To Preserve Health (eBook)
440 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-8084-4 (ISBN)
Serg Koren has been writing for longer than he can remember. He has published multiple books and has a backlog as large as his library. Serg writes because he enjoys it, not for the celebrity or money (there is little of that anyway). In his other life, he was an IT expert in fault-tolerant systems (retired). In his off-time Serg enjoys programming, blogging, amateur radio 'ham,' brewing beer and mead, and is a foodie. He's also been told he's a cool guy. For more information on his books and current projects, please visit https://auteureist.com
Rachael Pesci, a single mother, saves a dying man, only to have an unknown group threaten her family. She runs. In a new city and with a new job, Rachael still isn't safe. As her paranoia and concerns grow, she meets a mysterious man, but is he friend or foe?When the group abducts her daughter and mother, Rachael goes on the offensive, but finds her adversaries are always one step ahead of her with capabilities she doesn't understand. Rachael must stand on her own against a government agency gone rogue that wants what she has in order to control all of humanity. The first book of the Coins of Destiny series.
Chapter Two
Before Rachael can respond, one of her regular customers calls her over. The man is in his forties and comes out to the bar a few times a year, whenever he’s in the area. His boat bobs up and down on the gentle waves against the pier near the bar.
“Hi, Sam. What are you drinking?”
“Bud. How are you doing, Rach?”
“Different day, same old song. I haven’t seen you in a while. Where’ve you been? “
“Still having problems with Hoyt, huh? I would’ve thought he’d be retired by now. I’ve been in the hospital. The ticker acted up.” Sam points to his chest.
She pours the beer from the tap next to where Sam sits; his usual spot. “Sorry to hear. You’re looking good despite it. You on meds?”
“Yeah. More than I want, but I guess I need them. How’s Michaela?”
“She’s a handful. We were at the park, and she discovered she likes puppies—and kittens. Pretty much any animals her size. She’s still hasn’t asked for one. I’m hoping she grows out of it.”
Sam raises the glass. “Keep hoping. If I know kids, and I do, she’ll want one no matter what age. Just be thankful she didn’t come across a snake or lizard.” Rachael laughs. “Hey, I have something I want to show you.” Sam digs into his pocket and pulls out a coin he drops onto the bar in front of her. Curious, she reaches for it. “Please don’t touch it.”
Confused, Rachael asks, “What is it? It looks like it’s one of those tokens from an old amusement park.”
“Yeah. It sort of looks like that. But it’s actual gold.”
Rachael’s eyebrows shoot up. “Gold? You’re pulling my leg. I wouldn’t want someone touching it, either.”
“It’s real. I found it on the beach a few miles up the coast.”
Rachael peers closer at the disc. “What’s this writing? Is it Russian?”
“Not Russian or any other language I know. I can’t make head or tail of it. I’ll have to get it checked out to find out.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Dunno. Keep it, sell it, or donate it if it’s something old. Can’t eat or drink the thing.” Sam laughs.
“Listen, I need to get back to work before Godzilla comes out of his lair. Glad you’re OK, Sam.”
Rachael glances past the line of TVs mounted on the ceiling of the tiki bar at the old, worn analog wall clock. She still has a couple more hours until her shift ends. She runs around taking orders, serving drinks, and directing the confused or lost servers, who never last longer than a few weeks. Whenever there is a lull, she chats with the customers. Even though she needs the tips, she enjoys the people and interacting with them more.
“Are we out of Tanqueray?” Dave holds up an empty bottle of gin.
An instant of panic threatens to overwhelm Rachael at the thought of having to revisit the office. Then, in an instant, it is gone when she spots a bottle hiding behind the vodka, the way she does behind the bar. She hands the rogue bottle to Dave. “Here you go. If we run out, it’s your turn in the lion’s den.”
Dave grunts a reply, then says, “So, why don’t you leave this place? You’re smart enough to find a job anywhere.”
“I—I don’t know. It’s not like I’ve done much else. I have to look out for Michaela. I want her to grow up in a safe environment. She’s all I’ve got. I can’t take a chance on losing the only job I’ve got, just because of Hoyt. If he fires me, who’d give me a reference if I needed one?”
“I would.”
Rachael smiles at the young man. “Thanks. But that wouldn’t help on a job search. Besides, I like it here—the water, being outdoors, talking to people. I’d say I’m pretty lucky.”
“Oh, oh! Don’t look now, but your luck may have run out.” Dave points with the bottle in his hand at the restaurant and the approaching form of Hoyt. “The shift’s not over. I wonder what he’s here to yell about.”
