Crystal Avenue. 1:47 am.
The neighbourhood was awfully quiet; Stephen's mansion was dark. Inside, Tokyo sat in Akira's bedroom; she carried him. Tokyo thought of how Katherine dared to commit a reckless stunt. She pondered, with her cheek against his head.
Stephen twisted beneath the sheets; his eyes opened, and he turned his head. He noticed Katherine was out of bed; he thought she could not sleep. But deep within him, he felt something was not right, so he waited for her to return.
Spaghetti Junction Highway. 1:52 am.
Route 47.
The highway sprawled like a riddle. No familiar rhythm of traffic, just a long stretch of asphalt swallowed by darkness. A few people roamed along the roadside. Adriana sped through the highway; she rolled her windows down, but the breeze did nothing to calm her. If anything, it fed the urgency that burnt in her chest. Her foot pressed harder on the accelerator. "What could he possibly be planning?" she thought. The speedometer rose. The engine growled in protest. "Please wait for me, Steph." she whispered.
South Border 1:57 am.
23 Miles. Vinniger Lane.
Mila's cries cut through the desert like a siren. Both vehicles sat mangled, their warning chimes pulsed in rhythm. Antonio and Katherine were still unconscious. She was strapped helplessly in the back seat. Then… a door creaked open from the off-road car; a lady dropped onto the sand. She groaned. She wore only erotic lingerie that clung to her skin, her long braids patterned neatly down her back. Mbali. She cracked her neck side to side. Suddenly, a tiny fire crackled from the hood; she reached back into the car and found her burner. Then she strolled to Antonio's car, her heels crunched over glass as she dialed a number. It rang once… "Max. I found your two love birds." she reported.
"Good job. You know what to do." he replied. "So, what about the bitch… and her baby?" she asked. "They're not my concern; Katherine was just a puppet in the plan—but Antonio… Toni has some questions to answer. Do what you're told and meet me at Lake Naidoo. You can piece him up a bit—but DON'T kill him. Not until we meet up." Max stated. "Yeah. Whatever." The call ended. She crushed the burner beneath her heel. Mila's cries were loud and desperate. The taillight flared, bathing Mbali in red. Then she drew a Glock from her holster. She licked the crimson blood on her skin—and giggled. She cat-walked closer to the car. And inside the wreck—Antonio flinched.
Crystal Avenue. 2:00 am.
Meanwhile back in the Mansion, Stephen wandered around the house— he barged into every room he passed. He knocked on Tokyo's door. "Tokyo." he called. No response; Stephen went downstairs. Before he could go down, his side eye spied into Akira's room, cornered down the hallway. The door was open, and Tokyo sat on a rocker. "Tokyo." he murmured. Stephen crept closer and closer, but… the gate ringer went off. Stephen lingered on Akira and Tokyo. Then he went to the ringer; he saw a man on the CCTV footage, dressed in an amber suit with dark sunglasses. Stephen pressed the intercom. "Who are you?" he asked. "Wow, is that how you greet your old companion? Is it that hard to remember me?" the man asked. "What are you talking about? Just answer my question." Stephen frowned. "I'm unimpressed… Ghost." he replied. Stephen's eyes widened a little. "Look, man, you've got the wrong house…"
"Wait! How about a reunion about Jupiter's creeper." he insisted. Stephen stood stunned, a memory he thought he had forgotten, a past he swore to forget. "M—Max." he said. Max adjusted his hair. "How's it been, Ghost?" he greeted.