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"Have a nice day." Robin says unenthusiastically and hands a couple their ice cream. "Wow so charming." I say to her teasingly as the couple walk away. Suddenly a boy around the age of fourteen walks up to the counter. 

"Hi." He says smiling. "Hi." Robin says in a monotone voice. "We're not sneaking you into the movies if that's what you want." I say and narrow my eyes at the boy. He gives me a confused look snd then turns back to Robin. 

"In Dustin." He says to both of us. "I'm Robin, and this is Casey." Robin tells Dustin. "Pleasure to meet you. Is he here?" Dustin asks and points at the back room. "Is who here?" Robin and I say at the same time. Suddenly Steve bursts out of the back room.

"What the hell Steve!" I yell as he runs out to meet Dustin. Steve ignores me and goes on yelling. "Henderson. He's back!" Steve yells and the two of them perform a complicated handshake. That goes on for thirty seconds. Robin glances at me and then rolls her eyes.

"How many children are you friends with?" I ask. Steve stops laughing. A few minutes later Dustin is at one of our tables eating a free banana split. "That's coming out of your tips." I tell Steve as I walk over to the table. "Ignore her." Steve says to Dustin.

"So last night. We were trying to get in con with Suzie and uh..." Dustin goes on to whisper something. "What?" Steve asks. Dustin looks apprehensive about telling us. Dustin mumbles the thing slightly louder but still to quiet to hear. "Just speak louder." I say loudly.

"I intercepted a secret Russian communication!" Dustin yells loudly and the whole store turns to look at us. "Oh my god." I mumble and tilt my head back. "Jesus, shush. That's what I thought you said." Steve says. "I hate children." I tell Steve and then walk away.

———

Robin and I sit at the counter scooping endless samples to Erica Sinclair and her gang of ten year old. "Hmm, can I try the peppermint stick." Erica asks. "No." I say monotonly. Robin shoves me away. "Haven't you already tried the peppermint stick." Robin asks.

"Yes. And I'd like to try it again." Erica says in a snarky voice. "You know what. No. No more samples today." I tell Erica. I reach over the counter and take the small sample spoon from her hand.

"Now, if you're not going to buy anything I suggest you leave before I call Petey the Mall cop to escort you out for loitering." I say. Robin turns around and yells. "Steve. Casey's trying to get the nine year olds arrested again!" She yells. "I'm ten!" Erica screams back.

Robin and I burst through the door to the back room. "All right. Baby sitting time is over." Robin exclaims. "You need to get in there." Robin walks over to the 'you suck' board. "Hey our board!" I say. "That was important data shitbirds." Robin scowls at them.

"I guarantee what we're doing here is way more important then your data." Dustin says. I shrug. "Yeah? And how do you now these Russians are up to know good anyways?" Robin asks them. "How do they know about the Russians." Dustin asks Steve shocked. Steve shrugs.

"You told them?" Dustin mumbles. "No it wasn't me." Steve mumbles. "Hello we can hear you?" I say. "Actually we can hear everything you are both extremely loud." Robin finishes my sentence. "You think you have evil Russians plotting against our country on tape." I start.

"And you're trying to translate but you haven't figured out a word because you didn't realize Russians use an entirely different alphabet." Robin finishes. The boys stand there with their mouths gapping open. "Sound about right?" I smile. Robin try's to snatch the tape but Steve grabs it first.

"I wanna hear it." Robin says. "Why?" Steve and Dustin both ask. "Cause maybe I can help. I'm fluent in four languages you know." Robin tells The two of them. "Russian?" Dustin asks. Robin calls him dumb in pig Latin. Making Steve and Dustin freak out.

"That was pig Latin, dingus." I mutter. Steve smacks Dustin with a banana peal. "Idiot." He says. "But I can speak Spanish, Italian, and French. And I've been in band for twelve years." "Come on it's your turn to sling ice cream and my turn to translate. I don't even want credit I'm just bored." Robin says dramatically. 

———

For the next hour Steve and I are serving customers while Robin tries to crack this code. "So, are you guys some sort of genius duo?" Steve asks. "If Robins a language genius what's your special talent?" He jokes. "No talent here. I'm just... me." I say to him with a small smile.

"Well, I like 'just you'." Steve says smiling. Just then Robin bursts her head through the window. "We've got our first sentence." She says with a smirk. Steve and I look at eachother with our eyes wide. "Oh seriously?" He says. "Yeah. Zee week es long." Robin tells us with a heavy Russian accent.

"Well that's thrilling." I say sarcastically. "I know but. Progress." Robin says and slams the window shut. "Okay here you go. You got a strawberry with sprinkles and a vanilla with extra whipped cream." Steve Says as he hands one of Steve's little friends and another girl ice creams.

———

"The week is long. The silver cat feeds. When blue meets yellow in the west." The four of us all mumble in sync. "I mean, it just it just can't be right." Steve says as he shuts the barrier and the four of us walk out of the store. 

""It's right." Robin says. "Honestly I think it's great news." Dustin tells us with a shrug as we start to walk towards the exit. "How. How is this great news." Steve asks. "I mean so much for American hero's." He adds. I can't help but roll my eyes.

"It's total nonsense." Steve finishes. "It's not nonsense it's to specific." Dustin says, pondering what it could mean. It's almost like a... "Code." I say out loud. "What?" Robin asks. I stop walking for a moment." It's a code." I say with a small smile.

"That's a total stretch." Steve tells me. " I don't know, is it." Robin says. "You're buying into this?" Steve asks. "Well let's entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian code, what do you think they would say? 'Fire the warhead at noon'?" Robin tells Steve. "Exactly." I say.

"And my translation is correct. I know that for sure. So it must be a code. Otherwise why would they talk like that." Robin says. "And why would they code the message unless it was sensitive." I add. "So I guess that confirms your suspicions. "Evil Russians." Dustin says smiling.

"I can't believe I'm about to agree with this strange child but yeah totally. Evil Russians." Robin says smiling. "It will probably take a super genius to crack it but... where's Steve?" Robin trails off. We turn around to see Steve rummaging in his pocket beside a horse ride.

"I need a - do you have a quarter." Steve asks and motions is over to him. "Your sure yor tall enough for that ride?" I ask as I hand Steve a quarter. He quickly puts it in the slot and the ride starts. "You need help getting up little Stevie?" Robin teases him. 

"Shhh, just shut up and listen." He says. We listen to the rides music and I recognize it quickly. The music from the tape. "Holy shit." Dustin says when he realizes. "The music!" Dustin days to Robin, who hasn't clued in yet. Dustin pulls the recording out of his bag,

And turns on the Russian tape, and sure enough we're right. It's the same exact music. "I don't Understand?" Robin says. "It's the exact same song from the recording." Dustin tells her. "Maybe they have horses like this in Russia." Robin tries to tell us.

"Indiana flyer?" Steve reasons, pointing to the sign on the horse ride. "I don't think so. This code. It didn't come from Russia... it came from here..." Steve tells us, we all go silent and stare at the horse. "Oh fuck." I mutter after a moment. 

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A/N: DUH, DUH, DUHHH! Well we left on a cliffhanger. I hope you liked the chapter. And if you did please feel free to vote, comment, or check out some of my other writing ♥️