Hoyt trundles into the bar, a glower on his face. “Push the fish tacos. We’re all out of shrimp. Well, stop standing around. You’ve still got an hour to go. Get to it! People want to give us money. Take it.” The short man turns and heads out.
A moment later, when their manager is out of sight and earshot, Dave says, “I’m glad this is just a summer gig for me. You need to get out of here, or try for another shift. I’m sure Carol would take you.”
Rachael grabs a plate from a server and routes it to the correct customer at the bar, then takes another drink order. “I’m sure she would, but Hoyt controls the purse. He wouldn’t approve of another evening shift worker. Carol has enough help. And no one would want to trade with me.”
Dave grabs a handful of oranges, which he squeezes with what looks like a medieval torture device. “Suit yourself, but one of three things will happen. Either he’ll kill you, or you’ll kill him.”
Rachael frowns. “You said there were three things.”
“Or you’ll leave.”
Rachael passes by Sam, who orders a refill and fish tacos. She’s glad she doesn’t have to talk him out of the shrimp. She doesn’t have to like Hoyt, but she doesn’t have to help him either. “So where are you and your boat off to next, Sam?”
He winks. “Someplace where I can find a good woman to settle down with. You wouldn’t know of any, would you?”
She laughs. “I hear there are a few at the nursing home who might be interested.”
Sam frowns, then brightens. “Too old for me. I was hoping someone more your age.”
“Keep hoping.” Rachael turns and goes to take an order from a woman across the bar.
The crowd dwindles as the shift progresses. It is the lull before the evening storm. Things always pick up at the bar and restaurant on a pleasant weekend. Sam drops a few bills and waves at Rachael as he walks to climb aboard his boat. She waves back. I could do worse, she thinks, then shakes it off. He’s a nice guy, but too old for me. Now, if only I could find someone a little older than Dave who has a boat. Nah!
“You don’t own a boat, do you?” she asks a startled Dave as she walks past on the way to the ice machine.
“On this salary?” He snorts. “I can’t even afford a toy boat. Why?”
“Oh, no reason. I was just looking at all the boats and . . .” The sound of her scooping ice into a glass, which she then fills from a soda gun, drowns out the rest of the sentence. She takes a sip.
Dave says, “Seriously. You’re not that old. You can at least look for another job.” Dave wilts under the glare she gives him, but she says nothing, “Sorry. I didn’t mean you’re old. I meant well you’re—”
She cuts him off before he makes things worse. “I know what you meant. Watch out; there’s a large fly on your shoulder.” Dave begins swatting and batting at the creature. “Don’t do that? If you leave it alone, if will fly away, otherwise it’ll just keep coming back.”
“I hate those things. They’re all over the place this time of year.”
“They have as much right to be here as we do.”
“But they’re a nuisance.”
“Only if you aggravate them. Just like people.”
Grumbling something she can’t hear, Dave turns to respond to a customer who has called him over. Rachael glances at the clock again and refocuses on finishing the rest of her shift. She doesn’t relish the end of her workday, the way most of the people she knows do. Regardless of how many times she’s been through it, she’s never gotten used to the almost ceremonial way in which Hoyt clocks out.
At one point, she glimpses Sam on his boat, tidying up before he disappears into the cabin. I want to run away, she thinks. A hole seems to form in her stomach. Here, at least, I have something I can depend on. Something I enjoy doing despite Hoyt.
During a lull in the orders, she takes another sip of water. Her legs are tired from standing all day. Time with Michaela followed by a hot bath and a book would go a long way to making my problems go away—until tomorrow.
A group of customers gathers in one corner of the bar. She’s seen them come off one of the bigger boats. Parties this big don’t mean bigger tips. Nevertheless, she goes over with a smile and takes their order. The sound of furniture being moved on Sam’s boat catches her attention, but Dave approaches and nudges her. “Get ready. It’s almost that time.”
Startled, she glances at the clock—the last five minutes of her shift. She and Dave scurry, replacing bottles, tossing out trash and garbage, clearing completed food trays, wiping down the bar, and settling with their customers. Rachael glances around, satisfied they have done a decent job, but she knows Hoyt will find something amiss. A minute or two later, and on the hour, Hoyt comes out of the restaurant and over to the bar, the first stop on his closing-out inspection.
As Rachael and Dave stand watching, their manager walks around the bar, inspecting everything. He picks up an empty bottle of tequila. “Replace it before you leave.” He moves on. Occasionally he nods, on others he glances at the two bartenders who stand watching. Hoyt, having made sure everything is in order, goes around to...
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 1.12.2024 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror |
| ISBN-13 | 979-8-3509-8084-4 / 9798350980844 |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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