Every Precious Thing

CHAPTER SEVENTY — SEVEN

“Harp!” Barney jumped out of the Jeep as Harp and Alan walked up.

Barney held out his hand, but Harp, being in a hugging mood, wrapped his arms around his old friend.

“I…wasn’t sure we’d see you again,” Barney said once they’d separated.

“Yeah. I wasn’t sure you would, either,” Harp confessed.

“What happened? How did they get you?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. I need your phone first.”

“Uh, sure.” Barney ducked back in and retrieved his cell from the car.

Before he could hand it over, Harp said, “You have Callie’s number, right?”

“Yeah. Is that who you want to call?”

Harp nodded.

Barney fiddled with the buttons for a moment, then gave the phone to Harp. “It’s ringing.”

Harp listened as it rang for a second time.

“Hello?”

“Callie? It’s Harp.”

She drew in a quick breath. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m with Barney now.”

“And Logan?”

“I saw him a minute ago.”

“So what’s happening?”

“Logan wanted me to tell you to call the police and your friend at the FBI, and have them get here as quickly as they can.”

“All right,” she said quickly.

“Wait!”

“What is it?”

“You might want to send an ambulance, too.” At the very least, they’d need it for the jerk on the curb, but he thought it best to be prepared for the worst.

“Oh, God,” Callie said, and clicked off.

“What was that all about?” Barney asked.

“Come on,” Harp said, handing the phone back to Barney. “The three of us have something to do.” He turned to include Alan in the conversation, but Alan wasn’t there. “Where’d he go?”

Barney looked around. “I don’t know. He was here just a moment ago.”

“Alan?” Harp called out as loudly as he dared.

No answer.

“Maybe he went back to the other car,” Harp said. “That’s where we’re supposed to go.” He took a step toward the curb, then stopped and looked back. “I want to get something out of the back of the Jeep first.”