Page 37 of Operation: Unify

“And what’s that?” Connor asked, clearly annoyed that Randy hadn’t thought this was pertinent information.

“An older red Chevy Impala. It’s recognizable enough if you’re watching for it, but as far as cars go, it isn’t one that stands out.”

The waitress leaned against the table and popped her gum. “Hey, Randy. You’re usually at work at this hour. What’s going on over at the hotel?”

Randy turned slightly red. “Just a little water damage. That’s all. I don’t work until the repairs are done.”

She snorted and popped her gum loudly. “What can get for you?”

Randy ordered something that sounded Spanish while Connor and Lacy ordered the closest thing to what they would have back at Wayside. The server wasted no time in bringing over a pot of coffee and three mugs. “Your orders will be out shortly.” She stuck her pencil behind her ear and headed through the swinging door to the kitchen.

Something about the place made her nervous, but she couldn’t say what. They were completely alone in there, so it couldn’t be someone watching them. She searched around for anything odd that might not have seemed out of place when she’d first looked everything over, but nothing stood out.

“Isn’t it odd that we’re in here alone?” Connor slowly glanced over the whole place. “This feels like a trap. I’m sure I’m just feeling the pinch of this guy being one step ahead of us everywhere we turn, but it feels like every time we think we’re safe, he shows up.”

The fact that she wasn’t alone in feeling off about the diner made her even more nervous. “Should we get our food to-go? Randy, does your boss have a connection to this place that we should know about?” Since he seemed to own everything in the small town, she hoped he would say something if he did.

“No, but I will admit that I don’t know where Cal gets his morning coffee and doughnut before he comes in.” He looked at his phone. “If he gets them here, he’ll be around any minute.”

Connor glanced at the swinging door where the server had disappeared. “I don’t want to jump to any conclusions without something to warrant the leap. Maybe we’re all suffering from fatigue, and everything is looking suspicious to us.”

Randy took a deep breath and jabbed his finger on an icon on his phone. “Dad is wondering where I am. He says Cal is looking for me and he’s mad that I didn’t wait around for him. I’m supposed to report to work tonight.”

Connor shook his head. “He knows you’re with us. That’s a trap. Thank your dad for letting you know and leave it at that.”

“Dad already thinks I’m a loser. If I get fired, he’ll probably kick me out. I can’t pay for an apartment and school in this town. Since Cal owns most of the rentals, he’d charge me a fortune after this. Unless I want to live in the worst neighborhood. Then there’s openings.” He shook his head as he rapidly typed a replyto his father. “Life is hard when you don’t make enough money to do what you need to do so you can eventually make the money you need.”

Lacy had heard the same from Ferd. Connor’s half-sister had a good head on her shoulders and wanted to go to school, but she didn’t want any debt. That meant she had to work hard and save for a long time in order to pay for it. When she’d told Connor that hiring Ferd to do Lacy’s job would help her manage the task of saving for college even faster, he’d agreed to let her.

“I know. It’s easier for students when they can live at home or if they earn scholarships,” she said.

“You’d think there would be more of those for people who want to learn coding. Tech jobs are literally everywhere. The trouble is, there aren’t any. If I wanted to be a nurse or if I wanted to go into a trade like welding, then I could’ve gotten help.” He shrugged. “I’ll manage. I always do.”

She heard the sorrow of borderline depression cling to his voice. Lacy glanced to Connor for help, but he was focused on the door, watching for the waitress. She hadn’t come back out but there wasn’t anyone else for her to serve, so that didn’t seem odd.

“Connor? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Yet.” He drummed his fingers. “This town is small enough that they can drive around fairly quickly and find us. I hid the truck out back, but all they have to do is drive slowly around the block and they’ll see it. I haven’t seen anyone drive by, but it’s only a matter of time.”

The waitress appeared with a large round tray balanced on her right hand and a folding stand in her left. She didn’t smile as she approached the table. Instead, she was super-efficient. She whipped the table out, gravity making it separate to set the tray on. She set each plate in front of them, then pulled a bottle of ketchup from her pocket. “You let me know if you need anythingelse.” She nodded, half-smiled, and headed back behind the swinging door.

Lovely scents drifted up from her plate and her mouth watered. Was she finally going to get the chance to eat? Maybe that’s how Tod was going to get her. He’d make her starve. She picked up her fork and glanced around to make sure she wouldn’t be interrupted.

Connor blessed the food quickly, setting the pace. They didn’t have time to enjoy what was before them. A raced prayer meant a ticking clock started in her head. She’d finished about half of her plate when Connor’s phone buzzed. He tugged from his pocket and smiled.

For the first time in at least a full day, her stomach settled. Connor wouldn’t smile unless something good had finally happened. “What is it?”

“Melinda is awake and talking. Talking a lot.” He stuck a fork into his pancakes and lifted up a hearty mouthful. “If the doctor is right, Tod will be the one on the run soon.”

Chapter Fourteen

Her plate held only her used napkin after having a few minutes to feel completely free of the stress of the last few days. The good, strong coffee perked up her sluggish mind. Soon Lacy would feel normal again, probably after seeing Melinda and making sure her friend was okay.

Randy’s back straightened in the seat across from her as he watched a car pull into the parking lot. A huge man sat behind the wheel and slowly pulled into the handicapped parking, though she didn’t see any hang tag or sticker on his plate to say he could park there.

The man slowly got out of the old, red car. It swayed as he released his weight from it. Randy audibly swallowed. “That’s him.”

She’d figured that much out, but what could he do to them in the diner? Granted, there wasn’t anyone else inside. Everyone who worked there was in the kitchen, so the usual safety of a public place was severely lacking.

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