Run into Trouble

restaurant. Once inside, Melody procured a corner booth while Drake went to a payphone and called the number he used for Slick collect.
    The operator was told that Slick wasn’t available. Was there a message? Drake said no. He gave the operator Blade’s office number, hoping he was there.
    Blade answered the phone by saying the number and accepted the charge before the operator could get the words out of her mouth. “I was hoping you’d call, you son of a bitch. Where are you?”
    “San Jose.” Drake outlined the problem in two sentences.
    “This whole thing may be more serious than we thought. If they’re holding secret meetings, that may mean something is imminent. Okay, here’s what we think is happening. We think Casey wants to make some sort of important announcement coincident with the ending of Running California tomorrow. He’s getting his generals in a row tonight. What you’ve just told us confirmed some other stuff we‘ve learned. We don’t think the meeting is on the Big G campus.”
    Drake was annoyed. “Then where is it?”
    “Big G has a corporate hideaway in the mountains about thirty miles east of San Jose. They take their employees there to play bonding games and participate in other juvenile activities. Slick is headed there right this minute to find out what’s going on. I talked to him just after he left you—unfortunately, too late to catch you. He’s going to observe what he can, but he has to stay out of sight. He can’t move in with guns blazing. What we need is someone who knows the players to infiltrate the meeting.”
    “Meaning me?”
    “You’re not on the payroll, and I can’t order you to do it. After all, there’s not much at stake here except the future of the United States of America and the free world.”
    Perhaps; perhaps not. There was no question that a million dollars might be riding on what he did tonight. “You’re making this sound like the big time. If our man tries to take over, will people go along with it?”
    “If they’re scared enough, they will. The media have certainly been playing up the fear factor.”
    “How do you want me to proceed?”
    “Don’t do anything until we hear from Slick. Is there a place where you can get something to eat?”
    “We’re at a restaurant.”
    “Get some food inside you so you’ll be prepared. I’m going to give you a number where you can reach me. Call it in thirty minutes. In addition, give me the number there.”
    Drake exchanged numbers with Blade and hung up. He had Melody move to a booth close to the pay phones, so if it rang he could answer it. He sat down opposite her and quickly filled her in, adding, “I’ll go alone. We’ll find a way to get you back to the motel. Maybe a taxi—”
    “Belay that. I’m coming with you to make sure you get back safely. The run tomorrow doesn’t start until ten, and it’s a short one. We’ll be there with bells on.”
    When Melody made up her mind about something, there was no use arguing with her. Drake mentioned that what they were doing could be dangerous, but she had faced danger before. It didn’t faze her. They ordered dinner and ate.
    In thirty minutes Drake called Blade. Blade hadn’t heard from Slick and told Drake to call back in another thirty minutes. Drake and Melody ordered dessert. They talked about what they would do if they split a million dollars. The prospect wasn’t real to them. Yesterday it had been almost out of reach. But on the hills today they had gained valuable minutes on both the teams ahead of them. Having Tom and Jerry get lost was serendipity. Maybe, with a superhuman effort tomorrow…
    The pay phone rang. Drake stood and reached it in four long steps. He lifted the receiver and spoke softly.
    “Drake.”
    “The meeting is in progress. Slick had to come back quite a distance to find a phone he could use. It’s just your average ten thousand square foot rural retreat. He’ll meet you near the entrance. I’m going to give you the directions on how to get there. Do you have pencil and paper?”
    “Yes.”
    At least Drake had the back of the paper mat that had been set at his place at the table. He wrote down the directions with a cheap pen he always carried with him.

    CHAPTER 35
    Five minutes later they were in the car headed east with the dome light on so that Melody could read the scribbled directions. They started climbing through pine-scented woods. After a while they turned off onto a dirt road—stopped to