The Wendys Setup-3

Hunger hit me hard on my long drive through the night. Spotting a closed Wendy’s, I pulled into the dimly lit parking lot. As I checked my phone for the hours, three sharp knocks rattled my window.

A scruffy man smiled at me. “I’m stranded,” he explained. “My battery’s dead. Can you give me a jump?” He pointed to a car parked near the dark woods.

Against my better judgment, I agreed. After connecting the jumper cables, his car wouldn’t start. He walked away, making a quiet phone call.

Moments later... two pickup trucks roared into the lot, boxing me in.

Panicked, I ripped the cables from my battery and ran into the woods. Angry voices and snapping branches echoed behind me. I dropped low, barely breathing.

Then... my car alarm blared in the distance.

When I cautiously returned, the lot was empty—except for my car, its back window shattered, everything stolen.

The police later told me... the trucks had fake plates.

I still wonder... was it just a robbery... or something worse?