A Department Store in Live Oak Park Mall
June 29, 1982
Around 10:00 PM
“I’d like to have a pair of these, but they want forty bucks for them. I can’t really afford that right now,” said Shelley, holding up a white leather sneaker trimmed in royal blue. It was an hour after closing time for the mall, and she and Tabby were accompanying Starla while waiting for her to finish cleaning up in the shoe department where she’d been working that day.
Starla looked up from sorting out pairs of shoes that had been put in the wrong places. “Oh, the Nike Cortez? Yeah, those are pretty popular these days. You should come back this weekend. We’re having an Independence Day sale, and you can get them for five bucks cheaper. Plus, you’ll have your paycheck from Speedy’s by then. But I’m not working this weekend, so you’d have to deal with some other sales associate.”
Starla was almost done for the day. Once she clocked out, they’d be ready to start the adventure they had planned for the night: paying a little visit to the side road they’d followed Jerry to the night before. Matt and Trevor had wanted to be involved too, and had agreed to meet the girls in the mall’s parking lot. They might already be out there, for all Shelley knew. This little trip was something Shelley had been looking forward to all day, but was also a little nervous about. Chances were they wouldn’t find anything unusual, but you never knew. If they did find something, it might lead to another story Shelley could sell the newspaper.
She’d been to the newspaper office earlier that day to pick up a check for the recent freelance work she’d been doing for them. She wanted to get the check before she went to the mall so she’d have some extra money to spend there before the mall closed. So after her shift at Speedy’s had ended, she’d gone home just long enough to change out of the carhop uniform and into something more appropriate for the office, stopped by Tabby’s house to pick her up since she lived so close by, and then headed to the office.
When they arrived, Shelley parked her Firebird near the entrance to the office. It was almost quitting time, so there were some close-up parking spots available. “I’m going to run inside to pick up a paycheck for my stories,” she told Tabby. “I should only be a few minutes. I’ll leave the car running so you’ll have the air conditioning, and feel free to put in any of my 8-tracks. Or, you can go in with me if you want.”
*tag Tabby*
When Shelley opened the door to the office, she encountered Felicia, who was on her way out, probably going home for the day. Shelley put on a smile and stepped back out of Felicia’s way while holding the door for her.
*tag Felicia*
“Bye, Felicia,” Shelley said as the rival reporter headed off toward her car. Shelley stepped inside the office to hunt down Mike or Cindy. She found them a minute later and got her check. “By the way, I got a lead on a possible story, but I don’t really want to say much about it just yet. I need to wait to see if it’s going to pan out. It might turn out to be nothing.”
*tags*
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
*tag Tabby*
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. She put the sneaker down, thinking she might come back for the sale as Starla had suggested.
Starla finished cleaning up and disappeared into an “Employees Only” area for a few minutes. When she returned she said, “Okay, I’m clocked out. Let’s go see if the guys are here.”
*tags*
June 29, 1982
Around 10:00 PM
“I’d like to have a pair of these, but they want forty bucks for them. I can’t really afford that right now,” said Shelley, holding up a white leather sneaker trimmed in royal blue. It was an hour after closing time for the mall, and she and Tabby were accompanying Starla while waiting for her to finish cleaning up in the shoe department where she’d been working that day.
Starla looked up from sorting out pairs of shoes that had been put in the wrong places. “Oh, the Nike Cortez? Yeah, those are pretty popular these days. You should come back this weekend. We’re having an Independence Day sale, and you can get them for five bucks cheaper. Plus, you’ll have your paycheck from Speedy’s by then. But I’m not working this weekend, so you’d have to deal with some other sales associate.”
Starla was almost done for the day. Once she clocked out, they’d be ready to start the adventure they had planned for the night: paying a little visit to the side road they’d followed Jerry to the night before. Matt and Trevor had wanted to be involved too, and had agreed to meet the girls in the mall’s parking lot. They might already be out there, for all Shelley knew. This little trip was something Shelley had been looking forward to all day, but was also a little nervous about. Chances were they wouldn’t find anything unusual, but you never knew. If they did find something, it might lead to another story Shelley could sell the newspaper.
She’d been to the newspaper office earlier that day to pick up a check for the recent freelance work she’d been doing for them. She wanted to get the check before she went to the mall so she’d have some extra money to spend there before the mall closed. So after her shift at Speedy’s had ended, she’d gone home just long enough to change out of the carhop uniform and into something more appropriate for the office, stopped by Tabby’s house to pick her up since she lived so close by, and then headed to the office.
When they arrived, Shelley parked her Firebird near the entrance to the office. It was almost quitting time, so there were some close-up parking spots available. “I’m going to run inside to pick up a paycheck for my stories,” she told Tabby. “I should only be a few minutes. I’ll leave the car running so you’ll have the air conditioning, and feel free to put in any of my 8-tracks. Or, you can go in with me if you want.”
*tag Tabby*
When Shelley opened the door to the office, she encountered Felicia, who was on her way out, probably going home for the day. Shelley put on a smile and stepped back out of Felicia’s way while holding the door for her.
*tag Felicia*
“Bye, Felicia,” Shelley said as the rival reporter headed off toward her car. Shelley stepped inside the office to hunt down Mike or Cindy. She found them a minute later and got her check. “By the way, I got a lead on a possible story, but I don’t really want to say much about it just yet. I need to wait to see if it’s going to pan out. It might turn out to be nothing.”
*tags*
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
*tag Tabby*
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. She put the sneaker down, thinking she might come back for the sale as Starla had suggested.
Starla finished cleaning up and disappeared into an “Employees Only” area for a few minutes. When she returned she said, “Okay, I’m clocked out. Let’s go see if the guys are here.”
*tags*
Tabby had been both excited and nervous in anticipation of the events of that evening. She was excited at the thought of hanging out with her friends and the freedom she'd enjoyed over the past week with her father out of town. It wasn't often that she got to stay out late without having to worry about what she'd come home to. Tabby figured she'd might as well live it up while she could. He'd be home by the end of the weekend. She was also eager to see if they found anything. There was no doubt something was going on. Jerry was clearly waiting for that semi and was up to no good. The prospect of finding something incriminating was just like out of a Nancy Drew novel.
At the same time, that was unlikely. They would easily be able to find where the truck had pulled up, but then what? What were they hoping to find there? Evidence that the truck had turned down the road? They'd witnessed it with their own eyes and that proved nothing. A better question is what would happen if the event repeated and Jerry saw them. How would they explain themselves? At the same time, there were five of them and the guys would be there, too.
Tabby had several hours to ponder things. It seemed like forever, but Shelley finally pulled up out front. Tabby hurried out the front door, wanting to both avoid questions from her mom and also her brother asking what she had in the bag. Tabby had managed to "borrow" a pair of walkie-talkies from her younger brother Danny's room and hadn't asked. This could create two potential problems. One, she'd entered his room without asking, and two, she'd taken something without his permission. At the same time, he hadn't used the radios in forever and was unlikely to miss them. That being said, if he knew she'd gone through his things it invited retaliation. Tabby also brought a pair of binoculars. They had been a Christmas gift and she had taken them to a few concerts when she'd sat in the nosebleed section. If they were going to play detectives, they should look the part. Maybe they were nothing more than props, but they might come in handy although Tabby wasn't expecting them to find much and they likely wouldn't stick around long.
Once in the car, Tabby learned that Shelley needed to run by the newspaper office for a few minutes before they headed on to the mall. They had time to kill anyway as Starla wasn't going to be off until the mall closed and it would take her about another hour to finish tidying up and restocking merchandise. Tabby explained about taking the walkie-talkies from her brother's room and the hell that it could bring down if he discovered them missing. She simply figured that having them and the binoculars seemed like a good idea. They planned to walk around and do a little shopping once they arrived and spent the rest of the time listening to music until Shelley pulled up at the paper.
When they arrived, Shelley parked her Firebird near the entrance to the office. It was almost quitting time, so there were some close-up parking spots available. “I’m going to run inside to pick up a paycheck for my stories,” she told Tabby. “I should only be a few minutes. I’ll leave the car running so you’ll have the air conditioning, and feel free to put in any of my 8-tracks. Or, you can go in with me if you want.”
"Yinz can come, too," She teased. "I don't know. Yinz being unsupervised sounds more fun. I may do a few donuts in the parking lot. I've never driven before, but how hard can it be? I may even drive over to the 7-Eleven and grab some snacks. What flavor Slurpee do you want?"
*Tag Shelley*
"I'm kidding! I'll wait here and guard the car," Tabby said.
When Shelley opened the door to the office, she encountered Felicia, who was on her way out, probably going home for the day. Shelley put on a smile and stepped back out of Felicia’s way while holding the door for her.
Felicia was distracted and started to say thanks when a woman held the door for her on the way out. Just as she opened her mouth, she froze. It was that Higgins girl from Pittsburgh. She just stared at her for a moment with her mouth open, not quite sure what to say. "Looking for Mike and Cindy," She finally managed. "They're in the back." She then hurried past Shelley and out the door without looking back.
“Bye, Felicia,” Shelley said as the rival reporter headed off toward her car. Shelley stepped inside the office to hunt down Mike or Cindy. She found them a minute later and got her check. “By the way, I got a lead on a possible story, but I don’t really want to say much about it just yet. I need to wait to see if it’s going to pan out. It might turn out to be nothing.”
"Oh," Mike asked. "Is it related to the girl in the dumpster, or the cars... or something else?" He seemed genuinely curious and despite Shelley telling him she couldn't say much, he still wanted to get some hint of what the scoop might be. He hoped she would at least clarify if it was related to the previous two stories.
*Tag Shelley*
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I've seen a lot of malls in all of my moves," Tabby explained. "There is another one closer to Dallas we need to check out. It's like a craft mall and looks like a pirate ship on the inside ropes and planks, kinda like Long John's. It has all these really old antique games and those viewer things you turn the crank on and pages flip and it's like watching a silent movie. There's a giant traffic light and a model train club has a set up at one end, but they are never there when we go. They are the trains like Gary bought, but no trucks are slot cars."
*Tag Shelley*
"This one is more modern, it's only about two years old I heard. It has a really cool guitar store, several record stores, a toy store, and a lot of clothing stores, plus an arcade. They even have Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong," Tabby said pausing. She had figured out Shelley really liked that game from when they'd gone to Chuck E. Cheese. "Oh, and an ice skating rink. When we first moved here, I had considered ice skating lessons, but mom said it was too far to drive every weekend."
*Tag Shelley*
"There is this huge clock in the center that looks sort of like Big Ben, but it's up on metal poles, not a building like in England and you can see all the gears and stuff. At the base of it is this clock shop and they have these trains in the store window. They aren't like Gary's or the ones at the other mall," Tabby said. "These are bigger. They're called Playmobile and the figures look like bigger Lego figures. My brother and I had some sets when we were younger, but not the trains. They got sold in one of the many garage sales we had before we moved."
*Tag Shelley*
"Anyway, we can go by the food court while we're there," Tabby suggested. "There is this chicken place called Chick-fil-A and they give out free samples. There is always some lady with pieces of chicken on toothpicks handing them out. It's like totally different from Colonel Sander's or Church's. Sometimes the Chinese place gives out samples, too. There is a place that makes these sausage roll things that are really good. That's usually what I get if we eat in the food court."
*Tag Shelley*
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. She put the sneaker down, thinking she might come back for the sale as Starla had suggested.
Tabby hung out with Shelley for a bit, but drifted towards the guitar shop and went in and stared at the wall of guitars. She wasn't like most girls and not into clothes shopping. Many of the guitars were in custom designs and finishes. There was one that looked like a giant skull. Another was shaped like a machine gun and a third was designed to look like a jet fighter. According to the info posted beside it, supposedly it released smoke from the rear when played. They probably looked better than they sounded, but the shop did have some brand-name instruments as well. Tabby paused to admire a dark purple Ibanez guitar with purple fret inlays.
The mall was getting ready to close and people were heading for exits. Tabby realized they better get back to the store where Starla worked so they didn't get escorted out. If they didn't work there, the security people likely wouldn't take kindly to them wandering through the mall after hours. She quickly found Shelley and followed her back to where Starla was.
Starla finished cleaning up and disappeared into an “Employees Only” area for a few minutes. When she returned she said, “Okay, I’m clocked out. Let’s go see if the guys are here.”
"They're supposed to meet us in the parking lot by Sears," Tabby said. That detail had slipped her mind when she and Shelley had parked on the opposite side of the mall. It didn't matter, though. They could get Shelley's car and circle around. With the parking lot emptying out, it shouldn't be hard to find the guys. Matt was supposed to bring the van since they'd have more room and it would feel more like a 'command center'. Whether or not he'd driven would remain to be seen. Trevor may have insisted on taking his big green booger car instead.
*Tag Starla/Shelley*
At the same time, that was unlikely. They would easily be able to find where the truck had pulled up, but then what? What were they hoping to find there? Evidence that the truck had turned down the road? They'd witnessed it with their own eyes and that proved nothing. A better question is what would happen if the event repeated and Jerry saw them. How would they explain themselves? At the same time, there were five of them and the guys would be there, too.
Tabby had several hours to ponder things. It seemed like forever, but Shelley finally pulled up out front. Tabby hurried out the front door, wanting to both avoid questions from her mom and also her brother asking what she had in the bag. Tabby had managed to "borrow" a pair of walkie-talkies from her younger brother Danny's room and hadn't asked. This could create two potential problems. One, she'd entered his room without asking, and two, she'd taken something without his permission. At the same time, he hadn't used the radios in forever and was unlikely to miss them. That being said, if he knew she'd gone through his things it invited retaliation. Tabby also brought a pair of binoculars. They had been a Christmas gift and she had taken them to a few concerts when she'd sat in the nosebleed section. If they were going to play detectives, they should look the part. Maybe they were nothing more than props, but they might come in handy although Tabby wasn't expecting them to find much and they likely wouldn't stick around long.
Once in the car, Tabby learned that Shelley needed to run by the newspaper office for a few minutes before they headed on to the mall. They had time to kill anyway as Starla wasn't going to be off until the mall closed and it would take her about another hour to finish tidying up and restocking merchandise. Tabby explained about taking the walkie-talkies from her brother's room and the hell that it could bring down if he discovered them missing. She simply figured that having them and the binoculars seemed like a good idea. They planned to walk around and do a little shopping once they arrived and spent the rest of the time listening to music until Shelley pulled up at the paper.
When they arrived, Shelley parked her Firebird near the entrance to the office. It was almost quitting time, so there were some close-up parking spots available. “I’m going to run inside to pick up a paycheck for my stories,” she told Tabby. “I should only be a few minutes. I’ll leave the car running so you’ll have the air conditioning, and feel free to put in any of my 8-tracks. Or, you can go in with me if you want.”
"Yinz can come, too," She teased. "I don't know. Yinz being unsupervised sounds more fun. I may do a few donuts in the parking lot. I've never driven before, but how hard can it be? I may even drive over to the 7-Eleven and grab some snacks. What flavor Slurpee do you want?"
*Tag Shelley*
"I'm kidding! I'll wait here and guard the car," Tabby said.
When Shelley opened the door to the office, she encountered Felicia, who was on her way out, probably going home for the day. Shelley put on a smile and stepped back out of Felicia’s way while holding the door for her.
Felicia was distracted and started to say thanks when a woman held the door for her on the way out. Just as she opened her mouth, she froze. It was that Higgins girl from Pittsburgh. She just stared at her for a moment with her mouth open, not quite sure what to say. "Looking for Mike and Cindy," She finally managed. "They're in the back." She then hurried past Shelley and out the door without looking back.
“Bye, Felicia,” Shelley said as the rival reporter headed off toward her car. Shelley stepped inside the office to hunt down Mike or Cindy. She found them a minute later and got her check. “By the way, I got a lead on a possible story, but I don’t really want to say much about it just yet. I need to wait to see if it’s going to pan out. It might turn out to be nothing.”
"Oh," Mike asked. "Is it related to the girl in the dumpster, or the cars... or something else?" He seemed genuinely curious and despite Shelley telling him she couldn't say much, he still wanted to get some hint of what the scoop might be. He hoped she would at least clarify if it was related to the previous two stories.
*Tag Shelley*
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I've seen a lot of malls in all of my moves," Tabby explained. "There is another one closer to Dallas we need to check out. It's like a craft mall and looks like a pirate ship on the inside ropes and planks, kinda like Long John's. It has all these really old antique games and those viewer things you turn the crank on and pages flip and it's like watching a silent movie. There's a giant traffic light and a model train club has a set up at one end, but they are never there when we go. They are the trains like Gary bought, but no trucks are slot cars."
*Tag Shelley*
"This one is more modern, it's only about two years old I heard. It has a really cool guitar store, several record stores, a toy store, and a lot of clothing stores, plus an arcade. They even have Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong," Tabby said pausing. She had figured out Shelley really liked that game from when they'd gone to Chuck E. Cheese. "Oh, and an ice skating rink. When we first moved here, I had considered ice skating lessons, but mom said it was too far to drive every weekend."
*Tag Shelley*
"There is this huge clock in the center that looks sort of like Big Ben, but it's up on metal poles, not a building like in England and you can see all the gears and stuff. At the base of it is this clock shop and they have these trains in the store window. They aren't like Gary's or the ones at the other mall," Tabby said. "These are bigger. They're called Playmobile and the figures look like bigger Lego figures. My brother and I had some sets when we were younger, but not the trains. They got sold in one of the many garage sales we had before we moved."
*Tag Shelley*
"Anyway, we can go by the food court while we're there," Tabby suggested. "There is this chicken place called Chick-fil-A and they give out free samples. There is always some lady with pieces of chicken on toothpicks handing them out. It's like totally different from Colonel Sander's or Church's. Sometimes the Chinese place gives out samples, too. There is a place that makes these sausage roll things that are really good. That's usually what I get if we eat in the food court."
