Page 23 of Shadow Games

Rowan hung up, then powered down the cell phone. It made her heart ache to hear her uncle's voice. She glanced at Wyatt. “Brett said somebody was there asking about me.”

“I'm not surprised. You have two different factions after you right now.”

“I know,” she said, heaving a huge sigh. She turned to look out the window. It was early morning yet, and businesses were just starting to open.

“We should probably get out of here,” she said eventually. “We have driving to do.”

Rowan took back roads to get out of the little town. There was an Interstate not too far away, but she decided to avoid it. She could pick it up later down the road.

“Your uncle sounds like a cool guy.”

She slanted Wyatt a smile. “He really is. He and dad both gave me a lot of guff about Ken. All legitimate, I see now. They’re both former Marines, so they didn't understand the Navy appeal.”

Wyatt snorted. “Jarheads, huh?”

Rowan grinned. “Yep, and proud of it.”

They drove back roads for a while. At least an hour. Eventually she merged onto the Interstate headed north, then West.

Wyatt pulled out his cell phone and snapped a picture of the necklace. Then several more pictures from different views. He wrapped it back up in the newspaper and stored it in the box at his feet. Then he started surfing the Internet.

“I'm not seeing anything about this,” Wyatt said. “With a stone this big, I thought for sure there would be pictures of it somewhere.”

“Could it be newly made,” she asked, drumming the wheel with her thumbs.

Wyatt shook his head. “I doubt it. There's definitely some age on it.”

“Well, I'm kind of a research queen so when we stop, I'll look. We're only about an hour away.”

Rowan drove carefully and competently, watching her rearview mirror a lot. The Suburban was a lot bigger than her car. And it also had a lot more umph. She liked being able to look down on everyone as she passed them. Maybe that's why the government had so many. Reaching the exit number she remembered, she pulled off the Interstate. It was different coming from this side, but as soon as she turned right, she recognized the road.

“I suggest we stop and get some supplies now.”

Wyatt nodded. “It would be smart to fill up too. Just in case we have to run again.”

They pulled up in front of a grocery store slash gas station. It sold everything from diapers to hunting supplies, and everything in between. Wyatt handed her a stack of cash. “Plan for two days,” he said.

Rowan nodded and took off, leaving him to pump the gas. Jerking a shopping cart out of the line, she headed through the store. Lunch meat, of course, and some chips. Snacks. Some meat to cook on the grill and vegetables to go with it. By the time she made it through the store, Wyatt had gassed up the vehicle and was parked in front. He got out to help her unload, but she waved him off. “You're one armed. Go sit down.”

She shoved the cart into the cart corral and returned to the truck. She didn't say anything about him taking over the driver’s seat again. “Okay, pull out and hang a right.”

He did as she told him.

“My dad and his brother have been coming to Cawanesque Lake for as long as I can remember. Dad and my mom came here for years before they even had us. They all grew up around here.”

“That's very cool. It's good to have history like that.”

“They bought this little cabin when we were kids and brought us every year for the summer. You’d be amazed how many people we can fit in this cabin.”

She guided him up a hill, then left. At the top of the hill, she guided him to a driveway. “This is it.”

Wyatt looked around. At the end of the driveway, he kept going, pulling the vehicle behind the house. “Hopefully this way it won't be seen.”

Rowan found the hidden key on the back porch and let them inside the kitchen. It was a little dusty, but it wasn't too bad. In the back bathroom, it looked like a critter had gotten in. The floor needed swept, bad.

“Why don't you sit down for a little bit while I clean up?”

Wyatt grimaced. “I'll try to see where the critter came in and block it off.”

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