Tempestuous by Kim Askew

Author:Kim Askew [Askew, Kim; Helmes, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4405-5265-6
Publisher: F+W Media, Inc.
Published: 2012-08-16T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

The Rarer Action Is in Virtue Than in Vengeance

We booked it back to the food court to regroup. The gearheads had finally stopped experimenting with Diet Coke and Mentos and were diverting themselves with a remote-controlled helicopter.

“We found a kit at Craftworks,” said Raj, who normally worked a nearby cell phone kiosk. He stashed a retractable pencil in the pocket of his navy blue button-down shirt. “Mere mortals would require at least a week to assemble this baby. We figured it out in twenty-five minutes. Dude, ease up on the throttle! Ease up! You’re going to ditch it!”

Grady was among those watching the chopper climb and dive over our heads, but when he saw me he casually ambled over.

“I was waiting for you to get back. Everyone’s acting like you’re de facto in charge over here, so word to the wise: Management’s not going to take kindly to the mess down here.”

It did look like a disaster zone, but what were they going to do, fire us? These minimum wage fast-food service jobs were nearly impossible to fill. I ignored Grady and addressed more pressing issues.

“You don’t happen to have a set of handcuff keys?” I asked.

“Negatory. They rescinded our access to handcuffs here after the Cabbage Patch riots got ugly back in ’83.”

“I take it you don’t have a sidearm, either.”

Grady scoffed.

“Why on earth would you ask?”

“Well, have you been down to the other end of the mall lately? It’s like the North Korean border!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve gotten a few complaints about that.”

“And? Can’t you do something?”

Grady scratched his head and shifted uncomfortably. It occurred to me that as the all-too-frequent butt of teenagers’ jokes he might be particularly reticent about interacting with that elitist end of the mall.

“Look, Miranda, they’re all pretty well corralled down there. Just give ’em a wide berth and they shouldn’t be any trouble.”

“Dude, they shot at us with BB guns,” Caleb interrupted angrily. “Why should they get to occupy an entire annex of the building? They’re not even mall employees.”

“Calm down, calm down,” Grady said, raising both arms defensively. “There’s not much I can do here on my own. I don’t foresee they’re going to pose any problem so long as they confine themselves to that end. And I’d advise the same to all of you,” he said, raising his voice as he scanned the room. “By morning the roads and parking lot should be cleared enough to let you all go home. But until then, no more running around the building willy-nilly. It’s just not safe, and I can’t be in ten places at once to keep an eye on you.”

After glancing disinterestedly at the mall cop, everyone pretty much ignored him and went about their business.

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen any sign of Mike?” I asked Grady as he turned to go.

“Can’t say as I have.”

“We’re also missing a clown named Colin.”

“See, that’s exactly why you all need to just stay put,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll keep an eye out for them.

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