Double Bluff: Chapter 11 (4 reelz dis tiem guyz)
Thank you, darlings, for all the encouraging accountability and friendly name calling. :-D I was able to apply myself and I got this chapter done today. Many thanks to Monica for beta of most of the chapter, and to my dear friend Miss Gemma ( mercurial_gem) for the finishing polish in a hurry so I could put this up right now. Happy reading!
<----Chapter 10
Chapter 11: Not All Who Wander Are... Hiding From the Cops
Belatedly, Tony realized that his phrasing in dealing with small children apparently needed work as he watched the swiftly fleeing form of Kelly, already much further ahead of him than he would have expected. Her light colored hair bounced behind her like a flag in the wind, standing out in the murky half-darkness of the early morning.
Scrambling back to his feet, he tore off after her, feeling the burn in his calves as he tried to leap the distance between them in as few strides as possible. He caught up to her before she was half-way across the back lawn, grabbing her hand and urging her to veer slightly further right in the direction that would eventually take them to the orchard road most directly. She responded easily to his directional lead and they ran flat out across the grass.
As they reached the tree line, Tony looked over his shoulder back the way they’d come and saw headlights flickering through the trees around the front drive. There were cars pulling up to the front gate. They wouldn’t know the gate code, but his father would have to let them in fairly soon if he didn’t want to arouse suspicions that not everything was on the up and up at the DiNozzo mansion. Tony really hoped they didn’t have any dogs with them. Search dogs flying out the back door in ten minutes would really make his night a bitch. Tony couldn’t help the urge to knock his hand against the tree he was climbing around in a brief superstitious moment of weakness. No dogs. Please and thank you, Universe, he wished with all his mental might. He’d spent a little too much of his recent time playing out The Fugitive, which, great movie though it was, being the main character was hardly his goal in life.
Turning back to Kelly’s tug on his arm, he followed her into the trees, keeping his eyes on the landmarks he knew to guide them straight through the thick copse. They emerged on the other side and darted up to the edge of the small creek. Tony hoisted Kelly up into his arms and all but jumped the water flow, catching the edge of his heel and splashing them both. Kelly giggled, her water dotted face sporting a trembling smile. Tony couldn’t help but return her grin, feeling the giddy combination of adrenaline and the glee of the moment. This whole running through the woods thing was a bit like playing an overly serious game of hide and seek.
“Yeah, sorry about that Princess, guess my jumping needs work.” Kelly nodded her agreement, her tiny face solemn again with her smile still evident at the corners of her eyes, but her fear creeping back. “I’ll get right on that.” Tony promised. He could see Harry standing next to a car a short distance away. He dropped Kelly back down to her feet. “Run on over to Harry, sweetie, hop in the car.” He watched her race off and turned to look behind him again, now seeing glints of flashing red and blue lights back by the house. He ran after Kelly, his brain running through what he knew of the area back roads, hoping that Harry knew more than he did. It was going to be a long day full of high energy demands. He really did need to manage to learn to sleep better before days like these- especially if they were going to become such common events in his life.
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Hours later somewhere in the middle of Kentucky, Tony reflected that it was a good thing Harry had extraordinary recall of the local roadways around the DiNozzo mansion. He’d driven them around the back of the property, carefully skirting the few nearby houses, and back around to the front of the property where the only major local road in the area met up. They’d been able to see additional law enforcement vehicles meandering down the driveway to the house as they drove off in the opposite direction. Tony had noticed a local police car amongst them. Had his father called in a local to try and talk down the Marshals from DC? Or was the local unknowingly coming to the aid of the corrupt officers of the law? It was useless to speculate, but he hoped his dad was receiving aid rather than the reverse.
Eventually, Harry had steered them out towards the highway, once they were several towns away by way of the local roads. Once on the highway, by mutual agreement they had made their way South, hoping to be able to angle their way back East towards DC if they heard favorable news at their next check in with Abby, or be nearer to the border with Mexico if things weren’t going their way. Though Tony was still holding the option open to try and fake out their pursuers by doubling back North and crossing the Canadian border instead if it they had to.
