A warm breeze blew through Nicky's hair as they left the airport, heading out onto the street. The sun beat down. The air smelled of salt water, and of flowers. The sun was hot on Nickys skin, but it felt pleasant, like this was the place to be. Growing up in West Virginia, which was much darker and cooler than Florida, made Nicky grateful for every day she got to step out and get a natural tan.

"Come on," Nicky said. "Let's get our rental car and get to the prison. We've got a long drive ahead of us."

"How far is it?" Ken asked.

"It's about two hours away," Nicky said. "Its a lot of driving. She hoped Ken wouldnt fight her for the wheel.

Being stuck in a vehicle for extended periods of time always reminded her of what happened all those years ago, right before Nicky and Rosie were abducted. They were driven in a van that smelled of mildew and old coffee to the edge of their town. Then the man took them deep into the woods through a narrow trail. He drove them down to the lake, which had been forgotten by the rest of the world.

The lake...

Nicky couldn't think about that here. She shook the memories from her mind and focused on Ken.

"I can drive if you want to rest," he said.

"I'm fine," Nicky said. She needed to keep her eyes on the road. While it was true that being stuck in a vehicle made her anxious, nothing made her more anxious than being the passenger. That was what would really remind her of what happened, and Nicky couldnt stomach that. She needed to be behind the wheel, because she needed to keep control. "Besides, it'll give me a chance to learn more about you, she said. Youll just be sitting there enjoying the scenery, so you can tell me all about yourself.

"What's to learn?" Ken said, his eyes hard. Im just another guy. Not much to see here.

Nicky jutted her lip, actually having a moment with Ken. She remembered the book he was reading on the way up and dished up something faux-insightful: "Everyone thinks they're just like every other person. That they're normal. But they're not. Everyone has something that makes them unique. Maybe you'd be better at helping me out if you were a little more self-aware."

Whered you get that one, a horoscope magazine? Ken shot back.

Nicky nearly laughed. Very original.

Once they located their rental car, Nicky got behind the wheel. Ken took the passenger seat, and they drove out of the airport, heading down the wide road leading to the highway. Tropical trees fanned over the road, and the sun beat down on them.