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He made it back to the hotel not long before the first drops of rain began to fall. He read until dinnertime, immersing himself in a book about the Pacific theater during World War II, thinking about the ways that modern warfare had evolved since then, even if some of the devastating effects on combatants remained the same.

When his stomach started to grumble, he found a sports bar on his phone where he figured he'd get some dinner. When he arrived at Coach's, he was surprised to find the parking lot full. He had to circle the area twice before finding a spot. He walked toward the entrance and after pushing through the door, he was deluged with the sound of multiple TV screens broadcasting a college basketball game on high volume and a packed house of cheering fans. He vaguely remembered Glen mentioning something about March Madness, the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Tanner maneuvered through the crowd, automatically scanning the faces and body language around him, pegging anyone who was drunk or might be spoiling for a fight. Not far from the bar, clustered around a high-top table, he noted three men who were likely carrying weapons. Each of them had the telltale bulge at the small of his back, but judging by their haircuts and postures, he suspected they were off-duty police officers or sheriff's deputies, unwinding after a day at work. Nonetheless, he chose a spot at the bar where he could keep an eye on them, as well as most of the other patrons. Old habits died hard.

When the bartender finally noticed him, he ordered a burger and a craft beer, something made locally, and enjoyed both. After the bartender came by to scoop up his empty plate, he absently watched the game while finishing his beer. As he sipped, the crowd suddenly roared, making Tanner instinctively freeze. The televisions showed a replay of a point guard sinking a three-point shot. He exhaled, even as he picked up on another sound, one that didn't seem to belong.

A voice. A female voice. 

"I said LET GO!"

He turned and saw a young woman with dark brown hair. She was standing next to a booth, struggling to free her arm from the grasp of a young man wearing a backward baseball cap. Tanner counted what appeared to be five teenagers—three guys and two girls, including the brunette—and watched as she was finally able to tear her arm free. While he wasn't eager to get involved, he was wary of men using their physical strength to intimidate women. If the guy grabbed her again, he decided, he'd feel compelled to do something.

Fortunately, the girl stormed off toward the front door. Her blond friend quickly slid out of the booth and followed while the guys at the table began to laugh and shout after the departing girls.

Idiots.

Tanner turned his attention back to the television and when there were only a couple of swallows of his beer left, he set it aside, ready to go. As he gathered his jacket, his gaze traveled to the booth he'd been watching earlier, and he realized that the guy with the backward baseball hat—the one who'd grabbed the girl—was no longer at the table, though his two friends had stayed behind.

Damn.

He hustled through the crowd toward the door. As he emerged from the bar, he scanned the parking lot and spotted Baseball Cap and the two girls near a black SUV. Even from a distance, it was plain that another argument was in progress. Baseball Cap had taken hold of the girl's arm again, but this time her efforts to free herself were futile. Tanner started toward them.

"Is there a problem?" he called out.

Their collective gaze swung in his direction.

"Who the hell are you?" Baseball Cap snarled, without letting go.

Tanner closed the gap between them until he was only a few feet away. "Let her go."

When Baseball Cap didn't react, Tanner stepped even closer. He felt his Delta training kick in, every nerve ending on high alert. "I'm not asking," he said, keeping his voice even and steady.

The young man hesitated another beat before finally releasing the girl's arm. "I was just trying to talk to my girlfriend."

"I'm NOT your girlfriend," the brunette suddenly shrilled. "We went out one time! I don't even know why you're here!"

Tanner turned toward her, noting that she was rubbing her arm as though it still hurt. "Do you want to talk to him?"

She let go of her arm. "No," she said quietly. "I just want to go home." 

Tanner met the young man's eyes again. "Seems clear enough," he said. "Why don't you go back inside before you get into trouble?"

Baseball Cap opened his mouth to say something before thinking better of it. He took a step backward and then finally turned to leave. Tanner watched him go. Once Baseball Cap was back inside, Tanner directed his attention to the young woman again.