It was Saturday and Cambria was working hard at the little bar. It would be her last shift because she was leaving. She was traveling north to the upper Midwest. Her Aunt had made her life here in Turtle Creek, Georgia, a living hell. She was angry because the courts ruled that the will was legal when she contested it and that Cambria was legally entitled to the necklace Aunt Delila was so certain was her rightful inheritance.

Cambria hurried through the kitchen door with a tray of orders. She weaved through the crowd standing in the little bar.  The Bar itself was filled, each of the ten bar stools had someone sitting on them while the bartender hurried back and forth behind the bar filling drink orders.  Behind those at the bar were groups of people standing around talking.  The six tables were full as were the pool tables in the back.

The wood floor was well worn from years of customers roaming back and forth. The bar itself was made of what appeared to be beer barrels with an oak counter atop them. The walls of the bar were painted green and had several stuffed deer heads hung on them from Suelai (Soo-lie) and her husband’s hunting trips. Mostly her husband’s hunting trips. There was one bathroom up front of the bar and the kitchen at the rear. 

Cambria noticed the two new customers. She hadn’t seen either man before. One was muscle bound and huge, over six feet by her calculations. His clothes and tats said biker, but he wore no colors so he probably wasn’t part of a club. He kept his white blond hair tied back in a ponytail and scanned the bar with ruthless ice blue eyes. His gaze kept landing on her and it gave her the willies.

The other man was also around six foot tall and muscular though not in the same way as the biker. He had dark red hair that he kept shoulder length and unusual indigo eyes. His appearance was well kempt unlike the biker. He was dressed in low riding jeans, a button down dress shirt, and what appeared to be work boots of some kind. He watched her like the other man did, but he didn’t make it noticeable unlike the biker. 

Cambria hid her nervousness and delivered the food she’d brought out. Neither man ordered food, but the one was drinking quite a lot from the looks of it. The red head stuck with mostly water, though he’d had a soda so as not to get kicked out. 

Suelai latched onto Cambria’s arm dragging her into the kitchen as she returned from delivering food to the tables. Suelai was four inches taller than Cambria’s five foot two inches with had bright strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes that sparkled when she smiled. She wore jeans and a t-shirt like Cambria as well as biker boots. 

Cambria also wore biker boots that were a gift from Suelai on her eighteenth birthday a few days ago. Her Chestnut hair was braided into one long braid down her back, but every one who knew her told her that her unique blue-green eyes were the one thing that stood out at any time.  

Cambria laughed as Suelai jerked her into the Kitchen. “Did you see those two guys watching you?” She asked Cambria. 

“Yea, I did. The biker is rather scary, I think.” she replied.

“Yea, but the other one is rather cute don’t you think?” Suelai giggled like a schoolgirl rather than the grown thirty something woman she was. Suelai and Cambria had been best friends ever since they’d first met at Cambria’s grandparents' funeral. Suelai had given Cambria a place to live, a job, and even helped her learn to drive. She also made sure Cambria finished high school. 

She’d been the best foster parent Cambria could ask for.  “I know you’re moving to the upper Midwest and all, but Bret and I decided to give you something to remember us by.” Suelai began.

“I’ll never forget you !” Cambria said, hugging her.

“Still, you’re going to need a place to live when you get there. We were talking and as you know Bret’s parents didn’t just give him the bar when they passed. They also left him a cabin and a parcel of land in the upper midwest. We already own a cabin in the mountains here and never get up there. So we agreed you should have it.” Suelai shoved a manilla envelope into Cambria’s hands.

“This is too much. You’ve taught me so much already. I - I.” Cambria stammered. 

“The deed to the cabin and property are already in your name. the deeds are in this envelope. There is a map with it and printed directions so you can find the cabin, also in the envelope.” Suelai said as she pushed the envelope into Cambria’s hands firmly indicating she was not taking no for an answer.

Cambria flung her arms around Suelai in a bear hug. “You guys are the best.”

Suelai hugged her back. “Do us proud up yonder, girl. Make something of yourself. You are worth it. Don’t let your witch of an Aunt tell you any different.”

Cambria swiped a tear off her cheek. “I’m going to miss y'all so much. “ She whispered. 

“Yeah, we’ll miss ya, too. Shifts over, girl. Go punch out and get going. I’ll figure your wages and deposit your last check on that prepaid credit card I got you. You should have saved enough to get up there and start anew.” Suelai gave Cambria a shove toward the time clock and back door.  Cambria hugged her again.

Cambria glanced toward the kitchen door. “What about the muscle man and the redhead? They were both kinda watching me all day practically.”

“Bret’s got the redhead busy talking right now and the Quarterback trio are leaving our biker a little surprise. That should give you a head start if you hurry.” Suelai said with a grin.

“You guys are great.” Cambria gushed and hurried to leave before either man noticed she was gone. The Quarterback Trio was the name they gave Aron Gunderson and his friends because all three of them played football and Aron was the quarterback for the team. The boys were around six foot and two hundred pounds of muscle. They all had brown hair and brown eyes. They looked enough alike that they could have been triplets which added to the reasons they were given the name.

