Making the Rent the Hard Way - 34

 

Orchid and Rocky made it back around seven. They came bearing gifts, if you can call good take-out gifts. I did. I was starving and what Luca had in the fridge… Let's say there wasn't much and leave it at that. As he'd said, he had stuff in the cupboards, but the idea of canned spaghetti didn't turn either of us on, starving or not.

We ate then moved on to the question at hand. How to let Farnham know where Luca and I were hiding out without making it look like that's what was happening.

"The easiest way would be you getting in touch with him, Cade," Rocky said. "Technically, you're still working for him, right? Call with an update about… Well, you'll figure something out. I presume your phone has GPS."

I nodded, getting where he was going with this. "Right now, my phone is off, so I know I can't be found through that."  Apparently Orchid didn't understand, because she asked.

"Farnham's probably got, or can get, access to a way to track a phone using its GPS," Rocky explained. "Cade calls, pretending he's got new info on Luca. Farnham either keeps him talking, or tells him to call back. Bingo. He locks on to Cade's phone and knows right where the call's coming from."

"Whoa. I didn't know that. Is that why people use burners?" For someone who was good at breaking and entering, I was surprised she didn't know. But maybe she never called anyone while she was working.

"Yep," Rocky replied. "They think they're safer because they can get one without a contract or giving the store personal info. The phones are only really safe if you make a call then toss the burner right after. They're relatively cheap, so crooks are willing to do that."

"Would Farnham think Cade's so stupid he wouldn't know the call could be tracked?" she asked.

"He might," I told her. "After all, he didn't hire me for my brains but for my ability to spot who's a shifter. At least, if we guessed right about that."

"Do you always talk with him on your cell, not the office phone?" Luca asked.

"Yep, when I call him. It's easier."

"So he probably already knows your number."

"Probably."

"Good," Luca said. "Then he won't get suspicious when you call him this time."

"Nope. He'll continue to think I'm a dumb, second-rate detective when I tell him"—I rapped a knuckle on my teeth—"Yeah. I tell him I've located you."

"Which, as we've said, he'll have figured out already because of the leaked info," Rocky pointed out.

"True, but I'll say Luca wants to talk with him face to face, or he'll reveal even more evidence he has about what he knows."

"Implying he's willing to back off if Farnham pays him to." Rocky frowned. "He's going to know it's a setup."

"Maybe," Luca said. "But with his ego, he'll also think he can grab me, and Cade, without any problem."

"And bring along half his goons to do that," Orchid said. "We need backup, too."

"Not a problem," Rocky told her. "I can pull together a team like that." He snapped his fingers. "What's the terrain like around the house?"

"Corn fields and more corn fields," I told him.

"That could work to hide them. Chances are Farnham will send in one guy to get the lay of the land. Once he's got a visual, he'll teleport back, show it to everyone, and they'll arrive en masse."

Making the Rent the Hard Way - 33

 

"Any ideas where we could hole up that would make it seem like we think we're safe there?" I asked.

"Not off the top of my head." Luca went over to the fireplace. Resting his hands on the mantle, he stared at the unlit logs. "It has to be somewhere off the beaten path."

"What about the ruined house, way the hell-and-gone, you had me meet you at before bringing me here for the first time?"

He turned to look at me, nodding slowly. "It could work. You saw for yourself that no one can approach without being seen. There's more to it than what you saw."

"Meaning?"

"It has a basement."

"Full of mice and vermin, I'm betting."

Luca grinned. "Actually, no. I went all wolf on them."

"You had better be kidding."

"I am. Damn. It's really pretty clean, probably because there are no windows and only one door."

I thought about that. "Easily defensible, then."

"Very. They can't see in, so they can't teleport in. I suspect it was a storm cellar."

"I like. Is there any furniture?"

"A battered sofa. Some shelves, which were probably for supplies. They're empty now. But if we bring couple of sleeping bags with us and the canned goods I've got here, we'll be set for as long as we have to be there."

