Page 2 of Carmine

“Are you the one who’s been leaving this equipment everywhere? A few of my brothers have found but not touchedyour stuff. Yet the EROS centre knows nothing about it,” Carmine asked curiously.

“What’s it to do with you?” I demanded as I packed up my samples.

“Lady.” Carmine sighed. “I only asked a question. EROS claims nobody was assigned up here and then I come across you.”

“EROS didn’t assign me here, but I’m taking samples and monitoring seismic waves,” I replied finally.

“Why?” Carmine questioned, and suddenly, he seemed really interested in what I was doing.

“Because I’m a fruit loop, apparently,” I muttered, scowling.

“Are you a scientist?”

“Yes.”

“But you don’t work for EROS?”

“No, I was fired,” I said grumpily.

“Why?”

“I told you. I’ve got a screw loose, according to my bosses. Even though the evidence seems to support my hypothesis.”

“And what’s that?” Carmine replied, his eyes narrowed.

“What’s with all the questions? I’m not hurting anyone! I’m just going about trying to prove I am not a lunatic and that my hypothesis has merit,” I exploded.

“This got anything to do with signs of a volcano in the Black Hills?” Carmine demanded, and I straightened.

Why was he asking that? Damn, I must have seen him at EROS, and that’s why I recognised him.

No doubt he was here to poke fun at me.

“Who sent you? Are you just wasting my time? I never said there was a fucking volcano in South Dakota. Even though Bear Butte may have been the remains of one that never erupted. But that’s beside the point. I didn’t claim there was a volcano here. I postulated that there was a pocket of magma under South Dakota that was under pressure, and the seismic activity wasgoing to make it surface. The presence of laccoliths indicates past volcanic activity. Any volcanologist worth their weight knows you can’t have laccoliths without magma,” I spat at him.

My chest heaved with my indignation and ire. Seriously, I was tired of people making a fool of me.

“For one spiteful minute, I hope my hypothesis comes true, and you all end up with egg on your face. Just for a moment, I wish to see lava run down these hills, and you can all go fuck yourself!”

“You’re coming with me,” Carmine said, grabbing at me.

Indignantly, I squealed and fell backwards on my ass. “Don’t you dare touch me. I know karate!”

The guy stopped and eyed me with a sceptical expression. “Honestly, I doubt that. Look, I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m here for a reason. This will take a while to explain, but I’ll nutshell it. I’m a prospect with Rage MC. My name is Carmine Michaelson, and when I am not being a prospect, I play for the Cubs. Search me up on the club site.

“One of our old ladies is psychic, and Aurora keeps having visions of lava running through the streets of Rapid City. Two nights ago, Aurora had an awful vision. Klutz, her husband, recorded it, and it has my MC out scouring the Hills for signs of volcanic activity,” Carmine explained.

In disbelief, I stared as my anger mounted. “Do you expect me to believe that bullshit? A psychic? Why not tell me magic exists and you have a farm of unicorns? Jeez, I understand my hypothesis is somewhat out there and was heavily ridiculed, but to make fun of me to my face is despicable. I don’t deserve that,” I snarled, really hurt deep down inside.

“Listen!” Carmine said urgently. He fumbled with his phone and a monotone voice came from it.

“She is a voice drowned out by thousands. Ignoring her cries means we can no longer divert what is to come. The streets willburn red, orange, and yellow. Lava will run, and the living will perish.”

Carmine hit stop. “That’s Aurora and part of her vision from the other night. Please, won’t you come and meet her?”

“I’m not a fool!” I yelled.

“Seriously, I don’t think you are, but talk to my MC,” Carmine asked earnestly.

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