*Tag Shelley*
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. She put the sneaker down, thinking she might come back for the sale as Starla had suggested.
Tabby hung out with Shelley for a bit, but drifted towards the guitar shop and went in and stared at the wall of guitars. She wasn't like most girls and not into clothes shopping. Many of the guitars were in custom designs and finishes. There was one that looked like a giant skull. Another was shaped like a machine gun and a third was designed to look like a jet fighter. According to the info posted beside it, supposedly it released smoke from the rear when played. They probably looked better than they sounded, but the shop did have some brand-name instruments as well. Tabby paused to admire a dark purple Ibanez guitar with purple fret inlays.
The mall was getting ready to close and people were heading for exits. Tabby realized they better get back to the store where Starla worked so they didn't get escorted out. If they didn't work there, the security people likely wouldn't take kindly to them wandering through the mall after hours. She quickly found Shelley and followed her back to where Starla was.
Starla finished cleaning up and disappeared into an “Employees Only” area for a few minutes. When she returned she said, “Okay, I’m clocked out. Let’s go see if the guys are here.”
"They're supposed to meet us in the parking lot by Sears," Tabby said. That detail had slipped her mind when she and Shelley had parked on the opposite side of the mall. It didn't matter, though. They could get Shelley's car and circle around. With the parking lot emptying out, it shouldn't be hard to find the guys. Matt was supposed to bring the van since they'd have more room and it would feel more like a 'command center'. Whether or not he'd driven would remain to be seen. Trevor may have insisted on taking his big green booger car instead.
*Tag Starla/Shelley*
Felicia hurried out to her car and got in. She didn't want to look back in case Shelley Higgins stood in the doorway to watch her. Felicia noticed she'd left her Trans-Am running. Either this would be a quick in and out, or someone was with her. In the former case, that was awfully risky given that several cars had been stolen recently and Miss Higgins was aware of that fact.
Unfortunately, since she was caught off guard, she didn't see if anyone was in the car. Maybe Shelley was just picking up a check or something. After all, she had sold a few pictures and stories to the paper recently. That was probably all there was to it. Felicia didn't want to make it look like she was watching Shelley, so she started her car, backed out, and pulled out of the lot.
I don't care what that girl is up to, she tried to convince herself until she realized she'd involuntarily pulled over out of sight to watch which way Shelley's car went. For a moment, it felt like someone else was controlling Felicia's body. It took her a moment to process her own actions, but then she realized that maybe Miss Higgins was up to something. "We'll see how you get your lucky leads," Felicia said aloud to herself. Her gut told her that there was more to her stopping by the office than just picking up a check.
Sure enough, the black Pontiac turned out of the parking lot a few minutes later, but it didn't head in the direction Felicia expected it to. "Where the hell is that girl off to," she mused aloud. She let Shelley get an intersection ahead before Felicia suddenly found herself following her. It appeared she was headed in the direction of Dallas, which was in the opposite direction of River Oaks.
It dawned on Felicia there was no reason for the girl to be headed to the country club since she wasn't a member but she wasn't headed back towards the area where she lived. Shelley managed to get a few lights ahead and for a little while, Felicia thought she'd lost her. On a hunch, she decided to head toward the mall. Her intuition paid off. She happened to catch a glimpse of Shelley's car turning into the parking lot. The mall was a big place but didn't have a parking garage. Instead, the large parking lot circled the entire building. By the time Felicia turned in, she had no idea which way Shelley had gone. That was okay, though. Even if she was picking someone up, it was unlikely to be a quick in and out. Felicia decided to take her time. She'd give Miss Higgins a little time and then circle around to see if she spotted the car. Felicia didn't want to be seen by anyone.
Unfortunately, since she was caught off guard, she didn't see if anyone was in the car. Maybe Shelley was just picking up a check or something. After all, she had sold a few pictures and stories to the paper recently. That was probably all there was to it. Felicia didn't want to make it look like she was watching Shelley, so she started her car, backed out, and pulled out of the lot.
I don't care what that girl is up to, she tried to convince herself until she realized she'd involuntarily pulled over out of sight to watch which way Shelley's car went. For a moment, it felt like someone else was controlling Felicia's body. It took her a moment to process her own actions, but then she realized that maybe Miss Higgins was up to something. "We'll see how you get your lucky leads," Felicia said aloud to herself. Her gut told her that there was more to her stopping by the office than just picking up a check.
Sure enough, the black Pontiac turned out of the parking lot a few minutes later, but it didn't head in the direction Felicia expected it to. "Where the hell is that girl off to," she mused aloud. She let Shelley get an intersection ahead before Felicia suddenly found herself following her. It appeared she was headed in the direction of Dallas, which was in the opposite direction of River Oaks.
It dawned on Felicia there was no reason for the girl to be headed to the country club since she wasn't a member but she wasn't headed back towards the area where she lived. Shelley managed to get a few lights ahead and for a little while, Felicia thought she'd lost her. On a hunch, she decided to head toward the mall. Her intuition paid off. She happened to catch a glimpse of Shelley's car turning into the parking lot. The mall was a big place but didn't have a parking garage. Instead, the large parking lot circled the entire building. By the time Felicia turned in, she had no idea which way Shelley had gone. That was okay, though. Even if she was picking someone up, it was unlikely to be a quick in and out. Felicia decided to take her time. She'd give Miss Higgins a little time and then circle around to see if she spotted the car. Felicia didn't want to be seen by anyone.
When they arrived at the newspaper office, Shelley parked her Firebird near the entrance. It was almost quitting time, so there were some close-up parking spots available. “I’m going to run inside to pick up a paycheck for my stories,” she told Tabby. “I should only be a few minutes. I’ll leave the car running so you’ll have the air conditioning, and feel free to put in any of my 8-tracks. Or, you can go in with me if you want.”
"Yinz can come, too," She teased. "I don't know. Yinz being unsupervised sounds more fun. I may do a few donuts in the parking lot. I've never driven before, but how hard can it be? I may even drive over to the 7-Eleven and grab some snacks. What flavor Slurpee do you want?"
“Hmmm… I think I’m starting to understand why Matt threatened to lock you in the trunk of that Volare,” said Shelley, cleverly omitting any mention of the fact that Matt had threatened to lock her in there as well. “My Firebird has a trunk too, you know.”
"I'm kidding! I'll wait here and guard the car," Tabby said.
After a brief encounter with Felicia at the door, Shelley stepped inside the office to hunt down Mike or Cindy. She found them a minute later and got her check. “By the way, I got a lead on a possible story, but I don’t really want to say much about it just yet. I need to wait to see if it’s going to pan out. It might turn out to be nothing.”
"Oh," Mike asked. "Is it related to the girl in the dumpster, or the cars... or something else?" He seemed genuinely curious and despite Shelley telling him she couldn't say much, he still wanted to get some hint of what the scoop might be. He hoped she would at least clarify if it was related to the previous two stories.
Shelley was reluctant to say very much until she knew more about what they’d seen the previous night, but maybe it would be okay to give Mike a little hint. “Well…let’s just say I heard that somebody observed some activity last night that seems a little suspicious, and I want to check it out. I kind of doubt it has anything to do with Miss McLeod. Whether it has anything to do with the cars, I don’t have a clue, but I can see how it possibly could. I can kind of look into that possibility if you want. But like I said, this may all turn out to be nothing.”
*Tag Mike*
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I've seen a lot of malls in all of my moves," Tabby explained. "There is another one closer to Dallas we need to check out. It's like a craft mall and looks like a pirate ship on the inside ropes and planks, kinda like Long John's. It has all these really old antique games and those viewer things you turn the crank on and pages flip and it's like watching a silent movie. There's a giant traffic light and a model train club has a set up at one end, but they are never there when we go. They are the trains like Gary bought, but no trucks are slot cars."
“A pirate-themed craft mall? That sounds pretty interesting,” said Shelley. She imagined that it might potentially be a good place for a photo shoot. “There was a mall back home that used to have a train setup, but only during the Christmas season. It was part of their holiday decorations. So what’s this pirate mall called? I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime.”
*Tag Tabby*
"This one is more modern, it's only about two years old I heard. It has a really cool guitar store, several record stores, a toy store, and a lot of clothing stores, plus an arcade. They even have Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong," Tabby said pausing. She had figured out Shelley really liked that game from when they'd gone to Chuck E. Cheese. "Oh, and an ice skating rink. When we first moved here, I had considered ice skating lessons, but mom said it was too far to drive every weekend."
Shelley smiled at the mention of the video games. Fortunately the proximity of the Rat Palace meant she didn’t have to drive all the way to this mall if she wanted to play them. The ice skating, though, was another matter. “Ice skating, eh? As good as you are at roller skating, I bet you’d be a natural at it.” After a short pause, she said, “You know, if your mom doesn’t want to drive you, maybe I could. I’ve never been ice skating, but maybe you and I could take lessons together. I’ll have to scrape up some money first, though.”
*Tag Tabby*
"There is this huge clock in the center that looks sort of like Big Ben, but it's up on metal poles, not a building like in England and you can see all the gears and stuff. At the base of it is this clock shop and they have these trains in the store window. They aren't like Gary's or the ones at the other mall," Tabby said. "These are bigger. They're called Playmobile and the figures look like bigger Lego figures. My brother and I had some sets when we were younger, but not the trains. They got sold in one of the many garage sales we had before we moved."
“It must have been tough, moving all the time,” Shelley said sympathetically. She didn’t want the conversation turning gloomy, though. “I bet Gary would like that place. Even if the trains aren’t the kind he likes, he’d probably be interested in the clockwork stuff. All those gears n’at are probably a lot like those animatronic critters he works on at Chuck E. Cheese’s.”
"Anyway, we can go by the food court while we're there," Tabby suggested. "There is this chicken place called Chick-fil-A and they give out free samples. There is always some lady with pieces of chicken on toothpicks handing them out. It's like totally different from Colonel Sander's or Church's. Sometimes the Chinese place gives out samples, too. There is a place that makes these sausage roll things that are really good. That's usually what I get if we eat in the food court."
“Sounds like you know where all the good stuff is, and I’m always willing to try out new things,” said Shelley. “You’ll have to be my guide and show me around.”
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. Meanwhile Tabby went off to the guitar shop to look over their selection. They met back up as the mall’s closing time approached and went to Starla’s place of work, knowing they wouldn’t be allowed to hang out in the mall after hours unless they were the guest of someone who actually worked there.
Shelley and Tabby waited in the Sanger Harris shoe department until Starla had finished work and clocked out. "They're supposed to meet us in the parking lot by Sears," Tabby said. That detail had slipped her mind when she and Shelley had parked on the opposite side of the mall. It didn't matter, though. They could get Shelley's car and circle around. With the parking lot emptying out, it shouldn't be hard to find the guys. Matt was supposed to bring the van since they'd have more room and it would feel more like a 'command center'. Whether or not he'd driven would remain to be seen. Trevor may have insisted on taking his big green booger car instead.
The girls made their way through the mall to the entrance nearest where Shelley had parked, and found a pretty hard rain coming down. There had been occasional sporadic showers earlier in the day, brief periods of rain that were probably remnants of the storm system that had passed through the night before, but during Shelley’s and Tabby’s drive to the mall there had been no rain. When they had arrived, the parking lot had been pretty full, so they’d not been able to park close to the door. It looked like Shelley at least was going to have to run out to her car in the rain and get soaking wet, unless they wanted to wait for the shower to end. If this shower was like the ones earlier in the day, chances were it would end within a few minutes, but there was no way to know for sure.
Starla suggested, “Let’s go back through the mall over to the entrance by Sears. It’s a covered entrance, so we can wave the guys over and they drive right up to the curb and pick us up. Assuming they’re not late, that is.”
“That sounds good to me,” said Shelley. “I brought my camera bag in with me, so I don’t actually need to go to the car to get it. I’d rather just hop in the van and not get wet if I don’t have to. Hopefully the rain will let up before we get out to Debbie Hart Lane.”
*tags*
(OOC: I'm going to roll a d10; 1-6 means the guys show up in Matt's van, 7-9 means they show up in the Green Goblin, and 10 means they are late or not there for some reason.)
"Yinz can come, too," She teased. "I don't know. Yinz being unsupervised sounds more fun. I may do a few donuts in the parking lot. I've never driven before, but how hard can it be? I may even drive over to the 7-Eleven and grab some snacks. What flavor Slurpee do you want?"
“Hmmm… I think I’m starting to understand why Matt threatened to lock you in the trunk of that Volare,” said Shelley, cleverly omitting any mention of the fact that Matt had threatened to lock her in there as well. “My Firebird has a trunk too, you know.”
"I'm kidding! I'll wait here and guard the car," Tabby said.
After a brief encounter with Felicia at the door, Shelley stepped inside the office to hunt down Mike or Cindy. She found them a minute later and got her check. “By the way, I got a lead on a possible story, but I don’t really want to say much about it just yet. I need to wait to see if it’s going to pan out. It might turn out to be nothing.”
"Oh," Mike asked. "Is it related to the girl in the dumpster, or the cars... or something else?" He seemed genuinely curious and despite Shelley telling him she couldn't say much, he still wanted to get some hint of what the scoop might be. He hoped she would at least clarify if it was related to the previous two stories.
Shelley was reluctant to say very much until she knew more about what they’d seen the previous night, but maybe it would be okay to give Mike a little hint. “Well…let’s just say I heard that somebody observed some activity last night that seems a little suspicious, and I want to check it out. I kind of doubt it has anything to do with Miss McLeod. Whether it has anything to do with the cars, I don’t have a clue, but I can see how it possibly could. I can kind of look into that possibility if you want. But like I said, this may all turn out to be nothing.”
*Tag Mike*
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I've seen a lot of malls in all of my moves," Tabby explained. "There is another one closer to Dallas we need to check out. It's like a craft mall and looks like a pirate ship on the inside ropes and planks, kinda like Long John's. It has all these really old antique games and those viewer things you turn the crank on and pages flip and it's like watching a silent movie. There's a giant traffic light and a model train club has a set up at one end, but they are never there when we go. They are the trains like Gary bought, but no trucks are slot cars."
“A pirate-themed craft mall? That sounds pretty interesting,” said Shelley. She imagined that it might potentially be a good place for a photo shoot. “There was a mall back home that used to have a train setup, but only during the Christmas season. It was part of their holiday decorations. So what’s this pirate mall called? I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime.”
*Tag Tabby*
"This one is more modern, it's only about two years old I heard. It has a really cool guitar store, several record stores, a toy store, and a lot of clothing stores, plus an arcade. They even have Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong," Tabby said pausing. She had figured out Shelley really liked that game from when they'd gone to Chuck E. Cheese. "Oh, and an ice skating rink. When we first moved here, I had considered ice skating lessons, but mom said it was too far to drive every weekend."
Shelley smiled at the mention of the video games. Fortunately the proximity of the Rat Palace meant she didn’t have to drive all the way to this mall if she wanted to play them. The ice skating, though, was another matter. “Ice skating, eh? As good as you are at roller skating, I bet you’d be a natural at it.” After a short pause, she said, “You know, if your mom doesn’t want to drive you, maybe I could. I’ve never been ice skating, but maybe you and I could take lessons together. I’ll have to scrape up some money first, though.”
*Tag Tabby*
"There is this huge clock in the center that looks sort of like Big Ben, but it's up on metal poles, not a building like in England and you can see all the gears and stuff. At the base of it is this clock shop and they have these trains in the store window. They aren't like Gary's or the ones at the other mall," Tabby said. "These are bigger. They're called Playmobile and the figures look like bigger Lego figures. My brother and I had some sets when we were younger, but not the trains. They got sold in one of the many garage sales we had before we moved."
“It must have been tough, moving all the time,” Shelley said sympathetically. She didn’t want the conversation turning gloomy, though. “I bet Gary would like that place. Even if the trains aren’t the kind he likes, he’d probably be interested in the clockwork stuff. All those gears n’at are probably a lot like those animatronic critters he works on at Chuck E. Cheese’s.”
"Anyway, we can go by the food court while we're there," Tabby suggested. "There is this chicken place called Chick-fil-A and they give out free samples. There is always some lady with pieces of chicken on toothpicks handing them out. It's like totally different from Colonel Sander's or Church's. Sometimes the Chinese place gives out samples, too. There is a place that makes these sausage roll things that are really good. That's usually what I get if we eat in the food court."
“Sounds like you know where all the good stuff is, and I’m always willing to try out new things,” said Shelley. “You’ll have to be my guide and show me around.”
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. Meanwhile Tabby went off to the guitar shop to look over their selection. They met back up as the mall’s closing time approached and went to Starla’s place of work, knowing they wouldn’t be allowed to hang out in the mall after hours unless they were the guest of someone who actually worked there.
Shelley and Tabby waited in the Sanger Harris shoe department until Starla had finished work and clocked out. "They're supposed to meet us in the parking lot by Sears," Tabby said. That detail had slipped her mind when she and Shelley had parked on the opposite side of the mall. It didn't matter, though. They could get Shelley's car and circle around. With the parking lot emptying out, it shouldn't be hard to find the guys. Matt was supposed to bring the van since they'd have more room and it would feel more like a 'command center'. Whether or not he'd driven would remain to be seen. Trevor may have insisted on taking his big green booger car instead.
The girls made their way through the mall to the entrance nearest where Shelley had parked, and found a pretty hard rain coming down. There had been occasional sporadic showers earlier in the day, brief periods of rain that were probably remnants of the storm system that had passed through the night before, but during Shelley’s and Tabby’s drive to the mall there had been no rain. When they had arrived, the parking lot had been pretty full, so they’d not been able to park close to the door. It looked like Shelley at least was going to have to run out to her car in the rain and get soaking wet, unless they wanted to wait for the shower to end. If this shower was like the ones earlier in the day, chances were it would end within a few minutes, but there was no way to know for sure.
Starla suggested, “Let’s go back through the mall over to the entrance by Sears. It’s a covered entrance, so we can wave the guys over and they drive right up to the curb and pick us up. Assuming they’re not late, that is.”
