After entering the city limits, a quiet small city greets John. After seeing the horrors that plague the night and witnessing first hand the spread of evil to our dimension when the Book of Erebus was destroyed,* the calm ambiance of Hampton feels like a refuge to John. However, something tells him that not all is as innocent as appearances indicate. Putting these thoughts aside as mere cynicism, he keeps cruising the streets until he arrives at the seedier districts of Hampton.

[*Again, in the Bloodrise Miniseries]

Here, as in any other city in the world, the less savory specimens of humanity can be found, engaging in all sorts of activities. From the simple selling of one's body for a little profit, to the dealing of death and addiction. It is into this part of town, that Blaze has followed his mystical sense. Unfortunately this is not a finely honed instrument, akin to a bloodhound, but more of a general pull, reminiscent of when one begins driving somewhere familiar without even realizing he's doing it. And so it is that once John Blaze arrives here, he knows that he is in the right place, but must now undertake some investigation of his own to find the kids.

The kids. It´s always about the kids. It doesn't matter if they are innocent like little Emily, or if they are born already destined for supernatural lives, like him and his brothers, or if they are just dragged into the madness because of the sins of the father, like his own children. His son and daughter. It has been so long since he has held Emma and Craig, feeling the heat emanating of their little bodies ... knowing that he will protect them from whatever he must. How long until he can hold them again? John hopes that it will not be long, but even he wonders if once again he will be able to protect them. Luckily for John, he spots the place he has been looking for, before he can continue that line of thought.

In his long travels, whether with the Quentin Carnival or alongside Jennifer Kale, John has learned how to go about getting "sticky" information in a new town. It's not always easy, but it is a proven method. Having found what seems to be the seediest bar in town, John prepares himself to spend the next few hours just gathering information by merely keeping his eyes and ears open. It is incredible how much can be learned about the power structures of places like this by merely paying attention to your surroundings. And so, in just a few hours, John has figured out who the movers and shakers that hang in here are. He could have gotten this information much quicker as Ghost Rider, but Blaze seems to be in less control of the transformation than when he was first Ghost Rider. Just like Danny at first, he seems to only transform when the innocent need to be avenged. Luckily, he seems to have much more control over Ghost Rider than Danny ever had.

As far as John can tell, everything seems to converge on one man. Sure, there are some other people going about their business, but none seem to gather the demand or respect that this one does. He has been sitting there all night, talking to a score of different persons. His short blond hair and his spectacles surround the eyes of a very cunning man. A well-timed walk near his table reveals a name: Mr. Turner. John now has everything he needs.

"Mr. Turner?"

"Who wants to know?" the addressed man is almost reaction-less to being talked to by a stranger.

"I was told you could help me."

"Really, and what kind of help would that be?"

Calmly, Blaze sits down uninvited in front of Mr. Turner and smiles. "I am looking for someone. A kid to be specific."

"I am sorry, but I think you were mislead. I don't find people."

"Really? because I'm not too picky. Any young kid will do." Blaze says while trying to repress the disgust his own words cause him and instead trying to look excited.

"I'm afraid I really must ask you to leave. I am not the man you're looking for."

"Too bad, because I know how to thank a man who can help me."

"That really will be all." As Mr. Turner says this, he motions for a couple of rather muscular individuals to come over.

"OK, OK! I get it! No need to make a scene. I will leave by myself. Good evening." As John walks out of the bar, he makes sure to be noticed by the two thugs that Mr. Turner has apparently sent to follow him. As he walks inside a dark alley, he can almost sense the smiles on their faces. They must think he's making it easy on them by going into the perfect place to ambush him.

However, as the two bruisers walk inside the alley, John is just standing there, facing them. The smile in his face shows that this is exactly what he wanted. If Mr. Turner wasn't involved in this as he claims, there would be no need for him to send his goons over to find out what Blaze knows. He might not be able to transform himself at will, but he has more than enough training to take on these two. That and his trusty hellfire shotgun.

"What are you smiling at shorty?" The biggest of the two lowlifes asks, already cracking his knuckles in anticipation of what is to come.

John says nothing, feeling the cold steel of his weapon under his trench coats, but hoping he won't need to use it. He would much prefer to blow of some steam cracking these gorilla's heads. As the two goons move in on him, John swiftly ducks, avoiding the first's brass knuckles, while gaining momentum to punch the other in the jaw with enough force to sit him down.

Pressing his advantage, John kicks the downed man in the head while turning to face his first opponent. However, he is not quite fast enough to fully avoid another blow. Luckily, the brass knuckles hit him in the shoulder, rather than in the face, like his aggressor intended. However, not only is the pain intense, but his right arm is now numb.

"ARGH! That hurt. Now I'll have to hurt you." No sooner has John uttered those words than he lashes out, ramming his elbow into the thug's face. Before the bruiser can counter, he finds himself the recipient of a barrel of punches, kicks, elbows, knees and finally a head-butt. As he drifts into unconsciousness John walks over to the other man who is starting to get up.

Just as the man is reaching for his gun, he lifts his gaze and finds himself staring up the barrel of John's shotgun. However what he sees leaves him cold. This close, the hellfire that emanates from the weapon can be felt as something not of this earth.

"OK, Mr. Hired Muscle. You and I are going to have ourselves a nice chat."

