Page 55 of Flight of the Omega

He heard tires crunching over gravel. He shoved a few last items into his bags, then stumbled out the door with them.

“What’s the hurry?” Teal asked, and he shouldered past him.

“No time,” he said, then charged off down the hall.

“Now wait just a darn minute!” the gardener called after him.

He arrived back in the yard just in time to see a limousine stop in the wide parking lot. The driver scurried out, then opened the back door. Mr. Crane stepped out, glaring at all of them. “Burritt!” he barked. “The hell kind of prank was that?!”

“No prank, sir, no prank,” Burr pleaded. His face was pinched with pain; all of the color had leached out of his skin.

“You said you knew where my boy was, that he was down at the vet’s place, but he’s not there!” Crane tossed his hat on the drive, then ground one shiny dress shoe into it.

Hank wrung his hands nervously. Dr. Vogel shook her head furiously. Hank gave her a guilty look, then said, “Mr. Crane, I think I know where your son is.”

“Hank,” Amanda scolded.

“Where?” Mr. Crane cried, whirling around. “Where is JP? If you know anything …”

He charged up to Hank, much faster than a man his size had any right to. Hank shrank back, then gestured to his pickup.

“Well!” Mr. Crane cried. “Let’s go!” He clambered up on the running board and let himself into the truck.

Jack looked at Amanda, who shook her head. “Ass,” she sputtered, then raced back to her own truck. Jack followed.

“We can’t let Mr. Crane get his hands on JP or them eggs,” the vet grumbled as she jammed the keys into the ignition and started the pickup.

“You got any idea where JP might be?”

“Oh,” she huffed, “I got an inkling.”