"Lanterns."

"Huh?"

"I'm not living in the dark like a mole," I told him.

"Ah. Okay. So, we've got our safe house. Now, how do we draw Farnham and his goons to it?"

"Let's wait until the guys get back, then brainstorm."

 

(OOC: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!)

Making the Rent the Hard Way - 32

 

Orchid and Rory showed up late Wednesday morning. They both sniffed, then grinned at each other.

"Told you," Orchid said gleefully.

"Like I didn't believe you?" Rory shot back. "But it's none of our business how they spent their time after we left."

"Guys, we're right here," I said, trying not to laugh.

"Better than in there." Orchid nodded to the bedroom. "Anyway, we're here and reporting in. We delivered the flyers to reporters at the various news outlets. We figured we might as well go straight to them, rather than hoping some higher-up might or might not decide there was a story in the info."

"What sort of reaction did you get?" Luca asked.

"Honestly, we didn't wait around. We just handed each man, or woman, the envelope containing the flyer then took off." Rocky chuckled. "On foot, in case you're wondering. No sense in announcing what we are. That could have slanted their opinions one way or the other."

"Good point," I agreed. "Okay. Let's start putting together the rest of the information for them."

"I was thinking," Orchid said. "We should give all this to the candidates, too. Well, not Farnham's stooge, but the others."

Luca nodded. "I like that idea. But give it to him, too, and make it apparent the others got it. You know he'll go straight to Farnham. Seeing it all laid out should tick Farnham off, big time."

We spent the next hour or so putting together a bulleted fact sheet listing everything we knew—or thought we knew—including who Farnham's stooge was. We made it as clear as possible, without coming out and saying exactly what Farnham was planning—and that it was him. That was accomplished by saying 'a local lakeside restaurateur with ties to the shifter community'.

"Whether the news outlets report that piece of information will probably depend on whether they're willing to take a chance on Farnham's suing them for libel," I said when we finished.

"Even if they don't," Rocky replied, "I'm willing to bet the mayor and at least a couple of the other candidates will let it out."

"Let's hope," Luca said. "The more pressure on Farnham, the more likely it is he'll make a mistake that will end his plans."

"We'll get on this right away," Orchid said, waving the final mockup of our next missive. 

"As soon as you're finished, get back here," I told them. "We have to plan our next step."

"Which would be?" Rocky asked.

"We'll discuss it when you return."

Orchid rolled her eyes—she was good at that—before they took off.

Luca chuckled. "You don't have a next step, do you?"

"I have a glimmering of a plan. It'll mean us finding somewhere else to stay—a place Farnham can find out about."

"Oh boy. Why doesn't that idea make me feel all warm and fuzzy?" he grumbled.

I grinned. "You're already warm, and probably very fuzzy in your wolf form."

He whapped me, shaking his head. "This is not the time to be making bad jokes."

"Yeah. Sorry." I kissed him quickly then started pacing.

 

Making the Rent the Hard Way - 31

 

"This will work, won't it?" Luca asked.

"It had better. We both want our old lives back."

"Yeah." He said it, but he didn't look as if he really meant it.   

"You didn't like what you were doing?" I asked, collapsing onto one of the chairs.

"I did. I do. It's something I'm good at."

"Then why don't you sound more…enthusiastic?"

It seemed as if he was going to say something then thought better of it. Instead, he replied, "I'm stressed and worn out is all. If you don't mind, I'm going to get some sleep." He smiled tiredly. "Since there's only one bed, feel free to join me when you're ready. I'm a heavy sleeper, so I doubt I'll wake up."

"I… Sure. No problem." I watched as he went into the bedroom, wondering what was up with him. Probably exactly what he'd said, but there was an undertone I couldn't decipher, so I didn't try. I was tired, too, but still wound up enough I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep for a while. There was a small bookshelf along one wall. I checked it out, found a book I hadn't read, so I settled down with it.

