Bonovelent

They had been traveling for ten hours now and Saeon was still telling her about the different ways people of the Afterwar had been affected. In the morning they would see signs and markings of different territories. Most of the clans and settlements were not hostile, but needed much in the way of medicine, food and tools. He would leave a bundle at the first marking with a note telling them to list the things they needed most. He would repeat this at each marking until they reached the outpost. Now it was time to rest and he turned off the road and got out to move some kind of fence covered with foliage and vines. He then drove the truck through and got out to put the fence back in place. He had discovered this place when he had received his mission to find, join, and then kill the leader of the Raging Bull Gang.

As Saeon drove down the off road for about thirty minutes, Ines saw a beautiful paradise. It looked as though someone had dropped an oasis in the midst of the dessert. It even had a beautiful pond with a short waterfall cascading from a wall of rocks. Saeon, stopped the truck, got out and came around to where she was in the other side of the truck and helped her out. He then told her that they would have dinner and spend the night there. He began to take out a folding table and chairs and set up the table as Ines took out the food and camping utensils to make their meal. After their meal and clean - up, they took advantage of the heated pond. Ines never wanted to leave this place.

It was barely dawn when they set out again, making sure to leave everything covered as they had found it. Three hours later they had come to the first marking. Saeon told her to stay hidden in the truck. She was hidden in the floorboard of the truck covered with a large blanket and did not move. After he started driving again and had gone about two miles he told her that it was safe to get up. They repeated this two more time in four hours. Three hours later it began to get really cold and Saeon told Ines that they were entering the ice glades and that she should wrap up warmly in the blanket. She asked him what he was going to do in the cold, so he explained to her that his body adjusted to any type of weather. One of the many benefits of being a water affected. He then stopped and put more gas in the half empty tank. He then returned to the drivers side and they continued on their way. He told her that they would soon reach a frozen pond and after about an hour they would be warm again. As soon as they got back into a warmer climate they stopped to have dinner again. Ines was hungry as she had only had a sandwhich and fruit for lunch that was eaten in the truck, just like breakfast. That night they slept in the back of the truck on the thick matress they had brought.

An hour later and they were pulling into a road where there were about eight motor bikes. Saeon had told her to hide herself again so she went back on the floor board of the truck. He went inside with one of the solar coolers filled with beer, three cartons of brand named cigarettes and three bottles of booze. The barkeeper was scowling at him as though he had done something horrible. Saeon went up to the bar and spoke directly to him. "Barkeeper, this is your customer appreciation day," he exclaimed as he opened up the cooler to show him what he had brought. "Why don't you give every one of your customers one of these beers and a pack of cigarettes." The barkeeper's mouth dropped open and asked, "Where did you get these, Steel? How much do you want for this? I'll buy all of it. "This is free to your customers, Jimmy. I have a lot more of this in my truck, for you, and all it's going to cost you is your word that you will protect my wife while I send a wire to New City." I'm also paying you for the wire. I'll be waiting for a response to my wire,as well. So what do you say? Deal?" Steel said as he held out his hand for him to shake. "Anything you want, Steel, anything you want. Your wife can sit right here behind the bar with me and I'll guard her with my life.