> Tyrone cleared the table, now seeming all business like. But ScarLo looked like she was in anguish. She kept shaking her head and Danny swore he kept catching her muttering something to herself.
>
> Tyrone shot her a glance. At the time, Danny had taken it as concern but looking back he thought it might be more nervousness.
>
> Tyrone went onto another room and when he returned he had retrieved a long tube. Inside he pulled out something that was rolled up like a poster but when he unfurled it he saw it was a large road map of the United States. The map has a large red marker route all the way through it from their location to Maine. Just looking at it, the route was clearly not the most ideal way to travel from Point A to Point B.
>
> "Old school, I know" Tyrone said, smirking. "But you know how Dante is always saying you can never be too careful about what's on your computer so I didn't want to map this out online..."
>
> Danny nodded. He'd learn to be extremely cautious over the last few months and with Dante's recent warnings about how he was worried that the feds would find him at only hardened this perspective.
>
> "By the way" Tyrone said, shaking his head. "You have no idea how hard it is to find a map like this in this day and age..."
>
> "I can believe it" Danny said. "Like Dante is always saying: we got way too dependent on convenience and technology and it's biting us in the ass"
>
> "Exactly" Tyrone said, smiling. ScarLo sat there in a trance. Tyrone glanced at her, his smile fading and then swallowed and looked back at Danny.
>
> "Anyway man, as you've probably noticed this route avoids all the major highways. The reason for that is that many of the highways now have the scanners installed along them to read RFID chips, most of the non-interstate highways don't and those that do haven't had them switched on yet. Fortunately for us the complications from the virus have really slowed down implementation of all this way more than the feds would like..."
>
> "Why not just destroy the RFID in the immunity passes? Or just not bring them" Danny asked.
>
> "We thought of that but there's a couple of problems with that: first, if we destroyed the RFID inside than it wouldn't track us travelling but if we needed them scanned at any point by authorities, including when we reached Maine, they wouldn't work. As for not taking them..."
>
> "You need to have them to gain passage" Danny said, finishing his sentence.
>
> Tyrone nodded.
>
> "So if we stuck to these roads we wouldn't be tracked. But how do you know that?" Danny asked.
>
> "I've got a source on the deep web" Tyrone said. "He won't tell me how, but somehow he's involved with the engineering of the system..."
>
> "And you trust him?" Danny asked
>
> "I do" Tyrone replied with confidence.
>
> Danny decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and after a moment Tyrone moved on.
>
> "So the obvious problem here is you don't have a pass, which means RFID tracking isn't the issue for you, but in order to travel you'll need one in case we're stopped. Fortunately, I have a solution..."
>
> "Ok, lay it on me" Danny said.
>
> "I've got someone who can give you a fake Immunity Pass. A good one too. Not a bullshit one. It'll even scan if we're stopped and it doesn't track, which also means when we get to Maine you'll be good to go. No need for that 14-day quarantine for new arrivals".
>
> "Well, that's awesome" Danny said. "But there's something I don't get: why not just get two fake passes for you and ScarLo? I mean, if they'll scan but don't track that seems perfect".
>
> "Thought of that too, but one worry we have is that if something, God forbid, goes wrong than it would be useful to have our real ones on us... but if we do that than we can still be tracked. Not to mention, there's no guarantee the scan will work. Now, out on the road, assuming we even get stopped they might not even scan them or if they did and it don't work they might just assume the chip or their equipment was malfunctioning, but once we get to Maine we wouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt and, frankly man, we don't want to do that quarantine if we don't have to..."
>
> Danny nodded. It was understandable.
>
> "The other reason is... well... it's fucking expensive man. I mean the guy is charging a lot. He's willing to give us a discount if we got more than one but even then... well, we can afford the one, put it that wait..."
>
> "Guys, I can't pay for that, I hope you know" Danny said, worry in his voice. "I mean, I don't know what you mean by expensive but I'm literally having to rack up credit card debt just to buy food and..."
