"So it was during his paranoid years he used the cabin?” Jay made it sound like a question and a statement at the same time.
"Well, when dad was at the height of his paranoia, he wanted a hideaway where nobody could track him. That meant living off the grid to minimize public records related to the cabin." Mary shook her head as she recalled the extent of her father’s fears.
Jay eyed the speedometer and eased back on the gas. Take it easy, Leadfoot. Low profile, remember? He asked Mary, “What about electricity and water?”
“There's a natural spring under the cabin and dad hooked a pump into it. And the electricity comes from a solar system that has a propane backup generator with a 200 gallon propane tank out back.” Mary shifted positions, trying to get comfortable. “He wouldn't have a portable phone of any kind because he didn't believe they were secure. If he needed to use a phone, he'd drive back into Whitesboro and use the pay phone at the gas station.”
"In our home, the last couple years before he died he actually thought the government could hear him if he was in the same room with a telephone, even if he wasn't using it. Before the cancer, when he was heavy into mushrooms, he imagined there were cameras and microphones in our home electrical outlets. He tore into several of the walls looking for them and Mom had to call Kip to help talk him down."
Jay suddenly swerved into the oncoming lane and back again. “Armadillo with a death wish.” Mary smiled and craned her neck to look back. Sure enough a slow-moving armadillo was ambling across Hwy 82 as if it didn’t have a care in the world.
“I wouldn't want to be his insurance agent,” Mary quipped as she faced forward again. "When dad knew he was dying, he and Kip took me up to the cabin and made me swear I would never tell anyone where it was. And I never did."
Jay nodded, then raised a new concern. “So how about our food while we’re there? We've only brought enough for about a week."
"Oh you don't need to worry about that. Those are mostly to give us variety. Dad always made sure there was a minimum of three months food and water there, plus propane for cooking and for the backup generator. A lot of that food is MRE’s- Military Ready to Eat. Main dish like spaghetti or stew, plus a side dish. Some kind of bread or cracker, plus a dessert and drink. There’s even a flame-less heater so they can be warmed up without a stove.”
Jay wrinkled his nose. “I guess that would be better than nothing...but I hope we don’t have to find out.”
Mary stretched her lanky legs out to ease the fatigue as her adrenalin high began to wear off. What she needed was a day of sleeping in, eating and maybe some playtime in bed. Instead she was back on the road, not even a shower or nap to refresh her.
Jay watched as arid desert and scrub brush went by. He wondered Why is Mary so convinced we’ll be safer at this cabin than in a motel somewhere? "So how come nobody has stumbled across this cabin if the road’s good enough for a Caprice to get there?"
“The turnoff to the last 2-miles piece is well-concealed. And I’ve gone up once or twice a year to cut back any brush that's growing into the road. Remember when I said I was going to visit my cousin in Las Vegas or my aunt in Santa Fe?”
Jay smirked at her. “Pretty cute. I never did believe those stories, you know.” She arched her eyebrows at him. “I figured you were just sneaking off to see some guy!” They both laughed.
An hour later they stopped at a Shell station in the town of Whitesboro to fill up the gas tank and get some coffee.
As they got back into the Caprice, Mary looked into the back seat. “Since Kip’s sleeping and you're driving, I’m going to get some shut-eye. There's a lot to do once we get there." She rolled her coat into a makeshift pillow, and fell asleep instantly.
(c)
2013-14 Charles E. Pierson All Rights Reserved
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