Hiding in Plain Sight Read Online Free PDF Page B

over the seat and stood up.  They had been on the bike a long time, so he wasn't surprised when she stumbled in taking her first step.  As he caught her arm, he felt her tremble.  "I do not do this to frighten you," he tried to explain.  "But to keep you safe."
    "I ain't scared," she snapped back, her face lifted to his as she yanked her arm away.  "Stop with the grabby hands, all right?  My legs just have those pins and needle thingies."
    Brand couldn't help his grin as she flashed a bit of temper, but he didn't speak or move until she was securely behind the closed door of the facilities.   Quickly making his way to the Men's room, he took care of business as well before he washed his face and combed his hair, catching it in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.  All this was done as his mind wandered over the puzzle of her.
    He had pieces of information, glimpses of what was true and what wasn't, much like having only certain parts of a complex puzzle.  He'd gained more knowledge when they'd stopped to allow her to relieve her bladder in a cornfield at sunset. 
    When she'd left her backpack behind, propped against the back tire of his bike.
    He hadn't been shocked by either the handgun or the stacks of cash as he had rifled through it.  They merely added to his curiosity.   He'd already tried putting the bits together, but he was still missing too much information for the dissimilar pieces to make cohesive sense.
    He'd considered and discarded several different theories of who she was and why she was running. 
    Drug user had been his first thought until he'd seen the luggage and her mouthiness at his carrying the water, but instructing her to bring only enough clothes for four days.  Fashion was not a priority when you had a chemical habit that heavy.  
    Drug smuggler had been his next choice, especially after the discovery of her firearm and the money, but she would've had a backer.  A backer who would've ensured she had a nice run of the mill, working car to do their work.  Plus, she would've been traveling the interstate, hurrying to get the money back to whomever.
    Someone running from the police? 
    No, she was dressed too brightly in a way that could be remembered.  Most people running from Johnny Law preferred to blend into their environments, even if they were out in the boonies.
    So.  She was running from someone but didn't really know how to do it.  The tired, worn-out car with the Missouri plates spoke volumes about her ignorance and lack of connections in obtaining an untraceable mode of transportation for her journey. 
    He hadn't meant to get caught up in her business, but as they hit one small town after another, they'd found, on a Sunday afternoon, most places were closed.  And, for whatever reason, he felt he had no choice but to get her to safety.  As the miles began to pile up behind them, he recognized his interest and curiosity had been engaged. 
    His mother had called him Bay-co, which was the braying bark of the dogs in their village who could sniff out even the deepest secrets.  All his life he'd been the kind of person that once his awareness, his inquisitiveness had been engaged, he couldn't let go of the riddle until he solved it. 
    As a small boy, the satisfaction in the understanding had been enough. 
    As a man, he was driven to fix, resolve or correct those curious situations.  Especially if they involved women or children.
    Why he'd felt the need to give his passenger that old nickname, the name his mother had lovingly used for him, was still a mystery.
    Tucking a bag of sandwiches, chips and sodas into the front of his leather jacket and zipping it to his neck, his knuckles hit the metal door adorned with the silhouette of a skirted female, giving the prearranged knocks.
    It was time to get more information.
     
    *.*.*.*.*
    I hadn't been to a park at night since I was fourteen, but that's where he took me to eat our food.  It was the typical kind you find in small