surrender to a few hours of much-needed nap time.
He’d already checked in with Jack using the
truck’s CB radio and received a report of the last hour’s activity.
The various surveys were being reviewed again and a few small
surveys done. “Measure twice, drill once,” Jack had said.
Jack had then told Perry to get some rest,
threatening to kick his fanny all the way down the hill if he
showed up anytime in the next few hours. Perry needed no
coaxing.
Staying awake long enough to find the motel
was his most pressing challenge. Steering the big SUV around
another turn, Perry tried to bridle his excitement, but it was a
wrestling match he was doomed to lose. He just hoped that he’d be
able—
There was a loud and sustained horn
blast.
Perry hit the brakes and turned the steering
wheel sharply to the right, running the big vehicle up a small
embankment. He felt the front fender dig into the soft soil. Next
to him a white Dodge pickup shot past, missing the Explorer by
inches. Perry stopped the car and looked at his side mirror just in
time to see the driver offer an apologetic wave as he drove
off.
“No, really, I’m fine,” Perry said
sarcastically as he eased the Ford back on the road and started
downhill again. “And they say city folk are crazy drivers.”
The near collision removed the shroud of
sleepiness that had been descending upon him. Adrenaline laced his
blood, and his heart was running a few beats faster. He shook his
head and continued toward town. The time slogged by, but Perry
finally arrived at the two-story building. An oval green sign read:
Oak Glen Lodge. The structure looked to be twenty years old but
well taken care of. Air-conditioning units hung from the beige wall
just below each window.
Perry had hoped for better, but he knew Jack
had worked to arrange rooms for the entire crew in the same
building. Communication was more efficient when everyone was
nearby.
Jack had told him that the place was clean
and had two conference rooms. A restaurant shared a parking lot
with the motel. Just as important, it had a recently updated phone
and Internet system. That’ll make things easier, Perry thought.
The manager greeted Perry as if he were a
long lost uncle, something Perry attributed to his firm having
filled three-quarters of the total rooms—and paying in advance.
After a handshake and short conversation, Perry walked into room
110.
He was pleasantly surprised. He’d assumed
that the building would have displayed its age in old furniture and
scarred walls. Instead, he found a queen-size bed, a large
table/desk, and a fully refurbished bathroom. This’ll do, he
thought.
Closing the door behind him, Perry finished
his survey. A fireplace was tucked away in a corner. His practiced
eye could see that it was a recent addition. His luggage was
situated on his bed. As usual, Jack had arranged for everything. On
the table was his Hewlett-Packard laptop computer, already plugged
into the wall, as was the modem cable. Jack had seen to
everything.
Ten minutes later, Perry had stripped off his
suit, washed his face, unpacked his clothing, and settled down on
the bed.
“I’M DRIVING US back,” Anne Fitzgerald said sharply.
“Assuming we arrive at our destination safely.”
“Come on, Mayor,” Bob replied with a wide
grin. “It wasn’t that close. Consider it just another little
adventure in your life.”
“Some adventure. Do you know how much work it
is to keep the gray out of my hair? You set the process back at
least a year.”
“You know what driving these back roads is
like. They’re narrow and winding. That’s why we drive slowly. Do
you know who that was?” Bob steered around the next corner, and
Anne held her breath.
“No, but I think it was one of the workmen
from Sachs Engineering. The truck was the same yellow as the ones I
saw in the caravan.”
“Too bad we didn’t bump fenders. It would
have saved us the drive to the site. Assuming we can find the site
in
He’d already checked in with Jack using the
truck’s CB radio and received a report of the last hour’s activity.
The various surveys were being reviewed again and a few small
surveys done. “Measure twice, drill once,” Jack had said.
Jack had then told Perry to get some rest,
threatening to kick his fanny all the way down the hill if he
showed up anytime in the next few hours. Perry needed no
coaxing.
Staying awake long enough to find the motel
was his most pressing challenge. Steering the big SUV around
another turn, Perry tried to bridle his excitement, but it was a
wrestling match he was doomed to lose. He just hoped that he’d be
able—
There was a loud and sustained horn
blast.
Perry hit the brakes and turned the steering
wheel sharply to the right, running the big vehicle up a small
embankment. He felt the front fender dig into the soft soil. Next
to him a white Dodge pickup shot past, missing the Explorer by
inches. Perry stopped the car and looked at his side mirror just in
time to see the driver offer an apologetic wave as he drove
off.
“No, really, I’m fine,” Perry said
sarcastically as he eased the Ford back on the road and started
downhill again. “And they say city folk are crazy drivers.”
The near collision removed the shroud of
sleepiness that had been descending upon him. Adrenaline laced his
blood, and his heart was running a few beats faster. He shook his
head and continued toward town. The time slogged by, but Perry
finally arrived at the two-story building. An oval green sign read:
Oak Glen Lodge. The structure looked to be twenty years old but
well taken care of. Air-conditioning units hung from the beige wall
just below each window.
Perry had hoped for better, but he knew Jack
had worked to arrange rooms for the entire crew in the same
building. Communication was more efficient when everyone was
nearby.
Jack had told him that the place was clean
and had two conference rooms. A restaurant shared a parking lot
with the motel. Just as important, it had a recently updated phone
and Internet system. That’ll make things easier, Perry thought.
The manager greeted Perry as if he were a
long lost uncle, something Perry attributed to his firm having
filled three-quarters of the total rooms—and paying in advance.
After a handshake and short conversation, Perry walked into room
110.
He was pleasantly surprised. He’d assumed
that the building would have displayed its age in old furniture and
scarred walls. Instead, he found a queen-size bed, a large
table/desk, and a fully refurbished bathroom. This’ll do, he
thought.
Closing the door behind him, Perry finished
his survey. A fireplace was tucked away in a corner. His practiced
eye could see that it was a recent addition. His luggage was
situated on his bed. As usual, Jack had arranged for everything. On
the table was his Hewlett-Packard laptop computer, already plugged
into the wall, as was the modem cable. Jack had seen to
everything.
Ten minutes later, Perry had stripped off his
suit, washed his face, unpacked his clothing, and settled down on
the bed.
“I’M DRIVING US back,” Anne Fitzgerald said sharply.
“Assuming we arrive at our destination safely.”
“Come on, Mayor,” Bob replied with a wide
grin. “It wasn’t that close. Consider it just another little
adventure in your life.”
“Some adventure. Do you know how much work it
is to keep the gray out of my hair? You set the process back at
least a year.”
“You know what driving these back roads is
like. They’re narrow and winding. That’s why we drive slowly. Do
you know who that was?” Bob steered around the next corner, and
Anne held her breath.
“No, but I think it was one of the workmen
from Sachs Engineering. The truck was the same yellow as the ones I
saw in the caravan.”
“Too bad we didn’t bump fenders. It would
have saved us the drive to the site. Assuming we can find the site
in
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