Chapter 65

I threw thing on the false floor of the truck as I went along. Within a month I had a lot crap covering the floor. It looked really used without showing the false floor so much. I enjoyed driving it even though it took more gas and more space in the parking lot, than my Toyota had when I lived in that Motel in County Seat.

I started looking for an excuses to go to the Green Valley Vineyard. I knew that unless it was a damn good one there would be questions. I had no idea how good my cover was. It wasn't exactly prepared by the CIA. As far as I knew it would only hold up, if they called my supposed bother. If they could get access to the military files I doubted that Karen Smith would show up. Of course the cops said the military connection would hold, but they would say that.

The connection came with a trip outside Stoneville. Since I could created a fishing pole with line for next to nothing, I collected the pieces to make one. I had begun to fish in County Seat's water supply, so I knew it was a good way to fill in the down time.

I had considered the ole stick and string idea, but decided to go for the more elaborate two dollar driveway marker. It was a four foot long plastic stake. It was under 5/16 in diameter and bright orange. I bought two rods and all the parts to assemble them. There were home made but should stand out where ever I went.

I was using butcher's wrapping string, so it wasn't all that strong. I should have bought nylon mason's string, but I hadn't thought of it, when I was at home depot. I manage to rig the short pole with thirty feet of butcher's wrapping string, so I needed some weight at the end of the line. I used a couple of paper clips attached to the stake as line guides. They actually worked pretty well.

The line was wound up on a small piece of metal that I glued on with JB Weld. I simply hand wound the line on. I had to pull off what I wanted to throw at my feet before I threw it. I couldn't throw the hook as far as I could with a fancy rod, but I could get it pretty far out depending on the weight I used.

The point of all the above information was that there was a mountain stream running through The Green Valley Vineyard. I stopped the truck and began fishing with my ratty old system. As I expected some workers saw me moving toward the stream and reported me. Eventually two men came to discuss it with me. Neither looked like the law to me. "Hey there," the one who looked the roughest said. The other actually looked like a country gentleman. The rough looking one appeared to have a pistol in on holster concealed on his hip. I decided to ignore it. I was not planning to make any trouble over a fishing stream.

"Hey, what can I do for you two?" I asked. I never was the shy type.

"That's what we planned to ask you. My name is Todd Green I own this property. I don't usually allow fishing," the gentlemanly one said.

"Well Mr Green, I'm Karen Smith and I usually ask the owner before I do any serious fishing, but I just saw this stream running by the road and I didn't know who to ask right away. So I figured I would find out whether if it was worth the effort befire asking." I said.

"Ah so is it worth the effort?" he asked.

"Not so far," I replied. "Actually Mr Green for me it's about the fishing not the catching." I at least said it with a smile.

"I don't see anyway for you to carry them away, so I assume you are catching and releasing the fish?" The man with Green asked.

"That's right, I have time on my hands so I just catch them as a way for me to get me out into the fresh air. I certainly don't want to keep them to cook. I don't cook much to be honest." I said it smiling.

"Well then, why don't you come to the meeting room on the vineyard for dinner on Friday night. That is, if you are in town. It's a small town and I know all the locals," he said.

"I'm sort of checking out the fit around town," I said. "So I may or may not be in town, but thank you for the invitation. Right now I am more interested in whether or not I can continue fishing in the stream."

Green looked at me seriously and then said, "Fish as long and as often as you like. As a matter of fact there is a farm pond that I stocked with some bass and pan fish. Come on down to the house and I'll introduce you to the wife. Just so that she won't freak out, if she sees you drive into the yard. You can follow us down now."

It all sounded very polite and above board, but there was hidden threat. It was clear to me at least that I had better follow along, or there would be trouble. If I hadn't been a woman the threat would have been a lot more open. Even though he had nice manners Todd Green was no gentleman. At least he was no real gentleman.

I packed up my rod, which took only a second, tossed it in the back of the truck and followed them. Since the weather had finally gotten warm, I was wearing a tee shirt, without a bra, and cut off jeans. In my case, however, it wasn't sexy. I wore a thick red tee shirt, so it wasn't see through by any means, and the cutoffs were neither short nor tight. I tried to look like the kind of girl who wouldn't get noticed on a crowded street. I thought I succeeded pretty damn well, since neither Green nor his henchman seemed to have a hard on for me.