Shadow Men – 48 – Anders and Grant

Grant rode shotgun, Anders was the driver, and Steele had the backseat to himself. Once they were well out of sight of the house, Anders stopped the car got out and opened the trunk. Grant, puzzled, wondered What now?

He found out moments later when Anders came back to hand him a pistol in a waistband holster. "I didn't want to give you this while Nicky was around," he explained.

Grant took it as if it was a snake about to attack. He heard Steele chuckle low and shot a glance at him. "Sorry, I'm not really used to carrying."

"Get used to it," Anders said before Steele could.

He beckoned for Grant to get out of the car, after which he showed him how to wear the holster, how to get the pistol out of it, and then proceeded to give him lessons on how to use it effectively. Grant took some practice shots at one of the larger trees by the side of the road while Steele, who had joined them, looked on and tendered some advice of his own. Grant was surprised, but happily so, or as happily as he could be considering, that it had almost no kickback. When he asked why, Anders told him that .22lr pistols rarely did.

After the lesson was over and the pistol holstered, the men returned to the car. Grant hoped he'd get used to the feeling of the gun pressing against his backbone, then immediately revised that, hoping he'd never get that used to carrying one.

* * * *

Five hours later they were on the outskirts of Huntington, WV. Anders announced they'd pick up lunch there, much to Grant's relief. He needed to get out and stretch his legs, take a piss, and generally try to unwind, at least for a few minutes. The drive had been tense, not because anyone seemed aware where they were, although all three of them kept checking for any signs of trouble, but because neither Anders nor Steele was remotely talkative. After a couple of attempts at starting some sort of conversation, Grant had finally given up.

He had expected yet another fast-food joint so he was somewhat surprised when Anders pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant set off by itself at one side of the road.

After Anders and Steele made a visual check of the surroundings they all got out of the car.

"Jacket," Anders said sharply to Grant. It took him a second to figure out why before he realized he needed it to cover his gun.

The interior of the restaurant was dimly lit and cool. A waitress met them at the door to ask "How many", which Grant found inordinately amusing as they were the only three standing there. At Anders' request she led them to a booth along the side wall, well away from the windows. Anders and Grant took one side, Steele the other. In silence they checked their menus and ordered when the waitress returned.

With no one around to overhear, Grant asked where they were going to spend the night.

"We aren't," Anders replied. "We're driving straight through."

Grant wanted to ask why but Steele spoke up then. "What route? We want to avoid toll roads."

"Yeah. Corrie mapped out the best way there." Anders took a folded printout from his pocket to show them. "We can't avoid the one as we enter Manhattan but it's only two miles long and we'll lose ourselves in the city right afterward."

Grant listened, watching Steele's face. It was stoic but he thought he saw a flash of panic as the man said, "Still means if they're watching for us, and they are, they'll know where we've ended up." It vanished seconds later.

"A chance we have to take," Anders replied.

The waitress's return with their meals effectively ended the conversation. They ate in silence, each man concentrating on their food, lost in their own thoughts. After quick trips by each of them to use the men's room, Anders asked for the bill, which he paid in cash, and then they were back on the road again.