Surface Dwellers, an Interactive Story Pt 4
Look at me getting stuff out on time. Happy dancing. Don’t have too much to make note of today, so please, enjoy!
(@accio doodles, process bellow)
Surface Dwellers Chapter Four
Suspicious Minds
Jim let out a heavy sigh, “Nah I’m gonna go to work.” He mumbled, forcing his eyes to stay open, Lee and Lane exchanged a glance and together led him over to one of the beds. “Nah, nah I gotta get to work.” He protested as they lowered him, his eyes closing, a loud snore escaping the moment his head hit the pillow. “Rest up Jim.” Lane smiled softly, giving him a light kiss on the forehead.
She got herself ready and gathered inconspicuous supplies and ran out of the door as Lee called the school to excuse absence. She didn’t realize Mr. Crow hopping behind her until she went to get into the car, “What are you doing? You can’t come to work with me, go home. Go look after Jim for me.” She gave him a quick pet before making her way.
When she pulled in she made sure to park somewhere that Nan couldn’t see her silver Subaru Impreza, so that she could have a minute to carefully burry wards strategically around the building before entering in a half feigned frenzy. “I’m here!” She shouted as she ran in, throwing some quick smiles and how are yous at customers as she made her way to the back to grab her apron. “WHAT IN THE HELL ADALANE?!”
Lane cringed at the holler as she tied her apron strings. “I’m sorry Nan, Ronan got sick. Threw up all over me when I woke her up for school, Lee wasn’t home and I couldn’t find my damned phone anywhere.” She threw the old woman the most apologetic look she could manage. Pause to cash out a customer. “Lane… Jim is missing.” The words came from the steadfast old woman forced and cracked. “The moment I saw you wasn’t here I started calling, no answer so I called the barracks. They hadn’t heard from him so they sent a guy out to his place, no sign of him. They got the new guy out looking for him.”
Lane was crushed with a wave of guilt, she could hear how worried she was. She imagined she was absolutely mad before Lane swooped in showing that she was alive and well. She probably thought Ronan’s father head them all in a ditch somewhere… Which really was a perfectly valid concern. “Jim ain’t missing.” It was hard for her to act for Nan, to pretend to be surprised and bewildered at the news. “He’s at my house… Called Lee in the middle of the night half delirious asking her to bring him some cold medicine. That’s why she wasn’t home she was over there… Brought him home to care for him, seems he’s got what Ronan does. Little sick sure, but he ain’t missing.” She laughed as she moved to clear off a table.
Maybe she should have been paying attention to where she was going instead of watching Nan’s face break in relief because she slammed straight into something that certainly wasn’t supposed to be there. “OH! I’m sor-” The sense was knocked straight out of her as she looked up into a pair of eyes filled with all the color and sparkle of the ocean. It took her while to process that tire guy was standing in her diner… with a purple tie and campaign hat. He scratched the scruffy blonde chin, once again looking at her like a puzzle… this time though his eyes were hard, his expression lined with suspicion. “I thought you were just passing through!” She gasped stepping back. “Never said that. I thought I just heard you say our missing guy is at your place.”
All she could really manage was a furrow browed nod. He pushed the little button on his radio and reported that he had a lead on Carter. “What’s your name and address?” He asked quickly. She was affronted and didn’t try to hide it. She leaned forward stood up on her tippy toes, and pushed the little radio button herself. “Hey Marry Anne it’s Lane, I got Jim over at my place with a spot of fever. Sorry about all the hullabaloo, didn’t know he hadn’t called in or I woulda’.” Mystery trooper man’s jaw clenched, she could feel the irritation at her rolling off of him like steam. She maintained a look of iron determination as she stepped back, crossing her arms and popping her him in defiance.
He had the nerve to question her with suspicion in her town?! The voice of Mary Anne, the barracks dispatcher of nearly forty years didn’t take long to fill the static between them. ”Calling all units, 10-80 the MP, the girls got ‘em.” Lane raised her brows and the corner of her lips in an expression daring him to question her. A slew of cuss words came across the radio, she knew they were because checking with them was such an obvious thing that no one had thought to tell the rookie to do it. Agitation etched lines into his forehead, he dared. “What’s your relationship with Jim Carter?”
“He’s a very close family friend.”
“And what time did Jim Carter arrive at your residence?”
“Right ‘bout 8am I reckon.”
“What were the circumstances leading up to this?”
“He called my roommate asking her to bring him some cold medicine at about three in the morning, she went over there to find him ill, stayed with him there for a while and decided it would be best to just bring him home. She’s there carin’ for him now, along with my daughter whos home sick from school.”
“Your child and Carter got the same bug at the same time?”
“It would appear so, makes sense considering they spend time together just about every day on those two stools right there.”
