Stranger in a Strange Land
"This is it, Mars," Logan said.  "The scariest thing you've ever faced."

They stood on the far edge of a huge parking lot, hot and sweaty from the mile walk from their motel.  At the other edge of the parking lot, hazy with heat, was a familiar blue and grey big box store.  Wal-Mart.  Logan looked at it with interest.  He'd heard so much about it, he hoped it would live up to the hype.  There was a small Starbucks attached to it, with internet access.  After scrounging up supplies, Logan was going to send an email to the address Dick had given him years ago.  He hoped it was still good.

But first, time to gather up supplies.

Logan rolled up his sleeves, pulled his shirt tail out of his pants.  At least he had clean underwear.  He'd offered them to Veronica that morning, after a long night on scratchy sheets, and the look she'd given him still made him grin.  God, what he'd do right now for some Listerine and a toothbrush.  "C'mon, Veronica.  You never faced anything so intimidating, have you?"  An unbidden image of his father blindsided him, and he hunched his shoulders slightly, shook it off.  

"So.  We can blow $100 bucks here.  Just the basics."  He wondered if that included a new Blu-Ray disk of Easy Rider.  He started walking across the heat magnet that was the parking lot.  "You coming?"