with all the guardian angels helping, we would be victorious.
After we left Stockton, I began to get fidgety and nervous. I felt like something dreadful was waiting ahead for me. Sela sensed that I was worrying.
'You all right?' she asked after we started heading north on the interstate.
'Sure, just fine.'
'You seem preoccupied. Talk to me. What's on your mind?'
'Well, I just have this niggling feeling that something is…um…waiting up ahead.'
'Well there is…in Oregon,' she stated matter-of-factly.
'No, sooner than that.'
'Maybe we need to have a small group of men ride ahead. Scout things out a bit,' she offered.
I told her it was probably just me being overly sensitive and cautious. Nonetheless, she rode back and enlisted a few men to ride ahead. They took off and raced past me. As they crested a small hill, I saw three enormous wolves join them.
The day wore on. The sun blistered down on us. Luckily, there were several spots to get water. We stopped frequently to water the horses.
As we were getting close to Sacramento, one of the horses from the scout group came running back. It was covered in blood. Sela jumped off Tempest and caught the horse's reigns.
A barrage of questions, speculation, and emotions raced through the entire group.
Sela finally suggested, 'Maybe we should go around Sacramento? Go over to the coast. Obviously, there's something bad there.'
Quietly, I said, 'It's Madeline.'
Everyone turned and stared at me as I examined the horse. Along with all the blood splattered on the saddle, the horse had scorch marks on its back.
'Clearly, our scouts encountered her. I know it. I can feel it. She's waiting for us.'
Someone took the horse away. Fear, confusion and grief hung in the air like unwelcome visitors.
'As I said, maybe we should go around Sacramento,' Sela said determinedly.
I turned facing north. A sign said I-80 was only two miles away. 'Okay, Madeline, if it's a one-on-one match you want, you got it,' I muttered.
Sela heard me and was about to protest when I said, 'Everyone stay put. Find a campsite for the night somewhere around here. I think there's a fairground nearby. I'm going up ahead by myself and will return when the way is clear. If I don't come back, turn around and find a place to hide.' I mounted Hope and was about to ride off when Sela grabbed the reins.
'I won't leave your side. If you dare to battle Madeline alone, I will be there to-'
I cut her off and said sternly, 'No, you won't. You have our child to protect. That's your number-one job. If Madeline wants to pay us a little surprise ambush, I will more than oblige her and hurt her badly. I will destroy her.'
Sela stared up at me. Tears spilled over the edge of her eyes and streamed down her face. 'Heckel Casey, you better come back to me. Your child needs his daddy and I need you. We all need you.'
I bent down and kissed her. 'Have dinner ready for me. I'll be hungry.'
Leaning back up and ready to take off, I was suddenly hit with twenty pounds of cat. Picking Jerky up off my neck, I looked the cat in the face and said, 'Not this time. I need you to stay here. Just this one time, please. I need to do this alone.' I handed the cat to Sela and took off.
The small crowd that had assembled around us cheered when I took off. 'Send the bitch back to hell, Heckel! You can do it!' The shouts of encouragement were just the thing I needed, considering my insides felt like ice water.
I kept Hope running at a good speed for a while and then backed her down when I saw the crossroads of I-5 and I-80. That odd feeling I was having increased. I sensed Madeline was close. As I passed the interchange to go west on I-80, I saw a woman sitting on the ground by the off-ramp.
'Hello, Madeline. At last, we finally get to have a chat in person instead of those ridiculous little girls you were sending,' I yelled.
'Darn, I was so hoping to surprise you,' she said as she stood up.
'You know, I expected someone a bit more glamorous…um…looking a little more like the witch from Sleeping Beauty. The homeless look really doesn't do it for you. Nice disguise though.'
Madeline threw off the backpack and tattered, dirty raincoat. Suddenly, a flash sparked around her and her appearance changed. 'How's this for glamorous?' Madeline's hair swirled around her head, forming long shiny curls as if they were being styled by an invisible hairdresser. Her clothes changed from rags to a long black cocktail dress with a provocative slit up one side. The clumsy hiking boots with holes transformed into jewel-studded black stiletto high heels.
'Now that's a bit more like what I expected…cheesy cliche.'
'See anything you like?' she asked in her best, breathy seductive tone as her tongue lined her highly glossed upper lip. 'How are you in bed, Heckel? I'm fantastic. I could take you to places you never imagined. Wanna find out? Come on over here.' She raised her skirt higher on the slit side, revealing more of her leg.
'Yeah, yeah, yeah…whatever,' I said as I got off Hope. 'Don't go too far. I'll need you soon enough,' I whispered, slapping the horse's behind. Hope ran back down I-5 and I saw her trot off into a field.
My insides began to seethe with the power that I had come to embrace.
'Heckel, I'll make a bargain with you. You lie down and die and I let all your happy little followers live.'
I laughed heartily and replied, 'Madeline, you must take me for a fool. I know full well if you kill me, you will waste no time in eliminating everything that remains good on this planet.'
Madeline walked closer to me. I saw blue fire swirling in the palms of her hands. At the same time, the energy inside of me gathered force.
'I'll take great delight cutting that baby out of your pretty…'
That pushed my button. Before she could even finish that sentence, I threw my arm at her as though I were a determined pitcher trying for a no-hitter. A wide bolt of lightning flashed from my hand. The bolt hit Madeline in the chest and threw her backward.
'Now that's not very fair,' she said menacingly as she got up. Instantly, she pitched two balls of spiraling blue flame at me.
I jumped out of the way. The balls struck one of the pillars of a nearby overpass. Concrete flew in all directions. A small chunk hit the side of my head. Blood streamed down the side of my face.
As I was wiping my face, she lobbed two more balls.
I put both hands up to block the approaching attack and the shield took the blast. Madeline ran closer to me with two more blue balls rolling around in the palms of her hands. Before she could throw them, I sent two of my own blasts at her.
The force took her by surprise and sent her crashing into the wall of the overpass. I didn't hesitate and sent bolts of lightning at her repeatedly. Her screams were so loud that I had to block my ears.
She got up and ran to the open ground outside of the overpass at the edge of the off-ramp. I ran after her, determined to kill her.
As I approached, she hit me with one of the balls of energy. It threw me a good twenty yards to the other side of the road.
Getting up, I spotted a nearby construction site. There were piles of rebar. I used the force inside me to pick up a small pile of the rebar and flung it at her.
She threw more fire at the rebar, melting most of them. However, one of the spears made it through the fire and pierced her in the chest. More screams.
I didn't hesitate again and hurled more energy bolts at her.
She tried to pull the rebar out of her chest and one of the lightning spears I launched landed at the tip of the rebar. The electrical charge made Madeline sizzle and spasm uncontrollably. Her long, sexy curls unfurled and her hair began to burn. She continued to thrash and tried to pull the rebar out of her chest. The metal had cauterized her skin around the wound. She fell to the ground.
