Page 1 of Chasing Sunrise

Prologue

Kasey Hunter droveinto the parking lot of Marshall’s Hardware Store, parked, and checked the time on his phone. Damn, first day of his new job, and he was late. Time got away from him after the last school bell rang, and he’d walked his girlfriend, Stacy, to her car.

His mom’s disappointed voice rang in his head.Being late isn’t starting on the right foot.With any luck, she wouldn’t find out, but the odds were against him. She knew everyone in town, and trying to hide anything from her proved impossible for him and his brothers.

His friend Mike Marshall got Kasey the job at his dad’s store. He’d be working his first shift with Mike and Mr. Marshall today.

He hustled inside. Seeing no one, he strode down the center of the showroom floor, between displays filled with everything from plungers to lawnmowers. He glanced both right and left down every aisle—no one.

At the end of the aisle, he stepped behind the counter and paced down the dark hallway leading to a bathroom, a cleaning closet, and a huge warehouse-storage room with tables, benches, a refrigerator, and shelves filled with surplus hardware items. As he entered the room, he spotted Mike sitting on a bench between two shelves in front of the black, freestanding safe against the back wall.

He peered around the corner of the shelf.

An average-height guy with dirty blonde hair wearing a green jacket and jeans stood next to the bench. “Open the safe,” he ordered in a pissed-off voice. He gestured toward the safe with something shiny in his hand.

It took a second for Kasey to make out what it was.

A gun!

He froze.

“I don’t have the combination.” Although tall, muscular, and close to three hundred pounds, right now Mike appeared small and weak sitting on the low bench.

Where’s Mr. Marshall?

Kasey took a step back. Should he go for help? What would happen to Mike if he left?

Suddenly, the hand with the weapon slammed into Mike’s face. Mike groaned and slumped to the floor.

Alarm streaked through Kasey. He had to do something.

Pretending he hadn’t seen or heard anything, he called, “Mike, you back here?” before he stepped around the corner of the shelving.

Mike’s head shot up, terror in his eyes.

The attacker spun toward Kasey and pointed the handgun at him. “Who the fuck are you?”

An arrowed chill ran up his spine.

“I’m nobody.” Kasey held up his hands, uncertain what lengths the man would go to to get what he wanted.

“You’re somebody. We’re all somebody. Whether we want to be or not.” The man’s bloodshot eyes had deep gray circles underneath them.

Mike grabbed the bench with one hand, his other held his bleeding head. He got to his feet. “He’s a new employee. This is his first day.”

“Is that true?” Gun guy directed the question at Kasey.

He nodded.

“Hell of a first day.” The robber grunted, then glared at Mike. “Unlock the safe.”

“I can’t.” Blood from Mike’s head oozed through his fingers. “My dad is the only one who knows the combination.”

With the firearm, the thief motioned Kasey toward Mike. “Both of you sit.”

They sat beside each other on the bench. Not able to sit still, Kasey nervously pumped the ball of his foot, causing his knee and leg to constantly move up and down. He noticed things that never normally caught his attention. Black and gray scuff marks on the white floor, ticking from the wall clock, and a hum from the icebox in the corner.

“I’m sure Mike can open the register for you.” Kasey hoped to keep him talking instead of hitting or shooting people.

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