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Motor homes make great vacation vehicles. People travel across the country with the conveniences of home at their fingertips, never worrying with a hotel. However, The Traveler transformed his into something that allowed him the opportunity to commit murder anywhere he liked. His unique vehicle gave a whole new meaning to toy hauler. It had become a portable torture chamber.
His first kill had been unintentional and impetuous; a fortuitous accident that had revealed his course in life. Over the years, he perfected his skill, learning to be innovative with his techniques. He became superb at it, especially since he had no empathy towards people.
The Traveler enjoyed the open road; wandering from town to town, enjoying a gypsy lifestyle. He never stayed in one place long and worked odd jobs here and there when he needed money. The need to accumulate wealth never interested him; he never desired material things. When it came time to leave, he merely drove off into the sunset with no worries. Best of all, by the time someone discovered the body, he was long gone.
At one time, rest stops had been the perfect hunting ground, and a convenient place to dispose of the bodies. Now he had to be careful since most had installed video surveillance and some had twenty-four hour security guards. This forced him to prey on prostitutes, homeless, and runaways; what law enforcement agencies considered high risk victims. But, they didn’t give him the same release. Whatever tortures he did, they seemed to accept as their fate. He preferred those that had a good life, who never believed something bad could happen to them. It gave him a thrill when they pleaded for their lives and showed emotion while being tortured. Watching as the life drained from their eyes brought him the rush he sought. With the prostitutes, he was denied that rush.
Over the years, The Traveler became aware of the various stages associated with torturing someone to death. The first stage was fear, which could be seen in the victim’s eyes. Next came defiance, when they attempted to fight the inevitable. Then despair, this one brought him such jubilance, when the victim realized he held their fate in his hands and there was no chance of escape. Once the victim realized there was no hope of survival, the next stage began - they pleaded for death to end their suffering. Of course, his revered stage was the last - death.
The Traveler pulled into a truck stop to grab a quick bite to eat. While waiting for his food, a news story piqued his interest, regarding a little town named Hope, Louisiana.
When he heard that David Thorguson would be transferred from the small jail in Hope to Springport Prison in two days, a dangerous plan began to take form. It could be risky to bring in a partner. However, a playmate would make the game he had in mind more interesting.