Mr. Coffee hissed at me as I spilled coffee onto it’s super hot surface
         from my cup. I put the cup down and took the manila envelope from her, opened
         it and pulled out a sheet of paper that had a diagram on it. Map directions
         and a time of pick up. There was something else in the envelope. Reaching all 
         the way inside I withdrew a badge. It was something like a passport but had
         a brown strip like a credit card.
            “Humph, they mean business with this one.” I thought aloud.
            “Nan desu ka, Papa?” Hollie asked, now standing beside the dinning table.
            “What did you say, hon?” I responded, still only half hearing her.
            “I asked you, What is it, Papa? You know, Nan desu ka?”
         I did know that phrase, once I stopped to think about it. She had used it on
         me often enough.
            “Uh, right...sorry, Sweetheart...just preoccupied with this.” I apologized.
         There was a moment before she asked again,    
            “So, Nan desu ka, Papa?”
         I gave her a fleeting glance, “Just a map of my next delivery.”
         Hollie placed her hands on her hips in that way she did, letting me know she
         was becoming impatient with me. She was cute when she did that.
            “Everything’s starting to get cold. We should eat now.” she insisted,
         with a nod towards the table.
            “Your right.” I smiled, not daring to laugh. “Don’t want you late for
         school.”

            Leaning out the window of my father’s car, Hollie gave me a hug and a
         kiss and made me promise to be careful. I promised and said I would see her
         in a couple of days. Another peck on my cheek she then sat back into her
         seat and fastened her seatbelt.
            “So you have everything, right?” I asked her and motioned towards the 
         small suitcase in the backseat.
            “Yes, Papa. Thanks for bringing it.”
            “Anything for you, kiddo. Just sorry I had to spring this on you so 
         sudden.” I answered.
         She gave me my favorite smile and I knew she understood.
            I looked over at my father, “Thanks Pops.”
            “You bet, Son,” he said giving me a thumbs up, “We’ll see you in a couple.”
            “Right!” I agreed.
            “Dewa mata, Papa!” said Hollie taking my hand.
            “Wait, don’t tell me.” I played the game with her. “I know this-really,
         I do! I know it!”
         A light bulb finally came on and I squeezed her hand back.  
            “I remember! See you soon, too!”
            “Right, Papa!” she giggled smiling up at me.
            “Bye, Sweetheart.”
            With that I stepped back and watched them drive off. Hollie giving me a
         final wave and me doing likewise. A moment later I climbed into my suv and
         drove off in the opposite direction from the school. A couple of days and I’d
         have the munchkin, foreign language terror and all, back again. I knew that but
         I would still miss her.

            Having locked up for the night I was on my way to bed when I saw that
         the door to Hollie’s room was still open. I knew how she loved her privacy so
         I thought I should close it for her. I stood there in the doorway for some time
         staring into that dark room, lost in a trance. Vaguely, I could see Hollie and
         her mother as ghostly outlines from a younger time in our lives together. A
         feeling I hadn’t experienced in some time washed over me. The remorse was so
         overwhelming I found myself backing out of the room, unaware that I’d even
         entered it. Feeling somehow defeated, I pulled the door to my daughter’s room
         shut and walked away.
   
            As I had feared, the next day was bitter cold. The grass frosted over. 
         It was a few minutes past noon and a good bet the day wouldn’t get any warmer.
         Despite the sun blazing brilliantly in the sky, it made little difference in the
         temperature. I climbed into the sports utility, switched the engine on and
         turned the heat up full blast. The roar of rushing air filled the compartment,
         and my ears. I settled back into the seat adjusting myself for the long two hour
         run and pointed the SUV towards the nearest highway headed west. Out of nowhere
         a howling fierce wind began to buffet the vehicle. 
            “This was going to be a bad day.” I heard myself thinking.
            The wind whistled outside like a tea pot yelling to be taken off the fire,
         as if to agree with me. 
            “A bad day.”

