Cold Reckoning by Nolon King & David W. Wright

Author:Nolon King & David W. Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone

Chapter Sixteen

It was easy for Stan to feel like it was just a road trip. Two couples on the road, heading to a week of fun in the sun. Only it seemed like Gen and Ronnie were the only ones having fun.

Since the driver’s seat was already set for him, Mo started the first leg bright and early. They’d be in Panama City by sundown. Ronnie had clapped her hands. “That means we can dance!”

Instead of rolling his eyes, he had agreed with enough enthusiasm to convince her.

The rain was gone, and the farther north they went, the more sun they got. It made it easier to see if anyone was following, but the van made it more difficult than he would have thought. The rearview camera had a wide view, but it distorted everything like he was looking through a glass of water.

Every black car. Every flash of metallic gray. He stared until he got a headache, and his neck started to cramp from craning to see out the side window.

He glanced back at another giggle from the seats in the back. He forced down his annoyance. He knew they weren’t taking it lightly, he just … he was jealous. He wanted to be able to enjoy the moment the same way they were.

Why wouldn’t they try to make the most of it? What could they do but wait? Just see what happened. Take it as it comes.

He sighed and settled back. A switch was coming up. A bite to eat. Freshen up, then it would be his turn. He didn’t have to tell Mo to keep an eye out. Didn’t dare ask the girls to do it too. No sense in all of them fretting.

“You call your guy yet?” Mo asked.

Stan brought his attention around from watching another black car blow buy to the exit. “Not yet, but Mr. Clarke is solid.”

“How solid?”

“As solid as money can buy.”

He didn’t want to admit to any doubt, but Clarke’s loyalty had never really been tested. It was an unknown that they would need to sort out when the time came. He couldn’t do anything from 1400 miles away.

His phone vibrated with a text. “I have a fun fact about Hemingway. Call the number I gave you from a pay phone.”

“A pay phone?” he said.

Mo flicked his glance over, then back to the road. “What about it?”

“Ian wants me to call him from a pay phone. When’s the last time you saw one of those?”

Mo shrugged. “At the airport? Truck stops? They’re still around.”

Stan pushed his head back into the leather rest. “It might be easier just to buy a new phone. That man’s paranoia is … tiring.”

“Worth the money though?”

The seat felt far too good to leave. Soft and conforming. He sighed. “Let’s try the next stop. I think most rest areas have phones, right? Probably a fifty dollar call.”

Gen poked her head through the front seats. “Anybody up here hungry?”

Mo laughed. “When am I not hungry?”

She pointed to a sign with a squeal.

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