Long time ago

Being left alone, Hunter stares at the closed door for several moments, unable to help his disappointment. He'd thought maybe Katie would stick around at least a few minutes more. This was a crummy way to end the night, for sure.

Taking another swig of coffee, he eyes the cot in the corner of the room. He wasn't tired. He was too keyed up yet. Despite being riled earlier from meeting up with Kyle, though, he really didn't feel very irritated at the moment. Alcohol usually did that to him. Mellowed him out, that is. Oh, he'd get a bit wound up if he was with his buddies, but if left by himself, all he'd do was sink deeper into a pit of melancholy that would coat his bitterness and pain just long enough to fool him into thinking he'd found a cure for his misery. He wouldn't tell anyone that getting rowdy with the boys tonight... wasn't really all that much fun.

Alice's question rings in his years and he tries to block it out, taking another long swallow of coffee. Nothing had happened to him. He'd simply chosen to look out for himself for once and it was quite profitable.

Finished with his coffee, he leaves the cup on the table and wanders to the cot, flopping down. Despite being awake, it was more comfortable here than the metal chair...

"...so we released Brad already an hour ago, but decided to hold Hunter a bit longer." Standing outside the cubicle, Reese hands Katie a file to start. It was the next morning, and TJY was once again bustling with activity. "Since that guy you and Gunner worked on before didn't give us any leads as to whether or not the Agency is present at the races, I want to see if you can get anything out of Hunter. I called Eli McKade and he says Hunter is at almost all the races and popular, so he's in the loop. If anything is really happening there we need to know about, he might be the key. If not, we will probably drop the case and assume that the Agency really isn't involved in that circle at all."

Hunter paces the holding cell like a caged animal, his stomach complaining that it hadn't been fed yet. He checks his watch for the umpteenth time. Why hadn't he been released yet? What was the holdup? No one had checked on him yet today - although he had a feeling that the camera up in the corner was doing its job. But why was he still being held? He didn't get it.

Running his hands over his face, he longs for not only some breakfast, but for his toothbrush. It was bad enough having a headache to remind him of what he'd been into the night before, but added on to everything else, this was a pretty miserable way to start the day.


Eric chuckles softly. "Yeah... when I was younger, I always wanted to stay up late. Now I want to go to bed and can't. Go figure."

Scooting back a few inches from the open door, he leans his head back against the stack of hay and studies Stacy across from him. She'd really had a nice time before? If it were true, he was glad. He'd... enjoyed her company too, as he was now.

Turning his head to look outside again, he sighs quietly. "Nice night out. Reminds me of when I was racing. On bright nights, I'd take a horse and run the track just for the fun of it. There was something special about flying down a dark track. I guess sometimes I felt like I was leaving my problems in the dust."

He grins a little sheepishly and shakes his head. "But that was a long time ago."