Adventures at the Full Service Island

[st_clare]

It turned out that Searchlight was only about an hour's drive from Las Vegas, but Julianna slept through her wake-up call because she'd tossed and turned for most of the night after her conversation with Edmund. So when she got up it was nearly eleven o clock, which meant she didn't arrive at the car rental agency until almost noon. Nothing on this trip had gone according to plan so far except for her meeting with Dean Travers.

Fortunately, the agency wasn't busy when she arrived, and the Watcher was able to secure an automobile with a full tank of gas and a freshly vacuumed interior. She was going to have to get one of these on a permanent basis if and when she found something other than temporary lodgings.

The highway boasted mid-day traffic, and Julianna kept herself occupied by listening to the all-news station. The heat of the day meant she was going to need water. Damn this early afternoon sun. Clearly Nevada was not famous for its rainy season.

Searchlight really did turn out to be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it place, because she almost missed her exit. Brakes squealed a bit, and gravel crunched as she got off the highway. If Rhiannon was here, it should take her no time at all to find the girl. But first she was going to have to get some bottled water, because the heat was abysmal.

There was a gas station with the unimaginative name of the Gas N Go, and Julianna parked her rental in one of the few parking spaces and killed the engine. Even a place liked this had to have plastic bottles of water for sale. And then she could go about her business.

Comments

[devin_capshaw]

He flipped through the revolving rack near the register, trying not to hum along with the Devo song playing quietly over the gas station's PA. Devin was looking at souvenir key chains. There were a few promising ones. For instance, Laughlin.

Searchlight had pretty low self-esteem, to be selling souvenirs for Laughlin.

It was a shame, really, because it was a town that didn't recognize its own kitsch value. Devin was all about kitsch.

He placed the key chain on the counter, next to a scratch off ticket and a Pepsi. "And 10 bucks on pump 5."