Cambria rushed out the back door of the kitchen with the gifts her coworkers and the Quarterback trio had given her to say goodbye. She’d miss Aron and the boys a lot. They had all been friends since kindergarten and still were. She promised to write to them every day if she could, Suelai too. 

Cambria climbed into her Blue Ford pickup, tucked the manilla envelope in the glove box and buckled up. She started the truck and away she went. Aron waved at her as she drove by. Cambria waved back and noticed the Harley the biker arrived on had a flat.  She saw the biker run out to jump on his bike and follow only to notice the flat and start cussing up a storm. 

***************************************************************

Darron was caught off guard when Chet rose and ran from the bar and restaurant. The owner of the bar, Bret something or other, had been talking to him though he hadn't been really listening. He had been staring at the picture of Cambria comparing it to the waitress he’d been watching.

She was truly beautiful with her long chestnut hair braided down her back and those unique blue-green eyes. The necklace was very recognizable though. It was a dark turquoise color and cut in the shape of a diamond though flatter. She wore it on a silver chain around her neck and at times the stone almost appeared to glow.

Darron watched Chet hurry out the door and caught sight of the girl’s blue pickup drive by, at least he believed it belonged to the girl. He thanked the owner, paid his bill and hurried to leave. Only to be waylaid by an angry Chet.

“You flipping ass! You gave me a flat so you could get ahead of me. I oughtta…” Chet's heated rant was cut off by a right hook from Darron.

“Don’ ever accuse me of dirty dealin’.” Darron snapped at a surprised Chet. “There’s a shop across the road. Get a new tire and quit bitchin’. “ Darron then turned and stalked to his truck, jumped in and took off.

Thanks to Chet the girl had a head start and Darron had lost her for now. Chet on the other hand was going to be even further behind than Darron since he had to get a new tire for his Harley. Darron was impressed by the girl. She had good friends that had stuck out for her and gave her a head start. That said a lot about her that the people of the little town of Turtle Creek stood by her.

He hit the interstate, certain that she was headed north. If he had an aunt like hers, he’d be headed anywhere far away from the bitch. He figured from the camper on the truck bed that she would find somewhere to camp for the night rather than a hotel. How far she’d drive that night, he didn’t know. 

He'd done as much research on the girl and the stone as he could. He'd learned she was a fighter. She'd bounced back from the devastating loss of her parents and then the loss of her grandparents five years later.

Not only had she bounced back, she'd thrived under the care of the court appointed foster parents, Suelai and Bret Levistan, who by chance owned the bar he'd just left. They'd given her a home, job, education, and the protection she needed. They'd also loved her as their own.

He was certain Cambria would have stayed in Turtle Creek had it not been for the constant problems caused by her Aunt. An aunt who proclaimed to love the girl and then tried to rob her. From the police records he'd dug up,

This conniving Aunt had actually tried to kill Cambria and steal the necklace. She had done this by putting a whole bottle of sleeping pills in Cambria's drink at Suelai's bar no less. On the day, Cambria's grandparents were buried .

Suelai noticed the Aunt slip something in the drink and skillfully made her way to the table where she pretended to knock the drink out of Cambria's hand. A fight incurred and the police were called. It came out that this greedy woman had put something into the girls drink. The Aunt admitted to drugging the drink though she said it was just a little tranquilizer to help calm her niece after losing her grandparents.

The glass was collected as evidence and the Aunt searched. An empty bottle of sleeping pills was found in the Aunts bag and the test on the cup came back showing high levels of a prescription sleeping medicine in the cup.

That was all the Police needed. The Aunt went to court under charges of attempted murder and was sentenced to twenty years in prison and another twenty probation. Cambria was removed from the Aunts care and subsequently after some investigating placed in Suelai and her husband's care.

The Aunt still had long arms and did everything she could to make Cambria's life a living hell. She had her friends send threatening e-mails and letter, they broke into Cambria's apartment and her foster parents home, vandalized the bar and her truck.

Just about anything to scare Cambria or attempt to scare her. Fortunately Cambria was not easily frightened. One of the even attempted to assault and rape Cambria on her way home only to be fought off by a mysterious man. This last incident was enough for Suelai and Bret to talk Cambria into leaving town. Not wanting anyone else to get hurt, Cambria agreed.

Darron had found out she'd taken a new last name and registered everything including her truck under that name. He wasn't yet able to get a hold of the name change information. Those records had been sealed by the same judge that had over saw the attempted murder case.

Thus the file he had on his passenger seat was all the information he had on Cambria. He knew that Cambria was in even more danger than she knew because others would be after the Soul Stone for their own reasons. In fact Darron was certain that Elder Adrian Fallon had ulterior motives for acquiring the stone and the girl. He just had to prove it and keep watch over her as he did so. That wouldn't be easy since she didn't trust him let alone to many others.