He wondered if the road would lead anywhere useful. Lance had to have come from somewhere. Slipping uselessly down the road and past the occasional stick, he finally could make out a circus tent in the distance.
As he walked on, he stumbled on a stone. Almost hurt his forehead. He was beginning to get thirsty. Maybe leaving Lance wasn't such a great idea. Would he have to go scurrying back to him, begging for a dose of cod liver oil?
Suddenly, a woman wearing a yellow set of football pads appeared on the other side of a badger hole. No, it couldn't be! Avast, it was Lorrie!
"Be still, my beating heart, what's going on?" he gabbed madly.
"Is that you? Are you alright?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Of course it's me, but idiot, what have you gotten me into?" he fantasized numbly.
"Ryan brought me here. How did you find me?" Lorrie replied.
"You assume I wanted to find you. I don't care, and I want off the case," he replied ignobly. "You can have your money back, if you just send me home."
"I can't send you home. Ryan wouldn't hear of it. He'd correct me if he even knew that I talked to you."
"Where is that old monster? How can I get outta here?"
"He's in his Toyota Land Cruiser, headed up to the lodge. He'll probably be here in thirty-two minutes."
"Well, I want to be out of here in two minutes. How about you? You obviously didn't go to Poland like I recommended. Are you with him or with me?"
"Um, I don't know what's going on. Maybe we'd just better do what they say and get it out of the way."
She was so careful, he didn't know whether to trust her, or to barrel away as fast as he could. "You've been about as open with me as a calming down gerbil," he continued again. "Just what have you and Ryan got going on?"
"Listen, queenie, maybe I didn't tell you everything, but I told you what I could. Ryan calls all the shots around here. I guess he thinks you can help with some Albrandt business. As for me, I already told you, I want nothing to do with it."
"You think I want to be involved? Why don't you just take your contented little shoulder back to Ryan, and I'll take care of myself."
He turned and began stalking on down the trail.
"Wait," she roared brashly. "I'm coming with you."
"You're harder to shake than a pacifier in a plastic bag," he wondered. "You're obviously still operating on their orders. Alright, let's get on with it," he said suddenly.
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