"We're not just going to drop you off and make you wait an entire day to get picked up," Hunter spoke, taking a sip of water.
"No it's ok, we don't want to intrude." Stuart bluffed.
"Nonsense. Your brother needs to rest. We'll drop you off in the morning."
"Thank you so much. I don't even have the words to—"
"You don't need to say anything," Liz chimed in.
Stuart took another slurp of chili and let out an exaggerated sigh of delight. It was good, but it wasn't that good. He knew how to kiss up, and he'd just scored them a free nights stay.
The family was gathered at the dining room table. Stuart sat in the middle directly across from Hunter with Liz by her husband's side. Elle, who Stuart had found out, was on her first week of college summer vacation, sat directly to his right. She was a little too close, but Stuart didn't comment. Thor, who dropped out of college to pursue art, sat sulking at the edge of the table as he examined the photos on Elle's camera.
"You were under a tree; of course there's going to be shadows across your body. It looks artistic." Elle said, annoyed as Thor continued to grumble.
"You can't see any muscle tone. The light has to be directly above so you can see the outline of my abs." He set the camera down on the table, "These can't be posted."
"Nobody cares about muscle tone. It's about the emotion."
"Right," Thor scoffed and got up from the table, "I'll be in my room." He said without looking back.
Once Thor was out of earshot, Liz leaned across the table, "Elle's an influencer, and he gets jealous sometimes." Liz smiled at Elle proudly, "She has thousands of followers."
"Hundred of thousands, "Elle corrected.
"Is that a full-time job?" Stuart asked genuinely.
"No, I don't get paid," Elle stated, looking offended that he'd asked, "I do get sponsored though.
"So you get free stuff? Like clothing?"
"Well, no. I buy the clothes and post a link. If anyone buys using my link, I get a percentage of the sale."
"That's pretty neat. If you don't mind me asking, how much have you made so far?" Stuart asked.
This time Hunter answered, "Well, things take time to get going."
"Ah, of course." Stuart felt bad. He hadn't meant to berate the girl's passion, was just curious why anyone would spend so much time and effort on an activity that had no value. He made sure to stay clear of any social media questions for the rest of the night.
He told stories of his adventures backpacking. All of them lies. He found it easy to lie about hiking; all he had to do was use words such as "beautiful" and "majestic," and the family would nod in approval. When they'd ask for more details and descriptions, he'd say it was indescribable, and the family smile in awe as their imaginations assumed the best.
He casually asked which airport was closest to Moose Pass and was pleased to find it was Anchorage located a two-hour drive away. He doubted Gary had access to the private strip, especially on this short notice.
If Gary had driven to the airport right after the phone call, they'd have at least seven more hours before he'd be in Moose Pass. If the family drove them into town the following morning, Gary would beat them to the city by a few hours, just as Stuart wanted it.
Stuart wanted Gary stranded and anxious. He wanted Gary waiting and hiding, watching every car and person that came into the tiny town. Just before their car arrived, Stuart would press the panic button, alerting The Company that Gary was on the scene. They'd exit the car and wait in an open area where it'd be too risky for Gary to approach. When Stuart saw signs that company agents were on the scene, he'd drag Michael into the woods where Gary would inevitably make his move. The agents would then take down Gary. Since Gary was the real objective, the entire operation would end.
Best case scenario, by 10 am, Claude Groger's hit would be called off, and the two of them would be on a plane back to California by the early afternoon. Worst case scenario, the panic button was a placebo, and he'd die in Moose Pass Alaska.
With twelve hours of guaranteed life, Stuart decided he was going to enjoy himself. "Yes, I'll have a second slice," he smiled as Liz slid a giant piece of apple pie onto his plate. He nodded as she sprayed a mountain of whip cream over all edges of the pie. "You know me too well." He said just before stuffing his face with the sugary mess. "Even better than the first slice." He smiled. Again, it was just alright.