CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

"You want me to what?" yelled Tailor.

"Listen, we need both you and Alec. You're huge, no offense. I mean, you're muscular, but you guys are enormous in height and weight. This guy will buy the fact that you two would want to lose weight. He'll never guess your ages."

"And what am I supposed to tell him?" asked Alec. "I'm slimming down for my wedding?" The men chuckled, shaking their heads at the screen.

"No. Maybe that you guys are considering careers as bodyguards or big and tall models," smirked Alistair.

"Oh, you're funny. Got jokes when you're fifteen hundred miles away. I see how it is," frowned Tailor.

"No one else on the property even comes close," said Garr. "We really need your support on this one. Do you have a few days to give us?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we got a few days. We can be there by midnight. Set something for tomorrow if you can. Are you staying in D.C.?"

"No, we're going to move to Morgantown. I suggest you fly into Pittsburgh and drive down. We'll reserve a room for you at the same inn we're staying at," said Alistair.

"Alright. Just make sure we each get a king-sized bed. If I have to pretend I'm overweight, then I want a comfortable bed," said Tailor.

"I promise, Uncle Tailor," smirked Alistair. "Thanks. You too, Uncle Alec."

"Yeah, yeah. The big boys will be there soon," he smirked. Hanging up the phone, he looked at the others and grinned.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be. Although, given their size, this guy Roper might run the other way. We still don't have a clue why they want to kill Clark and the other Marines, but maybe Tailor and Alec can figure it out."

"Make the call," said Kev. Alistair nodded at him. Dialing the number, it went straight to voicemail.

"I'm a friend of Dove's. She gave me your number and said you could help with a diet plan for my friends. They both need to lose about a hundred pounds," he said, shrugging at the others, unsure if that sounded right. "Both are men trying to start new careers. You can reach me at this number."

He left his cell phone number and ended the call, waiting to hear from him. They packed their gear into the SUV in NYC and decided to start moving south toward Pittsburgh. Traffic was miserable. There was nothing appealing to any of them about living in New York City. People on top of people on top of people, all moving at the same time, all in a hurry, and not one person looking at another and just saying ‘hello.'

"I could never survive in an environment like this," said Matt.

"Same, brother," said Garr.

"I've been in a few crowded locations like this, mostly in third-world countries or our friends that end in -stan," smirked Gator.

"Why the fuck is everyone honking at everyone? There's no fucking place to go!" screamed Dan. "Are they blind? We're all sitting. If we're all sitting, honking doesn't make it move any faster."

The others just chuckled, recognizing that they were all feeling stressed by the traffic. Once they were through the tunnel, traffic began to move at a quicker pace, and they were able to make good time. It was almost midnight by the time they got to Morgantown, checking into the inn that had been arranged for them.

They were shocked to see Tailor and Alec sitting in the dining room. They nodded at the men so as not to let anyone know that they knew one another.

"We're checking in," said Alistair.

"I don't know what this old girl did to deserve it, but it seems you boys and them two have not only filled my inn for a few days, but you've damn sure given me some eye candy to enjoy."

"Thank you, ma'am," smiled Gator. "What smells so good?"

"Oh, them boys came in hungry, and I fried up some chicken, heated up some leftovers, a few things I had in the fridge. You boys hungry?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Always," they said in harmony.

"Take your bags up and come back down. I'll have everything on the table. When you're done, just leave it. I'll clean it up in the morning."

True to her word, when they returned to the dining room, Alec and Tailor were already sticking their hands in the pots for second helpings.

"You gonna save some for us?" asked Rett.

"Maybe. We're trying to fatten up so this looks real," smirked Alec.

"I don't think you're gonna have any issues," laughed Leif.

"Did you guys hear any news while on the road?" asked Tailor. They all shook their heads. "Your girl, Dove, reportedly checked herself into a recovery center in an undisclosed location. Hiro and Tanner said her brother called them after you left and said he wanted her to get help right away but didn't want her found. Bree and the others took care of it. She and her friend just might live."

"Damn. I sure hope so," said Alistair. "Maybe Bull and Amanda could visit her."

"That's a good idea," said Alec. "I'll text them and see what they say."

"Man, this food is good," said East. "I didn't realize how hungry I was for home-cooked meals since we've been gone. It's the only thing I hate about being on ops. You don't get good quality meals."

"Wait until you taste her blueberry pie," smiled Tailor, his teeth stained a perfect blueberry color.

"I can see that you think it's good," smiled Gator.

For another thirty minutes, all they did was eat. Not wanting to leave a mess, they took their plates into the kitchen, rinsed them off, and placed them in the dishwasher. There were no more leftovers to save, so they set the serving dishes in the sink, rinsed, and waiting.

"Anyone hear from our boy?" asked Sor. Alistair shook his head.

"Not yet. But if I don't have a message by noon tomorrow, we're going hunting."