Gareth took the lid off his coffee and blew on it.

"What cha hauling anyway?"

"Rather not say."

"You think I'll rip you off?"

Gareth shrugged and headed toward his cab.

"There's not much here in this place, not even a shelter."

Gareth paused.

"There's a bigger town nearby, another twenty five or so miles maybe."

Gareth sighed. It was against his better judgment to carry anyone in his cab, but he was afraid that if he left him here in this one horse town, he'd freeze to death. "Come on," he said, and jumped up into his truck.

Logan grinned, and jumped up beside him, slamming the 261 Violet Visions door. "I'm ready to roll."

Gareth lifted an eyebrow, then shook his dark head, and started the engine.

"You know," Logan said once they were back on the road, "I do plan to pay you for this ride. When can we take a break?"

"We can't. I got to drive all night. I took a wrong turn back there and I'm behind schedule."

"So?"

"So, time is money. And I didn't ask for any payment."

"Hey, I pay my way, and with someone who looks as good as you do, it won't seem like..."

Gareth took his eyes off the road for a moment, and looked at him. "You don't have to do anything for me, okay? If that's how you get what you want, then you're a prost.i.tute."

"Don't tell me you've never had a prost.i.tute."

"I didn't say I never had one. I said that's what you are."

"Only when I have to be. Okay, forget it. It's not payment.

Maybe I just want to...I'd like a little company, you know.

Wouldn't you? Must be lonely out here sometimes."

"You're not shy, are you?"

"The only way you get is by asking. What if I hadn't asked you to take me with you? I'd still be back there, wouldn't I?"

Gareth didn't answer.

"So, what do you say?"

"I don't have time to stop, I told you that, and besides," he looked at him again, "I hate to tell you this but you don't do a d.a.m.n thing for me. First of all, I doubt you've washed in a week, and..."

"But I got a cute a.s.s, right? You've noticed."

Yes, he noticed, but he wasn't about to admit it.

"We can stop at a hotel. I can take a shower."

"Can we change the d.a.m.n subject? I will drive you 262 eXtasy's Collective Mind someplace where you can get what you need...or...why don't you just call your old man? He's rich."

"He'll have me sent back to that place."

Gareth noticed the change in his voice. For the first time, there was a different tone to it, one that sounded fearful. "Maybe he thinks they can help you there? What exactly is your ah condition?"

Logan laughed. "You are so sweet. You really are."

Sweet. He never thought of himself as sweet before. "What medication were you...I mean, did you take it?"

"If you must know, it's not the kind psycho's take, so relax. I was on Prozac for depression. They think I tried to kill myself."

Gareth took a breath. "That's pretty serious."

"I didn't really. I faked it, and that was a long time ago. My father doesn't understand anything about me. He wants me to be like him, and I can't. I can't be an unfeeling, sn.o.bbish a.s.shole. I got into some trouble. I admit it. I would have done community service or whatever but that was too embarra.s.sing for my dad, so he greased some hands and I ended up at the funny farm, quiet, obedient and sedated."

"So, you are of age, aren't you?"

"You looked worried, Gareth," he cooed. "Afraid you'll weaken?" He reached over and placed a hand on his knee.

Gareth slapped it away. "Knock it off. It's not that. It's that your father has no control over you. He can't commit you without..."

"My father is powerful. He can do a lot of s.h.i.t, but that's not what I'm really running from."

"Then what exactly are you running from?"

Logan grinned at him. "A pimp."

263.

Violet Visions Mirha watched from her special place as the big truck ground to a halt. "Oh, oh," she said. "Logan, explain yourself in a hurry or...Oh, there he goes." Mirha chewed her thumbnail as she saw Logan get out of the truck in the middle of the highway. "We can't have that." The truck was moving away. Logan stood there in the middle of the road, swearing profusely and using his finger very inappropriately. "This isn't going to be as easy as I thought,"

she grinned. However, her determination wouldn't wane. She knew their destiny, and it was just too d.a.m.n good to let go of.

Narrowing her blue eyes and fingering the star shaped pendent that lay suspended around her neck, she whispered, "sorry, Gareth."

Gareth couldn't believe it. He was pumping the gas, hitting the floor with the pedal and the truck was slowing down even more.

Finally it came to a total stop. "f.u.c.k!" he cried out, glancing at the sky, which was beginning to grow dark. He pounded his fist on the dashboard. What else could possibly go wrong? He got out of the truck and checked under the hood. He was a licensed mechanic before he became an independent trucker. He was sure he could get her going enough to get to the next town, without having to hire a tow.

As it turned out, he couldn't find a d.a.m.n thing wrong with the truck. Everything seemed fine. He tried to start her up again.

Nothing. She was absolutely dead. He got back out of the truck again, thinking he'd overlooked something when he saw Logan strolling towards him.

"Being punished," Logan told him.

Gareth sighed, running his fingers through his long dark hair.

264.

eXtasy's Collective Mind He had put on his leather jacket a while ago. It was getting cold.

"I thought I told you that..."

"You didn't let me explain."

"I don't want to know. I don't need any more problems. As you can see, I have enough of them right now."

"He won't find us out here anyway."

"I thought you said you weren't a prost.i.tute?"

"I'm not, technically. I almost tried it a few times, kind of a weekend thing, then I changed my mind and..."

"Prost.i.tutes have pimps."

"I didn't say he was my pimp, I said a pimp."

"So, why is he...?"

"I took a little money."

"A little money, from the pimp?"

"Yep."

"How much little money?"

"A couple of grand...twenty two to be precise."

Gareth sighed. "When, may I ask did you take this money?"

"Before I went to the b.o.o.by hatch."

"Oh, and what happened to it?"

"I gave it to a street person."

"You gave it to a..."

"I didn't need it, but neither does he really."

"He obviously doesn't share your opinion."

"Nope."

"And when was the last time you saw this ah...pimp?"

"Well, actually we pa.s.sed his car back there a ways."

Gareth paced up and down a few times, then, threw up his hands. "When were you going to tell me about that?"

"Ah, now I guess? You kicked me out of the truck so I didn't get the chance to..."

Gareth wanted to scream. He wanted to strangle this little s.h.i.t.

265.

Violet Visions "You do realize that we are stuck out here on this road, with a pimp chasing us, a pimp that you..."

"Yes, I realize that. He doesn't know I'm in your truck though. Maybe we should get going."

"How do you suggest we do that?"

"Try it again. Maybe it will start."

"It's not going to start."

"Won't hurt to try it."

Gareth hopped back up into the truck. Logan crawled in beside him and closed the pa.s.senger door. He tried the engine one more time.

Mirha was very surprised to see Valgar walk in. He was dressed in a long black robe, and he was smiling. "So, now the truck works again, I a.s.sume."

"It's a miracle."