He was sipping tea under a café umbrella, trying to keep his cool. Dressed in his normal variation of blacks, he blended in to the restaurant's dark corner perfectly. Sighing, he looked down to notice his drink was finished. He was just about to get up when the cell phone in his pocket buzzed.

He picked it up in an instant, pressing the small silver thing to his ear.

"Fang?" the voice asked, "Are you there?"

"Of course," Fang mumbled bitterly, "Who else would be answering…James Dean?"

Over the phone, Iggy sighed. "Today is not the best time for humor, my friend. Be serious now…has anyone come out of the house yet?"

Fang frowned into the phone.

"No…that's the problem. I've been sitting here since last night with only crappy tourist food to keep me company, and yet there hasn't been one person to leave the house. Jesus, Ig, why did you send me to some picturesque seaside town? Max would never be here anyways…"

Iggy was silent for some time, but then he started to talk again, saying: "Consider this, Fang. Max wouldn't have had any choice in the matter. And besides, I'm not deciding where you go. I'm just following the list of addresses we got from Itex. So far they've all been duds, but I'm sure one of them will lead us to Max, Angel, or Nudge. So, please, don't give up yet. Order something else to eat, look out at the sea, do something, but please don't give up. Ok? You're not the only one who misses Max. I love her too…"

After a moment Fang suddenly laughed. "I hope you mean the brotherly kind of love, because I sure would hate to be your rival. You know the girls these days. They just can't stay away from those blind avian-guys…"

Iggy gave a short chuckle, and then sighed. "See you later, Fang."

"But not literally," Fang responded, and then ended the call.

Fortunately for Fang, the conversation was done just in time for him to notice the door of the house across the street creaking open, and a tall figure stepping out onto the street.