Hello folks, MasterFran is back again. The break after the last chapter was far too long for my taste, but I just didn't manage to complete the next chapter sooner. I apologize for that and hope you forgive me the wait. For that I will finally publish chapter 26 of the story today. We will finally embark on the next journey in search of origins. But I won't tell you more! Have fun!
It was exactly 3:30 a.m. when the alarm clock rang relentlessly. Cassie's eyes ached painfully from fatigue as she tried, with a haphazard clap, to turn off the monster. After an eternity, her hand finally found the switch, which instantly allowed peace to enter the room. Already in that moment, her eyelids twitched mercilessly downwards and she had to pinch herself in the stomach, not to fall asleep again.
Exhausted, she straightened her body, trying hard to locate Mileena's outlines in the darkness of the room. But she could see neither her body nor hear her usual growling snore. So she wasn't here, perhaps probably never been after she has returned only a few hours ago of their planning work in the basement. Her fingers clutched the folder again, containing all the documents for her trip. This concept of what they had laboriously put into place would even help them to survive in the future. She quickly got dressed and left the shed to look for her.
The cold surprised her even worse in the morning. Disgusted by the 1000 pinpricks that seemed to pierce her skinless areas, Cassie pushed her scarf up to just below her eyes and pulled her headband over her eyebrows. She didn't dare to call for Mileena. It was part of her deal with Jacqui to get out of the yard before Jax knew about it, and that left them with just over an hour to spare. The less noise she made, the better.
Still, a faint rattle caught her attention, not far from the shed. It came from the tractor barn. She hurried through the darkness and peered carefully through the half-opened wooden gate. Cassie had been hoping for Mileena's return, but it was Jacqui who screwed in the faint glow of an oil lantern in the engine compartment of one of her many SUVs and cursed under her breath.
"You could have woken me!" She yawned loudly and strolled over to her. Jacqui glanced up at her and laughed. "Please, look at you." She gave her a kick with her hip. "You have had enough stress over the last few days. Give yourself a little rest."
She just shook her head slightly, suspiciously examining the battered jeep. "And that thing is supposed to rock us to Nevada?" Jacqui looked almost outraged. "That may be a JK from 2007! But he is still reliable. Besides, we don't want to glow like a pack of colorful dogs." She slammed the bonnet. "By the way, Dad will hardly miss this one in his garage. Better for us." She was smart, her friend, Cassie had to admit.
"The car is ready to go. I have enough money for refueling. You can share things to change with me." Her gaze rested on the crumpled things that belonged to her mother, whom Cassie had taken from the island. "We'll pack our lunches in the trunk." In addition to the most important plans, they had spent the other half of the night piling up food from the pantry. Mainly canned food such as ravioli, chocolate bars, gummy bears and lots of chips and crackers. It was not nutritious, but perfectly adequate for less than a week.
She had piled her bags in the backseat, including two simple handguns and lots of painkillers for an emergency. Cassie helped her friend carry the heavy box of provisions. "Only this heavy colossus and we are ready to go." Gasped Jacqui with beads of sweat on her forehead. "And, by the way: Where did Mileena go?"
So she hadn't seen her too. "She wasn't here the whole night." Cassie just said. Her friend shook her head and grabbed the trunk door with one hand. "This is, again, typical Outworlder." She scolded. "I swear, if she doesn't show up in time then ..." She never finished her sentence. Because at that moment, she opened the door where the first dead rat fell at her feet. Jacqui roared and dropped the box to the ground. "Yuck, that's mangy!" She shouted hysterically. Cassie clenched her teeth, afraid that she might now wake up half the farm with her insults, but fortunately she was just about to pull herself together. She swallowed and stared blankly into the half-open trunk, where a good three dozen dead rats piled up and gave off a pungent odor. "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
Disgusted she kicked the dead animal with her shoe in a high arc of it outside the lamp cone. The rodent was swallowed by two flashing rows of teeth in the dark. Jacqui narrowed her eyes in annoyance, hissing Mileena's name, in whose throat the rat had just disappeared. "Where the hell have you been?!" she snapped. Cassie punched her in the ribs. "Calm down, JB!" She hissed through clenched teeth. Jacqui glared at her. "I'm not going to calm down now!" She quipped. "There's a bunch of dead rats in my trunk. And I want to know who that was!"
Mileena casually sipped the rat's tail like a spaghetti and hitched a bit. "These are my rats, which I had painstakingly captured tonight. I had them piled up there as a supply." Jacqui looked like she was about to vomit. "That's absolutely disgusting! You don't seriously believe that I drive these stinking carcasses through half the States?"
The Tarkatan snorted in annoyance and eyed a rifle with pickled cheese ravioli. "Do you think I'm eating something of that bullshit? Or shall I nibble on your belly fat instead?" Her pupils had narrowed to small slits. "I'm a damn carnivore! What else would you feed me with for the next few days?"
