CHAPTER 4

            Nevada and most of Arizona went by without trouble, but as night fell, they needed to get some sleep. Tyler found a dive in some no-name town near Springerville. Ten bucks a night. At least its an affordable dive.

            They went to their room after dealing with the sleazy owner, who kept alluding to "the horizontal lambada." Room 312 was a run down rat-hole. Most of the carpeting on the floor had been ripped up, the chair in the corner looked like it'd lost most of its stuffing some time around 1973, and the bed sagged. There was a couch in the corner that also looked like it was on its way out, but had survived the 80's and 90's better than the chair had. The ceiling had mystery stains on it, and the Television was an old black and white job. Tyler turned it on. Vertical hold was screwed up, "Well, guess we couldn"t have expected much for ten a night." he said, sighing.

            Jez walked out of the bathroom with her nose wrinkled up, "I don't think I'll ever have to go to the bathroom ever again." She looked ill. He peeked around the corner, flinched, then shut the light off.

            "Now that's just gross," he said.

            He looked at Jez. "You, you need some rest, you get the bed," She looked at it, then looked to him, unsure.

            "I think I'd rather sleep in the hallway."

            He ignored her comment. "Get ready for bed," he turned his back, "I won't look."

            "I wouldn't care if you did..." She stood on the other side of the bed, slipped out of her jeans, pulled her T-shirt off, undid her bra, grabbed an over-sized T-shirt that she had gotten a day before, and slipped it on. It fell to about her knees. "All set." she said.

            She got into the bed, the sheets seemed as if they were going to eat her, but at least they were clean. Tyler approached the bed and tucked her in.

            "No ones tucked me in since I was 7," she said.

            "I didn't offend you?" he said

            She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, "No actually. I've missed the little kid treatment." She slid back under the covers, "You sure you don't want the bed?"

            "Positive, you need the rest more than me."

            He plopped himself on the couch, it gave a heaving hooof! sound, maybe it wasnt as solid looking as he had thought. He switched the TV on. It got stuck in a half and half image on the top and bottom of the screen. Half of "I love Lucy" here, the other half below. Better than nothing.

            He looked to the girl sleeping in the bed.

            He fell asleep watching her steady breathing.

            "You can't run forever, old man!"

            The metallic voice echoed off the walls of the building. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. He was down to three shots in his revolver.

            "C'mon Joe, don't pussy out yet..." The old man said to himself. He was so shaken that the first three shots missed the target completely.

            He turned a corner, and stopped dead. The metal thing was standing at the end of the hallway. He aimed the gun and fired.

            The bullet tore through the air and hit MetalliX in the forehead. It ricocheted into the wall. MetalliX cocked what wouldve been an eyebrow at the old man, then chuckled.

            "Worth a shot right?" The metal thing laughed as Joe stood there, terrified.

            Faster than he could register, the metal being flashed towards him, and as it did he felt a burning pain in his stomach, he looked down. He was holding his intestines in his hands. MetalliX had torn him open. He fell to the floor.

            He looked around, heard shattering glass, then the world went dark.

            "Wake up!, Wake UP!" Jez was shaking him. He looked startled...

            "wha, What? Whats going on?!" he said drowsily.

            "They're back, those guys, they're coming!" she said, nearly hysterical.

            He bolted for the window, leaned out and saw an unmarked black car. A man in a suit stepped out, then a woman wearing a red dress got out of the other side.

            He sighed audibly. No danger, just an executive having a morning out.

            Actually, it was more like afternoon off. They'd both slept till about 12:30.

            As they were packing back up, they heard screeching tires. He looked out the window. Two more unmarked cars appeared. Men in black suits got out.

            "Not again!" He looked at Jez, "Get dressed, fast!" he pulled out the magnum.

            She got dressed faster than she ever had before. He backed to the fire escape, said "Go down, they're probably already in the building."

            She got out and he tossed her the keys, he said, "Go around the back alleyway, if I'm not out in five minutes, leave."

            "I'm not leaving you!" she said, she grabbed him around the body, he lightly pushed her off. She came forward again, and kissed him full on the lips. "For luck," she said.

            He didn't respond, but he did look like a deer caught in someone's headlights. If the situation werent so tense, she'd have laughed.

            "Five minutes..." she said, as she started down the fire escape.

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