Chapter Ten – J is for Jane

I walked at least half a dozen laps around the parking lot, double, triple, quadruple checking myself. I kept telling myself there was no way Six would just take off and leave us stranded but the evidence was to the contrary. I was so pissed that the Lumen in my fucking hands kept glowing. No matter what I tried – it just wouldn't stop. It didn't help that Sam kept paraphrasing the same two phrases over and over and over.

"I can't believe she took the fucking truck. What the hell are we going to do, John? I mean she took the fucking truck. She just took it. What the fuck are we supposed to do? Shit, John – That was my Dad's truck! And she just took it. Who the hell does shit like that? Takes off like that. What the fuck, John? She took off with my dad's truck…."

Even with my fists clenched tightly the faint blue aura of the Lumen was very visible in the dark. Uneasily I looked around at the other patrons of this roadside McDonald's. Most of them were going about their own business, except for the two girls. They were loitering suspiciously nearby. Each time I glanced their way they appeared to be quite involved with texting but there was something I didn't like about how they always kept us in sight. The human part of me wanted to believe that maybe they were just grateful we'd bought their food – maybe one of them even thought Sam was attractive. But the other part of me - the part who remembered seeing himself broadcast over the internet when he'd gotten his third scar – was highly unnerved and wary of their phones – the camera and video abilities they contained.

I shoved my hands deep into my pockets to dull the glow. I didn't want to admit how nervous I was about being here. Being alone. Well, I wasn't completely alone. I did have Sam…

"I mean what the fuck are we supposed to do now? Wait for her? What if she doesn't come back? What if she…?"

"Let's go back inside. They were the first words I'd spoken this entire time.

"What?"

"We're going to eat," I explained. "And then when she doesn't come back. We'll figure something out."

"When she doesn't come back," Sam repeated with a sigh as he pulled at his hair. "That's reassuring."

Both of us went inside with our food and sat down at a table. For the next several minutes the only sound from either of us was chewing. That was until Sam filled his mouth with French fries and then whimpered in pain. I'd forgotten about his split lip from getting hit with the softball earlier that afternoon. Seems the salt from the fries had gotten in the wound causing quite a bit of discomfort.

"Suck it up, Sam," I told him as he gulped down his soda. But Sam and his fries were the least of my worries. What the fuck would we do without Six? With the locator rock, Six and I both knew where the others were – at least where they were at the moment we connected the pieces. Six wanted to find them. Unite us. Fight our enemy.

So where the fuck was she?

Sam whimpered again and shoved his fries across the tray angrily. "This sucks," he proclaimed.

I silently agreed. This did suck. How would we find the others with no vehicle and a whopping thirty four cents? We could probably steal a car. I knew I could start one with my telekinesis – but what if we got caught? Getting away from mall security was one thing. Law enforcement was another matter altogether.

Then it hit me.

We could go back to Paradise.

The Mogs had to be gone by now. Sam's mom was obviously worried since she'd filled a missing child report. I bet she'd be happy to see him again. And I could see Sarah. The thought brought a smile to my face.

Sarah Hart.

My one true love.

Just then Sam kicked me under the table. I glared at him. What!

"What's up with those girls?" he whispered tilting his head discreetly as he drank from his soda.

The two girls from earlier were now joined by at least six more. As I glanced over they were all staring and whispering.

This could not be good.

"We should go," I told Sam, shoving half a burger into my mouth as I gathered my trash onto the tray.

"Shouldn't we wait for Jane?"

"I'm sure she'll find us."

We made a quick pass by the trashcan and then headed out into the parking lot. We climbed over a large stone wall and ended up in another the parking lot. This one was full of cars and lead to a sports complex. The marquis in the distance flashed "Battle of the Bands" and then a list of what I assumed were the bands playing followed.

"So where do we go now?" Sam asked.

"Want to see some bands?" I asked, all too aware that the group of girls was following us.

"How are we supposed to get in?"

"I'm sure there's a back door," I winked at him. I'd use my powers to open it and once we were inside it would be easy to hide in a crowd.

"After you," Sam's arms gestured me forward.

