Vic: Terror Incognita

Meet Vic Challenger

Grueling trauma and savage emotional torment can reduce someone to a vestige of their former self. That same unmerciful agony can instead mold a person into something exceptional, a figure of near-superhuman ability, capable of extraordinary feats and heroic deeds even when confronted with mind-numbingly vicious adversaries or against staggering odds!

Victoria remembered her savage life and brutal death, and the vow she made to her eternal love 100,000 years ago. That searing inferno of recollection forged her into something more than she had been. It awakened her keen animal senses and revived the instincts of her neolithic persona and spirit of primal ferocity, and eliminated every vestige of fear!

Her recall also roused a desire and dream un-weakened by passage of a hundred millennia! As Vic Challenger, she now lives an epic quest to realize what might have been in her savage past, even as her more civilized side readily responds to any plea for help! Without falter, she confronts grim perils and ventures into situations so terrifying they make the bravest men cower and weep for their mother. Vic never cowers. She does what needs done!

vic: Terror Incognita Book 4

Vic visits the Amazon basin - she loves camping out. Right off, she finds that her favorite fictional tale isn’t all fiction! Then she meets a madman from her very distant past and some little dinosaurs. Plus things that may have inspired myths of satyrs! Vic must survive all the above and help a primitive tribe escape fear-driven slavery!

Vic Challenger travel tales deliver chapter after chapter of riveting, heart-pounding action & unpredictable adventure!

Guaranteed!

Excerpt and Principles

How shall you end her life? What weapon do you wish?

None. I am the weapon. I tried my best to teach gung-fu to the dumb ox, but she could never get it right. Now, I can pound it into her head and out the other side!

Oh, my! Tis squeaked as he rose on his toes again and again and clapped like a four-year-old promised a trip to the circus. I hope the Sagyr doesn’t dally! I can’t wait to see you rip the heart from the cave girl!

from Chapter 10

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It isn't in the scheme of the Great Mother for us to have everything we want [...] The lucky ones among us get half. But reach high, and half is enough. – Zoe in Forest of Forever (1971) 14.

Thomas Burnett Swann

Thinking doesn’t get it done. You can’t swim the river until you jump in.- Vic Challenger

Greatness does not cower. – Gron, leader of Goch

little chance doesn’t mean no chance. - Vic, as a beast approaches

if you see a centipede you step on it. If you don’t, it might crawl under the covers with you at night - parental advice to Vic

If someone is in trouble, don’t just stand there, help. - A value handed down to Vic

Swimming well does not help when you travel in the trees. Advice from Nat-ul, Vic’s cave girl avatar

Prologue:

100,000 years ago when life was stupendously savage and every day was a test of your will to live, an epic love was born. Two cave dwellers, Nat-ul, daughter of Tha, and Nu, son of Onu, were extraordinary hunters and warriors to match that time. One night they vowed to love each other as long as the moon would rise in the night sky. In their primitive fashion, that meant forever. They both died in geologic cataclysms on the very day following their sacred oath. Buried by mountains, one would think their story ended. Yet, the wise of every generation and every culture proclaim that true love never dies. There is a reason they say this. In 1896 the moon still rose in the night sky when Nat-ul was reborn as Victoria Custer. As a young woman, the educated Nebraska farm girl experienced vivid recall of her former primeval life and eternal vow. One thousand generations did not cool her love. The memories also restored her savage, stone-age instincts and defiant boldness. Now, under the pen name Vic Challenger, she writes adventure travel articles. That work allows her to comb the globe in search of present-day Nu. She realizes her quest may take a lifetime and she seems to be a magnet for mortal peril. Yet she is determined to do whatever it takes to reunite with her eternal love and time doesn’t matter!

In 1919 Vic remembered her primitive past and swore to find Nu. In early 1920, she began her search in Mexico. There she learned of Stu, a nomadic artist. He paints primitive people and fashions stone-age weapons. He might be present-day Nu, but Vic has no clue of his whereabouts. By September of that year, Vic and high school friend Lin Li visited Outer Mongolia and the trip turned out to be much more physical than expected.. In early 1921 they went to Scotland after an impromptu visit to the Grand Canyon. Neither trip went as planned.

