Run. Just Run.

Chapter 56

"What?!?" James exclaims. "You want her to do what?"

"Hey, I don't want Ashley to do this." Jeff says slowly. "I just said it's an option."

"You want her to use herself as bait? To get Aunt Margaret?" James almost yells. "She could get killed!"

Ashley stands up. "That's enough, Jay. It's my decision to make, and I've made it. It's the least I can do."

"We won't let anything happen to her, James." Jeff says reassuringly. "We'll have men with guns ready." Then after a second, he adds "You can come with us too."

"Of course I'll come." James says reluctantly. "There's no way I wouldn't come."

"Then it's settled." Jeff says. "We'll put the plan into action tomorrow morning. For now let's eat dinner, then get a good night's sleep."

Boomer perks up. "Let's all go down t' the diner! Got a meatloaf special down 'ere t'night an' it's great!"

Jeff chuckles. "Boomer always has had a soft spot for meatloaf. He just can't get enough of it."

Ashley grins. "Hey, meatloaf is great! I don't blame ya, Boomer!" She says, defending the big man. "Now I want meatloaf too..." She says as she laughs.

"Well then let's go!" James says as his stomach rumbles.

The four of them jump into Jeff's sheriff's car again, and drive down to the diner. On the way they stop in front of someone's house, and Danny walks out and slides in the back seat with James and Ashley.

"Where have you been?" Ashley asks as she raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, I went over to a friends house. We've been playing video games." He says nonchalantly.

"Well you missed a lot." Ashley says in a motherly tone.

James and Ashley proceed to explain everything that had happened that day, in detail. By the time they're done explaining, they've pulled up into the parking lot of the small diner.

"Come on, let's go eat!" Jeff says excitedly.

They walk into the restaurant and are greeted by the overwhelming smell of southern comfort food cooking. James glances around, taking in the atmosphere, booths lining both walls and red and white checkered tablecloths covering the tables.

"Sit anywheres ya like!" A high voice chimes up from somewhere in the back. "I'll be with y'all in a minute!"

Boomer walks over to a booth and plops down on one side. Jeff takes the other side, and Ashley scoots in beside him. Then Danny immediately squeezes in beside Ashley and looks up and winks at James.

"You can sit over there." Danny says as he points. "I'm protecting my little cousin." He says with a smirk.

Ashley slaps him in the arm, and James good-naturedly rolls his eyes and goes and sits beside Boomer.

The waitress walks up with her hair tied up in a bun and a black apron around her waist. She looks to be about 50.

"Well hey Boomer!" She says when she sees the big man. "Good to see you!"

"Good t' see ya too, miz' Ellie." Boomer greets her back. Then he catches her eye, throws a glance in Danny's direction and winks. James catches it, but he doesn't know what to make of it.

"I'm a guessin' you'll get the meatloaf special?" Ellie asks rhetorically as she writes it down. "And what about you, young man?" She says to James.

James orders a hamburger and fries, still confused about what Boomer had just done, and then the waitress turns to Danny.

"I'll have the fried chicken and mashed potatoes, and make sure to put the brown gravy on top. Not the white gravy. I don't like that." Danny says., making sure to get it out clear.

Ellie chuckles. Then, while she's still writing Danny's order, she continues. "And what about your little girlfriend?" She says as she lifts her eyes toward Danny, then Ashley, then back to Danny.