The Shadow Setters Book 1: Prominence

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Jason paid the woman at the counter for the order of food and drinks inside the brightly lit fast food takeaway. He wasted no time in gathering up his feast, making his way swiftly back over to the silver Fiesta that was parked on the opposite side of the road. 

Jo smiled through the glass as she saw Jason coming towards her with the large carrier bag laden with food in one hand whilst he attempted to juggle two cans of coke in the other. He had a smile on his face as he crossed the road but beamed even more brightly when he focused on her features with an identical expression returned to him. It seemed to Jo that Jason's light mood was more of basic amusement that they were going to be eating food that was generally bad for them, but actually it was a knowing that they were quite a distance away from the village to have any worries about the possibility that anything that they were about to consume had been drugged. The grease and calorie fest was definitely bad for them but in an honest way and by knowing that fact they knew that they would enjoy every mouthful. The two of them had laughed and made light of their situation on the journey out, patting themselves on the back for being one step ahead of their conspirators in a juvenile way that only young people could savour.  

As Jason rounded the car, Jo popped the passenger door open to give the food bearer a fighting chance at getting back into the car without dropping their most valuable booty. He entered the car in an explosion of noise, jacket and bag rustling, cans jangling as well as Jason huffing and puffing like an asthmatic steam engine, drowning out the background noise of Jo's CD player. She raised her eyebrows at the fuss that was being made and continued to stare at him until the racket and fidgeting had ceased and Jason had picked up on her attention towards him. 

'Have you finished there fat boy?' 

Jason did not show any signs of biting, almost reacting as if it had never been said. He thrust a cold perspiring can of diet coke into her slender hand as he placed his own on the dashboard. 

'There we go. One can of anti-fat coke for the bloater behind the wheel.' 

He continued with his next task, a dead pan face studying the bag on his lap, not waiting or by the look on his face, expecting a retort from Jo. She said nothing in reply but smiled broadly to herself at Jason's effortless humour. Jason allocated himself no patience to attempt to un-tie the compacted knot sitting on the top of the white carrier bag that was blocking them from their feast. Instead he tore into the thin plastic like a predator, ripping through the skin of its kill to reveal the prized flesh that awaited it underneath. Jason placed a polystyrene container into Jo's lap followed by a paper wrapped parcel that had began to mottle with grease that eagerly fought to fight its way out of its entrapment. 

'What's all this then?' Jo questioned, puzzled. 

Jason had already opened his own polystyrene box and had smashed the large burger into his mouth with joyful grunts of ecstasy rolling around the confines of the car. 

'I got you the same as me. Double cheeseburger and chips. It was just easier to say twice than not to. Also, if you look carefully enough you will find a strategically hidden giant onion amongst your chips.' 

Jo's tone immediately changed when she heard the mention of the giant onion. Her reaction was comparable to that of a long lost friend or lover remembering a birthday or anniversary. 

'You got me one?! Oh I haven't had one of those in years! Thank you honey!' 

Jason smiled as he fought through his latest mouthful to answer her. 'Hey, I always aim to please you know. Anyway, don't think for a second that you're gonna scoff all that onion on your own, I want a bite of that.'