Page 82 of One Final Target

“But you got through it.”

“I did. And I’m especially glad I came back because it meant meeting you.”

Jodie smiled but said nothing.

Sam glanced sideways and saw the smile and it warmed his heart. He also noticed she was tired, and he kicked himself for not letting her rest.

“I’ll let you relax now, but something just occurred to me. It seems as if we’re always running into or from danger. I hope the next time we’re together in a car, we’re driving toward something normal.”

“Normal sounds good,” Jodie said. “I’m not sure I’d recognize it.”

They rode the rest of the way in silence. The sun was beginning to rise when Sam pulled into Arrowbear.

Jodie saw George Upton standing outside his door. She undid her seat belt and rubbed her eyes, then got out of the car to stretch. Sam pulled one of her bags from the back seat while Jodie grabbed the backpack. She had resigned herself to being stuck with Upton in the near term.

She looked around at what was illuminated as the sun rose. His home was a two-story log house, with an attached, single-story room on the side. She wondered if that was the separate apartment. She turned in a slow circle. Upton’s was the last house on the street. From what she could see, a fence surrounded the property. Behind was forest.

“Glad you two made it.” Upton stepped forward and shook Sam’s hand before turning to Jodie. “Your room is all set.”

“Looks like you have quite the fortress,” Jodie said.

“I believe in security.”

They followed Upton into the house. He opened a door off to the left, motioning Jodie inside. She did and found herself in a cozy studio apartment. A bed was against one wall, on the other side was a small kitchen, and in the middle, a love seat and television.

“There’s another entrance to the outside over there.” Upton pointed. “The yard is secure, and I’ve activated all the cameras.” He walked to a small coffee table in front of the love seat. “This control box is hooked up to the camera system. You can see every camera view on the TV if you desire. I also have motion detectors everywhere. No one is going to get anywhere close to you without me knowing.”

Jodie nodded, irritated and relieved all at the same time. It was nice to know she was protected, but to need all of this was very problematic.

“You carrying?” he asked.

“Yes, Sig Sauer 9mm.”

“I’ve got extra ammo if you need it.”

“Thank you, but I hope I won’t need what’s in this clip.”

“Understood.” Addressing Sam, he said, “Mike King called and gave me the details on what happened last night. There’s a rat in the woodpile for sure.”

“There must be.”

Upton looked at Jodie. “You have any idea who the rat might be?”

Jodie shook her head, yawned. “We talked about this in the car. I really have no idea.”

“You’re tired.” Upton shooed Sam out of the room. “We’ll let you get some rest. You can lock the door with a dead bolt after Sam and I leave.”

“Don’t hesitate to call me about anything,” Sam said.

“You’ll keep me apprised of everything happening concerning the investigation?”

“You bet.”

The two men left and Jodie bolted the door.

Just a couple of hours,Jodie said to herself.I don’t want to sleep the whole day away.

She realized how good the bed looked. She was exhausted. She washed up, changed her clothes, and fell into bed.

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