Let Destiny Speak

A Josh Groban CD was playing in the background. The darkened room illuminated with just two flickering candle light by the fireplace. Spike sat on the couch alone as mostly the case, drinking beer as rarely the case. He felt at peace but his solitude could easily be mistaken for melancholy.

He's used to being alone now. In fact, if he was to be honest about it, he really liked his own company. "Comfortable in his skin" would be how people would phrase it. Although he sometimes feared that he's liking his solitude too much he's becoming a hermit of sort. Maybe I'm not the marrying type, he had mused on more than one occasion. If I were to get married could I make room for another person? Is it possible? Or have I become too set in my ways?

He also longed for human contact as he's naturally affectionate. Passionate even. With that true blue Italian blood coursing in him, how could he not be? Inwardly, he knew he's a guy with a lot of love to give.

His profession made it hard for him to find a girlfriend. It's next to impossible to find a date. He worked an average 60 hours a week; studied for another 10 hours. The pressure to educate himself was intense as he needed to be on top of the latest gadgets, software, technology, explosives on the market, Have to be always on my toes. The one time he wasn't on top of his game, he very nearly lost his scalp. What was her name?

Jill! Jill something.

And he's also always on call. The beeper never strayed from his belt. He thought it would serve everyone better if they just surgically attach it to him. It amused him that the gadget was actually more important than his appendix; he could live without it but not without the beeper.

Tomorrow, he's officially on enforced leave. He was made to take leave by his boss, Sgt Greg Parker. He's been in the SRU for 6 years but has only taken a holiday once, when he went to Ocho Rios, Jamaica with best friend and colleague Lewis Young. When Lou passed away, he lost the motivation to go on holidays – after all planning holidays was Lou's forte. He just tagged along.

Parker gave him strict instruction not to call in, and the whole team instructed not to disturb his holiday. What am I going to do for a whole week?

Draining his beer, he closed his eyes and emptied his mind. He trained in yoga many years ago. Whenever he felt his stress level rising, he meditated to let peace fill his mind. In all likelihood, this was how he managed to cope with all the losses he's had in the last three years. And it helped him when dealing with a box of TNT.

Half an hour later, he came to a decision to let it be. He would take a road trip and see where it leads him.

He was up by 5am, ate his breakfast slowly, deliberately as if contemplating the creation of the universe. He was in no hurry. He packed his bag before he went to bed last night. One duffel bag that contained five sets of everything. He's a travel light guy.

Three pairs of shoes. A pair for running. A pair of dress shoes (he's gotta live in hope) and hiking boots (now on his feet). He packed his gloves, beanies, parka, sweater, thermals. After all this is Canada, it could be warm one minute and freezing cold the next. It's Canada. Cold one minute and colder the next. Then there's freezing cold, windy cold, and hypothermic cold.

Next he loaded his survival kit. He never traveled without it. In it were his basic first aid kit, rope, hook, karabiner, flashlight, Swiss army knife, five Mars bars, compass and duct tape. Yes, duct tape. For he was a MacGyver baby. It was the one show he never failed to watch growing up. A lot of the tricks were hog wash, of course. Sometimes the stunts were so ridiculous he'd end up rolling on the floor laughing. But those never took anything away from his appreciation of the show. He just loved the way MacGyver sorted things out the non-violent way.

He loaded food supplies and water on the front passenger seat.

Next, he checked his glove box to make sure he's got his map. Be prepared, said the Boy Scout in him. GPS was well and good, except when the satellite that fed information to it breaks down.

His personal choice of street clothes would normally be a pair of jeans but for traveling he favoured cargo pants. One could never have too many pockets. He patted himself to make sure he's got his wallet, badge, beeper, cell phone, PDA and charger. He debated with himself whether to take his laptop with him but eventually decided against it. "Right, I've got all I need," an excited Spike said to himself. Oh beeper, he paused. Don't need it.

He gave his house the once-over, checked that all electrical appliances, with the exception of the fridge, were turned off. Locked the doors and windows, and set the alarm which he rigged to connect with the SRU. This amused him because no one knew what he had done. Satisfied that everything was in order, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

As soon as he got his bum on the driver's seat he realised he had no idea where to go. After a few minutes of contemplation, he decided to let destiny speak. I'll visit the place where my finger lands, he thought to himself. Spike opened the map, closed his eyes and pointed his finger to a spot on the page. Before opening his eyes, Spike mumbled, "Don't question it." Thunder Bay was where his finger landed.

So Thunder Bay it is. I wonder what you have to offer, despite his initial trepidation, he was now quite excited.

I better let someone know where I'm going, just in case, with that thought he sent a text message to Greg, he typed "Gud'ay. Dtny spks. Dnt ? it. Rod trp 2 thunder by, bak on sat by sun v" then hit send. At HQ, Greg asked everyone below the age of 30 to decipher the message. They were all just as baffled by it. "It's a different language," they said.

Greg forwarded the text to Dean who translated it into proper English."Good day. Destiny speaks. Don't question it. Road trip to Thunder Bay, back on Sat by sun down."

Greg texted Spike, "You think you're smart. Just so you know, I got it. See you when you get back." His phone beeped back, "Say Hi to Dean 4 me."

Smart ass.