Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 21

The Chinese food had been cleared away and the leftovers piled in the fridge. Captain Vanderson and Graham and Diaz had cleared away all their equipment, and were finishing up some paperwork while Sally washed the dishes. Kristin had retreated to her place on the sofa with the book she picked out not too long ago. Though not the kind she usually read, she found the one she picked out about the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay very fascinating. She couldn't make her mind agree with itself with the traditions she'd been taught and the evidence that was presented in the text. It was very informing. A far cry from the romance novels she was accustomed to but couldn't entertain because of her circumstances. As for now, she didn't think those would be on the schedule for a very long time.

"Kristin." Uncle Seth said, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Yeah?" She looked up from the pages.

"That must be a very interesting book. I've called your name six times."

Kristin closed the book and put it on the coffee table. "Sure is. It's different than I'm used to, for sure. I'm sorry."

"Listen, Kristin," Uncle Seth followed up, "I know it's been very hard and your mother is worried sick, but I can't tell her about this. I hope you understand."

At the mention of her mother, Kristin began to tear up. "I just want to see her again, Uncle Seth." She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"I know, Kristin. I know." He let her cry for a moment before he finished. "I've already talked to Sally about this, and Heath is going to go along with it because I pay him decently, but you need to go sooner rather than later."

"What do you mean?" She sat up and looked at her uncle, then past him to the two men who were taking their equipment back out to their vehicle. "Like I have a schedule right now, but I thought we are leaving Monday afternoon." She said.

"Were." Uncle Seth replied. "I have some good Intel that leads me to believe that if you stay longer than necessary, you will be in more danger than we can afford. Johnston will be by sometime tomorrow. As soon as Sally is done with the dishes, she's going to the laundry room here at her apartment complex and wash your things."

"That means she'll have to do laundry for herself another time, Uncle Seth. If she's really about schedules, it will throw her way off." Sally was indeed about her schedule, and Kristin was beginning to understand why they were so valuable. "But," she said before the captain could interrupt again, "I'll go along with it. I don't have that many things any way. It's only been a few days."

"Good." Sally said as Graham and Diaz came back into the room. She waited for the door to shut before she continued. "I'll just throw your things in with mine and it won't take long at all. I only have about two loads to wash any way. What's one more, or stuffing a little more into the washers any way?" She smiled.

Kristin was still trying to figure out why Sally was always so happy. She'd never volunteered much of her information with anyone. She was quite the anomaly, they say. She was the most private person Kristin had ever met. And the nicest.

"I have the rest of the week off anyway. It won't throw me off too much. We gotta get you ready to go."

"Yep. We'll discuss it when you get here then." She heard her uncle on the phone. "It looks like Heath will drop by later tonight. I"ll stay here while you get your laundry loaded in, Sally. It should take less than two hours?"

"He doesn't need to come tonight. Tomorrow will be fine, and Kristin will be ready by then." Sally rolled her eyes as she and Kristin got their things together.

Kristin went about gathering her things that weren't clothing and put them away in her bag. She'd always packed in advance when she had the chance. But the hospital didn't help much. She didn't have that much to pack up anyway because of her circumstances and was finished in less than fifteen minutes. The clothing she hadn't worn was packed neatly back in the suitcase and her toiletries in the carry on. Sally had returned from the laundry room well before she had finished and Graham and Diaz had left. They were nice enough, Kristin decided. All work and very polite.