Searching For Jenna novel Chapter 38

"I'm going to get my shower," Cara announced.

Elliot looked at his watch; it was already nine o'clock. "Don't be too long. We only have a few hours to get out of here."

"Okay," Cara said as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

Megan began gathering her clothes and putting them in her overnight bag. After she heard the shower running, she turned to Elliot, "You got a pretty big crush on her, don't you?"

Elliot blushed and looked away. "That obvious, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Megan said. "But I think the feeling is mutual. I'm not sure she will be able to get past you being a guy, but you never know."

"Yeah," Elliot said and looked at Megan. "You never know."

The three of them were on the road by eleven-fifteen. Elliot followed the girls closely. Megan took Cara home and dropped her off. Elliot followed Megan to her house. Each time he made sure the girl was inside and then called to make sure they hadn't walked into a trap. Elliot knew he watched too many cop shows, but all of those shows portrayed things that could happen. Satisfied that the girls were safe, he headed to the rundown trailer he was renting.

The trailer belonged to a farmer Elliot had done some work for when he first moved to Maysville. It was the farmer's hunting cabin, but he only used it during deer season. It needed a little work done to it. Elbow grease things like painting, fixing cabinets and little things that Elliot agreed to do in exchange for being able to rent the trailer.

Dana had helped Elliot legally purchase a small gun shortly after the U. S. Marshals moved him to Maysville. With the new identity information created by the FBI and U. S. Marshals when Elliot was put into the witness program, Elliot could buy more guns. He currently had five weapons: two rifles and three pistols. Elliot's favorite was his Beretta Pico. It fit into his back pocket, and he had a case for it that looked like it was just a thick wallet. His other favorite and the one he was going to practice with today was his Smith and Wesson 1911. It was bigger than the Beretta and not as easy to conceal, but he could knock a grape off a beer can at fifty yards. The Beretta was great for close range, but he wanted to be prepared to keep someone at a distance if at all possible.

One of the other things Elliot liked about this trailer was the road to get there was not easily navigated. It was narrow, rutted and had some switchbacks before the trailer. The road started at Fraley Road and eventually ran into Sulfur Road, but it was not a smooth ride. If a person didn't know the trailer was tucked back off the road, they'd drive right by and never see it. The fact that Elliot's farmer friend let him paint the outside a medium brown, the color of mud helped camouflage the trailer even more than the thick trees and brush already did. In fact, Elliot had to watch for it. If he wasn't paying attention, he could easily drive by it, like he almost did today.

When Elliot pulled into the narrow drive that led to the back of the trailer, he noted something was off. There were tracks that shouldn't be there. It hadn't been rainy, so the extra tracks were barely noticeable, but one of the things he'd learned in his time in the witness protection program, was always to be aware of even the smallest changes in your environment.

Elliot stopped his truck and quickly pulled the Beretta out of his back pocket. He loaded it, watching for any sign of movement around him. The trees were full of leaves, and there were plenty of low lying bushes that someone could be hiding behind. Carefully, Elliot got out of his truck making as little noise as possible. With the gun ready, he slowly made his way to the trailer. Elliot didn't hear or see anything, and his keen senses didn't register a presence, but he wasn't taking any chances.