Tom Brand Escapes

27 - Escapes Canada, Eh

Jenn quickly stripped her still damp wetsuit lining, chose her clothing and set about putting it on: long johns, hiking pants, a layer of two flannel shirts. Brand followed suit and then they both settled in to inventory the rest of the supplies and equipment. Charles watched them, grinning, as if he was a generous king happy to share his bounty with peasants.

Brand fiddled with a satellite phone then scanned the ingredients on a can of bear repellant. He contemplated two hunting knives, one with a ten-inch blade, the other sixteen inches. He set aside the sixteen-inch and put the ten-inch cold steel bowie knife into a duffle bag, along with the phone and a seventy-meter length of climbing rope.

"How do you buy all this stuff without raising suspicions? There's enough equipment here for an army." Brand asked him.

Charles bristled. "As a matter of fact, I had most of this on hand. I keep a variety of adventuring equipment."

"So you travel?" Jenn asked.

"Well, no. I actually hate the outdoors."

"You live in a remote area for someone who doesn't like harsh conditions," Jenn noted.

"I like the solitude," Charles said. "But I prefer to travel luxuriously. My niece is adventurous one. I've outfitted her with equipment on many trips. You know, I have it to give, so I give, especially to family."

"You two are very close then?" Brand asked.

"My sister died when she was a baby, so I've been very involved in raising her. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for her."

"What does she do for a living?"

"She's a sales rep for a drug company," Charles' said. Then his face got red.

"Why are you asking so many questions about Ashley?"

Jenn walked up to Charles and gently touched his arm.

"We need to know what you told her. Did you tell her about us?"

"I'm not stupid," Charles huffed. "I'm very discreet. Ask Ripps. He'll tell you."

"We did ask him," said Jenn.

"Well, believe him then. There was only one time there was any trouble here and it had nothing to do with me."

"What trouble?" Brand asked.

"There was a body that washed up near the lighthouse. Poor soul. I called the police and they came out to investigate. He turned out to be a local fisherman. The water here is quite dangerous in a storm."

Brand rubbed his hand over the neck of his shirt. His throat still felt a little raw.

"I don't know why you don't trust me," Charles said to Jenn.

She gave his arm another squeeze.

"We're so grateful for your help," she said.

"I'm happy to do it," he said.

"We know."

"Yes, thank you," Brand said.

Charles brightened.

"Once you have everything you need we'll cart it down. It may take a couple of trips on the elevator."

"Is that the only exit from this room?" Jenn looked around.

"There's another," Charles said, "And I hope you don't mind that I don't reveal it. I can't trust everyone, either."

Brand nodded. "Fair enough."