"I thought he said he had a Dodge Dart for us," whispered Mary.

"He did say that, but he didn't say we'd be the ones riding in it," chuckled Sam.

"Well, who's in it since we aren't?"

"One of Nathan's associates is driving it as a decoy. We're hoping the bad guys -- whoever they are -- will pay more attention to that car than to us."

"Oh I see. Well, this is the lap of luxury, it seems to me."

Sam smiled lightly. "You continue to amaze me, Mary."

It was Mary's turn to smile. She liked this guy.

They were riding in a box truck with a sixteen foot bed that had a false bottom. Mary and Sam were lying on their backs just beneath the floor boards. Above them was a shipment of 150 crates of chickens.

With every stop, Sam and Mary held their breaths, apprehensive of a search. After about three hours of driving, the truck stopped and Sam could hear voices.

"What seems to be the trouble, officer?" asked Nathan.

"Looking for a couple fugitives. Ever see the people in these pictures?"

"Well ... can't say."

"If you do see them, call this number."

"Will do officer. Thanks."

The truck rolled on, and after another thirty minutes or so it stopped. It only took two minutes to move the chickens and raise the floor boards, but it felt like an eternity to Sam and Mary. Climbing out of the compartment, they were tired, stiff, and sore.

It was just after dusk.

"Lap of luxury, huh?" smiled Nathan.

Sam grimaced.

Mary managed a smile and replied, "We appreciate the ride here. Thanks, Nathan."

Nathan tipped his cap. "Gotta go. Be seeing you."

Sam took Mary by the hand and led her into a barn, where a yellow Corvette greeted them just inside the doorway.

"Hop in," said Sam, holding up the key.

"Are you serious?"

"Let's go."

Mary complied and in moments the car was racing down the gravel road, back toward the highway.

"We're about twenty minutes from the lake. We're going to park at the dam and then walk around the northeast side of the lake. We can't go in your cove, but we can go in the next cove to the north."

"We?"

"I need you as a lookout. I'll be doing the diving."

"Sam, you know that place is going to be crawling with people looking for us."

"I know, but we've got to get whatever Jim threw in there."

The next few minutes passed by quickly. Both Sam and Mary were silent as they thought about what might be ahead. Soon, Sam pulled into the gravel turn-off at the dam. He rolled the car to a stop and looked out the window.

"No moon tonight."

"That will help with privacy as we swim into the cove," said Mary.

"That will help with privacy now," Sam replied. He reached one arm around her and pulled her toward him, and the two embraced in a kiss that would have lasted longer in a less adventurous tale.

"Let's go," whispered Mary.

"That's my line," sighed Sam.

The two of them quickly stepped out of the Corvette. Sam grabbed the bag that had their gear, and the two of them walked quickly through the woods around the northeast corner of the lake.

"I think this is the cove just north of yours."

"Yes, I think so."

It was hard to tell in the dark. Sam pulled out the infrared binoculars and took a look around.

"We've got company," he whispered.

"Who?"

"Can't tell. There's a fishing boat out in the channel, maybe 50 feet beyond the mouth of the cove."

"What do we do?"

"We go quietly and hope he doesn't notice."

"Well then, let's 'do it."

Sam and Mary stepped quietly into the water and begin swimming slowly out of the cove. There was no sign that the fishing boat recognized them.

Going cautiously, they entered the cove -- Mary's cove -- and Sam swam toward the middle while Mary stayed near shore. From Mary's angle, she could not detect Sam's underwater flashlight, but she suspected that somebody looking from overhead may detect it.

Sam took a deep gulp of air and then dived down toward the floor of the cove. Mary watched as Sam stayed underwater for nearly two minutes.

It took Sam only ten minutes to find a metal box, perhaps six inches by six inches by twelve inches. Sam quickly brought it to the surface, strapped it to his back, and started swimming back toward where he left Mary.

He reached the shoreline, but Mary was nowhere to be seen!

"Mary!" Sam whispered.

There was no response.

Sam took a few steps onto the land, and he heard the familiar click that he had heard all too often in his adventurous life.

"Hands up, Sam," said a voice Sam recognized. "No moves, or Mary gets it."

Mary! There, up against a tree, Sam could barely discern the presence of Mary. She wasn't moving.

"Jim, this is clever. You're not going to get away with it though."

"I think I am, Sam. I think I am."