“That sounds good to me,” said Shelley. “I brought my camera bag in with me, so I don’t actually need to go to the car to get it. I’d rather just hop in the van and not get wet if I don’t have to. Hopefully the rain will let up before we get out to Debbie Hart Lane.”
*tags*
(OOC: I'm going to roll a d10; 1-6 means the guys show up in Matt's van, 7-9 means they show up in the Green Goblin, and 10 means they are late or not there for some reason.)
rolled 1d10 and got a natural 6.
"There they are. It's about time! What was the hold-up? Were they in there putting on makeup or something?" Matt said when he spotted the three girls emerging from the mall. The cover over the entrance allowed them to come out close to the curb without getting soaked by the shower that had started a few minutes ago.
*tag Trevor*
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
*Tags*
*tag Trevor*
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
*Tags*
Shelley was reluctant to say very much until she knew more about what they’d seen the previous night, but maybe it would be okay to give Mike a little hint. “Well…let’s just say I heard that somebody observed some activity last night that seems a little suspicious, and I want to check it out. I kind of doubt it has anything to do with Miss McLeod. Whether it has anything to do with the cars, I don’t have a clue, but I can see how it possibly could. I can kind of look into that possibility if you want. But like I said, this may all turn out to be nothing.”
"That is often the case," Mike replied. "Just remember to stay safe and not do anything illegal in pursuing whatever it is."
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I've seen a lot of malls in all of my moves," Tabby explained. "There is another one closer to Dallas we need to check out. It's like a craft mall and looks like a pirate ship on the inside ropes and planks, kinda like Long John's. It has all these really old antique games and those viewer things you turn the crank on and pages flip and it's like watching a silent movie. There's a giant traffic light and a model train club has a set up at one end, but they are never there when we go. They are the trains like Gary bought, but no trucks are slot cars."
“A pirate-themed craft mall? That sounds pretty interesting,” said Shelley. She imagined that it might potentially be a good place for a photo shoot. “There was a mall back home that used to have a train setup, but only during the Christmas season. It was part of their holiday decorations. So what’s this pirate mall called? I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime.”
"Well, it isn't actually pirate-themed," Tabby explained. "It just reminds me of one kind of like how Long John Silvers looks like a boat dock out front with all of those wooden planks and the rope handrails along the walkways. It's like that. No Jolly Roger or people with eye patches or anything. I think it's called Ole Padreda or something like that."
"This one is more modern, it's only about two years old I heard. It has a really cool guitar store, several record stores, a toy store, and a lot of clothing stores, plus an arcade. They even have Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong," Tabby said pausing. She had figured out Shelley really liked that game from when they'd gone to Chuck E. Cheese. "Oh, and an ice skating rink. When we first moved here, I had considered ice skating lessons, but mom said it was too far to drive every weekend."
Shelley smiled at the mention of the video games. Fortunately, the proximity of the Rat Palace meant she didn’t have to drive all the way to this mall if she wanted to play them. The ice skating, though, was another matter. “Ice skating, eh? As good as you are at roller skating, I bet you’d be a natural at it.” After a short pause, she said, “You know, if your mom doesn’t want to drive you, maybe I could. I’ve never been ice skating, but maybe you and I could take lessons together. I’ll have to scrape up some money first, though.”
"That would be cool," Tabby said. "I do like both and we have a roller rink in Teal Cove. A lot of people hang out there on Friday and Saturday nights. It's a lot closer, so maybe something to do one night."
Tabby suddenly wished they'd done that sooner. The band had a show Saturday night and her father would be home. That would put an end to her going out so much as he would be sure to take notice.
"There is this huge clock in the center that looks sort of like Big Ben, but it's up on metal poles, not a building like in England and you can see all the gears and stuff. At the base of it is this clock shop and they have these trains in the store window. They aren't like Gary's or the ones at the other mall," Tabby said. "These are bigger. They're called Playmobile and the figures look like bigger Lego figures. My brother and I had some sets when we were younger, but not the trains. They got sold in one of the many garage sales we had before we moved."
“It must have been tough, moving all the time,” Shelley said sympathetically. She didn’t want the conversation turning gloomy, though. “I bet Gary would like that place. Even if the trains aren’t the kind he likes, he’d probably be interested in the clockwork stuff. All those gears n’at are probably a lot like those animatronic critters he works on at Chuck E. Cheese’s.”
"Anyway, we can go by the food court while we're there," Tabby suggested. "There is this chicken place called Chick-fil-A and they give out free samples. There is always some lady with pieces of chicken on toothpicks handing them out. It's like totally different from Colonel Sander's or Church's. Sometimes the Chinese place gives out samples, too. There is a place that makes these sausage roll things that are really good. That's usually what I get if we eat in the food court."
“Sounds like you know where all the good stuff is, and I’m always willing to try out new things,” said Shelley. “You’ll have to be my guide and show me around.”
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. Meanwhile Tabby went off to the guitar shop to look over their selection. They met back up as the mall’s closing time approached and went to Starla’s place of work, knowing they wouldn’t be allowed to hang out in the mall after hours unless they were the guest of someone who actually worked there.
Shelley and Tabby waited in the Sanger Harris shoe department until Starla had finished work and clocked out. "They're supposed to meet us in the parking lot by Sears," Tabby said. That detail had slipped her mind when she and Shelley had parked on the opposite side of the mall. It didn't matter, though. They could get Shelley's car and circle around. With the parking lot emptying out, it shouldn't be hard to find the guys. Matt was supposed to bring the van since they'd have more room and it would feel more like a 'command center'. Whether or not he'd driven would remain to be seen. Trevor may have insisted on taking his big green booger car instead.
The girls made their way through the mall to the entrance nearest where Shelley had parked and found a pretty hard rain coming down. There had been occasional sporadic showers earlier in the day, brief periods of rain that were probably remnants of the storm system that had passed through the night before, but during Shelley’s and Tabby’s drive to the mall, there had been no rain. When they had arrived, the parking lot had been pretty full, so they’d not been able to park close to the door. It looked like Shelley at least was going to have to run out to her car in the rain and get soaking wet, unless they wanted to wait for the shower to end. If this shower was like the ones earlier in the day, chances were it would end within a few minutes, but there was no way to know for sure.
Starla suggested, “Let’s go back through the mall over to the entrance by Sears. It’s a covered entrance, so we can wave the guys over and they drive right up to the curb and pick us up. Assuming they’re not late, that is.”
“That sounds good to me,” said Shelley. “I brought my camera bag in with me, so I don’t actually need to go to the car to get it. I’d rather just hop in the van and not get wet if I don’t have to. Hopefully, the rain will let up before we get out to Debbie Hart Lane.”
Tabby nodded in agreement and let Starla take the lead. "Oh, I do need to stop by the car, though," She said. "I brought some walkie-talkies and binoculars and left the bag in the front seat. We probably won't need them, but hey, I figured it couldn't hurt and if we're going to do an investigation we should look the part."
A few minutes later, they were standing outside Sears on the other side of the mall. Although the parking lot was massive, it had cleared out substantially now that it was after hours. Sure enough, Tabby saw a big white van sitting in the middle of the lot with headlights on. She jumped up and down and waved her arms a few times, but it didn't move.
"Okay, you two help me get their attention," Tabby said. She turned back to the van and waved both arms hoping to get the guys' attention. "Grrr, either they are doing this intentionally, or they are so busy pretending to be Han Solo and Chewbacca that they aren't paying attention to us. I am made of sugar and will melt if I have to run through the parking lot to the van. They better come get me!"
"That is often the case," Mike replied. "Just remember to stay safe and not do anything illegal in pursuing whatever it is."
After leaving the newspaper office, they made a quick stop at the bank so Shelley could cash the check, and then headed off to the mall. Live Oak Park Mall wasn’t actually in Teal Cove, but in a nearby town, so it was a bit of a drive. “I’ve never been to this mall before,” Shelley told Tabby during the drive. “Too bad Teal Cove doesn’t have a mall of its own.”
"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I've seen a lot of malls in all of my moves," Tabby explained. "There is another one closer to Dallas we need to check out. It's like a craft mall and looks like a pirate ship on the inside ropes and planks, kinda like Long John's. It has all these really old antique games and those viewer things you turn the crank on and pages flip and it's like watching a silent movie. There's a giant traffic light and a model train club has a set up at one end, but they are never there when we go. They are the trains like Gary bought, but no trucks are slot cars."
“A pirate-themed craft mall? That sounds pretty interesting,” said Shelley. She imagined that it might potentially be a good place for a photo shoot. “There was a mall back home that used to have a train setup, but only during the Christmas season. It was part of their holiday decorations. So what’s this pirate mall called? I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime.”
"Well, it isn't actually pirate-themed," Tabby explained. "It just reminds me of one kind of like how Long John Silvers looks like a boat dock out front with all of those wooden planks and the rope handrails along the walkways. It's like that. No Jolly Roger or people with eye patches or anything. I think it's called Ole Padreda or something like that."
"This one is more modern, it's only about two years old I heard. It has a really cool guitar store, several record stores, a toy store, and a lot of clothing stores, plus an arcade. They even have Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong," Tabby said pausing. She had figured out Shelley really liked that game from when they'd gone to Chuck E. Cheese. "Oh, and an ice skating rink. When we first moved here, I had considered ice skating lessons, but mom said it was too far to drive every weekend."
Shelley smiled at the mention of the video games. Fortunately, the proximity of the Rat Palace meant she didn’t have to drive all the way to this mall if she wanted to play them. The ice skating, though, was another matter. “Ice skating, eh? As good as you are at roller skating, I bet you’d be a natural at it.” After a short pause, she said, “You know, if your mom doesn’t want to drive you, maybe I could. I’ve never been ice skating, but maybe you and I could take lessons together. I’ll have to scrape up some money first, though.”
"That would be cool," Tabby said. "I do like both and we have a roller rink in Teal Cove. A lot of people hang out there on Friday and Saturday nights. It's a lot closer, so maybe something to do one night."
Tabby suddenly wished they'd done that sooner. The band had a show Saturday night and her father would be home. That would put an end to her going out so much as he would be sure to take notice.
"There is this huge clock in the center that looks sort of like Big Ben, but it's up on metal poles, not a building like in England and you can see all the gears and stuff. At the base of it is this clock shop and they have these trains in the store window. They aren't like Gary's or the ones at the other mall," Tabby said. "These are bigger. They're called Playmobile and the figures look like bigger Lego figures. My brother and I had some sets when we were younger, but not the trains. They got sold in one of the many garage sales we had before we moved."
“It must have been tough, moving all the time,” Shelley said sympathetically. She didn’t want the conversation turning gloomy, though. “I bet Gary would like that place. Even if the trains aren’t the kind he likes, he’d probably be interested in the clockwork stuff. All those gears n’at are probably a lot like those animatronic critters he works on at Chuck E. Cheese’s.”
"Anyway, we can go by the food court while we're there," Tabby suggested. "There is this chicken place called Chick-fil-A and they give out free samples. There is always some lady with pieces of chicken on toothpicks handing them out. It's like totally different from Colonel Sander's or Church's. Sometimes the Chinese place gives out samples, too. There is a place that makes these sausage roll things that are really good. That's usually what I get if we eat in the food court."
“Sounds like you know where all the good stuff is, and I’m always willing to try out new things,” said Shelley. “You’ll have to be my guide and show me around.”
They arrived at the mall with some time to kill before Starla got off work. Shelley used the time to do some shopping. She’d needed more clothes for a while now, after having fled Pittsburgh unexpectedly without having a chance to pack anything. She bought a couple of pairs of shorts, a t-shirt, a tank top, and some underwear, leaving her with just enough money to cover the cost of her food and gasoline until she got her paycheck from Speedy’s on Friday. Meanwhile Tabby went off to the guitar shop to look over their selection. They met back up as the mall’s closing time approached and went to Starla’s place of work, knowing they wouldn’t be allowed to hang out in the mall after hours unless they were the guest of someone who actually worked there.
Shelley and Tabby waited in the Sanger Harris shoe department until Starla had finished work and clocked out. "They're supposed to meet us in the parking lot by Sears," Tabby said. That detail had slipped her mind when she and Shelley had parked on the opposite side of the mall. It didn't matter, though. They could get Shelley's car and circle around. With the parking lot emptying out, it shouldn't be hard to find the guys. Matt was supposed to bring the van since they'd have more room and it would feel more like a 'command center'. Whether or not he'd driven would remain to be seen. Trevor may have insisted on taking his big green booger car instead.
The girls made their way through the mall to the entrance nearest where Shelley had parked and found a pretty hard rain coming down. There had been occasional sporadic showers earlier in the day, brief periods of rain that were probably remnants of the storm system that had passed through the night before, but during Shelley’s and Tabby’s drive to the mall, there had been no rain. When they had arrived, the parking lot had been pretty full, so they’d not been able to park close to the door. It looked like Shelley at least was going to have to run out to her car in the rain and get soaking wet, unless they wanted to wait for the shower to end. If this shower was like the ones earlier in the day, chances were it would end within a few minutes, but there was no way to know for sure.
Starla suggested, “Let’s go back through the mall over to the entrance by Sears. It’s a covered entrance, so we can wave the guys over and they drive right up to the curb and pick us up. Assuming they’re not late, that is.”
“That sounds good to me,” said Shelley. “I brought my camera bag in with me, so I don’t actually need to go to the car to get it. I’d rather just hop in the van and not get wet if I don’t have to. Hopefully, the rain will let up before we get out to Debbie Hart Lane.”
Tabby nodded in agreement and let Starla take the lead. "Oh, I do need to stop by the car, though," She said. "I brought some walkie-talkies and binoculars and left the bag in the front seat. We probably won't need them, but hey, I figured it couldn't hurt and if we're going to do an investigation we should look the part."
A few minutes later, they were standing outside Sears on the other side of the mall. Although the parking lot was massive, it had cleared out substantially now that it was after hours. Sure enough, Tabby saw a big white van sitting in the middle of the lot with headlights on. She jumped up and down and waved her arms a few times, but it didn't move.
"Okay, you two help me get their attention," Tabby said. She turned back to the van and waved both arms hoping to get the guys' attention. "Grrr, either they are doing this intentionally, or they are so busy pretending to be Han Solo and Chewbacca that they aren't paying attention to us. I am made of sugar and will melt if I have to run through the parking lot to the van. They better come get me!"
"There they are. It's about time! What was the hold-up? Were they in there putting on makeup or something?" Matt said when he spotted the three girls emerging from the mall. The cover over the entrance allowed them to come out close to the curb without getting soaked by the shower that had started a few minutes ago.
"Probably," Trevor replied. "Hang on... don't act too eager. Let's see if Short Stuff gets impatient enough to run out in the rain."
Trevor watched for a moment and saw Tabby jumping up and down waving her arms trying to get their attention.
"Look at that! She's doing a little dance for us," Trevor commented with amusement. "Give it a moment and let's see if Starla and Shelley join in."
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Hang on," Tabby said. "Shelley's parked around the other side of the mall. Can we stop by her car so I can get something real quick?"
"I don't know," Trevor mused rubbing his chin. "Matt, you're the captain. What say you?"
*Tag Matt*
"It's stuff for our mission," Tabby protested. "I have walkie-talkies and binoculars!"
"Short Stuff is really getting into this! So we still need a magnifying glass and a reel-to-reel player for the back of the van so that we can record anything we hear outside our mobile command center," Trevor noted. "What else as long as we're getting supplies?"
*Tags*
"Probably," Trevor replied. "Hang on... don't act too eager. Let's see if Short Stuff gets impatient enough to run out in the rain."
Trevor watched for a moment and saw Tabby jumping up and down waving her arms trying to get their attention.
"Look at that! She's doing a little dance for us," Trevor commented with amusement. "Give it a moment and let's see if Starla and Shelley join in."
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Hang on," Tabby said. "Shelley's parked around the other side of the mall. Can we stop by her car so I can get something real quick?"
"I don't know," Trevor mused rubbing his chin. "Matt, you're the captain. What say you?"
*Tag Matt*
"It's stuff for our mission," Tabby protested. "I have walkie-talkies and binoculars!"
"Short Stuff is really getting into this! So we still need a magnifying glass and a reel-to-reel player for the back of the van so that we can record anything we hear outside our mobile command center," Trevor noted. "What else as long as we're getting supplies?"
*Tags*
A few minutes later, they were standing outside Sears on the other side of the mall. Although the parking lot was massive, it had cleared out substantially now that it was after hours. Sure enough, Tabby saw a big white van sitting in the middle of the lot with headlights on. She jumped up and down and waved her arms a few times, but it didn't move.
"Okay, you two help me get their attention," Tabby said. She turned back to the van and waved both arms hoping to get the guys' attention. "Grrr, either they are doing this intentionally, or they are so busy pretending to be Han Solo and Chewbacca that they aren't paying attention to us. I am made of sugar and will melt if I have to run through the parking lot to the van. They better come get me!"
At Tabby’s prompting, Starla raised an arm over her head and began waving it back and forth, hoping to draw the guys’ attention. Shelley was a little more playful. Inspired by Claudette Colbert’s famous hitchhiking scene in the old movie It Happened One Night, she pulled one side of her skirt about halfway up her thigh and thrust her leg out. Starla covered her mouth with her hands as if scandalized. “Stop it!” she laughed.
Shelley chuckled as she let her skirt drop back into place. “That’s how you draw the attention of the male of the species,” she said with a grin.
Back in the van, Matt and Trevor had been waiting for the girls to make an appearance. "There they are. It's about time! What was the hold-up? Were they in there putting on makeup or something?" Matt said when he spotted the three girls emerging from the mall. The cover over the entrance allowed them to come out close to the curb without getting soaked by the shower that had started a few minutes ago.
"Probably," Trevor replied. "Hang on... don't act too eager. Let's see if Short Stuff gets impatient enough to run out in the rain."
