Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:03:42 +0100 From: Sam Bam Subject: Ocean Blue 34 Send some sunshine to nifty, shiny gold money http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html The four guys are just finishing the lunch rush when Aled and another agent from the program come in to the café and another pair lurk in the doorway. "You've an hour. Pack up minimally. Usual drill." Aled says. "No." Chris says. "Because of Liv?" Larry asks. "Can I take my paintings?" Blue asks. "Is this for real? Why did they send you? Do you really have a job still?" Gervais asks. "Put the closed sign up. I have no idea who Liv is. Time is ticking. Yes bring the paintings. We'll explain in the car." Aled says. "Come on phones, id, now." The other agent says and Blue and Chris sigh and hand over their electronics and id. "Who reported Liv knowing?" Blue asks. "Not me." The other three say together. "No idea who Liv is. Get a move on." Aled says. "We have guys living here." Blue says. "Leave them a note. They can stay until its sold." The other agent says. As soon as the customers leave Blue gets to work taking down the pictures and wrapping them and loading them into the van. He grabs a suitcase and packs it with anything he needs to keep. Gervais does the same not sure what to think or do. They go to get into the van with the paintings. "No Blue and Chris in the van, G you are in the car with Larry." Aled says. "No, why?" Blue asks. "We'll explain." The other agent says. "I'm sorry bro. I pushed things too far seeing Birch." Blue says as they set off. "He pushed it too far. We're in the middle of nowhere. None of us reported back. Heck you were far more likely to be spotted when you were with Ocean. Around people who knew Will." Chris says. "Do you think we'll see them again?" Blue asks. "l don't know." Chris says sadly. "l hope G doesn't wait for me again. I want him to be happy." Blue says. "l am not going to find someone like Larry, someone who gets me the way he did. I didn't think I ever would after Andy. We're destined to be single bro." Chris says. "l don't think I can do it again." Blue says. "We're together this time." Chris says. "Yeah for this journey." Blue says. "We can leave." Chris says. "With no id and no money." Blue sighs. "We can go home. You have a house with a garden, we can hit Spence up, recover Abby's money." Chris says. "l guess but immediately we won't even be able to get there unless we walk." Blue says. "We can get through this. We have before. We have the meetup too." Chris whispers about the arrangement they made with Spence to meet in Chicago. "We'll see the guys then, you and Larry can sort things out. It isn't long to wait. If we can get there. Maybe we shouldn't go. Let them get on with things." Blue says. "You believe that?" Chris asks. "l just don't want to keep hurting people and f up their lives. We tried and failed. And now we need to limit the hurt." Blue says. "Including our own. I'm so glad I didn't get a pet yet." Chris says. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, what about the chickens." Blue says and starts rapping on the glass partition. An hour later. "Is this the place?" Will asks. "l think so. The café is how Birch described. Maybe they're taking a day off." Robin says. "It's empty and the paintings are gone." Will says as they push open the unlocked door and look around. "Register is open and empty. We can't have missed them. Can we?" Robin says shaking his head. "Lets try the house, maybe they got sick. Maybe they put the pictures away for safe keeping after the exhibit." Will says trying to stay positive. They walk over to the house, the back door is unlocked and the place is a tip. It is clear they have left in a hurry. The pair look through the rooms and get sad. It really hits home how Blue must have been living these last seven years. "They're gone. I guess we just missed them. Shit, fuck, shit." Robin says annoyed with himself for delaying the trip a day, Birch kept his promise not to tell Bea or Clara where the guys were but he couldn't hold back from telling Will. "l feel so stupid letting him go." Will says. "At least you got to see him. I can't believe we didn't come straight here." Robin says angrily. "Fuck. Now what?" Will says switching on his phone for the first time since they got off the plane, Robin does the same. "Holy shit 241 messages. What the heck is going on?" Robin says perplexed. Several hours later. "Where are we going? What can't I be with Blue?" Gervais asks. "Here are your ids." Aled says. "These are our real ids. What is going on?" Larry asks. "You are going home." Aled says. "Why? Is there a risk?" Gervais asks. "There has been an incident. You will be fully briefed in time." Aled says slightly more compassionately. "Do you think they'll be okay?" Gervais asks Larry. "No, being together will help them but they are so vulnerable. Aled you better make sure someone checks on them regularly, they might not come through this move." Larry calls out. "They wouldn't. They'll be waiting for us, we just have to find our way back to them." Gervais says determined to not let go of what he had. "I just hope this is temporary. Who knows how far they'll regress if it drags on." Larry says and Gervais nods and leans against Larry's shoulder. In the other car. "Can we at least have the radio on?" Chris asks after a couple of hours driving. "No." The driver says. "It isn't far now." The agent says. "Another safe house?" Blue asks sighing. "Yes. There has been an incident. We need you two where we can see you." The agent says. "Is everyone okay?" Chris asks. "You'll be briefed in time. Your chickens, is there someone local who can be contacted for you? We don't want this to be any more distressing for you than it has to be." The agent says. "Ezra's number is in my phone, he can ask Kai or Johnny to deal with it I guess." Blue says sadly knowing they'll never be back. The pair stare straight ahead, holding hands for the rest of the ride, both losing hope and returning to their stone-cold state. Several hours earlier. "Answer Will come on." Garrett mutters in to his phone and curses as it goes straight to voicemail. "Spence, I'll try Spence." Garrett says dialling the other number as he paces. "Garrett? What is it?" Spence asks. "They've taken Ocean. The bastards have taken Ocean." Garrett says and descends into sobs.