It wasn't hard to find the back of the complex. But there were a lot of people back there, including security. It seems we weren't the only ones trying to sneak in. We went back around front and wandered through the cars in the lot. It was still a half hour until show time and there was a lot of tail-gaiting. Drunk people were everywhere. Sam nearly got peed on by a guy who could barely stand. We saw a girl on her cell tell the party at the other end to hold on just before she threw up all over the asphalt.

"Gross," Sam's face scrunched up in disgust.

"Yeah," I agreed.

As we walked around I kept checking behind us for the girls. They seemed to have disappeared. At least for now.

Up ahead there was a guy scalping tickets.

"Alex!" he yelled as we approached. "Good to see you man! How's Hollywood treating ya?" he reached out his hand toward Sam. "So must be Alex's assistant, right?" he grabbed Sam's hand and shook it hard. Sam's entire body bobbed with the motion. "I'm Dickens, but everybody calls me Dick," he said jabbing me in the shoulder. "Right, Alex?"

"Haha, yeah. He's a real Dick," I said to Sam. Dickens burst out laughing. "That one never gets old, man." He jabbed me again. "So you need tickets?" he asked. "Three right?" He shuffled through the stack in his hand and removed a trio of tickets. "Best seats I have," he smiled at me as he held them out.

"There's only two of us," Sam told him.

Why Sam didn't just keep his mouth shut sometimes I'll never know.

Dickens looked at me in surprise. "You bring your assistant but not your girl?" he asked me. I shrugged and smiled weakly. "Alex, man – you getting America's Top Model pussy now?" He slapped the back of my shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't say anything. Just take these and enjoy the show."

"But we don't have any mon.." Sam began, but I punched him in the side. He shut up immediately.

"No charge. No charge," Dickens insisted. "You can pay me back by telling all those agents you meet out in LA about Thunderbrew."

"Thunderbrew?" Sam looked at me.

"The best band in the area," Dickens punched Sam in the shoulder. "Right, Alex"

"Yep," I agreed taking the tickets from him. "The best."

"Enjoy the show," Dickens told us as he greeted some new "customers".

As Sam and I walked away he turned to me asked "Is Alex one of your other secret identities?"

"Nope," I replied.

"Then why did that guy keep calling you Alex?"

"No idea," I replied. "But it got us free tickets." I waved them victoriously in front of Sam.

We went inside and grabbed our fifth row from the stage seats just as the lights were dimming. The announcer came onstage and gave a brief agenda for the evening which included how to vote for your favorite band as well as a reminder that anyone acting "in an unethical way" will be ejected from the facility with no re-admission.

He then introduced the first band of the night; Little Rock. A bunch of elementary school kids came out onto the stage. Sam groaned aloud as they started to play. "I can't listen to this," he told me.

Truthfully, neither could I. So we went back out to the main lobby area where they were serving food and drinks. Sam went to find a bathroom while I hung out by a trophy case, pretending to be interested in its contents.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around. An attractive, but obviously intoxicated girl squealed the second she saw me. "ALEX!" she wrapped her arms me and hugged me tightly. "Dick said you were here but I thought he was full of shit." She pulled back just long enough for me to get another glimpse of her face before hugging me again. "I'm all yours," she slurred into my ear. "Whenever. Wherever." Then she grabbed my ass and pulled me against her.

I was saved by her sober friend, who pulled her off me.

"Jesus Christ! What the hell are you doing?" Sober said to Drunk.

"I was just talking to Alex," Drunk snapped back at Sober.

"That's not Alex!" Sober laughed smacking her drunk friend in the forehead.

"Yes it is," Drunk insisted.

"No it isn't" Sober replied. "Could you please tell her you're not Alex?" Sober asked of me.

"I'm not Alex," I told the drunk girl. "Sorry."

"Alex, why are you messing with me when I'm drunk?"

"Really. I'm not Alex," I told her.

"Yeah right," she grinned licking her lips. Then suddenly she lunged forward, catching my mouth dead center. I parted my lips to protest but her thick tongue prevented me from speaking. I heard Sober laugh and opened my eyes just in time to see her snap a picture with her phone.

And right behind her stood - yep – you guessed it - Six.

Why did this shit always have to happen right in front of her?