Waiting

Tal's eyes finally dropped again. He didn't even know why he was here. He shouldn't have come. He knew Ryan would be back one of these days. Or was there a part of him deep down that had actually wanted to see Ryan for himself? 

Hunter snickered at Ryan. "Nah. I wouldn't let you take us anywhere dull." 

Eli folded his arms and sighed. "I dunno what I'm doing after this. I was thinking about -"

"Ice cream." 

He looked back over at Tal. "What?"

Tal shrugged. "Ice cream." He wasn't sure why he was suggesting it. It was stupid. He should have kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to socialize or - "You know. The cold kind of dessert." 

Eli quirked an eyebrow. Never would he have imagined that Tal would speak to Ryan, let alone suggest mingling. But did his sister really want that tonight? He gave her a sidelong glance. "Ice cream... does sound kinda good. There's only one place open this late..."

Hunter gave Ryan another little squeeze and looked down at her. He really didn't mind - but only if she felt the same. If it was going to be too awkward for her, then he could suggest something else.


Hal smiled as Sam tried a couple times, then was rewarded by her efforts. "Perfect. You're a natural." Her own excitement made his smile grow even wider. "Now... is the best part of all." He picked up his own pole that had a different kind of reel, cast, then sat down cross-legged on the rock and patted the spot next to him. 

"Now we watch our bobbers." He leaned close to her and pointed at the bobbers drifting gently on the water. "And when it gets pulled under, we jerk the line to set the hook and reel in our catch. If... there's anything biting today." Sitting quietly for a moment, a grin curled his lips again. "I may have forgotten to mention that a lot of fishing includes waiting.... sometimes... a lot of waiting..." 

It was a beautiful morning. The light breeze blew. Birds chirped happily. The sunshine glistened on the water. 

Hal sighed with content. "...but that's kind of why I like it."


“All we want is intel!” The guard’s gloved fist connected with Alec’s face. “You’ve been here for months!” Another blow came before the guard yanked Alec to his feet by his shirt collar. “Do you seriously have a death wish?”

Alec’s mouth was filled with blood, and he spit it out onto the concrete floor before lifting his face and squinting at the other man. His lips curled into a smile. “I don’t…do you?”

The guard frowned. “Wha…” Not even his word was finished before shock entered his eyes. His grip slowly loosened and he slid to the floor.

Alec stared down at him only for a moment. The well-aimed shard of glass had been the guard’s undoing. Alec’s palm bled from where he’d gripped the glass, but he didn’t even feel it. What happened afterward would be lost in the shadows. Lost in a fog of fear, hatred and acts of a soul desperate for freedom. He would escape this nightmare no matter what it took.