“Is anyone going out soon? We’re about out of food in here,” one man said.
“I got a list from the boss. I’m headed out shortly. It’s quite a list. I’m taking the van,” the other man said.
“You getting that much food?”
“Not just food. Look at this list.”
He whistled when he looked at the paper.
“That’s a hell of a list. What’s she need all that for?”
“I didn’t ask. I’m just glad to be getting out for a bit.”
“You need any help?”
“I should be okay. You might need to hang around here in case she comes back and needs something…and we have those guests locked in her office.”
“But they’re locked in. Not much we need to do about them.”
“No, just look in now and then, make sure they’re not up to something.”
“They’re just kids. What could they be up to?”
“Probably not much. Just keep an eye on them. Shouldn’t be hard. The girl’s not bad to look at.”
“I hear you. I’m just gonna have a sandwich and then I’ll come back here and babysit. You leaving now?”
“Just gotta go take a pee and grab the van keys. Should be back in a couple hours.”
As soon as the men walked away, Franklin got to work on the lock and had the door open in no time. They stuck their heads out of the room, saw nobody around, and spotted a white Chevy Express van parked about twenty yards away.
“Ma’am, your chariot awaits,” Franklin said with an exaggerated bow.
“Are you serious?”
“Can you think of a better way out of here?”
“What do we do if he opens the back door?”
“Let’s pray he doesn’t do that before he leaves. Come on.”
They looked around again to make sure they weren’t spotted and then ran to the van, opening the back door and climbing in the cargo area. There was a wall separating the front seats from the cargo area and there was a furniture blanket hanging on the wall, cutting off any visibility from the front seat. They had just sat down and closed the back door when they heard footsteps approaching. A moment later, the front door opened and closed, and the engine started. The van began to move, but only for a minute before stopping. Then they felt a sensation like they were on an elevator going up, which was exactly what was happening. The van was going up to the street level on a freight elevator large enough to take vehicles. A moment later, the van picked up speed, and the ride got bumpy.
“What road is this?” Kendra asked in a whisper.
“I don’t even know what part of town we’re in, but this road is horrible,” Franklin replied, “Hey, I got a signal. Gonna send Walter a message.”
“He can track you?”
“Yep.”
A few minutes later, the van stopped, and they heard the door open and close, but the driver didn’t come to the back door. Franklin waited another minute and opened the back door carefully and peered out.
“Coast is clear, dude must have gone inside,” he said.
Kendra hopped out, and they closed the door.
“He came to Walmart?” Kendra asked.
“Looks like it. Western Hills. That explains the rough ride. Must have come up Queen City.”
“Well, we can’t stay here. We don’t know how long he’s gonna be in there.”
“You hungry?”
“You can think about food at a time like this?”
“Always. There’s a LaRosa’s not far, maybe a ten-minute walk. We can grab a bite and wait for Walter there.”
“I didn’t realize I was that hungry,” Kendra said as she finished the last slice of pizza, “How long do you thin it will take Walter to get here?”
“Depends on when he got the message,” Franklin said.
“Doesn’t he usually get your messages pretty fast?”
“Normally, unless he was out of cell range. Happens when he flies too high. He’ll be here.”
“What if the van driver comes by here?”
“He doesn’t even know we hitched a ride.”
“But when they find us missing—”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. They really don’t know which way we went or how we got out.”
“But that super woman…she can scour the city pretty fast.”
“Yes, she can, and there’s nothing we can do to hide if that’s the case, so we best hope Walter gets here first.”
Their server came by and Franklin asked for more drink refills and ordered dessert.
“After all that pizza, you can eat dessert?” Kendra asked.
“I’m a growing boy…and you didn’t look like you were struggling there.”
“Good point. I do feel like a pig, though.”
“You don’t look like one.”
“Thank you.”
“You keep fiddling with your pocket. What you got in there?”
Kendra pulled her hand out of her pocket and showed him three sets of the ear buds they had found when they were locked up.
“Whoa, there were more of them? Where’d you find them?”
“In that cabinet where I found the pins you picked the lock with.”
“You could have said something.”
“Didn’t want to announce it, in case there was anyone listening.”
“If someone was listening, don’t you think I would have gotten caught picking the lock?”
“Uh…maybe. Well, taking them seemed like a good idea. Who knows if we might put them to good use.”
“You kids save any pizza for me?” Walter said, pulling up a chair and joining them at their table.
“I was wondering when you were gonna get my message,” Franklin said.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Had to land a 747. Darn thing hit a flock of birds and messed up an engine. So, what’s up?”
“I don’t know where to start, but I don’t think we can talk here, and your place might not be safe either.”
“I have to go to my place to feed Otis and let him out to do his business.”
“Might want to make sure that Mike dude isn’t anywhere around there.”
“Why do you say that?”
“That’s what we have to talk to you about,” Kendra said.
“Where’s your car?” Walter asked.
“That’s the problem. I’m not
