“Dr. Moore is such an alcoholic. Luckily, our medical team has a no drinking policy. She would have gone shopping for supplies if she hadn’t been on duty today.”
“Do you think she would drink a lot on her way to the store? Thank goodness she didn’t come, or she would have gotten into more trouble. Is there a bakery in town, by the way?” Anna asked. She tucked her shopping list into the pocket of her jacket.
“I know there’s a bakery there, but please don’t get your hopes up. The cakes there taste like candles.”
“It’s fine. I just need to buy a cake.”
“What for?”
“Nancy’s birthday is tomorrow. I want to celebrate it for her.”
Patrick froze for a moment before saying mockingly, “I think she’ll be happier if you buy her a six-pack of beers instead of a cake.”
The trip from their station to town took them half a day. Because this town had a high crime rate, people who came to buy supplies had to spend the night in town and then leave the next morning. Otherwise, they might come across robbers if they drove at night.
After they finished shopping at the grocery store, Patrick carried the groceries they ordered back to the car while Anna checked out at the store and double-checked that she had purchased everything on the list.
“Did the stuff I ordered arrive?”
Hearing that deep and familiar male voice, Anna froze and then quickly ducked behind the shelves. She turned around, and she was surprised to see Smith talking to the grocery store owner.
The owner didn’t seem to notice Anna in the store. He looked around before carefully pulling a medium-sized leather case from beneath the counter. “Here’s what you want,” he said and patted the case.
As Smith was about to open the case, the owner shook his head and said a bit impatiently, “Please follow the rules, Smith. Cash first.”
Smith snorted. Then the soldiers behind him tapped the suitcase’s edge with their guns. Afraid that they would hurt him, the owner had no choice but to let Smith open the suitcase.
Extremely cautious, Anna moved closer to the shelves without drawing their attention. Through the gap in the shelves, she could see Smith opening the suitcase. And when she saw what was inside the case, Anna was shocked.
It was already dark when Anna left the grocery store. “Is there anything else we need to buy? We need to return to the station first thing in the morning, and we won’t be able to come here until next month.” Patrick asked as the two of them got into the car.
Anna appeared to be very nervous. “Is there a gun shop here?” she asked.
Patrick looked surprised, asking, “What do you need the guns for?”
“Just get me some guns, okay? I’ll explain to you later.”
“Okay,” With a nod, Patrick made a U-turn. Though he was suspicious as to why Anna would suddenly want to buy a gun, he didn’t ask her about it anymore.
***
This town was near the country’s border. As a result, there were a lot of mercenaries and smugglers around, and shootings were prevalent. However, the nightlife there was colorful. Because most of them didn’t know if they’d see the sun the next day, those criminals were all into instant pleasure.
In a bar in that town, the snooker table in the middle was illuminated by dazzling lights. A couple of blondes were setting up the balls, and some men were watching them intently. Then a young man wearing a floral shirt and a gorgeous blonde woman walked into the bar.
“Welcome!” The bartender greeted them, “What would you like to drink?”
“A mojito and a tequila. Thanks,” said the man.
“A moment, please.”
Seated at the bar, Patrick tugged on his shirt collar and asked Anna, “Dr. Wright, do I look good in this?”
While tucking strands of her blonde wig to the back of her ear, Anna asked suspiciously, “Is this the place you mentioned to me before? Do they actually sell…”
“It’s best if you keep your mouth shut here.”
Hearing Patrick’s words, Anna gave a thoughtful nod.
The bartender was also the bar’s owner. In her black uniform and cowgirl hat, she appeared attractive and exotic. She made the two drinks quickly and placed them in front of Anna and Patrick, saying, “Here you are. Enjoy your mojito and tequila.”
“Thank you,” Raising his glass, Patrick smiled and thanked the bartender.
“You’re welcome.” The owner then started to wipe the marble bar. And she said to Patrick, “Camila asked me for your cell phone number the last time you left. But I didn’t have it. I told her you would definitely come back, but she didn’t believe me.”
“Where’s Camila?” Patrick asked.
“She has a cold and has been resting for a few days. Would you like to go check on her?”
“Of course,” Patrick said with a wink. The owner also blinked in response. Her dark green eyes glowed in the light like two emeralds.
When Anna saw Patrick stand up, she said, “Can I go with you? I’d like to meet the lovely lady you mentioned. Is she really more attractive than your ex-girlfriend?”
“Patrick, you haven’t introduced this charming lady to me yet,” the owner said.
“Hello there, my name is Anna. I’m his sister.” Anna said.
Patrick frowned, clearly dissatisfied. But he knew that because Anna was going to meet Camila, it was best if she pretended to be his sister. So, he said nothing about it eventually.
The owner said joyfully, “Camila will be over her cold in no time if she knows you’re bringing your family to see her, Patrick! She may be able to return to work tomorrow.”
“Haha! We’re going to check on her now.”
“Bye.”
After waving goodbye to the bar owner, Patrick and Anna made their way to the back of the bar. On their way there, Anna asked “You’ve only been here for a little over a month, haven’t you? How did you get to know everyone at the bar so well?”
Patrick explained, “I’m doing it to make more friends in town. I know who I’ll turn to for help if I get into trouble.”
“Are you sure Camila can help you?”
“Yes. She is the bar owner’s sister. And both of them are the mayor’s daughters. Nobody dares to mess with her!”
“Really? What does she see in you?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s because I’m hot.”
Hearing that, Anna rolled her eyes. “Are you sure Camila can help us buy guns?”
“If she can’t, then no one in this town can. By the way, you still haven’t told me why you’re suddenly buying so many guns, Anna. Can you tell me now?”
“I want to buy them to protect ourselves.”
“Don’t you already have a gun? Why do you need more?” Puzzled, Patrick asked.
“I’ll distribute the guns to everyone on the team. In this way, we can keep ourselves safe and gain the initiative.”
“What do you mean?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.