asked.
Jake pulled her back a bit, she could be naive when it came to the rest of the world. But when the kid lifted his head up, the sadness in his face ripped through Jake too. He was young with dark hair that hung down over pale skin, hiding a few piercings on his nose and bottom lip.
“My Mom is on hospice and I’m trying to get back home before she dies, except I ran out of money because someone stole my wallet when I was on the bus.”
“Where’s home?” Maggie questioned, concern in her voice.
“Near Vero beach,” he mumbled and dropped his head.
“Oh! We happen to be going that way.” Maggie looked at Jake, who shook his head. They couldn’t take a stranger in this day and age. Besides, the kid could be making it all up. The kid looked so sad. Jake remembered how he felt when his Mom lay dying in the hospital so many years ago. It was gut wrenching standing there, unable to do anything.
“Look kid, let’s get you some breakfast. You hungry?” Jake piped up, stalling for time until he could find out about getting the kid on a bus to his dying Mom.
“I haven’t eaten in two days,” he told them. He looked up at Jake. “I’d be grateful for some leftovers.”
“Come on, kid,” Jake reached out and grabbed his shoulders, which were bony.
The kid ate his ham, eggs and a stack of pancakes in two minutes flat. He gulped them down like he hadn’t eaten for ages. Jake could see Maggie took pity on the kid and something wretched at his own heart. She would be a good Mother someday.
Jake went to the desk at the truck stop to see if he could buy a bus ticket for the kid. The result was not good, no bus until eight that evening. “Sorry sir, the noon bus cancelled about five minutes ago. Want the eight PM bus?” the attendant asked.
“Not sure yet,” Jake answered and went back to the table. If he got him the ticket, the kid would have to wait over ten hours to board a bus that would take him over eight hours to get to a major city near Vero Beach. He’d have to switch buses at a few stops along the way. They could have him there in less than eight hours. Maybe in time to see his dying Mother.
“What’s your name, son?” Jake asked when he came back to the table. He wanted to call a friend of his, Josh Eden, who was at one time involved in a private agency. The guy had every gadget in the world of mystery and spying and could find out if the kid was telling the truth. He needed a phone to call and he couldn’t ask Maggie for her cell in front of the kid or she’d suspect him of calling his company.
“It’s Daniel, sir. You can call me Danny.”
“Do you have a last name Danny?”
“Yes, it’s Rivers. Thanks for breakfast.”
“Want a milkshake or something?”
“That’d be great,” he said and a smile lit up his face.
“What are you doing here by yourself Danny?” Jake needed more information before he would help the kid. He had to be about fifteen.
“My Dad lives in Maryland. I was visiting for the summer. I knew my mom was sick, but she never told me it was this bad. My Dad got called out, he’s a long distance truck driver. I couldn’t get a hold of him when the nurse called to say Mom took a turn for the worse.”
“You enjoy your milkshake. We’ll be right back, I want to get some souvenirs and then we’ll talk about getting you to your Moms, all right?”
The kid nodded as Jake and Maggie went towards the gift shop. As soon as they were far enough away, Jake told her. “I need to call Josh and see if the kids being honest with us. There’s something about him I can’t put my finger on.”
“Are you serious? He’s trying to get home to his Mother. We can’t leave him here.” She stopped and turned to him, anger in her voice.
“Maggie, he’s pulling at my heartstrings too. But I am the one who’s responsible to make sure you are kept safe at all times while
Jake pulled her back a bit, she could be naive when it came to the rest of the world. But when the kid lifted his head up, the sadness in his face ripped through Jake too. He was young with dark hair that hung down over pale skin, hiding a few piercings on his nose and bottom lip.
“My Mom is on hospice and I’m trying to get back home before she dies, except I ran out of money because someone stole my wallet when I was on the bus.”
“Where’s home?” Maggie questioned, concern in her voice.
“Near Vero beach,” he mumbled and dropped his head.
“Oh! We happen to be going that way.” Maggie looked at Jake, who shook his head. They couldn’t take a stranger in this day and age. Besides, the kid could be making it all up. The kid looked so sad. Jake remembered how he felt when his Mom lay dying in the hospital so many years ago. It was gut wrenching standing there, unable to do anything.
“Look kid, let’s get you some breakfast. You hungry?” Jake piped up, stalling for time until he could find out about getting the kid on a bus to his dying Mom.
“I haven’t eaten in two days,” he told them. He looked up at Jake. “I’d be grateful for some leftovers.”
“Come on, kid,” Jake reached out and grabbed his shoulders, which were bony.
The kid ate his ham, eggs and a stack of pancakes in two minutes flat. He gulped them down like he hadn’t eaten for ages. Jake could see Maggie took pity on the kid and something wretched at his own heart. She would be a good Mother someday.
Jake went to the desk at the truck stop to see if he could buy a bus ticket for the kid. The result was not good, no bus until eight that evening. “Sorry sir, the noon bus cancelled about five minutes ago. Want the eight PM bus?” the attendant asked.
“Not sure yet,” Jake answered and went back to the table. If he got him the ticket, the kid would have to wait over ten hours to board a bus that would take him over eight hours to get to a major city near Vero Beach. He’d have to switch buses at a few stops along the way. They could have him there in less than eight hours. Maybe in time to see his dying Mother.
“What’s your name, son?” Jake asked when he came back to the table. He wanted to call a friend of his, Josh Eden, who was at one time involved in a private agency. The guy had every gadget in the world of mystery and spying and could find out if the kid was telling the truth. He needed a phone to call and he couldn’t ask Maggie for her cell in front of the kid or she’d suspect him of calling his company.
“It’s Daniel, sir. You can call me Danny.”
“Do you have a last name Danny?”
“Yes, it’s Rivers. Thanks for breakfast.”
“Want a milkshake or something?”
“That’d be great,” he said and a smile lit up his face.
“What are you doing here by yourself Danny?” Jake needed more information before he would help the kid. He had to be about fifteen.
“My Dad lives in Maryland. I was visiting for the summer. I knew my mom was sick, but she never told me it was this bad. My Dad got called out, he’s a long distance truck driver. I couldn’t get a hold of him when the nurse called to say Mom took a turn for the worse.”
“You enjoy your milkshake. We’ll be right back, I want to get some souvenirs and then we’ll talk about getting you to your Moms, all right?”
The kid nodded as Jake and Maggie went towards the gift shop. As soon as they were far enough away, Jake told her. “I need to call Josh and see if the kids being honest with us. There’s something about him I can’t put my finger on.”
“Are you serious? He’s trying to get home to his Mother. We can’t leave him here.” She stopped and turned to him, anger in her voice.
“Maggie, he’s pulling at my heartstrings too. But I am the one who’s responsible to make sure you are kept safe at all times while
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