Shadow Men – 28 – Rafe and Steele

Steele stayed several car-lengths behind the van, using other vehicles as cover in case the van's occupants looked back. And so it went for the next hour and a half. They passed through Gary and turned northeast, following the lake shore more or less up to Michigan City. Every once in a while Rafe would mutter, "Where the hell are they headed?" mimicking Steele's earlier question, which earned him a shrug and a "Hell if I know," from his partner.

It was late afternoon when they eventually reached their apparent destination on the northern edge of Grand Beach, Michigan. Steele had kept well behind the van for the last ten miles, at times wondering if they'd lost it only to have it reappear again when they made a turn on the curving road that meandered through the area. Then the van took a sharp left onto what looked like a private road. Only Rafe's sharp eyes saw that happen since Steele was concentrating in trying to stay on the main road in a sudden torrential rainstorm, which made driving problematic at best. At Rafe's suggestion, Steele pulled off onto the verge and parked.

"We hoof it from here, rain or no," Rafe stated. "If that road leads to a house, I don't think we want to be driving up and announcing our presence."

"No shit," Steele muttered as he turned the car off then retrieved what weapons they weren't already wearing from the backpack and handed Rafe his. They both checked their pistols and put their knives into their boots or waistbands. "I fucking hate rain." Steele's growl got a nod of agreement from Rafe as he opened the car door to get out.

"Someone up there likes you," Rafe commented a moment later. The rain had abated to a drizzle, annoying but much better than it had been before.

Steele glanced skyward and sent up a silent prayer of thanks to whoever was in charge. Then he, too, exited the car with the backpack in one hand. He walked behind a tree a few yards away and slung the pack up so one of the straps caught on a branch several feet above him. It was the best he could think of at the moment to keep the pages of plastic-wrapped information safe, just in case things went south.

The partners ran quickly across the road to the shelter of a large tree. Not that it was much shelter as a breeze had come up and the shaking leaves dropped the water they'd collected on to the two already half-soaked men.

"So help me if I catch a cold," Rafe grumbled while he looked down the private road in an attempt to ascertain how far away the presumed house was from where they stood.

"If you do, you're sleeping alone," Steele told him with a slight smile. "Ready to beard the lions in the den?" he asked a moment later.

With a sharp nod Rafe began to move stealthily through the trees along the side of the road. Steele crossed to the other side, moving with equal caution parallel to his partner. They progressed for half a mile in that fashion before they saw their destination. A large house stood in the center of a well-kept lawn, the lake just visible behind it.

Rafe pointed to Steele and then the side of the house closest to him and made a circular motion with his finger even as he took a pistol from the shoulder holster under the borrowed shirt he was wearing. Steele nodded and headed in the direction Rafe had indicated while Rafe went the other way.

Other than the sound of dripping water from the trees and the lake's waves hitting the shore, it was deathly quiet. Too quiet, Rafe thought, and the house was too dark considering that the sky was so thickly filled with clouds it could have been evening, not late afternoon. No lights shone from any of the windows. That worried him. Had the van's driver or his assistant spotted them following at some point and led them here with the intention of capturing them? Did they wait with bated breath for him or Steele to give away their position, or for them to gain entrance to the house?

He shook his head. They would handle that if it happened, as they had many times before. He smiled slightly when he realized "Secret Agent Man" was running through his head. He'd have to remember to tell Steele after this was over.