Jaq stopped to listen...all the swamp creatures were totally silent. Something or someone was close by.

Even the Moose Skitos had stopped their assault ..She could still smell the stench on the air and her nausea was getting worse..something had placed a strong magical spell on the trail.
Quickly she stepped backwards..into something large and hard as a rock..arms wrapped around her and she felt a bite on her shoulder. Blackness surrounded her and the last thing she heard was laughter.

Jaq awoke some time later, not really having any idea how much time, upon a table. The room looked like a cross between a lab and Shaman’s cave. Ancient runes of magic covered almost everything in the room. The room emanated power and she couldn’t sense Loriken.

She sat up cautiously figuring something must be broken or torn but she felt amazing actually. Old Man Uranus was across the room watching her and sucking on his Horntoad Pipe filled with Magictrichs.

Poke blew Smoke Runes and asked “So when are you gonna tell Johnny the truth?”

Jaq looked at Poke with a distasteful glare.."Just what do you think I should tell him? I'm looking for Johnny to find out why he is defaulting on the deal we made..which has nothing to do with you and your goons."

Old Man Uranus coughed and Jaq turned towards him as he clamped the Pipe in his teeth and rose from the chair in the shadows of the room. " Maybe I wasted my time reconnecting the electrodes in your frontal lobe. You want I should redo them?" He said with a cold hard glint in his eyes.

Poke lays down the pipe and walks toward Jaq " I think we need to clarify a few things. It is my understanding that Johnny was actually working for the former Dude Dudley and then was coerced by Xiao, your Mother, to continue that job after Dude was killed.

Stopping before Jaq the old man rolls up a sleeve to reveal an arm inked with runes and symbols. Most of them she had no idea of their meaning except for one, her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw it. It was a First Elder icon of her Tribe.

As she pondered the possibilities Poke began to speak. So I know what is contained within your mind and your heart. I also know why Johnny chose to go back. Seeing the questions in her eye he said, It is true I was once a part of your Tribe but I didn't agree with popular opinion shall we say. I chose another path and left before I was banished or killed. Even though I am no longer part of the Tribe, I still carry the gifts of the First Elders.

I can tell you two more things, you will not succeed without Johnny and you just missed him when you arrived anyway. Its been 3 days since I brought you in here, so if you wanna catch up with Johnny, he may still be in East Metro

Three days?? Poke and The Old man had her for THREE days??? Unconscious and helpless. What had they done? She felt stronger, better than since Poke had given her that drug back at the mine..she had nearly died before Loriken had rescued her and taken her back home to the Elder of her tribe. He had saved her and found the code that she had been born with, the one her own mother would have her killed for. Now this OLD MAN was an Elder that had ran away and joined the others..and he knew about the code. She had to leave here and find Johnny.
" What is Johnny doing in East Metro when his duty is to Xiao? And more importantly, Where can I find him there?"

Poke scratched his scraggly beard and grinned, showing yellow canine teeth, what will you give me if I tell ya?

Just kidding and he ain't working for Xiao anymore. When I said you won't succeed without him I am referring to Homeworld and your destiny there. As for this other business he is gonna do whatever he has to, to make sure there is no one gonna be gunning for him.

He also has another reason and I'll let you figure that one out for yourself" he laughs in his precancerous raspy voice And one last thing I would have released you from that trap once I saw that Johnny was safe, but I guess things had to play out the way they did. I assume you ended up at Homeworld and now know a few more truths.

With a dismissive wave he turns and walks away.

------

Johnny Strokes stood at the dimly lit bar sipping Econorum, not wanting to attract too much attention. His hooded camo cloak hid his features well, it had the effect subtly distorting and changing his appearance, so an onlooker would have trouble remembering who they actually saw.

His new implants allowed him to hear every whisper in the room, eventually he would hear what he needed to know. He signaled for another drink, who knew how long this would take. He would prefer a stealthy passive approach for as long as he could...

New Metro was buzzing with activity..hacks careening this way and that..none of the thongs of people paying any attention as Jaq appears by the derelict old building across the street from the dark bar she believed Johnny to be in. Down the street, she heard the sounds of a brawl and heard the screaming of someone in pain..Nice neighborhood she thought as she pushed away from the building. Time to move.

He knew she would make an appearance eventually, he was sure that she hadn’t died that day. He just hadn’t expected her so soon, he felt her presence as soon as she arrived on planet. Ordering another drink he thinks that they are on the same side but how will she take the news that he no longer works for Xiao.

He was just killing time now, he found out some time ago who was running things… Dylan Dillon, which might wanna make ya laugh if you didn’t know about sadistic nature, and pretty much everyone on East Metro knew about DD. He hoped that it was good news that he didn’t hear his name whispered among these cut-throats and thieves.

There she stood at the doorway…

The bar was dark, dirty, and full of unsavory characters. The 'girls were plying their trade to anyone who'd buy them a glass of cheap whiskey and a toke of whatever they were smoking tonight.
Jaq could feel his presence , she walked out of the shadows and made her way to the bar though the acidic smoke filled room.
Two men started yelling and a fight ensued..One dove at the other and drove him right at Jaq. She side stepped and lightly raked long clawed nails down the aggressors back. He stiffened and fell to the floor convulsing..the other went down with the first, fists beating his face to a bloody pulp. A path opened to the bar. The bartender looking her up and down, slid a whiskey her way. "That was DD's man. He won't like what happened."
" He should have watched where he was going," Jaq shrugged. " I'm looking for someone, maybe you know him."

