Chapter Fifteen #3
I looked at Napoleon. “The Valley as in ‘Valley Girl’?”
He grinned and his white teeth shone brightly in his dark face. “You know Frank Zappa?”
I chuckled, nodding at mom. “My mom and grandma loved Zappa.”
She lit up. “Valley Girl? Like…oh my God! Gag me with a spoon,” she said.
I doubled over laughing as Mickey and Napoleon chuckled. There were moments like this when I realized she was still in there somewhere, though, lucid thoughts in her head rarely remained very long. Also, this was an old memory but I’d take what I could get.
“Ot oh,” Mars said a few minutes later. “We ‘ave a tail.”
We all sobered as Mickey squatted near the pass-through window to the front seat. I heard them talking for a minute or so but couldn’t make out what they were saying. After a minute more, he came back and retook his seat beside Napoleon.
“He’s calling Candy to see if he wants us to divert back to the office or what.”
Napoleon’s expression was troubled, but he didn’t say anything to Mickey, only nodding at me and Mom soberly. “Don’t worry, Cam. Mars will figure it out. It happens.”
I didn’t say anything, just bit my lip and I stared at Mars as he clicked his earbud on for his phone, having a one-way conversation with their boss. When he hung up, he turned his head halfway so he could be heard over the vehicle’s powerful motor.
“Candy wants us to continue to the safe’ouse since we’re so close. ‘E’s already dispatched Tac Team Four to the ‘ouse since they were already in the Valley. They’ll beat us there. It’ll be a temporary stop ‘til they can rustle up another safe’ouse.”
“Thanks, Mars,” Mickey called back.
I sat on pins and needles as we drove another ten minutes, finally exiting the freeway onto side streets.
I asked Mickey, pointing to the pass-through, “Can I look out the windshield?”
“Sure.”
I moved to the front of the big truck and squatted at the small window into the cab.
I caught the scent of Mars’ aftershave as he turned and smiled at me before he concentrated on driving again.
It was another three minutes before he pulled into a little neighborhood of single-family homes.
It looked like every other neighborhood in America, totally oblivious to killers driving through their neighborhood.
Mars pulled into the driveway of a two-story ranch house, but bypassed it, going farther down to another house at the back of a flag lot.
He pulled up in front of the house and stopped.
Men stationed at the entrance, moved quickly to close the double gate, blocking the vehicle and house from view of the street.
“Let’s go,” Napoleon said, jumping down and holding out a hand for Mom so she could ease down.
I handed out my bag and the case before jumping down myself.
Another BearCat just like ours was already parked in front of the house.
Mickey and Napoleon immediately ushered us into the house.
Two FBI agents stood on either side of the front door, wearing the same sort of black tactical gear as Captain Sorensen and Napoleon had worn when they’d rappelled down from the helicopter.
“How you doing, Napoleon?” one of the guys said.
“Other than the tail, good. Let us in, Burrows,” Napoleon said quietly.
The man nodded, saying nothing more as we moved into a spacious living room-kitchen great room. There were four other men inside who all shook hands with the guys on Mars’ team. All of them wore the same gear and carried huge semi-automatic rifles slung over their shoulders.
“We won’t be staying,” Mars said, coming up to me. “But your mum can rest in one of the bedrooms, until they organize something else if she’d like.”
I took his arm, pulling him off to the side, out of earshot of my mom. “Are we in a lot of danger here?”
He offered me an encouraging smile. “Candy is sending the rest of the team. They’ll be ‘ere in fifteen minutes. Until then, you’ve got us watching your backs. No need to worry, Cam.”
“I’ve made spaghetti,” the agent called Burrows said.
“It’s on the stove if anyone’s hungry. Carter and I will be out front.
The rest of the guys will form a perimeter around the house.
” He shut the front door, and Mickey locked it behind him.
The other four men disappeared into the backyard, silently closing the sliding glass door behind them.
When Mickey came back, he smiled. “Snug as bugs in a rug. Who’s hungry?”
“I admit. I’m slightly peckish,” Mom said.
I smiled and went over to her. “Come on, Mom. Sit at the table and I’ll dish up some food for you.”
She patted my hand but when she looked into my eyes, I noticed the faraway look she usually wore when she’d lost track of where she was or what she was doing.
I wasn’t sure she knew me at the moment, but I led her to the table anyway, pulling out a chair for her to have a seat before going to the kitchen.
I watched Mars talking with the others who were huddled around, hoping that whatever happened at this point, we were safe…at least for now.