May could not sleep a wink. Ray spent the night on the couch. He left to get ready for work at six o’clock.

May got ready herself and drove into town, stopping at Starbucks just long enough to pick up a latte. She ordered the beverage and walked over to the area where the drinks were made and served.

She was so exhausted she felt like she could hardly hold her head up.

She got her coffee and returned to her car. She slipped her key into the ignition.

“Tired Miss Major?” a male voice called from behind.

May turned toward the sound of the voice and recognized the man instantly. She gasped when she saw his face. It was Stan, the man who threatened her in the bar two nights earlier. He was sitting in the back seat. He must have been hunkered down because she hadn’t noticed him.

May instantly thought about what Commander Horner had said to her. He said she’d be contacted on the phone, but they did it in person. She wondered if Horner had any idea this would happen.

He smiled placing his index finger to his lips, admonishing her to remain quiet.

“What have you done with Jessup?” she demanded.

“He’s fine, Miss Major,” Stan replied. “And he’ll remain fine as long as you play ball.”

She thought about what Commander Horner told her, to be cooperative, “What do you want?”

He slipped an envelope to her.

“There are instructions in this envelope,” he said. “They will provide you the information to make the sale of the company happen.  You do your part and Jessup will live.”

She knew he was lying but knew what to say, “Ok, I’ll do it under one condition.”

“You’re in no position to make demands, Miss Major,” he said.

She ignored his comment, “I want to speak with Jessup on the phone at four-forty-five, fifteen minutes before the meeting begins. I want to hear his voice. I want to know he is alive and unharmed.”

“That will not happen,” Stan replied.

May tossed the envelope into the back seat, “Then we have no deal.”

It was a calculated risk she knew might backfire.

Stan laughed, “Oh, you’re a sassy one, aren’t you?” he said. “Look… bitch. We do this our way. You will…”

“I will do nothing if I do not hear Jessup’s voice at four-forty-five,” she snapped at him. “In fact, if I don’t hear Jessup’s voice fifteen minutes before the meeting begins, I’ll derail the whole damn sale on purpose. There’ll be no coming back from it. You tell Marbury that. Now get out of my car.”

“Damn, I do like sassy women,” he said. “It’s a damn shame your boyfriend had to be there to break up our little party in the bar. It was just getting interesting.”

“I’m serious,” May said. “Get out.”

Stan fell silent for a moment as he silently considered what she said. A minute passed… then two. Finally, he tapped her on the shoulder with the envelope.

“Ok, Miss Major, you have a deal,” he said, “but if you try anything, Jessup will die and there will be no place on this earth you can go where I won’t find you. You understand?”

“You make sure I can speak to him at four-forty-five,” she said. “I’ll handle the rest.”

May heard the rear door open then close. She waited until Stan was out of sight and dialed Commander Horner’s number. There was no answer. She left a message, “Commander, this is May. Stan just cornered me in my car at Starbucks.  He left on foot, heading south on Oceanview. Please call me. I need to know if you saw him or not.”

It would be a long, stressful day, she thought to herself.