The short bald bartender was covered in Tribal Tats, indicating this man was more than a mere barkeep. He locked eyes with Jaq and growled, " If his name is Jack Daniels, Jim Beam or Johnny Walker I can help you, if not you'd be wise not to be asking questions around here.

"Well if ya can't find who you're looking for maybe I'll do." drawls Johnny as he looks her way. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Jaq was good, her eyes barely revealed that she knew Johnny. "Yes, you may."

Johnny signaled the bartender, "Bring us a bottle at the booth over there."

Once the bottle had been delivered, Johnny cast a Stealth Web, which would prevent either of them being recognized or overheard.

Johnny looked at Jaq expectantly, waiting for her to speak...

" you're a hard man to find, Johnny. We really need to talk. I'm glad you got out of that alley alive..so how is my mother? Does she know I'm still alive, no thanks to her?" Jaq reached for the bottle of whiskey, poured a couple of fingers into the not so clean glass the ugly bartender had set on the table.."Here's to Mother". She tossed the fiery liquid down and smiled at Johnny.

Hi Viv Good writing. looks like we've had over 100 hits the past 2 days. I wonder if anyone is actually enjoying it? No one seems ta wanna join in.

Hi John If only I had your talent!!!
I hope they are enjoying it..maybe they are just bashful and are afraid to join in ..they really should..it's be fun for all!!

Outside the moon was violent with tempest. She found herself on the floor, drooling with a deep seated feeling of nausea in the stomach. The world seemed to be dissolving, only her and the moons overhead seemed present in this life. She sat up. The dunes seemed to stretch for an eternity, and in that eternity she heard and felt a voice deep within her. "Remeber Loriken, the code is 45xo7g 23ern6", "Jaq, JAQ! find the power within you, turn not back the tides of Fornigast, turn not back youre values". And then she passed out in the sand, the wind driving at her like a sand blaster in the presence of unconciousness.

Jaq found herself in the arms of Johnny. She had drunk too much. "So, this is what toasting my mother results in" she said. Johnny didn't say anything, the wind was fierce and he wanted to get her back inside the bar for her protection, the scavengers would be coming soon, and he didnt want her to end up just as meat like so many of his pissed up clients. "Johnny" she slurred, "does the name Loriken mean anything to you", Johnny answered "No" but Jaq was not convinced that he was telling the truth. "I heard a voice in the dessert tonight ,Johnny, a voice that revealed the name Loriken, and a code" she said. Johnny studied her intensively through his ugliness. "I have no idea what youre talking about", said Johnny as he fumbled for the gun under the counter, if she said anything else related to name Loriken he was going to shoot her there and then, but there was no need. She slumped down over the barstool and passed out for a second time.

``Johnny... JOHNNY`` Jaq shouts as she shakes Johnny`s shoulder, he had a far away look in his eye...

Johnny shuddered `Jaq we gotta get out of here, I just had a very bad premonition. I`m sure our stealth skills wont hold up for long and you killing that fu ckhead over there isn`t gonna help matters any``

Johnny got up and headed towards the back door and Jaq quickly followed. Noone seemed to pay them any heed. They quickly moved down the dark and dank hallway past an even grimier kitchen.

Johnny reached for the doorknob...

``HEY YOU TWO, STOP RIGHT THERE`` a voice like broken glass boomed...

A shiver ran up Jaq's spine at the sound of that voice. No, it can't be..he's dead. She couldn't stop the flashbacks from coming..the memory of that voice, so cold and grating..the laugh that turned her blood to ice. Those hands that could be so tender one moment and cruel the next..she saw again the people of her village lying torn and bloody. Shutting her eyes, she reached for Johnny...

... as the back door flew open and there stood Batty & Natty Dread, they looked like giant twins towering at seven foot seven. Actually Natty had himself cloned, but clones made on East Metro just don't seem to be all there.

Johnny felt Jaq's hand upon his shoulder, he slapped his hand on hers and she was instantly teleported away...

As Jaq began to stir she became aware a faint hum coming from her hand, there was some kinda Gizmo stuck to the back of her hand. On its surface Runes were etched, she recognized Johnny's mark.

"Johnny" she thought and began to look around her, she wasn't in Kansas anymore and no Johnny...

Where had Johnny sent her? She hadn't even had time to bring her own powers into play, before she had wound up here. Where is here? She looked around at the strange landscape, pockmarked by ancient explosions. It was a destroyed land. She saw no other being...none. She concentrated and tried to call Loriken..nothing. Not even a hint of him anywhere. She turned her hearing and heard distant growls..good..she would use her powers and get whatever it was to help her..she reached out with her mind. The growling noises stopped. Then a scream of hungry rage filled the air. Jaq recognized that scream. She needed to find a safe place to hide..Now!