Vivian had vanished around seven that evening. Everyone else was too preoccupied to notice. Seth, Aaron, and Redjack were pulling out phonebooks and writing lists of needed supplies.

Redjack took a sip of the wine Leigh had bought for them. "For something like this, the priority has to be silence over speed. Agreed?" The other two nodded. "I can tear apart the current motor and make it run quiet as a shadow in less than a week."

"Assuming you can get the parts," said Seth.

"Not a problem. We can't risk them being mailed here, so they'll be sent to the docks. There's a garage there where we can work. Thing is, we'll have to do a lot of the modifications at night."

"Which means noise," said Aaron. "People are bound to get suspicious. I've got that part covered. I'll be spending the next few days spreading rumors about scientists visiting the area to study endangered frogs."

"Endangered frogs?" asked Seth.

"Everyone hears about frogs being endangered everywhere on the planet. People will believe just about anything in the newspaper. Including nighttime frog research."

Redjack looked at his glass. It was empty. He turned around to refill when he noticed something odd. "Hey, didn't Leigh buy five bottles? Where's the fifth?"

"Shit," said Seth. He got out of his chair and marched upstairs. Redjack took a look at Aaron. "I miss this sort of interaction, don't you?"

*** *** ***

Vivian wasn't in the room that she was sharing with Leigh. Seth walked farther down the hall into his room. Vivian was lying on the bed, limp as a doll, with her hair fanned on the pillow. "Well, this is just great."

"Hey there, stallion. Bet you're wondering what I have on underneath this little black skirt."

"Not at the moment."

"Liar." Vivian began giggling.

Seth looked around for the bottle. "Damnit, Viv, you've spent over two years sober as a judge. Not by choice, of course. But if you're going to drink, you better slow down a little."

"Why?" Another giggle. "I want to be drunk." She stretched out her arms, her fingers along the headboard. "I love it when my muscles feel this relax." She held up her foot and began waving it at the ankle. "Take off my shoe."

Seth sat on the bed and unlatched the silver buckle wrapped around the heel. The little black shoe came off easily. He tossed it on the ground. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," she got up and leaned closer to him. "Kiss me."

Vivian wrapped her arms around his neck. He could smell strawberry on her breath. Seth pulled them away. "Not when you're drunk."

Vivian looked hurt. Or scared. Seth couldn't tell. "Why?" She let her finger run on the scar. "You think I'm not pretty anymore?"

"I still think you're pretty."

"Well if i'm not ugly on the outside, it must be something on the inside." She tried to lean back, but was too drunk to do it in a gracefull manner. She sort of flopped back, bouncing on the bed. "Am I really that ugly on the inside?"

Leaning back had its advantages. She moved her legs this way and that until she had them around Seth's waist. She hadn't done that since the job in Veince. "It wouldn't be any work to strip you naked and have you pinned up against the wall." He leaned forward. "But I'm not going to do it unless you ask me sober."

She had been so close! She had almost brought him to his knees. But this new-found pickiness of Seth's only angered Vivian. "Damn you Seth, you and your cocky little bull. You never could get a girl unless she was drunk. Bet that's how you got busy with that stripper...trainee...pole dancer..."

"Feature dancer?"

"Damnit! I know that!" Her usually slow drawl sped up until Seth could hardly make out the insults thrown at him. "I hope a rattlesnake crawls into your beat-up old boots. Better yet, one of those bozer briefs with the holes in them. I pray you get struck by lightning. IhopethatChevyPOScrashesintotheRioGrandeandyourassgetsshotatbytheborderpatrol --"

"Well damn, I never could resist you when you were pissed." He grabbed her thigh with his left hand and allowed himself to fall on top of her. He kissed her once and then shook his head. "How about a little more participation on your side of the -- Viv?"

Physically exhausted, mentally drained, drunk as a moose, defeated, and rejected by her man, Vivian had passed out snoring, her hair still fanned on the pillow.