"Hey, L.T.! I thought you were heading out of town!" Jones grabbed his partner's hand and held on, pulling him into a hug. "You find your lady friend?"
"Yes, she's at her house. Along with her sisters," Dan said.
"Okay," Jones said. "Now explain why there's no house at that address, buddy."
Dan stopped piling gear into his trunk and looked Jones in the eye. "I'll explain later. Things with Megaera and her sisters aren't typical. Their house is very hard to find, but trust me, it's there. I'll take you over when I get back."
"You decided to go camping, without your lady?" Jones asked, eyeing the gear piled in the trunk.
"She's going to meet me there." In went the camp stove and an ice chest, followed by a blow-up mattress.
"I see, and where is 'there'?" Jones grabbed a pair of camp chairs and stuck them next to the ice chest.
"Burning Man," Dan admitted. Why not? It was the truth.
"Man! I've always wanted to go there, but with the wife and kids," Jones said, wistfully.
"I've never been, but I was convinced to give it a try. I need the time in the wilderness given everything." Dan shut the trunk and went to close his garage. He stopped by the door and eyed the inside of his car.
"Forgetting something?" Jones asked.
"No, just making sure I have every... thing I will need," Dan said, smiling. "If not, there's plenty of stores along the way."
"Alright, buddy," Jones said, backing up. "I'll pass it along the woman has been found, and when can I tell the Chief you'll be back?"
"A few days. At most." Dan slowly climbed into his car and started up the engine. He looked around, then whispered: "Bree, you'd better be in here, I have no idea if you're here or not."
"What was that?" Jones said, stopping on the way to his car.
Dan leaned out the window and looked back. "Just talking to myself, Jonesy."
Jones just smiled and walked to his car. He watched as Dan backed out and headed north on the street. In a minute, he was rolling, planning on following his partner to see where he actually went this time.
Dan quickly picked up highway 101 and took it north. Jones was still behind him when he turned onto CAL 41, heading east. Dan raised his hand and waved as Jones broke off the tail, turning back to San Marin.
Dan shook his head and turned to where Brianna was supposed to be. "Jones is suspicious. He probably checked out where Megaera lives and didn't cross into the portal like I did."
Silence answered Dan. He slowed and pulled to the shoulder. He stayed quiet and tried to hear if Brianna was near him. Then he felt a slight tickle on his neck. Remembering that Brianna told him she'd tried tickling him right after the funeral, he relaxed and knew she was there in the car with him.
Now, Dan was heading east on I80, heading up into the mountains and he was taking it easy, enjoying the views. Redwood and ponderosa pines lined the highway, and tall mountains passed on both sides. The road was twisting a lot for an interstate highway, but the view was worth it. He spotted Reno not long after crossing into Nevada. It was well past sundown when he cruised into Reno, and he found a respectable hotel, pulling into the circular drive.
He registered and drove around the building to the side. Room 322, facing away from the highway. He purposely left the entrance door open to allow Brianna to glide past. At least, he hoped she was along with him.
Inside, he found the room, and it was as cold as possible, the AC set on its highest setting. He threw a duffel bag onto the bed and checked the bathroom. He pulled his shirt off, then paused.
"Bree, can you occupy yourself elsewhere? I'd like some privacy to take a long overdue shower and shave, ok?" He waited a minute, looking to see if the door moved. He sighed and walked into the shower.
After a long, hot shower, he checked his shoulder in the mirror. Where the dragon had clawed him was still pink, with no scarring. It felt fine as he rotated his shoulder, so he wrapped up in a towel and walked barefoot to the bed. He stopped and looked around. He had no idea of Brianna was anywhere near, so he kept the towel on as he slid between the clean sheets.
In a minute, he was asleep. The curtain moved a small amount, letting in light from the parking lot. Then it slid back into place. Unheard was a long sigh, and the chair creaked as someone sat in it.
