The Queen Of Spades

Chapter 8, Continued, Again

Thirty minutes later the three of us were in Oliver's SUV on our way to Washington DC. Ten hours of driving and we would be saving the world. I drove, of course. Gideon would take the second shift and Noah couldn't drive yet. I turned on some music and sped down the interstate, anxious to get all of this Nazi drama over with. When five hours had elapsed, I stopped at a gas station so that we could all stretch our legs and get a quick bite to eat before continuing with Gideon as our driver.
"Okay," I said, pulling the keys out of the ignition. "Go to the bathroom and get some food. Energy drinks, Gideon. Or coffee, I guess. Fifteen minutes and we're leaving." I handed them both some cash and told them to either put on a hat or put their jacket hoods up. Cameras were a bad thing in this line of work, unless you're the one doing the searching. After going to the bathroom, I started getting some protein filled snacks like candy and energy drinks before going to the front counter to check out. But I never got that far, I heard yelling at the cash register and instinctively ducked behind one of the aisles. Quietly, I put down everything I was holding and peeked over the aisle. Two adults, probably both men, wearing oversized clothing and ski masks. Both of them had guns. Crap, I was trying to keep a low profile. A squeaky door opened and I spun to see Noah and Gideon leaving the bathroom. Double crap on a cracker. They met my eyes and I silently urged them to be quiet and get down. Gideon seemed to recognize the look in my eyes and pulled Noah back so they were out of view. Good, now all I had to do was save the store.

I cracked my neck and stepped out from behind the aisle, pulling my baseball cap low. Once I got to the register, I cleared my throat, getting the men's attention. "You need to leave." I said.
The men started laughing and the cashier took his chance, he pulled a pistol from under the counter. Quickly and silently, I took it from him. "Not worth it," I whispered. "Let me deal with these punks."
"Man," one of the robbers complained, "let's get this girl. What can she do?"
I'm glad you asked. I smiled, shaking my head. "Leave, and I won't even call the cops. Don't leave, and you'll be sorry." The first guy aimed his gun at me, and I disarmed him before he even knew what hit him. I used my full strength to bring the butt of the gun down on his head, knocking him out. Then I did the same thing to the other man. Reaching in my bag, I pulled out a roll of duct tape and secured their hands. "Call 911 after I leave please. Now, I'd like to check out." Turning, I went to grab my stuff and ushered the boys out from their hiding place. We bought our food and then we were back on the road, driving the next five hours to The Pentagon. During said drive, I slept in the back seat while Gideon drove and Noah kept him awake with his endless talking.