Danielle Harper had been managing the Burger King just outside Somerset, Pennsylvania for nearly nine years. The restaurant sat directly beside Interstate 76, which meant the drive-thru lane was constantly filled with travelers, truck drivers, tired parents, and people rushing somewhere else. Danielle had learned to recognize every type of customer voice that came through the headset: impatient commuters, loud teenagers, confused tourists, and parents ordering food while their children shouted in the background.
So when she heard the quiet voice for the first time, she barely paid attention.
“Meal number eight… meal number five… meal number twelve… meal number sixteen.”
The voice had been soft and shaky, almost drowned out by static from the drive-thru speaker. Danielle leaned closer to the microphone, thinking she had misheard.
“Sorry, could you repeat that order?”
There was a pause. Then the exact same numbers came again.
“Meal number eight… meal number five… meal number twelve… meal number sixteen.”
