“ID says Olympia.”
“Here, give it to me. I want to talk to a sane person.”
“Olympia?”
“Hi, Fiona. Where are you? Did you forget we were having dinner together this evening?”
“I did. I’m so sorry. Where are you?”
“At my house still waiting for you and about half looped drinking your cocktail and mine. Where are you?”
“I’m on my way to Dulles Airport”
“Really? Why?”
“I’m catching a flight to Australia. It’s a long story.”
“I wish you’d told me. I want to go.”
“I might not be going because I can’t find my passport.”
“Did you look in the freezer? That where you said your new safe hiding place is.”
“You’re right. Olympia, you are fantastic and the perfect friend. Listen, I’m sorry about dinner. I’ll call you when I get to Australia, okay? Plan to come in a few days. Pack and book a flight to Sydney. I’ll call later.”
“We have to go back to my condo,” I said to Jake. “My passport is in the freezer.”
“We’re driving all over Virginia tonight.”
“Look at it as a diversion for those kooks who are following us. I’ll drop you at the rental car level at the airport since I’ve got to go to the airport to return to the city. This is an airport access only highway.”
“Fine.”
Traffic was heavy into the airport, and we got caught in a slow lane. As I tried to change to a faster moving lane, I looked to the left and who should I see but Cody waving at us from the passenger side of the black limo. I couldn’t see who was driving.
“Uh-oh, Jake. Look who’s beside us.”
“Guess we didn’t lose them.”
“Damnation, now what are we going to do?”
“Keep moving.”
“Uh-oh, look. He’s got the window down. Should I roll mine down?”
“Only if you’re curious.”
I was. I pressed the auto electric button and down the window went.
“You having dinner at Dulles Airport?” Cody yelled at me.
“Sure, there’s lots of good restaurants on B concourse.”
“We have to talk. You don’t understand. We have to talk. You need to help me.”
Yet another member of the Lodge family in need of help.
“Not me. Jake, do you want to help him?”
Cars were honking. Cody’s car bumped into my side of the car.
“Cut it out,” I said.
We were in the far right lane. I had to move onto the skirt of the road to avoid being banged again, and the car jerked and jumped.
“Watch it,” called Jake. “There’s construction over here.”
“I can’t help it. This guy is trying to run me off the road.”
Jake wasn’t much help. It wasn’t like he could drive. Opal woke up in the back seat with all the bumping and swerving.
“What is it?” she said.
“We’re having a little problem,” Jake said. “Nothing to worry about.”
We were back in the slow lane. Our lane of traffic started to move faster, and Cody’s car dropped behind.
“Jake, this is crazy.”
“Yup. Is there anywhere we can exit?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Let’s give it a try. Maybe we can lose them on a back road. Does that exist in this area?”
“There are plenty of scenic back roads, but do we want to go down a lonely back road with them in pursuit? Maybe it’s better to stay on busy four lane highways. We could lose them easier.”
“Who are we trying to lose?” asked Opal. She had moved forward and stuck her head between us. “My-oh-my, I must have fallen asleep. My head feels dizzy. It must be my medication. Where are we?”
The colossal wings of the Dulles terminal loomed before us. The bright lights on the building and the dark night made the structure look surreal, like science fiction. I wished it were a spaceport, and we could get a shuttle to Mars.
“We are on the way to the airport,” said Jake “We’re trying to lose Cody. He’s in a black limo that is trying to run us off the road.”
“That’s not very nice. What’s gotten into Cody?” she said.
“He’s been trying to drug you, and he seems to be involved in a weapons smuggling scheme. Albert was, too.”
I glanced at Jake. What a time for true confessions. I guess he was trying to be kind to Opal. She didn’t respond. I was busy trying to drive and figure out at the same time where Cody’s car was.
“Are they still following us?” said Jake.
“I can’t tell.”
I was now dodging traffic on the airport departure level, as cars pulled over to the right to let passengers out. I stayed to the left in the through traffic lane. Jake was pivoting about like a whirligig, trying to see what was going on around us.
“I won’t to be able to stop long enough to let you and Opal out at the car rental place,” I said.
“Keep moving. There has to be a million car rental places down the road.”
We passed the terminal and were on the way to the airport exit when the car behind zoomed up close and banged our rear fender. This was annoying. I did not appreciate having my beautiful car abused.
“Speed up,” said Jake.
“I’m trying but there’s this small problem of the cars in front of us.”
“I believe someone hit us,” said Opal.
“It’s Cody. He’s doing it on purpose,” said Jake.
I glanced at Jake. He was on truth serum this evening.
“Why is Cody trying to hit us?” asked Opal.
“He says he wants to talk.”
“We should stop and talk to him,” said Opal. “Cody can be very persistent when he wants to be.”
“Cody might want to harm us,” said Jake.
“Oh?” said Opal.
“We found out about his weapons business, and I don’t think he likes that so we are trying to get away from him.”
“Weapons? I didn’t know he had a weapons business. He has been acting funny.”
“Funny?” I said.
“Yes, he’s not himself. Back at the ranch he’s a pretty good hand. Here, he’s a different person.”
“How so?”
Opal was quiet for a moment then said, “He’s been short tempered with me. He’s never like that. He’s always been sweet natured. Something is bothering him.”
Something was bothering him all right, I thought to myself. He’s mixed up in something he can’t get out of. Maybe that’s what he wants to talk about.
“Jake,” I said, “we should talk to Cody.”
“I think you agreed we’ve helped this family all we can.”
Opal said, as if talking to herself, oblivious to what Jake and I were saying, “Cody’s been helping me with my medications. He insists I keep up with them, but they make me sleepy.” She gave a huge yawn.
I checked Jake out of the corner of my eye. He was nodding his head.
The car behind bumped us again. This was making me mad. I floored it and cut to an opening in the left lane and hit eighty miles per hour going back toward the city on Route 267. The Herndon exit shot by.
“Goodness,” said Opal. “Are we going to a fire?”
“Maybe,” I said.
A bell started chiming on the dash. I scanned the myriad of lights and saw flashing blue on the gas tank indicator. I was almost out of gas. We were done for.
Astutely picking up on our plight, Jake said, “Where’s the nearest exit?”
“Reston is coming up.”
“Maybe Cody will follow,” said Opal, “and we can have a talk with him. Maybe he wants to drive back to Oregon with us.”
“I hope not,” I said and shot across three lanes of traffic to get into the right hand exit lane. As fortune would have it, the light on the overpass road was green. We screeched around the corner to the left, but hit the red light at the end of the overpass.
“Impressive driving,” said Jake, cool and calm.