>
> "Relax" Tyrone said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to pay for it. We, uh, already have actually. It's not a big deal. We're glad to do it".
>
> "Why would you do that?" Danny said in a low, awestruck voice.
>
> "Because we like you" Tyrone said warmly. "Because you're our friend. Because we want you to come with us. Right, ScarLo?"
>
> ScarLo seemed to snap out of a trance, but managed a smile and held Danny's hand in a meaningful and sincere, but sad way.
>
> "Wow, I don't know what to--" Danny begin
>
> "Don't even worry about it, man" Tyrone said.
>
> There was a few seconds of silence as Danny took it all in but then something occurred to him.
>
> "Wait, you said you already paid for it? But if it's going to be legit don't you need my information and a picture and stuff?"
>
> Tyrone looked sheepish.
>
> "Yeah... we already have all that" he said.
>
> "What? How?" Danny asked surprised.
>
> "Like I said, this guy is good. He's the real deal. That's why it's so expensive".
>
> Danny didn't like it, but after a moment accepted it.
>
> "There's only one catch" Tyrone said after seeing Danny had accepted it.
>
> "What's that?" Danny asked frowning.
>
> "Well, the guy doesn't want to just send it to us. He wants it to come pick it up on the way..."
>
> "Pick it up where?"
>
> "Some small town in Indiana called Wabash".
>
> Danny's eyes got wide.
>
> "That's...where I'm from..."
>
> "What? That's a weird coincidence!" Tyrone said laughing and acting surprised.
>
> Danny felt memories trying to break from their levee but he held it.
>
> Just a coincidence. No need to dwell on it further.
>
> "Well, uh, anyway..." Tyrone continued awkwardly seeing that Danny had gone silent. "The problem with this is that for about half our trip you won't have any sort of fake paperwork so if we get stopped by the authorities or hit a check point we'll have a problem. So, what we're going to do is we're going to rent this big transport truck, kinda looks like a big U-Haul and our cover is going to be we're delivering essential goods to medical personnel in New York and New Hampshire. We'll have fake travel papers and business papers -- the same guy that's doing your Pass is hooking us up with those. We can't say we're going to Maine because that would raise too many eyebrows, so once we hit New Hampshire we'll just have to make it across that state without being stopped or hitting a check point. We're going to load the truck with boxes so it looks like we're caring the goods. The boxes will be legit, but only the first few rows will have anything in them and they won't even be full. It'll be a couple layers of PPE and then folded newspaper the rest of the way. Hopefully they won't big too deep if they do look and that'll be enough to fool them. They don't like to hold up trucks carrying those kinds of things as delays cost lives...."
>
> "So where do I fit into this plan?" Danny asked, knowing he was going to hate the answer.
>
> Tyrone sighed.
>
> "The truck we've got in mind has a little hidden area in the back of the rear..."
>
> "And, let me guess, I'd have to hide in there until we got to Indiana" Danny said, sighing
>
> Tyrone frowned.
>
> "Afraid so man..."
>
> Danny took a breath.
>
> "But, you know, we'd make sure to stop when it was safe so you could stretch your legs. You'd have plenty of food and water. I'm going to figure out a way to run a wire in there so you can keep you phone charged to watch movies and stuff. Hell, you can use my iPad if you want. And, uh, ScarLo can pay you visits on the way..."
>
> Tyrone winked and ScarLo managed a mournful smile.
>
> "And once we do get your Pass you won't have to do it anymore. It also would work great because most trucks carrying PPE and other essentials now are travelling with three people. Two to take shifts driving to get there to the destination quickly and another to act as a guard to protect the cargo. Actually, I was thinking maybe we'd even get you a uniform and a gun to make it official and..."
>
> "A gun!?" Danny exclaimed, not like where this was going.
>
>
> Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
>
> "OK, OK" Tyrone said laughing. "Just thinking out loud".
>
> "Why not just have the guy mail the Immunity Pass and fake paperwork to us?" Danny asked. "Seems to solve a big problem".
