"Could I have another?" Dave asked. Coughing the last cigarette burned his throat, but he realized quick this  Big Joe guy was polite. He'd never say no, and would never kill a guy smoking a cigarette. He tried to hide his cough.

"You look more like you need water than another...

"Are you the space guy?" The words rang in Keith's ear. He doesn't remember what he said, only that now he was walking outside by the beach. The sound of the water splashed and pulled and wind whipped his face. The lights of the pier had all but shut off...

Dave waited until nightfall he assumed, most of the people unless they had special forces training would leave before then. Or he'd be able to see them with their big flash lights. 

He moved now under the darkness avoiding areas the streetlights cast into the woods. There was no one....

The street they drove on was well lit, reflections flashed across the car at a regular beat. The ocean was too their left. Keith had his window open resting his hand on the door. 

Imogen Howe 's was cracked and she quiet. Right when she landed she told Keith...

Dave moved slow across the parking lot hiding under car after car. Going from tire to tire, but there wasn't anyone there. This made him worry more. Where did they go. He threw one stone down under a string of cars no movement nothing. 

He had to make it to...

Keith all the while had no idea. He had smooth Jazz playing in the background the local station from somewhere north. He tapped the steering wheel to some David Brubeck. Then he let someone go at the four way stop. He was so excited he was talking out loud in...

The flight was going like it should Imogen Howe even slept a little despite Keith texting her "try not to sleep or you'll be up all night!"

She sat next to a women on the plane, at first they didn't speak only sharing a sign of relief when no one came...

There was glass everywhere, and coffee beans covered the floor. The neat bags stacked normally were pulled down and full of holes. Dave stayed low, hard to see him from outside, he looked toward the bathroom. The first place someone would look, but the only place with a locked door....

"Here you go sir, uh thats a really flat white." He lowered his tone a little."Sorry sir our manager makes us say that, its just a normal flat white."

He was at Cash's Cup, a new shop in  Westcity . At least thats what the sign made him believe. 

"You guys...

It would be like, he looked at his watch, two hours until she got there. The sun was already setting, and it cast everything in orange. He was hopeful. Don't ask him why, just he had a feeling that all the bad shit in his life was over. He knew...