Weekend Warriors by Fern Michaels

have to pick up a load of toilet seats, four thousand to be exact, and they have to be in San Francisco by next week. I was supposed to dead head back with a load of carrots but I can cancel that and pick up a load of lettuce when we’re done. You’re welcome to drive with me or you can fly and we’ll meet up. If Isabelle is staying here, and Nikki has to be here for her court case, that means Julia, Alexis and Yoko have to partner with me.”
    “I will drive with you, Kathryn. We can get to know one another. Perhaps I can learn not to be afraid of your dog. Will you have me as your navigator?”
    “No!” The single word shot out of Kathryn’s mouth so fast her tongue felt like it had been scorched. “Wait! I didn’t mean no you can’t go with me. What I meant was . . . Alan always said he was my navigator. That means you can’t be my navigator. You can be . . . you can be . . .”
    “. . . your lookout?” Yoko said.
    “Yeah. Yeah, lookout is good. No offense, Yoko.”
    “None taken, Kathryn. I understand. It is possible we might become friends.”
    Anything is possible, Kathryn thought. “I suppose.” Yoko smiled warmly.
    “We need to make reservations if Kathryn’s stand-in is to go on vacation. It’s still Isabelle, isn’t it?”
    Myra looked at Isabelle, who nodded. “Isabelle can make the reservations and work with Alexis on her disguise. I see a possible problem.”
    Nikki stopped writing long enough to look up and say, “What do you see?”
    “Kathryn’s truck. Earlier we said when the men try to figure out what happened to them, they would start looking at possibilities and eventually Kathryn’s name will come up. If her truck isn’t here, and she makes a delivery to San Francisco, that puts her and her truck in California. Even though she is making a legitimate delivery and picking up a legitimate delivery on the way back, it’s still going to be a problem.”
    Julia jumped in. “Unless, after the delivery of the . . . ah toilet seats, she offhandedly tells the people at the delivery site that she’s taking two weeks off and going to a resort for a few weeks. Isabelle will make her reservation from San Francisco so she has a ticket to prove that she, a.k.a. Kathryn, did indeed leave there, registered at a resort and then flew back to San Francisco and from there back to here under her own name.”
    “You need to tell us, Kathryn, how you’re going to get fuel on your way to Lone Pine or whatever destination you choose. If you stop along the way, someone is going to remember a woman truck driver. This is all based on the men honing in on you, Kathryn. It may never happen. But, if it does, we need to protect you,” Nikki said.
    Kathryn looked up at the platform where Charles was standing next to the computer bank. He nodded. “I think I can make arrangements for fuel along the way.” He scribbled something on the pad he was holding in his hands.
    “Any other questions or details you think we need to discuss?” Nikki asked, looking around the table.
    Myra stood up. “I’m going to make us some lunch. Kathryn, you might want to take your dog for a walk. Nikki will assign each of you to a computer where you will order whatever you need shipped to this box number in Washington, D.C. Overnight everything. We have a special Visa for things like this. She’ll give you the number. Charles will work on getting the motorcycles. He’ll arrange for you to pick them up in San Francisco for your trip north. Talk among yourselves, make it as easy as possible. Pay attention to all the little details people tend to ignore. The little details that can trip you up. I’ll come for you when lunch is ready.”
    In the foyer, Myra looked up at the chandelier. “Ah, the power is on again. Light always makes things so much better, don’t you think, dear?”
    Kathryn held the door open for the dog. He bounded outside. “I don’t know. Myra. It seems I’ve lived in darkness for so long I can’t tell