Chapter 2: The Here and Now

That was five years ago and a lot of water had gone down the gorge since then. I stopped by Hurley's cabin to collect Norton. He was all over me, welcoming me back home. I ushered him into the back seat.

"Good trip?" Hurley asked.

"Nope. Failure. Waste of time."

"Sorry to hear that. Lose anyone?"

"My handler."

"Shit! You get even?"

"Sort of. I took one to leave a calling card."

He nodded. "Good."

"Any messages?" I asked.

"Nope. Quiet right now. Still wonderin' what Al Qaeda's up to."

"You sure you want to do this, Hurley?"

"Yeah. When I found out what you were up to, I figured you needed someone to cover your back."

"I'm grateful. Just don't put yourself at risk," I reminded him.

"You and I both know that your warning is wasted on us. If they want to shut us down, they can do it. There's no hiding place for you and me, Rick. Oh, by the way, you have a visitor."

I nodded. "Thanks for looking after Norton," I said, slapping him lightly on the shoulder.

I heard the hum of the generator as I approached the Airstream. I slipped my Beretta out of my back holster and gave Norton the "down" sign. He dropped immediately and watched me carefully.

I was sure whoever was in the trailer would be aware I had arrived. I was about to move to the front corner of the Airstream where I couldn't be seen when the door opened and a very tall redheaded woman appeared in the doorway.

"You must be Rick. Hurley told me about you. Don't worry, I'm not the enemy," she grinned.

"You are awful confident I'm willing to believe that," I said, checking her out carefully. I could see both her hands and with the jeans as tight as they were and the tank top as well, it would be damned difficult to hide a weapon.

She stepped down from the doorway, her hands in the air as she turned her back to me, the only place she might have concealed something.

"Okay, I get the message," I said. "Who are you and what are you doing in my home?"

"I'm Sally Baynes, Hurley's niece," she answered, lowering her hands. "I borrowed the key you gave Uncle Hurley."

I tucked the gun back in its holster and stepped toward her. I'd seen her picture and Hurley's cabin and remembered her.

"Long Tall Sally, huh," I grinned. "I wondered when I'd get to meet you."

"I was thinking the same thing," she said with a brilliant smile. "Uncle Hurley's told me quite a bit about you. He wasn't exaggerating, either."

Sally Baynes was six foot tall and very well proportioned. The auburn red hair was pulled back tightly into a wide braid barely reaching the nape of her neck, the blue eyes sparkled and the smile was big and open. Like a lot of redheads, she had freckles sprinkled along her cheek and, from what I could see, the tops of her breasts as well. If she was Hurley's niece, then she was off-limits. Damn shame, I thought.

"Are you finished inspecting me?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, although I do like to take my time."

"So I've noticed."

"Hurley didn't tell me you'd be here. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Curiosity. My uncle has mentioned you more than a couple of times. That makes you very unusual. I thought I'd come and see just what made you special."

"Come on in, since you've already made yourself at home. I'm going to have a beer if you'd like one."

"Thanks, don't mind if I do."

Norton followed us and took up a position sitting beside Sally, giving her the once over as well. Typical guy.

I pulled a couple of Cascades out of my refrigerator.

"Care for a glass?" I asked.

"Nope, bottle's fine."

I popped the caps and passed the amber ale to her.

"A man of good taste," she said, examining the label.

"I like to support local business."

"So, what do you do up here on the bluffs of the gorge?" she asked.

"I'm semi-retired."

She gave me a look with an arched eyebrow that said she didn't believe me.

"You're kind of young to be retired aren't you?"

"I'm doing it a bit at a time."

"Ever thought about becoming a male model?"

"Hah! Hell, no."

"What's so funny? You've got the look. A little hard around the edges, but I'd bet most women would think you're pretty sexy. It would be a hell of a lot safer than what you do."

"Go on ... say it," I said.

"Okay ... why the gun?"

"Precaution. I don't like surprises, although in your case, it didn't need to be."

"What does that mean?"

"It means any friend of Hurley's is a friend of mine."

"Well, that's good to hear. Uncle Hurley doesn't make friends easily."

"Based on the way you reacted to my gun, I'm guessing you know what your uncle used to do."

"Yes. I'm sure he'd be happier if I didn't know ... but I do. I'm thinking you're in the same business."

"In a way."

She went silent then.

"How often do you come up here?" I asked.

"I haven't been here in a couple of years. I was in the area, so I decided I was overdue for a visit."

"Where do you live?"

"Right now, I'm living with my mother near San Diego."

"If I remember right, your mother married Hurley's brother and he was killed in a plane crash."

"That's right. He was a pilot and had his own Piper Cherokee. Something went wrong over the Cascades and we never found the plane, much less Dad."

"Sorry to hear that. That was a while ago."

"Sixteen years. I was in college at the time. It hurt like hell ... especially not knowing what happened to him."

"Your mother remarry?"

"Nope. Couldn't find anyone as good as Dad. I was born before they got together. He was the only father I ever knew. Hurley is like a step-uncle, if there's any such thing. Mom changed my name after they married. Baynes beats the hell out of Yankowitz."

I nodded. "I suppose it does."

"You sound like you've had some experience," she probed carefully.

I was about to tell her to mind her own business when I thought better of it. She was Hurley's niece and I owed it to him to be polite.

"I lost a fiancée back a dozen years. She was an innocent bystander and got caught in the crossfire."

"And no one has been able to measure up since," she stated.

"You know what I do for a living. Does that sound like it would produce a stable home environment?"

"Some women are able to look past that."

"I wouldn't do that to them. I've lost one person who was important to me. I won't risk another."

"You never know. You might meet a woman who will make you forget about the danger and risk everything to be with her."

"A very romantic but impractical view."

"Hmmm ... maybe. Maybe not," she said, the tip of her finger in her mouth, exaggerating her pout. She knew exactly what she was doing ... or trying to do. I'd seen it all before.

"I'll be seeing you," she said, concentrating on me for a moment longer before standing. "I've got to go. I'll be staying with my uncle for a while. Come and visit if you have the time. I'll drop by when I can ... if it doesn't bother you."

"I'm not going anywhere that I know of." I thought about warning her to keep her mouth shut about me, but it would probably be a waste of breath. I had to hope she understood that she knew enough to be dangerous ... both to me, her uncle, and herself. Now I'd have to keep a watch over her too.

I rolled to a stop near Hurley's cabin and climbed out, stretching after the tiresome flight and long drive from Portland. The cabin door was barely opened when Norton came bounding out to greet me with his usual enthusiasm. I spent a few moments acknowledging him as Hurley walked toward me.

"How was the trip?" he asked.

"Better this time."

He nodded. That was enough information for him. He knew I had completed my assignment successfully.