by Mark Carver
Cameron didn’t see him for the rest of the day. In fact, no one did. Some people later said they thought they saw him leave out the back and drive away. Cameron didn’t care. He was just happy that he had won this battle. He knew he would have to deal with him again in the future, but maybe that was a good thing. Competition is the forge that produces the finest work.
The Doom Rift booth quickly became MasterCon’s star attraction once word got around about Cameron’s epic battle. People waited more than fifteen minutes to take their picture with him. Peter was delighted that nearly every piece of merchandise at the Doom Rift booth, whether it was Cameron’s or not, sold out by the time the convention wrapped up at the end of the day. Several eye-popping offers were made for the Doomsong, but Peter advised Cameron to hold on to it.
As the green-haired young man bundled the booth away, Cameron felt Peter’s colossal arm wrap around his neck again.
“Now the real party begins,” Peter declared with a sly grin.
Cameron couldn’t have smiled wider if he wanted to. Ever since his victory, he felt his spirits soaring higher and higher. He felt like a true hero, not just a guy who makes things out of metal. He saw it in the eyes of the fans - he was more than a cool dude they wanted to take their picture with. He was an inspiration, and not just because of how he looked. Because of who he was.
So who are you?
Cameron looked down at his beloved weapon. He had hardly set it down since the fight. He knew he couldn’t keep it with him, and he reluctantly handed it to the green-haired young man.
“Take care of it,” he said quietly.
The young man gasped as he took it. He held the sword for a few moments, then lovingly set it down on a blanket of bubble wrap.
“Hey Peter,” Cameron called. Peter turned around. “Can I bring my friend?”
Peter nodded. “Better warn him though. This one’s going to be a rager.”
“Oh, don’t worry, he can handle himself.”
He turned to his left and spotted Chucky flirting with a six-foot-tall warrior chick. “Hey Chucky!”
Chucky bounded over. “What’s up?”
“Want to go to a party?”
Chucky’s face glowed.
CHAPTER 20
Peter pulled up behind the club and the three of them stepped out of the car. Dance music thundered through the walls as if a maniacal herd of elephants was trapped inside. Cameron’s and Chucky’s mouths fell open at the same time.
Peter chuckled at their expressions. “The owner of this club is the biggest nerd I know. His daddy is some bigshot in China.”
Cameron gulped as he watched a steady parade of smiles, cleavage, hips, legs, and high heels stream into the club. Some of them wore their costumes from the convention, others wore more club-appropriate outfits, but none of them wore anything that their fathers would condone. Chucky was almost drooling like a dog.
“C-Cameron,” he stammered, “am I dreaming?”
“You will be soon,” Peter said, shoving them towards the door. The bouncer waved them past, eyeing Cameron’s tattoo with envy. Two slinky hostesses dressed like kittens opened the double doors, and every one of their senses overdosed all at once.
Deafening music. Gyrating flesh. Tobacco and marijuana smoke. Drunken laughter. Blazing lights and lasers. More music. More flesh. More smoke.
Chucky clung to Cameron’s arm like a child. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”
Cameron glanced up at a short pillar. On top of it, three women gyrated against each other and playfully tried to remove each other’s clothing.
“I can’t believe it either,” he shouted over the rumble.
It was like a monster invasion in the club. Zombies bumped and grinded with elves, aliens lounged in a booth and smoked hookah pipes, a drunken orc was making out with a sorceress in the corner, and the dance floor was filled with dwarves, heroes, ghouls, vampires, and ordinary club-goers.
Cameron had never seen anything like this. Combined with the elation that had been steadily rising all afternoon, he thought his head was going to burst. Then one thought pierced through the haze.
Mindy.
He wanted her to share in his excitement. He wanted her to be here with him.
“Peter! Hey Peter! I’ve got to make a call. I’m going to step outside for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Peter nodded and steered Chucky towards a booth in the corner overflowing with sultry women.
After getting stamped on the hand, Cameron pushed his way outside. He still had to plug one ear even though he was several yards from the club.
