The visions kept reappearing in his head; visions he couldn’t explain. Visions of a woman naked, shrouded in mist holding her arms high to the sky chanting something he didn’t understand. He couldn’t sleep because of the dream of the same scenes and having been up for almost twenty-eight straight hours he was mentally shot. All the same, Viper walked into the diner and picked a booth toward the rear where he could see all who entered and everything going on around him.

He ordered black coffee noting the waitress seemed distracted to the point of asking him twice what he wanted in his coffee.

"What seems to be the problem? You have to write down I want black coffee?"

"I’m sorry, It’s just this lady sitting next to the front door has caused a stir with some of the men this morning and I’ve been kinda watching her."

"Is it a problem with any of the riders?"

"Well, sorta. Two guys came in about thirty minutes ago. Looked at her and turned white as ghosts. One of ‘em even had to be helped outta here he was so shook up."

"What went on? Did they say anything outta the way to her?"

"No. That’s just it. They didn’t say a word just saw her sitting there and it was as if she put a spell on ‘em or something. They turned butt and almost ran over each other trying to get out the door. Except for that one guy. I thought he would pass out. I honestly never saw anyone turn that white so fast."

"Is this woman still here?"

"Naw. She left just a minute or two before you came in."

"What’d she look like? You get her name?"
"She was really pretty. Short black hair, really nice figure, dark skin and wore very little makeup. Has a sorta style about her, you know, like she’s got some sorta class. Riding in a cute little sports car too. Oh! And she was wearing this really strange looking necklace. Like some sorta pagan god or something."

"So what went on with them?"

"Nothin’, Like I said . They saw her and high tailed it outta here real quick."

"You know the guys names?"

"I heard one of ‘em called Franco but I don’t know what the others name is. ‘Cuse me, I’ll bring your coffee."

"Never mind. I’ve got some business to attend to anyway." He said fighting off the chill that suddenly came over him sliding out of the booth he began walking toward the door.

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The rain had left pools of water everywhere and in some places a mist of steam came oozing from the pavement like Jennies being set free from their confinement.

Gin sat on the tailgate of the truck sipping a coke talking to Heather.

"I really don’t like the looks of some of the things happening around here." She whispered.

"Yeah. I know what you mean. That little tramp Terri is gonna get her butt stomped if she’s not careful."

"Yeah. That too. But what I’m talking about is the way everything is so screwed up. I mean, we only stopped for the night and here it is almost mid day and no one has even suggested we move on. Merritt is out of sorts. Snow is beside himself with worry. Viper can’t seem to keep a clear thought going for more than a minute. Jodi is so distraught she had to take a sedative to sleep. And on top of it all Franco and Raptor are just plain nuts. I saw the two of them a while ago packing up their gear and when I asked where they were going Franco just looked at me like a wild eyed badger and said if I had any sense I’d beat the hell outta this place right now."

"I know what ya mean. Nadu said something of the same thing. She said we had awakened a Great Spirit that would follow the snake until justice is served. Didn’t make a bit of sense to me."

"Well all I know is I’m tired and if we don’t get someone to get this together soon and be on our way I’m going to go stark raving crazy."

"Hey! I heard some of the guys talking about going to a place called Dooley’s after while. You wanna cruise down there and party some?"

"Yeah, why not. Let’s go check on sis I've got some news for her but I'm not waking her. I need to see Viper too, he's got a lot of explaining to do before Jodi comes around. I’m about ready to get something going with somebody. I’m tired of being alone and if what's going on that I hear is going on Viper is gonna his hands full in more ways than one. "

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The struggle to stay awake was getting to be more than Viper could handle. He had to get some sleep.

He had just walked out of the diner when Raptor and Franco came screaming by on their bikes. Looking like two mad men from a horror movie they didn’t slow to say anything and kept their eyes toward the road leading out to the interstate.

He looked around the campground and saw Gin and Heather headed toward Heather’s bike. The place was almost deserted but for a few children playing around the pool while their parents sat sipping whatever beverage they chose. The smell of new rain lingered as the sun had popped out and the temperature began once again to climb. The humidity was also rising and the air was thick making it a labor to breathe. Sweat popped out all over his body and yet he felt chilled. Felt as if he needed more oxygen than he could take in.

