Jeri looked at him suspiciously before turning the pistol towards the light. To her surprise, a seven-digit number was etched into the dark steel where Chip had predicted. She looked at it closely and flashed her eyes at him. “What’s the number?” she asked.
“If I tell you the number correctly, will you give the gun to Chilly?”
She considered the question for a moment before nodding. “Sure.”
“The serial number is 1-1-3-6-0-8-7.”
Jeri looked at Chip with astonishment.
“You see,” he replied. “Everything I’ve said to you is true, Jeri. Your father was my friend. He trusted me with his life.” Chip reached his hand out for the gun. “And now I’m asking you to do the same.”
Jeri looked at both men as her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She slowly stepped forward and placed the gun on the counter. Her hand had barely let go before Chilly picked up the pistol and ejected the magazine in one practiced stroke. He looked up at her with surprise.
“It wasn’t even loaded.”
Jeri locked eyes with the handsome, thirty-something man she’d wondered about for the last several months and shook her head. “No, it wasn’t,” she replied.
“Impressive bluff,” Chilly said quietly as he looked over at Chip.
“I’d say she’s ready.”
The older man nodded in agreement. “Me too.”
“Ready for what?” Jeri demanded.
“To meet the others,” Chip answered enthusiastically.
As if on cue, the front door opened and two men wearing the uniforms of the local power company appeared in the doorway. Behind them, the massive bulk of the man called Max followed them into the saloon before closing and locking the door. He then reached over and switched off the hanging neon sign in the window that read “Open” before snapping the wooden blinds shut.
“Allow me to introduce everyone,” Chip said as the three men walked over to the bar and sat down. “This is Dublin,” he said, gesturing to a short, pudgy man with a patchy beard sitting next to Chilly. Dublin smiled and nodded. “This is Tall Tommy,” he continued, pointing to a tall, physically perfect blonde-haired man next to Dublin. Tall Tommy pulled a pair of small earphones from his ears and mumbled a quick greeting. “Of course, you’ve already met Max,” Chip said, pointing to the huge man sitting at the end. Max smiled warmly and waved a large, paw-like hand at Jeri.
Jeri nodded silently at the three men before turning to Chilly.
“So… what were you going to tell me?”
Chilly leaned forward against the bar and gave her a smile. “Before I tell you, would you mind pouring me a shot of tequila? It’s been a long week.”
Jeri looked at him warily before tilting her head. “Let me guess. Fortaleza?”
“Perfect.”
She turned to pour his drink. “By the way,” she said as she grabbed the bottle of tequila, “I’m curious to know something. Why did you always end your letters with the statement ‘don’t order do–”
Jeri suddenly gasped at a sharp sting in her neck. She immediately reached back and felt a small cylindrical object sticking out from the skin just above her shoulders. Confused, she pulled it out and examined it briefly before spinning around to see Chilly tucking a small pistol back into his pocket.
“What did you just give me?” she demanded, flinging the small tranquilizer dart at him angrily.
“Vecuronium bromide,” Chilly answered somberly. “It’s a fast-acting paralyzing agent. I’m sorry Jeri. I promise I’ll never do anything like this to you again.”
“Again?” Jeri replied, her voice a horrified whisper.
“Why did you do it in the first place?”
“You have something we need,” Chilly said matter-of-factly. “Just as we have something you need.” He glanced over at Max. “Max, would you please catch Jeri before she falls and hurts herself?”
Jeri watched as the huge man immediately rose from his stool and started walking down the bar towards her. She could already feel a strange numbness trickling through her body. Stay calm she told herself, looking around wildly. A few yards away, Max ducked under the counter and emerged on her side, his massive frame barely fitting within the cramped space. Jeri knew that even under the best circumstances she wouldn’t be able to get past him. She stepped forward and feigned an attempt to go around him before throwing herself clumsily onto the bar next to Chip. Evading the older man’s grasp, Jeri then slipped over the counter and fell hard onto the floor. She tried desperately to make her now lifeless legs respond to her command to stand and run, but it was useless. Not about to give up, she immediately flung herself forward onto her elbows and began crawling towards the door. Behind her, Chip’s voice called out plaintively.