Chapter 2

Ocala Florida

7:13 am

"Mathew?" Ana said from the doorway.

I looked over as Ana's voice registered. I saw the tears on her face, and then she fled the entrance of the room.

I shoved Judy off me, slid off the bed, and ran after her. I saw Judy's bedroom door closing, and I went over and knocked.

"Go away," came from the other side as well as crying.

"Ana, can I come in?" I asked.

"No!"

"Please," I asked again and then Judy was there.

"Go talk with Nanna. I will talk with her," Judy said as she opened the door and went in.

Shrugging my shoulders, I went downstairs to the kitchen. I found Marylyn making breakfast. She pointed to the table, and I sat. She poured me a cup of coffee, and placed it in front of me. I took a sip, and sighed as the caffeine hit me.

"Mathew, I'm sorry. I tried to tell her, but she was gone so fast that I didn't get a word in."

"That's ok. I just hope Ana and Judy can work it out. I don't need them fighting on the trip," I said.

"So, you're going to where I think you are?"

"Yes, but I figure we can drive it. That way, we will know if anyone is behind us," I said as I picked up the paper and turned to the classifieds. Going to the gun section I looked at the three ads listed and only two, I liked. One was a .44 Ruger Super Blackhawk for 800.00 and the other was a .30-30 Marlin. Looking at the third add I saw no use for the .22 until I read the full add and smiled. It would be a good training gun. The Savage 64FV semiautomatic .22 rifle had a nice report, the last time I'd looked at it.

Picking up the phone from the cradle, I started calling the numbers. I quickly sealed the deal for each weapon. I told the sellers I would be by today to pay and pick them up, after getting directions. Hanging up the phone, I read the rest of the paper. I found a few more items I wanted and called on them. I got to thinking of the trip and looked at Marylyn as she set the plate down in front of me.

"By the way, does Judy have a Visa?" I asked.

"Yes. But what about Ana? Does she?"

"Yes, Mrs. Whitman. In fact, I have three. One has never been used before," Ana said.

"Don't tell me that. I would be duty bound to report you," Marylyn replied and then said, "Call me Mom, like Matt does, and are you hungry?"

"Ok, and a little. Judy and I talked, and I understand her now. Matt, where are we going?" Ana asked as she sat down at the table.

"I don't want to say. That way, if anyone asks, you won't have to lie," I replied.

I looked at the four eggs, sausage patties, hash browns, and toast Mom had made for me. I started to get up, when Mom handed me the ketchup. I poured it on my potatoes and eggs. Mixing it up, I looked at the girls and they were shaking their heads as I said, "What?"

"That's disgusting!" Judy and Ana said together.

I smiled at them, and started eating the food.

I said between bites, "It all goes to the same spot."

"Nanna, I will just have toast. Seeing him eating that, takes my appetite away," Judy said.

"Ok, but I made plenty," Marilyn replied as she set a plate of food in front of Ana and said, "Eat! You're too thin. I scrambled your eggs."

"Yes, Mom, and thank you," Ana replied and started eating the scrambled eggs.

"Welcome, Honey. Now, Mathew has some shopping to do, and you and Judy are staying with me today. We will be doing some online shopping, after my banker comes by, and we do something with your money. I will need your measurements so I can order the clothing you will need. I also wanted to know what part of Russia you come from. If you don't mind that is," Marylyn said as she sat at the table.

"I come from Moscow, I born and raised there. My father brought me here to the United States three years ago with the help of his Mister Meyers, as he wants to be called now. He says it makes him sound more American to have an American name, but he is still a thug like he was in Moscow," Ana stated as she ate.

"I agree, and with your help, I think I can cause him some problems on my end. But you still need to disappear," she said and rubbed her chin, and continued with a smile, "I think I will have Jacob and Albert come visit for a few days after you leave. He won't bother me with two FBI agents visiting their mother."

"That's true, Mom, that's very true," I said as I stood up.

Walking over, I hugged Marylyn and kissed Judy and Ana on their cheeks. I went to the bags, removed a stack of hundreds and went out the door. I was going to the garage when Judy came running out of the house hollering for me.

"Matt, Nanna says to take her Expedition. That way no one knows it's you. She also says to use this if you stop at a gun store," she said as she handed me the keys and a folded piece of paper.

"Ok, thanks," I said.

