Rick, Hatch and Rebecca were picked up by what appeared to be a mid-'70s Chevy Suburban . Bobby was hulking behind the wheel, and Jamie waved happily at them as they exited the lobby. Rebecca made introductions for Hatch.
“Bobby, I didn’t know any of these old behemoths were still on the road,” Rick said. “How’d you manage to prevent the body from rusting out?”
“We don’t use salt on the roads up here,” Bobby rumbled. “Its’s too cold in mid-winter for salt to work. The Muni sprays brine on the intersections, and uses cinders everywhere else. That doesn’t stop the snowplows from scraping all the traction off the roads, leaving just hardpack snow and ice. Without the cinders – and studded tires – we’d all spend the winter in ditches.”
Jamie added, “I always did think that the roads would be better if they left a couple inches of snow on them.”
Bobby said, “No, hon, that wouldn’t work. You put 40,000 cars a day driving over the same loose snow, and it just gets packed down even harder. And anything that remains of the loose snow just get sloppier.”
Hatch was spending his time back and forth from the top of Bobby’s head, grazing the headliner, to Jamie, and then at Rebecca. “I'm glad you guys are driving.”
“Nothing a four-wheel-drive with studded snow tires can’t handle,” Bobby said. “But it doesn’t pay to get careless.”
* * * * *
They headed south out of Anchorage, although snow continued to lightly fall.
“I don’t see any blue cars following us,” Rebecca said as they passed under a series of streetlights.
“That’s because I had Misty tell Ng that we were going north,” Rick said, and told Jamie and Bobby what had transpired in the coffee shop. He also told them about the plans they’d discussed that afternoon.
“‘Dazed and Confused’ – that’s good,” Jamie said. “At least they’re confused about where we’re taking you. Any chance we can get in on this?”
Hatch beamed at her. “I thought you’d never ask.”
As Bobby drove toward Girdwood, they continue to work out their plans for the next few days.
* * * * *
They had a surprisingly good dinner at a place that looked “like a bit of a dive, from the outside” in Hatch’s words. Upon leaving, they realized the snow and clouds had moved out. The air was crisp and cold, stars twinkled, and the moon was shining brightly on the fresh snow. They looked up and saw lights and skiers on the mountainside above them. They were at the foot of the Alyeska Ski Resort, but Rick and Hatch hadn’t realized it due to the snow falling when they arrived.
Rebecca and Jamie both started talking about how much fun it was to go snowboarding at night. Bobby smiled but said nothing; Rick looked dubious, and Hatch said, “If God wanted me to slide down a mountain in the snow, He’d have given me more padding.”
Jamie said, “Outsiders. They call it ‘tourist season’, but it’s not legal to shoot ‘em. There’s something wrong with that whole concept.”
Rebecca nodded. “But whatcha gonna do?”
Their laughter was loud in the cold air. Rick and Hatch joined in, a little uncertainly. “I think they’re talking about us, old buddy,” Hatch said.
“Yeah, they are. Just keep laughing; it’ll catch ‘em off-guard.”
“Sure, I’ll ... wait. What?”
Rick’s laughter was genuine this time. “Never mind, pal. Laugh now; figure it out later.”
“Hey!”
Rick punched him playfully in the shoulder as they climbed back into Bobby’s old truck.
* * * * *
On the way back to Anchorage, the moonlight continued to illuminate the scenery which they’d missed on the way to dinner. The Turnagain Arm was at high tide, with large ice floes covering most of the surface. The mountains on both sides were heavy with snow, with their sharp edges softened by the white stuff.
There were few cars on the highway which followed the contours of the shore. The water came within feet of the roadway in places, although 15 or 20 feet below grade, and the moon’s reflection sparkled in the occasional patches of open water. It was a magical scene which Rick and Hatch hadn’t imagined before.
Conversation lagged as they relaxed with full stomachs, caught up in the vistas revealed by each turn in the serpentine roadway.
