End of Chapter One:
The Amtrak train raced by, creating a frigid, violent wind.
The refrigerator car, its door wide open, was fast approaching.
It was now or never. Jessie positioned herself in a jumping stance
and let out a deep breath. Using every muscle in her body, she
thrust herself towards the train and grabbed onto the car's steel
bars. Jessie winced as the loud roar of the train wheels filled her
ears. Her fingers grew numb from clutching the bars so tightly.
She swung her right leg up into the car and then climbed the
rest of the way in.
Jessie dropped to the floor in exhaustion. Ice water seeped
through the back of her shirt and jeans, but she didn�t care.
"Well, well," someone said. "Look who decided to drop in. I
bet you're glad you didn't have to open the door to this thing."
He spoke in falsetto. "I think I broke a nail."
She jumped up. Hunter stepped out of the shadows and
sneered, his ivory white teeth shining in the dark. Incensed, Jessie
lunged at Hunter and knocked him down to the vibrating floor.
"Why did you leave me back there alone?" she asked.
"I thought you were behind me the whole time."
"Yeah, sure you did. That's twice now that you've left me in
danger."
"Oh, come on. I saw you half a mile away before I jumped on
the train, and I knew you'd do the same. You're a big girl; you
can handle yourself." Hunter laughed.
Jessie cast him an evil eye and then turned away. She
grabbed a plastic crate and sat down, ignoring the continual
mist of rain inside the train car.
"Guess where we're heading?" Hunter asked.
"Where?"
"West Hollywood, California." Hunter leaned back and rebuttoned
his shirt where Jessie had torn at it. "It's one of the
most wicked, idolatrous states in the U.S. There'll be plenty of
opportunities to deceive, corrupt, and most importantly,
recruit new flesh for Jared's army."
"Maybe I'm done with the evil agenda. Maybe I'm no longer
interested in the coming war." She removed one mud-caked
shoe and rubbed her throbbing foot.
Laughing sadistically, Hunter stomped his boots on the
floor, splashing up puddles of ice water. He rose and grabbed
another crate, placed it across from her, and furled his lip. "You
fool. You'll always want to promote evil. That's who you are,
a wicked Baphomian, hardwired for hell-raising and warmaking,
just like me. Or do you think you're special? Are you
better than the rest of us?"
Jessie lay back and shut her eyes, ignoring Hunter's
question. Maybe she
was better, or maybe she was foolingherself. What if her new desire to live peacefully among the
humans, minding her own business, was nothing more than
delusional madness?
Jessie eyed Hunter. "Why do we have to choose between
Jared Dane and Markus Natimate? You've never considered a
third side, have you?"
"Nope. You're either with Markus, the wannabe God of the
Bible believers, or with Shaytan. It's always been that way, so
get over it."
"Shaytan's dead. To hell with him."
Hunter rose and grabbed Jessie's shoulders, pulling her up
off the crate. His knuckles turned white as he bared his teeth.
"How dare you," he said. "Don't you ever talk that way around
me again. We owe him our freedom and you dare to disrespect
him. If he were still alive, he'd destroy you in the cruelest way,
you traitor."
Jessie snapped her arms up and broke Hunter's grip. She
grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt and then shoved him back. He
clutched the car's doorframe in desperation as one foot slipped
out into the darkness.
Hunter steadied himself. "Your violent nature surfaces yet
again. Hell, you're probably the most violent Baphomian who
ever existed, aside from Shay. And you think you can change it."
Standing nose to nose with him, Jessie felt him trembling.She was so much stronger than Hunter, and he knew that. If
she wanted to end his life, she could. All it took was one little
shove.
But she wouldn't do it, because they had known each other
since they were babies. His parents had been forced to raise her,
and because of their cold, unloving attitude towards her, Jessie
had grown very close to their son and her best friend, Hunter
Kane. She simply couldn't kill the only person who had taken
the time to be there for her, even if he were an insensitive jerk
at times.
Hunter dropped his head and gazed at the ground.
Jessie grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up,
forcing eye contact again. "I don't owe Shay anything. I refuse to
worship him, dead or alive, or to cower at the mention of his
unholy name like so many of you do, so back off."
Hunter swallowed hard. His facial muscles relaxed and his
tone softened. "We'll see what Jared Dane thinks about that.
He rules in Shay's place, after all."
The two locked eyes for an eternal minute, and then turned
their backs on each other. Jessie shook as the anger coursed
through her.
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