Chapter Seven
Grace glared venomously at the group in front of her. She only had to wait on them because it was part of her job. She looked over at a new face and then at the rest. The old guy with the beard, though it was a tie between him and GB, looked nervous. "We may have gotten off on the wrong foot. When is your next break?" the bearded old man asked.
Grace glared more and tapped her pencil against the order pad. "Why do you want to know?" she asked.
"We feel we owe you an explanation…to some extent," he explained.
Grace nodded and walked back. "Vinnie, take over my section. I'm taking ten," she explained to the waiter who wasn't doing any work.
She then walked back out, pulled up a chair and turned it backward before she sat on it. "You have ten minutes, maybe less, talk," Grace stated and focused on the bearded, old man.
"I am Dr. Gilmore. I am sort-of, a former associate of Dr. Kirshner. We knew each other toward the beginning of our careers, however, he was going into a little known science at the time. We had very different goals. He was in the middle of some important research when he stopped corresponding. I'm afraid Alice is the only one who may know anything about it, and we need to find that research," Dr. Gilmore stated.
"Uh-huh. And who are these, your associates? A flirting Shakespeare buff, a redhead who can't even admit when he can't read a menu, a man who speaks German, and really the only one I could see being a doctor of any sort, and a strong, silent-type, kind-of guy who sticks out like a sore thumb. He might be a doctor too, however. He looks like he's smart," Grace retorted with a skeptical tone.
Dr. Gilmore sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'm G-Junior," the strong, tall, silent type introduced.
"Grace," she answered, her eyes sweeping up and down, as if she was looking at his character.
"Oh, I see why you turned me down! You're into the big, strong, silent type!" GB exclaimed.
"No. I'm into a petite painter," Grace retorted sharply, before focusing on G-Junior.
Junior shifted a little and spoke in a low tone. "I met Alice the other day, in the cemetery. A man with a gun had gone after her and was threatening her life. I intervened," he explained.
Grace stared. She then stood up and walked into the back. She took off the apron and approached her boss. "I'm going after Alice," she explained and walked back out.
"I'll tell you where she went…on one condition; that you take me with you," Grace stated as she faced them.
"Are you insane? Did you not listen?" the redhead exclaimed.
She put her fists on her hips and stood defiantly. "You will learn nothing until you make that promise and act upon it.
The redhead was about to retort when Dr. Gilmore interrupted. "Very well. Albert, will drive you, if you have no objections," he stated.
"Better not be Carrot there," Grace stated, jabbing her thumb in said redhead's direction.
"What? Who are you calling a carrot you mud-head?"
Grace ignored him and focused on Dr. Gilmore. "No. I'm Albert," the gray haired one stated.
"Oh. Steel Eyes? Great. Let's go. I'll tell you, and you can tell them while I pack. However, I won't give you the directions till I'm safe in the car," Grace stated, and she walked out with the intention that Albert should follow her.
/
The restaurant was oddly silent after Grace had left. It wasn't like it had been very loud, though the sudden exit had taken out one very loud personality. That feeling of silence continued to cling to everything, until the sound of voices in the kitchen drifted to the cyborgs.
The restaurant hadn't really changed in atmosphere. It was almost empty and everything was oddly still. The group was in a private room, and there was no one who could have heard them. Jet gave the pair who had spilled the beans a look. "Why'd you have to tell her that, G-Junior?" he growled out.
"She never would have told us where Miss Alice was otherwise. Or even gone to her so we could follow," G-Junior explained before he closed his eyes in contemplation.
"Hey! Steel Eyes, this is not the time to be molasses! Come on!" Grace snapped from the doorway before heading back out.
The group looked up at the voice then at Albert. Almost as if they expected him to go now.
Albert shook his head and followed her out. He went out onto the street and easily kept up with Grace. She was almost distracted, though managed to notice his presence. "I live close so you don't have to worry about your car at the restaurant," she stated.
Albert nodded his head in response and followed her. Grace seemed to know where she was going.
"Will the others be following in another car or something?" she asked.
Albert figured that she was trying to make conversation. "Or something."
Grace muttered something under her breath, and he raised an eyebrow at her. He was pretty sure she had just cursed them all. "I'm already there, so damning me to Hell won't do much," he stated with some amusement and Grace whirled on him.
She opened her mouth, possibly to respond, before she snapped it shut and turned back. She picked up her pace, and he easily matched her new pace. "What's your last name?" Grace asked.
"What's yours?"
"Thompson."
"Heinrich."
Grace stopped suddenly and looked at him, before continuing onward. She walked forward again and opened her door. "I'll be down in five," she stated, heading for the stairs.
She paused on the first step as Albert shut the door behind him. "Don't touch anything," she added and continued upstairs.
Albert watched her walk upstairs, and he looked around. There were no knick-knacks in the front hallway, or anything that said this belonged to anyone, really. He noticed the only thing added to the room, most likely, was the coat stand. Everything else was bolted to the walls. There was nothing personal in this front room.
Grace came back downstairs, a duffle bag over her shoulder, and she opened the door. "Time to go," she ordered and Albert followed, mostly out of amusement.
He waited before taking over the lead and taking her to the car. Albert got into the driver's side, while Grace got into the passenger side. He looked at her. "Where to?"
"Grandfather Thomas's Cottage by the Sea, and the only cottage that overlooks the opposite sea. Easy find," Grace stated with a grin.
"You mean that large two-story one that can be seen just among those pine trees?"
"Norway spruce as Alice reminds me constantly."
Albert shrugged and turned on the car. With that, he stepped on the gas and took off. Grace clung to the seat and closed her eyes tightly. "Oh God, oh God, we're all going to die!" she whimpered.
"We are not going to die," Albert retorted.
"You're right…you'll kill me!" Grace responded.
Albert gave her a look. "You're almost as bad as Jet. I'm not that bad of a driver!" Albert stated.
"You're not good! I feel safer on Alice's monstrosity!" Grace shouted at him.
End Chapter Seven