medium-length brown hair
looked as if it could use a good combing, his jeans had definitely
seen better days, and the dark gray hoodie he was wearing was faded
in spots, with holes at the elbows. Even his tennis shoes were far
from pristine. “Ta da,” he said, spinning around.
“Looks good to me.”
Keir grinned, asking, “So how are you going
to change your appearance?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Since I’ve been here,
I’ve been wearing slacks and button-down shirts. Sort of the
businessman passing through town look.”
“Then go casual, if you brought other
clothes. And shave. The beard and mustache thing you seem to have
going makes you stand out. That’s what people who’ve seen you will
remember. That and the hair. Get it cut. How far is the next
town?”
Teague chuckled. “About twenty miles from
here, bossman.”
“Good. As soon as you check out in the
morning, go there and…”
“Damn, Keir, I really do know how to go
undercover and what it takes.”
“I know, sorry.”
Teague patted his shoulder. “No problem. Like
you told Hoyt, you are better at it than I am. Now if you’re ready,
let’s get moving. And be careful. What do you have in the way of
protection?”
“Presuming you don’t mean rubbers, I’ve got
my knife—” Keir put his hand at the back of his waistband, “—and
pepper spray.”
“Good.” Teague unlocked the door, watching
while Keir moved quickly down the hallway to the fire stairs. Then
Teague left the motel via the front entrance. When he got to the
car, Keir was waiting. A few minutes later Teague dropped the young
man off by the park, but well away from its dimly lit parking lot.
“Be—”
“Careful. Yeah I know. You wouldn’t have
hired me if you didn’t know that I know what I’m doing.”
“True. Still…” Teague chuckled when Keir
lifted his middle finger before disappearing into the trees that
filled the park.
* * * *
Chapter 6
Early the next morning, Teague packed and
checked out of the motel. Once he was on the road his first stop
was the county airport. As much as he hated giving up his Trek for
the duration of his time in the area, he knew it was too
recognizable. So he parked it in the long-term lot and rented a
car. With that done, he continued on to the small town he’d passed
through on the way to Faircrest. He found the one and only
barbershop and, as per Keir’s suggestion, had his hair cut much
shorter than he normally kept it. He got a shave as well—something
he would have done before leaving Faircrest, but he didn’t want to
change his appearance at that point.
With that taken care of, he stopped at a gas
station/convenience store on the way out of town to change from his
more formal clothes into jeans, a plaid flannel shirt, and
sneakers. Then he took out his contacts, replacing them with the
dark-rimmed glasses he carried in case of emergencies. After
checking the results in the washroom mirror, he decided he’d done
the best he could on short notice.
When he got back to Faircrest, he located the
Cut-Rate Inn, which was at the tag end of town, well away from Main
Street and the road leading to the ski resort which he knew was ten
miles north of the town. He chuckled to himself when he was greeted
enthusiastically by the desk clerk, remembering Hoyt’s comment that
it would probably happen. After asking for and getting a room on
the ground floor at the backside of the motel, he drove around, got
his bag from the car, and went inside.
Not as bad as I
expected, or a good as I’d like, he decided, looking at the
cigarette burns on the edge of the nightstand and a stain of
undetermined origin on the carpet. Despite those quibbles, the
sheets and bedspread were clean, if obviously old, and the bathroom
was in decent shape except for a rust stain around the shower
drain.
Once he’d settled in, he called Keir. It took
the young man so long to answer Teague began to worry. Relieved
when Keir did, Teague said, “I hope
looked as if it could use a good combing, his jeans had definitely
seen better days, and the dark gray hoodie he was wearing was faded
in spots, with holes at the elbows. Even his tennis shoes were far
from pristine. “Ta da,” he said, spinning around.
“Looks good to me.”
Keir grinned, asking, “So how are you going
to change your appearance?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Since I’ve been here,
I’ve been wearing slacks and button-down shirts. Sort of the
businessman passing through town look.”
“Then go casual, if you brought other
clothes. And shave. The beard and mustache thing you seem to have
going makes you stand out. That’s what people who’ve seen you will
remember. That and the hair. Get it cut. How far is the next
town?”
Teague chuckled. “About twenty miles from
here, bossman.”
“Good. As soon as you check out in the
morning, go there and…”
“Damn, Keir, I really do know how to go
undercover and what it takes.”
“I know, sorry.”
Teague patted his shoulder. “No problem. Like
you told Hoyt, you are better at it than I am. Now if you’re ready,
let’s get moving. And be careful. What do you have in the way of
protection?”
“Presuming you don’t mean rubbers, I’ve got
my knife—” Keir put his hand at the back of his waistband, “—and
pepper spray.”
“Good.” Teague unlocked the door, watching
while Keir moved quickly down the hallway to the fire stairs. Then
Teague left the motel via the front entrance. When he got to the
car, Keir was waiting. A few minutes later Teague dropped the young
man off by the park, but well away from its dimly lit parking lot.
“Be—”
“Careful. Yeah I know. You wouldn’t have
hired me if you didn’t know that I know what I’m doing.”
“True. Still…” Teague chuckled when Keir
lifted his middle finger before disappearing into the trees that
filled the park.
* * * *
Chapter 6
Early the next morning, Teague packed and
checked out of the motel. Once he was on the road his first stop
was the county airport. As much as he hated giving up his Trek for
the duration of his time in the area, he knew it was too
recognizable. So he parked it in the long-term lot and rented a
car. With that done, he continued on to the small town he’d passed
through on the way to Faircrest. He found the one and only
barbershop and, as per Keir’s suggestion, had his hair cut much
shorter than he normally kept it. He got a shave as well—something
he would have done before leaving Faircrest, but he didn’t want to
change his appearance at that point.
With that taken care of, he stopped at a gas
station/convenience store on the way out of town to change from his
more formal clothes into jeans, a plaid flannel shirt, and
sneakers. Then he took out his contacts, replacing them with the
dark-rimmed glasses he carried in case of emergencies. After
checking the results in the washroom mirror, he decided he’d done
the best he could on short notice.
When he got back to Faircrest, he located the
Cut-Rate Inn, which was at the tag end of town, well away from Main
Street and the road leading to the ski resort which he knew was ten
miles north of the town. He chuckled to himself when he was greeted
enthusiastically by the desk clerk, remembering Hoyt’s comment that
it would probably happen. After asking for and getting a room on
the ground floor at the backside of the motel, he drove around, got
his bag from the car, and went inside.
Not as bad as I
expected, or a good as I’d like, he decided, looking at the
cigarette burns on the edge of the nightstand and a stain of
undetermined origin on the carpet. Despite those quibbles, the
sheets and bedspread were clean, if obviously old, and the bathroom
was in decent shape except for a rust stain around the shower
drain.
Once he’d settled in, he called Keir. It took
the young man so long to answer Teague began to worry. Relieved
when Keir did, Teague said, “I hope
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