Stakeout
Richard jerked awake to the buzz of his phone in his pocket. How could he have been so foolish as to fall asleep? He glanced across the street, saw the black sedan still in place and breathed a sigh of relief as he wriggled in his seat extricating his phone from his pocket.
“Where are you?” asked Richard.
“About an hour west of Detroit.”
“Excellent,” said Richard. “Does your car have GPS?”
“Yes.”
“We’re at a place called the White Pine Motor Lodge. In the middle of nowhere. The kind of place where Norman Bates checks you in.”
“Norman who?”
“Never mind. The closest town is Sturgis, Michigan, a few miles away. We’re on highway…”
“Twelve,” said Valentine 6, who had located the spot on her rental car’s navigation.
“Though calling this a highway is a liberal use of the word.”
“I’ve got it. I can be there in about an hour.”
“You still have the book?”
“Yes.”
“Bring some food,” said Richard. “And some coffee. I’ll call you if they start moving again. I’m parked by the old gas station across the street. Pull in behind the building and you’ll see the back of my car. It’s a gray Chevy something or other.”
“I’m on my way.”
Richard looked at the time on his phone.
He couldn’t have slept long—he had only been parked here for forty-five minutes.
His nap must have lasted no more than ten.
He knew he’d struggle to keep awake until Valentine 6’s arrival, and he could feel the muscles in his legs tightening from all the driving he had done today.
What he wouldn’t give to be able to take a run.
* * * *
Nemo 7 couldn’t believe his good fortune when Montag 5 tossed him the car keys and told him to go to McDonald’s and get some food.
Montag 5 had taken Pilgrim 3’s instructions to keep his cohort in sight at all times to heart so far.
But now he could get away from Montag 5 and possibly find a way to contact the president.
Of course, Montag 5 still had his phone, which complicated matters.
Did such a thing as a pay phone still exist?
If it did, Nemo 7 had stopped carrying quarters in his pocket years ago.
Maybe he could convince a stranger at McDonald’s to let him borrow their phone. Maybe not.
Richard watched as Nemo 7 emerged from the hotel room into the glare of the late-afternoon sun.
The president took this as an excellent sign.
Montag 5 was starting to make bad decisions.
Letting Nemo 7 out of his sight was one of them; maybe he would make another.
Richard thought about getting out of the car and approaching Nemo 7, asking about the details of the situation, hatching a plan together.
But before he could make a move, Nemo 7 jumped in the black sedan and peeled away from the parking lot, spewing gravel behind the car.
Richard saw no point in following. His ally would be back. He could wait.