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

Chapter 49

Neiko got up the next morning ready for action. On her way out of the tent, Raptor stopped her.

"Why did you sneak out late last night? Don't tell me you went exploring because I won't buy it."

Neiko drug Raptor to a secluded area and told him everything about what she found out last night and all she knew.

"Oh boy, you're in trouble now! So now what?"

"I'll turn the tables on that Vipra somehow; well at least I know the secret ingredient in Vipra's recipe of deer barbecue. At least I knew this was coming, or I would be gone by tomorrow, and after that she'll try to kill Quickie. Tell him about the news, but don't tell anyone else yet."

Raptor mused. "I wonder where the real Lydia is."

"Probably at Skull Fort, and we got to find a way to get her out, but it's probably another trap. I would bank that it would mean the end of the Attack Pack and my hopes of ever returning home. I still don't know what he's got planned for me; he didn't spill his guts to Vipra either, but we gotta risk it to save her from the worst fate of all."

"You're right," he said.

"Neiko, I want to talk to you, please come here," came Vipra's voice.

"I'll play along. Hide out in the back just in case."

"Right," Raptor said with a nod as he headed to a good hiding place.

Neiko ran up and tried to hide her anxiety. "What's up?"

"I have a surprise for you. I made your favorite—deer barbecue. I will gladly eat some with you, and I wish to say I'm sorry for being so mean to you," she said sweetly, and Neiko followed her inside.

Neiko smiled and thought, The joke's on you! If I didn't know about that meeting, then I would be buying this. "How'd you know I like deer barbecue?" Neiko asked.

"Oh, Quickstrike told me," Vipra lied.

Yeah right! You mean Ramses told you, she thought in her mind.

"So when do we eat?" she said.

"It's ready now and it's waiting for us. I love deer. I cooked this meal especially for us."

Neiko looked on the table and saw two identical plates of the stuff. The smell filled her nostrils, and her stomach growled. "Boy I'm starved!" she said and caught Vipra's insidious smirk.

Vipra seated Neiko, and Neiko studied the situation and tried to concoct a plan to eat deer and thwart her kidnapping scheme. She saw wooden forks beside the plates, and a floor made of dirt. When Vipra wasn't looking, Neiko licked her fork all over and set it on the table. Vipra handed Neiko her glass of mango juice. Neiko purposely reached for the juice, and then she slid her elbow and knocked off the fork onto the dirt floor. "Oops," said Neiko as she picked it up and it was covered in grit. Vipra thought it was an accident, and she covered her mouth in fake dismay. She got up to get her another. While she was finding her another fork, Neiko switched the plates quickly and unnoticed; Neiko gave Vipra the drugged meat. Vipra sat down and Neiko said the blessing. Neiko began to devour the meat, and Vipra watched with wicked glee; she unknowingly took a fork full of the doped venison. Neiko and Vipra both finished their plates, and Vipra began to feel the effects of the potion. She looked at Neiko with hatred as she found she had been caught in her own trap. Neiko looked at her with a smile and said, "Thanks for the deer, Vipra."

Vipra's drowsiness increased and she started to sway. "You won't get away with this! You can't escape from the Master forever! He will get you! You wait and see."

"Yeah, yeah, that's an old one. You may have told him who I am, but I will succeed in kicking his chrome butt all the way back to the Stone Age."

"You can do no such thing, Neiko. That is not what you are chosen for, surrender, you don't stand a chance," she said just barely able to hold up her head.

"No chance," Neiko said then Vipra collapsed, and her face landed in her plate.

Raptor ran in. "What happened? What'd ya do?"

"Oh, nothing really, just gave her a taste of her own medicine."

"Well, let's put her to bed, and you better stay with me and Quickie tonight because even if she doesn't summon him, he will come and see what happened. If you are asleep in here and he finds you alone, he will carry you off, and all this will be for nothing."

"You're right, let's do it," she said as they put her into bed. They headed to their tent, and they told Quickstrike about all that had happened.

"Oh my, he's not gonna stop there. I think he's gonna use a covert Dark Pharaoh attack next, and you're really gonna have to watch it, Neiko."

"Yeah, I know, that's what I was thinking, and it's getting more and more dangerous. I gotta find a Good Pharaoh and quick before something really awful happens," said Neiko.

"Guys, look," said Raptor as they saw a shadow approach Vipra's tent, and it disappeared into the shadows of the woods.

"There he goes, and now the fun really begins," Neiko said nervously,and the three of them went to sleep that night.