Part 21
Isis was smart enough to keep her mouth shut with Ashael Redfern fingering her. Dusk Harman looked slightly jealous. She kept her eyes on the road as she drove out of the city, following Ashael's directions into Red Rock Canyon.
~Someone tell me this isn't going to have a *Thelma* *and* *Louise* ending,~ Isis thought.
She had passed on instructions to Raven. There had to be something she could do before Raven arrived. She was an assassin after all. The silence was the most irritating thing, but what did you say to someone who had a knife at your throat?
"So where are we going, anyway?" she asked.
"You'll see when you get there. Keep going down this road until you see signs for the visitor's centre," Ashael said coldly, inspecting her nails.
Isis sighed. She wondered how this girl managed to have any friends at all. She just did as she was told. The hot sun glared into her eyes making things even worse. She didn't move to put the visor down, making sure her hands were on the wheel where they could be seen.
Beside her in the passenger seat Dusk sighed impatiently. "Why do we have to go all the way into the desert to kill them?" she complained.
"If they were witches we could tie them to a stake and leave them the starve in the burning heat," Ashael said with a smile.
"They're *vampires*," Dusk said, her tone slightly icy. "We can still tie them to a stake and leave them to starve with blood lust."
Ashael's eyebrow raised. "Yes, we could."
Isis didn't add to the conversation of more exciting ways to kill her and Raven. Raven was with Alice. Would they bring David with them?
Then something else occurred to her. Ashael's plan didn't seem to involve David at all. She hoped her expression hadn't given anything away. ~David?~ she called to him telepathically. ~David it's Isis. I'm in trouble. Just think what you want to say, I'm powerful enough to hear you.~ She waited. ~Come on, David~ she thought impatiently. ~Answer ,e.~
Dusk glanced over at her, frowning a little. "Can you tell when a vampire is using telepathy?" she asked.
"Not really," Ashael said, eyes narrowing at Isis. "I hope you're not planning something stupid."
Isis shrugged. "I'm trapped with two lunatics plotting to kill me. Forgive me if I change my expression occasionally." Dusk looked like she wanted to say something about the lunatic remark, but then kept her mouth shut. Isis allowed herself a small smirk of satisfaction at hitting a nerve.
She tried to find David's mind again.
~what's wrong?~
He'd heard! And was contacting her. Maybe he wasn't such an asshole as she'd thought. ~We've been caught out.~ She briefly explained the plan.
~What'd you want me to do?~
Isis didn't answer right away. She hadn't gotten that far. She'd only been thinking he could help her. How hadn't occurred to her.
~Evangeline~ he thought top her.
"Turn here," Ashael's voice cut into their silent conversation. Isis pulled her attention back to the road. She had failed to notice they had left the city and were now driving into the desert canyons.
Huge rocks loomed all around various shades of reddy-brown, desolate and barren, yet with something magical about them at the same time.
"Follow the road to the Visitor's Centre. Pay the five-dollar fee and keep going until you reach the first view point."
~How come *I* have to pay~? Isis thought moodily, but continued to drive. ~What about Evangeline?~ she said to David.
~Think about it. She's the only thing we can use to threaten Ashael back. Leave it to me.~
~David?~ The connection was gone. His mind was closed to her. ~David~ Damn him! How the hell was this going to work? She couldn't risk another conversation with Raven.
They were pulling up at the visitor's centre for Red Rock Canyon National Park. Mainly just scenic driving. What was Ashael thinking, leading them into a public area? How could she kill them with so many people around?
Two cars ahead of them was a coach of tourist. Raven and Alice should be on it. David was never going to get Evangeline and get back to them in time.
"Are we there yet?" Dusk moaned.
"Soon. Be patient," Ashael said through gritted teeth.
Isis turned down the road. Ten minutes later they reached the first view point. The tourist bus had already emptied. Raven and Alice were waiting at a picnic table.
"There are too many people about," Dusk complained.
"Shut *up*," Ashael snapped, gripping her arm tightly. "Unless you want me to kill you when I kill them."
"You're insane," Raven said bluntly, glaring at Ashael.
Someone's cell-phone was ringing with the theme from *Mission* *Impossible*. Alice flushed. "It's mine."
"Answer it," Ashael snapped, eyes rolling. Alice did, then held the phone about to her.
"It's David. He says he wants to talk to you."
"What?" Ashael took the phone. "Yes?" Her expression changed to one of shocked disbelief. Isis couldn't help smirking. ~David, if you were here I could kiss you~ she thought.
"You mother - " Ashael began, but was cut off before she could complete the sentence.
"What did you two *do*?" Raven hissed.
"David should have Evangeline. If Ashael's not going to play fair then why should we?" Isis whispered.
"So this whole fucking thing is a waste of time?" Raven's eyes rolled.
