We'd gone about five kilometers when we rounded a bend to see a tiny roadside store with a gas bar.
"Yes!" Corey said, pumping the air. "We are now, officially, rescued."
"You think?" Hayley said. "I'm not seeing any vehicles."
"Because it's out in the middle of freaking nowhere. They're probably lucky if they get three cars a day."
"No, I mean transportation for the person running the place."
Corey peered at the empty lot surrounding the small building. "Oh."
The shack had one gas pump out front, and a diesel one around the side. The lack of a vehicle meant that unless there was a house nearby, no one was manning the place.
"But it should have a phone," I said. "Or maps to show us where we are. Also, there must be cottages nearby if there's a gas bar."
"Ha!" Corey said, spinning and pointing at Hayley. "Ha!"
He took off at a lope. We followed.
Corey stopped a few feet from the door. "Open weekends after Labor Day," he called. "What's today?"
"Not the weekend," I called back.
Corey walked to the barred window, then turned to us. "The window's filthy. I can't see anything."
"How about we try the door?" Sam said.
She was walking toward it when Hayley grabbed her arm and pointed to a window sign warning that the place was armed with security alarms and cameras.
"Um, yeah," Corey said. "Which will bring the local cops. If we're lucky."
"At this point, I'll take any ride out of here," I said. "Even handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser."
"Yes!" Corey said, pumping the air. "We are now, officially, rescued."
"You think?" Hayley said. "I'm not seeing any vehicles."
"Because it's out in the middle of freaking nowhere. They're probably lucky if they get three cars a day."
"No, I mean transportation for the person running the place."
Corey peered at the empty lot surrounding the small building. "Oh."
The shack had one gas pump out front, and a diesel one around the side. The lack of a vehicle meant that unless there was a house nearby, no one was manning the place.
"But it should have a phone," I said. "Or maps to show us where we are. Also, there must be cottages nearby if there's a gas bar."
"Ha!" Corey said, spinning and pointing at Hayley. "Ha!"
He took off at a lope. We followed.
Corey stopped a few feet from the door. "Open weekends after Labor Day," he called. "What's today?"
"Not the weekend," I called back.
Corey walked to the barred window, then turned to us. "The window's filthy. I can't see anything."
"How about we try the door?" Sam said.
She was walking toward it when Hayley grabbed her arm and pointed to a window sign warning that the place was armed with security alarms and cameras.
"Um, yeah," Corey said. "Which will bring the local cops. If we're lucky."
"At this point, I'll take any ride out of here," I said. "Even handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser."
( Kelley Armstrong )
[ The Calling ]
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