Ozark Retreat by Jerry D. Young Read Free Book Online Page A

killed.”
    “I won’t. Promise. I gotta go. Just in case, I’m going to go fuel up the Suburban. It’s down to three-quarters.”
    “Shame. Shame. ‘Bye.”
    Brady hung up the phone and went back to the parking garage. It took him a good half an hour to get to the local station and fill the Suburban’s tanks with diesel. He kept the radio on to listen to the news.
    The US government had issued a strong protest and called a UN Security Council session. Two carrier groups were ordered to sail at full steam to the area. China was warning off all nations to stay out of its local affairs. Taiwan was part of China and would remain so.
    Brady stayed up late, watching the news. All the news networks had it as lead and secondary stories. Brady knew nothing would be resolved that night. He made sure his SAME NOAA NWS radio had fresh batteries in it. He put it on the nightstand beside his bed.
    No alarm sounded during the night. Brady got up the next morning and went out for breakfast. At nine o’clock sharp he called the client he was to work for the following Monday. It was now Thursday morning. He talked the client into letting him pick up the package that afternoon for delivery Friday afternoon. The client didn’t like it, but Brady didn’t leave him much choice.
    He had worked for him before and was not too impressed with his business or his interpersonal skills. Had he known what the package was this time, he would have turned down the job. Previously it had always been small, extremely expensive museum quality art objects going to private collectors. Brady had checked the man out and there were no indications of illegal activities, but Brady always felt greasy after dealing with him.
    When he arrived at the man’s studio, he immediately smelled a rat. Parkinson was waiting for him, a frown on his face. Sitting casually in a chair nearby was a woman, dressed in red. Brady took a second look. She smiled a friendly smile at him and he had to smile in return.
    “Let’s go into my office,” Parkinson said, leading the way. “Normally I don’t like to be rushed,” he said as soon as the door closed behind Brady. “But you may have a point. The weather could delay you if you wait to leave Monday. And I promised delivery by Wednesday of next week in Kansas City.”
    “At least it isn’t across the country the way it usually was, just across the state,” Brady thought. “What’s the package this time?”
    Brady didn’t like the way Parkinson hesitated and shifted his eyes. “You know I won’t do anything illegal.”
    “It’s not illegal,” Parkinson quickly said. “It’s just sort of unusual,” Parkinson hesitated again, and then said, “You saw the woman out there? It’s her.”
    “Her? Are you joking?” Brady was incensed. He turned around when the door opened behind him.
    “You tell him about me?” asked the woman in red. She moved to stand at the end of Parkinson’s desk, staring inquisitively at Brady.
    “Sort of. Just that you were the package.”
    “You look like a big girl,” Brady said. “I doubt you need a baby sitter on a trip to KC.”
    “Actually I’m only a B-cup,” she said, taking Brady totally by surprise at her announcement. “And Daddy says I need a keeper, not a baby sitter.”
    “I’m not getting involved in some kind of kidnapping situation,” Brady said, thinking suddenly of LaRhonda.
    “It’s not kidnapping,” Parkinson immediately said.
    “Then what’s the problem of her getting on a plane or a bus and heading out on her own?”
    Parkinson as much as wrung his hands in misery. “It’s complicated.”
    “Money,” Red said. “I don’t have any. Spent every last dime Daddy put in the credit card account. He won’t let me use American Express.”
    “So have him wire you some. Or get Parkinson here to spring for the ticket.”
    “Don’t want to. Want Daddy to pay for it. He won’t.”
    “Look, Collingsworth… Cut me a break, will you? He one of my