STRANDED

FOURTEEN

Amy awoke to a bright orange sunrise smiling at her. She smiled back. The green trees were cast with the partial light of the rising sun. Amy looked back through the windshield of the car she was sleeping on and saw Travis and Angelina peacefully asleep, reclined back in the driver and passenger seats of the car, still fast asleep.

Amy rubbed her eyes and fixed her messy hair. Nevermore had she wanted a hairbrush. She hopped off of the hood and went over to Jim's shack.

Amy knocked on the door but to no avail. She tried once more and heard stumbling on the other side.

"Give me a second!" Jim shouted from the other side. Before Amy knew it, the door opened, and she was standing face to face with a topless Jim, drowsy-eyed and still seeming a small bit buzzed from the other day. "Yeah, whadda you want?"

"Umm..." Amy didn't know what to say other than, "Hi..."

"Hello," Jim stuck out his hand. "Name's Jim."

Amy reluctantly shook his hand. "Yeah. Travis told me."

"Ah," Jim looked as if he was reminiscing about "old times". "Travis. Great guy; not many people like him. So what, are you his new broad or somethin'?"

"Oh, no," Amy responded with a nervous chuckle. "We're here to ask you to help us with something."

"Ah," Jim nodded. "It'll be fifty. No more, no less. Stash is in the back I'll let you in when you-" Jim stopped. He realized the confused look on Amy's face. "Oh. You're not here for that? Then what is it?"

"Travis said you used to be a great scout," Amy said.

"Yeah," Jim replied as if it were obvious. "What's it to you?" He raised a brow.

"Well, you see, we were planning on taking someone down, and we could use a little help on the whereabouts of this person."

"Aight," Jim nodded. "I could probably do that. Who's this 'person'?"

"Umm..." Amy had no clue how he'd respond. "Y-Yerkhov Chervobskii..."

"What?" Jim shouted. "Do you know how not simple that is?"

"I mean, he's a popular guy. Just figured..."

"I'm not helpin' you or even Travis, for that matter, hunt down this jerk-off Chervobskii motherfucker! Do you know what'll happen to me if I'm caught?"

"I've got some idea," Amy muttered.

"Please," a voice behind Amy spoke. She turned to see Travis. "Jim, we need your help. If you could just-"

"Tak tak tak, don't say another word!" Jim demanded. "There is nothing' you can do that'd convince me to do this suicide mission!"

"Jim," Travis stepped in Amy's place in front of Jim. "Don't tell me you forgot what I did for you all those years ago."

"Well- I... Yes," Jim admitted. "I- I remember..."

"Uh huh," Travis nodded. "And I'm still waiting for my 'compensation'."

"Well..." Jim was out of counter-arguments. "Fine." He crossed his arms. "But if this gets in too deep, I'm out."

"Thank you," Tavis sounded relieved as if he knew that it wouldn't work so easily.

Jim sighed. "I'm goin' and gettin' a drink." He slammed the door behind him.

"Lovely friend of yours," Amy remarked.

Travis said nothing. He only choked out a small laugh.

Amy and Travis then heard the car door shut behind them. Angelina was standing there.