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

area more difficult.
    “Fresh water,” Tammy murmured.
    “I noticed. Looks like Mum got that right, at least.”
    It didn’t take them long to reach the small fence that separated the main compound from the rest of the property.
    “Not electrified,” Scott said softly. As Jack had recommended, they stayed safely in the shelter of the trees and used binoculars to check the place out from a distance of a few hundred yards. “But it would be too easy to breach, so I’m betting on cameras or sensors.” He eyed the back of the house, about half a mile distant, just visible through a tangle of trees and scrub. “Let’s follow it around, see what’s there.”
    Cautiously, they moved from tree to tree, noting the condition of the fence and the various outbuildings built behind the house. There were a dozen of them, arranged in a rough arc about halfway between the house and the fence.
    “Pity we can’t see the front of them,” Scott muttered, looking at the back of a large barn and the back wall of a carport that currently sheltered three vehicles: a troop carrier and a couple of 4WDs. “Those shipping containers are probably full of supplies and weapons. He sounds like the type to have an arsenal.”
    Tammy eyed the containers. “Jerry could be in any of them.”
    “Or the main house. Or,” Scott pointed to a large metal trapdoor in front of the barn, “down there. Some kind of storm cellar or bunker.”
    Tammy stared at the trapdoor. If Jerry was down there, how were they going to get him out? They’d be exposed the moment they walked over to it. “We may have to come back at night.”
    “Won’t help. I can see dogs over there in the kennels—see, on the right.” He handed her the binoculars. “They’ll be guarding the yard at night.”
    They kept moving, using binoculars to check the outbuildings and what they could see of the house, until they reached the side fence. The end of the arc put them close to the house and the road, and peering back, they could just see the front of the containers. They all had heavy-duty bolts and padlocks.
    Tammy leaned against a tree and thought. She might be able to shoot, but hunting was very different from trying to break into a fenced compound with dogs and sensors and cameras to rescue someone who was being held God knew where. “What are we going to do?”
    “What you’re going to do,” said a voice behind them, “is drop those rifles and turn around real slow.”
    ~~~
    Inside the house, Georgie and Layla were sitting on the edge of a lounge, sipping tea provided by their hostess while Jack explained their situation to Vincent.
    The woman Vincent had introduced as his wife, Alice, sat quietly to one side, her eyes moving from one of them to the other. A small, nondescript woman with chin-length auburn hair, she gave the impression of being the weaker half of the couple, but Georgie knew instinctively it was a front. It probably suited Vincent’s purposes to have a wife that looked non-threatening.
    Vincent kept attentive eyes on Jack while he talked, occasionally interjecting. When had the GPS coordinates cut out? What had brought them to Marion? What did they intend to do next? On the last question, his eyes flicked to Georgie, obviously directing it at her.
    “We’re trying to decide what to do. We found Jack on a forum, but he said you were probably the one around here with the most expertise.” A bit of flattery never hurt, she thought.
    Vincent gave her a polite smile. “Forgive me, but I still don’t really understand why you’re in Marion County. You said there was a possible sighting of your brother. Who and where?”
    Georgie exchanged a look with Layla. If she told him the truth, he might think she was a complete flake. But he was right: what other reason did they have for being here? Her bad-guy radar flagged him as being about as trustworthy as a piranha.
    It wouldn’t surprise her in the least to discover that Jerry was around here