Chapter 7 #2
Hunter led her down the staircase to the lobby and into a room filled with tables and chairs.
“This is the dining room.” He lifted his chin toward a long table with a dozen chairs around it. “We usually eat at the big table for our meals and help clean up afterward. Cookie’s a helluva chef and manages to cook for the staff as well as the guests. We pitch in when we can.”
“That could be a lot of meal prep for one man,” Savvie commented. “Would it help if we cooked our own meals?”
Hunter laughed. “Cookie is a retired Navy cook. He fed every sailor on board the ships he sailed with. After the Navy, he was recruited by the White House to cook State dinners. Apparently, he got tired of big-city life and came to work with Mr. Jacobs when he needed a chef for the lodge. Said it was like a vacation.”
“The lodge is lucky to have him.” Savvie was impressed. “I can imagine he has a great repertoire of recipes after working at the White House.”
“He does. If we don’t know what the dish is, we don’t ask until after we’ve eaten. Everything he makes tastes amazing.”
“The breakfast was very good,” Savvie said.
Hunter led the way through the dining room into the kitchen, where the man they’d been discussing was up to his elbows in flour, kneading a huge ball of dough.
“Hey, Cookie.” Hunter nodded to the retired Navy chef. “Just giving Savvie a tour of the lodge and grounds.”
Cookie lifted his chin without taking his hands off the dough. “Making tonight’s dinner rolls.” He leaned his head toward the counter. “Made some chocolate chip cookies this morning. Take some with you.”
Hunter crossed to the indicated counter and took the top off a clear glass jar filled to the rim with cookies. He took out two of the treats and replaced the lid. “Thanks, Cookie. You make the best chocolate chip cookies.”
“Damn right, I do,” he said.
Handing one of the cookies to Savvie, Hunter passed through the kitchen to a door on the other side. He pushed the door open into a laundry room with a row of industrial washing machines, dryers and four regular washing machines.
“You can do your laundry here. They use the big machines for the lodge bedding and towels.” He walked through to a door on the other side that led out to the far end of the lobby. “You don’t have to go through the kitchen to get to the laundry room.”
“Good to know,” she said.
As they stepped out into the lobby, Kyla came through the back door and smiled when she spotted them. “There you are.”
“Do you have a computer I can use?” Savvie asked.
“Soon,” Kyla promised. “I’ve been working with Swede to download software and firewalls to keep hackers from tapping into our IP address.
In fact, it’s still downloading. I’m taking a break to find you something to wear other than Hunter’s hand-me-downs.
” Kyla tipped her head. “Although, you wear them well. Whatever I find that might fit you, I’ll leave at your door. ”
“Thank you,” Savvie said.
Kyla switched her attention to Hunter. “You should take Savvie to the general store for other things she might need.”
Savvie shook her head. “Until I can access my bank, I don’t have any cash on me, and I don’t dare use any of my credit cards. Not here.”
Kyla nodded. “The lodge has an account at the general store. Just tell them to put it on that account. I’ll have John call ahead to let them know you’re coming.”
“I’ll pay him back,” Savvie promised.
“I know,” Kyla said. “Check back in an hour or two. We should have a computer ready for you.”
“I assume you haven’t found any leads on the whereabouts of the other victims Marcus mentioned,” Savvie queried.
Kyla’s lips pressed together. “I have my contacts checking around, and Swede put out feelers on the dark web. We hope we hear something soon.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” Savvie sighed. “I should’ve let them take me to the others. Then at least, I’d know where they were.”
Kyla shook her head. “You dodged the drugs in your drink. I doubt they’d take you out of the hotel without hitting you with something even stronger.”
“Then you’d be just like the other women. Too doped up to escape,” Hunter said. “You did right to get out while you could. Drug-free, even at a distance, you have more of a chance of helping them than incapacitated with whatever they’re using to keep their merchandise subdued.”
“He’s right,” Kyla said. “We don’t have to tell you that. You know it’s true, so stop second-guessing yourself. I’ll see you in a bit. I need to get you some clothes and get back to my terminal.” Kyla hurried away pretty fast for a woman who was eight months pregnant.
“I don’t think pregnancy has slowed her down in the least,” Savvie said.
Hunter chuckled. “Not at all. Stone has to remind her to take it easy for the baby’s sake.” Hunter held the back door of the lobby open for Savvie.
As they stepped out onto the wide porch, Savvie took time to appreciate the view this time.
The last time, she’d been in a hurry to get to the Brotherhood Protectors’ office above the barn.
Knowing she couldn’t do much to help until she had access to the internet, she drank in the fresh mountain air and the scent of evergreens.
“This place is beautiful,” she said.