Take the scenic route

Chance smiled to himself after he sent the text to Fait. He imagined her being a bit flustered by it and was overwhelmed by a comfortable feeling.

She had helped him so much in such a short period of time. He wanted to do something for her in return.

'What to do?' He tried to come up with an idea but nothing seemed quite right.

A pay increase would be meaningless and impersonal. Her salary was such that she didn't know what all to do with the money she was already making.

If he got her clothing or jewelry, it might be too personal and she might try to put distance between them.

Chance frowned at the thought of her avoiding him.

His frown deepened as he sank further into his thoughts and was disappointed to find that he didn't know much about Fait or the things she liked.

'I'll just have to ask her.'

...

Back at the auction house, Charlie was overseeing the loading of the Camaro.

When she had left the garage that morning, she had instructed a couple of the guys to be on standby with a pickup truck and a box trailer.

She had specifically chosen an enclosed trailer for a reason. It would be able to provide the most protection for their purchase and for Chance.

Out of sight meant out of mind. If his enemies couldn't see it, they wouldn't follow it back to connect it to him. Unless, of course, it was bugged.

Charlie had some experience with bait cars. Usually it was a tactic employed by law enforcement to catch serial carjackers. She also knew it was often used by people on the opposite end of the spectrum to track down their enemies.

She climbed up into the trailer and did a preliminary check for anything abnormal.

Sure enough, there were a few transmitters hidden in obvious but not obvious places.

Her eyes narrowed and she pulled a small device out of her purse. She pressed the only button at its center and then placed it in the driver's seat.

The little black object was a special signal jammer that should hold up until the car was safely in the garage and could be scanned.

It was headed for a specialized room that was deep underground and designed exactly for these types of situations. No signals would get in or out from there so she could look for other transmitters later.

"Send her to quarantine." She walked down the trailer ramp and gave orders to her men.

"Yes, Miss Mason." The two men answered in unison before proceeding to tie the car in place and lock up the trailer.

"Take the scenic route and try not to pick up any hitchhikers." Though the words sounded lighthearted, the real meaning was anything but. It was a warning that meant they should avoid main roads and drive cautiously. It also meant they may be facing an unknown danger and could be attacked along the way.

The men nodded and quickly left.

After a few minutes of driving, the younger man in the passenger seat could help but ask.

"Why is Miss Mason going through so much trouble for this car?"

The older man who was driving rolled his eyes and sighed before answering, "Eddy, I know you're new and all but there are many things about this job you shouldn't ask."

Eddy, a little disappointed, just nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry kid. If it were really dangerous, we'd have an escort. One day, you might just be lucky enough to ride along for one of those."

"I wasn't worried about danger, Bub. I was just wondering why such a normal car is getting this kind of treatment." With all the amazing cars he'd seen and worked with since he started working for Miss Mason, it just didn't make sense.

"I don't know and I don't need to know. Probably it has something to do with a client. Just know that we are also keeping the garage safe by taking these precautions." Bub tried to give just enough explanation to satisfy his young partner.

"Alright." Eddy supposed that Bub's word would have to be good enough.

Eddy had only been working at Charlie's garage for half a year. She allegedly had only hired him as a favor to his uncle, whom she had been close to. Or at least that is what his uncle had told him.

That said, she didn't treat him in any special way. He was just one of a dozen other specialized mechanics under her tutelage.

Having a position at Charlie's was highly coveted and it was next to impossible to get hired. Most of the guys working there now had been there for fifteen years or more.

No one had ever quit and those who had retired went on to open their own small garages that catered to affluent clientele.

Those that were fired were forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement and were issued a gag order. According to legend some of those that had broken the gag order had disappeared altogether.

Eddy felt extremely lucky to have such an opportunity and really enjoyed his job. Just sometimes he asked too many questions and would get scolded by the other guys.

It was only Bub who didn't mind him so much and would try to answer questions when he could. That is how they ended up together in a pickup truck, taking the long way home, and wondering just how safe this journey would be.