Mark, bandages the port still in Jeff's hand to hide it from plain view and hands him the paper with the bar codes. He then hands Kayla a plastic-wrapped sandwich and hands Jeff 5.
"Okay, here's where the instructions say to leave you and you should have it from here, I'm sure this is a test to see how good I did. Good luck Sir, do me proud! It was nice to meet you, sweetheart."
"Thank you Mark," Jeff said already halfway into his sandwich.
The ambulance drove off and Jeff looked around from the middle of the intersection, taking a bite out of the first of his 5 sandwiches.
"Jeff, all of this scares me and is going so fast."
"I think I remember this place, we're really close, I'm sure of it... I think I can get us to where we need to be."
"No, I'm not scared of NOT finding them, I'm scared OF finding them."
"I know, Kayla, but working with them isn't just better for you, it's better for me too. My grades were never the greatest, college would mean student loans until I'm 40, and you wouldn't be a part of my life... Look, I'm sorry I decided things for you without asking you, but after speaking with those counselors, I thought staying with me is what you wanted."
"It IS but it's all moving so fast!"
"Kayla..." Jeff knelt down. "Next week I'm going to be in or approaching my 30's, you think all this is moving fast, for you?" Jeff gave a winning smile and chuckled.
Kayla wrapped her arms around him and clung tightly sobbing. Jeff let her stay that way for several minutes until the sobs weakened.
"We could run. Go the opposite way you think we should. Try and make it on our own. Without anyone but ourselves."
"I'm scared too, but I'm doing what I think is best for both of us. For our future happiness... I think it's this way."
Jeff Downed sandwich after sandwich as he went, Kayla carefully eyed the PB&J she was given. They passed by a garage that was working on a car. The sounds pulled Jeff in and he was reminded of his short stint as a mechanic, it seemed like such a blessing to not be working at the theme park anymore, his time as a ride operator was boring despite the high energy he exuded, and his promotion to entertainer didn't allow for him to turn it off... but still being on your feet every day, one costume for another I suppose. Both jobs were short-lived. Then Jeff noticed the ancient beater they were working on, the same make and model as his first car.
As Jeff moved closer the rubber and grease smell filled him with nostalgia, he could feel the old gearshift in his hand and remembered fiddling with the tape deck radio, cursing that he couldn't afford a car with a CD player. She was good to him though, years before she actually clunked out...
"Jeff, why are we here? Is this the place?"
"Oh, sorry. No. Just throwing my wrappers away." Jeff had plowed through the sandwiches and threw the garbage in a bin outside the establishment. "Just another couple blocks."
They walked by a surprisingly desolate Starbucks and he recalled how his short time there had converted him from an anti-coffee person to a regular coffee drinker, with a slight snicker. It was in an old deteriorated Kohl's parking lot. Which he had also worked at and hated... Jeff glanced around and realized all the businesses were triggering some association or another. The sights, the smells, the feeling of being there... it was getting to be a little too much.
"Uh Kayla, I need to get out of here, do you mind if we pick up the pace?"
"You're the one leading and you've been pausing every five steps!"
They made their way through the empty streets but just as it began to seem suspicious a large parking lot full of cars appeared before a towering glass building and Jeff smiled, "That's it!"
As they entered a receptionist raised their eyebrow, "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I believe I have a reservation?" Jeff replied. The receptionist squinted in confusion. "I mean appointment."
"Name?"
"Aaron Good, and I was told to give you this," Jeff replied without hesitation or even realizing that was strange, and handing over the paper of strange bar codes.
They typed into the computer and read over things. "Oh, I see, okay, OH, let me notify the group that you've arrived." A glance at the bar coded paper and they crumpled it up and threw it away.
Moments later they were being taken throughout the structure, past meeting rooms, laboratories, and several rooms that seemed like they were plucked out of a doctors office.