Chapter 191

They left Rexburg behind and drove north toward the town of St. Anthony. The RV was quiet, the women lounging on the sofas, some looking out the windows, some on their phones. Petrov’s voice came over the intercom. “Sir, thank you again for what you did back there. I didn’t expect that.”

“You saved my life, Sergeant. It was the least I could do,” Louis said. “How are the men?”

“They are fine, sir. A bit tired, but fine. We’ll be ready for anything tomorrow.”

“Good,” Louis said.

“There’s one thing that you may find interesting, sir,” Petrov said. “While I was in the holding cell, there was another man. A local. He was arrested for public drunkenness.”

“And?” Louis asked.

“He was talking to himself, sir. And he kept repeating the same thing. ‘The devil is coming. The devil is coming.’ Then he said, ‘He will burn the farm. He will burn them all.’”

Louis sat up. “Did you get a name?”

“I tried to make him talk, sir. He refused. So I used the little flask hidden inside my boot to make a deal with him. A drink for a name.”

“And?” Louis asked.

“He said his name is Jed. He’s a truck driver. He drives a refrigerated truck. And he drinks a lot.”

“Did he tell you where the farm was?” Louis asked.

“No, sir. Just that he used to deliver meat and provisions there. But he got fired for asking too many questions.”

“Is he still in the station?” Angelique asked.

“No, ma’am,” Petrov said. “They were about to release him when they took me in. After the shooting, they called his wife and she picked him up. I remembered the name of the company on his shirt, though. ‘Big Sky Beef.’”

“Big Sky Beef,” Willa repeated, typing on her laptop. “Let’s see if we can find them.”

“Good work, Sergeant,” Louis said. “Enjoy your night. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Copy that, sir,” Petrov said.

Louis turned to Willa. “What do you have, Willa?”

“Found it,” she said. “A small cattle company in the town of Ashton, Idaho. Their trucks are often seen in the Yellowstone area. They deliver to several ranches and farms.”

“Can you get a number?” Louis asked.

“I’m trying,” she said. “It’s a small company. They don’t have a website. But I found a directory listing with a phone number.”

“Call them,” Louis said.

“And say what?” Gladice asked. “’Hi, I’m looking for a drunk truck driver named Jed who knows where a secret farm that is actually a terrorist hideout is located?’”

“Something like that,” Savannah said, smiling.

“I have a better idea,” Angelique said. “Call the company and tell them you’re a truck driver and you want to apply for a job. Ask about the routes and the customers.”

“Good idea,” Willa said, looking at Maeve. “You can do the talking. You’re a real truck driver.”

“I am,” Maeve said, her eyes gleaming. She took out her phone. “What’s the number?”

Willa read out the number. Maeve dialed and put the phone on speaker. A man’s gruff voice answered. “Big Sky Beef. What do you want?”

“Hey! I’m looking for a driving job,” Maeve said. “My name is Mae—”

Angelique warned her with a glance.

“—Mayflower. That’s me. I’m an independent driver.” Maeve said.

“We’re not hiring right now,” the man said. “Try again next month.”

“Come on, man. I need work,” Maeve said, her voice rough. “I’m good at it. I can drive anything. Anywhere. I’m not scared of bears.”

“Bears?” the man asked. “What are you talking about?”

“You know. The big ones,” Maeve said. “I’ve got plenty of experience. I can even drive off-road.”

The man sighed. “Look, lady. We don’t need any drivers right now. We’re a small company. We have our own crew. And our routes are complicated.”

“I’m good with complicated routes,” Maeve said. “And I’m better than any of the drivers you already have. Trust me.”

“You sound tough, I’ll give you that,” the man said. “But I’m still not hiring. Especially not some random woman calling me in the middle of the night.”

Maeve’s eyes narrowed. “What if I told you I can fix your trucks while I drive them? I bet your other drivers can’t do that.”

“Fix them?” the man asked. “What kind of trucks are you used to driving?”

“LMTVs, HEMTTs, flatbeds, heavy-duty trucks. You name it, I’ve driven it. And fixed it,” Maeve said.

There was a pause. “LMTVs? HEMTTs? Are you military?”

“No,” Maeve said. “But I used to work for them. In Nevada.”

Another pause. “What’s your name again?”

“Mayflower,” Maeve said. “Maggie Mayflower.”

“And you’re in Idaho now?”

“I am,” Maeve said. “And I’m looking for work. Any work. I need money. And I like driving.”

“Okay, Miss Mayflower,” the man said. “You’ve got my attention. Come by my office tomorrow at nine. We’ll talk. But I’m not promising anything.”

“Where’s your office?” Maeve asked.

“On Main Street. In Ashton. Next to the diner. You can’t miss it. My name’s Hank. Hank Williams.”

