Fred Meets a Friend

(When we last left Fred, he was lying flat on his back after being foiled in his attempt to follow the man in the toque)

   “Whoa there, young fellow!  You need to watch where you’re going.”
   A hand reached down and helped Fred to his feet.  When he was back up, Fred saw that the hand belong to an older gentleman.  His hair was a steely gray, where he had any that is, and he was big.  Six and a half feet tall if he was an inch. 
   “Thanks,” Fred said.
   The man smiled down at him. “My pleasure.  You really shouldn’t race around like that.”  He gestured to the automatic doors. “These things may be automatic, but they don’t hurry for anyone.”
   “Well they should,” Fred grumbled. “Big chases are always happening in airports.”
   The man raised an eyebrow. “Big chases?”
   “Yeah.  I was after this dude in a toque.  He stole my peanuts!”
   The man stifled a small gasp. “Not a member of the PEANUT terrorists?”
   Fred nodded grimly. “I’m pretty sure he was.”
   The old gentleman shook his head. “I’d be careful if I was you, young fellow.  The PEANUT terrorists are not to be trifled with.”
   Fred narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care.  I’ll take down the entire gang if I have to.  They can’t steal my peanuts and get away with it!”
   The man didn’t reply for a minute, then smiled. “Good for you.  To do so, though, you’d need someone with more experience.  Might I offer my services?”
   Fred looked him over critically. “You?  But, uh, no offense, you’re old.”
   The gentleman chuckled. “I may be a bit well on in years, but that just means I have more experience to share with you.”
   “What kind of experience?  I’m gonna get my peanuts back from a terrorist gang, this ain’t gonna be a walk in the park.”
   The man chuckled again. “Really?  And just how are you going to do that?  Do you have a plan?  Any sort of strategy?”
   “Sure!” Fred exclaimed. “I’m gonna find that toque dude and get my peanuts back.”
   “And just how are you going to do that?” the man repeated.
   “I’m…well…I’ll…” Fred trailed off.
   “I can help with that.”
   “How?”
   “Let me introduce myself.  I am Jonathan Toque, the third.”  Jonathan bowed.
   It took a few seconds for the name to register, but when it did, Fred’s mouth dropped open.
   “The inventor of the toque?” he asked.
   Jonathan shook his head. “That would be my great grandfather.  I simply run the company now.  And I know just how to locate your mystery toque man.”
   “Really?  How?”
   Jonathan shook his finger. “First, your name.”
   “Oh, I’m Fred.”
   Fred held out his hand and Jonathan shook it.
   “Pleased to meet you, Fred,” he said.
   Then he pulled out his iPhone and put in his password.
   “I have everything hooked up to this,” he explained. “Including the tracking system on every toque.”
   Fred stared at him. “You have a tracking system on every single toque?”
   Jonathan smiled. “Yes, I do.”
   He flicked the screen a few times, then held it so that Fred could see too.
   “Aha, there he is.”
   On the screen was a map of the area around the airport.  A lone, red dot was moving rapidly away from their position, which was represented by a green dot. 
   Fred grinned. “All right!  Let’s go get him!”
   Jonathan gestured to the doors. “I have a car waiting outside.”
   Fred marched up to the automatic doors, waited for them to open, and went on through.   However there was another banana peel just outside the door and he promptly stepped on it.  This one was not right side up and sent Fred tumbling to the ground.  He scrambled quickly back to his feet.
   “Would you like to go first?” he asked.
   Jonathan laughed. “Bananas and automatic doors.  What will you hit next?”
   Fred didn’t answer.  He preferred not to find the answer.

To be continued…