            I made the final turnoff onto the rural two lane highway the map indicated,
         trees lining the road on both sides. The facility shouldn’t be but a few more
         minutes away. For some reason the hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle. 
            Further down the road on my left, the beginnings of a barbed wire fence came
         into focus. I supposed I was just about where I needed to be. A minute later
         topping a slopping hill I saw the gate. It was big enough to drive an 18 wheeler
         through sideways and concealed by so much evergreen shrubery that if I hadn’t
         been looking for it, I would have driven right by. Maybe that was the point, if
         you had no business being here. It had that kind of feel to it.
            I drove the SUV onto the beginnings of a deteriorating tar road and
         came to a stop right up against the gate. I scanned it up and down unable to
         locate the conventional latch that allowed access. With a good deal of patience
         I eventually spied a black box also well concealed by pine shrubbery. A thought
         occurred to me. Reaching for the envelope the map had come in I withdrew the
         badge that came with it. No doubt this was the purpose it was sent for. 
         Pleased to have made the connection at the right moment, I left the SUV.
         The wind struck me like a scythe all but going through the winter jacket I had
         on. Secure in the warmth of my vehicle I’d forgotten what the wind chill factor
         could do to a body. I fought my way through the icy blast to the far right side
         of the gate, and uncovered the black box. It took a moment to realize there
         weren’t any instructions on which way to insert the pass key in its side slot.
         My fingers freezing I cursed and raked the thing through the metal groove this
         way and then that. Finally a  green LED light came to life on the front of the
         unit. I could then hear and feel machinery working beneath my feet underground. 
         Gate, shrubs and all, parted in the center and the two halves threw themselves
         inward as I stood there shivering.
            “About time!” I barked at them, even though the operation had been
         relatively swift.
    
            I had driven for about two minutes before the trees gave way to a vast
         clearing allowing me to see the facility. A structure non too remarkable and
         boasting a sixty foot tall, pencil thin, radio antenna tower. The building
         itself was no bigger than your 24 hour gas and go convenience store, minus
         windows.
            Moving east I noted the sun bouncing in and out of my rearview mirror,
         sinking towards the trees. The SUV bounced abruptly and before I knew it, I
         was across a narrow overpass that spanned what looked like a mud hole. I slowed
         as I reached the building then crept along searching for a parking stall. Finding
         no such evidence of one, nor of any other vehicle, I stopped and parked where
         I was.
            Examining the structure before me, I wasn’t certain if I had arrived at
         the front or back of the building. I started to step outside and thought better
         of it. Reaching for the glove compartment I instead took out my gloves wondering
         if anyone else used theirs for that.
            I figured I had about twenty minutes of daylight left. It made me leery to
         think I might have to find my way out of this peculiar place in the dark. I could
         see there would be nothing for it but getting this done as quickly as I could. I
         hoped there would be at least enough light left to get me back to the gate. But
         with the lengthy procedures of being identified and what not, I wasn’t counting
         on it.
            In no time I identified the metal door that allowed access into the building.
         Upon reaching it, I also discovered that it had no handle. I stepped forward to
         bang on it.
            “PRESENT YOUR PASS, PLEASE!” A booming voice above and to the right of my
         head called out,scarring the daylights out of me.
         I jumped back looking up as I did so to find a camera monitor staring down at me.
            “PRESENT YOUR PASS, PLEASE!” the voice commanded again.
            “Hold on!” I snapped at it, irritated. 
         Withdrawing the badge from my shirt pocket I held it up to the camera.
            “PLEASE INSERT SAID PASS INTO THE PROPER SLOT AT THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE DOOR!”
         I felt a little foolish, the voice was just a recording. I did as it instructed and
         simultaneously heard the sound of a heavy latch being released.
            “ENTER, NOW PLEASE!”
         The hairs on the back of my neck were really wavering now. I pushed at the door
         and it swung inward stiff and creaking.
            “Okay then, here we go.” I muttered and stepped inside.

	  to be continued...