by Alan Cook
On their walk back to the motel, they passed a girl sitting on the sidewalk, wrapped in a blanket. She had long, blond, straight hair and a young, pretty face with tears running down her cheeks. She looked at them but didn’t say anything.
Drake made a move to go back to her, but Melody grabbed his hand and pulled him away.
“Don’t get involved. I say this for your own good. I know you want to help her, and I’m not going to question the purity of your motives, even though it’s possible she might offer to thank you in a particularly pleasant way, but she can only bring you trouble. Besides, we’re on a mission tonight.”
The mission being to listen to Casey’s speech. They went to Drake’s room to listen to it together, so they could compare notes. Drake ran a cold bath for himself and even obtained a container of ice cubes from the motel dispenser and poured them into the tub. He had learned to almost tolerate the freezing water. He left the door to the bathroom open, which enabled him to hear the speech. Melody didn’t object, but she also didn’t volunteer to wash his back.
First they listened to news reports about the submarine. These were delivered with an urgency approaching hysteria. It was probably a good thing that no mention was made of the Russian writing found in it.
Somehow, Casey had wangled time on a national network, even though he was running for senator from California. When it was time for him to speak, a network anchor introduced him as the CEO of the company that was instrumental in the nation’s military preparedness.
It was obvious from the start that Casey wasn’t going to waste his time on California issues now that he had a national pulpit. He immediately started talking about the submarine. He said that the participants in Running California had gone past the spot where the boat was found on the same day, something that had not been mentioned in the news reports. He expanded on that.
“What if that submarine had still been manned? With its armament, it could easily have destroyed some of the cream of California citizenry, just as it killed one of our runners at Malibu, as well as destroying several houses. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s more—information that has been suppressed by the administration, because it doesn’t want to worry you unduly, but, ladies and gentlemen, this is information you need to know because it’s a threat to national security.”
Casey then told about the Russian writing in the sub. Melody wondered how he knew about that. Of course. His military connection. He was getting feedback on everything the military did. She had originally gripped the arms of her chair to keep herself from running into the bathroom and jumping into the tub with Drake, ice water and all. Now she gripped them harder.
She called to Drake. “Did you hear that?”
“Loud and clear. I think we know who our warmonger is.”
Casey was just getting warmed up. He came close to saying that a president who didn’t defend the country ought to be impeached. Then he talked about creating a buffer zone along the coast—land that would be owned by the government for security, with anti-missile batteries, but would also be a continuous beach during peacetime. Everyone would have complete access to the water everywhere. He was vague about the details.
Drake remembered that Casey had talked about this before. He must be serious about it since he was bringing it up again. Drake ran the water out of the tub and vigorously toweled himself off, trying to bring some circulation back into his frozen limbs. In spite of the discomfort, he had to admit that these baths were helping to keep him going. He threw on some clothes and came back into the main room just as Casey finished speaking.
Melody turned off the television set. “Apparently, he doesn’t know that you were the one who spotted the sub. I’m sure he would have mentioned it if he did. That means what you tell Blade isn’t getting through to him.”
“Blade may be the only person in government who’s not in his pocket. But I’m glad our spymaster isn’t in cahoots with the person we’re supposed to be spying on.”
“His bringing up the Russian business when the president tried to suppress it is going to cause an uproar, or my name isn’t Miss Marple. That’s why I turned off the telly. Flying accusations give me a headache.”
“How about that proposed land grab—taking the beach houses of the rich and famous, as well as the rich and not so famous? He’s definitely trying to appeal to the masses—telling them they’ll have full beach access. They really do now. They just have to work at it in some places.”
“Your masses had better start connecting the dots and realize that if the government can take property from people along the coast, they can take property from people inland, as well. One of the reasons I like the U.S. is your strong private property laws, since property rights are mandatory for a free country.”
“Unfortunately, we’ve also got something called eminent domain, which weakens the laws. If Casey can convince us that we’re being attacked and land grabs are necessary for our defense, he might get away with it.”
CHAPTER 26
Today’s run goes from San Simeon to Gorda on Route 1. You’ll leave San Luis Obispo County and enter Monterey County. The hardest part of the run is two hills after the county line that rise to over 700 feet. Then you’ll dip down close to sea level before climbing to Gorda at 300 feet. Traffic gets lighter as you head north, but be careful, especially since it’s Sunday.
***
“Did you listen to Casey’s speech last night?” Melody addressed the question to Tom.
They were running in a pack again, at least for the moment. She suspected this would come to an abrupt halt later in the day when they started climbing the hills. The hills would separate, as she liked to think, the men from the women—or at least most of the men from one woman. The men would not fare well.
“Speech?” Tom was drawing a blank.
Drake raised his voice to include all the runners within earshot. “Did anyone listen to Casey’s speech last night or read about it in this morning’s paper?”
Apparently not, judging from the lack of response. Drake gave up and turned to Melody. “What we have here is a bunch of political apathetics.”
