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 Sure, but we should 
 Yeah, let s split, said Archer, heading for the door.  Like the man said, we did our best and we blew
it. We re through with it, right? Together he and Snyder hustled their reluctant companion out of the
office, closing the door loudly behind them.
Lasenby guessed the reason behind Huddy s unexpected largess.  You think they ll keep their mouths
shut about this like you want them to?
 I think so, Frank. The money should do it, but even if they get drunk and start spouting off about it in
some bar, no one s likely to believe a word they say.
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 7 rf sure like to know what went on out there, sir, the manager said.
 It s all part of a CCM experiment that s gone a bit awry. Huddy spoke as though confiding some
important secret.  We ve been having a few problems with it. Nothing drastic. Part of it s due to
recalcitrant employees not honoring the terms of their contracts.
 Like maybe this old man?
Huddy just sat there, let the manager draw his own harmless and inaccurate conclusions.
 Well, Lasenby said,  if there s anything else I can do to help, sir, just let me know. The home office
can always count on Frank Lasenby.
 You ve shown me that, Frank. Huddy rose and the manager rushed to match him. The two men shook
hands.  I ll be sure to let Headquarters know how helpful you ve been.
 Thank you, Mr. Huddy. Lasenby escorted him from the office and walked him through the planf back
out to his waiting rental car. Only after Huddy had disappeared through the plant gates did Lasenby begin
to wonder seriously about his employees story. For a moment he thought of calling them back in and
asking them to repeat it one more time in the absence of the intimidating presence from the West Coast.
Then he shrugged, decided against it. There was his own bonus money to consider, not to mention the
favorable recommendation Huddy had promised to turn in, and there was plenty to be done around the
plant today. So he quickly forgot all about it.
Huddy could hardly contain his excitement as he drove back toward Phoenix. He couldn t keep from
checking out every - car he passed to see if it mightn t be a sixty-one blue and white Ford Galaxie.
He blamed himself for the failure even as he congratulated himself on what it had taught him. He d been
too anxious to get Pickett back, still envisioning the old man as a harmless quick pickup. Next time he d
plan more carefully.
There was the possibility, of course, that the three men had made up the whole story to cover their
failure, but Huddy had discounted that likelihood early. The tale was too fantastic, too unbelievable to be
a lie. Besides which, the three didn t have the intelligence to make up anything so incredible.
Privately he saluted Jake Pickett, wherever the old man might be. It was nice of him to have confirmed
what until now had only been Huddy s suspicions of his potential. Out of respect for that potential,
Huddy intended to see that the old man was recovered quietly and professionally this time. Maybe he d
even fly Drew out from Los Angeles. They had plenty of time in which to not make any more mistakes,
and he d feel a lot better if people he knew personally were on the job. They d handle the recovery so
that Pickett wouldn t even have the chance to pull something like that trick with the wheels a second time.
Give the old man a day or two, let him start on his way out of Phoenix thinking he d made good his
escape. Let him relax a little. Maybe he wouldn t even make the connection between the men in the
pickup truck and CCM. Pickett didn t strike him as much of a chess player. His other talents more than
made up for that deficiency. They were talents which Huddy intended to put to his personal use.
 They tried to get me, Mandy. Jake lay on the bed in the Motel Six and tried to convey his fear to his
grandniece.  They tried to run me off the road.
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 Oh Uncle Jake, the voice whispered sympathetically inside his head,  I m so sorry. I warned you,
though.
 I know you did, Mandy. But it ll be alright now. 1 lost  em. Scared them a little, I think. I tried not to
hurt anyone and I don t think I did. It ll be better when we re together. We ll work things out, just the
two of us.
 Yes we will, Uncle Jake. How did you get away from them?
 I didn t know what to do, Mandy. There were three of them and they were in a big truck. I couldn t
think of what to do. I tried to ignore them and that s when they tried to run me off the highway. I thought
of the bottle cap trick; you know, the one where I make the bottle caps slipt on the kids sodas? I did it
with the caps holding their wheels on. They came right off and I got away from them clean. They re not
following me anymore, either. I ve checked. I checked several times before I found this motel.
 Calm down, Uncle Jake. It s good that you got away from them. Where are you now?
 In a motel. Oh, you mean what town. I m in Phoenix. I ll leave here early tomorrow morning. If they try
to bother me again I can do the trick with their wheels. It ll be easier next time because I ve already done
it once. Mandy, it was so easy, but it hurt me a little. In the head. I ll be in Port Lavaca in a couple of
days, if the old clunker holds up.
 Uncle Jake?
 What is it, Mandy?
 I ve been thinking about this a lot, Uncle Jake. Maybe it would be a good idea if we didn t meet here.
Port Lavaca s so small and quiet. Maybe it would be a good idea if we met where there were lots of
people around. You remember me telling you about our vacation last year?
Jake strained in his half-sleep to remember, tossing fitfully on the sheets.  It was... in Dallas, wasn t it?
 No, no, Uncle Jake, that was the year before last. Remember, we went up to spend some time with my
brother Marty?
 Oh yeah, at Marty s college, that s right.
 Maybe we should try to meet there, Uncle Jake. Just to be on the safe side.
 Whatever you think s best, Mandy. It s up to you.
 Let me work on mom and dad and see what I can work out at this end, then. I ll keep you posted.
 Okay, Mandy. You just let me know what you want to do.
 I will, Uncle Jake. Good night.
 Good night, Mandy. He relaxed and rolled over in the bed. A thousand miles away Amanda Rae
drifted into her own sleep, more afraid for her Uncle than he was for himself.
 Mom?
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