Not on my Watch

Chapter 6

          As she was musing on this, someone dropped a $5.00 bill into the guitar case at her feet. Clay pulled at her clothes.

           "Mama, Mama!"  He pointed excitedly at the cash.

          "I see, son."

          "No, no.   Look who's here..."

           She hadn't been looking real close at the faces of the people walking by.  She shook her head to clear it of her idle thoughts, looked up, and jumped, startled.   Vin was standing right there in front of her!

          He chuckled at her reaction.   "What's wrong?  Surprised?"

          She stood up and gave him a hug and a smile.  "I was literally just thinking about you.  Yes, I'm surprised.  But it's a good surprise."

          "What do we have here?" he asked, squatting down next to Clay.  "Making a little money?" Clay grinned, nodded, and continued strumming.

           "Here, let me show you some of the notes," Vin offered, taking the guitar and showing Clay where to place his fingers.

          Clay was delighted at that. He took the guitar back and sang some more.

           "What are you doing here, Vin?" Rowan asked.

           "I thought I'd check out the Farmer's Market.  Nice view, if I do say so myself. "

          He glanced sideways at her, laid back in the grass and put a grass blade between his teeth.

          "Ha."

          "Actually, Audina told me I might find you here."

          "I mean...what are you doing in Salt Lake?"

          "Oh..." Vin drawled. "Hmmm..."  His voice was light, but his eyes looked haunted.   "I thought my second told you I'd get in touch with you."

          "You could have done that online.  Plus, that was awhile ago.  I thought I'd have heard from you by now.  I actually thought I'd get an email from you sooner.  When you left, you said you'd contact me when you got back, and wasn't that about...what, a month and a half ago now?"

          "I'm sorry I didn't reach out sooner at the end of my mission.  I was in such shock at first, I almost couldn't function.   When I could think clearly, all of the details had to be worked out.  And then of course, everyone needed my help at the base.  I didn't have a lot of time to email, and besides, I decided I'd rather see you in person.  The things I want to say can't be properly conveyed in an email.  Now that we have everything prepared for the army's move, I had some free time for leave.  Coming here gave me the excuse I needed to get away from everything."  He leaned back against a tree, squatting.  "We need to talk, Kat."

          It sounded like it.   What was he talking about?  In shock?  From what?   Details to work out? What details were there besides plans for the rebellion?  There had to be something he wasn't telling her.  She was about to ask what was going on she didn't know about, but he didn't give her a chance before launching into her plans for relocation.

          "Everyone on base is packed up and ready to go whenever we decide the time's right to evacuate from Pine Valley.  We first need to come up with an excuse to give the Air Force as to why we're leaving.  Ever since you worked things out with the park officials at Mesa Verde, Howard has been sending teams south with supplies.  We've stockpiled a bunch at the park already.  We'll take the rest when we go.  Tell me what made you think of going there."