“Guess who followed us from the tour to the bar.”
“Lokus.” Nick saw an opening along the wall near a table for the kids to sit at with the adults having access to the bar. “I saw him. He shadowed the tour in an old gray Toyota. I didn’t mention it because he wasn’t getting out of the car. I figured it would be better to wait it out until I saw what he had planned. We’re armed. I know it’s less than smart out here with the wives and kids, but I didn’t want to postpone the events. You know how upset Rachel gets when our business interrupts a planned family outing.”
Nick helped everyone get seated, fending off Rachel’s worried look at his hushed conference with Gus. “Just a second, Rach. I’ll explain. Let me get everyone’s drinks and some appetizers.”
“You’re not going to disappear on us, are you? We’re having such a great time.”
“I know. Hold on for a moment. Gus, John, c’mon over here and let’s get some refreshments. Don’t worry, I know what everyone wants. You all have been yapping about it in my ear before the tour was half done. Any changes?”
Silent smiles. “Okay then.” Nick ordered everything at the bar, and passed the servings to Gus and John to distribute. In under ten minutes everyone enjoyed the sights and sounds of the TV show bar while eating and drinking.
Nick explained about Lokus following them through the tour and spotting him near the Cheers bar. “I didn’t want to worry you because Gus, John, and I are armed. He never left his car until now because of the common area with no traffic here.”
“Thanks for telling me. I thought maybe your CIA buddy called you on some other mission.” Rachel rubbed the inside of Nick’s thigh while repositioning the sleeping Quinn’s baby holder at her chest. “I figured to get more Nick and Rachel together time tonight by the window view. What are you going to do about the Lokus guy?”
“I thought maybe it would be a good idea to go have a special chat with him before we leave here. Everyone’s having a great time in this place so there’s no hurry to leave. I’ll find out what his plans are and come back in for another small beverage.”
“You’re not going to chat with him like those guys that night on Pier 39 are you?”
Nick’s mouth curled into his annoyed grin. “And if he’s lying in wait for a chance to blast us all, what then?”
“Sorry. I know you’ll take care of it in a sensible manner, whatever that is in El Muerto-land. Can you get out of here without being seen?”
“Did you just insult me?”
Rachel giggled. “Sorry, this wine is shooting right to my brain.”
“No problem. I do have to slip out and make sure my BK stalker isn’t planning on doing something rash. He was a bit unhinged at the bookstore, but I didn’t get any real dangerous vibes from him.”
“Is your serial killer sixth sense getting dull? Maybe pretending to be El Muerto trapped your skills in comic book land.”
“That’s just mean.”
*
Lupe Kintor waited across the Beacon Street main entrance to Cheers. He leaned against a tree inside the small park, completely in the dark shadows. Lupe, avatar name Lokus, calculated how long he might have to get away after emptying the clip in his illegal street bought 9mm Glock. It cost him a fortune to obtain the firearm in New Jersey years ago. This would be his greatest thrill yet. His other killings, randomly perpetrated on victims picked by a whimsical dislike of looks or speech, did not fill the void inside his chaotic thought processes completely. The killings, spaced across the East Coast where he could find menial labor work, only stilled his murderous urges for a short period of time.