Locked Away

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

A Month Earlier

Cam scanned the sky as two hawks glided overhead. The beauty of this place never ceased to amaze her. The lake had become her home over the past six years and Cam loved spending as much time as she could here. Not that it was all that much time, but at least it gave her a serene place to be between assignments. When Michael had first brought her to the lake over fifteen years before to spend some well-deserved R & R at Papa Gauchet’s fishing cottage, Cam had fallen in love with the lake. Then when a beautiful piece of property had become available right on the States side of the border, Cam had become a propertied resident.

Lake Memphramagog spanned the US-Canadian border from Newport, Vermont to Magog, Quebec slicing through the beautiful green mountains that defined the area. It was not as big or as well-known as Lake Champlain, its sister just to the west but it was close enough to several major cities to keep it accessible, yet far enough that a daily commute was nearly impossible. Or at least that’s the way it seemed. Michael, however, found that the commute to Montreal was workable if spending a few hours every night with Cam was the reward. The fact that she only had to make the trek three times a week added to the pleasure. She only taught four days; three starting at ten AM. The one morning she started at eight, she would stay in her own house in Montreal the night before. Just one night apart each week was something they could live with. And, occasionally, Cam would go back to Montreal with her to do some shopping, so they’d get to be together every night…every night Cam wasn’t away on assignment.

Cam stood on the top step of the deck that ran along the front, or east side of her house and looked out over the royal blue of the lake. The water was such a dark blue that Cam knew it meant that the lake was deep and cold. It was so calm that hardly a ripple broke the surface. The day was hot, well, as hot as it gets this far north in the middle of the summer. The slight breeze off the lake made it livable. It never was as humid as Chesapeake Bay made Baltimore feel on a clear day like this and the evening air would cool it even more once the sun slipped behind the mountains. It was now early August and summer was on its way to being recorded as the coolest in many years.

Behind the house, the property sloped up into a deeply wooded bosk, behind which the green mountains of the state rose. She watched as a pair of chipmunks skittered over a pile of firewood for the big rock fireplace in the living room.

She sighed. How long had it been this time? Two months? Six weeks? It didn’t seem that long. It never did. The days just seemed to slide by. But that was all over once again. The call had come this morning. She had to be back in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday afternoon.

Her reservations were made and her flight confirmed. She’d made plans to meet her best friend, Pauly, for dinner on Monday night. Now she just had to tell Michael that she was leaving. That was always the hardest part.

Perhaps her job should have been the hardest part. Over the past fifteen years, she’d gained quite a reputation, which didn’t bode well for an undercover operative, even one who was known as “Chameleon.” The first several years, before her face and name became known, seemed now like the easy portion. Once her cover was blown and the underworld stopped believing that she was an out-of-work ex-policewoman who had spent time in prison for selling drugs, the jobs she was given became longer and more intense. International travel became commonplace. Her passport had been replaced several times under several different names from several different countries. Her employment was divided between both the CIA and the DEA. Her assignments were divided into drug enforcement; body-guarding diplomats and helping them negotiate international treaties. Time spent away from home became longer and longer. Hopefully this would be her last assignment. She’d grown weary of being away from home and not having time to do the things she wanted.

Cam sighed again and ran her hand through her short dark hair. Then she stepped off the porch, allowing the wooden screen door to slam behind her. She walked down to the edge of the water. Just as the days were beginning to get hotter in this northern climate, she’d have to leave this paradise. Although she had no idea where she was being sent, it was better to check everything before she left instead of leaving it for Jean-Rene to do. Although he said that it was no problem for him to keep an eye on the place, Cam still felt guilty leaving it all to Michael’s brother. And, though he refused to be paid for it, the extra Christmas and birthday gifts for his family were always appreciated.

Was it too early to winterize all the plants to make sure they’d survive the harsh winter? Should she contract the dock to be repaired or a new one built now or wait until next spring? There was no telling when she’d be able to get back here and construction people always made their plans way ahead of time so they could start as soon as the weather permitted. All the quality workers were fully booked once the spring thaw began. Of course, she could always leave these details to Michael and her brothers. They’d know who to hire and when they were available. As long as she left the money to cover it, it would get done.

Cam’s property, right on the border between the two countries where the lake was widest, had a long history. It was rumored that it was one of the stopping points back in the late sixties and early seventies when young men and women were leaving the U.S. to go to Canada to escape the Vietnam War. People would come here to visit, go for a walk in the woods, and never be seen again. The former owner had been an aging hippie, with many anti-establishment views and he was more than pleased to provide the outlet. Only failing health had prompted him to sell out and move south to be with his son and daughter-in-law.

When Cam first viewed the house, she fell in love with the wide gable looking out over the lake. The second floor held just one monstrous bedroom and bath. There were lots of closet space under the eaves and dormer windows faced north. One portion of the bedroom opened to overlook the fireplace in the large living room of the first floor. It was wonderful to lie in bed and watch the flames flickering shadows on the ceiling.

There were two smaller bedrooms that shared a bath on the lower floor where a kitchen and big living room completed the house. Now, if she could just get someone to visit.

Cam studied the trim on the screened-in porch and eaves. The paint had peeled in a few places where rain had gotten under the caulking. The eaves and soffits would need to be checked and would probably need some fresh paint by spring, too. Maybe she should just hire someone to come in and do it all. The chimney, too, should be swept and inspected. That hadn’t been done in the last five years. She and Michael had the money and there was no one for either of them to spend it on except a niece and three nephews. Why shouldn’t they spend the money on themselves? What were they saving it for?

How lucky I am, she thought. The three things in life that mean the most: a beautiful place to live, someone to love and a job that makes me happy. And I have the best of all three. Cam’s Nirvana, as Michael called this property, was probably the best thing she’d done with the money she made sneaking around the world as an agent for the DEA. This house and the wooded property around it gave her enough space to distance herself from that life, even if it was only a few weeks a year.

Cam headed back up to the house. Today was a good day to do a little gardening and replant the rosebushes she’d been planning on moving.