“Sounds like a plan,” Matt said. Despite his complaining, he wasn’t actually in a big hurry. “I bet she doesn’t. She’ll wait until we come pick her up.”
Trevor watched for a moment and saw Tabby jumping up and down waving her arms trying to get their attention.
"Look at that! She's doing a little dance for us," Trevor commented with amusement. "Give it a moment and let's see if Starla and Shelley join in."
“Sure thing,” Matt agreed. They waited a bit longer, and were rewarded when Starla and Shelley did indeed join in the attempts to get their attention. Matt laughed as he watched their show. “Well, that was worth the wait. What do you think? Have they earned a pick-up at the curb?”
*tag Trevor*
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Hang on," Tabby said. "Shelley's parked around the other side of the mall. Can we stop by her car so I can get something real quick?"
“Yeah, and that’ll give me a chance to toss my merchandise in my car so we don’t have to take it with us,” Shelley added, holding up the shopping bag containing her purchases.
"I don't know," Trevor mused rubbing his chin. "Matt, you're the captain. What say you?"
“Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it? And it’s going to cost you something extra,” Matt said to the girls, mimicking Han Solo’s negotiation in the cantina scene.
"It's stuff for our mission," Tabby protested. "I have walkie-talkies and binoculars!"
"Short Stuff is really getting into this! So we still need a magnifying glass and a reel-to-reel player for the back of the van so that we can record anything we hear outside our mobile command center," Trevor noted. "What else as long as we're getting supplies?"
“If you’re going to carry a magnifying glass, you should also get a pipe and a deerstalker hat at the very least,” Starla said to Trevor. “You’ll look just like Sherlock Holmes, though I don’t think he ever had a mobile command center.”
“And donuts. You’ve got to have donuts if you’re going on a stakeout,” said Shelley. “By the way, I do have my camera bag with me, so we can take pictures. And I’ve got a notepad and pen in my camera bag if we want to take notes about something.”
With a little more coaxing, Matt agreed to drive them to Shelley’s Trans Am. By that time the rain had lessened, though it hadn’t stopped completely. There were some empty spots on the Firebird’s passenger side, so Matt pulled the van up next to it with the side door facing Shelley’s car. Shelley had her car key ready by the time Matt stopped the van. She slid the side door open and hopped out, quickly unlocking the Firebird’s passenger-side door to give Tabby access before hurrying around to the trunk. “Don’t forget to lock it back when you’re done,” Shelley reminded Tabby.
Shelley wasted no time in opening the trunk, tossing the shopping bag inside, and slamming it shut again, moving as quickly as possible to minimize her time in the rain. She rushed to hop back into the van. She’d gotten a little wet, but not bad; it would dry quickly.
*tags*
Once everyone was back in the van, Matt said, “Okay, y’all are going to have to navigate for me. I don’t know where this Debbie Hart Lane is.” As he was speaking he started back toward Teal Cove, figuring Debbie Hart Lane must be in that direction. They would have plenty of time on the trip to discuss how to get there.
*tags*
"Okay, you two help me get their attention," Tabby said. She turned back to the van and waved both arms hoping to get the guys' attention. "Grrr, either they are doing this intentionally, or they are so busy pretending to be Han Solo and Chewbacca that they aren't paying attention to us. I am made of sugar and will melt if I have to run through the parking lot to the van. They better come get me!"
At Tabby’s prompting, Starla raised an arm over her head and began waving it back and forth, hoping to draw the guys’ attention. Shelley was a little more playful. Inspired by Claudette Colbert’s famous hitchhiking scene in the old movie It Happened One Night, she pulled one side of her skirt about halfway up her thigh and thrust her leg out. Starla covered her mouth with her hands as if scandalized. “Stop it!” she laughed.
Shelley chuckled as she let her skirt drop back into place. “That’s how you draw the attention of the male of the species,” she said with a grin.
Back in the van, Matt and Trevor had been waiting for the girls to make an appearance. "There they are. It's about time! What was the hold-up? Were they in there putting on makeup or something?" Matt said when he spotted the three girls emerging from the mall. The cover over the entrance allowed them to come out close to the curb without getting soaked by the shower that had started a few minutes ago.
"Probably," Trevor replied. "Hang on... don't act too eager. Let's see if Short Stuff gets impatient enough to run out in the rain."
“Sounds like a plan,” Matt said. Despite his complaining, he wasn’t actually in a big hurry. “I bet she doesn’t. She’ll wait until we come pick her up.”
Trevor watched for a moment and saw Tabby jumping up and down waving her arms trying to get their attention.
"Look at that! She's doing a little dance for us," Trevor commented with amusement. "Give it a moment and let's see if Starla and Shelley join in."
“Sure thing,” Matt agreed. They waited a bit longer, and were rewarded when Starla and Shelley did indeed join in the attempts to get their attention. Matt laughed as he watched their show. “Well, that was worth the wait. What do you think? Have they earned a pick-up at the curb?”
*tag Trevor*
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Hang on," Tabby said. "Shelley's parked around the other side of the mall. Can we stop by her car so I can get something real quick?"
“Yeah, and that’ll give me a chance to toss my merchandise in my car so we don’t have to take it with us,” Shelley added, holding up the shopping bag containing her purchases.
"I don't know," Trevor mused rubbing his chin. "Matt, you're the captain. What say you?"
“Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it? And it’s going to cost you something extra,” Matt said to the girls, mimicking Han Solo’s negotiation in the cantina scene.
"It's stuff for our mission," Tabby protested. "I have walkie-talkies and binoculars!"
"Short Stuff is really getting into this! So we still need a magnifying glass and a reel-to-reel player for the back of the van so that we can record anything we hear outside our mobile command center," Trevor noted. "What else as long as we're getting supplies?"
“If you’re going to carry a magnifying glass, you should also get a pipe and a deerstalker hat at the very least,” Starla said to Trevor. “You’ll look just like Sherlock Holmes, though I don’t think he ever had a mobile command center.”
“And donuts. You’ve got to have donuts if you’re going on a stakeout,” said Shelley. “By the way, I do have my camera bag with me, so we can take pictures. And I’ve got a notepad and pen in my camera bag if we want to take notes about something.”
With a little more coaxing, Matt agreed to drive them to Shelley’s Trans Am. By that time the rain had lessened, though it hadn’t stopped completely. There were some empty spots on the Firebird’s passenger side, so Matt pulled the van up next to it with the side door facing Shelley’s car. Shelley had her car key ready by the time Matt stopped the van. She slid the side door open and hopped out, quickly unlocking the Firebird’s passenger-side door to give Tabby access before hurrying around to the trunk. “Don’t forget to lock it back when you’re done,” Shelley reminded Tabby.
Shelley wasted no time in opening the trunk, tossing the shopping bag inside, and slamming it shut again, moving as quickly as possible to minimize her time in the rain. She rushed to hop back into the van. She’d gotten a little wet, but not bad; it would dry quickly.
*tags*
Once everyone was back in the van, Matt said, “Okay, y’all are going to have to navigate for me. I don’t know where this Debbie Hart Lane is.” As he was speaking he started back toward Teal Cove, figuring Debbie Hart Lane must be in that direction. They would have plenty of time on the trip to discuss how to get there.
*tags*
"Okay, you two help me get their attention," Tabby said. She turned back to the van and waved both arms hoping to get the guys' attention. "Grrr, either they are doing this intentionally, or they are so busy pretending to be Han Solo and Chewbacca that they aren't paying attention to us. I am made of sugar and will melt if I have to run through the parking lot to the van. They better come get me!"
At Tabby’s prompting, Starla raised an arm over her head and began waving it back and forth, hoping to draw the guys’ attention. Shelley was a little more playful. Inspired by Claudette Colbert’s famous hitchhiking scene in the old movie It Happened One Night, she pulled one side of her skirt about halfway up her thigh and thrust her leg out. Starla covered her mouth with her hands as if scandalized. “Stop it!” she laughed.
Shelley chuckled as she let her skirt drop back into place. “That’s how you draw the attention of the male of the species,” she said with a grin.
Back in the van, Matt and Trevor had been waiting for the girls to make an appearance. "There they are. It's about time! What was the hold-up? Were they in there putting on makeup or something?" Matt said when he spotted the three girls emerging from the mall. The cover over the entrance allowed them to come out close to the curb without getting soaked by the shower that had started a few minutes ago.
"Probably," Trevor replied. "Hang on... don't act too eager. Let's see if Short Stuff gets impatient enough to run out in the rain."
“Sounds like a plan,” Matt said. Despite his complaining, he wasn’t actually in a big hurry. “I bet she doesn’t. She’ll wait until we come pick her up.”
Trevor watched for a moment and saw Tabby jumping up and down waving her arms trying to get their attention.
"Look at that! She's doing a little dance for us," Trevor commented with amusement. "Give it a moment and let's see if Starla and Shelley join in."
“Sure thing,” Matt agreed. They waited a bit longer, and were rewarded when Starla and Shelley did indeed join in the attempts to get their attention. Matt laughed as he watched their show. “Well, that was worth the wait. What do you think? Have they earned a pick-up at the curb?”
"Starla's is a little less impressive," Trevor observed as she waved an arm. "Oh, look at that! Now Shelley knows how to get our attention. Okay, proceed!"
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Shelley knows how to get our attention," Trevor replied. "Yeah, I'm anxious to see this place. It sounds like something straight out of a Hardy Boys novel."
"Hang on," Tabby said. "Shelley's parked around the other side of the mall. Can we stop by her car so I can get something real quick?"
“Yeah, and that’ll give me a chance to toss my merchandise in my car so we don’t have to take it with us,” Shelley added, holding up the shopping bag containing her purchases.
"I don't know," Trevor mused rubbing his chin. "Matt, you're the captain. What say you?"
“Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it? And it’s going to cost you something extra,” Matt said to the girls, mimicking Han Solo’s negotiation in the cantina scene.
"Yeah, we got our own ship, Hunter," Tabby shot back. She turned to Shelley. "We don't have to sit here and listen to this!"
"What's the cargo," Trevor asked, hoping she'd say something about droids and no questions asked. Instead, Tabby dropped the Star Wars theme can cut straight to her point.
"It's stuff for our mission," Tabby protested. "I have walkie-talkies and binoculars!"
"Short Stuff is really getting into this! So we still need a magnifying glass and a reel-to-reel player for the back of the van so that we can record anything we hear outside our mobile command center," Trevor noted. "What else as long as we're getting supplies?"
“If you’re going to carry a magnifying glass, you should also get a pipe and a deerstalker hat at the very least,” Starla said to Trevor. “You’ll look just like Sherlock Holmes, though I don’t think he ever had a mobile command center.”
"I don't know where you'd get a Sherlock Holmes getup at this hour, Watson," Trevor responded. "This is your case. Next time I need more notice if I have to get a custom together."
“And donuts. You’ve got to have donuts if you’re going on a stakeout,” said Shelley. “By the way, I do have my camera bag with me, so we can take pictures. And I’ve got a notepad and pen in my camera bag if we want to take notes about something.”
With a little more coaxing, Matt agreed to drive them to Shelley’s Trans Am. By that time the rain had lessened, though it hadn’t stopped completely. There were some empty spots on the Firebird’s passenger side, so Matt pulled the van up next to it with the side door facing Shelley’s car. Shelley had her car key ready by the time Matt stopped the van. She slid the side door open and hopped out, quickly unlocking the Firebird’s passenger-side door to give Tabby access before hurrying around to the trunk. “Don’t forget to lock it back when you’re done,” Shelley reminded Tabby.
Tabby took the key, opened the door, snatched the bag off the seat, and locked the door from the inside. She quickly glanced in the bag to make sure nothing had fallen out before shutting it again and handing the door key back to Shelley. "I'm ready," she informed her before hopping back in the van. The cargo side door was open. While the rain had slowed, it was still coming down and Tabby didn't want to get any wetter than she had to.
Shelley wasted no time in opening the trunk, tossing the shopping bag inside, and slamming it shut again, moving as quickly as possible to minimize her time in the rain. She rushed to hop back into the van. She’d gotten a little wet, but not bad; it would dry quickly.
"Okay, are we ready or are we stopping by 7-Eleven for Slurpees and donuts first," Trevor asked.
"I won't complain if we stop," Tabby replied glancing around to see if anyone else was open to grabbing something before they headed out.
Once everyone was back in the van, Matt said, “Okay, y’all are going to have to navigate for me. I don’t know where this Debbie Hart Lane is.” As he was speaking he started back toward Teal Cove, figuring Debbie Hart Lane must be in that direction. They would have plenty of time on the trip to discuss how to get there.
"We'll have to go back to Teal Cove and through town and head out the other direction," Tabby said. "It's off of some back roads near that abandoned gas station that's boarded up. We'll tell you where to go as we get close. We'll go right past the 7-Eleven where we saw Jerry and started following him. I think we should recreate how it played out. You know, that way we can maybe figure out what Jerry was up to. You know, get into his head..."
"You just want donuts," Trevor chuckled as Matt began to exit the mall parking lot and drove back towards town.
At Tabby’s prompting, Starla raised an arm over her head and began waving it back and forth, hoping to draw the guys’ attention. Shelley was a little more playful. Inspired by Claudette Colbert’s famous hitchhiking scene in the old movie It Happened One Night, she pulled one side of her skirt about halfway up her thigh and thrust her leg out. Starla covered her mouth with her hands as if scandalized. “Stop it!” she laughed.
Shelley chuckled as she let her skirt drop back into place. “That’s how you draw the attention of the male of the species,” she said with a grin.
Back in the van, Matt and Trevor had been waiting for the girls to make an appearance. "There they are. It's about time! What was the hold-up? Were they in there putting on makeup or something?" Matt said when he spotted the three girls emerging from the mall. The cover over the entrance allowed them to come out close to the curb without getting soaked by the shower that had started a few minutes ago.
"Probably," Trevor replied. "Hang on... don't act too eager. Let's see if Short Stuff gets impatient enough to run out in the rain."
“Sounds like a plan,” Matt said. Despite his complaining, he wasn’t actually in a big hurry. “I bet she doesn’t. She’ll wait until we come pick her up.”
Trevor watched for a moment and saw Tabby jumping up and down waving her arms trying to get their attention.
"Look at that! She's doing a little dance for us," Trevor commented with amusement. "Give it a moment and let's see if Starla and Shelley join in."
“Sure thing,” Matt agreed. They waited a bit longer, and were rewarded when Starla and Shelley did indeed join in the attempts to get their attention. Matt laughed as he watched their show. “Well, that was worth the wait. What do you think? Have they earned a pick-up at the curb?”
"Starla's is a little less impressive," Trevor observed as she waved an arm. "Oh, look at that! Now Shelley knows how to get our attention. Okay, proceed!"
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Shelley knows how to get our attention," Trevor replied. "Yeah, I'm anxious to see this place. It sounds like something straight out of a Hardy Boys novel."
"Hang on," Tabby said. "Shelley's parked around the other side of the mall. Can we stop by her car so I can get something real quick?"
“Yeah, and that’ll give me a chance to toss my merchandise in my car so we don’t have to take it with us,” Shelley added, holding up the shopping bag containing her purchases.
"I don't know," Trevor mused rubbing his chin. "Matt, you're the captain. What say you?"
“Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it? And it’s going to cost you something extra,” Matt said to the girls, mimicking Han Solo’s negotiation in the cantina scene.
"Yeah, we got our own ship, Hunter," Tabby shot back. She turned to Shelley. "We don't have to sit here and listen to this!"
"What's the cargo," Trevor asked, hoping she'd say something about droids and no questions asked. Instead, Tabby dropped the Star Wars theme can cut straight to her point.
"It's stuff for our mission," Tabby protested. "I have walkie-talkies and binoculars!"
"Short Stuff is really getting into this! So we still need a magnifying glass and a reel-to-reel player for the back of the van so that we can record anything we hear outside our mobile command center," Trevor noted. "What else as long as we're getting supplies?"
“If you’re going to carry a magnifying glass, you should also get a pipe and a deerstalker hat at the very least,” Starla said to Trevor. “You’ll look just like Sherlock Holmes, though I don’t think he ever had a mobile command center.”
"I don't know where you'd get a Sherlock Holmes getup at this hour, Watson," Trevor responded. "This is your case. Next time I need more notice if I have to get a custom together."
“And donuts. You’ve got to have donuts if you’re going on a stakeout,” said Shelley. “By the way, I do have my camera bag with me, so we can take pictures. And I’ve got a notepad and pen in my camera bag if we want to take notes about something.”
With a little more coaxing, Matt agreed to drive them to Shelley’s Trans Am. By that time the rain had lessened, though it hadn’t stopped completely. There were some empty spots on the Firebird’s passenger side, so Matt pulled the van up next to it with the side door facing Shelley’s car. Shelley had her car key ready by the time Matt stopped the van. She slid the side door open and hopped out, quickly unlocking the Firebird’s passenger-side door to give Tabby access before hurrying around to the trunk. “Don’t forget to lock it back when you’re done,” Shelley reminded Tabby.
Tabby took the key, opened the door, snatched the bag off the seat, and locked the door from the inside. She quickly glanced in the bag to make sure nothing had fallen out before shutting it again and handing the door key back to Shelley. "I'm ready," she informed her before hopping back in the van. The cargo side door was open. While the rain had slowed, it was still coming down and Tabby didn't want to get any wetter than she had to.
Shelley wasted no time in opening the trunk, tossing the shopping bag inside, and slamming it shut again, moving as quickly as possible to minimize her time in the rain. She rushed to hop back into the van. She’d gotten a little wet, but not bad; it would dry quickly.
"Okay, are we ready or are we stopping by 7-Eleven for Slurpees and donuts first," Trevor asked.
"I won't complain if we stop," Tabby replied glancing around to see if anyone else was open to grabbing something before they headed out.