Kelly was once again asleep in the back of the car. Harry was conked out in the front passenger seat, having turned over the driving to Tony a couple of hours ago after admitting that his knowledge of the highways now involved in the drive was nil. Tony didn’t know much about the area either, but he didn’t really want to stop for a map yet. Harry deserved a break, and Tony knew how to follow highway signs with the best of them, so he’d taken over the responsibility of directing their course while Harry dozed.
It was good to have Harry with them. Tony had been enjoying getting to know his old friend again in the few days they’d spent at his dad’s house. It was heartening to have someone else to share the adult responsibilities of being fugitives from the law with too. Considering Tony’s photo had been on the nightly news at least once according to his father upon their arrival, though it hadn’t been broadcast again since (they’d watched the news every night just in case), it was probably prudent that someone else get out of the car to do things like go into shops to buy a map. There was a lot hanging on Abby’s dye job now, his blond hair the only thing from keeping him looking too much like his photo.
It was well past noon and Tony thought briefly of the fact that they had yet to eat anything since their narrow escape early this morning. Actually, that meant they had yet to eat anything since last night, Tony mentally corrected himself. He didn’t think they’d left a trail, and assuming his father had been able to convince their pursuers that Kelly and Tony hadn’t even been at the house as planned, surely they could stop and get a bite to eat? Tony reached his right hand over and bumped Harry’s arm.
“Wah?” Harry’s sleepy reply lacked a true sense of coherence, so Tony bumped him again.
“Wake up, Harry.” Tony turned his attention back to minding the road, watching in his peripheral vision as Harry shifted in his seat, raising himself up straighter and blinking.
Regarding Tony with through slitted eyes, Harry muttered, “Wah-where are we?” sleepily lowering his chin back to his chest, but leaving his half opened eyes lazily trained on Tony’s.
“I think we’re still in Kentucky, though it could be Tennessee by now,” Tony replied, “And keep it quiet, she’s still sleeping.” Tony nodded his chin towards the backseat, indicating Kelly, as he spoke. “I was thinking it might be time soon to stop for some food. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Plus, I don’t really think she should sleep all day, or she might be up all night when we finally do stop.” Tony wondered if he should be concerned by how often Kelly had dropped off to sleep in the car. Knowing as he did that she’d been plagued with nightmares when sleeping recently, he’d figured she probably wasn’t getting too much sleep, but he remembered as a kid not having any desire to sleep after spending the day asleep in the car. He really wanted to get a little sleep himself at some point, and he wouldn’t be doing that if she was awake all night.
“Sounds good. Wake me when we get to somewhere you wish to stop for food.” Harry was clearly finished with the conversation. He curled himself towards the window and appeared to go straight back to sleep. Tony smiled to himself in the rear-view mirror. Harry hadn’t changed much when it came to napping then. He’d always been hard to wake up at the end of long movie marathons as a kid too. Tony figured he’d probably learned to guard his sleep all the more jealously working as a butler for his dad. It couldn’t be a 9-5 job with his father’s demanding personality.
After a glance in the mirror again to determine that Kelly was still sleeping, he switched his focus to reading the roadside signs, and thinking of what criteria would be best to use in choosing an appropriate place to stop and eat based purely on the logos and descriptions he could see.
He wanted some place small because then they’d have less people to deal with- he’d be less likely to be recognized, and they’d generally be able to avoid questions. On the other hand, getting lost in a crowd was always easier, and he needed a place where it was unlikely they’d be looked at suspiciously. A place which was purely a truck stop probably wouldn’t do. He wanted a place where two adults and a child could stop and be utterly unremarkable. Mentally wavering back and forth, he wondered if the lack of sleep and food were affecting his decision making capabilities. Right, not at all. Nope.
Spotting a cheerful sign for ‘Rosie’s: Open 7-Midnight, Brunch on Sundays, Kids eat free!’ Tony flipped on his blinker and merged into the right lane. That sounded like just the place.