Later in 1921, Lin Li is with Vic again and this trip is going to be an easy, fun camp out in the Amazon jungle - except for the really big reptiles, vengeance-crazed apes, human-like things with shape shifting faces and a lunatic from Vic’s extreme past! Like life, the trip is totally unpredictable!

Chapter 1 Perilous Camp Out

Vic returned from Scotland and learned of her mother’s death only a month earlier. For the first week after her return, Vic stayed at the farm with her dad and helped with chores as she did as a youngster. Her editor told her to take as much time off as she needed, and although Vic had no plan for how long, her dad settled it. After one week he told her to go home. She protested or tried, but he told her don’t argue, just go. He was Ok, and she needed to get back to work. I don’t need company. Victoria is with me in everything I do. She always will be. Vic understood so packed up and went home, and on the next day, she returned to work.

July 25, August 1, August 5 - The birth dates of Vic, Lin, and Emma. Vic and Emma met at age five and every year after they shared a birthday party. When they met Lin, it became a triple event.

That summer, the birthday party slipped her mind for the first time since age five. Then a week ago her dad came by and asked her about it. I haven’t heard anything about the big party. What’s going on? Don’t I get invited? It’s at Lin’s house this year, right?

Vic told him she hadn’t thought about it or talked to either Lin or Emma. Probably won’t have a party this year. We’re too old anyway.

What? You have your party, or I’ll box your ears! her dad said and sounded quite serious.

Dad! I mean it! If your mother were here, she’d do it.

A bitter-sweet tear slid down Vic’s face, and she smiled. She would, wouldn’t she? And kick me in the seat of my pants to boot.

Victoria and I always looked forward to the big party. You’d better call Emma and Lin today.

Vic still didn’t have a phone and no plans for one, so she biked to Mortimer’s to see Lin. They recalled earlier birthdays and parties, and it only took five minutes to be ready and even eager for a party, so they called Emma.

Emma seemed excited at first, but her initial enthusiasm cooled. She had things to do and didn’t know if she could make it, but would let them know. It didn’t sound right to Vic and Lin. Emma was always eager for their party and with school out, her time was free. They didn’t know what to make of her behavior, but encouraged Emma to try to make it, and offered to help any way they could. Then they put it out of mind for the time.

The next day they began preparations for the party. Then things got complicated. At least in part because Vic and Lin were both obsessive do-ers. They often tried to pedal in both directions at the same time. They planned to leave on their next big trip in a few weeks. Lin was working extra hours at Mortimer’s, and Vic wanted to finish fourteen articles to run in her weekly column while they were gone.

Then Mai, Lin’s youngest sister and her new sister, Yana, started getting on Lin. She promised to take them camping and didn’t. Now it was almost time for school to begin and Lin would leave again. Two days after party preparations began, Lin grumbled about a barrage of nagging.

Vic said, Let’s take them!

We don’t have time! said Lin.

Sure we have time! Vic replied. We managed to visit Arizona and San Francisco in less than two weeks, so we could take the girls camping. Vic joked, and Lin drooped her head and shook it. And what about your brothers and other sisters?

Just me and Mai like outside, and Yana is a natural outdoors girl. She’d sleep in the backyard if we let her. Oldest and youngest. Strange, huh? The others like outside when there's a carnival and the only wildlife they have an interest in is at the Omaha zoo.

Let’s do it. It would be fun. It doesn’t need to be long. Three or four days. Vic paused to think. Hey! Remember Emma wanted to go camping this summer? She can go, too! Gee, we’ll have enough people it will be like a church hayride, except we can take your car.

When are you getting a car, Vic?

Not enough time and we are going to be gone, so I don’t need one now. Don’t change the subject!

Lin was quiet. Say, you have your serious look, Lin. What’s wrong?

Lin looked at Vic, raised and lowered her shoulders and sighed. I know this sounds lame, but do you think we are magnets for trouble? Or just trouble makers? Nobody I know has been through what we have in just a year, and none of my other friends have needed to fight for their life even once.

