Scavengers Read Online Free PDF

low, and I could still sense movement within her, that running in place without forward motion.

    "Why can't you eat the French fries, Maggie? Because of what they're fried in?"

    At that, the hysterical laughter ensued again, but this time, it was directed at me.

    I turned to the booth. “What? If they're fried in animal fat she can't eat them. Why is that funny?"

    Holly stood and put her arm around my shoulders. “Um, did you solve the riddle? This has very little to do with French fries, unfortunately."

    Laura handed Holly the menu, which she gleefully shoved in my face, her finger stabbing the top of the second page. “Mad Cow, chickie. A Mad Cow on a bed of French fries."

    I read what she pointed at, so very much in shock that I was unable to speak.

    "What? What is it, Kate?” Claudia begged.

    "She's speechless,” Holly declared. “Allow me.” She read, “'Our Famous Mad Cow Burger will drive you mad or make you mad. Two and a half pounds of seasoned ground beef, smothered with over a pound of Cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions, and tomatoes, served on a specially-made bun, and stacked on a bed of our famous fries. Finish this mother-of-all-burgers in 30 minutes or less, and we'll pay your tab.’”

    "Holy shit,” was all I could say. Claudia invoked a few holy names. Maggie's head still hung, and now I understood that it was with good reason.

    "Everybody standing here,” I screeched, “swear on all that is dear to you, that we will get Ginny and Kris back for this if it's the last thing we do! Two and a half frickin’ pounds! Holy shit!"

    Ever-thinking Claudia piped in, “I agree wholeheartedly with you, Kate, but I have a proposal. If this is supposed to be teamwork—one burger, one team—then Maggie, why don't you eat the fries, the veggies, and the bun? Susan can eat the burger."

    "No way!” Susan defended from over the high-back booth. “Plain old hamburger—all by myself?"

    Maggie's head suddenly reared, and she shot a look—one of those lethal ones—at Susan. “'Just step out of yourself for a moment! It won't kill you!'” she seethed.

    Oh, those were fighting words. They were the prelude to justifiable homicide, even with a detective in our midst.

    Everyone held their collective breath, waiting for whatever nasty thing was about to happen, when Susan, remarkably, said, “You're right, hon. Come on back. We'll do our best."

    Laura snapped her fingers at the waitress zooming down the isle. “We need two more Mad Cows, please. One here,” she said, pointing, “and one for these guys."

    Having ordered before anyone else, Laura and Holly got a head start on shoving pound after pound of burger down themselves. Sometime into it, I vowed never gain to eat another burger. I had lost a dear friend.

    We were close to halfway there when the back door opened with an intrusive creak. Once the blindness—caused by a massive inpouring of daylight—eased, we saw Alison and Lisa making their way into the bar. Neither looked very pleased.

    As if trying to avoid the awkward questions that came to everyone's minds, Laura again hailed the waitress. “These two ladies need a Mad Cow, too,” she said.

    "Thanks, Laura,” Alison responded, as the two of them slid into a booth.

    There was an awkward silence for a great many minutes, until I could stand it no longer.

    "Did you guys get tripped up on the stupid violet riddle?” I asked, leaning out of the booth.

    "That's one way to describe it,” Lisa snarled. “Not howI'd describe it, though."

    "We didn't do so hot either,” I said, trying to shake off whatever I had just stepped in.

    "No, that's not how she'd describe it,” Alison chimed in. “She'd say it was all my fault. She was right, and I was wrong."

    "Youwere wrong! There isn't a goddamn state cow! She got us to some big ass cow statue. Said we needed to pose with it."

    "Did you pose with it?” Holly dared. “I'd love to see the pic."

    Lisa just stared blankly at