborghini. Climbing in, he brought up the GPS system and laid his hand on the screen.

"Where are you, Victor Adams! Where are you going to be tomorrow?" he said as he closed his eyes.

Images flashed through his mind. He saw water, a train, and an amusement park. Opening his eyes, he activated his laptop and started a search for amusement parks in Oregon, and southern Washington. He hit on one near Portland. Picking up the phone, he dialed his boss.

"Speak," Jung Wang ordered on the other end.

"Oaks Amusement Park. Tomorrow or the next day," Vu replied.

"Good, get up there. I will meet you there with several crews. I want Amber intact, kill the boy, and the kids," Jung said.

"Yes, Sir. Victor will not see sunset when we meet," Vu stated as he flipped a ten-inch nail over his knuckles.

"Good. See that he doesn't," Jung said as he hung up.

Adobe Restaurant and Lounge

Victor stood in the entryway waiting on the girls to finish eating. He was looking at the travel brochures and found several for Oregon and Washington he thought they would like. Tucking the pamphlets in his jacket pocket as they came out of the bathroom, he picked up the containers of leftovers. Pushing the door open, he let them go out and followed to the RV. Darkness was falling, as they reached the door and Amber opened it and let everyone go in. Climbing in, he set the containers down and closed the door behind him.

"Ok girls, showers and bed," Amber ordered as she sat down next to Victor.

Victor watched as the girls scampered for their bedroom and pulling their dresses off as they ran. The last view Amber and he had was Lisa's bare butt going into the bedroom.

"I'm going to tan that girl's butt. She should have been wearing underwear with that dress," Amber snapped out as she stood up and started that way.

"Amber, let it go for now. They're happy, and that's what matters. She may have done that for a long time, we need to find out. Remember, we don't know everything about the girls. So wait until you're calm before you talk with them," Victor said as he stood up and started putting the leftover seafood away.

Amber stopped where she was and looked at Victor and then the closed door. Her mind was racing and she replied, "You're right. I'll wait. Are we staying here?" she asked changing the subject.

"No, once the girls finish their showers and are in bed, I am going to drive for a few hours. I think we'll head for Portland, and then head up to the state park around Olympia. We can spend a few days there, before heading up into Canada and to Alaska. If that's all right with you. One thing I want to do is stay away from Seattle and their heavy Chinese population," Victor said as he closed the fridge after putting the leftovers inside.

"Fine with me, and I agree, we need to stay away from Seattle, and Tacoma. We'll go around them. I'll check MapQuest and the Rand McNally Road Atlas we have. I will get us around them," Amber said.

She walked to the desk and fired up the laptop computer. She also pulled out the drawer to her right, lifted the slim map case out, and pulled the map book out.

Victor let her work, and turned to the coffeepot; he quickly filled the reservoir. He was looking for the coffee when Lisa came out of the bathroom. She had a towel wrapped around her body, and was drying her hair.