<<<>>>
A rental Recreational Vehicle inched forward as a tall man in a silver harem costume waved it to a parking spot. The man held up his hand, and the driver hit the brakes and stomped on the parking break. The tall man waved and trotted to the next vehicle looking for a parking spot.
Valerie Lowery sat back, and took in the view of the desert stretching out in all directions, ringed in by sizable mountains rising up in the distance. She felt a sense of accomplishment in making this trip from Texas.
The ink on Valerie's divorce had barely dried when she left the courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas, and went straight to the RV rental. The next morning saw her on Interstate-20 heading west, taking a hard right at Albuquerque to head north into Colorado, then across the country to Nevada and up towards Reno.
She stretched, then turned and went into the back. She'd packed quickly, not even thinking about a costume. She figured she was due on hell of a party after finally getting free of that abusive son of a bitch husband back in Hurst, a small suburb of Fort Worth.
It was quick and painless.
He didn't contest the divorce and her employer, the good judge Archibald Vinson, of the 17th civil court in Tarrant County was more than happy to sign the decree. He bid her farewell as she started her three-week vacation, watching her tight bottom as she walked out of court, a free woman. He sighed and sat back. Valerie was his court reporter, and he was happy for her. His long-range plans included potential private talks about her future. If he could shake free from his own wife of twenty-three years.
Since it was only a few days until her fortieth birthday, she figured to turn cougar and stalk some young men. She peered into the mirror and smiled. In the right light and with enough beer, she'd easily pass for thirty-five or six.
A few minutes earlier, she'd passed the official Black Rock City gates and was made to go through the ritual reserved for "Burn Virgins": She was made to exit the RV and roll in the dust.
She slapped most of the dirt off and stripped into the briefest bikini she could find at the mall. After making her decision, she'd spent the last two weeks at a tanning salon getting nice and dark, which went well with her mass of blonde hair and deep brown eyes.
Her heart beating a fast rhythm in her chest, she left off the top and placed two gold peel-and-stick stars to her nipples. Thankfully, her marriage produced no off-spring to sag her breasts or mar her flat stomach. She bit her lower lip and went to the door. She gingerly opened it and stepped out into the blazing hot desert sun.
The first person she saw walk past was practically nude. The woman walking past just waved and kept going. The woman was followed by a man in a bikini riding a unicycle. He waved a canteen at Valerie and kept on cycling.
Suppressing a huge grin, Valerie went to the back of the RV and unlocked her bicycle, then joined the throng heading to the center of the huge semi-circle that made up the playa of Black Rock City.
<<<>>>
Dan turned off of 447 and headed north. He drove until he spotted the signs for the main ranger station. He rolled into the parking lot and watched as car after car drove north towards the festival.
Shaking his head, he entered the small building and went to the information counter. A tall ranger in a fresh uniform began to tell him where the entrance to the festival was, but Dan interrupted him.
"I'm here to camp in the darkness. Maybe a bit north of the festival," Dan said, checking the name tag. "Stephens?"
"Call me Bob," the ranger said, smiling. "A pretty busy time to go camping."
He pulled out a large map and traced a line around the area marked for Burning Man. "The entire playa is huge, and you can set up most anywhere. Just d
on't go into areas where a vehicle is prohibited. Is that your car?" Stephens nodded towards Dan's black Dodge.
"Yes," Dan admitted.
"Best to stay to marked areas then. Weather can shift here in a heartbeat," Stephens warned. "It can rain and you'd be stuck for a good, long while."
Dan left the building after paying the park fee and being shown the best areas to find a spot to camp. He wanted an area where he could try to spot where Sorath might punch through. But that could be anywhere in the area.
He fired up his car and headed north out of the ranger station, only to get stuck in the traffic heading to the festival. It was the only road to the area. He stayed behind cars jockeying for the festival, then he broke away and headed across the flat desert, skirting the edges of the area marked for Black Rock City.
<<<>>>
Furies House
The scene in the living room was one of controlled chaos.