“I never get tired of this,” Bobby said. “Did you guys know this is supposed to be the prettiest drive in the state?”
“No … but seeing it, I'm not surprised,” Hatch said. “You never see anything like this in Mobile.”
“Is that where you’re from?” asked Rebecca. “I thought Rick said you came up from Florida.”
“I was working there, but Alabama’s my home.”
“That sounds like a song cue, man,” Bobby said, and turned on the truck’s stereo. The sound of an old Lynyrd Skynyrd tune came out of the speakers, and everyone started laughing again.
“What?” Bobby asked. “I gotta have my tunes.”
“You big goof,” Jamie said as she pecked him on the cheek.
* * * * *
When Bobby dropped them off at the hotel, Jamie asked, “So what time’re you guys gonna be ready for us?”
“About 10:30 tomorrow morning,” Rick answered. “I'm thinking we’ll be at near where the old highway turns off the new highway, north of the Knik River bridge.”
“Okay. I’ll give you a call before we take off, because it’s spendy to just float around up there while we wait.”
“We’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again.”
Rick and Hatch headed toward the elevator, then stopped and held the door for Rebecca, who was still talking to Bobby and Jamie. She followed the guys into the car, a moment later.
“What was that about?”
She smiled. “I just wanted to make sure they understood they don’t have to get caught up in all this. What you have planned will be in my borough, and … well, I feel a little responsible.”
“No way, lady,” Hatch protested. “The bad guys made Rick a target before they messed with you – and they only kidnapped you to make him back off. That makes them bad guys, in my book, and I'm not into that whole ‘forgive and forget’ thing.”
“Nobody said you should, pal.”
They walked with Rebecca to the door of her room, said goodnight, and then went on to Rick’s suite. Reverting to long-held caution, they checked the door for signs of forced entry, then opened it cautiously.
They didn’t find anything suspicious, but Rick set their suitcases against the inside of the door after locking the deadbolt. Never hurts to be careful, he thought.
“So tell me how you met this gal, Rick.”
While Hatch started unpacking his ‘bag of tricks’, Rick told him what he knew of Rebecca. When he got to the part about guns, Hatch interrupted. “So she’s a real Annie Oakley, huh?”
“Well, her folks had six kids – five girls and one brother, and they grew up shooting. She started with a 28 gauge shotgun, then a 12 gauge after that. Her next firearm was a rifle, she said, and she was the best of the bunch. He taught them that if there was anyone in with the cows, they should aim just above the cows’ backs. Apparently a pellet or two wouldn’t hurt a cow, or so she said.”
Hatch whistled softly.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. My dad taught me to shoot a .22 when I was six, but I didn’t handle anything heavier than that until the Navy let me get my hands on some serious hardware. Anyway, her dad made her stop once she started setting the targets a lot farther away. I guess he was worried she’d overshoot and hit something … or someone.”
“So she carries a Colt .45?”
“It’s a 1911, pal. Just like you and I carried in the Navy. You make it sound like an old Peacemaker or something.”
“That’s some pretty heavy artillery for daily carry.”
“She manages just fine, son, and I’ve been packing mine since the Ngs first threatened me.”
“You sure know how to bring down a mood, buddy. Maybe I should get busy with tomorrow’s toys.”
Rick ran a hand over his head, and nodded. “Yeah. It won’t hurt to be ready a bit early. We need to get Rebecca home, and I figure that blue sedan will follow us to Palmer in the morning.”
“Why don’t you have what’s-her-name downstairs lie to them again?”
“I don’t want to play that card too often, at least for now. They need to believe that she’s still working for them. Once, it’s a mistake. If misdirection happens twice in a row, they’ll put somebody else on us. Better the devil we know, and all that.”
“Good point, buddy. I don’t know why everyone says you’re so dumb.” Hatch ducked under the pillow that suddenly flew in his direction. “Touchy, touchy," he grinned. "Everyone's a grouch."
"Just don't go to sleep with your mouth open, pal. You might wake up with a surprise."
To be continued ...
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