Chapter 34 Friends Along the Way
Dr. Andrews had a friend named Gregory Burns who lived in Flagstaff, Arizona. After having Evan check his cell phone for possible bugs, he called Michelle back in Kansas and had her look through his old files for Greg’s number.
Their conversation wasn’t filled with the usual, “How are you?” and “Are you safe?” or even the standard, “I love you and miss you.” Or God-forbid she ask, “How are the children?” Nope. I was going to have to ask Cole about his dad’s relationship with her, but it would have to wait till we could talk privately. There was a lot more to that story, and I was curious to learn it.
“Are you sure this guy would be willing to help us?” Alik asked, doubtfully.
“Why haven’t you mentioned him before?” posed Evan.
Dr. Andrews explained, “It’s been ages since I talked with Greg, but it won’t matter. He will drop whatever he’s doing to help, because that’s just who Greg is. And if he ever needed me, I’d be there for him.
“These aren’t just words. We’ve lived it. Ten years ago, Greg was there when Cole’s mom lost her battle with cancer. And four years after that, I was there for Greg when his wife left him. Through it all, there was no judging, no strings attached.
“We were just two guys who would sit and watch sports together pretending not to notice the tears. Instead of offering a tissue or a shoulder, we’d do what guys do and offer each other a beer and a slice of pizza.”
Dr. Andrews stopped talking, but memories were still tracing lines in his face. Then he continued, “We’ve been friends since we were kids. We grew up in Kansas together, our houses facing each other, sharing a cul-de-sac. We were always hanging out together. We both played baseball in high school. Heck, we even shared a dorm room in college.
“Yeah, Greg would be able to help. On top of all that, he’s a cop. No one else may believe our story. But even if he didn’t believe, he would still help.”
The nostalgia slipped away from his eyes. I could tell the story was done, and I had to admit. This Greg guy sounded like a good idea.
“That’s great, but you didn’t answer my question,” Evan wasn’t as easily convinced.
“I thought of him before now, but really didn’t want to burden anyone else with my decision to help Margo and her children. This old score needed settling and it had nothing to do with Greg.
“But after the motel incident, I decided I need some backup. Literally. The Institute had crossed the line from harassing to extremely dangerous.” Dr. Andrews waited for an argument from Evan, but received none. He hadn’t seen me and my brothers exchange glances that decided Burns was an okay idea, but Evan still looked somewhat suspicious. And though he may be right, my plan could work better with more help from good guys.
The doctor took our silence as consent. He picked up his phone and dialed. The truck full of kids listened intently to only one side of the conversation.
“Hey, Greg! How’s it going? Yeah, it’s been too long, buddy. Listen, I have a situation I need your help with. Well, I can’t discuss it over the phone. I’m about an hour away. Do you mind some company for lunch? The usual place sounds great. Go ahead and get us a table for six. Yeah, I said six. I’ll explain everything. Thanks, man. See you there.”
It felt good to have something to look forward to besides my possible demise at the hands of an evil scientist. Looking around the truck, I felt everyone’s spirits lifted with the prospect of finding an ally in Flagstaff.
Chapter 35 Peanut Shells on the Floor
About an hour later, we pulled into the graveled parking lot of a place called Sizzling Steaks by Samuel and it struck me that lots of places use a name in their title. I was a little pumped and not just at the idea of meeting Dr. Andrew’s friend. But because this was the first real restaurant I’d been in besides Trudy’s, and I gotta tell you that didn’t even count because of the earthy atmosphere and the fact that we had to take our food to-go.
I was hoping for a restaurant like I’d read about in books. You know, the lit candles and fancy table cloths, and square plates with delicious food arranged artistically. I wanted to go to the kind of restaurant where the waiters pulled out the tables for you to sit and offered you a sorbet to cleanse the palate between courses.