Tisiphone was busy sorting through her preferred weapons; battle axes and throwing lances. She was inspecting each one and placing them into neat stacks that could be packed easily.
Alecto was doing another pass of polishing on an ancient Katana, then gently sliding it home in its saya. She'd take another and begin wiping it deliberately with the cloth. The edge gleamed lethally. A few experimental swipes in the air and Alecto was happy. The blade left a fine smoke trail as the blade sliced through the air, splitting molecules.
Megaera was wrapping narrow leather strips around the new arrowheads, fitting them to shafts of wood with delicate bird feathers as the fletching. She dropped the finished arrow on top of a large stack and picked up the final arrowhead. She carefully fit it onto the shaft and started the process all over.
All three were in their armor, Tisiphone's armor was coated in black enamel, and glistened. Alecto's armor was maroon and Megaera's armor had been repaired and polished so that it gleamed.
Hermes and Gaia walked into the living room.
"I have just received word. Hades' entreaties to the heroes fell upon deaf ears. It appears you will be the only combatants. Don't expect anyone from the Underworld to assist," Hermes told the Furies.
Megaera dropped the final arrow on the pile and sat back. "No one?"
Hermes fixed her with his pale eyes and slowly shook his head. "No one."
Megaera thoughtfully rubbed her lower stomach and she could feel the presence of her son in the womb. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I refuse to raise my child in a world ruled by that lizard-fucking swamp-slime from the 12th dimension."
Alecto nodded as she slipped another sword into his sheath. "Maybe one of us should go have a talk with these so-called heroes."
"I'd do more than talk. They need to have their lazy asses kicked," Tisiphone remarked as she placed a two-handed axe into a leather sling. "Let's pack this up and get rolling. That tremor we felt earlier was probably the portal opening up."
Gaia stepped over to Tisiphone and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have sent word to a few allies across the globe. Hopefully they'll get the message in time."
"Thank you, mother," Tisiphone said, standing. "Let's get this blood-fest on the road, shall we?"
Alecto and Megaera started carrying weapons out to the backyard, where the horses stood ready to morph into motorcycles.
Tisiphone appeared, carrying a pile of leather bags for the weapons. Megaera rubbed Sally's nose, and she shifted into a cream over white fatboy motorcycle.
Alecto's steed morphed into a custom maroon chopper that looked to be speeding when sitting still. Tisiphone's stallion shook, and he morphed into a matte black chopper. She paused and looked back to the stables.
"I'll miss using my chariot. It worked really well last time," Tisiphone asked.
"We really don't have the time to refurbish it," Alecto pointed out.
They quickly finished packing the weapons. The leather bags were a special design that actually allowed them to hold far more mass. A unique type of storage container used by pack rats and the occasional live-in British nanny,
Before the Furies could leave, Thanatos opened the backdoor, waving at them. He strode across the lawn and intercepted Tisiphone.
"Latest word, a small portal has been punched through. Too small to allow them to mass quickly. You might be able to attack Sorath while they're still crossing," Thanatos yelled over the sounds of the motors idling. Tisiphone nodded and twisted the throttle, and let out the clutch. Thanatos stepped back as Tisiphone roared away, followed by Megaera and Alecto.
All three motorcycles left a trail of fire as they rounded the house and shot out between the two trees marking the portal.
With a small flash, they appeared in normal space, roaring out onto the street, disturbing Agnes as she was just settling down to bed. She stuck her head out of her window and frowned as the three motorcycles disappeared down the street.
"Damned kids!" she shouted, then slammed her window down hard enough to rattle the room.
The trio blurred space/time and flew away from the small town and out towards the mountains to the east. The only sign of their passage were a few animals who paused to watch them fly past. Humans could see the Furies, but their brain's special filters kicked in and helped them avoid unnecessary psychological damage due to seeing that other dimensions exist.
