A/N: While Dick is attending to his annual trip to the circus, Tim disobeys and follows him, getting into major trouble on two fronts. Without realizing, by revealing that Tim is his biological brother, Dick has placed Tim in grave danger from a source they have dealt with before. Will Dick be the last Flying Grayson, again?

A Circus Boy Returns Home

Part 6: On the Road to Trouble

Tim sped out of the cave, heading down the highway, first going southward, then picking up the highway going west. He caught a news report somewhere in the Midwest that reported where Haly's Circus would be. Haly's tour was covering six states in the Midwest before heading back to Florida for the winter. They would be playing mostly small towns and very few larger cities. The news program speculated that the circus was a dying breed, with Ringling Brothers closing their doors, and their performers looking for other ways to entertain. Tim listened with half an ear at that point, focusing on heading to the town where the circus was going to be.

Tim opt to driving 12-hour days, which meant he could get anywhere from four to six hundred miles, depending on how tired he got. He would have to fuel, eat, and sleep at some point. On the first two legs of his journey, everything was going smoothly. Tim saw the sign for the next town. He checked the schedule for the circus and realized he was very close. He checked the date and saw that the circus was going to be in this area for five more days. That was fortunate. It meant the circus must have arrived last night and set up camp. He could take the time to sleep. He checked for a hotel, but there were only one or two travel lodges in this part of the state. The closest was a mile from where the circus was camping. That would be sufficient for Tim's needs.

Tim drove the rest of the way and parked his car outside the main office. The place looked more derelict than he expected. When he entered the office, there was no one at the front desk. He rang a bell and a lovely lady came out from a back room.

"Evening young man, what can I do for you," the woman stated.

"I need a room for the night," Tim said.

"You're a little young for traveling alone," the woman crooned.

Tim frowned. 'Typical. I can't help looking younger than I am.' Tim heard a siren in the background. It brought Tim's attention and he watched a police car moved passed the motel and headed toward the circus. Tim questioned if he should just go on ahead, but that might draw attention. "I'm heading to the circus to meet my brother."

"Is your brother one of the performers? Sign here." The woman handed the pen to the young man. "My daughter can show you to a room."

"I can take the key. I have to park my car."

"The rooms facing the highway are being renovated, and the rooms on the other side are quieter."

"All right," Tim said, though he didn't think anything of it. From his vantage point when he pulled into the parking area, he didn't see any construction equipment. Right now, he was too tired to care, and needed a shower and sleep.

"You can pull your car around to the back. There is additional parking," the woman said.

"Thanks."

Tim looked up when the woman handed him the key to his room and that's when the daughter appeared. She was quite beautiful, but Tim was married. In another life, Tim might be tempted to want to spend time with the young lady. The girl gave him a smile. Tim nodded to her then went outside, climbed into his car and pulled it around to the back of the motel. Tim didn't hear the conversation between the two once he left the main office.

"He looks perfect," the girl stated. "I hate the old men of this town, always coming around."

"You cannot be choosy girl," the woman stated. "The money we've made from the men of this town means we can get out from under this heap."

"The boy, who is he?"

The woman looked at the name on the registry. "Someone who's going to make us very rich, if we play our cards right. How close is your time?"

"Not for a few more days," the girl answered.

"Then that means you are ripe for plucking. We've waited for someone like him to come along. You can throw your protection away this time. I gave him the key to the special room. Once he's gone to bed, I'll throw the switch. We'll go through the secret passage. Then we can get to work on acquiring what we both want."

Continues with Part 7