Pulling the car over into the exit lane, he announced, “Wake up kids! We’re going to Rosie’s! I hear they’ve got a great brunch. Who wants pancakes?”
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Chapter 12---->
<----Chapter 10
Chapter 11: Not All Who Wander Are... Hiding From the Cops
Belatedly, Tony realized that his phrasing in dealing with small children apparently needed work as he watched the swiftly fleeing form of Kelly, already much further ahead of him than he would have expected. Her light colored hair bounced behind her like a flag in the wind, standing out in the murky half-darkness of the early morning.
Scrambling back to his feet, he tore off after her, feeling the burn in his calves as he tried to leap the distance between them in as few strides as possible. He caught up to her before she was half-way across the back lawn, grabbing her hand and urging her to veer slightly further right in the direction that would eventually take them to the orchard road most directly. She responded easily to his directional lead and they ran flat out across the grass.
As they reached the tree line, Tony looked over his shoulder back the way they’d come and saw headlights flickering through the trees around the front drive. There were cars pulling up to the front gate. They wouldn’t know the gate code, but his father would have to let them in fairly soon if he didn’t want to arouse suspicions that not everything was on the up and up at the DiNozzo mansion. Tony really hoped they didn’t have any dogs with them. Search dogs flying out the back door in ten minutes would really make his night a bitch. Tony couldn’t help the urge to knock his hand against the tree he was climbing around in a brief superstitious moment of weakness. No dogs. Please and thank you, Universe, he wished with all his mental might. He’d spent a little too much of his recent time playing out The Fugitive, which, great movie though it was, being the main character was hardly his goal in life.
Turning back to Kelly’s tug on his arm, he followed her into the trees, keeping his eyes on the landmarks he knew to guide them straight through the thick copse. They emerged on the other side and darted up to the edge of the small creek. Tony hoisted Kelly up into his arms and all but jumped the water flow, catching the edge of his heel and splashing them both. Kelly giggled, her water dotted face sporting a trembling smile. Tony couldn’t help but return her grin, feeling the giddy combination of adrenaline and the glee of the moment. This whole running through the woods thing was a bit like playing an overly serious game of hide and seek.
“Yeah, sorry about that Princess, guess my jumping needs work.” Kelly nodded her agreement, her tiny face solemn again with her smile still evident at the corners of her eyes, but her fear creeping back. “I’ll get right on that.” Tony promised. He could see Harry standing next to a car a short distance away. He dropped Kelly back down to her feet. “Run on over to Harry, sweetie, hop in the car.” He watched her race off and turned to look behind him again, now seeing glints of flashing red and blue lights back by the house. He ran after Kelly, his brain running through what he knew of the area back roads, hoping that Harry knew more than he did. It was going to be a long day full of high energy demands. He really did need to manage to learn to sleep better before days like these- especially if they were going to become such common events in his life.
********************************************************
Hours later somewhere in the middle of Kentucky, Tony reflected that it was a good thing Harry had extraordinary recall of the local roadways around the DiNozzo mansion. He’d driven them around the back of the property, carefully skirting the few nearby houses, and back around to the front of the property where the only major local road in the area met up. They’d been able to see additional law enforcement vehicles meandering down the driveway to the house as they drove off in the opposite direction. Tony had noticed a local police car amongst them. Had his father called in a local to try and talk down the Marshals from DC? Or was the local unknowingly coming to the aid of the corrupt officers of the law? It was useless to speculate, but he hoped his dad was receiving aid rather than the reverse.
Eventually, Harry had steered them out towards the highway, once they were several towns away by way of the local roads. Once on the highway, by mutual agreement they had made their way South, hoping to be able to angle their way back East towards DC if they heard favorable news at their next check in with Abby, or be nearer to the border with Mexico if things weren’t going their way. Though Tony was still holding the option open to try and fake out their pursuers by doubling back North and crossing the Canadian border instead if it they had to.