>
> Danny really did not want to go back to Indiana, much less Wabash.
>
> "He can send and I can print out the fake travel documents, but the guys not willing to send the fake Pass and I understand why. You know as well as I do the mail sucks right now because so many postal workers are getting sick. Delays, lost mail... Not something we can risk. Also, they're inspecting mail more and more now because people are hoarding and shipping PPE and other essentials now after selling them on the black market. Dante just posted about that today, in fact..."
>
> "He did?" Danny asked. He hadn't seen that post.
>
> "Uh, yeah" Tyrone said. "Just today..."
>
> Danny nodded. It was a big risk and with that chip in the pass, even if it didn't work with the RFID trackers, what if it set off something when they were processing the mail. It wasn't a risk they should take he decided.
>
> But the entire thing seemed risky.
>
> "So, that's pretty much the basics of the plan. What do you think?" Tyrone asked anxiously.
>
> Danny sighed.
>
> "I mean... I like it. I want to do it. It seems you've thought it out..."
>
> "I'm sensing there's a 'but'" Tyrone said with a sigh.
>
> "But...." Danny said, nodding in acknowledgment. "What if it doesn't work? What if we're stopped before we pick up my Pass and they discover me in the back hiding? What if they discover that the bottom of those boxes are just newspaper? What if my pass or travel papers don't fool them? Or what if we get to Indiana and the guy is a dead beat and just takes the money you paid him and runs..."
>
> Tyrone put up a hand.
>
> "Danny, Danny, Danny... Yes, it's a risk. It's a big risk. But isn't it one worth taking? Think about the reward! And have a little faith in me, alright? I've planned this out and put a lot of thought into it and the guy with the Pass is solid..."
>
> "How do you--" Danny began but sighed and nervously looked down.
>
> "Look, you don't have to decide right now. Sleep on it, okay? Hell, you don't even have to decide tomorrow. I know it's a lot to take in but we just wanted to go over things to show we're serious. Just trust me, okay?"
>
> Tyrone put his hand on Danny's shoulder, his signature move. The difference is this time his hand was shaky and his tone had been a mix of exasperation and nervousness.
>
> Danny nooded.
>
> "OK" he said.
>
> Maybe I'm a pussy Danny thought to himself, bitterly. He thought about much much they'd planned to make this work and... My God, they'd already spent who knows how much on his fake Pass. If he didn't go they would have wasted money to help him for nothing.
>
> "Sorry guys, I just... This is a lot..."
>
> "We understand" Tyrone smiled warmly, standing and rolling up the map and then yawning and stretching.
>
> "Well, babe, I don't know about you but all this planning of heading to greener pastures has got me exhausted, how about you?"
>
> ScarLo stood, still trance like, and nodded.
>
> "Danny, make yourself at home, man. Don't feel like you have to go to sleep just because are. I'd say mi casa es tu casa but... it's not really our house, is it?"
>
> He laughed.
>
> With that they left down the hallway towards what Danny assumed was their bedroom.
>
> He sat on the couch in deep thought for awhile about his future and then got up to go to bed, but he heard voices down the hall way. They were slightly elevated.
>
> He knew he shouldn't ease drop but he crept down the hall and soon found himself near what he assumed was Tyrone and ScarLo's bedroom.
>
> "What's wrong with you?" he heard Tyrone say. His tone was nervous, like the one from the living room earlier. There were foot steps like he was pacing back and forth.
>
> "Shit is getting serious and you can't hold it together. I can't do it by myself. We got into this as a team, remember? We have to work together or this will never work".
>
> "I can't do this anymore" he heard ScarLo cry.
>
> "Shhh! Fuck girl, keep your voice down" Tyrone replied. "You know you don't have a choice..."
>
> Danny frowned. She didn't have a choice? Of course she did. There was a thing called divorce. Hell, with the courts shut down they'd made the process as easy as a few clicks on a website.
>
> There was silence.