Once everyone was back in the van, Matt said, “Okay, y’all are going to have to navigate for me. I don’t know where this Debbie Hart Lane is.” As he was speaking he started back toward Teal Cove, figuring Debbie Hart Lane must be in that direction. They would have plenty of time on the trip to discuss how to get there.
"We'll have to go back to Teal Cove and through town and head out the other direction," Tabby said. "It's off of some back roads near that abandoned gas station that's boarded up. We'll tell you where to go as we get close. We'll go right past the 7-Eleven where we saw Jerry and started following him. I think we should recreate how it played out. You know, that way we can maybe figure out what Jerry was up to. You know, get into his head..."
"You just want donuts," Trevor chuckled as Matt began to exit the mall parking lot and drove back towards town.
After making a quick stop at the 7-Eleven where they had seen Jerry, the group was quickly on their way again in Matt's van. Matt and Trevor were up in the front and the girls were in the back. Since it was a cargo van, there were no seats other than milk crates. Matt had specifically chosen a van like this for the band's equipment, particularly his large collection of drums and percussion instruments that made up his drum kit. When their gear wasn't taking up the back, the vehicle looked quite empty. Tabby wished they had set up a card table or something, but in reality, it probably would have slid around and been more of an annoyance.
"Okay, we should be coming out of hyperspace any moment," Trevor announced as they passed the abandoned gas station. It had been the place where the girls had waited for Gary to call them after he'd sent Trevor and Matt on their scavenger hunt to alert them it was safe to come back to the restaurant.
*tags*
"We're looking for Farm-to-Market 4351 off on the right. There aren't any businesses or landmarks near it," Tabby offered. "You'll just have to watch for it."
*Tags*
"Then we'll be looking for Old Mill Road," Tabby recalled. "There aren't any windows back here so I can't really see out. We just noted that was where Jerry's bug turned. Shelley can probably squeeze between you two and sit up near the front to help you spot it."
*Tags*
"What was he doing way out here," Trevor asked. "He was in a short-range fighter. He must have been part of a convoy and gotten lost or something..."
Tabby rolled her eyes. "He was obviously heading for that small moon," she replied. "It's near the remains of the Alderaan system. We found a piece of it marked 'Debbie Hart Lane'. Shelley can be the R2 unit and guide you in."
*tags*
The road was becoming rough. It was filled with potholes and in poor repair. The rain was beginning to pick up again. Since Tabby and Starla were sitting on the metal floor of the van they could feel all of the uneven spots. The metal floor vibrated uncomfortably as the condition of the pavement deteriorated the further they drove. Tabby felt the rear end fishtail a little as Matt hit a slick spot. Tabby lost her balance on her milk crate for a moment and threw her arms around Starla to keep from toppling over.
*tags*
"Wait, we're not actually going into an asteroid field," Tabby said suddenly cutting her eyes to Starla as she released her. She dropped her voice and whispered in her ear, "Tell him he doesn't have to do this to impress you!"
*tag Starla*
"Okay, we should be coming out of hyperspace any moment," Trevor announced as they passed the abandoned gas station. It had been the place where the girls had waited for Gary to call them after he'd sent Trevor and Matt on their scavenger hunt to alert them it was safe to come back to the restaurant.
*tags*
"We're looking for Farm-to-Market 4351 off on the right. There aren't any businesses or landmarks near it," Tabby offered. "You'll just have to watch for it."
*Tags*
"Then we'll be looking for Old Mill Road," Tabby recalled. "There aren't any windows back here so I can't really see out. We just noted that was where Jerry's bug turned. Shelley can probably squeeze between you two and sit up near the front to help you spot it."
*Tags*
"What was he doing way out here," Trevor asked. "He was in a short-range fighter. He must have been part of a convoy and gotten lost or something..."
Tabby rolled her eyes. "He was obviously heading for that small moon," she replied. "It's near the remains of the Alderaan system. We found a piece of it marked 'Debbie Hart Lane'. Shelley can be the R2 unit and guide you in."
*tags*
The road was becoming rough. It was filled with potholes and in poor repair. The rain was beginning to pick up again. Since Tabby and Starla were sitting on the metal floor of the van they could feel all of the uneven spots. The metal floor vibrated uncomfortably as the condition of the pavement deteriorated the further they drove. Tabby felt the rear end fishtail a little as Matt hit a slick spot. Tabby lost her balance on her milk crate for a moment and threw her arms around Starla to keep from toppling over.
*tags*
"Wait, we're not actually going into an asteroid field," Tabby said suddenly cutting her eyes to Starla as she released her. She dropped her voice and whispered in her ear, "Tell him he doesn't have to do this to impress you!"
*tag Starla*
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Shelley knows how to get our attention," Trevor replied. "Yeah, I'm anxious to see this place. It sounds like something straight out of a Hardy Boys novel."
Starla raised an eyebrow at Trevor and said, “Oh, does she?” with a slightly jealous note in her voice. She smiled at Shelley to let her know she was just kidding.
The group paid a quick visit to Shelley’s car so Shelley could drop off her merchandise and Tabby could get the walkie-talkies and binoculars she’d brought; then they headed back toward Teal Cove, which they would have to go through to get to Debbie Hart Lane. They agreed to stop at the 7-Eleven on the way to pick up Slurpees and donuts. Shelley had been mostly joking when she’d suggested they get donuts, playing on the stereotype of cops always eating donuts on stakeouts, but she was happy to take advantage of the opportunity to get some of the tasty snacks.
After making a quick stop at the 7-Eleven where they had seen Jerry, the group was quickly on their way again in Matt's van. Matt and Trevor were up in the front and the girls were in the back. Since it was a cargo van, there were no seats other than milk crates. Matt had specifically chosen a van like this for the band's equipment, particularly his large collection of drums and percussion instruments that made up his drum kit. When their gear wasn't taking up the back, the vehicle looked quite empty. Tabby wished they had set up a card table or something, but in reality, it probably would have slid around and been more of an annoyance.
"Okay, we should be coming out of hyperspace any moment," Trevor announced as they passed the abandoned gas station. It had been the place where the girls had waited for Gary to call them after he'd sent Trevor and Matt on their scavenger hunt to alert them it was safe to come back to the restaurant.
“Well just don’t come out in a meteor shower,” said Starla. “Or a debris field from a destroyed planet, or whatever.”
"We're looking for Farm-to-Market 4351 off on the right. There aren't any businesses or landmarks near it," Tabby offered. "You'll just have to watch for it."
Matt drove a little further, keeping watch for the turnoff. Supposedly the road was unlit, and although there was a sign, according to the girls it wasn’t all that easy to see. He slowed the van a little, and soon spotted it. “There it is,” he announced as he slowed to make the turn, giving the girls time to brace themselves so they wouldn’t go tumbling across the van floor.
"Then we'll be looking for Old Mill Road," Tabby recalled. "There aren't any windows back here so I can't really see out. We just noted that was where Jerry's bug turned. Shelley can probably squeeze between you two and sit up near the front to help you spot it."
Taking Tabby’s suggestion, Shelley scrambled up to the front of the van and squatted just behind the front seats, putting a hand on the back of each seat to steady herself. That put her just behind and between Matt and Trevor and gave her a view out the windshield, and a pretty good view out the driver-side and passenger-side windows as well if she leaned forward a bit. “Careful; the road’s not in good shape around here; potholes n’at.”
"What was he doing way out here," Trevor asked. "He was in a short-range fighter. He must have been part of a convoy and gotten lost or something..."
Tabby rolled her eyes. "He was obviously heading for that small moon," she replied. "It's near the remains of the Alderaan system. We found a piece of it marked 'Debbie Hart Lane'. Shelley can be the R2 unit and guide you in."
“Uh, bleep bloop beep?” said Shelley.
“That’s no moon; it’s an outhouse door,” said Matt with a deadpan expression.
Shelley looked around in confusion, not seeing an outhouse anywhere, and then realized Matt was using a Star Wars quasi-quote to make a joke, as usual. She seemed to remember him using that same quote to make jokes about snakes and turtles while they were out on the lake.
As they approached the top of a hill, Shelley pointed. “Jerry had his bug sitting off the road up there until a semi came along. Then he flashed his lights and led the truck down that road.” She indicated an unpaved side road with a sign that read “Old Mill Road”. As Matt turned onto the road, Shelley continued. “Jerry led the truck down another side road called Debbie Hart Lane, but we didn’t follow. It looked like it was in even worse shape than this one. There’s a sign, but it’s covered in vegetation and really hard to see, and almost illegible. So keep your eyes peeled.”
The road was becoming rough. It was filled with potholes and in poor repair. The rain was beginning to pick up again. Since Tabby and Starla were sitting on the metal floor of the van they could feel all of the uneven spots. The metal floor vibrated uncomfortably as the condition of the pavement deteriorated the further they drove. Tabby felt the rear end fishtail a little as Matt hit a slick spot. Tabby lost her balance on her milk crate for a moment and threw her arms around Starla to keep from toppling over.
“Oops…careful!” said Starla. She grabbed hold of Tabby as well and spread her feet out to give them both a wide base of support. “It’s possible these milk crates are not entirely stable!”
"Wait, we're not actually going into an asteroid field," Tabby said suddenly cutting her eyes to Starla as she released her. She dropped her voice and whispered in her ear, "Tell him he doesn't have to do this to impress you!"
“You don’t have to do this to impress me!” said Starla. Her mind raced to think of quotes from The Empire Strikes Back’s asteroid scene; she didn’t have them memorized as well as Matt and Trevor did. “Uh, we’re going to get pulverized if we stay out here. The chances of successfully navigating an asteroid field are, uh, 3 million to one! I am not a committee!”
Matt smirked at Starla’s attempt. Not word-for-word, perhaps, but it was a valiant effort. “Never tell me the odds,” he replied.
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Shelley knows how to get our attention," Trevor replied. "Yeah, I'm anxious to see this place. It sounds like something straight out of a Hardy Boys novel."
Starla raised an eyebrow at Trevor and said, “Oh, does she?” with a slightly jealous note in her voice. She smiled at Shelley to let her know she was just kidding.
The group paid a quick visit to Shelley’s car so Shelley could drop off her merchandise and Tabby could get the walkie-talkies and binoculars she’d brought; then they headed back toward Teal Cove, which they would have to go through to get to Debbie Hart Lane. They agreed to stop at the 7-Eleven on the way to pick up Slurpees and donuts. Shelley had been mostly joking when she’d suggested they get donuts, playing on the stereotype of cops always eating donuts on stakeouts, but she was happy to take advantage of the opportunity to get some of the tasty snacks.
After making a quick stop at the 7-Eleven where they had seen Jerry, the group was quickly on their way again in Matt's van. Matt and Trevor were up in the front and the girls were in the back. Since it was a cargo van, there were no seats other than milk crates. Matt had specifically chosen a van like this for the band's equipment, particularly his large collection of drums and percussion instruments that made up his drum kit. When their gear wasn't taking up the back, the vehicle looked quite empty. Tabby wished they had set up a card table or something, but in reality, it probably would have slid around and been more of an annoyance.
"Okay, we should be coming out of hyperspace any moment," Trevor announced as they passed the abandoned gas station. It had been the place where the girls had waited for Gary to call them after he'd sent Trevor and Matt on their scavenger hunt to alert them it was safe to come back to the restaurant.
“Well just don’t come out in a meteor shower,” said Starla. “Or a debris field from a destroyed planet, or whatever.”
"We're looking for Farm-to-Market 4351 off on the right. There aren't any businesses or landmarks near it," Tabby offered. "You'll just have to watch for it."
Matt drove a little further, keeping watch for the turnoff. Supposedly the road was unlit, and although there was a sign, according to the girls it wasn’t all that easy to see. He slowed the van a little, and soon spotted it. “There it is,” he announced as he slowed to make the turn, giving the girls time to brace themselves so they wouldn’t go tumbling across the van floor.
"Then we'll be looking for Old Mill Road," Tabby recalled. "There aren't any windows back here so I can't really see out. We just noted that was where Jerry's bug turned. Shelley can probably squeeze between you two and sit up near the front to help you spot it."
Taking Tabby’s suggestion, Shelley scrambled up to the front of the van and squatted just behind the front seats, putting a hand on the back of each seat to steady herself. That put her just behind and between Matt and Trevor and gave her a view out the windshield, and a pretty good view out the driver-side and passenger-side windows as well if she leaned forward a bit. “Careful; the road’s not in good shape around here; potholes n’at.”
"What was he doing way out here," Trevor asked. "He was in a short-range fighter. He must have been part of a convoy and gotten lost or something..."
Tabby rolled her eyes. "He was obviously heading for that small moon," she replied. "It's near the remains of the Alderaan system. We found a piece of it marked 'Debbie Hart Lane'. Shelley can be the R2 unit and guide you in."
“Uh, bleep bloop beep?” said Shelley.
“That’s no moon; it’s an outhouse door,” said Matt with a deadpan expression.
Shelley looked around in confusion, not seeing an outhouse anywhere, and then realized Matt was using a Star Wars quasi-quote to make a joke, as usual. She seemed to remember him using that same quote to make jokes about snakes and turtles while they were out on the lake.
As they approached the top of a hill, Shelley pointed. “Jerry had his bug sitting off the road up there until a semi came along. Then he flashed his lights and led the truck down that road.” She indicated an unpaved side road with a sign that read “Old Mill Road”. As Matt turned onto the road, Shelley continued. “Jerry led the truck down another side road called Debbie Hart Lane, but we didn’t follow. It looked like it was in even worse shape than this one. There’s a sign, but it’s covered in vegetation and really hard to see, and almost illegible. So keep your eyes peeled.”
The road was becoming rough. It was filled with potholes and in poor repair. The rain was beginning to pick up again. Since Tabby and Starla were sitting on the metal floor of the van they could feel all of the uneven spots. The metal floor vibrated uncomfortably as the condition of the pavement deteriorated the further they drove. Tabby felt the rear end fishtail a little as Matt hit a slick spot. Tabby lost her balance on her milk crate for a moment and threw her arms around Starla to keep from toppling over.
“Oops…careful!” said Starla. She grabbed hold of Tabby as well and spread her feet out to give them both a wide base of support. “It’s possible these milk crates are not entirely stable!”
"Wait, we're not actually going into an asteroid field," Tabby said suddenly cutting her eyes to Starla as she released her. She dropped her voice and whispered in her ear, "Tell him he doesn't have to do this to impress you!"
“You don’t have to do this to impress me!” said Starla. Her mind raced to think of quotes from The Empire Strikes Back’s asteroid scene; she didn’t have them memorized as well as Matt and Trevor did. “Uh, we’re going to get pulverized if we stay out here. The chances of successfully navigating an asteroid field are, uh, 3 million to one! I am not a committee!”
Matt smirked at Starla’s attempt. Not word-for-word, perhaps, but it was a valiant effort. “Never tell me the odds,” he replied.
Matt had left the van's engine running. He turned on the windshield wipers and put the van in gear. Less than a minute later, he'd maneuvered the van up beside the curb with the sliding side door facing the girls. Starla stepped up, slid the door open, and hopped inside, followed by the other two. Shelley closed the door behind her. As the three got settled into their seats, Shelley said, "Thanks for picking us up, guys!"
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Shelley knows how to get our attention," Trevor replied. "Yeah, I'm anxious to see this place. It sounds like something straight out of a Hardy Boys novel."
Starla raised an eyebrow at Trevor and said, "Oh, does she?" with a slightly jealous note in her voice. She smiled at Shelley to let her know she was just kidding.
"Well, actually, I have to give credit to Short Stuff," Trevor corrected himself. "She took the initiative and was the most entertaining of the three of you!"
The group paid a quick visit to Shelley's car so Shelley could drop off her merchandise and Tabby could get the walkie-talkies and binoculars she'd brought; then, they headed back toward Teal Cove, which they would have to go through to get to Debbie Hart Lane. They agreed to stop at the 7-Eleven on the way to pick up Slurpees and donuts. Shelley had been mostly joking when she'd suggested they get donuts, playing on the stereotype of cops always eating donuts on stakeouts. Still, she was happy to take advantage of the opportunity to get some of the tasty snacks.
After making a quick stop at the 7-Eleven where they had seen Jerry, the group was quickly on their way again in Matt's van. Matt and Trevor were up in the front, and the girls were in the back. Since it was a cargo van, there were no seats other than milk crates. Matt had specifically chosen a van like this for the band's equipment, particularly his extensive collection of drums and percussion instruments that made up his drum kit. When their gear wasn't taking up the back, the vehicle looked quite empty. Tabby wished they had set up a card table or something, but in reality, it probably would have slid around and been more of an annoyance.
"Okay, we should be coming out of hyperspace any moment," Trevor announced as they passed the abandoned gas station. It had been the place where the girls had waited for Gary to call them after he'd sent Trevor and Matt on their scavenger hunt to alert them it was safe to come back to the restaurant.
"Well, just don't come out in a meteor shower," said Starla. "Or a debris field from a destroyed planet, or whatever."
"We'll do that, or whatever, your worship," Trevor chuckled in responsed to Starla's botched lines.
"We're looking for Farm-to-Market 4351 off on the right. There aren't any businesses or landmarks near it," Tabby offered. "You'll just have to watch for it."
Matt drove a little further, keeping watch for the turnoff. Supposedly the road was unlit, and although there was a sign, according to the girls, it wasn't all that easy to see. He slowed the van a little and soon spotted it. "There it is," he announced as he slowed to make the turn, giving the girls time to brace themselves so they wouldn't go tumbling across the van floor.
"Then we'll be looking for Old Mill Road," Tabby recalled. "There aren't any windows back here, so I can't really see out. We just noted that was where Jerry's bug turned. Shelley can probably squeeze between you two and sit up near the front to help you spot it."
Taking Tabby's suggestion, Shelley scrambled up to the front of the van and squatted just behind the front seats, putting a hand on the back of each seat to steady herself. That put her just behind and between Matt and Trevor and gave her a view out the windshield, and a pretty good view out the driver-side and passenger-side windows as well if she leaned forward a bit. "Careful; the road's not in good shape around here; potholes n'at."
