Free Up To No Good: Book 4 Georgie B. Goode Gypsy Caravan Cozy Mystery by Marg McAlister

him.
    It took him about two seconds. “Already have them. Useless. Not what we’re after.”
    Jerry thought fast. “I told you, I can’t remember details like that. I have them in a safe place.”
    “Where?”
    “At—” Jerry was about to say ‘At home’, but an image of these men breaking into his home and finding Tammy flashed into his mind, and he changed it on the run to “At at storage facility.”
    Vincent said nothing for a moment, then shook his head. “I know that’s a lie. You do realize you’re making life unnecessarily hard for yourself? You give me the information I want and nobody ever need know it came from you. You can go home and forget all this.”
    Never scam a scammer, thought Jerry. He knew perfectly well what would happen if he were to agree. Best case scenario: Vincent would let him go and then be back asking for names and details for every new client from then on. Worst case: Jerry B. Goode would disappear from the face of the Earth. He ran through options in his mind. Maybe he could turn the best case scenario to his advantage…
    “We researched you carefully, Mr. Goode. I am quite sure you know the exact location of at least some of those safe houses, Doomsday bunkers, whatever your clients choose to call them, without needing GPS coordinates.”
    Jerry said nothing. It was clear the guy had something in mind.
    He did. “Gary, please restrain Mr. Goode.”
    The minder behind him came forward.
    “Not cable ties again.” Jerry tried to keep his voice level. “C’mon, guys. I can’t escape from in here. Do you really need to do that?”
    Vincent ignored him, and after judging the size and strength of his companion, Jerry didn’t attempt to resist. One crack on the head was enough. With a sigh, he held out his hands.
    “Behind your back, please.”
    Every time that pleasant voice issued another command, shivers crawled up Jerry’s back. Somehow, the guys that didn’t need to shout and bluster were scarier than a muscle-bound bodyguard.
    Jerry stood up and turned around, his hands behind his back. When he was incapacitated again, Gary the gorilla finished off the job with duct tape across his mouth.
    “I apologize for the discomfort,” Vincent said. “We are expecting visitors. Friends of yours, I believe, enquiring after you. We can’t have you attracting their attention.”
    Jerry’s pulse leapt, and warring emotions raced through him.
    Who? His father? Danny? Who would come after him?
    He grunted and widened his eyes, hoping that Vincent would know what he was asking.
    “Your sister and a friend of hers.” Vincent smiled. “They contacted a local survivalist, and he’s bringing them here to see if I can help find you. Unfortunately, I don’t believe I’ll be able to help, but I’ll naturally offer to do everything I can.”
    He and the gorilla left, and Jerry slumped against the wall, scared out of his mind.
    Georgie. Of all people, Georgie was here.
    He hoped like hell the friend wasn’t Tammy.
    For Doomsday’s sake, why hadn’t they brought some real muscle to look for him?

Chapter 13
    It had been years since Tammy had crossed rough terrain with a rifle, but it might as well have been yesterday. The weight of the gun felt comfortable and familiar, and she had instinctively returned to the same state of alertness as she used to be when she was tracking and hunting. Some sounds she knew instinctively were harmless; others had her pausing for a moment, listening.
    No, nothing but everyday forest-type sounds.
    Scott was a good companion. His eyes, too, were everywhere, and he didn’t speak unless it was necessary. He might not have been a hunter, but he had tracked his share of feral animals, it seemed.
    Just not the human kind.
    Danny’s property was shaped like a slice of pie, with the main house at the pointy end near the road. The holding was relatively small, at around 100 acres, but a small creek with slippery rocks and spongy edges made traversing the