chapter 26
In the mean time....
It was a little after eight o'clock of supper fast intense driving, when they reached at the little Tavern nightclub which was fifity or more yards from her actual destination.
The tavern and surrounding areas was exactly as Mary described.
The little Tavern was a typical roadside joint, used mainly by cheap drunkards and strippers. It had a circular drive-in, a lot of colored neon lights, a gaudy doorman and a big parking lot crammed with the most less expensive cars.
Apart from the neon lights from the little Tavern which was placed in the middle of nowhere, the rest of the area surrounding it was in total darkness, with tall palm trees, clumps of shrubs, with no possible settlement near.
If you ever got stuck here, your only way back home is if either you came with your own ride, or some friendly fellow finds it in his heart to pick you up and for that you would have to pay a great deal of money.
The driver pulled up and then turned and grinned at Vivian.
"Well, here we are miss. Want me to wait?"
"Yes."
She reminded in the car, peering through the window at the little Tavern nightclub, she then looked up at the moonless inky black sky with only a few stars.
"This cheap place isn't a good taste for you." the driver said and turned to smile at her. "If you ask me I would take you to the most classic joints in the region."
"And if you ask me, I don't remember requesting your opinion." she said and gave him a dollar and some loose change.
She got out of the cab, waved at him and then watched him drive away.
She moved a considerable distance due north from the little Tavern. Then stopped at a particular place.
Turning to look at the mass wilderness of who knows what awaits for her, she broded over the situation at hand. As she looked at the thick dark bushes, she wished for a flashlight. The darkness was pressing on her.
Somewhere in the middle of the deep dark bushes that's where they were hiding. She moved forward being careful to make no sound as she reached the clump of shrubs. It was then she had realized the difficulty that faced her. The shrubs loomed out of the darkness as a big darkness.
If ever she was getting close she would have heard some voices or unusual noise or the noise she made as she moved into the shrubs could have alerted any of the henchmen nearby.
She got halfway into the undergrowth, then she stopped to listen. She heard something but not sure enough, probably her mind was playing tricks on her or she was actually getting close probably within touching distance, she firmly went forward crouching in the darkness. Without any light her only chance of finding the place would be to walk right into it.
The dry leaves of the shrubs brushed her face as she moved forward. Her groping hands reached out into the darkness and she listened, hoping to hear anything that might be helpful.
Then suddenly she heard a faint noise just within touching distance, she stood motionless, her ears straining, her heart thudding.
She was dimly aware of a shadowy figure of a man that rose up from the shrubs, immediately her mind adjusted itself and realized that she was no longer alone. For a second or so she remained motionless, then she saw him dashing towards her.
She firmly positioned herself, clenching her fist ready to smack him down but she was a shade too late when the man finally descended on her with all great forces.
She heard a swish of something that came down violently towards her. She swayed to one side, throwing up her arms in an attempt to protect her head. Just then, something hard smashed her down on her shoulder, driving her to her knees. Before she could recover there was another swishing sound and she received a violent blow on top of her head. She felt herself falling forward into a lonely vacuum of darkness.