Chasing Gold

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Highway 66 became Highway 48 and they continued to follow the most direct route. The only real route — unless someone wanted to cruise through a few small, sleepy American towns. Alicia didn’t believe that was the robbers’ end game.

“Why the terrorist attack?” she wondered. “I mean — that was a flat-out terror strike on Washington DC. At the very least — it was meant to look like one. But why? To cover up the robbery?”

“I guess,” Russo said. “You need to stop shooting them all dead and try to wing one for a change.”

“Oh, says the child with the tiny peashooter that can’t aim unless he’s a mile away.”

Caitlyn spoke up. “The attack covered up the robbery for a while. It facilitated an initial escape and it covered a much longer break away. It’s an odd way of causing distraction but who knows what criminals will do these days?”

“I wonder if anyone would pay for the banner,” Austin said.

“A thousand unknowns. A terrorist leader could hang it inside his home just to gloat. A cell could hang it on the wall of a cave, and broadcast it to the world as they kill another innocent. An enemy of America, political or financial maybe, could keep it in a vault. Someone may even get off on just depriving America of it.”

“Could be the British,” Caitlyn said. “Finally getting their revenge.”

“For the Battle of Baltimore? An ancestor?” Alicia asked. “I doubt that.”

“Stranger things have happened.”

Alicia knew it to be true. Austin gave them a quick update, interrupting her thoughts. “Fifty miles since we left the railway station,” he said.

“That’s a hell of a lot of space,” Caitlyn looked dubiously at the varying landscape. “A lot of roads and a few towns.”

“But only one major thoroughfare,” Alicia said. “Trust your instinct.”

“I’d rather trust my own intelligence and research,” Caitlyn said. “That’s how I work best. But I can’t do it here on a cellphone.”

As if by magic her phone started to ring. She held up the flashing screen for all to see. “FBI Dude.”

Alicia smiled. Caitlyn answered the call.

“Yes?”

“Miss Nash. Agent Merriweather. Our people ran the facial recognition software on all gas stations within a fifty-mile radius. Unfortunately, our range of forecourt cameras is limited and so are our options.”

“Do you have access to all of the cameras at all the locations?”

“No, but vehicle recognition noted your car at pump two of the Texaco close by Wardensville. That’s all we got, I’m afraid.”

“Vehicle rec!” Caitlyn pumped a fist into the air. “Never thought of that. How long ago?”

“Twenty three minutes.”

“Well, we’re about eighteen away,” Caitlyn told him. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Good luck, Miss Nash.”

Alicia thumped the dashboard with excitement. Vehicle recognition was present at all gas stations. It helped that Russo had snapped a picture of the getaway vehicle.

“How’s that for a good shot?” he told Alicia a little smugly.

“Not bad for someone with thumbs the size of tennis rackets,” Alicia allowed. “Now Austin, get a bloody move on. We’re still in the chase!”