Coming Home

[woofbarkenarf]

Thanks for the update. This part of the story takes place in my part of the world. I live around the Mogollon Rim, southeast of Flagstaff,so it's easy for me to visualize the scenery and weather. Hopefully when spring comes around we will be picking some Morchella in the burns.
Take care, man.
Woof

[cob]

WoW On a whim I decided to check in and I was pleasantly surprised. Thank You FOTH for more insight into the adventures of Einar and friends. Well I hope the new guy Dima is a friend. Only time will tell. Glad you are back and writing again. I have followed Einar from the beginning when I found him on SB.

Looking forward to more adventures and learning from Einar.

Thanks again

COB

[nancy1340]

Thanks

[cob]

Hello FOTH
Just checking in looking for more of the story. Hope all is well with the madness going on in this world.

COB

[FOTH]

Cob, all is well up here. My life has not changed much at all, as I mostly stay on my mountain in the winter, anyway. It looks like there will be no income this summer but that is alright too, as everything is paid for, expenses are very minimal and the place up here works well without outside input. How are things going for you?

[FOTH]

By the time the third “pretty low” helicopter took a course along the valley below Bud’s hilltop cabin that morning, decisions were becoming plainer. Time to leave, and not just for Einar and Liz and their little family, but for Dima, as well, on the chance that the air activity might have some relation to Bud Kilgore’s Fugitive B&B and might at some time result in ground activity, as well. This had not yet become a reality. But had checked. Nothing untoward happening on the property or on the surrounding roads, which meant that while it was clearly time, it might not yet be too late. Concerns. Deciding to move was one thing, doing it another entirely, especially should the air activity continue. Bud Kilgore, not being new to covert operations, did have contingency plans, and as he and Roger quietly discussed these, Einar and Dima slipped away and began packing. Neither of them, actually, nomadic creatures that they were, had ever really unpacked their meager belongings since arriving at the Kilgore’s , so this process was brief and rather straight-forward. Faster for Dima even than for Einar, the Serb possessing little more than the clothes on his back, the rifle he had taken from Bud’s basement gun cabinet, and a small olive green pack that looked to Einar like it had seen a lot of service.

The two men finished their tasks at nearly the same time, Einar hurrying down the spiral staircase with his pack slung over one shoulder and Liz’s over the other, Dima already standing near the window, ready to travel light, pack on his back and rifle in hand.

“You gentlemen going somewhere,” Bud inquired, rising from the sofa where he and Roger had been consulting a map.

Dima shrugged. “Maybe is now or never. That guy very busy in the sky.”

“Yep, very. Not a normal pattern he’s running, for sure. Not one I’ve ever seen around here. Looks like we may all be going somewhere, if we don’t want to wait around and find out what has apparently drawn their interest. But we need to do it in a way that doesn’t just draw more interest, and that’s gonna be the tricky part. Now, we have three vehicles here, my truck, Roger’s, and Sue, your Jeep. Could be we need to go on a little expedition, three vehicles, three directions, and let them buggers sort it out if they want to try and follow one or another. Meanwhile, you contraband types, well, you won’t be in any of the vehicles. You’ll take off on foot and meet one of us at a planned rally point, after which we will take you…somewhere. Sound like a plan? The beginnings of a plan?”

Both fugitives looked skeptical. Dima spoke first. “Which one of you we are meeting?”

“Whichever one doesn’t get followed for a day or two. We’ll make good and sure before meeting up with you guys.”

Einar settled into a crouch against the wall. “And if they have all of you under surveillance indefinitely, just waiting for someone to do something of interest?”

“Yeah, potential problem,” Bud allowed. But I’m not sure I see a viable alternative, unless you kids just want to set out on foot from here and keep going. My hope is that the vehicle traffic will draw the attention of anyone who may be interested in the place, keep them busy so you have a chance to get out of here without being noticed, and if that works, no reason you can’t just keep going. Except that we could take you a lot farther, a lot faster if you are able to meet up with one of the vehicles, eventually. And for Dima, there are other issues, right? Places you need to be?”

The Serb gave a noncommittal shrug, cast sideways eyes at Einar as if to say, not now. Don’t want to discuss it now, not with him around…

“Yeah,” Bud growled. “Got you. But we both know your job’s gonna be an awful lot harder if you end up having to take off out of here one foot, and stay that way. Let’s give it a go, this plan of ours, see where it leads. You can always bail if you don’t like the way things look at the rally point.”

Liz, who had been helping Susan in the kitchen, had joined the conversation, Will on her hip and forehead furrowed slightly in concern. She didn’t like it, any of it. Had known the day would be coming, sooner or later, when they must leave Bud and Susan’s, but had sincerely hoped it might be a week or two further out in the future, long enough to allow Einar to really rest and recover some, start gaining some weight and strength for the renewed journey which surely lay ahead of them. Well. It was not to be, the longer stay for which she had so hoped. But perhaps she could at least exert some influence on the course of its ending.

“Suppose they do have some suspicion about what is going on here?” she asked. If we leave on foot, and stay that way, it gives them a lot more time to maybe spot us, get on our trail before we’re well out of the area than if we meet one of the vehicles and make more distance that way. I think it’s worth the risk.”

Einar looked doubtful. Would not be his way, not if he were alone. But he was not alone. Will would slow them down. Increase the risk. Better Bud’s way, Liz’s way, increased the risk in one sense, diminished it in another, hard to find a balance, but… He looked at her. Pleading in her eyes. It was what she wanted. A slow nod. “Yeah. Probably best that way. If it can be managed. If we can be pretty sure they’re not tailing you when we meet up.”

Bud threw up his hands in mock exasperation. “I’m the tracker, after all! I’ll know if I’m being tracked. And Roger…yeah, we all know what Roger is, right?”

A grin from the pilot. “Keisel’s Underground Import/Export Service, at your service. Pretty decent record here, folks.”

“Ya, is true,” allowed Dima. “Only I make it here because of this guy. He handles that one, handles this one. Count me in.”

“Looks like it’s decided, then.” Bud rose, grabbed a bag from behind the sofa and began handing out radios. “You contraband types, don’t turn these on until tomorrow morning at sunrise, got it? And then, only once an hour, :45 after, for one minute. You’ll hear from one of us, can’t say which one, or which hour, but keep checking until you do. Instructions will follow. Now, let’s all gather around here and take a look at the map, pick a rally location and a couple of backups.”

Locations chosen and no sign of approaching air activity, the time had come. Hasty good-byes were said, Susan wishing they could have found a way to stay through the birth of Will’s little brother or sister, some months away, but knowing the risks were too great, hoping she would find a way to see the little family again sooner than later. Time to go. Out through the covered carport and into the gully, Einar in the lead with Liz and Dima following some yards behind as they disappeared into the dark timber.

[yikes]

Thank you. I am still here with you.

[woofbarkenarf]

And the adventure begins anew. Thanks, man!

[coastalbob]

FOTH, thank you for the update to the story! And they're on the move!

[cob]

Glad things are good for you FOTH. The income part would concern me but then I don't really know your money situation.
All is good so far in my world. Keeping to myself and away from the sheep. Nothing new to adjust to with this new so called normal.

Thanks for another Chapter. As I have said before. There is many things that can be learned in Einars story if one will pay attention to what they are reading.

Looking forward to more.


COB

[pilot11]

Thanks for the chapter FOTH! Glad to see you back at the Einar mill! Hoping all is well for you!

[prep4four]

Thanks FOTH for the chapters. Hope you are well and making it through these trying times we have been dealt.