"All right, fine." She hissed. "I got it." Cassie raised her voice somewhat sheepishly. "Do I remember correctly that you also eat beef?" She nodded curtly. "Bovine? Edible for me." She looked at her friend now. She seemed to understand what was going on in her head. "You seriously think I'll just give out our expensive Angus meat?" She said with a sarcastic undertone.
"Is there anything else left? We are running out of time and discussing packed lunches. If we get started with these problems, we can go to bed right now." Cassie replied impatiently.
Mileena, meanwhile, tore a leather bag from her belt and tossed it to Jacqui. "I got it, too." She growled. "How much do you need?"
Fifteen minutes later, they had disposed of the remaining rats out of the trunk. Respectively, Mileena had eaten them all. In addition to the large food box, which would share the two girls, another bag was deposited with a total of 45 kg of beef steaks and leg slices. Jacqui repeatedly shook her head and finally slammed the door. "How can you eat that much and still look like a supermodel?" Mileena chuckled. "Should that be a compliment?" Jacqui stared dumbly at her. "If you don't count your head, then yes." Her triumphant expression collapsed. "Busted." Cassie whispered, suppressing a laugh. She looked relieved at the car. They were finally done with the preparations. Now they could start.
Jacqui seemed to think so too. "We all fit in the front. I drive, Cassie, you go to the passenger seat next to me, Mileena, your seat is at the window." She clarified. Playfully, Cassie put on a disappointed face. "Why is she allowed to go to the window and not me?" She gave her a slap. "No kidding now, you kidhead. Get in!"Cassie slid forward to her assigned seat and patted the seat next to her. Mileena looked uncomfortable as she mistrustfully climbed into the vehicle and lay down on the seat next to Cassie. She sighed. "You've never driven a car, right?"
She almost shook her head in embarrassment. "Of course I had blown up a few and gutted the inmates in the fight against Earthrealm ..."
"Thanks, enough!" She said loud and cutting. "Then it's better now, you sit back, relax and enjoy your view."
"What a view, Cass?" Jacqui mumbled and closed the driver's door. "It's black outside and before it gets light, we're already on the highway. Romantic asphalt everywhere." She showed her only the middle finger. "Don't always ruin everything, JB-Idiot." She just laughed. "I'm just right, but you never admit that."
Energetically she turned the key over. To her great relief, the engine jumped without complaining and chugged contentedly. Jacqui nodded satisfactorily. "I tell you, you can always count on a good JK." She would regret that sentence later, Cassie thought silently, not at all convinced of the car. But it was better than walking, always.
Her friend put in the gear and accelerated gently out of the barn. Luckily the engine wasn't too loud. Their chances, without attracting the attention of the other farm dwellers were very good. There was only one person who didn't miss an adventure again. In the cone of the headlamps, you could see his outlines in the darkness as he cowered on the edge of a road. Jacqui stopped beside the hooded man and rolled down her window. "What are you still doing here? And especially in this cold?" She whispered to him. "I just wanted to wish you good luck." Kung Jin replied in a subdued voice. "Be careful. And if you find Black, do not upset him if you seek answers." He rubbed his hands together. "I won't guarantee if he knows anything about the legends of that time. But it's a chance you have to use."
She nodded. "And you, take care of my dad!" She sharpened. "I rely on you to keep silent about this matter!" He took his hand at heart level. "Word of honor, as I am a Shaolin." He oathed. "See you in a few days, big one!" She closed her window and was about to drive on, as Jin suddenly stood in front of the car.
"Wait a minute." He called from outside and hurried to the other side. Cassie quickly lowered her disk and looked out of the car at the young monk. "Yes, Jin?" He exhaled and patted her on the shoulder with his left hand. "I am glad that our team is finally complete again." She smiled gratefully. "And I'm glad to finally be with you again." Her fists touched amicably. "Thank you, Jin! For everything!" He smiled and nodded.
"Let's move out, soldiers! Buckle up, heads into the vehicle!" Jacqui chimed in between. Cassie pulled her head back into the car and her friend let the engine roar briefly before the three of them raced across the grounds. The tires crunched loudly as they passed the entrance gate to the farm and shot at the gravel road leading to the forest road, into the unknown.
Cassie's search for Leatherface would finally begin. Thanks to her friends, she now had a sensible plan. More or less. And this led the three of them directly to the magic city of Las Vegas!
I sincerely thank you again for reading and of course I am pleased about your reviews or new favs and followers who are already burning to learn how the story goes on. I am trying to hurry with the update. However, it may take a little longer because of my relocation because I finally go to a university to study biology. But I'm doing my best in the world. See you soon!