"What was he doing way out here," Trevor asked. "He was in a short-range fighter. He must have been part of a convoy and gotten lost or something..."
Tabby rolled her eyes. "He was obviously heading for that small moon," she replied. "It's near the remains of the Alderaan system. We found a piece of it marked 'Debbie Hart Lane.' Shelley can be the R2 unit and guide you in."
"Uh, bleep bloop beep?" said Shelley.
"I don't know R-Shell," Trevor replied. "I think they must have gone to that small moon."
"That's no moon; it's an outhouse door," said Matt with a deadpan expression.
Shelley looked around in confusion, not seeing an outhouse anywhere, and then realized Matt was using a Star Wars quasi-quote to make a joke, as usual. She seemed to remember him using that same quote to make jokes about snakes and turtles while they were out on the lake.
As they approached the top of a hill, Shelley pointed. "Jerry had his bug sitting off the road up there until a semi came along. Then he flashed his lights and led the truck down that road." She indicated an unpaved side road with a sign that read "Old Mill Road". As Matt turned onto the road, Shelley continued. "Jerry led the truck down another side road called Debbie Hart Lane, but we didn't follow. It looked like it was in even worse shape than this one. There's a sign, but it's covered in vegetation and really hard to see, and almost illegible. So keep your eyes peeled."
The road was becoming rough. It was filled with potholes and in poor repair. The rain was beginning to pick up again. Since Tabby and Starla were sitting on the metal floor of the van, they could feel all of the uneven spots. The metal floor vibrated uncomfortably as the condition of the pavement deteriorated the further they drove. Tabby felt the rear end fishtail a little as Matt hit a slick spot. Tabby lost her balance on her milk crate for a moment and threw her arms around Starla to keep from toppling over.
"Oops…careful!" said Starla. She grabbed hold of Tabby as well and spread her feet out to give them both a wide base of support. "It's possible these milk crates are not entirely stable!"
"Not entirely stable? Wait, we're not actually going into an asteroid field," Tabby said, suddenly cutting her eyes to Starla as she released her. She dropped her voice and whispered in her ear, "Tell him he doesn't have to do this to impress you!"
"You don't have to do this to impress me!" said Starla. Her mind raced to think of quotes from The Empire Strikes Back's asteroid scene; she didn't have them memorized as well as Matt and Trevor did. "Uh, we're going to get pulverized if we stay out here. The chances of successfully navigating an asteroid field are, uh, 3 million to one! I am not a committee!"
Matt smirked at Starla's attempt. Not word-for-word, perhaps, but it was a valiant effort. "Never tell me the odds," he replied.
"Leia-3PO, human-cyborg relations princess and Ambassador," Trevor replied. "This is her counterpart R2-Shell 2."
"What about me," Tabby asked.
"I guess that leaves Obi-wan if Starla is going to hog both roles," Trevor replied.
"So that makes you a big walking carpet since you're the co-pilot," Tabby shot back.
"We've got to work on our casting," Trevor said as they got closer to where they needed to turn off.
"Yeah, thanks!" Starla agreed. "Next stop: Debbie Hart Lane!"
"Shelley knows how to get our attention," Trevor replied. "Yeah, I'm anxious to see this place. It sounds like something straight out of a Hardy Boys novel."
Starla raised an eyebrow at Trevor and said, "Oh, does she?" with a slightly jealous note in her voice. She smiled at Shelley to let her know she was just kidding.
"Well, actually, I have to give credit to Short Stuff," Trevor corrected himself. "She took the initiative and was the most entertaining of the three of you!"
The group paid a quick visit to Shelley's car so Shelley could drop off her merchandise and Tabby could get the walkie-talkies and binoculars she'd brought; then, they headed back toward Teal Cove, which they would have to go through to get to Debbie Hart Lane. They agreed to stop at the 7-Eleven on the way to pick up Slurpees and donuts. Shelley had been mostly joking when she'd suggested they get donuts, playing on the stereotype of cops always eating donuts on stakeouts. Still, she was happy to take advantage of the opportunity to get some of the tasty snacks.
After making a quick stop at the 7-Eleven where they had seen Jerry, the group was quickly on their way again in Matt's van. Matt and Trevor were up in the front, and the girls were in the back. Since it was a cargo van, there were no seats other than milk crates. Matt had specifically chosen a van like this for the band's equipment, particularly his extensive collection of drums and percussion instruments that made up his drum kit. When their gear wasn't taking up the back, the vehicle looked quite empty. Tabby wished they had set up a card table or something, but in reality, it probably would have slid around and been more of an annoyance.
"Okay, we should be coming out of hyperspace any moment," Trevor announced as they passed the abandoned gas station. It had been the place where the girls had waited for Gary to call them after he'd sent Trevor and Matt on their scavenger hunt to alert them it was safe to come back to the restaurant.
"Well, just don't come out in a meteor shower," said Starla. "Or a debris field from a destroyed planet, or whatever."
"We'll do that, or whatever, your worship," Trevor chuckled in responsed to Starla's botched lines.
"We're looking for Farm-to-Market 4351 off on the right. There aren't any businesses or landmarks near it," Tabby offered. "You'll just have to watch for it."
Matt drove a little further, keeping watch for the turnoff. Supposedly the road was unlit, and although there was a sign, according to the girls, it wasn't all that easy to see. He slowed the van a little and soon spotted it. "There it is," he announced as he slowed to make the turn, giving the girls time to brace themselves so they wouldn't go tumbling across the van floor.
"Then we'll be looking for Old Mill Road," Tabby recalled. "There aren't any windows back here, so I can't really see out. We just noted that was where Jerry's bug turned. Shelley can probably squeeze between you two and sit up near the front to help you spot it."
Taking Tabby's suggestion, Shelley scrambled up to the front of the van and squatted just behind the front seats, putting a hand on the back of each seat to steady herself. That put her just behind and between Matt and Trevor and gave her a view out the windshield, and a pretty good view out the driver-side and passenger-side windows as well if she leaned forward a bit. "Careful; the road's not in good shape around here; potholes n'at."
"What was he doing way out here," Trevor asked. "He was in a short-range fighter. He must have been part of a convoy and gotten lost or something..."
Tabby rolled her eyes. "He was obviously heading for that small moon," she replied. "It's near the remains of the Alderaan system. We found a piece of it marked 'Debbie Hart Lane.' Shelley can be the R2 unit and guide you in."
"Uh, bleep bloop beep?" said Shelley.
"I don't know R-Shell," Trevor replied. "I think they must have gone to that small moon."
"That's no moon; it's an outhouse door," said Matt with a deadpan expression.
Shelley looked around in confusion, not seeing an outhouse anywhere, and then realized Matt was using a Star Wars quasi-quote to make a joke, as usual. She seemed to remember him using that same quote to make jokes about snakes and turtles while they were out on the lake.
As they approached the top of a hill, Shelley pointed. "Jerry had his bug sitting off the road up there until a semi came along. Then he flashed his lights and led the truck down that road." She indicated an unpaved side road with a sign that read "Old Mill Road". As Matt turned onto the road, Shelley continued. "Jerry led the truck down another side road called Debbie Hart Lane, but we didn't follow. It looked like it was in even worse shape than this one. There's a sign, but it's covered in vegetation and really hard to see, and almost illegible. So keep your eyes peeled."
The road was becoming rough. It was filled with potholes and in poor repair. The rain was beginning to pick up again. Since Tabby and Starla were sitting on the metal floor of the van, they could feel all of the uneven spots. The metal floor vibrated uncomfortably as the condition of the pavement deteriorated the further they drove. Tabby felt the rear end fishtail a little as Matt hit a slick spot. Tabby lost her balance on her milk crate for a moment and threw her arms around Starla to keep from toppling over.
"Oops…careful!" said Starla. She grabbed hold of Tabby as well and spread her feet out to give them both a wide base of support. "It's possible these milk crates are not entirely stable!"
"Not entirely stable? Wait, we're not actually going into an asteroid field," Tabby said, suddenly cutting her eyes to Starla as she released her. She dropped her voice and whispered in her ear, "Tell him he doesn't have to do this to impress you!"
"You don't have to do this to impress me!" said Starla. Her mind raced to think of quotes from The Empire Strikes Back's asteroid scene; she didn't have them memorized as well as Matt and Trevor did. "Uh, we're going to get pulverized if we stay out here. The chances of successfully navigating an asteroid field are, uh, 3 million to one! I am not a committee!"
Matt smirked at Starla's attempt. Not word-for-word, perhaps, but it was a valiant effort. "Never tell me the odds," he replied.
"Leia-3PO, human-cyborg relations princess and Ambassador," Trevor replied. "This is her counterpart R2-Shell 2."
"What about me," Tabby asked.
"I guess that leaves Obi-wan if Starla is going to hog both roles," Trevor replied.
"So that makes you a big walking carpet since you're the co-pilot," Tabby shot back.
"We've got to work on our casting," Trevor said as they got closer to where they needed to turn off.
Matt smirked at Starla's attempt. Not word-for-word, perhaps, but it was a valiant effort. "Never tell me the odds," he replied.
"Leia-3PO, human-cyborg relations princess and Ambassador," Trevor replied. "This is her counterpart R2-Shell 2."
"What about me," Tabby asked.
"I guess that leaves Obi-wan if Starla is going to hog both roles," Trevor replied.
"So that makes you a big walking carpet since you're the co-pilot," Tabby shot back.
"We've got to work on our casting," Trevor said as they got closer to where they needed to turn off.
“I don’t know if I like where this is going,” Shelley said. “Doesn’t this end with us being chased by the bad guys…”
“They’d be crazy to follow us, wouldn’t they?” interrupted Matt.
“and ultimately swallowed by a slug?” Shelley continued. “At least temporarily? And attacked by those flying things that chew on cables…”
“Mynocks,” Matt supplied.
“Uh, yeah, mynocks,” agree Shelley. How did Matt and the others remember all these obscure details?
Matt continued down Old Mill Road, which seemed to be in worse condition the further they drove. Shelley tightened her grip on the backs of Matt’s and Trevor’s seats as the bumpy ride continued. “Keep your eyes open; I think the turnoff onto Debbie Hart Lane is around here somewhere,” she said. She noticed her visibility out the windshield was getting worse. “Did we just enter a fog bank?” she asked.
“No, that’s steam coming from my engine,” said Matt, who had a better view of what was going on. He glanced at the dashboard and said, “We’re overheating. I’m going to have to pull over.”
“Ugh, let me guess: the hyperdrive’s been damaged! It’s impossible to go to light speed!” said Starla.
“The hyperdrive MOTIVATOR’s been damaged,” Matt corrected her. Switching back to Han Solo mode, he continued, “We’re in trouble!”
“So what do we do?” Shelley asked. She had no expertise in mechanics. She was worried they’d have to go find a phone to call a tow truck or something. At least they knew of a phone that was in service not too far away; it was the one at the old Sinclair gas station that they’d used the night of the scavenger hunt. That was a pretty good walk, though; they’d have to retrace their path back to Farm-To-Market 4351 and from there back to the main highway. It would only take a few minutes to drive if they had a working vehicle, but the idea of walking that distance at night in this kind of weather was a bit daunting.
“I don’t know yet; we’ll have to take a look. It might just be a matter of putting some water in the radiator,” Matt said. He turned to Trevor. “You’re the mechanics expert among us. What do you think?”
*tags; feel free to sprinkle in comments wherever you want.*
"Leia-3PO, human-cyborg relations princess and Ambassador," Trevor replied. "This is her counterpart R2-Shell 2."
"What about me," Tabby asked.
"I guess that leaves Obi-wan if Starla is going to hog both roles," Trevor replied.
"So that makes you a big walking carpet since you're the co-pilot," Tabby shot back.
"We've got to work on our casting," Trevor said as they got closer to where they needed to turn off.
“I don’t know if I like where this is going,” Shelley said. “Doesn’t this end with us being chased by the bad guys…”
“They’d be crazy to follow us, wouldn’t they?” interrupted Matt.
“and ultimately swallowed by a slug?” Shelley continued. “At least temporarily? And attacked by those flying things that chew on cables…”
“Mynocks,” Matt supplied.
“Uh, yeah, mynocks,” agree Shelley. How did Matt and the others remember all these obscure details?
Matt continued down Old Mill Road, which seemed to be in worse condition the further they drove. Shelley tightened her grip on the backs of Matt’s and Trevor’s seats as the bumpy ride continued. “Keep your eyes open; I think the turnoff onto Debbie Hart Lane is around here somewhere,” she said. She noticed her visibility out the windshield was getting worse. “Did we just enter a fog bank?” she asked.
“No, that’s steam coming from my engine,” said Matt, who had a better view of what was going on. He glanced at the dashboard and said, “We’re overheating. I’m going to have to pull over.”
“Ugh, let me guess: the hyperdrive’s been damaged! It’s impossible to go to light speed!” said Starla.
“The hyperdrive MOTIVATOR’s been damaged,” Matt corrected her. Switching back to Han Solo mode, he continued, “We’re in trouble!”
“So what do we do?” Shelley asked. She had no expertise in mechanics. She was worried they’d have to go find a phone to call a tow truck or something. At least they knew of a phone that was in service not too far away; it was the one at the old Sinclair gas station that they’d used the night of the scavenger hunt. That was a pretty good walk, though; they’d have to retrace their path back to Farm-To-Market 4351 and from there back to the main highway. It would only take a few minutes to drive if they had a working vehicle, but the idea of walking that distance at night in this kind of weather was a bit daunting.
“I don’t know yet; we’ll have to take a look. It might just be a matter of putting some water in the radiator,” Matt said. He turned to Trevor. “You’re the mechanics expert among us. What do you think?”
*tags; feel free to sprinkle in comments wherever you want.*
Matt smirked at Starla's attempt. Not word-for-word, perhaps, but it was a valiant effort. "Never tell me the odds," he replied.
"Leia-3PO, human-cyborg relations princess and Ambassador," Trevor replied. "This is her counterpart R2-Shell 2."
"What about me," Tabby asked.
"I guess that leaves Obi-wan if Starla is going to hog both roles," Trevor replied.
"So that makes you a big walking carpet since you're the co-pilot," Tabby shot back.
"We've got to work on our casting," Trevor said as they got closer to where they needed to turn off.
"I don't know if I like where this is going," Shelley said. "Doesn't this end with us being chased by the bad guys…"
"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" interrupted Matt.
"and ultimately swallowed by a slug?" Shelley continued. "At least temporarily? And attacked by those flying things that chew on cables…"
"Mynocks," Matt supplied.
"Uh, yeah, mynocks," agree Shelley. How did Matt and the others remember all these obscure details?
"Chewing on the power cables," Trevor agreed.
Matt continued down Old Mill Road, which seemed to be in worse condition the further they drove. Shelley tightened her grip on the backs of Matt's and Trevor's seats as the bumpy ride continued. "Keep your eyes open; I think the turnoff onto Debbie Hart Lane is around here somewhere," she said. She noticed her visibility out the windshield was getting worse. "Did we just enter a fog bank?" she asked.
"No, that's steam coming from my engine," said Matt, who had a better view of what was going on. He glanced at the dashboard and said, "We're overheating. I'm going to have to pull over."
"What's that flashing," Trevor asked pointing at the dash.
The check engine light suddenly came on. The light wasn't flashing, but Trevor was citing the line from Star Wars when the Millenium Falcon was about to lose its shields right before jumping to light speed.
"Ugh, let me guess: the hyperdrive's been damaged! It's impossible to go to light speed!" said Starla.
"The hyperdrive MOTIVATOR's been damaged," Matt corrected her. Switching back to Han Solo mode, he continued, "We're in trouble!"
"So what do we do?" Shelley asked. She had no expertise in mechanics. She was worried they'd have to go find a phone to call a tow truck or something. At least they knew of a phone that was in service not too far away; it was the one at the old Sinclair gas station that they'd used the night of the scavenger hunt. That was a pretty good walk, though; they'd have to retrace their path back to Farm-To-Market 4351 and from there back to the main highway. It would only take a few minutes to drive if they had a working vehicle, but the idea of walking that distance at night in this kind of weather was a bit daunting.
"I don't know yet; we'll have to take a look. It might just be a matter of putting some water in the radiator," Matt said. He turned to Trevor. "You're the mechanics expert among us. What do you think?"
"Well, the negative power coupling has probably been polarized and likely will need replacement," Trevor informed Matt. "That or your radiator cap is loose or you have a leak in your cooling system somewhere."
The rain was really picking up and beating the metal roof of the van relentlessly. Everyone had to speak louder to be heard. Trevor pointed at a gate along the side of the road. There was enough room for Matt to pull the van off the road, not that there was any traffic they needed to worry about.
"Pull over there and shut the engine off so we don't overheat," Trevor instructed. "We need to let it sit for a few minutes and cool. You never want to uncap a hot radiator or you could get sprayed with boiling water. Hopefully, the rain will slow down by then."
Trevor checked his watch. "Give it about 15 minutes to cool," he said. In the distance, they could hear the low rumbling of a big rig engine. It was getting progressively louder.
"I think we have company," Tabby said.
"Leia-3PO, human-cyborg relations princess and Ambassador," Trevor replied. "This is her counterpart R2-Shell 2."
"What about me," Tabby asked.
"I guess that leaves Obi-wan if Starla is going to hog both roles," Trevor replied.
"So that makes you a big walking carpet since you're the co-pilot," Tabby shot back.
"We've got to work on our casting," Trevor said as they got closer to where they needed to turn off.
"I don't know if I like where this is going," Shelley said. "Doesn't this end with us being chased by the bad guys…"
"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" interrupted Matt.
"and ultimately swallowed by a slug?" Shelley continued. "At least temporarily? And attacked by those flying things that chew on cables…"
"Mynocks," Matt supplied.
