A Biker's Tale
Chapter 6 - Friends Along The Way
A Day Before
He had been on the road for some six or more hours. In a car, six hours can be tiring, but more so on the seat of a motorcycle. Once past Chicago, Rick would now be heading towards Minneapolis. For the moment, however, he would camp here in the surrounding area of the Windy City, at a KOA facility. He had more daylight ahead and could have gone for a couple more hours. But tired as he is, wanting to relax, and then get some sleep, he decided pulling into a camp site and setting up for the evening was the best way to go. He gets a camp site next to a Class B, camper van. These Class B's were becoming the trend now a days with people who wanted a smaller RV, but also wanted some frills in a smaller package.
As he sets up, flipping the cover to his trailer open to release the pop up one man tent, his neighbor in the Class B exits the RV.
"Hi, I'm Emily Hutchinson your neighbor. That is quite the camping trailer, don't believe I seen one quite like that before."
"That's because this is a custom rig I helped design. So it is one of a kind. Although I hear from the guy of made it for me that others were interested in obtaining a similar trailer. He asked my permission to use my design, so he has most likely made several of these that could be on the road by now."
"So you're hauling it with your Triumph motorcycle, how's it working out for you?"
"Well, it is a new riding experience and one has to compensate for hauling a trailer, but once you learn, it is not so bad. My mileage is up a bit, but still way better than what you are most probably getting. What's your RV by the way?"
"Ours is also custom built, my husband and I spent 8 months putting her together."
Just then a man emerges from the camper van.
"Josh, come meet our neighbor. I am sorry, I didn't get your name, that was rude of me."
"No, that's on me, I did not return the introduction Emily. It's Rick, Rick Castle."
"Rick Castle? As in the Nikki Heat novels?", asks Josh excitedly.
"In the flesh."
Josh offers his hand, "Joshua Hutchinson, as in Josh. We are both fans, In fact Emily and I are just finishing up the latest Nikki Heat."
Rick tries to hide his reaction when hearing the name 'Josh', "Please to meet you Josh", he says, shaking Josh's hand and painfully remembering another man he knew also as Josh, "Your wife tells me you have a custom design, much like my little travel trailer."
"I saw that from the window and wanted to learn more about it. That is why I came out."
"It is really quite simple. The top unfolds to reveal this tent fabric, then you have to insert the ends of the tent fabric rods into the holders, and viola, a one man pup tent. Of course the part that unfolds has these legs that you also flip down and extend to the ground for additional support. The tent opens on the sides for ease of ingress and egress. Underneath the tent is storage for extra parts, tools, and cooking gear."
"That is a great and elegant design, did you come up with it."
"I did, with assistance from my builder. Understand you did the conversion work on your camper van also."
"That we did. Would you like a tour?"
"Would be thrilled to see what you have done."
The converted van was also compact and efficient. It was on the large dodge van chassis and had a U-shape dinette in the back. That dinette converted to a full size bed by lowering a camping table in the space of the U and then putting a cushion on top of it. The couple had a small 'kitchen' on the driver's side, which had a small thermo-electric cooler, placed under a small sink with running water, and a flat surface for food prep on the side which had storage underneath. When this prep area is cleared of items, a small camping stove can be placed there for cooking. Opposite the little camping kitchen, on the passenger's side, is a small bench that housed a port-a-potty underneath the lid of the bench. The couple had a small portable outdoor shower for bathing, complete with tent fabric enclosure for privacy.
The camper had a two hundred watt solar panel mounted to the roof that charges a small portable solar power station that gave 300 watts of electricity. That is enough electric power to run and charge cell phones, laptops, and provide lights for the interior. The small thermo-electric cooler was also run off of the power station. During the day and in good sunlight, the solar panels kept the power station topped off. During the night, they could consume 20% of their total charge, but as they travelled, the alternator also charged their power station along with the roof mounted solar panels..
"A great rig, so what's your story Josh and Emily?", Rick always wanted to know the story.
"Well, we always dreamed of traveling when we retired, but then decided, 'why wait?'. Being in our thirties we are young enough for extended travel. We learned a lesson from our parents who wanted to travel in their golden years, but their health is currently hindering that dream. So that told us the decision to travel now was the right one. We quit our days jobs, converted the camper, and just went traveling. That was three years ago. We use our parent's home as home base for a travel break. Also for a permanent mailing address and as a home address for licenses, credit cards, and the like. We sold our house and material goods to create a nest egg for our travels."
"That's great, but surely after three years of traveling, your funds are down somewhat."
