Absolute Power
Chapter10
The Paris tour and show had proven to be very nice. After the show they went all the way to the Eiffel Tower and Rick paid to get each of them to the top to see the city lights.
Now they were on yet another train headed to yet another city. Jim and Jo weren't really happy about being in cites again. They'd spent all this time avoiding them and now they couldn't get out of them. They were headed to Frankfurt, Germany, and it was going to take them three hours and forty-eight minutes using a TGV, one of France's high-speed trains. This time they were in coach instead of first class. If his father made it this far Rick didn't want to be predictable in how he traveled.
Rick had thought they were going to have to stay in Frankfurt, however, since twenty-three trains ran this trip per day and another thirty trains went from Frankfurt to Zurich, he arranged it so that all they had to do was change trains. The only real drawback was it made for a long day since the entire trip was going to last over nine hours, not including getting from one train to the next and the wait for the second train.
"Switzerland?" Jim had learned of their next destination since it was advertised where they were going at the station.
"Yep, Switzerland," Rick nodded. "We'll be stopping there for a couple of days before moving on. Maybe another tour possibly?" The last one had worked out pretty well. Since that was what was on their passports it told Jim that they would be staying in this country for a while.
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Their hotel wasn't all that far in comparison to how far they'd usually walked back in the forest. It was only a half mile from the station to the hotel.
Hotel Storchen Zurich
This time they had a bedroom that had a double bed and a living room that had a queen sleeper sofa.
"Take a look around. I have a couple of things I need to purchase before when we leave," Rick told them.
"Can I come?" Kate knew it meant she might be surrounded by people again but she felt she was starting to get better at it.
"Sure, if you like." He wasn't doing anything that special for this trip.
"See you later, mom and dad." Kate slipped her hand in the crook of Rick's arm and went with him.
"So what are we doing? More clothes, maybe?" They each barely had two different outfits. Whatever they weren't wearing got washed at each stop. She was betting the same applied here.
Rick acquiesced. "We can do that here. In this case we need a GPS and to buy a used car. We'll be driving from here on."
"Driving. So we're staying in Switzerland?" Granted they could drive longer and even go back to Germany.
"You'll find out." He really wanted it to be a surprise for all of them.
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Jo stroked her mate's cheek. "What are you thinking, love?"
"I wish I had known about all these big cities, though I supposed it wouldn't have stopped us from coming. I'm just not happy with the big city surprises. And as to where we're going?" Jim shook his head. "I have no idea. Rick still hasn't said anything to me." He shrugged. "Austria or Hungary, maybe. For all I know we're heading for Greece next. Or Turkey, for all I know. I don't know of any place that's truly safe for us."
"Or him," Jo added and Jim nodded in agreement.
"We'll be killed and he'll get punished. I still can't believe what his father's done and has planned for our country. So much has changed since we went into hiding. What a mess." Jo sat down since if she didn't she might fall down as she thought more about it.
Jim sat next to her, put his arm around her, and felt her lean into him. She could really use a hug about now. "We did what we thought was best, Jo. Based on what we know now, his father could have found us long ago. Katie might not have even made it to three let alone nineteen." He felt her shudder. It was so much worse than what they'd thought.
"I can't help but wonder what it is we're going to find when we get there. Wherever there is. Another shack or a mansion filled with servants? A Rodgers can afford a lot," Jo mused out loud.
"Except he's traveling as a Castle. What I want to know is where he's getting all this money. This room even has a living room with a bedroom." It was the best place so far. And they were staying there for two nights.
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Martha saw him walking around smiling. "You found him?"
"The fool bought an airline ticket for Moscow using his credit card. As if that was going to stop me from having him picked up and brought back here. It just makes it more of a challenge. I've already ordered a team into the city to find him. He'll be back here soon." Jackson was already thinking about what he was going to do to him when he was.
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"A car?" Kate got out of the taxi and followed Rick into a place that had a lot of cars sitting around. She let Rick do all the talking since she didn't know anything about cars. "It needs to fit four." That was about all she knew.
Except she couldn't resist looking for herself. "Ooo, you're cute! Why can't you have more than two seats. A… Boxter?" It sounded like a weird name so she moved on.
Kate caught up to Rick who was looking at something. "Why this one?" It looked a little boxy, though it did have room for four people and then some. She looked inside and saw that it was really different. She stood beside Rick and watched the salesman lift the top up; it had a soft side and you could see through some of it. "What is it?"
"It's a Volkswagen T4 California Camper. It has a sink and a two burner stove. The back folds down into a bed for two and there's a bed up top, too. We can buy a tent and go camping in the woods with it. Plus I can afford it," Rick said to her.
"Okay…, I think." It was white and she watched as something on the back folded down. She pointed at it, wanting to know more.
"That's a place to put our food and other things like that tent, sleeping bags, air mattresses, water, lots of things," Rick explained.
Kate still wasn't really sold. But she soon found Rick putting in the address for their hotel and they were driving away.
