He answered me with a laugh, but he avoided the question. Something was off. The guy was too nosy and a bit suspicious. I could not allow him to walk out of my shop with a fatal gun with him unless he answered me properly.
“How old is your son, sir?” I posed another question, hoping for a sensible reply from him. He shot me a baffled look, intimidating me with his sarcastic stare.
“Is that necessary?” He gazed for the 9 mm, finally finding the power tool sitting beside the other supreme handguns. His eyes were glistening as he looked at it with excessive want, or a bit of greed maybe.
“It is in this shop, sir. Someone who wishes to own a gun must be at least twenty-one years old. Plus, I’d rather not sell the gun to anyone other than the user of the weapon. We usually go over a little bit of gun safety and keep our purchase records together just in case. I’m sure you understand.” I clarified my point, stressing the matter. If he was an enthusiast, he should have known about this.
“Oh, is that so?” He sounded as if he were mocking me, as if he could purchase a gun without any restrictions. He turned his back and faced the exit, retreating from the shop with a wave of his hand. “I guess I’m buying the gun in another shop then.”
As soon as the old man walked out of the shop, I followed him. Vince watched in silence as I followed the man outside. I kept my guard up, making sure that my cover was safe.
I caught a glimpse of the old creep meeting another man waiting for him at the end of the parking lot. They were talking about something, but I couldn’t make out the words. I was too far away. I couldn’t see who he was talking to because he was in the way, but chill bumps raced down my arms and legs. With the guy breaking into Kylie’s place, maybe I was being paranoid. Overthinking things.
Finally, the old guy got in his car, and I could see who he was talking to. I recognized the younger guy’s face.
He was the same man who came into my shop a few weeks ago. The one who wanted to buy the illegal Scythe.
Coincidence? I didn’t think so.
*
Since there were no customers for the rest of the day, I decided to close the shop early and head over to meet Kylie at the convenience store. Vince was happy to meet her because he had fulfilled his promise to her. I kept his good mood intact, deciding not to tell him about the danger I could sense from the eerie men that visited my shop.
As soon as we arrived in the Tomms’ convenience store, Vince got out and ran inside to meet Kylie and Mrs. Tomms. Seeing him this gleeful made me forget about my worries for the moment.
I entered the store to see the two women greeting Vince. Mrs. Tomms was hugging my son.
“Did you take your medicines on time?” she asked, her face filled with worry. She treated him as a grandson, which left me liking her more than I did upon meeting her. She was a good woman, and we were lucky to have not only Kylie in our lives but her too.
“Yes, Nana. I also finished the books you gave me! I promised Kylie I would read them all today!” He turned toward Kylie, smiling at her from ear to ear.
Kylie gave him a high five. “That’s awesome, Vince. I knew you could do it.”
“Hi, Mrs. Tomms.” I walked over, joining their tiny reunion.
She turned to face me, smiling as I walked up to meet them. “Hello, Hunter. Thank goodness you came. We needed to lift some boxes from the back, but Kylie and I couldn’t even drag them. Can you help us?” she asked, but Kylie frowned.
I laughed out loud, ready to help them. “Sure, Mrs. Tomms. Let’s go.” I followed her lead as we walked to the back portion of the store. Several boxes were stacked around the area. I looked around, seeing three huge boxes piled together.
“The courier left them there without even asking where I wanted to put them. Too bad they were heavy.” From the label on the boxes, they were purified drinking water bottles. I lifted one as she led me through the store, telling me whether to go left or right.
After managing to put two boxes inside, I caught a glimpse of Vince helping Kylie with refilling the shelves. They looked perfect together. The two most important people in my life together.
“Come on, Hunter. There’s still one outside.” I nodded at Mrs. Tomms, following her orders.
As I went out to carry the last box, I spotted someone watching from a little ways away. He wore an all-black shirt and pants, with a black cap to cover his eyes. Even though he wore dark clothes, it was clear who he was.
He caught my eye as I stared at him. He looked unfazed, as if he was ready to compete with me anytime. His pale face stood out from his dark clothing. I even caught him smirking as we engaged in a standoff.
“Hey, Hunter, what’s taking so long?” I heard Kylie’s voice calling out to me.
She had just walked out went out of the back door when the man took off running. I looked at Kylie, who seemed surprised, her mouth open, eyes wide.
“What’s the matter, Kylie?” I asked, trying to read her mind.
She didn’t speak but seemed to be having a little trouble breathing.