Run into Trouble

to tell you that I used to do some dancing when I was young. I wasn’t great but I had fun. You looked very graceful today.”
    Peaches smiled for the third time. “We had something called Cotillion when I was in school. My mother made me go. I told her I was a football player, not a dancer, but I secretly enjoyed it. Later I went with a girl who liked to dance.”
    He gazed toward the islands, so close and yet so far. Melody wondered whether he was yearning for his personal Bali Hai.

    CHAPTER 18
    Today we’re going from Carpenteria State Beach through the city of Santa Barbara to a point on Hollister Avenue west of Goleta. Don’t underestimate the run as it is close to marathon distance. Remember that the beach heads east-west here. This is an opportunity for each team to use its skills at picking a route because there are many ways to go. The best route may be some distance inland. For starters, we suggest that you don’t try to follow the beach directly west of Carpenteria, because you’ll run into a marshy area. Go inland to Carpenteria Avenue. You young studs may be tempted to go through Isla Vista to ogle the luscious lovelies on the bathing suit optional beach near the University of California at Santa Barbara. If you do, you’ll get bogged down in sand and dead ends, and it may cost you a million dollars.
    ***
    “This is where we separate the men from the boys.”
    Drake was feeling better than he had at any time since the race had started. Not only physically but his face was almost back to normal. Practically gone were the black eyes and discolored nose. He had to look closely in the mirror to tell that his nose was permanently enlarged and had a slight hook to it. He told himself that he had never been vain about his appearance, but it was nice that the visual reminders of his injuries were disappearing.
    Melody chuckled. “This life seems to agree with you. I’ve never seen you acting so youthful. Perhaps your aging clock is rewinding, and you’re getting younger.”
    “That would be nice, to a point. Right now I’ll settle for gaining on Tom and Jerry.”
    They were running an inland route carefully picked out by Drake who had acquired a map of Santa Barbara. One thing he had learned in the service of his country was map reading, and he figured that gave them an edge over the other teams.
    Melody looked around her. On a summer Saturday the locals and tourists were heading for the beach or shopping. The sidewalks weren’t crowded.
    “I don’t see anybody else. We haven’t been this alone since the first few days when everybody ran away from us. Hopefully, that isn’t happening today.”
    “We’ll be doing quite a stretch on Hollister Avenue. We should find out how we stand then.”
    Grace had eaten dinner with them last night. After dinner, Drake had gone through his routine of getting ready for the next day, including taking a cold bath. That hadn’t given him time to talk to Melody alone. “I take it that you and Peaches are buddy-buddy now.”
    “Not even matey-matey, but he did open up to me a little. I got the impression that he’s not a member of the Fred fan club and won’t play his silly games.”
    “So he’s not part of the threatening letter team.”
    “Not if we can believe him. He also said he’d take care of Grace.”
    “I heard you tell her that. Although I think she considers you to be her biggest protection.”
    Melody laughed. “Well, I did do a little finger twisting. Speaking of mates, how did your chat with Blade turn out? I take it that he’s the one who put you on to this bloke Sterling.”
    Drake had told Grace to be on the lookout for Sterling and had given her his description without telling her where he had obtained the information. She hadn’t asked. He filled Melody in on what Drake had said about Sterling.
    “I may be able to get Peaches to help look for him.”
    “Be careful doing that. Do you trust him?”
    “We have to trust somebody. Did Blade have any other words of wisdom?”
    “He says the military thinks we’re in World War Three, but not the president. There’s a difference of opinion. Hopefully, the president can retain control of the military, like he’s supposed to. But some people, in and out of government, are trying to influence public opinion in favor of war.”
    “That’s scary.”
    ***
    When they spotted the Giganticorp bus parked on Hollister Avenue marking the end of the day’s run, Drake and Melody still didn’t