Page 89 of Talk to Me

Granted, I was still the one picking them up. I could still change my appearance enough to confuse facial recognition. I preferred a higher caliber of marks, but fooling Big Jim at the local Meijer took a little thought. If they didn’t know you, you already stood out. So, I had to look local without being too familiar while also not standing out as a transplant.

Coming up from Detroit had evenly split the middle. Especially when I let comments like “military family” slip now and again. Those sharp assessing gazes had softened a fractioned to be replaced by grudging humor and respect.

Still, I didn’t get too chatty. I wanted to reduce the impression I left behind. They could remember me as just some guy who stopped in, someone new, but not that new. The vaguer the descriptions, the better for all of us.

Patch had also warned me about cameras anywhere. Didn’t matter if they were innocuous or only present on the register at the corner bakery, I needed to clock where they were at all times. Profiles were much harder to match, so angling my face to keep it away from them while also not looking directly up was crucial.

“So,” I’d drawled at her. “I need to look around without looking around and be vigilant while trying to act casual.”

“More or less,” she’d murmured and given me a faint smile. Those smiles had come more frequently this week, but they were still edged by pain and shadows. Each time I saw them, however, it reminded me of how I wished we’d known sooner that she was in trouble.

Known sooner.

Acted sooner.

Prevented it entirely.

Since time travel wasn’t actually a thing outside of fiction, I would have to address it as best I could with care, consideration, and measures to make sure it never happened again.

A tracker placed on a person sounded like a great idea, that way we could always locate her if needed. But that also took us too close to what her bastard captors had already done to her. So as tempting as the idea might be? I discarded it without bringing it up.

If she volunteered or it came from her? Fine. I wouldn’t be the one asking to do it. None of us would be for that matter. I didn’t have to ask McQuade or Remington. The way those two watched her when she wasn’t looking?

No, I understood their feelings on the subject completely. After picking up the last couple of pieces of hardware I’d ordered from one of the lockers, I took some time to stock the grocery cart with food and meds. The antibiotics the doc gave her had been helping.

We’d been treating the other injuries. But I wanted to have everything at hand if we needed it. As with everything else I’d been purchasing, I spread them out. Not too much of any one thing. The fishing and tackle box was ideal though to make a travel med kit.

It also didn’t stand out. I bought a couple of fishing poles while I was at it. The fishing twine could be used for garrotes. I’d grabbed some rubber bands as well. They were good for popping off safety chains. Just a little of this and a little of that.

The Jeep was packed when I added the new items to the back. My last stop on the way out of town was a clothing store. I had all of her sizes and I’d called ahead and put in an order for my “sister” coming in from out of town. When I’d told the lady she was from Florida and didn’t own anything that wasn’t a flip flop or shorts, she’d said she’d put together warm weather gear.

Everything was ready when I got there. I paid cash and left with three huge bags. As much as she gave us shit for forgetting panties, I’d actually driven a couple of hours south to get her some nice ones. No way in hell could I order underthings for my “sister.”

Firing off a message on my phone, I slid back behind the wheel. The closest town to our cabin was still well over an hour away. Trading convenience for security made a lot more sense. I had a surprise in the back, a splurge. I couldn’t wait to set it up for her.

I didn’t care if we were only here a few more days. She’d accepted everything we’d needed to do without complaint. Even the instant coffee. The standard brewer had come with the place and it was a moderate improvement over the freeze-dried crystals and boiling water.

The most direct route to the cabin was relatively clear. Though the snow was falling steadily, it wasn’t sticking to the roads. The farther from civilization and the closer to the cabin I drove, the more aware of being watched I could feel.

Remington had built a nice nest up in the attic. The angle and height gave him a good view with his scope. If I picked up a tail that I couldn’t shake, I could warn them as I came in.

So far, I’d just sent all green messages. I fired off the last one before I hit the cell phone dead zone. The only reason we could use cells at the cabin was the presence of internet. The VPNs Patch had installed our first night there meant we could “change” our locations frequently before we went out skulking on the net.

The idea of skulking on the internet amused me. Unsurprisingly, McQuade waited for me as I pulled up to the building. We had other cars in the garage. Two of them were backed in and loaded with go bags for us.

We were ready to ditch if we had to. At least this place was on Remington’s dime. If we lost the deposit again, I wouldn’t be the one with the debt. I was still chuckling when I killed the engine and slid out.

“What’s so funny?”

“Not much,” I answered easily. “Got everything we needed and the last pieces she wanted.”

“Good.”

Between us, we made short work of offloading everything into the garage. When he pulled out the espresso maker, his smirk amused me.

“Suck up.”

“You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it.” I stripped off my hat, then tossed him the keys. “How far do you think you have to go?”