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When they found her, she was tied up naked on the bed, but it didn't look like they'd had a chance to do anything yet. That was probably why they had wanted him to arrive quickly and be done with him so they could get to her. She was hysterical, and her husband tried to calm her, but it seemed to have no effect. He was sure it would be a long time before she was anywhere near back to normal. He left them in the bedroom, and he went to search for the bad guys, finding a lot of money and a few pieces of paper that he pocketed so they might find out what the rest of them were up to. The State Patrol arrived more quickly than usual and immediately began hauling the suspects out of the house and squeezing them all into the back of a car.

He didn't know either of these troopers. They returned, took his statement, and released him. Xanto started to leave when the husband stopped him.

“We need our security system more than ever, so please go ahead and put it in.”

He just nodded and went out to get his equipment, then began to put it in as quickly as possible. The husband was right, and they did need security. Once it was in place, these people were less likely to bother them because they were looking for someone who needed security. The whole point of all this had been to lure the security specialists in. Xantos was glad to get the job done and get out of there. He wished them well, but he was happy to go. Heading to his next job, he wondered what he would find there. It would be the last job of the day, and it could be easy. He could only hope so.

This place looked like a small business, and he could smell food cooking. Could it be a small restaurant that served the local area? The aroma of food coming from it was really good, and he hoped that was the case because he would certainly buy something if it was. The sign on the door said 'Open,' so he went in. A lady stood behind a counter wearing an apron and a welcoming smile.

“What will it be today?” She asked.

“I'm actually here to put in your security system, but before I leave, I wouldn't mind taking some food with me.” He admitted.

“You look like you have a sweet tooth, and I have a lot of baked goods because I backed up a bunch today. Where do I need to take you, so you know where to set up my security? All these terrorist attacks have really worried me. Several people live here with me, but most of them work outside at other jobs and are gone either part of the day or part of the night.”

“I can understand why you'd be nervous, and I can get this done in an hour or two, depending on how large the place is and how many windows and doors there are.”

“Just follow me.” She instructed him as she led him to the back of the house and gave him a tour of all the windows, doors, and every place he needed to see.

He headed outside, retrieved his equipment, and then came back in to get to work. The lady must have been a fantastic cook because the smell of the food drove him crazy the whole time he was working, and it made him work harder. When he was done, he was also ready to eat. The baked goods hadn't been in the glass-fronted container before, but they were now. There was a pie, and he couldn't tell exactly what kind it was, but he was going to buy the whole damn thing. That's what he ordered 1st, and then he bought some fried chicken because he hadn't had that in a long time. She packed that up for him, and he hurried out, hoping he might still be the first one back.

Xantos was thrilled when he made it back first, even with the problems he'd had and stopping to get food. He parked in the back and took his big bag of food inside. This was his treat, and he had enough to share with someone if someone was nice to him. As he entered, Sally looked his way, and he saw that she was curious about what was in the bag, but she wasn't going to ask.

“I found a small restaurant out by the place where I worked last. The food smelled so good that I bought some and brought it back with me.”

“Could you give me the address and a little information about the place? I'm trying to put together a list of places for the others because all the places I've worked at before have a little booklet like that.” Sally explained.

“I didn't know you were doing that.”

“It wouldn't do you any good since you're already out and about. You and some of the others will be the ones discovering these places.”

“That's true, but you've not asked me about any of the places I've discovered.” He mentioned.

“Have you discovered any other places?”

“No, but there's no way you would know that.”

“Not true. Look how excited you are about discovering a place, and you haven't even tasted the food yet.” Sally observed.

He had to admit that she was right. There was no way he could keep something like this to himself, and he hadn't.

“Want to try a piece of chicken?”

“I'd like the drumsticks. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

“I also got a pie, but I'm not sure what kind it is," Xantos admitted.

“You bought it without knowing what kind it is? What if you don't like it?”

“I don't know of any kind of pie that I don't like, but if I found one, I'm sure one of the others would like it.”

“I love the chicken. I have not had fried chicken in so long.” Sally admitted.

He took a bite from his piece and had to admit that it was excellent. They both finished their piece of chicken and then he pulled out the pie and cut it into pieces. He gave her a piece, and when she took a bite, it was evident that she liked it a great deal.

“Maybe the cook is the witch. This is gooseberry. That is so hard to find anywhere, even back home.”

“Yes, I don't believe I've ever had this pie before, but I love it," Xantos admitted.