Chapter 360

We had given Jerome three days to think it over, and make a plan. Jerrod finished out the week just to keep an eye on Jerome. I continued to stand by outside the project, just because it was no inconvenience. I could crank up the truck and run it an hour to charge my power pack. Other wise sitting in one place was no different than sitting another.

Presumably during the days Jerrod slept while I banged around my housing development. In those three days two of the remodels were finished. Our houses were all pre-sold so there were people there to gawk when the contractor handed me the key. I just handed it to the home owner. The ceremony wasn't fancy, but it was something to mark the day.

I was happy to be doing it. On Friday I was attending and participating in one of those ceremonies, when my phone rang. The call was from Jerrod.

"Maxine, it seems Jerome got the message. He gave away all his furniture and packed everything into his car. He is about to drive away, should I give him an attaboy?" Jerrod asked at the end of his statement.

"No, let him go quietly, I'm going to make a call," I said.

I did make a call to Althea. Your package is leaving right now," I said. "You need to take steps, I presume."

"I'll get right on it," she informed me.

"So now what?" Jerrod asked when he reached me a half hour later.

"Now we go into retirement until something else happens. It's like that most of the time sitting on the shelf. It's why I dabble in Real Estate," I informed him.

"I don't have any money, but I want to live in Aster. Can you help me?" he asked.

"Do you miss it?" I asked.

"There is nothing good to miss about the life, but yes I miss the adrenaline rush," he said.

"I thought so." I smiled at him then said, "Tell you what I have one house that really is going to be small. It was a kind of meeting house at the end of the street. It is just one room, but you can make do I'm sure, after all you are a legionnaire."

"Let's go see it," he suggested.

"Sylvia take a clipboard. k Go show Jerrod that house at the end of the street. Write down what it needs to make it livable and then see that it gets done." I said it smiling.

"What kind of rent do you want? My pension is very small, I can't afford much," he said.

"Oh I was thinking about a barter system. We will call the rent $400 a month. Then when you help me we will deduct that from the rent balance. You will have your pension free and clear plus anything else you can make between jobs for me."

"That sounds like a pretty good deal," he said.

"Oh course it does," I replied.

"Oh by the way there was a cleaning crew headed into the project unit Jerome vacated. They almost passed him on the way out they were in such a hurry. They must have just been waiting for him to leave," Jerrod said.

"I know. They were waiting on a wire like vultures. But it is done now and we are clear." I'm glad that it is over and no body got hurt." I looked at Jerrod and he had a quizzical look on his face. "Okay nobody on our side got hurt."

"That's better. Okay I'm off to see the house." With those words Sylvia and Jerrod left.

I had a feeling that the farm waited until they were gone before they messaged me even though no one else could hear. I'm sure they wanted my undivided attention.

Maxine we have a situation. I realize you just finished with something for yourself, but this can't wait. The message said.

What kind of problem do you have now, that just can't wait? I asked wordlessly.

We have a kidnapped American. He wasn't hiking in a jungle somewhere he was grabbed from a hotel a block from the embassy, the message said.

Do you know who has him? I asked.

Religious zealots, who else, the message came back.

You are going to have to be able to find them. If you do that maybe me and an Eve can get him out, I suggested.

We kind of had your new friend in mind, the message said. Speaking French might be helpful.

Come on I speak French almost as good as he does. If he gets killed, it will be a French body. That's what you really want isn't it? I asked.

Of course not, but if you have to leave someone behind, it wouldn't hurt if it were a Frenchman.

I don't leave people behind ... I sent that message along to rock his cradle

Right, well you haven't left anyone yet, but your career has just begun.

Alright, if you pay him, I'll take him, I said playfully.

Fair enough, you leave tomorrow morning. Bring clean underwear, otherwise I will have everything for you both, the case officer said. My guess was that I was talking to the Deacon.

And where exactly do I go? I asked.

Why to the airstrip of course. Take the French boy with you, he said.

If he wants to go, I said. If not you are going to have to find me another partner.

That won't be hard. Everybody wants to work with you and they don't even know who you are. I find that terribly amusing, he said.

"Oh do you now? Instead of being amused you should try to learn something," I suggested.

Okay, enough of this nonsense. Just get yourself ready to go and be at the strip tomorrow at 2pm with Jerrod.

It was simply a matter of waiting for Sylvia and Jerrod to return. It would be a waste to go looking for them. There was no telling what Sylvia would be trying to pull on Jerrod. I wasn't at all sure that she knew that it was a waste of her time.