“Come on, pick up, pick up,” he muttered, pacing around like a little boy who has to go to the bathroom.
“Hello?”
He closed his eyes. Everything he had been feeling or wondering if he felt for the past several weeks melted away. It was just good to hear her voice.
“Mindy? It’s...it’s Cameron.”
There was silence for a moment.
“Hey Cameron. What’s up?”
Cameron licked his lips. “Well, uh, I, uh, I was just thinking about you and...”
“You were thinking about me?” Her voice sounded a little softer than a moment ago.
“Uh-huh. I’m downtown right now, celebrating with some friends, and I thought...well, I thought it would be nice if you could join me.”
“You mean right now? Come downtown?”
Cameron realized what an idiot he was. Girls aren’t like guys; you can’t phone them up and expect them to be there ten minutes later. There were outfits to consider and make-up and...
“Sure.”
Cameron choked on a little bit of saliva that pooled in his mouth. “What?”
“Yeah, I’ll come down. Where are you?”
Cameron looked up at the throbbing monstrosity behind him. “Knukkle’s Nightclub on Seminole Way. Do you know where that is?”
“I’ll find it on the GPS. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Okay. Drive safe.”
Cameron hung up the phone in a daze. She was coming here. Right now. What kind of woman drops whatever she’s doing and agrees to meet you downtown at a moment’s notice?
The voice was loud and clear over the heaving bass.
The kind you keep.
Cameron smiled as he turned to go back inside. He wasn’t thinking about the music video or the Doomsong or his victory over Shane Calhoun. He was just thinking about how nice it would be to see Mindy’s smile after all this time.
Every pounding bass note felt like a punch in his gut, and a dizzying cocktail of sweat and liquor slammed into his nostrils as soon as he stepped into the club. It was intoxicating. He couldn’t believe the abundance of shockingly hot women slithering and writhing everywhere…
Dude, you just called Mindy and invited her down here. Keep your head in the right place.
Cameron’s eyes fell, but just a little.
I know. I’m just enjoying the view in the meantime.
He squeezed and shoved his way through the human swamp. He wondered if this was how cattle felt on those factory farms. On at least two occasions, he felt someone squeeze his butt, but he knew it was pointless to turn around and identify the culprit. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to, anyway.
For a brief moment, he spotted a break in the crowd, and he leaped through it, practically barreling into Chucky.
“Duuuuude!” Chucky exclaimed, his dilated pupils shimmering like a neon kaleidoscope. He flung his arm around Cameron’s neck, nearly dragging his friend to the ground. “This place is awesome!”
“I know,” Cameron shouted back, extracting his head from Chucky’s grip and helping his friend find a more steady position against the bar.
“Dude,” Chucky said with a limp-handed gesture towards a platinum blonde in a space-age bikini, “this is Estelle.” He leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. “I don’t think that’s her real name.”
Cameron nodded a greeting.
“Nice to meet you.”
Estelle stared at him with a leering smile. “I love your tattoo,” she cooed, tracing the rim of her martini glass with her tongue before taking a dainty sip.
Cameron smiled his thanks, and quickly turned back to his friend.
“Where’s Peter?” he shouted.
“What?” Chucky’s eyes were riveted to Estelle’s chest.
“Where’s Peter?”
Chucky shrugged. “He asked me to go with him to a room in back, but I wanted to stay out here.”
He gestured expansively like a king delighting in his realm.
“I mean, look at this place!”
Cameron sighed, then felt a soft finger stroke his arm. He turned and saw Estelle hold out her hand. A tiny orange pill rested on her palm like a jewel.
“Oh, no no no no,” Cameron said, waving his hands and taking a step back. Memories of the General’s party tumbled through his mind. “I’ll just have a drink.”
“Come on, man, don’t wimp out!” Chucky took the pill and threw it in his mouth like a piece of candy. Cameron’s eyes went wide.
