I could not pull out of the exit taking Beth and I away from the Woodlawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery fast enough.

Heading east on the pavement that constituted Highway 42, wouldn't you know it? The sun was trying to peep out from behind the sinister grey clouds it hid behind all morning.

The rain was quickly relenting. No longer was it coming down in torrential sheets like it was before. That is Texas weather for you. If you do not like the current conditions wait a moment. They will change.

The two drenched rats chasing this cheese could not wait to return to the Safe House. Actually not much more than a hunting cabin, the word house provided the structure too much credit.

Beth and I were both soaked to the skin from the downpour at the gravesite. A small price to pay for what we did.

Located in the middle of a quarter acre clearing, the cabin was surrounded on all four sides by a heavily wooded cluster of trees of several varieties. Only a handful of people were aware the cabin existed. Those who needed to know.

Previously I housed other cases in this location for their protection. The cargo I stashed away this time was the most precious of all. At least to us it was.

Arriving at our destination, I turned sharply through a narrow, partially overgrown path just wide enough to squeeze my vehicle through and entered the grotto. Carefully crossing the ruts in the ground so as to not pop a tire I rolled up to the front porch of the cabin and stopped my truck.

"This place isn't much but it will suffice for now," Beth commented, "so will a warm cappuccino."

Beth understood the gravity of the situation we faced with Bee-Bo and the threats The Clown made. I knew he was more than capable of carrying out exactly what he claimed he could do. The problem was how to keep the bloodshed I realized was about to be spilled to a minimum?

We knew Cody would be waiting for us when we reached the cabin. Barefooted. The way he always ran around. Go ahead. You try keeping shoes on that boy's feet. I quit that battle many moons ago. Cody was the reason I selected the solitude of this property.

Getting out of the truck Beth asked Cody, who was standing on the wooden front porch of the cabin when we pulled up, to grab the bag of groceries off the backseat of the pickup and take them inside the cabin so she could put them away.

A very welcome sight to behold indeed, Cody was not only awake from his coma, he was becoming more of his old self with each passing day. Most importantly, Cody was very much alive. He played his part in being transported from Astatula General Hospital to the morgue splendidly. Never missing a beat. I was so proud of him.

Upon our arrival at the morgue placing a mannequin in the coffin Beth and I buried was a simple task. The whole "Cody's Death-And-Funeral" scene was a ruse we staged to convince Bee-Bo that Cody died and remove him from The Clown's crosshairs.

Bee-Bo is not the only one who can stage a star-studded performance. Cody would no longer be a target of the deranged killer.

Beth would remain with Cody at the cabin until I recaptured Bee-Bo and securely returned him lock, stock and barrel back inside prison walls where he belonged. Or killed him. Whichever came first on my bucket list.

Standing on the wooden slat porch of the cabin where he was when Beth and I pulled up, Cody teasingly asked me, "Who rained on your parade Dad?"

I stepped up on the porch beside Cody. Hearing him call me Dad warmed me to the core like nothing else I knew could ever do. I did not correct him. I saw no point in doing so.

Ever since Cody woke up from the coma he was in Dad was all he called me by. Cody and I were a whole lot closer now than we were before that incident occurred.

I pulled Cody to me. Right where he needs to remain. Playfully, I mussed his baby-fine blond hair with my hand then reached down and firmly swatted him on the seat of his jeans. It felt good to have my Little Man back again.

"Go get those groceries out of the truck like Beth asked you to do Squirt," I repeated the request.

"Yes sir," Cody replied bouncing down the three steps leading up to the porch we stood on like he possessed a spring in his tail end. BOING! BOING! BOING!

With the fob in my hand I pressed the button to unlock the door. Cody grabbed the bag of food off the backseat of the truck.

"Make sure you close the door behind you when you're done Little Man," I reminded Cody.

It was not long before a loud SLAM! echoed through the grotto.

"Save the pieces of the truck there Kiddo if you don't mind!" I called over to Cody with a smile on my face.

I could never stay mad at him long. And Cody knew it too.

Cody's antics never ceased to amaze me. I turned around and opened the door leading into the cabin. Dry clothes would be a welcome relief.