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A loud beep woke him. Trevor sat upright and looked at the plane’s instruments, then out the windshield. They were on final approach to the airport—hopefully it was Sun Valley. Trevor slid the headset back on.
“We’ll be landing shortly.” Dahl adjusted the comms; his mouth moved but Trevor heard nothing.
With any luck, Dahl was speaking to air traffic control and not someone ready to take them prisoner. Although, if he was going to do that, taking them to Seattle would have been smarter and faster. They were definitely not in Seattle or Western Washington. With barely a jolt, the plane touched down, the engines roared in reverse, and they rolled to the end of the runway, stopping in front of a small hangar.
“Mills, you can get Sam out safely, right? I’ve got to talk to the fuel guy.” Dahl took his headset off. “Before I forget, here.” He handed a wad of cash between the seats to Sam.
“Thanks, Andreas. I really appreciate your help.”
Dahl nodded with a grim expression. “Be careful, Sam. Watch your back.” Then he opened his door and climbed out.
Noise from the airport made conversation impossible. Trevor handed his sweatshirt pillow back to Sam, undid his belt, and removed the headset, then opened the door and climbed out. Maneuvering carefully on the slippery wing, he turned, took his backpack, and helped Sam out. Then he stepped off the wing, watching the tiny step on his right side to make sure his prosthetic landed firmly, then landed on the tarmac. He twisted to offer Sam a hand, and she accepted, stepping down. “Let’s go.”
They rounded the rear of the plane, then crossed to the hangar and entered. Inside, a gorgeous blonde woman walked toward them, holding her hand out. “Hi, I’m Sunny. Where’s Andreas?” She rose on her tiptoes and leaned around him.
Trevor took her hand, squeezing it slightly to focus her attention on him, and smiled. “He’s had an emergency and has to return, I’m afraid. He asked me to convey his apologies and a big thank you for picking us up.”
Sunny frowned. “Oh. That’s a shame. I was looking forward to talking to him.” She spun on her toe. “Well, let’s get going then.” She raised her phone, scrolling as they left the building, and got into a BMW SUV.
Trevor opened the back door and motioned for Sam to enter, then he climbed in next to her. “Sorry about the trouble.”
Sunny shrugged. “No problem.” She stuck earbuds in. “Sorry, got some work stuff to do. Enjoy the ride. It will be a while because the Dahl house is in Warm Springs.” She put the car in drive and pulled out, muttering.
“Thanks.” Trevor watched their surroundings carefully. No cars followed them and no one watched from the sidewalks.
Sam shrugged, giving him a wide-eyed look, then turned to look out her window. They drove through the small town of Hailey, passing snow-covered fields and golf course communities. They entered Sun Valley, turned off, and wound through housing developments, to a huge classic ski chalet nestled into the edge of the forest.
Sunny pulled into the driveway and turned, handing him a card. “Here’s my card, with the door and security codes on the back. Call if you have any trouble.”
“Thank you very much. Appreciate your help.” Trevor got out, handed Sam out, and shut the door.
Sam jumped back to avoid getting run over. “I think she’s a bit annoyed, when she should know better.”
Trevor strode to the front door and entered the code. “Know better?” The door clicked, and he pushed it open, entering cautiously. They stood in a luxury home with tasteful leather furnishings, a rock fireplace, and a light wood ceiling far above. “Nice.” He entered the security code on the flashing panel; it beeped and went dark. He pulled his weapon. “I’ll clear the house, just in case.”
“Okay.” Sam grabbed her pistol and followed him. “This is more of what I expect from a Dahl house.” She pointed at the kitchen. “I’d bet the garage is behind the kitchen. Let’s go check the vehicle situation. Can we wash clothes and take showers?”
Trevor followed her around the breakfast bar separating the kitchen from a Scandinavian-style dining table that seated twenty. “I’d rather check messages and get on the road.”
Sam sighed but followed him through the rest of the beautiful house. As the alarm claimed, it was clear of people. “If you want to leave right away, let’s check the garage. I still want a shower before we go.”
He raised both hands. “Fine. If you think you can trust Andreas.”
She turned back. “We can. He’s got faults, but he’s not a liar.” She opened a door at the end of the kitchen hallway and stepped through.
A three-car garage contained a recent model black Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with oversize tires and a six-inch tall box on the roof which had to be the tent. On the far side, two snowmobiles and an all-terrain vehicle filled the third stall; the middle was empty.
Trevor looked at the card and returned to the kitchen hallway. To his right, a small room held a washer and dryer, a bench with hooks above it, and ski boots below. Just inside the door, keys dangled from a rack. Trevor grabbed the Jeep keys, unlocked it with a beep, and jogged to the rear.
Opening the tailgate, he found bins with two sleeping bags and pads, a propane backpacking stove and kitchen gear, a couple of chairs. A second bin held miscellaneous items, including towels and a hammock. “It’s all set for camping.” He closed the tailgate, noting the extra gas container and a real jack stand next to the full-size spare tire. “Real off-roading, too. That gives us options.”
Sam looked in the front. “No fancy infotainment system. Looks like it was removed. Automatic transmission, which seems odd for an off-roader.”
“Just as well.” He could drive a stick with his prosthetic, but it took extra concentration. He’d need that brain power for off-roading.
She returned to the house and entered the laundry. “I’m washing my clothes and taking a shower. I suggest you do the same because we may not have an opportunity for a few days.”
“True, but I’ll check messages first; make sure we’re okay.” At the dining room table, he pulled the phones, replaced the batteries, and turned both on. They’d buy a couple more along with food on their way. He had a message from Aviss.
