Man of Honor

Fifteen years laterHEATHER DROVE SLOWLY along the service road ofthe busy Katy Freeway. Her unmarked van was filled with supplies -- food, water, toiletries, blankets -- she'd packed before starting her rounds that evening. A full mobile pantry testified to the money-stretching skill she'd honed since childhood. And now she was using it to help other kids. Kids in trouble. Runaways.Her gaze shifted from the traffic ahead of her to the parking lots alongside the Houston interstate. She'd developed keen night vision to spot her delicate quarry.A group of youngsters stood waiting for her to pull into the driveway of a tired-looking strip mall, one of her usual stops. She recognized two girls -- Brenda and Alicia -- and wanted to cheer. Return visits meant trust...at least some trust. Without it, she'd fail, despite her best intentions.She turned into the mall and pulled forward, parking parallel to the road, careful not to block the driveway. She shut off the motor and groaned when it groaned. That would take more money to fix, but she'd worry about it later. She grabbed a box of PBJ sandwiches and chips, pushed the door open and stepped out."Hey, y'all. I'm so-o-o glad to see ya. Who's hungry?" She reached into her carton, distributed the items, studying the youngsters as casually as possible.Youngsters? A few of the new boys seemed older. Or maybe it was the expression on their faces that made her think so. She turned to Brenda. "Going to introduce me to your friends? Or...aren't y'all together?"Alicia spoke up. "Oh, yeah, we are. These guys got a place to live. So we don't have to eat up your sandwiches anymore. We just wanted to say bye to you and thanks.""Baby G, you talk too much," snapped one of the new members of the group."Sorry," Alicia whispered, looking at the ground. The dynamics had changed in the past few days and not for the better. "What's going on?" she asked Brenda, the more confident of the two girls.Brenda shrugged. "We got a place of our own now. And jobs. Easy jobs. That's all." She looked away. "Ask them."Heather turned to the three newcomers. "Like the girls said, they're with us now, and we'll take care of them." One male stepped forward. The leader, in posture and gesture. Letting her know what's what. Possibly he thought she'd go looking for the kids if they didn't show up. Maybe get the cops involved. "We're just letting them say goodbye to the nice lady. Because we're nice boys. Right?"His two cohorts chuckled, but Heather focused on the speaker. In his twenties, Latin, husky build, a couple of inches taller than her. "And you are...'"He grinned, full of confidence and machismo, before his expression turned hungry, like a rattlesnake tasting the air. His dark eyes traveled slowly down her body and back up. His easy grin became a sickle-shaped smile, sharp and predatory. He stared at her without blinking.She met his gaze head-on, but goose bumps burst out all over her skin. She could probably handle one of them. But three? She rocked on the balls of her feet, ready to run.The man cocked his head before replying. "Just call meel Jefe --the boss." He nodded at the girls Heather had been helping. "Go. Jet outta here."The kids obeyed instantly.Heather heard cars passing along the service road, and one actually entered the lot. But the driver kept going, intent on finding a parking space closer to the set-back stores. Probably never noticed her. And neither would anyone else.Heather stepped backward -- closer to her van. "I've got more stops to make," she said. "People will be looking for me. If you're hungry, grab a sandwich. Take the whole box." She tossed it to the leader, who let the food hit the ground. She inched backward again, glad she'd left the door open."No,chica.No van," he said, swaggering toward her until he was only a few feet away. He pointed at one of his friends, and nodded toward the vehicle."Take a lookBarrett, Linda is the author of 'Man of Honor ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780373713660 and ISBN 0373713665.