Chapter 2 - The Woman Behind the Counter
The first shots came from Victor’s men.
Dante answered from somewhere else.
Each muzzle flash briefly illuminated the diner.
Tables overturned.
Glasses shattered.
Men shouted conflicting orders.
Cass slipped into the kitchen.
One of Victor’s gunmen followed.
He pushed through the swinging door.
“Come out, sweetheart.”
Cass remained silent.
“I know you’re here.”
He moved between the preparation tables.
Cass stood behind the freezer.
The gunman passed.
She stepped behind him and swung a cast-iron skillet.
He dropped.
Cass caught his weapon before it hit the floor.
She checked it quickly.
Then she returned to the dining room.
“Dante! Three on your left!”
Dante moved immediately.
Victor heard her voice.
“The waitress?”
His disbelief became rage.
“You’re letting a waitress pin you down?”
Cass crouched behind a booth.
“Maybe you hired the wrong men.”
“Kill her!”
Dante’s voice came from the darkness.
“Victor.”
Silence.
“You shouldn’t have said that.”
Victor fired toward Dante’s voice.
Dante was already gone.
Cass moved again.
She knew every table.
Every booth.
Every squeaky floor tile.
Every blind corner.
The darkness belonged to her.
Within minutes, Victor’s advantage had collapsed.
Some of his men fled.
Others dropped their weapons.
A few remained with Victor.
Then headlights appeared outside.
Black sedans.
Victor looked through the window.
His face changed.
Dante’s people had arrived.
“You called them?” Cass whispered.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
A voice came from behind them.
“I did.”
Cass turned.
Sal stood outside his office wearing plaid pajamas and holding an old telephone.
Cass stared at him.
“You were awake?”
“Thirty idiots kicked in my front door.”
Sal pointed toward the destroyed counter.
“And somebody broke my coffee pot.”
Dante looked at Cass.
“She did.”
Sal frowned.
“You owe me twelve dollars.”
Cass laughed despite herself.
Victor suddenly rushed toward the rear exit.
Dante intercepted him.
Victor stopped.
The two men faced each other beneath the flickering emergency light.
Victor looked around.
His men were finished.
“You think you won?”
Dante’s expression hardened.
“You walked into my diner.”
“Your diner?”
Sal shouted from behind the counter.
“My diner!”
Neither man answered him.
Victor lowered his voice.
“This was only the beginning.”
“No.”
Dante stepped closer.
“This was the end.”
Police sirens sounded in the distance.
Victor smiled.
“You going to kill me before they arrive?”
Dante looked toward Cass.
She shook her head.
“No more.”
Victor laughed.
“You take orders from waitresses now?”
Dante looked back at him.
“Tonight?”
A slight smile appeared.
“Yes.”
Victor was handed over alive.
By sunrise, the Iron Skillet looked destroyed.
Cass stood among broken glass and overturned furniture.
Dante approached her.
“You saved my life.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You could have run.”
“Probably.”
“You could have died.”
“So could you.”
“I’m used to that.”
“I’m not.”
Dante looked at her carefully.
“There’s something you haven’t told me.”
Cass picked up a broken coffee mug.
“What makes you say that?”
“The way you moved.”
She froze.
“The way you handled that weapon.”
Cass slowly put down the ceramic pieces.
Dante continued.
“And the way you knew exactly what to do in darkness.”
Cass met his eyes.
“Maybe I watch too many movies.”
“No.”
Dante’s voice became quieter.
“You’ve been trained.”
Cass said nothing.
“Who are you?”
For the first time all night, Cassidy Miller looked afraid.
“Just a waitress.”
Dante shook his head.
“No, Cass.”
His eyes narrowed.
May you like
“You’re definitely not just a waitress.”
---
