Neiko's Five Land Adventure (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #1)

Chapter 24

Neiko arrived at the store in ten minutes. She pumped in five dollars in gas and went in to get the supplies. Neiko got several bags of chips, beef jerky, three Paydays, five Slim Jims, salted peanuts, sunflower seeds, and two packs of Reese's pieces. Neiko found the matches and a lighter at the register. Neiko paid for everything, and walked to her car, but two boys cornered her.

"Hey, baby!"

"Look, pal, you and skanky friend need to get lost, okay?" Neiko snapped coldly.

"Where are you going?" asked the other.

"None of your durn business! Go away, loser!" Neiko snapped and tried to open her car door, but the boy slammed the door and spun her around, and then Neiko felt her silent visitor come; this time he was angry. She could feel it, and fear went into her eyes. "Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said as he looked as if he was going to kiss her. Neiko unzipped her purse, but his friend took it away. He opened it and Quickstrike hissed at him, his tail poked out ready to bite. He dropped it and screamed like a girl.

Quickstrike crawled out facing them. "Alright, punk, show's over," Quickstrike said menacingly.

"A talking scorpion with a cobra tail! Run!" the boy shouted as he grabbed his friend, and Neiko felt the invisible watcher leave and pursue them.

"Thanks, Quickstrike, I owe you one," Neiko said graciously.

"No problem. Let's get home. I would hate to be those two if Ramses found out."

"Uh, get into the car, I got something to say," Neiko said as she picked him up and put him on the seat. Neiko shut the door and started driving. "I have bad news, Ramses did see it."

"How do you know?" asked Quickstrike puzzled.

"I felt him—I don't know how, and he was real mad; I could feel his anger. When they ran off, he went after them because I felt him leave, but he was invisible," Neiko replied with her eyes wide open.

"Oh, gosh! They are in for it! They're as good as dead. I wonder why he got so angry about it?"

Neiko shrugged. "Beats me! Maybe because he doesn't want his souvenir to have cooties."

Neiko got home and slipped the food into her room and put it into her backpack. Neiko replaced it into her closet. "Well, now for weapon pick up."

* * *

Neiko arrived at the armory at seven thirty. Neiko kept Quickstrike in her large purse, and she walked inside. "Hey, Bear Claw, how's it going?"

Bear Claw looked up. "Evening, Admiral! So nice to see you; I've missed you. Everything's fine here, but how are you?" Bear Claw was the armory keeper for the Tribes' warriors and a member of the Cheikomaguan Brave tribe. He was a sensible man, but a bit of a neat freak.

"Oh, just fine. I was wondering if I could borrow a tomahawk and a bow with a full quiver of arrows. I'll gladly pay you four quartz for the trouble since the GHM is so stuck up on keeping me shut out," Neiko replied.

"Oh, I don't care about him; I'll loan them to you free of charge. You can keep these quartz. I have plenty of money. So, are you off to war?"

"Well, kind of. You see, my parents are going off, and I need some defense just in case of any Crackedskull trouble."

"Oh, I see. Do you want me to contact Xartna and send some sentries?" "Nah, I'll just stay in the house. I'll be fine," Neiko said reassuringly.

"Well, alright. I'll get these for you, and you'll be off." Bear Claw came out with the tomahawk, bow, and arrows. "Alright, just do the paperwork, and take off. Come back to visit, okay?"

Neiko signed the paper. "Yeah, sure. You take care, and I hope to be an Admiral again soon," Neiko said as she did the secret handshake and left.

Quickstrike poked his head out after Neiko unzipped the purse after she left the armory. "That was easy enough. Is that guy your friend?"

"Yeah, sentries did sound good, but I wouldn't want any Indian fighting against an enemy they can't beat. Ramses would probably kill them if they got in his way, and that's what they would do."

"Well, it seems you have a good rep with your friends because they help you against that retard's say so."

"Yeah, and once I get out of this mess with Ramses, then I'll get that beanpole for every rotten thing he has done to me and for all the tricks against the Tribes. That is, if I get out of this without getting into bigger trouble because death, destruction, and trouble follow Ramses wherever he goes."

"That's an understatement," Quickstrike said as he went down into the purse. Neiko put the weapons in a concealed area, and she got the baseball bat. Neiko fixed the passage under her bed and got everything else ready but the final touch. Neiko fell asleep that night.