Character(s)suspense

"What a character!"

Truck stop diners are full of characters. They may be "colorful", "unsavory" and many other descriptors, but they are definitely characters.

My favorite diner is right off of I85 near Spartanburg, SC... it is kind of like walking into "Cheers"...

"Lou! How's it hanging?" I called to the grill cook. He nodded and I followed his gaze to his unrequited love interest, Marge. She would have none of him since he was an ex-con, but she didn't know the story; I did.

"Why not give him a chance, Marge?" I implored her as she wiped my counter space with  a bleach soaked rag.

She shook her head. "Nah! I am off all men now. Useless!" She looked up at me and I didn't see anger, but pain. I sipped my coffee and wondered about her adventures, for she was close to fifty, at least.

Two highway patrolmen walked in and sat in separate booths so they could each have a look at all entering. Useful paranoia... I nodded to them, but they didn't know me, so ignored my greeting. No problem. I understood.

"The usual?" Marge was back.

"How about a tuna melt tonight?" Marge shook her head. "The usual then." I chuckled. At least Marge wouldn't let the food kill me here.

I munched and watched the parking lot in the mirror over the counter. The cops watched too and we were soon rewarded with a squeal of tires and an outpouring of young men. One cop rolled out of his booth and behind a large planter, but the other was trapped by  an elderly couple with walkers. 

I heard him key his mic and give his location and distress call. I kept my head down and Marge hit the floor. Lou was not to be seen.

"Hands up!" Yelled one young man. My hands went up and my eyes went down, but I still memorized descriptions under my eyelashes with quick peeks into the mirror.

The old folks were frozen in place and two men stormed up to them. The woman fainted and the cop caught her. The man sat heavily in the booth the other cop had left.

"A cop!  Great!  A frickin' cop!"  The cop held the old woman across him as he met each set of eyes. His mic was open so dispatch could here him and the commotion.

"Get up, cop!" He slid the woman into the seat near the man and stood in front of the criminals.

"A big one, huh?" He was over 6 feet, for sure. 

All the attention on the cop, I looked for Lou, but all I saw was the barrel of a shotgun near the opening of the kitchen. He would hold off, worrying about Marge, but he would act when he needed to.

There were six men, 18 to 25ish and they had that desperate and hungry look. All were armed and all were nervous. That was a deadly combination.

"Open the register, cop!  All we want is money and then we are gone!" He shoved the cop behind the counter, where he saw Marge hiding.

"Get out here, woman!" Marge heaved herself up and sat at the table near the old couple. She was crying quietly.

I winced when a gun barrel punched me in the ribs. "Money!" I emptied my wallet on the counter and watched eyes light up. Then my ring left and my watch. They took all the old folks had, a young couple in the back booth and two truckers. 

"Cop! Give me all you have, including that gun." He moved slowly and handed them money, watch and then one by one, items from his belt. His gun had not left his person yet.

Sirens could be heard and it was obvious they were headed to us. "Damn it! Who hit the alarm?"

"There ain't no alarm." Said Marge.

"Let's go!  Get everything!" The leader yelled at his crew. The crew started backing away and the header had the cop in tow.

"Don't bring that cop! They will never quit chasing us!" The leader ignored them.

"We need a hostage, dumb ass!"  

It was then the world slowed down...

The cop in hiding, took out the leader. Lou blasted two with rock salt and they ran screaming. Marge tossed a pot of coffee on another and I, well, I just stood slowly on my prosthetic legs and began to beat the hell out of the two left.

LEO's came and cleaned up the mess and the two cops approached me. 

"You could have just sat there, man. Looks like you have done enough." They looked at my prostheses.

"There's always more, man... always more."  Lou held Marge's hand as the old man hugged his old wife while thanking everyone. 

Maybe tomorrow night would be calmer and the tuna melt would be edible...