Remember the Future by Bryant Delafosse Read Free Book Online

car.
    “Gun?  Yes?”
    Grant sighed and turned his back to her.
    “Look, can you at least spot me a bottled water before you leave?”
    Grant looked over at Maddy.  “Yeah.  Okay.”
    He turned and started toward the store.  Just before entering, Grant glanced up above the entrance, spotting a surveillance camera scanning the parking lot.
    “Grant!”
    At the sound of his name, Grant turned as he was nearly to the entrance of the store.  Maddy rushed across the lot and held out the keys he had left in the car’s ignition.
    For a moment, Grant stared in confusion before reaching for them.
    Maddy held fast for a moment and locked eyes with him.  “This is a night which the Lord hath made.  You’re an angel of God.”
    Releasing the keys, Maddy started toward the store ahead of him.
    “Hey, do me a favor and stay in the car,” Grant asked her, his eyes on the satchel on her shoulder.
    Hesitating briefly, Maddy finally gave a smile and headed back to the Toyota.  “Right, the gun.  Sure thing.”
    Grant gave a furtive glance at the camera one more time before starting into the store.  He headed quickly to the refrigerated case at the back, craning his neck to glance out at his car one last time and nearly colliding with a diminutive little woman with an enormous beehive hairdo trying to reach a carton of milk on a rack just a bit too high for her.
    Grant watched the woman struggle for a few moments before stepping around and retrieving the milk for her.  “Can I help you with that, ma’am?”
    “If you wouldn’t mind, dear,” she responded in a tiny yet warm voice.  “Need anything on the bottom shelf?”
    “No, I’m good,” Grant answered, handing down the milk and grabbing a bottled water.  He flashed the woman a smile and started away.
    “Thank you, dear,” the little woman said as Grant started towards the register.  “You’re an angel of God.”
    Grant craned his neck as he started to the register, but noticed a raised four-wheel drive monster truck blocking the view of his Toyota.
    “How’s it going tonight?” the stony-faced black cashier asked Grant.
    Grant gave an ironic laugh.  “Possibly the strangest night of my life.”
    “Thankfully it’s almost over.”
    Grant blinked at the casher.  “My life?”
    “Your night,” the cashier replied flatly, making eye contact with Grant for the first time.  “Dollar even.”
    Grant scooped the last of the change from his pocket, spilled it to the counter, and began counting out coins.
    With a bit of a yawn, the cashier glanced up at his surveillance monitor, where Grant could see that the view revealed nothing beyond the monster truck.  “This is a night which the Lord hath made.  Let us rejoice and be glad,” he stated.
    Grant went stiff, his vision going fuzzy as he stared down at the coins.  “Excuse me?”
    The cashier glanced vaguely at the coins before him and expertly slid the desired amount off the edge of the counter into his hand.  “This oughtta do it.  God bless ya now.”
    Grant retrieved his bottle from the counter, giving the cashier an off-center smile as he backed away and nearly collided with another customer entering behind him.  He excused himself and stepped awkwardly down from the curb, breaking into a trot toward the monster truck and his car hidden behind.
    He found the car empty.
    “Don’t do anything stupid,” a familiar voice said from behind him.  “We’ve got cameras.”
    Grant turned to look at Rudy, hand placed strategically in his jacket pocket.
    “Shouldn’t you be more worried about that than me?”
    Ignoring the comment, Rudy took a slow look around the station.  “Where’s your little friend, Frederickson?”
    “I told her to run.”
    Rudy glanced up at Grant, checking him for sarcasm.  “The waitress from the coffee shop, right?  Y’see, I knew that you two already knew each other.”
    “She’s a stranger to me,” Grant replied.
    “C’mon to my car.  You and me