Lighting a Match in the Rain

Chapter Nineteen

            "Do it!" the man yelled at Michael.

Even from the distance, I could see the shine of the sweat beading on Michael's forehead. His hands were moving behind the counter, likely getting the money out of the register. I looked at Reed, who was staring intently at the robber. His stare was hard and unmoving, and his brows were low and curious.

"Reed?"

At the sound of my voice, he unlocked himself out of his daze and jerked his head in my direction. My heart pounded in my chest. Would the man actually end up using the gun? Where was my dad? How much danger were we actually in? What if the man saw us in the back as witnesses and shot at us both?

I opened my mouth to speak to him, but I couldn't form any words. He stared at me for a short moment with hidden thoughts. Then he quickly stood from his side of the booth and moved to my side. He nudged me further into the booth and sat beside me. I grabbed onto his forearm without even thinking. Reed glanced down at my hand but didn't move away.

"What's the cashier's name?" he asked me quietly.

"Michael."

He watched the transaction play out. "You'll have to thank him for me for doing what that guy says. Is your dad here?"

"I don't know."

The man in a grey hoodie and jeans waved the gun around more. "That's not all of it!" he yelled.

"It is," Michael said, his voice shaking. "I swear it is."

"There's a safe," the man insisted. "These places always have safes with more money."

Michael's eyes widened. "I don't know where it is. Even if I did, I don't have the combination. I was just hired a few months ago."

He wasn't lying. My dad hired him back in July.

"Where's the boss man then?" He interrogated him. "Where's a manager?"

"There's no manager here right now. Jack left an hour ago to have dinner with his family. He was going to come back here after to close up the register for me."

I squeezed Reed's arm, glancing behind Michael. Kelly and Jeana were standing at the kitchen door. That means it was just them three and a couple of cooks working. None of them knew the combination to the safe. I bet Kelly and Jeana knew where it was, but that was the extent of their knowledge about it. The actual managers who could get into it weren't here today.

Reed looked around the room at the other families who were now hiding in the booths they were seat at.

The man with the gun readjusted his grip on the weapon. "Who can get me into it?"

Michael shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know. No one here." I glanced back at Kelly and Jeana. They were both looking at me.

"I want in the safe. Now." He thought Michael was lying.

"The only thing I can do for you is call Jack."

I could hear the growl from the man's throat from where we were. "That's not quick enough. I'm going to count from three," he said. "When I do, if you aren't telling me how to get in that safe, I'll shoot. Then I'll ask someone else. And I'll repeat the process until I get into it."

Michal was shaking. "I don't--, I promise you, I don't know."

"Three."

"He's not lying," Jeana called to the man. He ignored her.