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impossible to see even the outline of his features. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, but the edges of his lip quirked up, giving the strange impression that he liked what he was seeing.
    “Where are we going?” Oliver asked.
    The van turned out of the police station parking lot and soon they were on the highway, going north. The police officer did not respond, instead he simply sped up and merged into the left lane of the highway. The exterior of the van rattled as the speed increased, and Oliver wondered if the van was made to go fast at all.
    They drove for some time , he didn’t know how long. Oliver felt his eyes drifting shut as the days of fitful sleep caught up with him, but every time his lids drooped too far an uneasy feeling rose up inside of him and jolted him back awake. The suffocating desert heat of Memphis soon gave way to the cooler hills of West Virginia. When twilight approached, the van took a sharp left into a rest stop. A blinking, neon sign read "1-81 N Stop N' Sleep". Oliver peered out of the window as the van pulled into the drive. The police officer put the car in park, and hopped out, walking towards the blinking mini mart in the parking lot.
    The parking lot was almost completely empty , save for the mini mart. It looked brand new, and it stood out, with its blazing neon lights against the dark night. Behind the stand, rows of sleeping trucks grazed with their lights off. The door shook and the police officer stuck his head in and looked through the partition. He still wore his black shades, and the steel frames glinted. Oliver never liked it when he couldn't see a person's eyes. This meant, he reasoned, that it was impossible to tell what they were thinking.
    "We're stopping for the night. Let's get a snack here, and then you'll need to tuck in. " The police officer spoke for the first time in several hours. His voice was softer this time, understanding almost. He walked around the van, and swung the door open on Oliver's side. Oliver jumped when the cool night air hit his face. He shuffled awkwardly out of the van, cuffs jangling as he did.
    The mini-mart was astutely named. Oliver had to wait until the police officer walked in before he was able to shuffle in, as the doorway was not wide enough for the both of them. At the counter, a scruffy man puffed heavily on a cigarette. He sat back, eyes obscured by a ratty bas eball cap. A Maxim magazine sat folded down on his lap and he peered down at it occasionally, lips curled into a gross smile. As Oliver stepped inside, the metal detectors on either side of him began to ring.
    The man at the counter jumped up and his magazine crashed to the floor.
    "It's alrighhhhhhht, Jeb. There's nothing to see here."
    The officer's voice came out clear and commanding once more. The man, Jeb , looked around frantically for a moment before his eyes settled on Oliver.
    He narrowed them and snorted. "Oh. It’s been a while, Lox."
    He bent down to pick up his magazine and flipped through a few pages before setting it on the counter in front of him. He leaned forward against the glass box that he sat in and spoke in a “whisper” that was clearly meant for Oliver to hear.
    "Where'd you get hi m?" His eyes lingered on Oliver, and he sneered as he looked Oliver up and down.
    "Aww, c'mon Jeb. Oliver, get yourself a snack." Almost as soon as the words had come out of the officer’s mouth, Oliver darted over to the snack and drink area and away from Jeb's penetrating gaze. As soon as he was far enough away, he lowered his head, eyes firmly locked on the rotating corndogs in front of him, but ears zeroed in on the conversation behind him.
    "Ya'll are headed…" Jeb paused abruptly.
    "Yeah, we are." The officer said quickly.
    "A bad one, huh?"
    "Not the worst we've ever had."
    “Where you coming from?”
    “Tennesse e.”
    “Roads are bad around here. Couple of truckers, again.” The officer nodded and laughed. “Ruining it for everybody.”
    “You got