“Can you explain the state of disarray Carter’s home is in? The broken lock? Yard torn up by tires? His missing pistol?”
“Well no I can not. I wasn’t there. He did have quite the fever so he may have been a touch delirious.”
“You weren’t there this morning?”
“No.”
“So the sets of fresh footprints in his yard, one of which looks to be, well about your size… one of which looks to be from a fairly small child…?”
“We met my roommate there and went swimming yesterday after we left here.”
“Excuse me!” Nan’s voice filled with contempt interrupted the string of questioning from behind the counter. Mystery Trooper… Jackson… his tag said Jackson… Trooper Jackson looked over at her. “Yes ma'am?” His eyes scanned the dinner too, now distracted from his pursuit he could feel every set of eyes in the place on him, glaring daggers. “Jim Carter, his late wife and I have been takin’ care of these girls for near a decade! And they’ve been taking care of us just as long. Lane says Carter is at her place sick, Carter is at her place sick and that’s all there is too it!” Her tone had all of the finality of an angry grandmother sending a child to timeout, backed by the murmurs of agreeance from the spectators, some beginning to rise and step forward.
“I’m just doing my job ma’am.”
“No you ain’t you got a 10-80, all you’re doing is keeping my employee from doing her job and if you keep on like you’re keepin’ on you’re gonna get yourself run right outta this town so I suggest kindly that you be on your way.” Nan’s words were as cold and sharp as a jagged icicle, the townsfolk slowly moved in closer. Trooper Jackson’s eyes narrowed at Lane before concession softened his features slightly. He removed his hat and placed it over his chest with a small bow at Lane. “My apologies.” The small mob that had been building tension around them released, you could almost hear the air sigh from it. He walked out the door, back straight and head high.
Everyone stared after him for a moment, contemplating what had just happened. Lane felt emotion bubbling inside of her, threatening to spill over. “I love all’y’all!” She laughed shaking her head before finally getting to clear off that table. This is my town. She thought as she heard “We love you too!” From all directions, this was their town and no one, not Hyde, not the Covenant, not handsome Trooper Jackson was going to run them out of it.
The rest of her day, aside from sneakily placing protection on and around Nan and answering even more questions from customers coming in who’d heard about this morning's incident, was perfectly normal. She offered to stay late, but Sophie and Meghan had of course heard about this morning as well and insisted beyond the possibility of argument that she needed to go home and take care of Ronan and Carter with Lee. She stopped in at Nan’s house behind the diner first to put up wards and at the market to pick up ingredients for chicken noodle soup (mostly for pretense) before heading home.
Her eyes narrowed as she pulled into the drive, fixed intently on something she wasn’t expecting to see. A black pick up truck sat in her drive, and boy did it look awfully familiar. She let out a big sigh as she parked, and prepared herself as she scooped the bag of groceries into her arms to face Trooper Jackson once again.
She walked up the steps with narrow minded focus. It was a damned good thing they’d taken the time to collaborate their story this morning. She let herself in to see Jim and Ronan on the sofa, her little head resting on his (should-be-)grandpa-belly, Lee standing, leaning against the door frame to the kitchen with arms and legs crossed… If Lane hadn’t known any better she would have assumed the woman was being perfectly friendly, but she did know better, she saw the predatory glint in her eye… And Trooper Jackson sitting in blue jeans and a white tee looking perfectly comfortable on her sofa, in her reading spot nonetheless!
A. “What the hell do you think you’re doin’ here huh?” She snapped, overwhelmed with anger, placing her bag down on the closest available surface. “You think that after the way you treated me today you’d be welcome in my home?” She stepped back and opened the front door that she’d just swung shut. Holding the knob with one hand she motioned at him with the other, not so subtly, to get the fuck out.
B. She stood for a moment, fighting her feelings. She swallowed her pride and bit her tongue. “Interesting place you’ve got here.” He smiled at her… was she crazy or was there still suspicion in his eyes. “Thank you.” He words were as stiff as her back and she threw a glance at Lee as she brought the bag into the kitchen and began to sort through it. We don’t need this! We don’t need those stupid pretty eyes snooping around! Another look at Lee, a responsive nod. She internally groaned. “Would you like to stay for dinner Mr. Jackson?” She called, putting as much cheer in her voice as she could manage.
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oh .... oh man, for the first time i am torn between A and B
what a choice !
a great chapter, @accio~ really enjoyed the sass nan brought into this chapter and you have a good pace with your sections <3
...
imma return in a bit with my choice!!!!
Yeah I see Nan as a sass machine XD
okay... i choose B, i think !!!! i was kinda pissed off by the man but then i thought, maybe it's good to give people chances????
aaaaaaah
hope he isn't a bad guy~ nervous
:D we shall see