Dead Woman Driving — Episode 4: Snake Eyes: Dead Woman Driving, #4

By Sue Ann Jaffarian

In Snake Eyes, Episode 4 of Sue Ann Jaffarian's popular Dead Woman Driving serial novel, Kate Hastings is tackling her first solo job for her mysterious employers, a task she cannot slither out of, while attempting to normalize her new life on the road.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Novel RV
• Release date: Jan 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393953951

Book preview

DEAD WOMAN DRIVING

A Serial Novel

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EPISODE 4

SNAKE EYES

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by

Sue Ann Jaffarian

CHAPTER

ONE

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Kate Hastings found the sound of the baton striking the makeshift dummy satisfying. It was a hard dull thud, like boots hitting the floor after being removed from tired feet. The target was a duffle bag filled with old blankets and towels that Kate kept in the back of her truck. The duffle, towels and blankets had come from Ozzie’s old rig. She had purchased new ones for use in her trailer, but kept the old for emergencies. Now they served as the filling in the duffle as it hung from a support beam of the structure over her picnic table. Kate had been watching baton training videos on YouTube. She practiced several times a week, incorporating the moves into her usual workouts.

She was currently staying in the Hords Creek Lake campground in Texas, outside the town of Coleman. It was off season and not very busy in the section where she was parked with her Winnebago Micro Minnie trailer and truck. She’d been here a couple of days and was scheduled to stay for three more. She liked it here. Every morning a small herd of deer made their way across the campground heading for the edge of the lake. Every evening they returned, like commuters going to and from jobs. Kate liked to get up early in the morning and make herself a cup of coffee, then quietly slip out the door of her trailer and into her camp chair to watch the parade of gentle creatures.

Practicing a move she’d done many times, Kate brought the baton up close to her body in front of her. In a back handed controlled swing, she brought the weapon down on the duffle near the top, about shoulder height for an average grown man. She followed through with a tight forward swing that went low, connecting with the area that would be thigh high. Her movements were quick and efficient.

I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that, a voice said in a faint Texas accent.

Kate spun around, the baton ready to go on offense. Several yards away was a man about her age in jeans and a denim shirt. The long sleeves of the shirt were rolled up displaying a couple of tattoos. The shirt hung open over a black t-shirt with a logo on the front. He had light brown skin and wavy black hair that curled slightly around his collar and ears. A close-cropped dark beard covered the lower half of his handsome face. He looked at her with a rakish grin, but didn’t approach. Kate recognized him as the occupant of the dark camper van that had pulled into the campground two over from hers the day before yesterday. She always paid attention to the people camped near her, even if she didn’t interact with them. Being aware of your surroundings was part of survival, not just in her circumstances, but a good rule in general, especially for a woman traveling alone. Under her breath, she cursed herself for not sensing he was close by until he spoke. In her focus on her exercise, she’d lost awareness of her surroundings. Not good.

Kate remained silent but ready, neither stepping away from him nor toward him. He seemed unsure of what to say next since the conversation was one-sided.

I saw you running yesterday, he finally said. And today doing this. Impressive. I thought I’d come by and say hello. When Kate remained still and quiet, he added, "I didn’t mean to disturb you. Just being neighborly.