>
> "I know..." he heard ScarLo whisper finally. "I just...it's so hard sometime Tyrone. This whole thing is crazy..."
>
> "It's going to be okay" Tyrone said and Danny felt they must have embraced. "But like it or not, this can't wait. We have to do this now and do whatever it takes to make it happen. It's a way out for us. That's the promise. That's the deal. Remember?"
>
> "I remember" he heard ScarLo say after a moment of silence.
>
> Were they talking about Maine? Was she having doubts too?
>
> "We have to really step it up now. The window is closing and he..." Tyrone paused. Danny heard him moving towards the bedroom door and Danny thought he was busted, but instead Tyrone just shut the cracked door, preventing Danny from ease dropping further.
>
> Easedrop. Roll over 14.
>
> The memory entered his mind. There was a smiling little girl, a little younger than him. There was a table and dice and...
>
> He pushed the memory out. Every once and awhile the levee leaked. He went to the guest bedroom and immediately got ready for bed. Whenever his defenses started to erode immediate sleep was the best fortification.
>
> Sleep hadn't taken long but during the night he was awoken by a warm body pressing against him and a whisper.
>
> "Danny..." the voice said and he felt a hand rubbing his crotch.
>
> Danny turned and saw ScarLo's face. He was puffy again and her eyes were wet. She'd been crying again but she looked beautiful as always.
>
> "I'm sorry to wake you..." she whispered sweetly. "But I... I...need you..."
>
> Danny just nodded and she was on top of him immediately, kissing him and pressing her body into him.
>
> ScarJo ripped down his underwear and peeled off her satin PJ's.
>
> "Danny..." she whispered as she kissed around his neck. "I'm sorry... you don't deserve this... "
>
> Danny didn't see her holding back the tears but she was.
>
> "What are you talking about?" Danny whispered, confused. "You're awesome... I want this..."
>
> ScarLo sighed and slowly made her way down.
>
> "At least I can give you this" she muttered.
>
> After a few minutes Danny flipped her over. "My turn" he whispered.
>
> He climbed on top of her and pressed into her, rubbing his hands through her silky hair.
>
> "Choke me..." she whispered.
>
> "What?" Danny said, taken aback.
>
> "Choke me" she said again. "Please. I deserve it".
>
> Danny had watched a lot of porn in his days. There was some crazy shit on the deep web. But he'd never done anything like this, although he had fantasized about it.
>
> So he did. He choked her.
>
> "Harder..." she said so he did.
>
> Dissatisfied she grabbed pressed his hands into her neck until her face started turn purple. Danny managed to pull his hands away and she gasped and moaned.
>
> There were also tears, but Danny thought her eyes must be watering.
>
> "Slap me" she ordered. He did.
>
> "Harder. Punish me. Get back at me!" she shouted.
>
> He did it harder and harder again until he felt it was too much but for her it was never enough. Still, he got into it and before he knew it he had her bent over, pulling her hair and slapping her ass as he fucked up and slapped her around. She moaned and seemed to be enjoying it, encouraging him.
>
> "I'm a bad person" she said. "I deserve this. Punish me" she said over and over.
>
> So he did. To Danny he just thought it was a kinky role play fetish thing.
>
> Finally, they both came and collapsed into each other.
>
> ScarLo didn't move. She didn't speak. Danny was worried maybe he had hurt her or taken it too far.
>
> "Are you okay?" he whispered. She didn't respond.
>
> "Hey, I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked concern, starting to move.
>
> "No, I'm not getting hurt..." she responded void of tone.
>
> Danny thought it was a curious phrasing but was tired and settled back down.
>
> "Just hold me, Danny" ScarLo whispered. "Even though I don't deserve it..."
>
> "You can stop role playing now" Danny said, frowning. He began to worry that this had to do Tyrone and the fight he'd overheard. Was this her way of getting back at Tyrone? Was this the way Tyrone made her feel. Maybe their marriage wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
>
> These thoughts should have kept him up but he was so exhausted soon he was fast asleep.
>