Chapter 6 - The Catering Van
Elias drove the white venue catering van like a professional getaway driver.
Maddie sat fiercely in the passenger seat clutching the plastic dashboard.
Her massive wedding dress filled the entire cabin like a giant, angry white cloud.
Frank sat quietly in the back with his head safely tucked between his knees.
The dark, winding Kentucky roads blurred past the rain-streaked windows.
"Why are you going out of your way to help us?" Maddie asked loudly over the roaring engine.
Elias kept his intense eyes fixed firmly on the dark road ahead.
"I really do not like seeing good people get played by cowards."
"I was happily engaged once too."
Maddie looked softly at his sharp, handsome profile in the dim dashboard light.
"What happened to your engagement?"
"She left me at the altar for the man who stole my entire life savings."
Maddie felt a sudden, deep kinship with the mysterious waiter.
"I am so incredibly sorry."
"Do not be sorry for me, just be angry for yourself."
"Anger is what actually gets things done."
Maddie squeezed her trembling hands into very tight fists.
She was definitely fueled by pure anger now.
She was furious at Tyler for his calculated, devastating lies.
She was absolutely destroyed by her sister's brutal betrayal.
Most of all, she was angry at herself for ignoring the red flags.
The bright runway lights of the private airfield appeared glowing in the distance.
Elias instantly turned off the van's headlights to avoid any early detection.
He steered the heavy commercial vehicle toward the dark perimeter fence.
They parked silently behind a row of empty, rusted maintenance hangars.
Elias reached under his driver's seat and pulled out a heavy steel flashlight.
"We must go on foot quietly from here."
They sneaked across the wet, freezing tarmac toward the brightly lit main terminal.
Through the massive glass windows, Maddie finally saw them.
Tyler was sipping expensive champagne while Chloe leaned affectionately against his shoulder.
They were laughing together without a single care in the world.
Beside their feet sat the massive, heavy box of stolen wedding gifts.
Maddie aggressively grabbed the door handle, but Elias pulled her back.
"Look very closely at the man standing directly behind them," Elias whispered intensely.
May you like
Maddie narrowed her eyes and peered through the thick glass.
It was the tall loan shark they had just fought at the venue, holding a gun directly to Tyler's back.