"What are you doing?" He kept moving this big stick that was located between them.
"I'm shifting gears. This one has a manual transmission. The other car had an automatic transmission which means it shifted by itself." He kept driving and shifting until they stopped at a gas station. He put diesel in the tank, filling it while he could.
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"We have a car…, I think," Kate said to her parents since she still wasn't all that sure just what it was.
"Don't listen to her. It's a mini camper. The top lifts up so there's room to stand up. It has two propane burners for cooking. And a small sink with water. If we add a tent we can go camping. It even has space on the back for cargo." Rick kind of liked it. They might actually use it as a camper one day. "And it's only a year-old, a1998 model with very few miles on it. Almost brand new."
Rick did a test on his GPS and put in where he wanted to go. "Two hours and ten minutes to town." He knew they had to change vehicles not long after that to get to where they were going. Satisfied, he turned it off, locked it, and went into the hotel.
"So we're driving next?" Jim asked him when he got into the room.
"We only have only roughly a hundred and sixty kilometers left to go. Just a little over two hours driving, so we're almost there." That was all Rick was willing to tell them until they got there.
He needed to change the subject. "Have you looked at tours yet?" So far Jim and Jo had been pretty good at letting him lead them. He was really stretching their patience, he was certain.
"No more big cities, I promise. In fact the closest town where we'll be getting groceries has just over two thousand people. The language might be a small problem. They mostly all speak Romansh Sursilvan. Don't worry, we'll work it out." Rick waved his hand at them to forget it.
"I've never even heard of that language." It was totally new to Jim. Jo was shaking her head since she hadn't either.
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"Have you decided?" Rick had selected a couple and wanted to see if they had selected one of them.
"This one." Kate pointed to the one they'd agreed on.
Swiss Alps Day Trip from Zurich: Jungfraujoch and Bernese Oberland
Ascend to one of Europe's highest peaks on a full-day trip to the magnificent mountain region of Jungfrau from Zurich. With a knowledgeable guide, travel by luxury coach through the scenic splendor of the Bernese Oberland region, and then board a cogwheel train in the charming village of Grindelwald. Ascend the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Jungfraujoch mountain pass and absorb sweeping vistas of a sprawling Alpine wonderland from the vertiginous vantage point of the Sphinx Observatory. Explore the enchanting depths of an Ice Palace and capture fabulous photographs of the breath-taking landscape during your tour.
It was a twelve hour trip and it cost two hundred fifty-three dollars and seventy-six cents per person. Rick was certainly willing to go on it. Since it was a twelve hour trip they made reservations for tomorrow.
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There were only eight people in the tour's van so Kate was comfortable. It really was a twelve hour trip. It had been a very fun trip. They all saw things they were never going to see again. Much like the other tours.
With clean clothes that they'd just bought that morning before checking out of their hotel, they got into Rick's new camper and started driving. Jim looked at his GPS and saw part of it.
Swiss Federal Highways A3 and A13(E43) to the San Bernardino road tunnel. He wasn't sure just what that told him, though it did tell him that they were staying in Switzerland. It was an interesting choice and he intended to ask him why when he had a chance after they arrived.
Rick pointed to his left. "Lichtenstein is just little ways that way," he mentioned and kept driving. They had started out going east but now they were going south. The mountains of the Alps were right in front of their faces and they looked beautiful. In fact what they saw of the entire countryside as they drove was lovely.
Jo wondered quietly to herself if where they were going looked anything like the really cute houses they kept passing. They really were lovely to look at.
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"We're here," Rick announced then quickly corrected himself. "Well, almost." They were only just reaching the town they were all about to get to know very well over the coming years.
Lumnezia
They were still really close to the Alps. Rick just kept driving into and through the town which gave them all a chance to look it over. They saw what was obviously a church at the top of a small hill. There were red roofs and white buildings in a number of locations. Most of those had two floors. Other buildings were obviously old wood. It was really quaint-looking.
Rick got off the paved road, onto a dirt road, and drove out of town. They were going toward a forest that looked really familiar which made Kate smile. They were headed for an area that she really liked. Then Rick stopped.
"You're not serious?" Kate leaned forward to try and look out and down. Then he turned off the car, truck, van, whatever it was, and got out. The others followed.
"I think he is, Katie," Jim muttered as he looked the entire area over.
"He's nuts is what he is." Jo was just about convinced of it now.
They stared at the bridge that looked like they had to cross. It was a single lane and it was really long. It had wood sides and a wooden floor that was built on top of a lovely arch made of bricks, stone, they didn't know what.
"We cross this and stop at a garage where we change vehicles and go up into the forest. Up there," Rick indicated. Then he challenged them since even he couldn't see it from where they were and he knew where it was. "Do you see it?" He did his best to hide his smile.
"See what?" Jo was looking and looking but all she saw was trees. But it didn't matter since they were all going to die just getting to the other side.
"Shall we go?" Rick was ready to get there so he could show them what he'd built. He was really proud of it.
