Of Monsters And Men | Discontinued |

Episode Twenty One - Big Guy

The Hotel Travel Inn is where Karen is being housed. Evren is sharing a room with her. The beds are dusty and uncomfortable, but the room and floor itself is easy to defend. Evren and Rot can protect Karen, here, if it comes down to it.

Mostly, Evren wants to talk to Frank.

"Room's been checked, it's clear." The officer says, offering the card to Karen, who takes it.

"You need anything, anything at all, we'll be just outside." The second officer adds, nodding towards them both.

"Okay, thanks." Karen says, moving to the doorway. "What I need is about twelve hours' sleep." The cops smile and go on their way. Evren watches them, then nods to Karen, who starts walking down the hallway, slipping the card into her pocket.

'At least she let us come.' Rot remarks, when Karen opens the door to the stairwell and starts skipping down the stairs, Evren loyally following.

"Garage?" Evren asks, once they make it to the floor and move from the bleak stairwell. "Oh." She adds, approaching the car and sliding into the back, while Karen settles into the front. Funk music plays softly over the speakers. Frank twists, gun raised to her head, but she just smiles. "Hey, Frank." He grunts.

"Hey."

"You said you'd bring a car, not steal mine." Karen remarks, rolling her eyes as she buckles.

"It's a good song." He pauses. "We used to sing along to that. Imagine me doing that." Karen takes the tape from the radio and shoves it in the glove department, hands shaky.

"I inherited the tapes with the car." She explains, brushing her fingers through her hair, staring out the window. Frank watches.

"Hey." When she doesn't respond, he leans forward. "Look, maybe you don't wanna be here, hmm?"

"I gotta say, I'm having second thoughts." She faces him, hair tangles and messy. "I'm not a lawyer. I'm not protected by attorney-client privilege. Lying to the cops, that makes me an accessory."

"Okay." Frank grumbles, nodding. "So walk away. Go."

Karen sighs through her nose. "Blacksmith already tried to get me once. I really don't wanna give him a second chance."

"He's not gonna get it." Frank says, then glances back to Evren, who shrugs. "He won't get either of you."

"He sure as hell isn't going to touch Karen, that's for sure." Evren pipes up, crossing her legs, and throwing her arm over her eyes.

The engine starts, and they leave the hotel. They drive for what feels like hours, Evren fading in and out of dozing. Even Rot's settled down, low in her stomach, purring between her ears and beneath her skin as she rubs circles over it with her thumb. Evren isn't sure when the habit really started, but it won't be ending any time soon.

"Wake up." Frank grumbles, tapping her knee. Evren sighs, peeling her eyes open to greet a dark sky. They drove for far longer than she thought. Her gaze finds a diner, and her stomach growls. She hasn't eaten since yesterday- if that even counts. She throws open the door and shuts it behind her, ambling towards the building with Karen and Frank, who has a cap pulled over his face.

They're waves towards a booth and sit, Evren by the window with Karen beside her, and Frank across from them.

Karen sighs. "Not so sure stopping is such a good idea."

"You're not hungry?"

"No, not really." Karen responds, while Evren waves her hand in what she hopes is a polite way to get attention from a waitress.