"Oh, we found a way to make income as we travel."
"Really, I'd love to hear that story."
"Well Emily in her work life was a financial consultant and found she could still service her clients by phone or on line. Our cell phones keeps us connected and also are used as personal hot spots so we can go online with our laptops. I am a graphics designer who specialized in video game graphics and industrial designs, that also can be done on line. So although we do not make as much as when we worked at an office, we make enough to cover day to day needs as well as keeping our nest egg at a steady level."
"That's great! What about medical needs, if you have an emergency. Also, where is your home base?"
"We have travel insurance that can be used for emergencies anywhere a hospital is near. Both of us hail from Dallas-Fort Worth area, sort of mid-country for the contiguous 48, so travel east and west is pretty convenient from our home base", Josh replied to Rick's inquiry.
"You know Rick, you should try RV life. As a popular author, you could write on the road. You just need as setup like ours, but with your finances you could afford a really luxurious RV with all the latest gadgets", Emily tells Rick.
Castle, always one to buy the latest trendy products, seriously considers what Emily has said, "You know, that is a good thought, I seriously have to consider it."
"You could even haul your bike behind the RV if you wanted a back up ride for just sight-seeing when you camp, or as a emergency vehicle in the event of a major breakdown of your home on wheels. We know of a couple whose rig broke down and was in the shop for two weeks for repairs. The couple had mountain bikes they carried in a bike rack, and use that for transportation around the town they stayed at while awaiting repairs for their RV. They were not stuck at their hotel, nor did they have to walk to where they wanted to go", Josh relates to Rick.
"So what are your immediate Travel Plans", Castle asks after hearing the case for being an RV owner.
"We just completed a tour of the northeast New England states and want to head to Vancouver next, via Canadian roadways."
"I'm headed for Fairbanks via the ALCAN, and our travel routes may overlap."
"Great, would you want to make it a convoy of sorts Rick."
"Can't see why not, at lest for those routes we will have in common."
"How about a picture so we can share with friends."
"Go you one better, how about I post to my fan site where I am telling the story of my journey via Fan Site Posts."
And that is how Emily Hutchinson got her picture taken with her favorite author, Rick Castle, on the Caste Fan Site.
That night, in the Hutchinson's camper van, they go over their travel routes. It seems they have the same route planned to get to Vancouver, the Hutchinson's final stop, before heading south to SoCal. Just before Vancouver, Rick goes in the opposite direction north thru Canada and then to Fairbanks.
Girl Talk
"Lanie, what am I to do? Rick will not talk to me and now he has a picture posted on his Fan Site with some blonde fellow traveler. Do you think they are traveling together and that he has a new muse?"
"Could well be the case, Kate, but let's not jump to conclusions till we find out otherwise."
"I've been so clueless and hurtful to him Lanie. I knew he wanted more but refused to acknowledge it. In fact, I paraded other men in front of him giving him cause to feel I did not return his affections in the same way."
"Come on Kate, you were getting your freak on with Josh. How did you expect Rick to react? In fact, it is amazing that Castle stayed with you for so long. Recall that he did leave you last summer but then returned, that speaks volumes as to how much he is into you. I mean Castle is heads over heels, Kate."
"And I tried so much to deny it. I showed Rick I didn't want or need him in my life. I told him at the start I would not be another conquest and then showed him exactly that by waving other men in his very face. How could I have been such a heartless bit…..", she doesn't finish her sentence, but Lanie does.
"Witch…..how could you have been such a heartless witch?", she completes Kate's talk, "but no use crying over spilled milk, you need to move on and get back your man!"
"My man! I like the sound of that, but he is not my man Lanie."
"Not presently, but he will be. It is time you pursued Rick and put your brand on him."
"And how do you suggest I do that?"
"How much leave do you have on the books Kate?"
"And why do you ask Lanie?"
"Cause it looks like you need to make a road trip."
"Are you saying I need to physically go after Castle and literally fetch him back?"
"You got a better plan Kate?"
"No, and I do have a lot of accumulated leave."
"How much Kate?"
"More than 45 days."
"Well, there you go, that gives you enough time if we plan this well."
Kate put in for extended leave the next day. Roy Montgomery was annoyed at first until Kate told him the reason.
"You have my approval Kate. Go get Castle back, the boys will make up for you as best they can. I may even reassign Karpowski to Alpha in your absence."
"Thanks Roy."
"Just get him back Kate. He's good for you and Alpha team. With him your team has the highest closure rate in all the NYPD, that has the attention of 1PP. We need to maintain that rating, so go, get him back."