In fifteen minutes Jake showed the professor where everything was, from the fire starters to the generator that fed the back-up batteries. Almost ten years ago they had even upgraded from an outhouse to a flush toilet that fed to a septic and drain field.
“At night make sure you don’t flush or use too much water,” Jake warned. “Otherwise the batteries will drain too fast pumping the water. I run the generator during the day to power the batteries.”
“How are you on gas for the generator?” Tramil asked.
“You should have enough gas for a month up here,” Jake said. “Not that you’ll need it. I’m hoping we can get you in a week or two. Hang on.” He went into the bedroom and came back with a side-by-side double-barrel shotgun and a box of shells. “You know how to use this?” He handed it to the professor.
Tramil flipped open the breech to check if it was loaded, slammed it shut and pointed it toward the door. “Yeah, point and shoot, right?”
“Right,” Jake said. “Just don’t shoot my brother when he comes up here next week with more supplies. He’ll be on a black snowmobile pulling a sled with your gear.”
Jake went for the door and considered one more time if what he was doing was the right thing. Although he knew he could handle living out this far from civilization, since he had done it many times, he had no idea if the professor was equally inclined.
Lori rose to her feet quickly and seemed uneasy. Jake rushed to her and caught her just as she started to fall toward the wooden floor. He brought her to the ground and placed her head against his lap. “Lori, are you all right?”
Her eyes swirled around and struggled to remain open. Finally, she shook her head and said, “What happened?” She tried to raise herself up but Jake held her in place.
Professor James Tramil hovered uncertain, his arms across his chest.
“You started to pass out and I caught you,” Jake whispered. “Are you all right?”
She twisted and sat next to him. “I don’t know. I’ve never fainted or passed out before. It’s such a girly thing to do.”
Jake laughed. “No, it isn’t. I’ve seen huge football players do the same thing. Are you nauseous?”
Lori nodded. “A little queasy. Why?”
“You’re not pregnant are you?” Tramil asked.
“God no,” she said vehemently. “You have to have sex for that to happen.”
“She’s dehydrated and a little elevation sick,” Jake explained. “It can be serious. She needs to rest and get some water in her.” He checked his watch. Damn it.
“What’s the matter, Jake?” she asked.
He calculated the time in his head and all that could go wrong, but he had no choice. “We have to stay the night.”
“Why?” She looked concerned.
“By the time you get hydrated properly and your body adjusts to the elevation, it will be after dark. I don’t want to get halfway down the mountain and have to drag you the rest of the way to the SUV. Besides, you could probably use a restful night of sleep away from the big city.”
She sat up more straight. “Hey, I’m a Montanan. I don’t get elevation sickness.”
Shaking his head, Jake said, “It happens. You’ve been living at nearly sea level in DC. And you’re not getting any younger.”
Her jaw slackened and she let out a disgusted sigh. “So now you’re not only questioning my Montana heritage, but you’re calling me an old lady? That’s just great. You really know how to ingratiate yourself to a woman.”
“I didn’t know that’s what I was trying to do,” Jake yelled at her.
“Hey, hey,” Tramil interjected. “You two need to get a room. There’s obviously a lot of sexual tension between you.”
“Shut up,” Lori yelled and pointed simultaneously. She got up a bit shaky and then slowly lowered herself onto the sofa.
“See,” Jake said. “You’ll feel better in the morning. Besides, we have to discuss strategy. A restful night will do us all some good.”
Reluctantly, Lori finally nodded agreement and settled back into the sofa.
Jake continued, “Besides, then I can show Tramil how to run this place better.” Truth be told, he already knew what he had to do once he left the mountain. He would expose himself again and force those who were looking for the professor and his work to chase him, until Jake could find out who was behind this plot.
17
The two men had been traveling all day, from Montana to Portland, Oregon, and then back again, trying their best to catch up with Jake Adams. He had fooled them by dropping the GPS tracking device on the unsuspecting train traveler. Good for him, Danko thought. Sounded like something he himself would have done. But his employer was not amused. And Milena could simply sit by in her hotel in DC and direct them with impunity. She was taking none of the risk, and none of the blame for failure, either. That Lobbyist had a long reach, and was more dangerous than he looked. Could have been the bastard child of that movie guy who played Opie.
Danko’s man, Alex, drove the rental piece of shit Chevy down a quiet, snowy lane in Missoula’s southern hills area. Just as they pulled up to the curb on the quiet street, Danko’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the screen and saw that it said The Smithsonian, Milena’s fun moniker.
“Yes,” Danko said.
“I have you outside the house now,” Milena said with a knowing superiority.
The woman liked being in charge, and Danko wondered if the same was true with her love-making. He had heard rumors, but never had the pleasure of experiencing her first-hand.
“That is correct,” Danko said.
Alex put the parking brake on but kept the engine running to keep the falling snow from icing the windshield. “Is she sure this is the right place?” Alex asked.
“Yes,” Milena said, obviously hearing him. “And the subject is home. I have land-line confirmation through a bogus call routed through an Indian call center.”
Danko laughed. “What did you use this time?”
“Car insurance,” she said. “The one with that British lizard.”
“I think it’s an Aussie gecko,” Danko corrected.
“Whatever. The subject is home.”
He could see that for himself. The place was lit up like Paris. “How does the boss want us to proceed? Good cop or bad cop?”
“Use your official identification,” she said. “We need information, not another corpse. In the meantime, I will keep working my contacts.” With that she hung up.
“Does that woman ever sleep?” Alex asked.
“I don’t think so. She might be a vampire.”
“Let’s go,” Danko said. “They want us to play it straight.”
“What’s the fun in that?” Alex shut down the engine and then the two of them got out into the cold night air, the snow falling like a fake movie scene.
“Let me talk,” Danko said as they got to the front door and rang the bell.
Alex shrugged.
The homeowner’s eye appeared in the peep hole and Danko put his identification up for review.
“What’s this about?” came a muffled voice from behind the door.
“Your daughter, ma’am,” Danko said with reverence. They knew that the woman’s husband had left her years ago, and this woman now lived alone. “Are you Jane Franks?”
The deadbolt flipped open and then the door swung in a few inches, revealing a woman in her mid-60s wearing blue jeans, a sweat shirt, and holding a Colt .45 revolver in her right hand, pointed right at the two of them. Jesus, this woman was crazy.