"Uh, yeah, mynocks," agree Shelley. How did Matt and the others remember all these obscure details?
"Chewing on the power cables," Trevor agreed.
Matt continued down Old Mill Road, which seemed to be in worse condition the further they drove. Shelley tightened her grip on the backs of Matt's and Trevor's seats as the bumpy ride continued. "Keep your eyes open; I think the turnoff onto Debbie Hart Lane is around here somewhere," she said. She noticed her visibility out the windshield was getting worse. "Did we just enter a fog bank?" she asked.
"No, that's steam coming from my engine," said Matt, who had a better view of what was going on. He glanced at the dashboard and said, "We're overheating. I'm going to have to pull over."
"What's that flashing," Trevor asked pointing at the dash.
The check engine light suddenly came on. The light wasn't flashing, but Trevor was citing the line from Star Wars when the Millenium Falcon was about to lose its shields right before jumping to light speed.
"Ugh, let me guess: the hyperdrive's been damaged! It's impossible to go to light speed!" said Starla.
"The hyperdrive MOTIVATOR's been damaged," Matt corrected her. Switching back to Han Solo mode, he continued, "We're in trouble!"
"So what do we do?" Shelley asked. She had no expertise in mechanics. She was worried they'd have to go find a phone to call a tow truck or something. At least they knew of a phone that was in service not too far away; it was the one at the old Sinclair gas station that they'd used the night of the scavenger hunt. That was a pretty good walk, though; they'd have to retrace their path back to Farm-To-Market 4351 and from there back to the main highway. It would only take a few minutes to drive if they had a working vehicle, but the idea of walking that distance at night in this kind of weather was a bit daunting.
"I don't know yet; we'll have to take a look. It might just be a matter of putting some water in the radiator," Matt said. He turned to Trevor. "You're the mechanics expert among us. What do you think?"
"Well, the negative power coupling has probably been polarized and likely will need replacement," Trevor informed Matt. "That or your radiator cap is loose or you have a leak in your cooling system somewhere."
The rain was really picking up and beating the metal roof of the van relentlessly. Everyone had to speak louder to be heard. Trevor pointed at a gate along the side of the road. There was enough room for Matt to pull the van off the road, not that there was any traffic they needed to worry about.
"Pull over there and shut the engine off so we don't overheat," Trevor instructed. "We need to let it sit for a few minutes and cool. You never want to uncap a hot radiator or you could get sprayed with boiling water. Hopefully, the rain will slow down by then."
Trevor checked his watch. "Give it about 15 minutes to cool," he said. In the distance, they could hear the low rumbling of a big rig engine. It was getting progressively louder.
"I think we have company," Tabby said.
"So what do we do?" Shelley asked. She had no expertise in mechanics. She was worried they'd have to go find a phone to call a tow truck or something. At least they knew of a phone that was in service not too far away; it was the one at the old Sinclair gas station that they'd used the night of the scavenger hunt. That was a pretty good walk, though; they'd have to retrace their path back to Farm-To-Market 4351 and from there back to the main highway. It would only take a few minutes to drive if they had a working vehicle, but the idea of walking that distance at night in this kind of weather was a bit daunting.
"I don't know yet; we'll have to take a look. It might just be a matter of putting some water in the radiator," Matt said. He turned to Trevor. "You're the mechanics expert among us. What do you think?"
"Well, the negative power coupling has probably been polarized and likely will need replacement," Trevor informed Matt. "That or your radiator cap is loose or you have a leak in your cooling system somewhere."
The rain was really picking up and beating the metal roof of the van relentlessly. Everyone had to speak louder to be heard. Trevor pointed at a gate along the side of the road. There was enough room for Matt to pull the van off the road, not that there was any traffic they needed to worry about.
"Pull over there and shut the engine off so we don't overheat," Trevor instructed. "We need to let it sit for a few minutes and cool. You never want to uncap a hot radiator or you could get sprayed with boiling water. Hopefully, the rain will slow down by then."
“Already on it,” Matt said. He pulled the van off the road next to the gate as Trevor had suggested and shut off the engine.
“Won’t the rain help it to cool down faster?” Shelley asked. “Should we open the hood so the rain water can run over it?”
“If we need to put water in the radiator, should we try to catch some of the rainwater in a cup or something?” asked Starla. “I don’t know if we can get enough that way, but it might help. Anybody got an empty container we could use?”
*tags*
Trevor checked his watch. "Give it about 15 minutes to cool," he said. In the distance, they could hear the low rumbling of a big rig engine. It was getting progressively louder.
"I think we have company," Tabby said.
Matt looked in the side view mirror. “Uh, yeah, it looks like we’ve got an eighteen-wheeler coming up behind us. Well, crap; that’s probably the bad guys, isn’t it? Should we hide in the back so the van will look like it’s abandoned?” He didn’t want to be seen by whoever was driving that truck, but he didn’t relish the idea of trying to climb over the back of the seat. Of the five of them, he was probably the least agile, and would likely need some help.
“I don’t think that’ll help. He’s going to see the steam, and he’s going to know the engine’s been running recently,” Shelley pointed out.
“Good point,” said Matt. “Uh, maybe he’ll just think we’re stranded motorists having engine problems, which is true. Maybe he’ll offer to help. Or maybe he’ll just ignore us and pass on by.”
*tags*
"I don't know yet; we'll have to take a look. It might just be a matter of putting some water in the radiator," Matt said. He turned to Trevor. "You're the mechanics expert among us. What do you think?"
"Well, the negative power coupling has probably been polarized and likely will need replacement," Trevor informed Matt. "That or your radiator cap is loose or you have a leak in your cooling system somewhere."
The rain was really picking up and beating the metal roof of the van relentlessly. Everyone had to speak louder to be heard. Trevor pointed at a gate along the side of the road. There was enough room for Matt to pull the van off the road, not that there was any traffic they needed to worry about.
"Pull over there and shut the engine off so we don't overheat," Trevor instructed. "We need to let it sit for a few minutes and cool. You never want to uncap a hot radiator or you could get sprayed with boiling water. Hopefully, the rain will slow down by then."
“Already on it,” Matt said. He pulled the van off the road next to the gate as Trevor had suggested and shut off the engine.
“Won’t the rain help it to cool down faster?” Shelley asked. “Should we open the hood so the rain water can run over it?”
“If we need to put water in the radiator, should we try to catch some of the rainwater in a cup or something?” asked Starla. “I don’t know if we can get enough that way, but it might help. Anybody got an empty container we could use?”
*tags*
Trevor checked his watch. "Give it about 15 minutes to cool," he said. In the distance, they could hear the low rumbling of a big rig engine. It was getting progressively louder.
"I think we have company," Tabby said.
Matt looked in the side view mirror. “Uh, yeah, it looks like we’ve got an eighteen-wheeler coming up behind us. Well, crap; that’s probably the bad guys, isn’t it? Should we hide in the back so the van will look like it’s abandoned?” He didn’t want to be seen by whoever was driving that truck, but he didn’t relish the idea of trying to climb over the back of the seat. Of the five of them, he was probably the least agile, and would likely need some help.
“I don’t think that’ll help. He’s going to see the steam, and he’s going to know the engine’s been running recently,” Shelley pointed out.
“Good point,” said Matt. “Uh, maybe he’ll just think we’re stranded motorists having engine problems, which is true. Maybe he’ll offer to help. Or maybe he’ll just ignore us and pass on by.”
*tags*
Patrick Jackson usually enjoyed driving his eighteen-wheeler at night. At night, he didn’t have to deal with the glare of the sun getting in his eyes, or with the day-time traffic that resulted from all the commuters going to their nine-to-five jobs. Night was when it most seemed like the roads belonged to him, and to truckers like him. But he didn’t like driving at night when it was raining. The rain constantly striking the windshield combined with the way lights reflected off the wet streets played havoc with visibility, and he had to pay a lot more attention. And that was when you were on good, paved roads. There were additional problems when you were on crappy roads like this Old Mill Road. You could easily go off the road if you weren’t careful, or get stuck in the mud, or any number of things.
Ironically, just as he was thinking about problems you could have on a bad road, he spotted a van that seemed to be having just those kinds of problems right now. It was a van he didn’t recognize, and it was pulled off the road next to a gate. It was a little hard to tell in the rain from this distance, but it looked like there was steam coming from the engine. This seemed like an odd place to encounter an unknown vehicle having engine problems; the road got so little traffic, and it was uncomfortably close to the Farm.
After a quick check to make sure there were no other vehicles in sight, he slowed to a crawl and got on the CB. “Breaker. Got your ears on, Farm? This is Speedy Chicken,” he said, using his trucker handle that was inspired by the baseball cap he wore. It was a black cap featuring a picture of a running chicken, and the words “ROOSTER RUN GENERAL STORE” and “ROOSTER RUN, KY”. He’d picked it up a few years earlier at a little roadside stop during a run to Kentucky to pick up some bourbon. “There’s a van out here by this gate near the turnoff that leads to the farm. Know anything about it? It looks like they’re having engine trouble.”
*tags*
Ironically, just as he was thinking about problems you could have on a bad road, he spotted a van that seemed to be having just those kinds of problems right now. It was a van he didn’t recognize, and it was pulled off the road next to a gate. It was a little hard to tell in the rain from this distance, but it looked like there was steam coming from the engine. This seemed like an odd place to encounter an unknown vehicle having engine problems; the road got so little traffic, and it was uncomfortably close to the Farm.
After a quick check to make sure there were no other vehicles in sight, he slowed to a crawl and got on the CB. “Breaker. Got your ears on, Farm? This is Speedy Chicken,” he said, using his trucker handle that was inspired by the baseball cap he wore. It was a black cap featuring a picture of a running chicken, and the words “ROOSTER RUN GENERAL STORE” and “ROOSTER RUN, KY”. He’d picked it up a few years earlier at a little roadside stop during a run to Kentucky to pick up some bourbon. “There’s a van out here by this gate near the turnoff that leads to the farm. Know anything about it? It looks like they’re having engine trouble.”
*tags*
The rain was really picking up and beating the metal roof of the van relentlessly. Everyone had to speak louder to be heard. Trevor pointed at a gate along the side of the road. There was enough room for Matt to pull the van off the road, not that there was any traffic they needed to worry about.
"Pull over there and shut the engine off so we don't overheat," Trevor instructed. "We need to let it sit for a few minutes and cool. You never want to uncap a hot radiator or you could get sprayed with boiling water. Hopefully, the rain will slow down by then."
“Already on it,” Matt said. He pulled the van off the road next to the gate as Trevor had suggested and shut off the engine.
“Won’t the rain help it to cool down faster?” Shelley asked. “Should we open the hood so the rain water can run over it?”
“No, I think it’s better we just let it cool off on its own,” Trevor replied.
“If we need to put water in the radiator, should we try to catch some of the rainwater in a cup or something?” asked Starla. “I don’t know if we can get enough that way, but it might help. Anybody got an empty container we could use?”
“That’s a good thought,” Trevor said. “I won’t know ‘til I look. It may not hold water depending on what’s wrong. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble collecting rainwater if we need it, though. Assuming we have something to put it in.”
Tabby was getting nervous. Trevor didn’t seem concerned and he had made another Star Wars reference about their predicament. Tabby thought back to Jerry sitting on the hill and signaling the truck. It was obvious that he was up to no good. What if he really was involved with the stolen cars and they were right outside the thieves’ hideout? It was about that time that Tabby noticed a faint noise over the rain hitting the van’s roof.
Trevor checked his watch. "Give it about 15 minutes to cool," he said. In the distance, they could hear the low rumbling of a big rig engine. It was getting progressively louder.
"I think we have company," Tabby said.
Matt looked in the side view mirror. “Uh, yeah, it looks like we’ve got an eighteen-wheeler coming up behind us. Well, crap; that’s probably the bad guys, isn’t it? Should we hide in the back so the van will look like it’s abandoned?” He didn’t want to be seen by whoever was driving that truck, but he didn’t relish the idea of trying to climb over the back of the seat. Of the five of them, he was probably the least agile, and would likely need some help.
Tabby swallowed hard. She felt her stomach knot up a bit. It was the same thing that happened whenever her father had been drinking and she knew her parents were about to start fighting.
“I don’t think that’ll help. He’s going to see the steam, and he’s going to know the engine’s been running recently,” Shelley pointed out.
“Good point,” said Matt. “Uh, maybe he’ll just think we’re stranded motorists having engine problems, which is true. Maybe he’ll offer to help. Or maybe he’ll just ignore us and pass on by.”
Tabby heard the 18-wheeler slowing as it passed the van. Being in the back, she was unable to see anything as there were no windows in the rear of the van. It sounded like it was slowing to a stop. She could see the lights flashing off the reflection of the windshield.
Tabby glanced at the plastic bag containing the pair of walkie-talkies and the binoculars, then at the rear van doors. Shelley was near the front between Matt and Trevor’s seat.
She had to move quickly before her courage abandoned her. The rain was still beating hard on the van and the cab of the truck was probably close to the front of the van. Between all of that and the darkness, it was unlikely he’d see someone slip out the back and run into the woods.
Tabby took a deep breath, snatched a walkie-talkie from her bag, and pressed it into Starla’s hand. “Whatever happens, don’t let them find that,” she instructed. Then, bag still in hand, she crawled towards the rear door, opened it quickly, slipped through and slammed it shut again.
"Pull over there and shut the engine off so we don't overheat," Trevor instructed. "We need to let it sit for a few minutes and cool. You never want to uncap a hot radiator or you could get sprayed with boiling water. Hopefully, the rain will slow down by then."
“Already on it,” Matt said. He pulled the van off the road next to the gate as Trevor had suggested and shut off the engine.
“Won’t the rain help it to cool down faster?” Shelley asked. “Should we open the hood so the rain water can run over it?”
“No, I think it’s better we just let it cool off on its own,” Trevor replied.
“If we need to put water in the radiator, should we try to catch some of the rainwater in a cup or something?” asked Starla. “I don’t know if we can get enough that way, but it might help. Anybody got an empty container we could use?”
“That’s a good thought,” Trevor said. “I won’t know ‘til I look. It may not hold water depending on what’s wrong. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble collecting rainwater if we need it, though. Assuming we have something to put it in.”
Tabby was getting nervous. Trevor didn’t seem concerned and he had made another Star Wars reference about their predicament. Tabby thought back to Jerry sitting on the hill and signaling the truck. It was obvious that he was up to no good. What if he really was involved with the stolen cars and they were right outside the thieves’ hideout? It was about that time that Tabby noticed a faint noise over the rain hitting the van’s roof.
Trevor checked his watch. "Give it about 15 minutes to cool," he said. In the distance, they could hear the low rumbling of a big rig engine. It was getting progressively louder.
"I think we have company," Tabby said.
Matt looked in the side view mirror. “Uh, yeah, it looks like we’ve got an eighteen-wheeler coming up behind us. Well, crap; that’s probably the bad guys, isn’t it? Should we hide in the back so the van will look like it’s abandoned?” He didn’t want to be seen by whoever was driving that truck, but he didn’t relish the idea of trying to climb over the back of the seat. Of the five of them, he was probably the least agile, and would likely need some help.
Tabby swallowed hard. She felt her stomach knot up a bit. It was the same thing that happened whenever her father had been drinking and she knew her parents were about to start fighting.
“I don’t think that’ll help. He’s going to see the steam, and he’s going to know the engine’s been running recently,” Shelley pointed out.
“Good point,” said Matt. “Uh, maybe he’ll just think we’re stranded motorists having engine problems, which is true. Maybe he’ll offer to help. Or maybe he’ll just ignore us and pass on by.”
Tabby heard the 18-wheeler slowing as it passed the van. Being in the back, she was unable to see anything as there were no windows in the rear of the van. It sounded like it was slowing to a stop. She could see the lights flashing off the reflection of the windshield.
Tabby glanced at the plastic bag containing the pair of walkie-talkies and the binoculars, then at the rear van doors. Shelley was near the front between Matt and Trevor’s seat.
She had to move quickly before her courage abandoned her. The rain was still beating hard on the van and the cab of the truck was probably close to the front of the van. Between all of that and the darkness, it was unlikely he’d see someone slip out the back and run into the woods.
Tabby took a deep breath, snatched a walkie-talkie from her bag, and pressed it into Starla’s hand. “Whatever happens, don’t let them find that,” she instructed. Then, bag still in hand, she crawled towards the rear door, opened it quickly, slipped through and slammed it shut again.
It had been a slow night. Fortunately, Jerry had gotten out to the farm before the storm. They were expecting a pickup later this evening. He took a sip of his beer. The television got poor reception this far out of town. Channel 4 was showing a rerun of “Hart to Hart” from last season. The little black and white television had static in the screen and the picture occasionally rolled when there was a clap of thunder or a flash of lightning. Anytime Jerry had to key the mic, the picture was rendered completely unwatchable, not that he was paying attention anyway. He’d already finished running the number station announcement. Just then, he heard the CB radio sitting next to the HAM rig he broadcasted with crackle to life.
“Breaker. Got your ears on, Farm? This is Speedy Chicken,” he said, using his trucker handle that was inspired by the baseball cap he wore. It was a black cap featuring a picture of a running chicken, and the words “ROOSTER RUN GENERAL STORE” and “ROOSTER RUN, KY”. He’d picked it up a few years earlier at a little roadside stop during a run to Kentucky to pick up some bourbon.
Jerry rolled his eyes. What kind of fucking handle was Speedy Chicken? Why hadn’t he just gone with Roadrunner? It sounded like some kind of God damned fried chicken place at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. Jerry didn’t know any of the truckers well. This guy had been through before, but he didn’t know him. Jerry remembered the CB handle, however.
“This is Farmboy,” Jerry confirmed. “Go ahead.”
“There’s a van out here by this gate near the turnoff that leads to the farm. Know anything about it? It looks like they’re having engine trouble.”