They were outside Mortimer’s, and the bench was empty so Vic motioned for Lin to sit with her.

"We didn’t cause any of those bad incidents, Lin. We just happened to be there when they happened, and we always had a choice. We could have told Chu, no way, I didn’t come to fight Russians. When we saw what was left of poor Mr. Dewar on Mac’s floor, we could have said call Wright, take us to a train. When Evelyn came around the corner running for her life, we could have pushed her away and said we don’t want trouble. Of course, Chu and Narakaa and the twins would be dead. Most of Drumnadrochit would be dead, even all those swell kids that taught us shinty. Evelyn would be at the bottom of San Francisco Bay, and Cora would have died shortly after the wedding. We wouldn't feel bad because we wouldn’t even know about any of those events. We could always walk away…"

No we couldn’t! said Lin.

I know we couldn’t - neither of us. Your parents and mine are both sort of the last wave of old pioneer types. We both soaked up their values like sponges, and I am glad I did. Mom told me often if you see a centipede you step on it. If you don’t, it might crawl under the covers with you at night. Right is right; wrong is wrong. If someone is in trouble, don’t just stand there, help.

I agree with all that, said Lin, but I still worry about taking Mai and Yana anywhere. I don’t want to put them in danger because of my …

You won’t. We won’t, and if danger does show up, we’ll deal with it. We both can handle danger pretty well.

I’d as soon as not put them in danger.

We won’t. We have never looked for danger; it just comes calling. We’d both avoid mirrors the rest of our life if we ever slipped out the back door to hide. Let’s take them somewhere we know. Would Mr. Mortimer mind? Vic remembered Lin wanted to put in extra hours.

He heard them nagging on me yesterday and told me to take time off and take them camping. He said things would be fine.

Oh! I’m so sorry, Lin! Vic said and shook her head. That’s always a sad day.

What is? What are you talking about?

When we find out the world runs OK without us. They both half laughed at that.

They called Emma and asked her again about the party and invited her to go camping the day after. Emma sounded like she wanted to do both, but wouldn’t commit to either. It seemed so odd and out of character that Vic and Lin asked if something was wrong and would she like them to come over. Emma screamed at that, not an angry scream but a fearful scream. Then her voice dropped to a whisper, and she apologized and said she needed to go. Vic and Lin were both worried about Emma but didn’t know what to do. They reckoned she would speak up if she needed help.

The Li kids all helped prepare food and set up tables with saw horses and planks on the day of the party. Mai and Yana also took time to pack the gear for the camping trip. Friends began to arrive early, and it looked as though the party would be as fun as ever, except Emma might not show.

Vic’s dad and a few other parents ate and visited with Lin’s parents in the back yard. Lin’s mom went inside every few minutes to make sure no food ran out. Lin’s younger siblings and those of some other guests were out front, racing hoops and jumping rope.

About 20 minutes after the party got underway they heard a car pull up. Lin’s brother Jungie looked out and yelled, Hey! It’s Emma!

Vic and Lin rushed out to meet her. Emma jumped out of her car smiling, but Vic and Lin stopped cold. Emma’s right eye was black and blue, and that side of her face was bruised.

Emma! What happened? asked Vic.

I am so glad to be here! Emma said in her usual perky voice. This party is always so much fun. Best idea any of us ever had!

What happened to your face, Emma? Lin asked.

Oh, I’m a clumsy-mumsy. I was too eager to get here I guess. I tripped rushing out of the house and fell into a porch post. Almost knocked me out.

Vic and Lin looked at each other. Both experienced similar bruises a few times, and none were ever from a post, but they kept quiet.

I’m so glad to be here with friends, Emma said more subdued and hugged them both. They assured her they were also glad.

Inside, everyone worried over Emma, but she assured one and all she was okay. Soon she was embroiled in some serious charades with a group of old school friends.

Vic and Lin noticed when more friends arrived late that Emma looked apprehensive when they knocked. Lin came over and stood beside Vic and whispered, That bruise doesn’t look like a post to me.

Me neither.

They considered and decided they wouldn’t ask again. If there were a problem, Emma would tell them when she