“Unfortunately, what they don’t know can hurt them.”
Melody and Drake had obtained a San Francisco newspaper that spoke about the controversy Casey had caused by divulging information the president had repressed. The article mentioned that people in the administration were calling for Casey’s scalp, saying that he had released classified information, but there was no proof given that it was actually classified.
The other side said that when America’s security was at stake, people had a right to know everything. Some members of Congress praised Casey for making the information public. There were calls for an attack on the USSR. An editorial seemed generally favorable to Casey’s idea for the creation of a buffer of land between the people and the ocean but said exceptions should be made for populated areas like San Francisco.
“What have we learned about our target?” Drake meant Casey, and kept his voice down so that the other runners wouldn’t hear their conversation.
“He is ambitious, like Caesar was supposed to be—only I don’t hear a Marc Antony taking his side and denying it.”
“He isn’t afraid of infringing on the rights of the populace, using national security as an excuse.”
“Ever the excuse of those who would wield the power.”
“You and I risked our lives fighting against this kind of tyranny. It looks like we’re back in the business again.”
***
Gorda didn’t have much of anything, including motels and restaurants. It did have, as Drake noticed, probably the highest gasoline prices in the country. He and Melody ate dinner with Fred and his new assistant, Charles.
Fred was beaming as they sat down at their table in the small, homey restaurant.
“Congratulations, you two. You’re now in fourth place. Are you ready to take a shot at the lead?”
“Sure,” Melody sai
d. “I’m spending the evening casting spells on Tom, Jerry, Phil, and Brian to slow them down. It’s a good thing I’m a witch.”
“You gained a few minutes on both teams today.”
Drake made a face. “At the rate we’re gaining on them, we’ll catch them in a month or so. But, unfortunately, we’re almost out of time.”
Charles spoke to Melody. “When I drove past you today on that first big hill, you were running away from the men. How do you do it?” His expression was a mixture of awe and admiration.
Melody didn’t mind having male admirers, and if they were younger, that was all right too. Maybe she should sample some of that young stuff. After all, Drake had. She gave Charles her best smile.
“I tie their shoelaces together, but I leave enough play so that they don’t notice it.”
Drake didn’t mind Melody having male admirers, but did she have to smile at Charles like that? They were here for a purpose. It was time to get to work.
He looked at Fred. “What did you think about Casey’s speech last night?”
“I liked it. He said the things that had to be said. The first job of government is national defense. He’ll make a good senator.”
Melody’s smile changed to an expression resembling cynicism.
“Spoken like a loyal employee of defense contractor Giganticorp. Who’s going to take over when Casey becomes senator?”
“Not me, but we have a few candidates in mind.”
“Do any of their names start with General?”
Fred laughed. “I can’t tell you that. It’s a military secret.”
Drake’s turn. “Do you agree with this buffer zone concept that means uprooting everybody who lives near the beach?”
Fred hesitated. “It’s a radical idea, I admit. But…”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s not the first time he’s talked about that. I saw on TV that there have even been demonstrations in Malibu by those who want the rich people cleared off the beach. The comments of the demonstrators to the reporter made it sound more like a class struggle than a security measure. If I can’t afford to live on the beach, then you can’t either.”
Fred shrugged and turned to the waitress to order a drink.
CHAPTER 27
Today’s run goes from Gorda to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, all on Route 1. The most challenging part of the run is the hill that rises to about 800 feet at Lucia, although the whole route is rolling with repeated gains and losses of 200 feet. Pace yourselves, take it easy on the downhills and carry plenty of liquids. There are a couple of drinking fountains along the route you can use to fill your water bottles. It’s Monday, and traffic should be lighter than it was yesterday.
***
In spite of the fact that they were now in fourth place and had a shot at third, Drake was unhappy as they climbed the big hill. Not about the race, itself, but the events surrounding the race. Two people connected with the race were dead, including the beautiful Grace. Houses had been destroyed, the submarine that apparently had done the damage found, with evidence pointing to the USSR.
Panic had ensued, fed by the media. Some were accusing the president of doing nothing in the face of imminent danger to the U.S., and a drive to impeach him was taking shape. The president, although upset with Casey for talking about the Russian connection, maintained that the administration didn’t have enough evidence to take any action. Russian officials denied any part in the incidents and were accusing the U.S. of heating up the cold war.
Casey was feeding the flames with his rhetoric, apparently for his political advantage. His proposal for a buffer zone along the coast was finding favor among certain groups of people, and the authors of a couple of newspaper op-ed pieces opposing it had been attacked as elitist and unpatriotic.
Drake and Melody were supposed to be collecting information on Casey, but that was hard to do when they were in the wilds of the Big Sur and Casey was off campaigning God knew where. Fred wasn’t going to help them. Drake was feeling the frustration of watching negative events unfold in an escalating fashion without having any control over what happened.