I was a few pages in when it suddenly hit me, or at least I thought I had an idea what was bothering Luca. If I was wrong, I'd sound like an idiot, but I needed to know.

He was just getting into bed when I came into the room. He looked at me guardedly when I sat on the edge of the bed.

"If you're worried we'll go our separate ways once we've dealt with Farnham..." I hesitated, "we don't have to."

He stared at me for a long moment. "You might want to, though."

"You might, too. If that's the case… Well, what happens…happens."

"Would you seriously want me to stick around?"

I nodded. "Why not? I like you."

"But do you like me?" he replied.

"I'm beginning to think I do. It's still early on and—"

"If you say it could just be the situation," he grumbled.

"I won't, but it might be. Time will tell, I guess."

"You're willing to find out?"

"Yes." I grimaced. "If we make it through this in one piece, I am."

"So am I." He rubbed his knuckles over my jaw, sending a frisson of desire through me.

I caught his hand, kissing the palm. Obviously, that wasn't enough for him. He cupped the nape of my neck, urging me close enough to kiss my lips. I returned it—gently, at first. The kiss deepened. After that, it didn't take long for me to get undressed and crawl into bed with him—and not to sleep. At least, not for a while.

 

 

Making the Rent the Hard Way - 30

"Makes sense to me," Rocky said, "but it still didn't answer Orchid's question."

"Sure it does," Luca replied. "Once this information's released to the press, Farnham will be damned sure that Cade found…what? Notes I made and hid somewhere? The recording? Whatever it was, in Farnham's mind, Cade would be the logical choice to be The Tetrad."

I nodded. "He might figure I located you somewhere along the way, and you gave me more information. That won't make him happy." I looked at Luca. "He's going to want your hide, as well as mine."

"Then we set it up so he can get it. Well, not really. I like my hide on my body, not being used as a fireplace rug."

That got laughs from the others before I said, "The best way to get him to come after me…us…in person is to keep taunting him. First, these flyers, then more detailed ones revealing other things we found in what Orchid got for us. Keep upping the ante until he's pissed enough he decides to take things into his own hands."

"And hope he doesn't send half his goons after you first," Luca said with a worried frown. "You're hardly in hiding, although you should be."

Orchid looked at me, then Luca. "Starting now, he will be. Right, Luca?"

"You're asking me?" Luca said.

"You're the one with the perfect hideout."

"Well…" Luca shrugged, "so far, anyway."

"There you go, then. Cade's staying here until this is over."

"Who died and made you queen?" Rocky asked. I wasn't sure if he was kidding or pissed.

"Well, one of us has to make sure Farnham doesn't get his hands on Cade until we're ready," she pointed out. "He doesn't know about Rocky and me, so we can play delivery people." She frowned. "Persons?"

I shook my head. "Whichever. We get the point." I paced, thinking. "Two things. If I'm staying here, I need to set up a message on my machine that I'm going to be out of town for a while. Before you ask, I can do that remotely with my cell phone. Then, we have to get the flyer printed up and come up with the next one. All the info's on Luca's laptop, which helps."

Luca snapped his fingers. "You're pretty well known in the shifter community for your ability to spot us, Cade. Would you be willing to say you've checked out the people we're after and know for certain what they are?"

"Hell, I'll already be on Farnham's shit list after the news outlets release the information we're giving them."

"If they do release it," Rocky interjected. "They might think the whole thing's a hoax."

"Some will. Some won't. I know at least a couple of the reporters are shifters," I said. "We'll make sure they get copies. Then, when we get to that point, if I announce to the world that I know for a fact the people on the list are shifters working for Farnham, they'll believe it."

"We need a printer," Orchid said, looking around the room.

"We can use the one in my office," I replied.

"There's no we in this case," Orchid retorted. "Just me and Rocky."

"I have one at my apartment," Luca told her. "Rocky's been there."

"Good, and goodbye." She linked her arm with Rocky's, startling him momentarily before he obviously got the point. Then they vanished.