Kelly was once again asleep in the back of the car. Harry was conked out in the front passenger seat, having turned over the driving to Tony a couple of hours ago after admitting that his knowledge of the highways now involved in the drive was nil. Tony didn’t know much about the area either, but he didn’t really want to stop for a map yet. Harry deserved a break, and Tony knew how to follow highway signs with the best of them, so he’d taken over the responsibility of directing their course while Harry dozed.
It was good to have Harry with them. Tony had been enjoying getting to know his old friend again in the few days they’d spent at his dad’s house. It was heartening to have someone else to share the adult responsibilities of being fugitives from the law with too. Considering Tony’s photo had been on the nightly news at least once according to his father upon their arrival, though it hadn’t been broadcast again since (they’d watched the news every night just in case), it was probably prudent that someone else get out of the car to do things like go into shops to buy a map. There was a lot hanging on Abby’s dye job now, his blond hair the only thing from keeping him looking too much like his photo.
It was well past noon and Tony thought briefly of the fact that they had yet to eat anything since their narrow escape early this morning. Actually, that meant they had yet to eat anything since last night, Tony mentally corrected himself. He didn’t think they’d left a trail, and assuming his father had been able to convince their pursuers that Kelly and Tony hadn’t even been at the house as planned, surely they could stop and get a bite to eat? Tony reached his right hand over and bumped Harry’s arm.
“Wah?” Harry’s sleepy reply lacked a true sense of coherence, so Tony bumped him again.
“Wake up, Harry.” Tony turned his attention back to minding the road, watching in his peripheral vision as Harry shifted in his seat, raising himself up straighter and blinking.
Regarding Tony with through slitted eyes, Harry muttered, “Wah-where are we?” sleepily lowering his chin back to his chest, but leaving his half opened eyes lazily trained on Tony’s.
“I think we’re still in Kentucky, though it could be Tennessee by now,” Tony replied, “And keep it quiet, she’s still sleeping.” Tony nodded his chin towards the backseat, indicating Kelly, as he spoke. “I was thinking it might be time soon to stop for some food. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Plus, I don’t really think she should sleep all day, or she might be up all night when we finally do stop.” Tony wondered if he should be concerned by how often Kelly had dropped off to sleep in the car. Knowing as he did that she’d been plagued with nightmares when sleeping recently, he’d figured she probably wasn’t getting too much sleep, but he remembered as a kid not having any desire to sleep after spending the day asleep in the car. He really wanted to get a little sleep himself at some point, and he wouldn’t be doing that if she was awake all night.
“Sounds good. Wake me when we get to somewhere you wish to stop for food.” Harry was clearly finished with the conversation. He curled himself towards the window and appeared to go straight back to sleep. Tony smiled to himself in the rear-view mirror. Harry hadn’t changed much when it came to napping then. He’d always been hard to wake up at the end of long movie marathons as a kid too. Tony figured he’d probably learned to guard his sleep all the more jealously working as a butler for his dad. It couldn’t be a 9-5 job with his father’s demanding personality.
After a glance in the mirror again to determine that Kelly was still sleeping, he switched his focus to reading the roadside signs, and thinking of what criteria would be best to use in choosing an appropriate place to stop and eat based purely on the logos and descriptions he could see.
He wanted some place small because then they’d have less people to deal with- he’d be less likely to be recognized, and they’d generally be able to avoid questions. On the other hand, getting lost in a crowd was always easier, and he needed a place where it was unlikely they’d be looked at suspiciously. A place which was purely a truck stop probably wouldn’t do. He wanted a place where two adults and a child could stop and be utterly unremarkable. Mentally wavering back and forth, he wondered if the lack of sleep and food were affecting his decision making capabilities. Right, not at all. Nope.
Spotting a cheerful sign for ‘Rosie’s: Open 7-Midnight, Brunch on Sundays, Kids eat free!’ Tony flipped on his blinker and merged into the right lane. That sounded like just the place.
Pulling the car over into the exit lane, he announced, “Wake up kids! We’re going to Rosie’s! I hear they’ve got a great brunch. Who wants pancakes?”
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Chapter 12---->