“Chucky! You don’t even know what…”
Estelle turned her face towards him with a gentle caress, then leaned forward and kissed him. Cameron gasped, and for a moment, his instinct was to pull away. But damn, she was sexy. Her kiss was like fire, and Cameron felt his head swim. Her tongue twirled in his mouth and pushed a tiny pill towards his throat. He reluctantly broke away from her, staring into her ravenous eyes as he swallowed the pill.
Chucky slapped him on the back, smiling like the Cheshire cat. “Yeah, man, that’s what I’m talking about! Let’s party!”
Cameron looked at Estelle, tracing every curve with his eyes. Her body swayed like a drowsy snake, and she licked her lips.
“Are you ready to fly?” Her voice was like sweet, sticky syrup.
Cameron could only stare at her. Strange feelings started to blossom beneath his skin, and the music and lights were becoming more vivid. Every beat felt like a warm breeze caressing his skin.
With a lazy wave of her finger, Estelle motioned to her left. Cameron turned slowly, and his eyes bulged. Estelle was walking towards them, her hips swinging loose and free with each step. He blinked, then turned back to the bar. There she was also, where she had been in the first place.
His mind struggled with this impossibility but he couldn’t find the words to describe what he thought. Or felt. Or thought he felt.
Estelle’s mirror image came up behind her. Estelle turned around and kissed herself. Cameron and Chucky gaped in awe.
“This is Krista,” Estelle explained. “My twin sister.”
Cameron’s heart was threatening to burst out of his chest.
Krista waved hello, then stepped around Cameron and twined her arms around Chucky. “Fight any lions today?” she purred.
Chucky stammered some sort of reply, but he was understandably having trouble thinking. Krista just smiled.
“Let’s dance,” Estelle purred, taking Cameron by the hand and leading him to the dance floor. He followed her like a child.
A small voice inside him was trying to say something, but he didn’t hear it. The music was too loud.
From a glass balcony above the club floor, Peter watched and smiled. He knew Cameron would love his gift. It was the least he could do for all the business he had brought his way today.
With a satisfied grin, he turned and headed back to his private party.
****
Mindy stepped out of her car and nearly rolled her ankle. She never liked wearing high heels, and she wondered what kind of insanity had possessed her to buy five-inch heels all those years ago. She also felt naked in her slinky pink mini-dress. It covered all the important parts but little else. Her subconscious tried to convince herself that she looked hot, but it was hard to listen when every step was potentially fatal.
She hobbled her way to the front of the club, trying to ignore the hungry glances thrown her way. The bouncer at the door looked her over slowly, and his eyebrows rose with approval.
Mindy did her best to appear self-possessed and confident. “Um, hi,” she said with a smile and a toss of her hair. “I’m here to see a friend.”
“I’ll bet you are,” the bouncer said with a wink. He opened the door without another word and stood to the side.
Mindy suppressed a cough as the stew of smoke and sweat brewing inside rushed out. “Thanks,” she said with another nervous smile. She crept inside, feeling like a mouse that had been invited to a cat party.
She’d partaken in her share of wild revelry in her college days, but nothing like this. Her eyes were wide like a frightened rabbit’s as she inched her way inside, trying to remain on her feet as she was jostled from every direction. The dance floor was a Halloween carnival, and she fought a strong urge to turn around and run back outside.
Cameron’s here, she told herself. He was surrounded by all of this, and he called you.
Mindy set her jaw and forced her way through the crush of dancers. She emerged without any serious damage, then straightened her dress and looked around.
She froze when she saw Cameron.
He was sitting on a small velvet couch in a flickering nook with numerous mirrors. A breasty blonde slut was seated on his lap, kissing him passionately as his hands roamed over her body.
For a long, terrible moment, she stood in front of them, rooted to the spot. Her limbs trembled but she couldn’t move.
Cameron finally came up for air, and he turned lazily towards her. The bleary joy on his face melted in a flash, and he bolted to his feet.
“Mindy!”
Mindy clenched her teeth, fighting to keep the tears contained. She shook her head once, then turned on her heel and vanished into the crowd.
