Sleeping At The Wheel

A Hatred Of Long Phone Conversations

CHAPTER 2

Juniper's Point of View

6 o'clock, bright and early, time to go. Another day running on caffeine and, depending on whether or not I was hunting, pure adrenaline.

I hadn't even gotten a few minuets of sleep, which I was sometimes able to accumulate over the course of a night. When morning finally came I got up, grabbed my duffle bag, and left the motel. I found a fast food restaurant where I bought myself a large soda and a burger. Breakfast of champions.

Sure, it was unhealthy, but what really was healthy about any of my life choices anyway? I was a hunter, after all.

Most of my morning so far had consisted of checking my phone every 5 seconds for a call. Now that I had begun research and I was sure this was a solid case, I was growing more excited.

I practically lived for the thrill of hunting, as well as everything that came with it. However exhausted I might usually be, there was no better feeling than chopping off the head of a vampire or exorcising a demon. And it was always great to cruise down a highway or an empty back road with the windows down and music blasting at full volume.

Yet this morning I was attempting to act like a civilized driver and drive the speed limit. I kept one hand on the wheel and used the other to stuff my face with my burger.

Not only had it been a long time since I had slept, but it had also been quite a while since I had eaten anything solid. I doubted the burger was actually real, solid food, but I'd take what I could get.

I turned my music up as I turned a corner and hit the gas. There were two cars driving the opposite way, but it didn't phase me. Other than those two cars the road was empty.

With the music blaring in my ears, I stuffed the rest of the burger in my mouth, took a sip of my soda, and went cruising. Being a civilized driver wasn't going to happen, it seemed.

'Highway To Hell' was most likely making my entire car vibrate from the sheer volume. There was no doubt that I'd go deaf before I turned 40 if I kept playing my music this loud, but at the moment I couldn't care less.

I kept my phone in my lap so that I would be able to feel it vibrate if Miles called back with information on the Siren. It was odd to have it in my lap rather than sitting in the passengers seat, where it normally stayed. Even if it was a small detail, the change in my system bothered me. I basically had an office on wheels, and in my office, everything had its place.

For example, my armory for hunting was in the trunk, with one pistol stored in the glove compartment for quick access if necessary. My phone was normally sitting on top of my road map, which stayed folded up in the passengers seat unless I needed to look at it. Any trash from ordering fast food was tossed to the floor of the back seat. My duffle bag full of clothes and books went in the back seat, along with my laptop. Everything had a place.

I took another swig of my soda, wishing I had gotten at least a little sleep last night. The rest of this trip was going to seem to last forever. I rubbed my forehead with one hand, keeping my eyes trained on the road. More cars were appearing around me, which was annoying. I wanted the road all to myself, as if being alone in my car all the time wasn't enough.

My phone suddenly began to vibrate, and I quickly turned down my music and grabbed the phone, answering without even looking to see who was calling.

"Miles, got anything yet?" I asked quickly.

There was a moment of silence. "Juniper?"

I felt a lump form in my throat. The person I was talking to wasn't Miles. "Jade.... Hey."