Chapter 13
When Harvey asked him if he knew how to ride, Sam was hoping he meant something motorized, but he had the sinking feeling that it would be something more along the lines of four footed. He was right. He stood in the middle of the barn with Harvey as the man saddled up two horses.
"Harve, the last time I rode something with four legs, it was a burro in Columbia, and I had my hands up in the air. It wasn't pretty."
"Well, I better let ya have Sadie then. She's more gentle." Harvey grinned. He handed the reins to Sam and he took the other horse.
"I guess what I mean is, I've never had any real training on how to ride," he said, eyeing the chestnut mare who turned and eyed him back.
"Don't worry, Sam. She won't throw ya. I guarantee it!" He sat astride his horse waiting. "Come on, time's a wastin'."
"Yeah." Sam put his foot in the stirrup and mounted without trouble. After a few instructions from Harvey, he felt more confident. "Okay, I'm ready. Ready as I'll ever be."
They rode along a path that took them farther away from the fort, and as Sam suspected, the road was east north east of where they found themselves. Once they were on the road, it was easier riding to the town. However, unlike what Jedediah had said, Prescott was more like ten miles away. They would never have been able to walk it in a day. As they rode to the general store, where Harvey said they had a phone he could use, Sam kept his eyes roving and watching the townspeople. No one gave him a second look, much less a first, except for a couple people who greeted Harvey. They nodded in a friendly way toward Sam, and he responded in kind. It was better to act like he belonged here, or risk someone blabbing to the guys at the fort about the stranger in town.
They stopped their horses at a rail in front of the store and dismounted. "Wow, I didn't think things like this existed outside the movies," Sam declared softly as he and Harvey tied up the horses.
"Yep, some of us live way out in the boonies, and horses are how we git in 'n out. Gotta have some place to keep 'em while we do our business."
Sam's eyes took in the old single story shops along the main street. Directly in front of him was Stephens Hardware Store. "Harve..."
"It's okay, Sam. Andy Stephens is too busy with his boys right now. His cousin, the only sane one in the family, pretty much runs it himself." He took a step up to the board sidewalk. "He ain't gonna rat on ya, 'cause he and Andy get along like oil an' water."
"Okay." Sam let out a breath. "Now, where's that phone?"
"I'll do some shoppin' in here while you talk t' yer friend, okay?" Harvey led him to an office in the back. It was empty. "Jest come on out when yer done."
"Thanks." Sam dialed Mike's number on the rotary phone and waited impatiently for him to pick up. All the while he hoped that he wasn't on a party line and that someone was listening in.
"Hello," Michael answered plainly.
"Mike, it's Sam."
"Sam, where are you? Jesse and I have been worried sick about you! My Ma's been calling your phone non-stop for two days! Two days, Sam! Where the hell are you?"
"Easy, Mike. Is that any way to talk to a guy who survived a plane crash?"
"What? Where did this happen? There wasn't anything on the news about a plane crash in DC."
"It wasn't in DC. It was out in the middle of a state park in Tennessee. About ten, twelve miles south of a little town called Prescott." He paused. "Mike, I think Anson had something to do with this crash. I don't know if he was trying to take me out, or just make my life difficult so I wouldn't get to DC and find out where Fi was..." He let out a deep breath after running full steam. "I don't know. All I know is that there were nine passengers on that plane and two crew members, and they're all dead, Mike, except me and this woman, Vivien Chase."
"Vivien Chase, the author?"
"You've heard of her, Mike? Why am I the only one who never heard of her before now? Ah, never mind. The point is, Viv and I are hiding out from these whack jobs at a fort. They're Civil War re-enactors, and I think Anson's using them too."
"Sam, did you hit your head?"
"Yeah, I got a slight concussion, but Mike, listen to me! This is for real! These guys confiscated my phone, my laptop, my wallet, everything. They wanted the intel I had on my hard drive."
"Which is probably fried by now," Michael interjected.
"Oh yeah, no doubt. Too bad, I liked that laptop, too." He shrugged. "So anyway, Mike, I'm not sure who I can trust out here. I mean, what happens if Viv and I make it to DC? If Anson's got these yokels in his pocket, who else is he controlling?" Sam heard a click. "Mike?"
"I heard that, Sam." To be on the safe side, Michael suddenly started speaking Russian as he revealed his plan.
Sam's Russian was rusty, but he got the gist of what Michael was saying. He replied in the language. "Yeah, we'll sit tight until you get here. I'm going to try to get a burn phone in town, and I'll call you to give you our coordinates in 24 hours."
"By then Jesse and I should be there. Maybe we'll get lucky and have reinforcements."
"That would be good, Mike. We're dealing with a bunch of crazies out here." He paused. "And Mike? These people are hillbillies, so dress appropriately."
"Will do. Talk to you later, Sam."
"You too, Mike. You don't know how good it is to hear your voice."
"Thanks. You too, Sam." The relief in Mike's voice was evident.
Sam hung up the phone, sighed heavily, and exited the office. He found Harvey talking to the shopkeeper behind the counter.
"Here he is." Harvey grinned. "How'd everthin' go?"
"I got a hold of my friend. He's got a plan, and it's a go." He turned to the shopkeeper. "Say, do you know where I can get a burn phone around here?"
"A...burn...phone?"
"Yeah, a disposable cell phone."
"Oh, I got some 'o them." He bent down and rifled around behind the counter. "Don't get many people askin' for 'em, so I don't put 'em out."
"Doesn't have to be fancy, just as long as it works and it's got a charge."
"There ya go. It's twenty bucks with twenty minutes free. Ya need more, ya gotta buy a card."
Sam dug into his pocket. When he and Vivien were captured they took everything, including his cash. "Harve, can I borrow twenty bucks from you? I'm good for it, really!"
"Those guys took all your money too, huh?" Harvey shook his head and let out a deep groan. "I'm tellin' ya, Norb, somethin's gotta be done about them boys!"
"Well, maybe when Mike and Jesse arrive and we pull off our plan, we can make it so unfriendly here, they won't want to stick around." Sam smiled and his eyes sparkled with mischief. "If only Fi were with him. She'd blow that little fort to kingdom come, just for good measure."
"And where's this Fi?"
"I wish I knew. That's why I was headed to DC, to find out where she was and bring her home."
"Aw, so she's yer girl? Not Vivien?" Harvey questioned with raised eyebrows.
Sam laughed. "If only you knew how funny that is! No, she and Mike are in a relationship, and until we find her... He needs her, Harve."
"Well, if your plan works and gets them boys outta here..." Norb hesitated, then slid the phone across the counter to Sam. "You take that, no charge." Sam raised an eyebrow, and he reiterated. "Yeah, take it. If y'all can turn this into a peaceful place to live again, we'll be mighty grateful."
"Thank you, Norb. I appreciate it."
"Go get 'em, Commander." Norb, who was several years older than Sam, stood at attention and saluted him.
Sam returned the salute. "How'd you know?"
"Oh Harve told me ya told him about yer stint in the Navy, Sir."
"I see." Sam nodded. He would have to have a little talk with Harvey about confidentiality, although, he never did tell him to keep his mouth shut about what he'd revealed to him, so he couldn't fault the guy. Still, it was better to keep some things quiet. Sam held up the phone. "Thanks for the donation to the cause, Norb!"
"Yes, Sir. You go on and kick some ass, Sir!" He saluted Sam again, and Sam, with an amused smile on his face, returned it.
"We better get back to the cabin. I need to see if I can get a cell signal out there, and if I can't, figure out where I will get one along that path."
"You got it, Sam. I'm all set to go. See ya later, Norb!"