It has been a while. Just to sum up, Josef's trapped in a remote corner of India and he called Mick to get him out. I think I will be updating and finishing this story in the next few weeks. I would suggest rereading the beginning, just to get back in. I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but I hope you find it to your liking!!!

Enjoy!!!

Going to Hell in a Hand Basket

"Stay out of the sun." Josef grumbled as he hung up the phone. Well isn't Mick the comic relief? How the hell am I suppose to stay out of the sun in India?! Josef thanked the old man with the phone the best he could and then tried to figure out how he was going to spend the day.

Josef wandered down the street (which was more a gap between houses than an actual street) and sat down under the shade of the large tree in the center of the tiny village. A brick platform had been built up around it, making it a gathering place, and if his memory didn't fail him, and kind of town hall. Josef was reminded how many great Indian philosophers sat beneath large trees teaching their knowledge to all who would listen, and now he understood why. If you had to sit all day contemplating life in this God-forsaken-hell-hole, you'd want the shade of a nice tree too.

Jaipur… How the hell was he suppose to get to Jaipur? Josef looked around. Some of the other villagers had come out of their homes to stare at him. He noticed the lack of women on the street, but he caught sight of a few peering eyes and quickly closed curtain from the upper levels of some of the homes.

A few of the men tried to talk with him, but the old man at the phone booth would wave them off. Josef could feel the suns effects on his body. Even with all the clothes and the shade he felt weak. He needed blood, but was afraid to drink the small reserve he had for fear he'd find no more.

The boy, Arman he'd said his name was, was setting outside his father's house, watching Josef. He'd step closer every few minutes, but every time Josef looked at him the boy would retreat.

What did the boy say…there was no bus…how the hell was he suppose to get out of here without a bus? Josef motioned of the boy to approach. He needed directions and he needed to get out of the sun, NOW!

The boy approached. He wasn't afraid of Josef, well he was, but not because he was a vampire, he was afraid, because he was so foreign and yet he was also interested in him because he was so foreign. Josef could see it in his eyes and he knew how it felt. It had been a long time, but he had been many paces that were both fascinating and frightening.

"Where is Jaipur?" Josef asked the boy, slowly. The boy pointed towards the west. Josef stood up and looked in the direction the boy pointed all he could see was more desert. Great! This is not going to help me…

Josef started to walk towards the desert, but the small boy grabbed his hand, stopping him. "You die," the boy said.

Josef closed his eyes and took a frustrated breath, did all these people know what he was…

"It take many day to get, you die of thirst."

Josef shook off the relief that they did not know what he was. He hardly needed an angry mob on his tail, but in his experience, when it rained, it poured. It's why he hated the rain, not that he'd refuse some right now, the cloud cover would be a relief. I guess you don't get to be a desert by having monsoons, why couldn't I landed in a shadier, wetter, area? Where is the tropical paradise when you need one?

The boy ran off suddenly and Josef looked down the street to see a group of nomads entering the village. I guess it could be worse, he thought as he eyed the camels, I could have ended up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean…

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"What!?" Beth shouted when Mick told her. Mick grimaced and sighed. He knew he should have just left the note, but no, he had to be all noble and got tell her was going off to the great Thar desert of India to rescue Josef.

"Look, Beth, he's my-" But he was cut off.

"So what…you're going to go die for him? Do you remember what happened the last time you were in the desert?" Mick looked away. If he had any blood in his cheeks he would have blushed, but Beth kept staring him down. "You can't go save him, Mick, you'll just get yourself hurt and him killed."

"What do you suggest I do, let him die? Would that make you happy? Just sit here with you while he wastes away!" Mick yelled.

Beth shook her head and stepped closer, but Mick stepped back. How could she possibly suggest I leave Josef to die?

"Mick, listen to me. You can't help him. You can just go to join him in death."

"So I shouldn't even try. I should just give up hope?" Mick's voice was desperate. This was far deeper than recuing Josef from his latest mishap. This ran deep into Mick's twisted soul. Hope was all he had. Hope of a brighter future was what kept him going and apparently his 400 year plus friend being in that future was a pivotal point.

Beth looked into Mick's face and made her decision. If the man meant that much to Mick, he'd have to mean that much to her too. "I'll go."

Mick's whole face changed. "What…NO! No, Beth, you can't!"

"Why can't I? I'm human, I won't melt in the sun, I have a good knowledge on how to deal with vampires and I have a much better excuse for going to India?"

"What do you mean?" Mick looked taken aback.

Beth pulled out her press pass, "All I have to say is I am following a lead to a mystic temple and they'll let me through." The more she thought of it the more she resolved to take Mick's place.

"No," Mick started to protest, but he could see the firmness in her eyes. "No, Beth you can't…what if Josef's gone feral?"

"I'll stake him and carry his body back in a coffin. I can tell the airline my lead made me promise to return his body if he didn't make it."

"But…no, you can't…what…what about disease. India is the 3rd world, you could catch something."

Beth shook her head. "I know how to be careful and I've had all the shots."

"You what? You why?"

"Mexico is a hop-skip-and-a-jump away I wasn't going to let a simple thing like vaccinations stop me from following a hot story over the borders. I'm a journalist, I'm prepared."

Mick opened his mouth to protest again, but Beth just crossed her arms and shook her head. Mick turned and paced the room, turned back and tried again, but Beth just stared him down. Finally, Mick's shoulders fell and he flipped open hi cell phone.

Mick looked up at Beth as the person on the other end of the line picked-up. "Last minute change, Eric, the second tickets going to be for Bethany Turner…"