After Hours

[ECKS]

2:16 a.m.

(After about a days ride ECKS comes to a bar, the parking lot is empty except for one car that might be the owner's. Not sure what time it is he pulls into the parking lot hoping that someone is still inside. Pulling his bike to a stop he hops off and removes the hood from the second jacket he's wearing under his leather jacket. He stops for a second to pop his neck then walks to the door. It's unlocked, so he lets himself in. After walking down a short hallway he comes to the bar, and the bartender, who has yet to notice him.)

ECKS: "You still servin,' old timer."

(The bartender gets a little startled at the voice as he turns to see ECKS.)

Bartender: "Scared me. But no, sorry, I'm closed for the night."

ECKS: "Come on, you can't just give me one beer. Been ridin' all day."

(The old man's expression doesn't soften at all. So ECKS tries a different approach. He motions to the tip jar.)

ECKS: "Leave you a really good tip."

(Smirking the old man reaches under the bar and grabs a beer. He pops the top and hands it to ECKS.)

ECKS: "Thanks."

Bartender: "Ridin' all day, eh? Where you headed to that's so important you gotta get to it in a hurry like that?"

ECKS: "I guess you could say... I'm goin' to meet my maker."

(With that ECKS takes a drink and the bartender goes back to cleaning up.)

[ECKS]

2:56 p.m.

(After several more hours of traveling on his bike ECKS reaches the point where he must continue on foot. The coordinates given are in a direction that no known roads go. So he walks his bike behind some trees to keep it hidden from site, removes his back pack, and slides in onto his shoulders. He glances down at the coordinates again.)

ECKS: "Still got a long way to go, but I can't stop now. I've come too far now to not take this all the way. I just hope he didn't brainwash her the way Stryker tried to brainwash me. That maybe she'll still remember me."

(ECKS puts the photo back in his jacket pocket and looks around. Finding the right direction he starts walking. The trees get thicker and thicker as he walks. He looks back and in the distance, almost out of site lies the northern bank of Alkali Lake. A place with so many memories, so many nightmares. After looking down for a second, lost in thought, he turns his back and starts walking again.)

[ECKS]

(After a few hours of driving and another hour or so of walking ECKS and Ana finally reach his bike, still hidden right where he left it. He loads his back pack into the side bag and hops on. She hops on behind him.)

ECKS: "You better hold on, darlin.'"

Ana: "Of course."

(She wraps her arms tightly around his waist as he starts the bike. Just as before he revs the engine a few times before going to warm the engine. He slowly drives it back to the road and points it in the direction of home then takes off.)

. . .

(Close to an hour later they come back to the bar that ECKS went to before. This time it's just opening so ECKS pulls in again. After parking the bike he gets off and starts to walk in. Ana motions toward the outside bathroom.)

Ana: "I'll be just a second, you go ahead."

(ECKS nods and walks in. The same bartender is at the bar. A few people are in the back playing pool but the bar itself is still empty. ECKS takes a seat.)

Bartender: "You again. 'Nother beer?"

ECKS: "Yeah. Just a beer."

Bartender: "So, you find what you were lookin' for?"

(Just then Ana walks in and takes the seat next to ECKS.)

ECKS: "You could say that."

(The bartender holds out a second beer and hands it to Ana.)

Bartender: "On the house."

(ECKS and Ana both share a look then thank the bartender. After finishing ECKS drops a $10 in the tip jar and they leave the bar. Soon after they're on his bike and on the way back home.)