"What's going on?" Dusk asked petulantly.
Ashael hung up and threw the phone back at Alice. She was pacing up and down. Her entire plan had gone completely to hell. "David has Evangeline," Ashael said flatly.
"So what the hell was the point of coming all the way out here?"
Isis had to control herself not to slap Dusk. God, could she *be* anymore irritating? She almost felt sorry for Ashael having to train her. The tour bus was leaving. They didn't seem to have noticed Raven and Alice hadn't come back on it.
"So we head back to town," she said reasonably.
"What, leaving these two alive?" Alive snapped.
She had a point. Being stranded in the desert wasn't Isis's idea of a fun time, particularly if there was only one car to get them all back.
Most of the other tourists had disappeared as well. In the west, the sun was starting to set. A deep ball of orange flame sinking behind the mountains. Isis wouldn't have been surprised if a tumbleweed blew past.
The other things missing were a saloon and cowboy hats. And guns and horses, her mind pointed out. It was easier to turn the scene into an image from a Western than deal with what was happening.
She stood up slowly. Ashael smiled cruelly. "What, waiting to see who blinks first?"
"We don't have guns, Mr. Eastwood," Raven said sourly.
"The hell with them," Dusk muttered, tugging on Ashael's arm. "Come *on*." She started walking towards the car. Ashael smiled and followed her.
"They're taking the fucking *car*!" Alice screeched.
"No they're not," Raven said. She and Alice were soon on their feet, charging after Ashael and Dusk, who were scrambling into Isis's jeep. Isis picked up a sharp piece of wood and hurled it at Ashael. It missed her head by less than an inch.
She threw herself into the driver's seat, Dusk jumping into the passenger side. Ashael gunned the engine and the car sped away.
"Great. We're stuck. What the hell are we supposed to do now, call a *cab*?" Alice snapped.
Isis and Raven exchanged glances. At least neither Of them had ended up dead.
"We should have killed her when we had the chance," Raven said tiredly. "We blew it."
Isis nodded. "I know." Her eyes met her sister's.
Alice shook her head. "Don't start getting mushy," she missed. "Hw the hell are we going to get home? We can't call David while he's got Evangeline."
"We'll walk to the highway and hitchhike from there. What else can we do?" Raven said with a shrug.
The visitor's centre would be closed by now. Isis found herself wishing they could be shapeshifters that could fly, saving them the effort of walking. Whether they could survive it was something else.
* * *
Isis was smart enough to keep her mouth shut with Ashael Redfern fingering her. Dusk Harman looked slightly jealous. She kept her eyes on the road as she drove out of the city, following Ashael's directions into Red Rock Canyon.
~Someone tell me this isn't going to have a *Thelma* *and* *Louise* ending,~ Isis thought.
She had passed on instructions to Raven. There had to be something she could do before Raven arrived. She was an assassin after all. The silence was the most irritating thing, but what did you say to someone who had a knife at your throat?
"So where are we going, anyway?" she asked.
"You'll see when you get there. Keep going down this road until you see signs for the visitor's centre," Ashael said coldly, inspecting her nails.
Isis sighed. She wondered how this girl managed to have any friends at all. She just did as she was told. The hot sun glared into her eyes making things even worse. She didn't move to put the visor down, making sure her hands were on the wheel where they could be seen.
Beside her in the passenger seat Dusk sighed impatiently. "Why do we have to go all the way into the desert to kill them?" she complained.
"If they were witches we could tie them to a stake and leave them the starve in the burning heat," Ashael said with a smile.
"They're *vampires*," Dusk said, her tone slightly icy. "We can still tie them to a stake and leave them to starve with blood lust."
Ashael's eyebrow raised. "Yes, we could."
Isis didn't add to the conversation of more exciting ways to kill her and Raven. Raven was with Alice. Would they bring David with them?
Then something else occurred to her. Ashael's plan didn't seem to involve David at all. She hoped her expression hadn't given anything away. ~David?~ she called to him telepathically. ~David it's Isis. I'm in trouble. Just think what you want to say, I'm powerful enough to hear you.~ She waited. ~Come on, David~ she thought impatiently. ~Answer ,e.~
Dusk glanced over at her, frowning a little. "Can you tell when a vampire is using telepathy?" she asked.
"Not really," Ashael said, eyes narrowing at Isis. "I hope you're not planning something stupid."
Isis shrugged. "I'm trapped with two lunatics plotting to kill me. Forgive me if I change my expression occasionally." Dusk looked like she wanted to say something about the lunatic remark, but then kept her mouth shut. Isis allowed herself a small smirk of satisfaction at hitting a nerve.
She tried to find David's mind again.
~what's wrong?~
He'd heard! And was contacting her. Maybe he wasn't such an asshole as she'd thought. ~We've been caught out.~ She briefly explained the plan.