“I’ll be there, Hank,” Maeve said. “At nine. Sharp.”

“Don’t be late,” the man said. “Or I’ll change my mind.”

“I won’t be,” Maeve said. “Thank you, Hank.”

She hung up and looked at the others. “I have a job interview.”

“Maggie Mayflower?” Gladice said, laughing. “That’s the worst fake name I’ve ever heard.”

“I had to think of something fast,” Maeve said, shrugging. “And it worked.”

“It did,” Angelique said. “But we need a plan for tomorrow. We can’t all go to the interview.”

“I’ll go alone,” Maeve said. “It’s safer. And more convincing.”

“I don’t like that,” Louis said. “You could be walking into a trap.”

“I’ll be fine,” Maeve said. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” Louis said. “But we should install a camera and a microphone on you. And we will be nearby. In case you need backup.”

“Good idea,” Maeve said. “I’ll ride my Ducati. It’s more discreet than the RV.”

“Won’t they recognize your face from the news?” Donya asked. “You’re one of the Collins Eight, Mae-Mae.”

“We can order a delivery of silicone mask kits and fake IDs from Robin,” Louis said. “He can have them delivered to the hotel by morning.”

“A spy kit!” Gladice said. “I want one too.”

“You can have one,” Louis said. “But you’re not going to the interview. Maeve is.”

“I’ll create a believable identity for Maeve,” Willa said, her fingers already flying on her laptop. “A truck driver with a record and a bad attitude.”

“I like that,” Maeve said. “It’s almost true.”

“Almost?” Savannah asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Okay, it’s true,” Maeve said. “Except for the bad attitude. I have a great attitude. As long as people don’t mess with me.” She thought for a moment. “What if they decide not to hire me? Or worse, what if they recognize me anyway?”

“They won’t recognize you with a good disguise, Mae-Mae,” Louis said. “We have the best technology for that.”

“Even so,” Maeve said. “They may not hire me.”

Louis looked at her. “Then we make sure they have to hire you.”

She laughed. “How? By threatening to bomb their office?”

“No,” Louis said, smiling. “By making sure all their trucks develop some sudden mechanical problems. Something only you can fix. In the middle of a delivery.”

“I like your style, Louis,” Savannah said. “It’s so gangster.”

“He is a gangster,” Willa said. “And we’re his gang.”

“I’m glad you see it that way,” Louis said. “We should also make sure no other mechanics in the area can help them for a few days.”

“Are we going to kidnap them?” Gladice asked, her eyes gleaming. “Because I’m good at that.”

“No kidnapping, Glads,” Angelique said. “That’s too messy. We can just bribe them.”

“I have an idea,” Louis said. “We can offer them a free travel package to Las Vegas. For them and their families. All expenses paid. For a week. But the plane only leaves tomorrow morning. So they have to decide quickly.”

“And how do we convince them to accept?” Donya asked.

“We tell them they won a special prize,” Louis said. “A lucky draw from the Dominion Ministry of Culture. And that it’s a limited offer.”

“And they will believe that?” Cherish asked.

“They will if it’s on an official-looking letter,” Willa said.

“I’ll have to call Mom,” Louis said, taking out his phone. “She must have something that looks official.”

“Your mom won’t mind?” Donya asked.

“She’ll love it,” Louis said. “Especially the part about sending the Central Union mechanics to Nevada.” He put the phone on speaker.

“Louis, darling. I was just about to call you. Are you alright?” Judith’s voice was smooth. “Your dad told me what happened.”

“We’re fine, Mom,” Louis said. “But we need your help.”

“Anything, sweetie.”

“I need you to create a document. A prize notification. From the Dominion Ministry of Culture. Lucky draw winner. All-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas. The winners will be a list of mechanics in Ashton, Idaho. And their families. A charter plane leaves tomorrow morning at eight. From Idaho Falls.”

“What are you planning, Louis?” Judith asked. “Another diplomatic incident?”

“Not really,” Louis said. “Just a little cultural exchange. And a way to help the local economy.”

Judith laughed. “You’re your father’s son. Consider it done. I’ll have the documents and a team ready to go in an hour. They will be very persuasive.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Stay safe, Louis. And give my love to your family.”

“I will,” he said, hanging up.

Willa looked up from her laptop. “I have the list of every mechanic from Pocatello to West Yellowstone. There are dozens of them.”

“Send them to Mom,” Louis said. “She’ll take care of it.”

Willa nodded and sent the list.

“So, tomorrow morning, Hank will wake up to find all of his trucks broken, and all of the mechanics in town on their way to Las Vegas,” Savannah laughed. “He’ll have to hire Mae-Mae.”

“Unless he decides to fix the trucks himself,” Angelique said.

“Will they find out it was us?” Donya asked.

