Lost & Found

Part 2: Chapters 8-12

**Chapter 8**

The next morning was a rough one. Exodus couldn't remember the last time she was drunk. She woke up feeling a bit slow and heavy in the head. As she rolled over to her side to check the time, her phone started to ring, it was Lucas. Nervously, she sat up and picked up the phone answering "Hello, I hope you don't think I'm being too forward but would you like to go out sometime next week?," he said. Exodus thought about last night and the fun they had even though she wanted to do many other things. She thought for a moment then said, "well that works for me, when and what time?" As they plan the date out together Exodus kept wondering what he'd wear, of course he could probably make anything look good. She could picture his physique, all toned, tattoos displayed around his torso, his back, and shoulders. My gosh, those shoulders. As if he was handmade by the Almighty. Before ending the call Exodus wanted to say something for him to think about before the date. "How about after the picnic we go see this new alien movie?" she asks. " Oh, I never picked you for a woman who's into sci-fi, but yes I'd like to go see that," he says.

Lucas was looking forward to this new afternoon next week with Exodus.

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Hernandez wasn't a man who got nervous. He always had a plan. Cunning, sophisticated, and witty was a wrap on his personality. So when his old pal Kenneth called him up about an opportunity to be something more than a cop, Hernandez was in fact all ears. He was told to take a flight in a helicopter to a remote island near Asia. He wasn't allowed to bring a phone or anything electronic, and had to be blindfolded over the seas but he agreed to go on one condition: with protection in case something happened.

About 15 hours later the helicopter landed, and the crew on the ground grabbed Augustin off and took off the blindfold. It was night, maybe 10pm in Asia now. He took in the air around him, as it smelled like bread and butter to him. He realized he hadn't eaten much on the copter but hoped he would be greeted with a meal once he saw what Kenneth was up to. The ground crew of Kenneth's led Augustin to the underground operation. The walk took at least 7 miles, but the crew made sure to stop for water on the way. As they walked towards of what appeared to be an entrance of the underground Augustin remembered that he hadn't seen Kenneth in over 5 years. They used to be really close, almost brothers you could say. Augustin's family wasn't from Colorado but New Mexico actually. His father and mother were proud minority people. They lived right across the street from his old friend Kenneth's. Now Kenneth's family were a different kind of group. Casually they could be sweet, but those that really knew them called them the "Skeletons". Kids would make fun of Kenneth, because he always had stains on his pants, and he couldn't help it if he only had one pair of pants for most of his life. His father was always in and out of the house throughout the day, working two jobs to help the family. His mother on the other hand didn't seem to keep a steady job so she became a housewife for the family. She took up smoking cigarettes and drinking when she realized she couldn't have anymore children after giving birth to Kenneth. Told herself that it was for her own good but deep down she was dying slowly and Kenneth saw that every single day.

After finally getting to the secret place of business Kenneth came to greet Augustin. Smiling at each-other Augustin asks, "Where have you been man?" Kenneth shrugs and laughs and says, "Anywhere and nowhere my friend." They give each-other a look that suggests they have made an agreement. "Alright boys, let's go see the show," Kenneth says to the crew member by the heavyweight door. There's three security locks for the door, one is an eye-scan of any club member that has access to the underground building, two an assigned secure code that is given to everyone upon club membership, three is a riddle only a club member should know. As Kenneth goes through all the motions, Augustin can't help but wonder what the scheme of this plan was. Or better yet he needs to know what the goal is for sure.