Free Trapped by Jonas Saul Page A

counter and saw there was just enough room for two more tables on the other side. One of the tables was occupied by a woman of about thirty years of age and a young girl who sat facing away from Melissa. She appeared from the back to be about ten-years-old.
     
    The woman’s eyes caught Melissa’s. They locked for a brief moment. Melissa nodded and smiled, then looked away and sat on the stool where her coffee waited. The clock on the wall above the rectangular hole where the woman could shout orders back to the cooks, said it was ten minutes to midnight.
     
    A boy of about sixteen walked by the hole. His profile was all she caught as some of the lights in the rear were off now. The side view was enough to spike her radar again.
     
    She felt edgy, like someone’s eyes were on her.
     
    Melissa stole a glance to her right. The woman with the little girl hadn’t stopped staring at her. She quickly looked away and took another sip of her coffee.
     
    What’s going on? I don’t know these people. There’s no reason to be so paranoid. Maybe the woman with the little girl imagines she recognizes me or something?
     
    Melissa looked just enough to the right to catch the woman in her peripheral vision. The woman’s head was turned as she stared out the window. Melissa turned more to see what had caught the woman’s eye and saw a black van pulling in beside her Cadillac. The headlights turned off and both front doors opened. She watched as the driver ran around to the passenger side to help the other occupant out. Not to be caught staring, Melissa turned back around. As she did, her eyes snatched a glimpse of the kid in the back disappearing from the corner of the hole.
     
    He had been watching her.
     
    A shiver coursed through her body. Goosebumps formed on her arms.
     
    What the hell was going on? This place is fucking creepy.
     
    It was time to leave. But she had to pay for her coffee and she wanted advice on how to get back to the main highway.
     
    Decision time. Should I just get up, leave money on the counter and walk out? Or wait and be polite as there’s probably nothing happening here and I’m just a paranoid housewife.
     
    Once on the road with the doors locked, she’d feel a hell of a lot better.
     
    Her pocket change was enough to cover the coffee. She placed the bills on the counter. At that moment the door opened behind her and the van’s occupants entered the restaurant. She rationalized that with more people around she’d be fine. Safety in numbers.
     
    The two men who entered couldn’t be the problem. The driver who had run around to help the passenger had done so because the passenger was blind. He wore thick black sunglasses. In his hand was a white cane with a red tip. It was difficult to peg an age because of the glasses but Melissa felt he’d be around the thirty-five area. His arm was laced through the arm of the driver who looked like a clean-cut military type in his forties.
     
    The driver nodded at her and smiled. She watched as he looked over his shoulder at the woman and the girl. They also nodded, but it was different. An imperceptible amount of time passed during their nod. It was like they knew each other and were meeting here. Or they’d seen one another before.
     
    The driver smacked the bell on the counter to get the employee’s attention.
     
    Good, I’ll wait until the woman emerges from the back, pay, get directions and get out.
     
    But the older woman didn’t come to the counter. Instead the young kid from the back did. He was not a good actor at all. He had worry written all over his face. His eyes were furtive and his hands jumpy.
     
    Something is one hundred percent wrong.
     
    Melissa was sure of it now.
     
    The driver of the van asked the kid for two coffees. As he did, the blind man looked right at her. She knew he couldn’t see her, but it felt like he could.
     
    Then he turned to the kid and raised his hand. He put his index finger to his neck as if to