“Mindy!” Cameron called after her, flinging away Estelle’s clutching hands. His head spun as he frantically scanned the bobbing heads and whirling faces, but he couldn’t see her.
He called her name again, but his voice was immediately swallowed by the hammering dance music. He found himself trapped in a tangle of arms, hips, and hair, and he struggled in vain to free himself.
“Mindy!” he cried out in desperation. “Mindy!”
It felt like an eternity before he yanked himself free from the throbbing swell of bodies. He crashed through the doors and scanned the street.
She was gone.
He staggered as if he had been struck. With quivering fingers, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called her number.
“The number you have called is powered off. Please try…”
Cameron snarled with rage and smashed the phone on the ground. He felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder.
“Cameron? You all right?”
He spun around, grabbing Chucky by the throat.
“Dude!” Chucky shrieked. “It’s me!”
Cameron’s face flooded with anger. He flung Chucky away and collapsed against a pole. Chucky rubbed his neck and stared at him with a mix of worry and anger.
“Dude,” he spat, “what’s wrong with you?”
Cameron shook his head, unable to lift his eyes from the dirty sidewalk.
“I don't…” His voice was weak and distant. “I…”
Chucky put a protective arm around his friend. “Come on. Let’s go find Peter.”
Cameron’s chest heaved with a silent groan, and he let Chucky lead him back inside. He threw one final glance over his shoulder at the long lonely road that stretched out into the night.
She wasn’t there.
****
Light stabbed through his eyelids and he tried to wave it away. He reluctantly opened his eyes and was instantly terrified.
He didn’t know where he was. His head whipped back and forth as he scanned the room. It looked like a mid-level hotel suite; the decorations were too generic to be someone’s living room. There were two beds and an indeterminate number of people asleep in them. He looked down and was reli
eved to see that he was still clothed. He wasn’t on a bed, though. It looked like a sofa, and judging from the cramps in his back, not a comfortable one.
Swallowing a stale taste that clung to the inside of his mouth, he stumbled to his feet and lurched towards the bathroom. He vomited violently, expelling all kinds of food that he didn’t remember eating. After a few minutes, he felt more balanced, but his head felt like it was being ripped open by a chainsaw.
He staggered to his feet and made his way back to the bedroom.
“Whoa!” he said as he spotted Peter standing in front of the window wearing nothing but a tiny pair of black briefs. He winced and shielded his eyes.
“What?” Peter spread his arms, holding a large pastry in each hand.
Cameron shook his head, trying not to stare at Peter’s enormous belly. “Where are we?” he asked as he rubbed his forehead.
Peter took a huge bite and mumbled through the crumbs. “The Cascade. It was all I could get, and I booked it two months ago. These conventions are brutal.”
Cameron looked back at the bedroom, trying to identify the sleeping shapes. “So…what happened last night?”
Peter snorted, unaware of a large dollop of cream stuck to his lower lip. “You tell me. You and Chucky were enjoying those little tarts I sent down, then the next thing I know, Chucky drags you up to the second floor and you start blubbering about some girl. You were halfway out of your mind. I gave Chucky the room key and you two got in a cab and came here.”
“Where’s Chucky?”
Peter jerked a thumb towards the door. “Krista came later and took him to her room. This whole hotel was one big geek orgy last night.”
Cameron grimaced. He slapped his pocket in search of his phone, then he remembered, and his heart sank.
“Listen, Peter, thanks for everything, but I’ve got to head out. There’s something I have to do.”
Peter frowned. “Well now, hold on for a second. There was something I want to ask you, but I was hoping we could at least have breakfast first.”
Cameron sighed. “What?”
Peter scratched his bulging stomach. “I want you to come on a convention tour with me. MasterCon is just the first stop. I’m booked for the next three weeks. San Francisco, Vegas, Denver, Kansas City, Austin. It’s going to be epic. And I want you to come with me.”
Cameron closed his eyes as the headache intensified. “Peter, I…I don’t know…”