For the entire ride back to camp with a huge grin on her face, Sela recited prayer after prayer and made up new ones as well. She tried to remember all the times she had said that her guardian angel must have been looking out for her. Some of the memories were so vivid. Sela smiled, knowing that she really did have a guardian angel and her name was Rose. As Sela got closer to camp, she wondered if anyone would ever believe her and stopped Tempest. She couldn't just waltz into camp and at the top of her lungs announce that everyone's guardian angel would be joining them for the big battle. They'd think she'd gone bonkers or had been out in the sun way too long. She didn't need more people staring at her as if she'd just sprouted turnips out of her ears again, not to mention corn out of her nose.
'For now, we don't say anything. On the other hand, maybe I could test the waters and tell Heckel what just transpired,' she mumbled, petting Tempest. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a hawk, or more accurately, Rose, sitting on a large boulder. The bird flapped her wings. Sela couldn't help but giggle.
After Sela returned to camp and wiped Tempest down, the horse joined Hope down by the river's edge. When she got to camp, Heckel was gutting and cleaning a large rabbit.
'Look what Jerky found for us,' Heckel said proudly.
Wham, like a large two by four upside her head, Sela thought of Jerky. That's got to be Heckel's guardian angel! It has to be. No doubt about it. Sela picked up the large cat and hugged her. Jerky's large, sandpapery tongue licked her cheek and she purred loudly.
'Now there's a picture of love and affection,' Heckel said as he put the rabbit on a homemade spit. After he was satisfied with the proper height of the spit and stoked the embers, he came over and hugged both of them.
Jerky squirmed out of Sela's arms and took off running. Heckel kissed Sela softly and stroked her hair.
'How was your ride? Come across anything interesting?' he asked.
Like a kid with a big secret, Sela grinned and said, 'Hmm, yeah, I'll tell you later.'
Rose drifted down silently and landed on an old gnarled tree nearby. Sela winked at the magnificent bird.
Chapter 28
The saying 'If you want something done right, do it yourself' kept running through Madeline's head as the motor home turned onto I-80. All she needed to do was sneak into Heckel's camp, end his pathetic existence and get on with building her empire.
Overall, the RV made good time until it hit the outskirts of a large city. Then Madeline's cleanup crew had to remove debris and burned-out wrecks. Occasionally, the small entourage would encounter bands of desperate people who had no idea who they were attacking. Madeline would usually let her men deal with them; however, at times she would do a bit of target practice.
The caravan had just entered the edge of Cheyenne when Madeline's driver had to stop the Prevost motor home because of a large man-made roadblock. About twenty people came out from behind a large pile of debris. They were armed with clubs, pitchforks and other primitive weapons. They looked like rejects from a remake of
They all started laughing.
'I'll take that as a no.' Both of her palms immediately produced two energy balls that crackled loudly. She pitched one at a group of men. The ball exploded with a ten-foot energy blast that instantly incinerated the attackers. 'That's the last time you will ever laugh at Madeline Blackwell,' she yelled. As the remaining people dispersed, she hurled the other ball of fury at the roadblock. Debris flew in all directions, clearing the road.
As Madeline walked up the steps of the RV, rubbing her hands together as if they had been soiled, she muttered, 'That was fun. Let's get going. How long until we stop for the night? I'm getting hungry.'
'An hour or so. If my memory serves me correctly, there is an old Good Sam campground in Laramie.'
'Great. After that workout, I'm ready for dinner,' she said, sitting down on the sofa.
'There's some cheese and sausage in the fridge,' Quincy said, driving past the smoldering debris left on the road. 'And a nice cold beer. That should hold you over.'
Smiling seductively, Madeline came up behind her driver, nipped his ear and whispered, 'I'd rather have you for a snack right about now.' Suddenly, the motor home pitched to one side of the road.
The next few days were uneventful and Madeline was rapidly getting bored. It took almost two days to get to Salt Lake City because of the wreckage and debris on I-80. There were numerous turned-over semi-trailer trucks and car piles.
That night, Madeline felt frisky. She invited her driver, Quincy, to join her for dinner. She could tell he was a bit nervous and reticent. So with a bit of batting of her eyes, smiling seductively, and telling him that she was lonely, he was putty in her hands.
'Come back in an hour or so,' she said. 'I need to freshen up a bit. Go tell my chef to have dinner for two.' Quincy nodded politely and left.
An hour later, almost to the minute, he knocked on the door, and Madeline yelled for him to enter. She was in the back bedroom putting on the finishing, glamorous touches. He stood at the front of the motor home with his jaw practically hanging to his knees. Of course, Madeline had that effect on men when she wanted to. She just adored their reactions.
Madeline, knowing that she was dressed to seduce, walked into the room with a strut that would rival any supermodel on a runway. For a top, she chose a sheer black blouse with an enticing black lace bra underneath. Madeline wore black satin Harem-style lounge pants and short black stiletto boots. Those alone were guaranteed to reduce Quincy into a blubbering mass of malleable flesh.
'Good evening, Quincy. Sorry to keep you waiting,' Madeline said, striking a pose near the table. 'Please have a seat. Would you care for an adult beverage?'
'Um…a…well, a…yes, anything's fine,' Quincy said, trying to catch his breath. He spoke like a man who had just received a frontal lobotomy.
Quincy kept staring at Madeline like a deer in headlights as she brought out a bottle of Pendleton. As she reached into the freezer for ice, she lifted one leg behind to reveal a little of the stiletto boots. She could have sworn she heard his heartbeat from across the room and quite possibly the sound of soft panting. She poured two glasses and walked over to the sofa.
'Here you go, Quincy. I hope you like Pendleton,' she said leaning down so that he could get an eyeful of cleavage and a whiff of perfume.
'Terrific. It's been ages since I've had a good whiskey and Pendleton is the best. Thank you,' he said.
Madeline noticed his hand shaking as he took the glass from her. She sneered, knowing he was beyond putty; he was now more like a warm, sleepy puppy. She giggled inside.
They chatted for a while about the trip, the weather and other mundane topics. Every so often, Madeline would switch crossing her knees to flash him a look of her alluring, sexy boots.
A soft knock on the door, followed by an announcement from the chef that dinner was ready, came just at the right time. She was getting bored, not to mention enormously horny. She asked Quincy to go unlock the door. The chef and his assistant came in with several covered plates. A young teenage girl kept sneaking glances at Madeline as she set the table. Madeline smiled at her as she moved her black stiletto boot up and down.
'Will there be anything else, Miss Madeline?' the chef asked.
'Mario that smells absolutely exquisite. No, I'm sure we'll be fine. Thank you.'
After dismissing everyone, Quincy with his best gentlemanly manners, pulled the chair away from the table to
