"You never know, the Valentine team might just surprise you." Walker was trying to cheer himself up as much as Mark.
There was another beep. Mark looked at the screen. "Raspberry. Octopussy. East five. Dawn. What the hell does that mean?"
Walker grinned. "It means we've been left supplies. Raspberry is supplies. Octopussy is just because Collins is a dick. East 5 is a location. And Dawn means it's there now."
"You guys are strange."
"Believe me, that's one of the nicest things you could say about us," Walker laughed.
"I guess so. You're a lot more inventive than we ever were. Most of our codes were based around weapons."
Walker shrugged. “We had a lot of time to play.”
In truth, Walker wasn't sure where to take Mark. He'd been relying on his team making the safe house secure, but now he realized he really was on his own. He drove for a while, heading towards the supply drop and thought about his options. He knew the area, but he couldn't just drop in on family and friends and put them at risk. So he needed somewhere remote and secure. Somewhere he and Mark could hold while the team got to them.
He wanted a location with people, lots and lots of people. He suddenly knew where he was going. He'd pick up the supplies and head toward Omaha or Des Moines. He knew it didn't seem logical. They would expect him to head into the mountains of Montana or Yellowstone Park. But what he wanted was people. They could vanish into the crowds.
"What are you thinking?" Mark asked.
"I want to head to a city."
"Anonymity in a crowd?"
"Something like that," Walker said grimly. "Everywhere around here is very remote. If they find us, there is nothing and no one to protect us."
To his surprise Mark gave a rumbling belly laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"I thought you were going to haul me off to Howie's cabin."
"What cabin?" Walker was confused.
"Howie has a cabin about fifty miles from the bar. It’s a standing joke that every time one of the guys goes there, they’re ambushed. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is go and hide in a cabin in the middle of the woods. The last time, one of Howie’s cousins torched the two cabins. They were lucky to escape with their lives."
"Jesus, you said Howie’s cousin?"
"His family had an issue with his partner."
Walker thought for a minute. "Isn't Raines his partner?"
"Yep."
"Homophobic pricks?"
"Yep."
Walker was glad he hadn't suggested his uncle who lived in the woods. It had been his first thought, but Uncle Skip was a crotchety old bastard, and he didn't want to inflict him on Mark. "It is a ways to drive but I want to get away from here.”
Mark nodded. "Yeah, but we can share the driving. I’m part of the team now, okay? It's good that you need to protect me, but now it's time to use the resources. We really are on our own."
"I've been thinking about that. Yeah, we've got to make our own team now," Walker agreed. "What would you do in these circumstances? Do you think I'm right to cut ties with my team too?"
"Yeah. I think the team needs to focus on finding who is compromising the safe houses. We need to focus on keeping me alive."
Walker shivered at the thought. His mission had been simple at the start. But now it had become a whole heap more complicated and the task of driving Mark to a safe house had become irrelevant. There was no safe house. There was just him and Mark and the truck.
The truck.
"I think we need to change vehicles again," he said.
"Have you got another uncle who can supply vehicles?"
Walker could tell Mark was being flippant, but he nodded. "I have. Don't ask. I’ve got an uncle everywhere.”
Mark looked at him to see if he was kidding. Walker wasn’t. He did have relatives spread over a wide area, thanks to his grandparents producing more children than they really knew what to do with.
“So we can swap vehicles?”
“Yeah.” Walker hesitated. “I don’t think we should go near the supplies my team dropped.”
Even in the darkness, he was aware of Mark’s eyes upon him.
“You’re worried they’ve been compromised?”
“I’m worried we’re all goddamn newbies and they’re being tailed without knowing it. Why have all the safe houses been compromised?”
Walker didn’t want to have these thoughts. He just wanted to follow Doyle’s orders. But he was alone, and he had to think for himself, and for Mark. Jake had drilled that into the team over and over.
“Agreed,” Mark said.
“I’m getting rid of this phone too.”
“We can’t use cards or the ATM to get another.”
“No need. There’s cash under your seat.”
Mark bent down and pulled out a brown envelope. He looked in and made a choking noise. “Geez, how much is in there?”
“Three thousand, maybe four. Uncle Pete tends to over-stock.”
“You left it in the car at the motel?”
“Uh…yeah.”
“Are you nuts?” Mark barked.
Walker glanced over and saw Mark’s furious expression. “Next time I’ll take it with us.”
“Think, you idiot. What would have happened if the car had gone up in flames?”
“I guess I didn’t think of that.”
He felt small under the force of Mark’s fury. He’d been so happy to have Mark and the phone; the money had been incidental.
“Is this legal? This ‘service’ Pete provides?” Mark demanded.
“Do you really want to know the answer?”
“I guess not.”
“And your other uncles?”
“It’s a family business,” Walker said evenly. He wasn’t about to apologize for his family. Or their trade.
Mark was quiet for a long while. Finally he asked, “Does the agency know?”
“One person does.”
Walker had told Doyle. Not the specifics. Just one number he could call if the team was ever in trouble. He hoped Doyle would have the sense to use it this time if necessary.
“I’m guessing that person isn’t Mitch.”
“No.”
Another lengthy silence.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Mark said.
Walker glanced at him in surprise. “I had to. We’re a team.”
Mark grunted.
“Listen, if something happens to me, there’s a dollar bill in there with a phone number. You call that, one of my uncles will help.”
“How can they give away vehicles and cash like this?”
“They don’t.”
“Ah.”
Walker knew Mark had gotten the message. “It’s a service, but family get a reduced rate.”
“They charge you?” Mark sounded outraged.
“Of course. It’s a business.”
“How much?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“We could buy a car with the cash and you wouldn’t get charged twice.”
Walker relented. “It’s okay. My uncles use me for labor on the vehicles. They don’t send me an invoice. I spend most free time helping them, so they owe me.” If Pete did flap an invoice at him, he’d send one right back for all the time accrued.