His head hurt so badly he felt it would simply explode and his body ached as if he’d been in a fight.

He headed to the spot where they had kept the truck, noticed it gone and began to look for Jodi. Several minutes later he found her curled around a small scrub over which she had tied one of the tarps they had brought just for such an occasion. He crawled under the cover and stretched out next to her lying on top of the sleeping bag instead of sliding inside with her. Almost at once he drifted off to sleep and was keenly aware of the presence of someone.

The dream came almost as immediately as the sleep. Again, the nude woman arms upraised toward the sky covered in a shroud of mist. He knew this woman, or at least had a sense of knowing her from some other time or place. She looked the world like Halle Barry the actress. Beside her were the bodies of yet another woman and a man while off to the side stood two more men who until now he hadn’t recognized as Franco, and Raptor. A third man was kneeling in front of her, hands tied behind his back.

The scene changed and he had a good look at the woman’s body lying on the ground, a young girl who could have been this woman’s twin. He knew this girl but from where? Had they perhaps met at some point he couldn’t remember? Although he couldn’t remember where he had seen her the name he had been searching for suddenly came to him. Melissa? A young beautiful girl who had met a tragic and untimely death at the hands of a murderer who had never been caught. The more he looked the more confused he became and yet the clearer the picture became. As she turned and looked at him not only in his eyes but his mind as well he felt at once her wrath. As she turned away from him and looked at the man kneeling he began to feel the heat. At first it was almost undetectable but gradually became more intense until the man vanished in flame.

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The late afternoon sun had dried all but the bigger puddles and the hot humid air hung heavily as Viper opened his eyes. After only five hours sleep he felt amazingly refreshed. He glanced to where Jodi had been lying and saw she had gone and in her place a small note saying she had went to check on Merritt.

Within a matter of minutes she was back. Her eyes full of fury her beautiful auburn hair flying as she made her way to where Viper was sitting on the park bench.

"You have something you wanna tell me? She asked

"Yeah, Good afternoon." He answered brightly. " Nice and hot ain’t it?"
"Not nearly as hot as it’s going to be." The tone of her voice alerted him.

"What’s got your panties in a wad?"

" You damn it! Now just answer my question. Do you have something you need to tell me?"

"Woman, what are earth are you talking about? You come to me after I’ve been asleep for five hours asking if I have something to tell you and I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now you tell me, what’s on your mind!"

" I’m talking about you and Merritt."

"What about me and Merritt? There’s nothing to tell."

"You’re sure?"

"Yeah, I’m sure. Cut the crap will ya? What the hell are you getting at?"

"I talking about you and Merritt having an affair! What do you think I’m talking about?"

He looked at her as if she were crazy. "WHAT? Where did you get an idea like that?"

" From Terri. She and I were just talking and she told me the whole story. She said you and Merritt were going at it behind a shed when we stopped at Bama’s."

"Holy Mother! What did she say? I can’t believe this!"

"Apparently, she caught the two of you going at it! Now YOU tell me! What the hell is going on?"

He looked at her. God she’s so beautiful…What in the world is Terri up to?

"I have no idea what she’s talking about. I knew Merritt several years before you and I met. We had a brief relationship and I hadn’t seen until she showed up at DDT’s with Snowman. As for the two us going at it at Bama’s I haven’t the foggiest notion what Terri’s talking about. Merritt and I were talking about the ride but that was late in the afternoon and there were several people close by. That’s ALL that happened!"

"Well that’s NOT what’s being told around camp!"

"I can’t help what’s being told. I’m telling you there is NOTHING going on between Merritt and myself. Why don’t you and I go find Terri and let her tell ME the story."

"No. I think I’ve heard about all I care to hear. I don’t know what’s happened to you since we left home but whatever it is I think I don’t want anymore part of it. You go find Terri or Merritt or whomever you damn well please but you stay away from me! You got that? You just stay the hell away from me!"

She turned and started to leave then turned to face him. "What’s happened to you Viper? I don’t know you anymore. I just don’t understand."

He started to speak but she turned and walked away.

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