“Even if they do, they can’t prove it,” Willa said. “And we’ll be long gone by then.”

“What about the other trucking companies?” Gladice asked. “He could hire someone else.”

“Ashton is a small town, Glads,” Willa said. “And Big Sky Beef is a small company. They don’t have a lot of options. Especially not at the last minute.”

“I think it will work,” Maeve said. “But I still want a gun. Just in case.”

“We will make sure you have everything you need, Mae-Mae,” Louis said. “And we will be nearby.”

“So, what are we going to do while Maeve is having her job interview?” Gladice asked. “Wait in the RV? Like bored spies?”

“We will monitor her from the RV,” Angelique said. “With the camera and the microphone.”

“And we will be ready to move if she needs help,” Louis said.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t,” Donya said. “I don’t want another shootout.”

The RV pulled into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express in St. Anthony. Yamamoto’s men had booked the entire first floor for the night. The RV parked in a corner of the lot, the SUVs surrounding it. The guards got out and secured the area.

“So, are we sleeping in the RV tonight?” Cherish asked. “Or in the hotel?”

“In the RV, of course,” Gladice said. “It’s more comfortable. And the baths have cum filters.”

“What filters?!”

“The cum filters, Cherry,” Gladice said, winking. “They filter the cum out of the bathwater. So it’s clean. For the next person.”

Cherish looked at Louis, her face red. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” Louis said, smiling. “It’s a very useful feature.”

“Oh,” Cherish said, looking away. “That’s interesting.”

Willa looked up from her laptop. “I sent what we need to Robin. He says the delivery will be made to Yamamoto’s men during the midnight shift change.”

“Good work, Willa,” Louis said. He turned to the comms. “Captain, I need your men to do a little sabotage to Big Sky Beef’s fleet.”

“What kind of sabotage?” Yamamoto asked.

“Just disable their engines in a way that’s not easily fixable. And leave no trace,” Louis said. “Be creative.”

“Copy that, sir,” Yamamoto said. “My men will have some fun with that.”

“We need a camera and microphone for Maeve,” Willa said. “And a weapon. And a disguise.”

“Field Marshal McCarthy’s team is on it,” Yamamoto said. “We will have everything you need by morning.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Louis said.

“I can’t believe we are doing this,” Donya said, her eyes on the screen showing the map of Ashton. “We’re bribing mechanics and sabotaging trucks. For a job interview.”

“We’re being efficient,” Willa said, not looking up from her laptop. “And creative.”

“Creative?” Donya said. “It’s more like criminal.”

“It’s not criminal if you don’t get caught, Donya,” Savannah said. “And we won’t get caught.”

“It’s still wrong,” Donya said.

“It’s for a good cause,” Angelique said. “To find Brother John. And to stop the Common Roots. Don’t forget that.”

“I know,” Donya said. “But the means matter as much as the ends.”

Louis looked at her. “Let’s talk about this in our bedroom later. We can discuss ethics as long as you want.”

Donya looked at him. Her face softened. “Okay, Louis. I’ll take you up on that.”

“I’ll take a bath,” Maeve said. “I need to clean up before my big day as Maggie Mayflower.” She went to the lower deck bathroom.

“I need to take a shower too,” Donya said, standing up. “All this stress is making me sweaty.”

“So what’s the sleep arrangement for tonight?” Savannah asked, leaning back on the sofa. “We have two beds and eight people. That’s a lot of math.”

“You will sleep with me tonight, Savvy,” Louis said. “And with Maeve and Donya when they’re done. In the upper bedroom. The rest of you take the lower bedroom.”

“What if I want to sleep with you?” Gladice asked, winking at him.

“You already had me today, Gladie,” Louis said. “You can have Angi, Cherry and Willa tonight. I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

“Fine,” Gladice said, pouting. “But I want the window spot.”

“You can have it,” Angelique said. “We can have a nice conversation about the political implications of a missile-carrying bear.”

“I’m in,” Willa said.

Cherish looked at Louis. “Can I have a goodnight kiss before I go to sleep?”

“Of course, Cherry,” he said, kissing her. “Sleep well.”

“You too,” she said, smiling.

“Give me a goodnight kiss too! With tongue!” Gladice said.

Louis laughed and gave her a deep kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. “Happy now?”

“Very,” she said, grinning.

“There. Now, go to bed. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Louis kissed Angelique and Willa too, then watched them go back to the lower bedroom.

Savannah came to him and put her arms around his neck. “So, it’s my turn tonight,” she whispered, her lips close to his ear.

“It is,” he said, kissing her. “I’ve been looking forward to it.” His hands moved down to her ass, squeezing it.

Savannah moaned and pressed against him. “Let’s go. I want to be alone with you for a while before the others join us.”

He took her hand and led her to the upper bedroom.