"Can we walk it?" Jo wasn't driving across that thing.
"Sure, if you want." Rick got in his camper, started it, and smiled as Kate got in next to him. At least someone trusted him.
He drove across as easy as you please, then turned and stopped in front of a wooden garage that was built for just one vehicle. Then he backed up and stopped farther away.
Kate saw a really rough and nasty dirt road that went up the hill and disappeared. "We're going up that?" She wasn't sure what, if anything, could go up that hill.
"You should've seen what it took to get the supplies to build it up there. More than I care to think about had to go in using a helicopter and then be lowered from above the trees at hundreds of dollars an hour." Rick had come out to see their progress only a couple of times. The last one was when it was finished completely including furniture that was all shipped in.
Rick got out followed by Kate and waited for Jim and Jo to join them.
"Okay, so it was safe." Jo looked behind her. "It's still a long ways down there."
"Now what," Jim asked, pointing at the nasty-looking road, "we walk up that?"
"Nope, we drive." Rick walked over to the little garage and opened it to show them what was inside. Then he pulled out a key, disconnected the battery charger that was powered by electricity from the house, got in it and fired it up. Then he pulled out and stopped.
"Hop in." Rick was grinning widely.
The three of them just stood there staring at this thing, whatever it was. It was mostly red and silver with a black top. It had four doors and four seats but it had no windows of any kind. It also had some big knobby-looking tires.
Can-Am® Maverick™ X3 MAX X™ rs TURBO R Gold, Can-Am Red & Hyper Silver
"We have to use this time every time we want to go into town?" Jo looked it over. Jim, however, was kind of interested. It looked like fun to him.
"Yep, at least down to the camper. All the way into town if it has snowed or rained a lot. Ready to go? Just one more road to go." They were about ten to fifteen minutes away.
"Better buckle up. I haven't been here in a while so I don't know what the road looks like now," Rick warned and waited for them to fasten their seat belts. As soon as they did, he gunned it, turned it hard, and shot up the road only to slow down at the first large rut created by water runoff. He gunned it again. It was a bit bumpy and a little steep. He came around a corner and went up, angling back the way they'd come. Then he turned and hit the brakes; he set the brake and turned it off.
"We're here," Rick beamed; he loved this place. He opened his door and got out. Followed by the others.
"OH-MY-GOD!" Jo knew her mouth was hanging open. It was just that she was expecting another tiny cabin. What else could it be? This was not a tiny cabin in any sense of the word. It was all wood, but boards though, instead of logs. There was also lots and lots of glass. She was pretty sure she saw two round metal chimneys. It was two stories tall or maybe three since she thought she saw a small third floor on one end. Absolutely stunned, Jo turned to Rick. "You built this?" It was amazing and gorgeous.
"Well, this one I had built but yeah, I built it. Two thousand seven hundred forty-five square feet, four bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Kitchen, dining, living, and a TV room that uses satellite so when it rains, no TV. A small study at the highest point where I plan on doing my writing. There's a sauna and a large outdoor deck, complete with a hot tub.
"Electricity for the house and garage is generated via solar panels mounted on three tall towers farther up the hill. There's a large diesel powered backup generator just in case. Our water supply is from rain that goes into a large cistern and is pumped up the hill. It's more than enough for one but we might have to be careful with four of us depending on how often it rains, but we can make it work.
"Go up the stairs to the front door." Rick motioned for them to go first. "There's a button that turns on the lights for the stairs at night." He pressed it just to show them and on came the lights. It was a little steep and a lot of steps but they finally reached the front door.
"The keys are inside but you can get in by putting in a ten digit code." Rick began pressing buttons and the lock released; he swung the door open.
"Be my guest. This is home now. After the tour we need to go into town. There's almost no food here so we're going to need a lot for four people if we want to eat tonight," Rick said and followed them inside.
He hadn't planned on being there this early, nor had he anticipated he would be here with anyone, though he was happy to have them. He was just really happy to be away from his father and his mother to a lesser extent. He wasn't going to miss either of them.
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Jackson answered his cell phone. "Yes," he snarled.
"We haven't found him and have no leads, sir. He may have come here but he very likely didn't stay here. If he doesn't know any other languages he probably didn't go farther into Russia. I would suggest Scandinavia or the Balkans," the investigator reported.
He was ready to blow up and scream at him. But who he had hired was good. He couldn't just dismiss his suggestions. "Just find him. I'll put more money in your account for expenses." He hung up and wound up to throw his cell phone, but didn't. He needed to think and not react. He was beginning to wonder if his son was smarter than he was giving him credit for. Was he clever enough to have a fake name? Did he even know how to get one? If he did what name would he use? How had he gotten the money? He had a lot of searching to do now and that really pissed him off.
There was one good thing, he couldn't get off the planet since no one else could, either. Not even him.
Jackson huffed out an aggravated breath. His own son was really starting to make him angry and he was going to make him pay for this. Really pay.
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