Tisiphone kept the Furies at the edge of normal space, just enough in the other space to prevent them from overheating with air friction as they soon hit Mach one. Darkness had settled in as they flew in formation out into the central valley of California, turning slightly to get on a north by northeast heading. The huge Sierras loomed in the distance.
The scenery began to stretch out around them as Tisiphone twisted time and space to arrive in the desert at the exact time.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Burning Man
Revelers gathered in bands of flesh as the sun set slowly over Granit Peak in the distance. At 9700 feet, its peak rose well above the partiers in the desert far below.
At a rave gathering, the music thudded across the desert. Throngs of people in the midst of a mind-altering chemical imbalance were shaking and jumping in time with the music. Glow sticks and neon lighting swirled in the crowd.
Valerie had attached herself to a tall young man, who was eagerly sharing his drug stash with the enchanting dark-eyed woman. Connor, a sophomore from USC, let Valerie lead him around the writhing mass. He knew she was twice his age, but her lean, tanned figure beat out many of his own age. He figured he might as well learn something before getting back to Los Angeles and beginning another semester. He couldn't take his eyes off her breasts. He knew they were most likely enhanced, but they weren't vulgar like a lot of woman he often saw loitering around the campus hangouts.
Valerie was busy trying to remember where she'd parked her RV, and how to drag this guy back to her bed and keep him there. After washing off the grime and dust, of course.
"Hey!" Valerie shouted. "Can we go someplace a bit quieter?" Connor nodded and pulled her away from the crowd. He stopped and looked down at those big, dark eyes. She stared back at him, then she put her hands on each side of his face and pulled. She began kissing him and leaving no doubt in his mind what her intentions were. Now to just find a spot. Anywhere! Then kiss 20 years of virginity goodbye!
For the last three years, Connor had struggled to "seal the deal" with any girl he dated. He had plenty of chances, but something always interrupted them. Like parents showing up home hours ahead of schedule, or more recently, a roommate showing up sick, vomiting all over the bathroom. His date that night almost started vomiting herself as she ran from the dorm room, her fingers pinching her nose.
It wasn't that Connor was ugly or over weight. He was on the high school wrestling team, worked out and spent as much time at the beach as possible. It was just bad luck.
Valerie rubbed up against him, feeling him grow harder. She pulled away. "Reign it in a bit, there! Save something for when we get to my place!" She laughed. He
pulled her back and bent lower. He grabbed her thin waist and lifted her up onto his shoulders.
Lordy! Her ex could barely lift his own ass out of the recliner, much less lift her like a child, Valerie thought as she settled against his thick neck.
Connor grinned and began walking towards where some cars were parked. "Better let me know! Or I'll drop you and do you right here!" He laughed while he bounced her up and down.
Valerie pointed towards a knot of large vehicles in the distance. "That way!"
Valerie whooped as Conner started trotting in the direction of a clump of RVs in the distance.
Well outside the boundary of Burning Man, Dan had set up his small camp. The entire playa spread out to the east. Burning Man was to his south, the dust kicked up by all the people was easy to spot. He had a small fire going, more for the light than for heat, the summer air was still quite warm.
Dan watched the sun set, the high cirrus clouds turned a brilliant watermelon red, reflecting the setting sun. He reflected that the mountain was tiny compared to the mountains in the Underworld. But there were no sunsets. Or sunrises for that matter. He turned and scanned the flat dry lake bed and only saw the festival in full swing to his south. The fires were sending up smudges of orange into the night sky.
He sat on his camp chair and leaned back, looking up, simply watching the darkening sky. He made a note of the few satellites he caught zipping high overhead, catching the final rays of the sun.
Somewhere, Brianna lurked. He'd not seen any sign of her. Not even a small light touch. He hoped he hadn't left her at the hotel, but he'd given her ample time to get into the car, keeping the passenger seat open for her.
Valerie had finished leading Connor to the RV area. She wobbled between vehicles until she spotted the rental. Then she realized there were at least five more RVs painted the same way.
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