Free Joseph by Kris Michaels

It must have worked. The woman didn’t say anything else.
    Time seemed to stop. Ember checked the minute hand on her watch more than once to ensure it hadn’t started to run backwards. The noises from the shop attached to the gas station muted as the minute hand struck the time Joey had instructed her to make the call. She cradled the cell phone and turned it on. Her finger trembled as it hovered over the redial button.
    “Em, open the door, babe.”
    She leapt at the accompanying sharp wrap on the door. The phone flew out of her shaking hands. Plastic and metal became a skittering bullet on the painted cement floor. She chased after and picked up the escaped phone. Em threw back the bolt and launched into Joseph’s arms. Burying her face in his neck, she finally exhaled. “Joey, I was so scared. Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”
    He tensed immediately and loosened her arms from around his neck. “Come on. We have to go.” He threw several bills on the counter for the clerk as he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the gas station.
    He got in and pulled out onto the interstate. Once again, his training superseded his desire to stomp on the gas and get the fuck out of Dodge. Drawing attention to the car now wouldn’t help their situation. “Joey what happened? What took so long? I was just about to hit the redial.” She held up the phone providing evidence of her intent.
     
    *
     
    He looked at the phone and sighed. The woman beside him vibrated with anxiety. A bundle of nerves. Taking the phone from her, he put it up to his ear. “Jacob, it was a false alarm. Em got a case of the jitters. You can stand down.”
    He glanced towards Em. Her eyes were huge as she realized she had somehow placed a call. He pointed to the seat next to him. She moved over immediately. “No, we’re fine. When Ember dropped or picked up the phone, it must have redialed the last number used. I’ll authenticate if you need me to.”
    Jacob shouted on the other end of the line, “Yes, damn it. I need you to authenticate. I pass –you—Gulf.” There was no doubt Ember heard his little brother’s pissed off response.
    Joseph replied calmly, “And I –respond—stream. Now, would you please stand down?”
    “Alright, but damn it man, put a strap on that phone. I had half the world heading toward…Sioux Falls, South Dakota?”
    Joseph cast a glance at the woman next to him. “No problem. It won’t happen again. I had to make an adjustment and Em got spooked.”
    Jacob cleared his throat. “How much of an adjustment?”
    Joseph scanned the rearview mirror as he replied, “Adjustment is perhaps the wrong word.”
    “Did you remove the threat or delay it?”
    Joseph laugh was evil, caustic. “Oh, I removed it. Permanently.”
    “Joseph can the removal be traced to you?”
    “As if.” He snorted his brother’s insinuation. Damn the little man was starting to piss him off.
    “Is there something you’re not able to tell me, Joseph?”
    “Able to? No. Going to? Yes.”
    Jacob glanced at Ember as she bit her bottom lip and watched him intently. He nodded towards the water bottle. She opened it and took a drink waiting to pass it to him. “We are good to go for now. I need a truck, four-wheel drive, not this sedan I was forced to rent in Kansas. Park it at the Rushmore Mall in Rapid. South side parking lot. This car won’t make it up the trails to the cabin.”
    “Alright, done. I’ll have a truck positioned for you. I’ll text you the plate number and a description. The keys will be in the usual place.”
    “Thanks. Later.” Joseph powered the phone down and gave Ember a withering look. “Just what I needed to do…soothe the little man’s frayed nerves. He gave her a lust filled glare. “Do you still want to fuck me into next week? Because, if you do? I’ll play doctor with you.”



Chapter Seven
    Ember gulped down another swallow of water and handed the bottle to him. The idea of sex with Joey, any kind of