Chapter 18

"WELL, HE APPARENTLY ISN'T HERE." ESTHER SIGHS, SHUTTING HER DOOR. SHE LOOKS OVER AT BRIAN IN THE OPPOSITE SEAT.

"ALRIGHT," HE BEGINS, TAKING HER HAND IN HIS. "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO NOW?"

SHE SITS FOR A MOMENT AND PONDERS OVER HER RESPONSE. "MAYBE WE CAN STAY HERE IN THE CAR AND WAIT UNTIL HE GETS BACK." SHE SUGGESTS, SQUEEZING HIS HAND. "HE USUALLY GETS HOME FROM WORK AROUND SIX."

"SOUNDS GOOD TO ME." BRIAN YAWNS, SQUEEZING HER HAND IN RETURN. "WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE WE DO UNTIL THEN? RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A FOUR HOUR WAIT."

ESTHER LOOKS UP AT HIM AND GIVES HIM A TOOTHY GRIN. "PERSONALLY," SHE YAWNS, "I'D LOVE TO GET SOME SLEEP." REACHING OVER THE BACKSEAT, SHE GRABS A SMALL THROW PILLOW AND PULLS IT BACK OVER BESIDE HER.

"I LIKE HOW YOU THINK." BRIAN YAWNS IN RETURN, STRETCHING HIS ARMS. HE SPRAWLS HIMSELF ACROSS THE SEAT......... AND OVER ESTHER AS WELL. "AH........."

"UH, NO." ESTHER DISAGREES, KNOCKING HIS FEET ON TO THE FLOORBOARD. "THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S GONNA WORK."

"OH," BRIAN LAUGHS, SITTING UP. "I SUPPOSE YOU EXPECT ME TO SLEEP OUTSIDE?"

"YEAH. THAT HOOD LOOKS AWFULLY COMFORTABLE." SHE YAWNS, HER EYES CLOSED. "LULL YOU RIGHT TO SLEEP."

"TELL YA WHAT," BRIAN BEGINS, YANKING PLAYFULLY AT HER SHIRT TAIL. "CAN I JUST FLOP OVER IN THE BACKSEAT?"

"WELL......." SHE SIGHS.

"GLAD YOU SEE IT MY WAY!" HE CUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF HER REPLY. BEFORE SHE CAN OPPOSE, HE HOISTS HIMSELF OVER INTO THE BACKSEAT AND LANDS SNUGLY AMONGST THE LUGGAGE.

"COMFY, BRIAN?"

"YOU BET."

"WAKE ME AT SIXISH."

"GOODNIGHT, SUGAR-DUMPLING................WELL, AREN'T YOU GONNA SAY IT?"

"SAY WHAT?"

"I SAID YOURS."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"TELL ME GOODNIGHT."

"GOODNIGHT, BRIAN."

"AH, YOU DIDN'T SAY IT."

"BRIAN, GO TO SLEEP."

"NOT BEFORE YOU SAY IT!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT."

"OKAY, THEN I'M NOT SLEEPING."

"BRIAN......."

"SAY IT."

"MUST YOU BE SO DIFFICULT?!"

"I'M WAITING."

"GOODNIGHT POOKY-BEAR!"

"GOODNIGHT, ESTHER."

"BRIAN?"

"WHAT?"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT."

"IS THAT ALL?"

"WELL, THE LIST GOES ON......"

"LOVE YOU TOO, ESTHER."

"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?" BRENDA ASKS IN AN EXASPERATED TONE. SHE LOOKS OVER TO NICK, WHO SITS QUIETLY ON A BENCH, MASSAGING HIS TEMPLES. NOT LOOKING UP, HE SHRUGS HIS SHOULDERS. "THAT LADY ON THE BUS SPECIFICALLY SAID OUR NEXT STOP WOULD BE IN TULSA, OKLAMHOMA!"

"SO, WE WE'RE ALL ON THE WRONG BUS, BRENDA." NICK SIGHS, RUNNING HIS HAND THROUGH HIS SUN-KISSED BLONDE HAIR. "IT'S NOT LIKE THE LADY WASN'T LOST TOO. LET IT GO. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES."

"YEAH!" BRENDA SPITS IN FRUSTRATION, PLOPPING HERSELF DOWN BESIDE HIM. "BUT MOST MISTAKES DON'T DETOUR YOU TO CHICAGO!" SHE GROWLS AND LETS HER FACE FALL INTO THE PALM OF HER HANDS.

"HEY, WE CAN STILL MAKE IT TO KENTUCKY." NICK INSISTS, GRABBING HIS BAG FROM THE GROUND AND THROWING OVER HIS SHOULDER. "I MEAN, CHICAGO ISN'T THAT FAR FROM LEXINGTON, RIGHT?" HE QUICKLY GRABS HER BAG AND TOSSES IT OVER HIS OTHER SHOULDER. BRENDA JUST GLOWERS AT HIM. "JOKE, JOKE!" NICK CRIES, THROWING HIS HANDS UP IN MOCK SURRENDER.