~What'd you want me to do?~
Isis didn't answer right away. She hadn't gotten that far. She'd only been thinking he could help her. How hadn't occurred to her.
~Evangeline~ he thought top her.
"Turn here," Ashael's voice cut into their silent conversation. Isis pulled her attention back to the road. She had failed to notice they had left the city and were now driving into the desert canyons.
Huge rocks loomed all around various shades of reddy-brown, desolate and barren, yet with something magical about them at the same time.
"Follow the road to the Visitor's Centre. Pay the five-dollar fee and keep going until you reach the first view point."
~How come *I* have to pay~? Isis thought moodily, but continued to drive. ~What about Evangeline?~ she said to David.
~Think about it. She's the only thing we can use to threaten Ashael back. Leave it to me.~
~David?~ The connection was gone. His mind was closed to her. ~David~ Damn him! How the hell was this going to work? She couldn't risk another conversation with Raven.
They were pulling up at the visitor's centre for Red Rock Canyon National Park. Mainly just scenic driving. What was Ashael thinking, leading them into a public area? How could she kill them with so many people around?
Two cars ahead of them was a coach of tourist. Raven and Alice should be on it. David was never going to get Evangeline and get back to them in time.
"Are we there yet?" Dusk moaned.
"Soon. Be patient," Ashael said through gritted teeth.
Isis turned down the road. Ten minutes later they reached the first view point. The tourist bus had already emptied. Raven and Alice were waiting at a picnic table.
"There are too many people about," Dusk complained.
"Shut *up*," Ashael snapped, gripping her arm tightly. "Unless you want me to kill you when I kill them."
"You're insane," Raven said bluntly, glaring at Ashael.
Someone's cell-phone was ringing with the theme from *Mission* *Impossible*. Alice flushed. "It's mine."
"Answer it," Ashael snapped, eyes rolling. Alice did, then held the phone about to her.
"It's David. He says he wants to talk to you."
"What?" Ashael took the phone. "Yes?" Her expression changed to one of shocked disbelief. Isis couldn't help smirking. ~David, if you were here I could kiss you~ she thought.
"You mother - " Ashael began, but was cut off before she could complete the sentence.
"What did you two *do*?" Raven hissed.
"David should have Evangeline. If Ashael's not going to play fair then why should we?" Isis whispered.
"So this whole fucking thing is a waste of time?" Raven's eyes rolled.
"What's going on?" Dusk asked petulantly.
Ashael hung up and threw the phone back at Alice. She was pacing up and down. Her entire plan had gone completely to hell. "David has Evangeline," Ashael said flatly.
"So what the hell was the point of coming all the way out here?"
Isis had to control herself not to slap Dusk. God, could she *be* anymore irritating? She almost felt sorry for Ashael having to train her. The tour bus was leaving. They didn't seem to have noticed Raven and Alice hadn't come back on it.
"So we head back to town," she said reasonably.
"What, leaving these two alive?" Alive snapped.
She had a point. Being stranded in the desert wasn't Isis's idea of a fun time, particularly if there was only one car to get them all back.
Most of the other tourists had disappeared as well. In the west, the sun was starting to set. A deep ball of orange flame sinking behind the mountains. Isis wouldn't have been surprised if a tumbleweed blew past.
The other things missing were a saloon and cowboy hats. And guns and horses, her mind pointed out. It was easier to turn the scene into an image from a Western than deal with what was happening.
She stood up slowly. Ashael smiled cruelly. "What, waiting to see who blinks first?"
"We don't have guns, Mr. Eastwood," Raven said sourly.
"The hell with them," Dusk muttered, tugging on Ashael's arm. "Come *on*." She started walking towards the car. Ashael smiled and followed her.
"They're taking the fucking *car*!" Alice screeched.
"No they're not," Raven said. She and Alice were soon on their feet, charging after Ashael and Dusk, who were scrambling into Isis's jeep. Isis picked up a sharp piece of wood and hurled it at Ashael. It missed her head by less than an inch.
She threw herself into the driver's seat, Dusk jumping into the passenger side. Ashael gunned the engine and the car sped away.
"Great. We're stuck. What the hell are we supposed to do now, call a *cab*?" Alice snapped.
Isis and Raven exchanged glances. At least neither Of them had ended up dead.
"We should have killed her when we had the chance," Raven said tiredly. "We blew it."
Isis nodded. "I know." Her eyes met her sister's.
Alice shook her head. "Don't start getting mushy," she missed. "Hw the hell are we going to get home? We can't call David while he's got Evangeline."
"We'll walk to the highway and hitchhike from there. What else can we do?" Raven said with a shrug.
The visitor's centre would be closed by now. Isis found herself wishing they could be shapeshifters that could fly, saving them the effort of walking. Whether they could survive it was something else.
* * *