"Then this is your last shift. You're fired. Clear your locker after closing."
Jake looked down, his heart sinking. He needed this job to pay his tuition and support his ailing mother, but looking back at the hungry old man, he held his head high and nodded without regret.
Chapter III: The Phone Call
Gordon stormed back toward the register with a smug sneer, muttering about bottom lines and company policy.
In the corner booth, the old man sat completely still. His downcast, helpless demeanor shifted into something sharp, focused, and profoundly authoritative.
He reached inside the ragged lining of his torn jacket.
He did not pull out a beggar’s coupon or loose coins. He pulled out a sleek, encrypted satellite smartphone.
Tapping a single speed-dial entry, the man brought the device to his ear.
"It's me," the old man spoke into the receiver, his gravelly voice now carrying the crisp, commanding tone of a corporate titan.
There was a tense, immediate pause on the line.
"I found the young man."