We'd stopped for gas, some snacks, and to use the restroom at a small convenience store. I was happily snacking while Holly stood outside the car listening intently to a voicemail she'd gotten while we were driving. A minute passed before she hung up and shoved her phone into her pocket and climbed into the car without saying a word. She twisted the key and started the car, then threw it in reverse and squealed out of the parking space.

As she turned out of the parking lot I voiced a protest. "Hey, where are you going, isn't the Grand Canyon the other way?" I asked, knowing we'd been going in the opposite direction before we made our stop.

"Change of plans. Sorry, we aren't going to the canyon."

"You promised!" I tried very hard to ignore the fact my voice came out sounding like the high-pitched whine of a five-year-old.

After a small struggle to fish her phone from her pocket she tossed it into my lap. "Listen to the voicemail."

"Why?"

"Just do it," she ordered.

I didn't want to listen to it, but if Holly was snapping at me then it must be important. As I listened to the recorded voice, my eyes flicked over to studying Holly. She was ignoring me, her eyes focused on the road. The message ended and I hung up, my arm dropped to my lap.

"What is going on? I don't understand why we need to hide."

"I don't know but if Caroline says to hide then we hide. She's a captain in the army so whatever is happening can't be good. I know my aunt and she doesn't give warnings lightly. She's worked some top-secret missions."

"But why do we need to hide?" My voice sounded whiny again. It was probably not very becoming on an eighteen-year-old male but I couldn't seem to help it. I could see my freedom slipping away.

Holly shrugged. "I don't know, you heard the same message I did. She said she'd contact me. Whatever the reason there must not have been time for her to explain all of it."

With a flick of my wrist, I sent the phone into the cup holder in the center console, surprised when it went in easily. "My dad was in the military. They discharged him after an IED explosion. He lost hearing in his left ear."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

I could hear the sincerity in her voice. Holly always felt things deeply it was another thing I loved about her. "It doesn't matter. Not like he was there for me since I was dumped into that hospital bed."

"Laz—"

"Don't Laz me," I snapped.

"You were in a military hospital," she replied in a quiet voice.

"Your point?"

"Why do you think that was?" The question came out quiet.

She didn't explain things straight out. She liked to let me find my way to the answers on my own. Like Glinda allowing Dorthory her journey down the yellow brick road. Sometimes it annoyed the crap out of me. There were times that it allowed me to focus on something other than my illness.

I finally shrugged, ignoring the paint he movement caused. "I assumed it was because my father was in the military."

Her brow furrowed. The reasons why they admitted me to that particular hospital mattered little to me. It didn't matter. There was no good reason why they chose that place over another. I shifted, attempted to find a more comfortable position. It was next to impossible and I had to settle for the least painful position I could find. Freedom had been my goal. I wanted out of that place. An escape from the dull-colored walls and the buzzing fluorescent lights. Now I was headed off to a different kind of internment. One her aunt seemed to believe was for my own good. I slumped in my seat and sent her a glare which she ignored.

"I've got an idea, why don't you go hide after you drop me at the bus station. I can go check out the Grand Canyon while you stay concealed."

"Stop whining. As soon as Caroline fills us in on what's happening I'm sure we can probably go see some sights."

I was content to continue to pout without answering her.

***

As Holly pulled up in front of the place her aunt told us to go, I stared. It had taken us several hours of driving to get here. "This place is a hell of a lot more than a simple cabin in the woods. A cabin is a cute little building nestled in the trees." I waved an arm outward to encompass the building and surrounding area. The place was set on a slight rise overlooking the small pond off to one side through the tree. The water sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the leaves. The forest was picturesque. I could imagine the entire landscape on a postcard or in a movie. This wasn't a cute little vacation cabin where one came to escape the city for a bit. The place was huge. More like a summer home of the rich.

"Come on, just because it isn't some tiny shack in the mountains with a hermit skinning little furry animals out front doesn't mean it isn't a cabin. Let's go." She flung open her door and stepped out of the car.

With a small sigh, I got out and followed her to the cabin door. My trek was much slower than hers and by the time I made it to the door, she'd already searched out the hidden key and opened the door. She flicked on a light switch to illuminate the dark interior. The room was a large open living room and it looked as if it dominated most of the cabin. To our right was an arched entrance that led to the kitchen and to the left was a hallway that I assumed led to the rest of the cabin's rooms. Straight ahead was a wall of windows, with a set of French doors in it that I assumed led out to a deck of some sort. The living room was simply decorated and cozy.

"Nice place."

"Aunt Caroline had it built a few years ago. It's her get away from work."

"Who exactly is this aunt of yours? You know, besides a secret agent."

She giggled. "She isn't a secret agent and she isn't exactly my aunt."

"That's funny because you keep calling her Aunt Caroline," I replied with a touch of sarcasm.

"Behave, Laz. Caroline and my mom have been best friends since middle school. They might as well be sisters, that's why I call her aunt."

"Makes sense. How long do you think it will be before she contacts you again and lets us know what's going on?"

"I have no idea. She wouldn't have told me to hide out here if it wasn't serious. I imagine it might be a day or two before she can let us know what's happening." She wandered into the kitchen and I heard cabinet doors opening and closing.

While she ransacked the kitchen to see what was available, I settled on the couch. We hadn't brought much in the way of food with us since the plan had been to go to the Grand Canyon. We figured we'd grab meals on the go. Going into hiding hadn't been part of the plan. If the cabin wasn't stocked with at least a few staples we were in trouble. We'd have to go get food. It was hard to remain hidden when you had to go grocery shopping. A small sigh escaped and I tried to settle into a comfortable position. Hours sitting in the car made everything cramped and sore. And here I thought the worst possible thing was lying around in that hospital bed all day, turns out sitting in a car is worse. Exhaustion dogged me and pain beat at me. It didn't matter, it was all part of my daily routine. There was no need to let Holly know how I felt, even if she'd managed to get her hands on an extra bottle or two of the pain meds I'd been prescribed. They would do little good to keep the pain at bay and eventually they'd wear off.

With another small sigh, I allowed my body to relax as much as possible into the cushions of the couch and closed my eyes. It took little time for the exhaustion to catch up and I drifted off to sleep.