Hitman's Creed - 24

 

"All right, here's how we're going to play this," Glenn said.

They were parked on a side road about a quarter of a mile from where girl told them the gas station was. Harv, who had followed in his own car, was now crouched by the open door of Glenn's as he listened intently.

"Miriam, you and Harv will stay here in his car for now." He turned to Harv. "Turn it around and leave it running. If you even think that something is wrong get her the hell away from here. Joey, you do know how to drive I hope."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Of course."

Glenn chuckled low and patted his leg. "Just had to be certain. I'll do recon first. Give me twenty minutes. I'll call you to let you know whether it's safe or not. If it is you drive up, park by the side of the station and go get the girl. I'll be watching. Once she's in the car, I'll join you and we'll come back here."

"And if it's not safe?"

"Then the three of you head…" Glenn thought for a moment. "Go back to my place and I'll meet you there. Once you turn onto the side road you'll be able to see if he follows you. Just keep going in that case, get back to town, and go to the police station."

"Why not do that from the git-go?" Harv asked.

"Because we'll need to make contingency plans and that won't happen if the cops are involved."

Harv cocked an eyebrow. "Not a big fan of the police, are you?"

Glenn shrugged. "I just think we can do better on our own. The less people involved the more likely Fairburn is to try something else, if the thing with the girl turns out to be a set-up."

Joey wanted to defend the police since he intended to become one, but thought better of it. Now was not the time for some philosophical argument on that subject. Later however, because Glenn's attitude about them bothered him, he would try to find out why he distrusted them.

"All right, let's get this show on the road," Glenn said.

Harv stood and opened the back door of the car, waited for Miriam to get out, and the two of them went to his car. Glenn looked a Joey. "Twenty minutes. If I haven't called by then, get the hell out of Dodge."

"I… all right." Joey tried to smile. "Be careful?"

"Always am. It's what I do best." Glenn patted Joey's leg again then got out. "See you in twenty."

* * * *

Joey drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while he waited for Glenn to call. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but his mind was more on the two brief touches Glenn had given his leg than on the problem at hand. He wondered, hoped, that maybe they were meant as more than just to be reassuring. He rubbed his leg as he imagined Glenn's hand moving higher. His thoughts drifted off toward the erotic and he began to harden.

So when his cell rang he jumped and growled before he came back to reality. He sighed in relief when Glenn told him it was safe, tamped down on his libido, and put the car in gear. As he drove past Harv's car he gave them a thumbs-up. Three minutes later he was parked by the side of the gas station.

He got out of the car, walked to the back of the station, and zeroed in on the stand of trees where the girl was supposed to be waiting. He saw a brief movement in the shadows. As he started toward the trees he kept his hands at his sides, palms facing outwards. He figured she might feel safer if she knew he was empty handed.

When he got to the edge of the trees he saw her peek out from behind the trunk of one of them. "I'm Joey," he said softly.

She stepped into view. For a brief moment she looked at him before she lowered her eyes in what to him seemed a very submissive gesture. "I'm Mary," she whispered. Then her eyes darted around as if she was terrified that someone was listening.

"Come on, Mary. It's safe, I promise. I'm here and so is a friend of mine. He checked things out. Your… our father isn't around." He held out his hand and she moved closer, so fearfully that she made him think of a feral cat that wasn't certain it could trust the person standing there. Then, tentatively, she reached out and took his hand. He smiled, closed his gently around hers, and led her back to the car.

Once she was seated, Glenn appeared. He smiled at her as he told her, "I'm a friend of Joey's."

She looked at Joey for confirmation and he nodded. "This is Glenn. He's one of the good guys, I guess."

"You guess?" Glenn chuckled as he got into the backseat of the car.

"Yeah, well." Joey smiled at Mary as he slid into the driver's seat and turned the car on again. "He says he is so I'm taking his word for it," he told her.

She smiled back shyly. "A joke?"

"Yeah, a joke." As Joey pulled out onto the road, he glanced at Glenn in the rear view mirror and held his hand up in the classic phone call gesture.

Glenn nodded, took out his cell, and texted Harv that he should follow them. As they drove past the side road where they had parked earlier Harv pulled into view. Fifteen minutes later the two cars pulled up behind Glenn's house.