I glanced at the paper and my eyebrow went up and then I folded it and slipped the paper into my wallet without reading the whole thing. I walked to the garage and it opened when I pressed the beeper on the keys. Going to the big black SUV, I climbed in, started it and drove out. The first stop was five blocks away and I picked up the Ruger with three hundred rounds of ammo for it and eight speed-loaders. She also had a reloader die kit that had never been used, so I bought that as well. Thanking the woman, I put the weapon (which was in a hard carry-case) in the back, along with everything else. I covered it with the blanket that was back there. I had an hour to wait, so I drove by a local gun dealer, and went in.

I was looking at the guns when an SKS popped out of the display at me. I asked to see it. The owner handed me the Chinese Carbine. It was in excellent condition. Originally a World War two design, it has since been manufactured by several communist countries, for their military. The weapon has been mass-produced in China, and elsewhere. More recently, it has been replaced with modern assault weapons. I looked at the price tag and thought for a moment

"What you think?" the man asked.

"I like it, fired a few over in Iraq," I replied. I looked at the weapon again, and said, "I will take it."

"You can have it in three days," the man said.

I opened my wallet, and pulled out Marylyn's paper and handed it to him. He quickly read the paper, and handed it back to me. He turned and picked up a pad of paper and started writing. He asked what else I wanted and showed me what he had for the weapon. I bought all twenty hinge clips as well as twenty boxes of ammo. I asked where the nearest gun range was, and he told me. I paid the twelve hundred dollar bill, and walked out of the shop with the rifle in a hard case, and a large bag in my hand full of ammo and cleaning supplies. He had also told me of a dealer who had a reload die kit for the 7.62 ammo. I was going to head over there after I picked up the .22 rifle.

I got to the owner of the .22, and picked up the rifle, ten cases of 100 round blocks of ammo, and a hard case for the weapon. I was gone in ten minutes. I pulled into the mall, and went inside after locking the doors and setting the alarm on the SUV. Going to the shoe store, I bought some new steel-toed boots, and some good hiking boots. I called Mom, got the girls' sizes, and picked up some for them, as well.

I headed towards the exit of the mall. I was almost there, when the smell of cinnamon hit me and I stopped and grabbed a dozen cinnamon roll for us to munch on.

Leaving the mall, I drove across town to the third house. I picked up the .30-30, and the two boxes of ammo she had. I left the lady four hundred dollars in cash.

I stopped at the gun dealer who had been recommended to me, and went inside. I found what I wanted, including a die kit for the .30-30 ammo. I also picked up a lock box for all the ammo and the weapons, as well as more ammo for all my guns. I examined the pistols, and found two that I thought Judy and Ana could use, and bought them. The Bersa Thunder 380 Duotone Plusses were 15 shot pistols, and would come in handy for them. I also bought six clips for each, and ten boxes of .380 ammo. I picked up two bowie knives, and sheaths for them. I asked if there was a way to get a Barrett rifle for use up where we were going, and he made some calls.

The owner came back and said I could pick the weapon up at my destination if I wanted to. I agreed. He set it up to have the gun, two thousand rounds of ammo, and a die kit delivered there. I would be picking it up in three weeks time. I paid the bill, and thanked him. He helped me carry the stuff to the Expedition, and we loaded it up. I shook his hand, climbed into the SUV, and drove home.

I pulled into a mad house. The motor home was there, as well as the trailer. Mom and the girls were loading them with the stuff she had bought. Walking to the back of the trailer I looked in, and saw it was empty. I went and got the weapons container, and carried it inside the trailer. I set it against the back wall. I put the rifles and the pistols in it, but kept the .30-30 out, with two hundred rounds of ammo.

Carrying the rifle and ammo into the motor home, I went upstairs to the bedroom. I lifted the bed up and placed them in the storage compartment. I then went back downstairs, and opened one of the doors to the storage compartments. I pulled the boxes of food out. I placed my Colt Python in the back with the speed loaders of ammo, and put the food back in place.

"What you doing?" Judy asked as she came into the RV with an armful of linen.

"Just checking out the RV. This is nice," I said as I closed the cabinet door.

"Yes it is, and it's going to be fun traveling with you and Ana," she replied as she went upstairs and lifted the end of the bed.

She came back down and said, "Matt, what's with the gun under the bed?"

"Didn't Ana tell you why she and I are running?" I asked.

"Oh!" she responded and went back upstairs.

I went out the back and stopped in the garage section. On one wall, there was a stackable washer and dryer, and on the other was a full sized freezer. Opening the freezer I was surprised to find it partially full of boxed meals and packages of meat. A horn beeped and I walked down the ramp and saw Marylyn getting out of her car. The trunk was open so I walked over to help.