"THE NEXT BUS OUT OF HERE ISN'T COMING FOR ANOTHER 4 OR 5 HOURS." SHE GROANS, CROSSING HER ARMS IN FRONT OF HER CHEST. "SO WE'RE BASICALLY STUCK HERE FOR A WHILE." LOUDLY EXHALING, SHE GLARES OUT AT THE BUSY STREET WHICH LAY IN FRONT OF THEM.

NICK SHAKES HIS HEAD AND SMILES. "HEY, SINCE WE'RE STUCK HERE FOR A WHILE, LET'S HAVE A LITTLE FUN AND KILL SOME TIME." HE GLANCES OVER BACK AT BRENDA AND LAUGHS. "C'MON! I'M FEELING GOOD TODAY. LET'S EAT!" HE GRABS HER HAND AND DRAGS A SLUGGISH BRENDA INTO THE SERVICE STATION OPPOSITE OF THE BUS STOP.

"KEVIN?! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?!" LAURA LOOKS PANICK-STRICKEN OVER AT KEVIN, WHO PACES BACK AND FORTH IN THE EMPTY PARKING SPOT, HANDS CLASPED OVER HIS EYES.

"I DUNNO. I DUNNO........" HE ANSWERS BREATHLESSLY, SHAKING HIS HEAD. HE CONTINUES TO PACE BACK AND FORTH.

"WE GOTTA THINK OF SOMETHING!"

"YES LAURA, I KNOW THAT."

"CAN WE CALL THE POLICE?"

"WE ALREADY RULED OUT THAT OPTION, REMEMBER?" LAURA ROLLS HER EYES AND THROWS HER ARMS UP IN DEFEAT. "WHAT CAN WE DO?!" SHE GROWLS, STEPPING ON TO THE CURB AND SITTING DOWN. "I MEAN, WE CAN'T CALL THE COPS, WE CAN'T GET HELP FROM ANYBODY ELSE, WE CAN'T CALL J OR ANY OF THEM, WE ..............."

"........CAN CALL THE GUYS ON THE PAY PHONE!" KEVIN FINISHES, WHIRLING AROUND TO FACE HER. HE GLANCES DOWN AT THE GROUND MOMENTARILY TO GATHER HIS THOUGHTS AND ADDS, "I'M SO OBSERVANT! THERE'S A PAY PHONE RIGHT THERE!" LAURA FOLLOWS WITH HER EYES TO THE DIRECTION HIS FINGER IS POINTING. SURE ENOUGH, THERE BY THE ENTRANCE, IS A PAY PHONE, SITTING IN ALL IT'S GLORY. LOOKING UP AT KEVIN FOR A SPLIT SECOND, THEY RACE OVER TO THE PHONE IN HASTE. KEVIN IS QUICK TO GRAB THE RECIEVER, BUT STOPS SHORT AND STARES BLANKLY IN FRONT OF HIM.

"IT HELPS TO DIAL FIRST, KEVIN."

"HUH?"

"IS THERE A PROBLEM?"

"UH, I THINK I NEED SOME CHANGE." KEVIN ANSWERS, DIGGING HIS HANDS INTO HIS POCKETS AND PULLING THEM INSIDE OUT. LAURA SHAKES HER HEAD AND CRAMS HER HAND INTO HER POCKET, EXTRACTING A FEW QUARTERS, WHICH SHE PLUNKS INTO KEVIN'S OPEN PALM. SHOVING THEM INTO THE SLOT, KEVIN BEGINS TO QUICKLY PUNCH IN THE NUMBERS. TAPPING HIS FOOT IMPATIENTLY, HE WAITS FOR AN ANSWER ON THE RECIEVING END. HE SHIFTS ON TO HIS OTHER LEG WHEN HE FEELS LAURA SUDDENLY GROW TENSE AND PRESS HERSELF UP AGAINST HIM. WHEN SHE BEGINS A PERSISTANT TAPPING ON HIS SHOULDER, KEVIN SWATS AT HER HAND AND CONTINUES TO LISTEN FOR A VOICE ON THE OTHER RECIEVER.

"KEVIN?"

"HMMM?"

"HANG UP THE PHONE."

"HUH?"

"KEVIN, JUST HANG UP THE PHONE."

"LAURA, THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A SECOND. WE HAVE TIME."

"KEVIN, PLEASE HANG UP THE PHONE."

"LAURA, CAN'T THIS WAIT? I'M TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF A.J."

"NO KEVIN, THIS CAN'T WAIT. HANG UP THE PHONE."

"OKAY, I'LL HANG UP." KEVIN SLAMS THE PHONE DOWN ON THE LATCH AND WHIRLS AROUND TOWARDS LAURA, ONLY TO FIND THE END OF A VERY FAMILAR SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN POINTING STEADILY BETWEEN HIS EYES. HE CRINGES WHEN, ON THE OTHER END OF THE GUN, HE SEES THE PUDGY MADMAN THEY'D LEFT BACK AT THE HOTEL ONLY A FEW HOURS AGO, SCOWLING COLDLY BACK AT THEM.