"Are you coming Francis?" Melis called out, looking behind her. 

They were walking along a little stream. It was starting to get late and they had left Chicago early in the morning. Pausing briefly, Francis almost bumped right into her. Wondering when he started to speed up she began to walk again. 

"I think we are getting close. See that treeline? It's a little ways in there."

Francis looked to where Melis was pointing and nodded. He was starting to have doubts as quickly as the blisters were forming on his feet. 

"Mel, are you sure it's even real? After all what if she moved it before she died?"

"No idea, but do we really have anything to lose?"

"Yeah, our daily deal money since we have been out here ALL day and completed no jobs that actually make us money."

"You can go back if you want to F. I can keep going and I'll let you know if I found it."

A moment of wanting to take the offer and head back to the city was very enticing to him. He was a city boy through and through but the woman before him had not been acting right lately. Francis had known her for 14 years. He knew she was the most loyal friend he had ever had, had his back when no one in their right mind would. She was quite literally his best friend. 

Now he was worried about her. It was like watching a switch happen in real time. She kept a lot more to herself, secrets that she would normally share with him that now she shared with no one. Not even her journal which he may have tried to read for some clue as to why she was becoming more reckless, less caring for herself. Oh, she'd be there in a minute for him whenever he needed but she took her less care for her own safety to new levels. It was almost like she was purposely daring the world to come at her. Perhaps even the Gods. Melis drank too much, or was always looking for the next hit that would make her high. Sure, she completed her work, brought in money as she always did. She followed her routine but it seemed more mechanical. Almost precise rather than with heart. 

Francis watched her for a second as she met the tree line. He could see that she was assessing the risk of entering but knew no matter if she was worried about she would go right ahead and do it anyway. Her fears rarely held her back these days, it didn't seem to matter but he wished she would at least care a little more. Not about him or their other friends, she would move mountains for anyone that she claimed as a friend no mater what they did but he wanted her to move mountains for herself. To want something beyond the next hit that would keep her numb to whatever had changed her. 

Catching Melis looking at him, he shook his head and put on his best smile for her. He wasn't going to abandon her to whatever wild adventure they were on. In truth he liked her company, liked their conversations about anything and everything and the way she could imagine up the craziest stories for entertainment. 

"Nah, I couldn't leave you to fend off the wolves without me Mel." 

They both laughed because they could hear the wolves in the forest howling and knew it would be getting risky. Both armed though, they trekked through the forest until they reached a bit of a hill with a tree at the top. Melis climbed the hill and started digging through the dirt with the little hand tool she had packed away in her bag. Hitting something solid after about a foot into it made her smile. 

"I didn't make it up after all. It really is here."

"You weren't even sure? We came all this way and you weren't even sure if you dreamed it up? That is absolutely crazy Mel."

"Well I've always been a little crazy after all."

She began to dig out the little box that had been buried next to the tree. Opening up the box was the deed to her mother's house and a note from the bank where her credit savings were. It was a modest amount and would be more than enough to make up a day's worth of lost work for both of them. 

"Rest F, we'll sit a little bit then head back to Chicago. As you said, there is work to do right? I'll take first watch, I rarely sleep these days."

Enricho was on a morning ride back into Chicago. He has stash houses for cars in every city so he's not without a quick way around town. A few miles out of city limits, he was listening to some Mozart. As the percussions soothed his mind and allowed him to focus more clearly on the road he was definitely speeding down, he noticed two figures emerging from a woodline. He started to slow down to see if he could recognize the two as he passed. There was an unmistakable resemblance to a woman Enricho was fond of. Shot down for having a mouth on her, though that was his speculation.

Pulling the car off to the side, he waved the two over to him and with a grin he exclaimed: "The Great Enricho is here! I see you've been car jacked! Worry not! I, The Great Enricho shall be your cab driver this morning! No expenses need paid! It's on the house!" Enricho's enthusiasm as palpable as it could ever be, not even taking a second thought that they may look so doshoveled because the walked the miles out of town and spent the night there. He unlocked the door and gestured for the pair to enter.

Melis had warily watched the car pull closer to them and exchanged a look with Francis. Neither of them had told anyone where they were going so it had to be coincidence that someone else just happened to be traveling this way. Letting F get close to the car to see who might be slowing down for them, she had to smile at the enthusiasm of the man. It was almost contagious. 
 

"Look Francis, your city boy feet will surely be saved now." She laughed and pushed him towards the vehicle in front of them. 

"I'd greatly appreciate if you could take my friend back to the city. I know that he is going to object heavily to leaving me out here on my own but there is a place I need to go. Alone." 

Shutting Francis into the vehicle before he could object, Melis then sprinted back into the woods so that they could not make out which direction she was heading in. She ran as fast as she could through the woods to make as much distance between them as she could before she slowed down to collect her thoughts. 

She hadn't lied to her best friend about needing to go somewhere. Anywhere. Alone. She'd deal with his anger when she got back to the city.

Enricho chuckled at the situation that ensued in front of him. Francis had gotten pushed in and the familiar woman had run off in a blink of an eye. "City feet, huh?" Enricho laughed heartily and continued, "Well city feet, you're in luck! The Great Enricho is headed for the heart of Chicago! Couldn't be more than a couple miles away from where ever you're headed from there!" Francis didn't give much more than a polite smile and nod. Enricho could tell his mind was focused on the woman that had left his side. "Worry not, Francis! She looks like a woman who knows what she's doing!" Francis just peered out the passenger window to the section of the woods the woman disappeared into. Enricho nodded to himself, turned his music back up and sped off.