Larry Turner, the lawyer and part owner of the Log Cabin, was there when they arrived and waved them over to join him at his table. Elias took her hand and guided her through the room, then pulled a chair out for her. She found the gesture warm and domestic. She sat and gave Larry a smile. "Good morning."
"How are you today?"
"Oh, I think I'm better than I've been for a long time."
"You look good as well. Hungry?"
"Starving," she admitted.
"Well the brunch is still going on. Why don't you two go fill some plates, and we'll talk after."
"Talk? Is there something particular to talk about?" she asked.
"Not really, just didn't want to keep you from your food."
"Oh, well I appreciate that." She grinned and got back up to follow Elias over to the buffet.
They filled two plates, each with waffles, strawberries, sausage, eggs, steak, and assorted other foods, and then came back to join Larry.
"Wow, you really are starving,” Larry chuckled.
"I'll go back if it's still there once I polish this off," she told him with a teasing smile.
"Oh, you have at least another hour. Take your time," Larry told her as he leaned back and motioned for a waitress to come by for their drink order.
Elias ordered a strawberry milkshake and a cup of coffee. Chelsea decided that ice tea would do for her.
They talked about the run yesterday, and then Larry asked where Elias thought they should go next week.
"How about north this time? We could go up to Sam's National forest," he offered.
"That sounds good. I'll throw my vote in with yours and pass it on to Wild Bill."
"He's the vice president, right?" Chelsea asked.
"That would be the man," Larry agreed.
"What position do you hold?" she asked.
"Legal adviser, of course. Which isn't really a position, but the club voted me in as an honorary officer."
"That's nice."
"Sort of. It's kind of like a title in England. All it really means is that I get to pay higher monthly dues, and I can vote on things like weekend trips," he laughed.
Larry didn't look like a lawyer. He wasn't quite as tall as Elias, but he was thicker in the chest and shoulders, and his forearms were roped with muscles. He looked more like a boxer or a brawler. His brow was thick and bushy, and his eyes were bright green.
"So, you do mostly criminal law?" she asked.
"For the club it is normally criminal law, but my practice is elder law. I do some family stuff as well, but elder law is where my heart is."
"What's that?" she asked, taking a bite of waffle, whipped cream, and strawberry and moaning with unashamed glee.
"Well, elders are anyone over the age of sixty-five. My practice focuses on combating those who would take advantage of people of that age and older. Swindles, misuse of power of attorney—things of that nature."
"Oh. That sounds rewarding."
"Doesn't pay much, but I like to believe I'm helping people who really need someone to help them."
She was about to say something when Elias suddenly exploded out of his chair, pulled his gun, and commanded in a roar she didn't think he was capable of, "Hands where I can see them! Now!"
The whole place went deadly silent, and when she turned to see what Elias was looking at, she found Tomas at the door.
"Easy there cowboy." Tomas smiled. "I'm a cop."
"Hands where I can see them! Now! Or I put a bullet in your knee."
"I said I was a cop, asshole."
Elias fired, and the bullet smashed into the ground in front of Tomas. "Last warning."
"Fuck!" Tomas shouted, but he lifted his hands.
"Larry, call the cops."
"Right," Larry said, pulling out his cell phone.
"Alright, maybe this is a bad time," Tomas said. "I'll just ease back out of here—"
Elias' gun went off again, this time the bullet hit the door jamb right beside Tomas' face. "You do anything I don't tell you to do, I will shoot you. Are we clear?"
The hatred twisting Tomas' face was alarming. Chelsea had never seen him look so dangerous before. But Elias walked straight at him, as if he were no more dangerous than a puppy. "On the ground, face down, hands stretched out above your head. Now!"
"You are really starting to piss me off, cowboy."
"I have a restraining order, a license, and the will to kill you. Clear?"
Tomas glared at him, but Elias didn't flinch.
The whole of the restaurant seemed to be holding their breath, and then Tomas got slowly to his knees, hands up, and then lied down on the ground, face to the floor. "I swear to god, cowboy, I'm going to take pleasure in gutting you for this."
"You're going to do what I say or I'll put so many bullets in your head you'll be still-born for your next five incarnations. Now, hands flat, palms down, arms stretched out."
"The police are on their way," Larry said calmly.
"I am the police, you moron," Tomas growled.
"You're a criminal right now," Larry informed him. "And we will be pressing full charges on your blatant disrespect for the court order I served you with."
"Fucking asshole!"
Elias walked over to Tomas, then knelt with his knee in the middle of Tomas' back, and the barrel of his 9mm into the base of his skull. Then, with the grace that Chelsea noticed their first night together, he took Tomas' handcuffs from the back of his belt and in a breath of time had Tomas cuffed, never taking the gun from his head the entire time. Once that was done he removed Tomas' gun and put it in his belt.
Sirens wailed in the distance, but Elias didn't move from the position he was in, his knee in Tomas' back, his gun at his skull.
"They're just going to let me go, asshole."
"No they won't, or we'll sue the city, and have reprimands in every one of their jackets," Larry told him calmly. "I'll make sure they know that before they leave with you."
"That's two I'm going to gut."
"Big talk for a man who’s on his way to jail." Larry chuckled. Then he rose. "Alright folks, calm down. The police are here, and this will be taken care of shortly. Anyone who wants to leave, please use the rear exit or go through the kitchen. Martin, make sure people can find their way out if they wish to go."
No one seemed to want to miss anything, and everyone remained where they were.
"Better than pay-per-view," Larry chuckled, giving Chelsea a grin.
She tried to smile back, but terror was in her throat. She knew Tomas would show up. Elias told her that this morning, but she didn't think it would be today, this soon. The shock of seeing him had her gut in adrenaline-twisted knots. The stony look on Elias' face, however, was somehow very calming for her. There was no doubt in her mind that if Tomas made one more move, Elias was going to follow through on his threat and kill him. Part of her hoped Tomas was that stupid.