Melody sensed his mood and tried to cheer him up. “We’ve proven to be the best team in the hills, of which we have plenty today. By the end of the day we may be in third place.”
“What if we win the race and lose the war?”
“We’re not at war yet. Don’t count your battleships before they’re launched. Enjoy the rugged but spectacular scenery we’re running through. Live for the moment. Eat, drink, and make merry…”
“Maybe you’re right. About this Merry. Who’s she?”
Melody hit him.
Drake laughed. “Well, you’ve got Charles as a new conquest. We can add him to the growing list, which includes Tom, who’s always inviting you for drinks and card games. And Peaches. Speaking of Peaches, since we don’t have access to Casey at the moment, maybe it’s time for you to have another talk with Peaches. He may know more than he’s telling.”
“All right, I’ll do it. After all, I have to make sure that my conquests remained conquered. All this talking is slowing us down. Let’s shut up and see if we can beat everybody up the hill.”
***
Melody decided to dress up for her dinner with Peaches. She had invited him when she and Drake finished the run ahead of the pack and found Peaches waiting for them with the bus. He had been eating dinners alone or with Fred, but not with the runners. Melody indicated that it would be just the two of them. Peaches raised his eyebrows but accepted with no questions.
She was tired of wearing running clothes and sweat suits. She hadn’t worn a skirt since the “Pageant of the Masters” way back in Laguna Beach. Even when going out for drinks with Tom and Jerry and a few other runners, she had dressed very casually. In addition, in spite of all the men around, she had been celibate. Other than engaging in a little kneesy with Tom in a bar, she hadn’t done anything that would distress a nun.
She put on a miniskirt and a top with a V-neck cut down to here. Backless, it wasn’t built to accommodate a bra, so she took the Grace approach and went without. She had no idea what effect this would have on Peaches, the stoic, but figured what the hell, I’m going to do it anyway.
Peaches drove them in the company car to a restaurant some distance from the motel. Both motels and restaurants were so sparse in this area that it was a wonder he knew where it was, but he did. He was the perfect gentleman, even holding her chair for her when she sat down.
Melody took off the sweater she had worn against the fog and chill that had rolled in late that afternoon and draped it over the back of her chair. Since she had chosen to wear this outfit, she wasn’t going to hide it or what was beneath it. Since Peaches was wearing a suit, it was appropriate for her to be dressed up.
When the waitress came for drink orders, Peaches ordered iced tea—Melody obviously wasn’t going to get him drunk—and she ordered a glass of wine. She pondered how to start a conversation.
She decided on an open-ended question. “What do you think about everything that’s been going on?”
Peaches smiled a little and paused. “Casey really wants to be a senator.”
That wasn’t new or startling information, but Melody sensed there was more behind it.
“Has he been planning to run for a long time?”
“I think that’s why Running California got started. He wanted to do something that would bring attention to himself. Fred told me they picked some of the runners very carefully. Tom because he won the Boston Marathon. Drake…”
“Because…?”
“Because of his father.”
“Admiral Drake?”
“Admiral Drake is a good friend of Senator Leffingwell, the other senator from California. He’s been in Congress for a long time. A word from him could help Casey’s chances, according to Fred. Or even if he doesn’t say anything negative about him it would be positive.”
“Hmmm.” Peaches knew more
about politics than the runners, at least as far as Casey was concerned. Casey was playing all the angles. “When Drake got into that accident before the race started, it must have really upset Casey.”
Peaches took a swig of iced tea and seemed to study the ice cubes in the glass. Melody sensed that he wanted to say something; she decided to wait him out. Finally, he put the glass down.
“On the day the race was scheduled to start, most of the runners had arrived at the border park. I remember that you were there. Drake was one of the few who were missing. Fred usually doesn’t do anything physical that he doesn’t have to, but he was pacing up and down like he was anxious about something. I didn’t notice it so much then because I had just started working with him, but looking back I can see that it was abnormal behavior for him.”
Melody tried to think back to that first day, but she couldn’t remember anything that had happened before she had received word about Drake’s accident. Again she waited for Peaches to continue.
“He kept looking down the road that came into the park. I figured he was just watching for the other runners. He was the one who spotted the fire.”
Now Melody remembered. Although she had been some distance from Fred, introducing herself to the other runners, she had heard him yell. She turned and saw the flames shooting up, and her first thought was a fear that Drake had been in an accident. Uncanny, because she didn’t claim to have psychic powers. But after not seeing him for six years, she didn’t want anything to spoil their reunion.
Peaches continued, “Fred yelled for me to get the car. He had me drive as fast as I could. He kept swearing under his breath, like he knew what had happened. When we got to the taxi, the fire was so hot we couldn’t get close to it. He said, ‘Are they inside? Can you see if anybody’s inside?’ That’s when Drake yelled from the field. He looked very relieved when he heard Drake’s voice.”