The Running Man
Bill Pronzini
 The story takes place at a diner in the warm deserts of Arizona. The protagonist, Jack, walks through the desert thinking about his love, named Karen. He arrives at a diner in which the cook and his daughter, the waitress, were alone. Later on, after Jack got his food, two well dressed men called Frank and Earl came into the diner. Unexpectedly, the two men pulled out guns, not to rob the place but to quiet the people and prepare them for what was about to happen. They explained that there would shortly be a man coming to the diner, to find a car that will take him to his destination but the car will not be there. Frank and Earl will be instead.