“A van,” Jerry repeated into the mic without thinking. Who in the hell would be out here in the middle of nowhere at this hour? It sounded suspicious. No one in the gang drove a van. Just then a thought crossed Jerry’s mind and he was filled with panic for a moment. “What’s it look like? What color? Over.”
*Tag Speedy Chicken*
“Okay, anyone around it? Over.”
*Tag Speedy Chicken*
“Knock on the window, find out who they are and what they’re doing out here. Uh, don’t tell them anything. Act like you’re going to help them. Look inside the van and… I dunno, see who is in there. Then tell them to hold on and that you’ll uh radio for help and tell me what you found out. Over.”
*tag Speedy Chicken*
Mouse came in and slammed the door. He was soaking wet. He immediately sensed trouble. “What’s going on,” he demanded. Jerry quickly repeated what had just come over the radio.
“God damn it,” Mouse said kicking a hole in the trailer wall. The faux wood paneling was in bad repair and there were several small roof leaks. The television and radio equipment were at the other end which was in slightly better repair. The floor was filthy throughout the trailer with a few dead bugs in the corners.
“Hang on, it will be cool,” Jerry promised. “He’s talking to whoever it is. We’ll know more in a moment.”
Meanwhile, back at the van…
*tag Speedy Chicken*
OOC: Go ahead and have him hop out and approach the van. You might have him make a 1d6 roll and say on a 6 he sees or hears Tabby slip out the back of the van. It's possible but unlikely. I like all the random variables we're throwing in with the dice. I did several with these last 2 posts.
“Breaker. Got your ears on, Farm? This is Speedy Chicken,” he said, using his trucker handle that was inspired by the baseball cap he wore. It was a black cap featuring a picture of a running chicken, and the words “ROOSTER RUN GENERAL STORE” and “ROOSTER RUN, KY”. He’d picked it up a few years earlier at a little roadside stop during a run to Kentucky to pick up some bourbon.
Jerry rolled his eyes. What kind of fucking handle was Speedy Chicken? Why hadn’t he just gone with Roadrunner? It sounded like some kind of God damned fried chicken place at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. Jerry didn’t know any of the truckers well. This guy had been through before, but he didn’t know him. Jerry remembered the CB handle, however.
“This is Farmboy,” Jerry confirmed. “Go ahead.”
“There’s a van out here by this gate near the turnoff that leads to the farm. Know anything about it? It looks like they’re having engine trouble.”
“A van,” Jerry repeated into the mic without thinking. Who in the hell would be out here in the middle of nowhere at this hour? It sounded suspicious. No one in the gang drove a van. Just then a thought crossed Jerry’s mind and he was filled with panic for a moment. “What’s it look like? What color? Over.”
*Tag Speedy Chicken*
“Okay, anyone around it? Over.”
*Tag Speedy Chicken*
“Knock on the window, find out who they are and what they’re doing out here. Uh, don’t tell them anything. Act like you’re going to help them. Look inside the van and… I dunno, see who is in there. Then tell them to hold on and that you’ll uh radio for help and tell me what you found out. Over.”
*tag Speedy Chicken*
Mouse came in and slammed the door. He was soaking wet. He immediately sensed trouble. “What’s going on,” he demanded. Jerry quickly repeated what had just come over the radio.
“God damn it,” Mouse said kicking a hole in the trailer wall. The faux wood paneling was in bad repair and there were several small roof leaks. The television and radio equipment were at the other end which was in slightly better repair. The floor was filthy throughout the trailer with a few dead bugs in the corners.
“Hang on, it will be cool,” Jerry promised. “He’s talking to whoever it is. We’ll know more in a moment.”
Meanwhile, back at the van…
*tag Speedy Chicken*
OOC: Go ahead and have him hop out and approach the van. You might have him make a 1d6 roll and say on a 6 he sees or hears Tabby slip out the back of the van. It's possible but unlikely. I like all the random variables we're throwing in with the dice. I did several with these last 2 posts.
"I think we have company," Tabby said.
Matt looked in the side view mirror. “Uh, yeah, it looks like we’ve got an eighteen-wheeler coming up behind us. Well, crap; that’s probably the bad guys, isn’t it? Should we hide in the back so the van will look like it’s abandoned?” He didn’t want to be seen by whoever was driving that truck, but he didn’t relish the idea of trying to climb over the back of the seat. Of the five of them, he was probably the least agile, and would likely need some help.
Tabby swallowed hard. She felt her stomach knot up a bit. It was the same thing that happened whenever her father had been drinking and she knew her parents were about to start fighting.
“I don’t think that’ll help. He’s going to see the steam, and he’s going to know the engine’s been running recently,” Shelley pointed out.
“Good point,” said Matt. “Uh, maybe he’ll just think we’re stranded motorists having engine problems, which is true. Maybe he’ll offer to help. Or maybe he’ll just ignore us and pass on by.”
Tabby heard the 18-wheeler slowing as it passed the van. Being in the back, she was unable to see anything as there were no windows in the rear of the van. It sounded like it was slowing to a stop. She could see the lights flashing off the reflection of the windshield.
Tabby glanced at the plastic bag containing the pair of walkie-talkies and the binoculars, then at the rear van doors. Shelley was near the front between Matt and Trevor’s seat.
She had to move quickly before her courage abandoned her. The rain was still beating hard on the van and the cab of the truck was probably close to the front of the van. Between all of that and the darkness, it was unlikely he’d see someone slip out the back and run into the woods.
Tabby took a deep breath, snatched a walkie-talkie from her bag, and pressed it into Starla’s hand. “Whatever happens, don’t let them find that,” she instructed. Then, bag still in hand, she crawled towards the rear door, opened it quickly, slipped through and slammed it shut again.
It took Starla a couple of seconds to realize what Tabby was putting in her hand. She hadn’t been expecting it, being entirely focused on thoughts of the truck and what might happen next. It took another moment or two for Tabby’s instructions and their implications to sink in. By then Tabby was already slipping out the van’s rear door. Starla almost panicked as she realized what was happening. “No, Tabby, wait…” she began, but then the door slammed shut and Tabby was gone.
Shelley too was taken off guard as she heard the rear door open behind her as she squatted behind the front seats. Afraid the villains might be coming in the back, she tried to turn quickly to see what was happening and ended up falling on her butt behind the driver’s seat. She didn’t see any villains, but she saw Starla holding a walkie-talkie and looking around frantically as if trying to figure out what to do. There was no sign of Tabby.
Starla was looking around, trying to find a place to put the walkie-talkie. She had to admit that Tabby’s instruction to keep it hidden from the bad guys made a lot of sense, but that might be easier said than done. She realized that the truck was coming to a stop next to the van when she saw some of the lights on the truck’s cab come into view through Matt’s driver-side window. Knowing she didn’t have much time, she threw herself flat on the van’s floor and rolled until she was pressed against the driver-side wall in the back of the van. She figured this was the place she was least likely to be spotted if the truck driver looked in through Matt’s window, or even through the windshield. She quickly checked the walkie-talkie to make sure it was turned off for the moment; it wouldn’t do to have Tabby’s or someone else’s voice come through it while she was trying to hide. She could turn it on later when it was safer to do so; for now the top priority was to stay hidden and stay quiet.
Matt looked in the side view mirror. “Uh, yeah, it looks like we’ve got an eighteen-wheeler coming up behind us. Well, crap; that’s probably the bad guys, isn’t it? Should we hide in the back so the van will look like it’s abandoned?” He didn’t want to be seen by whoever was driving that truck, but he didn’t relish the idea of trying to climb over the back of the seat. Of the five of them, he was probably the least agile, and would likely need some help.
Tabby swallowed hard. She felt her stomach knot up a bit. It was the same thing that happened whenever her father had been drinking and she knew her parents were about to start fighting.
“I don’t think that’ll help. He’s going to see the steam, and he’s going to know the engine’s been running recently,” Shelley pointed out.
“Good point,” said Matt. “Uh, maybe he’ll just think we’re stranded motorists having engine problems, which is true. Maybe he’ll offer to help. Or maybe he’ll just ignore us and pass on by.”
Tabby heard the 18-wheeler slowing as it passed the van. Being in the back, she was unable to see anything as there were no windows in the rear of the van. It sounded like it was slowing to a stop. She could see the lights flashing off the reflection of the windshield.
Tabby glanced at the plastic bag containing the pair of walkie-talkies and the binoculars, then at the rear van doors. Shelley was near the front between Matt and Trevor’s seat.
She had to move quickly before her courage abandoned her. The rain was still beating hard on the van and the cab of the truck was probably close to the front of the van. Between all of that and the darkness, it was unlikely he’d see someone slip out the back and run into the woods.
Tabby took a deep breath, snatched a walkie-talkie from her bag, and pressed it into Starla’s hand. “Whatever happens, don’t let them find that,” she instructed. Then, bag still in hand, she crawled towards the rear door, opened it quickly, slipped through and slammed it shut again.
It took Starla a couple of seconds to realize what Tabby was putting in her hand. She hadn’t been expecting it, being entirely focused on thoughts of the truck and what might happen next. It took another moment or two for Tabby’s instructions and their implications to sink in. By then Tabby was already slipping out the van’s rear door. Starla almost panicked as she realized what was happening. “No, Tabby, wait…” she began, but then the door slammed shut and Tabby was gone.
Shelley too was taken off guard as she heard the rear door open behind her as she squatted behind the front seats. Afraid the villains might be coming in the back, she tried to turn quickly to see what was happening and ended up falling on her butt behind the driver’s seat. She didn’t see any villains, but she saw Starla holding a walkie-talkie and looking around frantically as if trying to figure out what to do. There was no sign of Tabby.
Starla was looking around, trying to find a place to put the walkie-talkie. She had to admit that Tabby’s instruction to keep it hidden from the bad guys made a lot of sense, but that might be easier said than done. She realized that the truck was coming to a stop next to the van when she saw some of the lights on the truck’s cab come into view through Matt’s driver-side window. Knowing she didn’t have much time, she threw herself flat on the van’s floor and rolled until she was pressed against the driver-side wall in the back of the van. She figured this was the place she was least likely to be spotted if the truck driver looked in through Matt’s window, or even through the windshield. She quickly checked the walkie-talkie to make sure it was turned off for the moment; it wouldn’t do to have Tabby’s or someone else’s voice come through it while she was trying to hide. She could turn it on later when it was safer to do so; for now the top priority was to stay hidden and stay quiet.
“Breaker. Got your ears on, Farm? This is Speedy Chicken,” Patrick Jackson said, using his trucker handle that was inspired by the baseball cap he wore. It was a black cap featuring a picture of a running chicken, and the words “ROOSTER RUN GENERAL STORE” and “ROOSTER RUN, KY”. He’d picked it up a few years earlier at a little roadside stop during a run to Kentucky to pick up some bourbon.
“This is Farmboy,” came the response. “Go ahead.”
Patrick rolled his eyes. What kind of lame-ass handle was Farmboy? Based on the voice, whoever he was talking to sounded like a youngster, probably some teenage boy who thought he was hot stuff for helping the men run their operation. He thought he remembered seeing a kid like that out here once on a previous run. So apparently he was talking to an actual farm boy who went by the handle Farmboy. He shook his head; some people had no imagination.
“There’s a van out here by this gate near the turnoff that leads to the farm. Know anything about it? It looks like they’re having engine trouble.”
“A van?” responded the youthful voice. “What’s it look like? What color? Over.”
“It looks like a van, and it’s white,” said Patrick. “Nothin’ special about it; just a solid white van. Over.” A lot of vans had cool-looking custom paint jobs, often featuring science-fiction, fantasy, or western scenes. That trend from the late 70’s seemed to be dying, though; you didn’t see those paint jobs as frequently these days. Again, some people had no imagination.
“Okay, anyone around it? Over.”
“Not that I can see. If there’s anybody in it, they probably don’t want to be out in this rain. Over.”
“Knock on the window, find out who they are and what they’re doing out here. Uh, don’t tell them anything. Act like you’re going to help them. Look inside the van and… I dunno, see who is in there. Then tell them to hold on and that you’ll uh radio for help and tell me what you found out. Over.”
Patrick clenched his teeth; he didn’t like being ordered around by some teenage kid, especially when it involved getting out in the rain. Still, he supposed it needed to be done. He’d just noticed that there was steam coming from the front of the van, so it had apparently been running recently.
“10-4,” he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.
Leaving his engine running and grabbing a flashlight, he climbed down out of the cab and walked around the front of his rig to the van’s driver-side window. He saw that both the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat were occupied, and he thought he saw some motion of a third person behind the driver’s seat.
He knocked lightly at the window and signaled for them to roll it down. When Matt did so, Patrick shined the flashlight at him briefly, and then at Trevor. “You fellas alright? Looks like you’re having some engine trouble.”
“It’s overheated,” Matt responded. “We pulled over to let it cool down a little before we check it out. We’re hoping we can just add some water and be on our way.”
*tags*
Patrick shined the flashlight back behind Matt’s seat. “Who’s that back there with you?” he asked.
Shelley knew at that point she’d been spotted, and got up onto her knees so she could look past Matt at the truck driver. At the same time she hoped she was blocking his view of Starla, who she realized was trying to stay hidden. “Hi…just me. These guys are giving me a ride home.”
Patrick let the flashlight beam and his gaze linger a moment on Shelley’s face, and then said, “Uh huh.” After a brief pause, he continued. “Well, I tell you what. I can get on my CB and try to call a tow truck for you, if there are any out on a night like this and in range. No guarantees, though.”
“Uh, yeah, thanks. That would be helpful,” said Matt
*tags*
“And if the young lady is in a hurry, I can give her a ride home in my rig,” Patrick added.
“Uh, thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll stick with my friends here,” Shelley responded. “I’m not really in that much of a hurry, and I wouldn’t want to abandon them.”
After a short pause, he said, “Suit yerself.” He then made his way back to his rig, climbed up into the cab, and picked up the CB. “Come in, Farmboy; Speedy Chicken here. I got yer 10-35. It’s not bears. It’s three teenagers, probably out here looking for a place to make out, but their engine’s overheated. There’s a short, stocky guy with dirty blond hair and wearing thick glasses in the driver seat, and a guy with long brown hair in the passenger seat. And they’ve got a pretty brunette with long curly hair and blue eyes in the back. Over.”
*tags*
“This is Farmboy,” came the response. “Go ahead.”
Patrick rolled his eyes. What kind of lame-ass handle was Farmboy? Based on the voice, whoever he was talking to sounded like a youngster, probably some teenage boy who thought he was hot stuff for helping the men run their operation. He thought he remembered seeing a kid like that out here once on a previous run. So apparently he was talking to an actual farm boy who went by the handle Farmboy. He shook his head; some people had no imagination.
“There’s a van out here by this gate near the turnoff that leads to the farm. Know anything about it? It looks like they’re having engine trouble.”
“A van?” responded the youthful voice. “What’s it look like? What color? Over.”
“It looks like a van, and it’s white,” said Patrick. “Nothin’ special about it; just a solid white van. Over.” A lot of vans had cool-looking custom paint jobs, often featuring science-fiction, fantasy, or western scenes. That trend from the late 70’s seemed to be dying, though; you didn’t see those paint jobs as frequently these days. Again, some people had no imagination.
“Okay, anyone around it? Over.”
“Not that I can see. If there’s anybody in it, they probably don’t want to be out in this rain. Over.”
“Knock on the window, find out who they are and what they’re doing out here. Uh, don’t tell them anything. Act like you’re going to help them. Look inside the van and… I dunno, see who is in there. Then tell them to hold on and that you’ll uh radio for help and tell me what you found out. Over.”
Patrick clenched his teeth; he didn’t like being ordered around by some teenage kid, especially when it involved getting out in the rain. Still, he supposed it needed to be done. He’d just noticed that there was steam coming from the front of the van, so it had apparently been running recently.
“10-4,” he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.
Leaving his engine running and grabbing a flashlight, he climbed down out of the cab and walked around the front of his rig to the van’s driver-side window. He saw that both the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat were occupied, and he thought he saw some motion of a third person behind the driver’s seat.
He knocked lightly at the window and signaled for them to roll it down. When Matt did so, Patrick shined the flashlight at him briefly, and then at Trevor. “You fellas alright? Looks like you’re having some engine trouble.”
“It’s overheated,” Matt responded. “We pulled over to let it cool down a little before we check it out. We’re hoping we can just add some water and be on our way.”
*tags*
Patrick shined the flashlight back behind Matt’s seat. “Who’s that back there with you?” he asked.
Shelley knew at that point she’d been spotted, and got up onto her knees so she could look past Matt at the truck driver. At the same time she hoped she was blocking his view of Starla, who she realized was trying to stay hidden. “Hi…just me. These guys are giving me a ride home.”
Patrick let the flashlight beam and his gaze linger a moment on Shelley’s face, and then said, “Uh huh.” After a brief pause, he continued. “Well, I tell you what. I can get on my CB and try to call a tow truck for you, if there are any out on a night like this and in range. No guarantees, though.”
“Uh, yeah, thanks. That would be helpful,” said Matt
*tags*
“And if the young lady is in a hurry, I can give her a ride home in my rig,” Patrick added.
“Uh, thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll stick with my friends here,” Shelley responded. “I’m not really in that much of a hurry, and I wouldn’t want to abandon them.”
After a short pause, he said, “Suit yerself.” He then made his way back to his rig, climbed up into the cab, and picked up the CB. “Come in, Farmboy; Speedy Chicken here. I got yer 10-35. It’s not bears. It’s three teenagers, probably out here looking for a place to make out, but their engine’s overheated. There’s a short, stocky guy with dirty blond hair and wearing thick glasses in the driver seat, and a guy with long brown hair in the passenger seat. And they’ve got a pretty brunette with long curly hair and blue eyes in the back. Over.”
*tags*
rolled 1d6 and got a natural 5.
Note: 1 means Tabby is spotted
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