In the Blink of An Eye by Jerry Baggett (ebook reader for surface pro TXT) 📕

knew the men would be returning soon and start a search. She looked back at the trail she’d left through the wet brush, a dead giveaway. She back tracked through the weeds, hoping it would lead them in the wrong direction. She cautiously stepped along the edge of the overgrown yard, around the house to a place where she threaded her way through heavy brush, into the woods again. She walked parallel to the old road. I can’t be wrong, it’s the only road in.

What’s this? Nothing but water ahead. She moved closer to the road and looked farther ahead. More water. She waded through and returned to the brush on the other side. She back tracked into the wet underbrush. She had no idea how far she would need to go before finding help. She desperately wanted contact with the authorities. She remembered the matches, maybe a fire. No! everything’s too wet. She leaned against a tree and wiped water off her face. She thought it over carefully, and decided to go back and burn that old house down. That should get some attention. She would hide out until the fire department arrived. Surely, they would respond to a large fire, like a house fire?

Maria followed her own trail through the wet brush, all the way back to the house. They should be back any time now. This could be a mistake. She stood still and listened for the sound of an automobile. She heard nothing, beyond the steady sound of rain through the trees. This is risky, what if the matches won’t lite up? What if they get here before the fire department? She placed the bag of necessities on the wet ground, removed the jar of kitchen matches and ran back inside the house. She looked for something flammable, remembered an old coat on the floor in one corner. She grabbed it, stuffed it into the nearest wooden cabinet, poured out a hand full of matches and dragged one across the table top. To her surprise, the sulfur tip snapped into flame on the first attempt. She held it under the coat sleeve and watched flames grow until they curled up around the aged wood shelves. Time to go. She dumped more matches around the floor, turned and ran from the house. She waited some distance away for flames to appear.

She thought she heard the sound of an engine and ducked down behind heavy brush. No, my imagination. What do I do now? She looked back toward the old house. A column of black smoke rose above the tree tops, then, bright yellow flames lit up the afternoon sky. She waited. The flames died away. She waited some more, until darkness closed in around her.

Chapter 32

Hunt focused his attention on Dick. “You have a heavy responsibility now, big guy. What kind of weapon do you have?”

Dick grinned. “A 9mm Glock. It’ll get the job done in the hands of an experienced man.” He looked at Samantha. “Or woman. Sam can handle the weapon quite easily. There’s no safety on the Glock. Just point and ease back on the trigger. She has a steady hand and quick line-up on the target.”

“Good. Let’s hope she never has to use that weapon. Keep me up to date on what’s going on. Grant’s changed his appearance and temporarily goes by a different name. He’ll fill you in on that.” He switched his attention to Samantha. “You should go straight to your attorney for legitimate access to the building before attempting to enter the storage unit. That’s Grant’s first priority, you know.”

He slapped the desk. “Oh yeah, I forgot. He’s growing a beard and dressed as a fisherman. He’ll be waiting for you at the marina coffee shop in Long Beach. Drive up in front and wait for him to come outside.”

He looked back at Dick. “I like your idea of leaving town for a while. Why did you decide to visit your out of state property at this particular time?”

“Property there is owned by the McGowin family trust. One of the homes was set on fire and heavily damaged by vandals or someone who broke through a locked gate for access. My Uncle Mark heads the board of trustees. My brother told him I was running around, loose from the navy, and suggested he have me investigate the damage.” Dick glanced back at Samantha. “With the situation developing here, I thought it might be the appropriate time for that visit. He’s been trying to have me visit the property for years.”

He held Hunt’s eye for a moment. “With your permission, we would like to have Grant join us on this little venture. The trust will pick up our expenses. I haven’t been back since visiting with my father as a youngster. I’d kinda like to see what it’s like there after so many years.”

“You said it was in the south, I believe?”

“Oh yeah, in the heart of Dixie. A sizable portion of south Alabama, about a hundred miles north of Mobile. The McGowin family settled there in the early eighteen-hundreds. The McGowin plantation consisted of twenty-three hundred acres of timber and farming lands along the Sepulga River.”

Hunt said, “I can’t stop you from visiting your property, so, go for it. Just be damn sure you have your weapon. You’ll have to check it at the airport, you know, if you fly. Now you’ll be responsible for two people. The people going after you have long arms and I can’t afford to have something else happen to Grant or Samantha.” He grinned at Dick.

Dick parked at the curb. “He should have been watching for us. Grant’s a social enthusiast. He’s probably mixed up in some fisherman’s fish story. I’m not letting you out of sight long enough to go inside and check on him.”

Sam said, “Is that him with the Greek fisherman’s cap?”

“He’s