The trip into town's quieter than usual, and I know why. Instead of trading insults up and down the aisle of the old school bus like they usually do, Randy and his guys are talking real low in the back seat. I stare out the window, trying not to think about what a mess of rotten eggs they're hatching. The storm's passed over -- no clouds in the sky and sunshine so bright it hurts my eyes. Like home, blue sky and sunshine.

       "Listen up, you guys," Dan tells us as he pulls the bus in at the back of the supermarket parking lot in the little beach town. "You remember the drill. You've got one hour here along Main Street. We'll go into the store so you can buy chips or pop and then we'll walk down to the Arcade and you can play some video games. I'm right here with you, so watch your step. We head back at four o'clock sharp. Got it?"