The autumn winds were already welcoming in the next season with an early retirement. Barely into October, and the trees were dressed in winter bareness. Clutching his jacket closer to his shivering body, Jacob turned in toward the alley to escape the racing winds. The brick buildings on either side of him offered protection from the cold fingers, which wrapped around his face and slapped his bare neck.

His pink hand reluctantly left his pocket for a quick moment to show him that it was half past five. They were supposed to meet at 5 o'clock, but an extra allowance of 30 minutes was always added when it came to Drew. The city turned gray every day about this hour; the cracked and trash-strewn pavement horizoned with the stern concrete and mirror buildings as the overcast winter sky engulfed them both.

Drew statued himself on top of a black dumpster- probably green once, but now wrapped in a layer of soot. Meditating, Drew did not see Jacob coming up. He was lost in his thoughts; There were only three days left until the reunion and they still had not found Alicia's replacement.

"Katherine was checked out today,"said Jacob, to wake Drew.

"How did she do?"

Jacob shook his head then jumped up on the dumpster next to Drew, both with their legs drawn up to avoid the dark stain soiling their clothes. From his back pocket Jacob pulled out a photograph with a corner torn off. Despite the smiling family pictured in the park, an odd gloom dominated the picture- it's source being a small girl, barely visible from the right, bottom corner where a piece was missing. He handed it to Drew- who immediately recognized the negative impression it left.

"She's too old," he said of the 8yr old girl pictured. He gave the picture back to Jacob and continued staring ahead of him.

"This is nine years old. About seven months ago, she disappeared. It was called a kidnapping and her parents suspected she was with a man they had warned her about. I think she went with him willingly."

"Her sugardaddy boyfriend?"

"He was one of her kind."

"One of us?"

"I think she was scared because her parents wouldn't understand. She needed to be with someone who knew what she was going through. They haven't heard from her since."

"He'll take care of her. We're not detectives. Why are you even worrying about it?"

"She's pregnant." Drew then understood the importance of the girl in the picture.

"Adia?" A man in a white lab coat was standing by the entrance of the doctor's office, studying the notes on his clipboard.