"Y ... y ... you don't scare me."

"Yeah, I can see that in your firm voice. Do you know what I'm looking for?"

"All I know is you asked the boss some wrong questions."

"I see. Well, you're of no good to me now. So what do you think I should do with you?" says Johnny, shoving the shotgun a little closer to the man's face. "Maybe I just should pull the trigger. That way I won't have to worry about you and what you might say."

"You're bluffing. But you can't just come in here and bully your way around ..." The thug is interrupted in mid-sentence as John hits him in the face with his shotgun. Caught by surprise, all the goon can do is take it and spit up some blood and a tooth.

"You were saying?"

"Look, I really don't know what you want. I ..." But before he can continue, Blaze knocks him out with a kick.

As both bruisers lie unconscious in the alley, John ponders for a moment what to do with them. He raises his hellfire shotgun and squeezes the trigger, engulfing them in a burst of hellfire. They will survive. They will not even be burned, except in their souls. They might have just been hired help trying to rough him over, but who knows how many atrocities they have committed in the name of money. Besides, the hellfire will only be as terrible as the acts they themselves have committed.

Now that John knows that he is definitely on to something, he goes to his bike and positions himself in a dark spot from where he can observe the door of the bar. He doesn't have to wait long however, as Mr. Turner and tow more of his gorillas exit the establishment and are picked up by a not too fancy car. Seems like the man doesn't like to brag or, more likely, tries to keep a low profile. John starts up his bike and follows from a safe distance. After only a few minutes, they arrive at their apparent destination.

"A church?" wonders Blaze. "What does he want here? I doubt he's here to make a donation, but why come here? He must be nervous after his two bruisers failed to return. Well, he certainly isn't going to confession, that much's for sure."

Barely noticing the cold winter air, Blaze watches as Mr. Turner gets out of his car and heads into what look to be the living quarters of the resident priest. After only a quick knocking, the door opens and the gangster and his bodyguards enter the building.

As John approaches the now closed doorway, he begins to sense an aura of evil surrounding this holy place. At first it's only a discomforting feeling, but as he nears the building, the urge to give over to the Spirit of Vengeance begins to overwhelm him. Rather than fight the transformation however, John welcomes it, figuring he has wasted enough time already. It's now Ghost Rider's turn to gather information. Without stopping his advance, the transformation replaces the grim form of a driven man, with the even grimmer and unrelenting Spirit of Vengeance. The old wooden door that blocks the entrance is not even a small delay to him, as he effortlessly rips it off it's hinges. This dramatic entrance does not go unnoticed by the bodyguards, who had staid behind to prevent any unwanted intrusions.

"What the fuck is that?!"

"I'll be damned if I know, but I ain't letting him try to introduce himself."

As one, the two hired guns open fire upon the approaching Ghost Rider, but the bullets that strike him pose no more threat to him than a few raindrops would. The two thugs however, have either too much faith in their guns or are so scared they don't notice. Whatever the case, they just keep firing as the Rider just comes closer and closer. This lack of logical actions allows the flaming biker to reach them both almost simultaneously, grabbing each one by the throat. As he looks upon their terrified faces, he feels tempted to stop and give each of them the penance stare. However, John knows that he can't afford to dally that long, so he just violently busts both heads together. A concussion and the memories of having seen him up close and about to harm them will have to be penance enough this time. As the two unconscious bodies fall to the ground, the Ghost Rider continues his unrelenting march towards the evil inside.

Following the pull of the taint that caused him to be summoned again, Ghost Rider enters the main room of the building: the chapel itself. The sound of his boots walking over the cold stone floor echoes through the whole chamber. The dim glow of his flame eerily illuminates the religious symbols that adorn the inside of the room. As he walks past them, the shadows move with him, giving the faces a variety of expressions, from suffering to mocking and even weeping. The Spirit of Vengeance however is unconcerned with this as he makes his way to the back of the church. There, past the sachristry, he finds the entrance to the catacombs. As he starts to go down the old stone stairs, the muffled sounds of a conversation coming from below reach him.

Once Ghost Rider reaches the catacombs, he notices that they are very small, compared to what he had expected, based on the size of the church grounds. However, the reason becomes apparent soon thereafter. Most of the underground space is taken up by a secret chamber the access of which has been left open. As John gets closer to it, the conversation becomes clear enough to be understood.

"... sure no one's talked?" The voice of Mr. Turner carries over to the Ghost Rider

"Of course. This is not some gang we have here. It's a community, a family." John didn't recognize the voice which replied with a slight brazilian accent.

"Then explain to me what this guy's doing snooping around like that? There is no way the merchandise could have been traced back here!"

Just then, Ghost Rider reaches the room in which the conversation is taking place. It is a very large chamber, outfitted like a video studio, complete with very up-to-date recording, editing and viewing equipment. The props for what is filmed here however, leave nothing to the imagination. Various instruments commonly used in S&M practices as well as several other objects pointing to sexual activity can be seen from where John enters the room. Inside he finds Mr. Turner and a latino-looking man in a priest robe, sitting in a table near the editing tools. As soon as they see him entering, they both dart up from their seats. A look of shock and surprise can be clearly seen in their faces. But the fear they might feel at that moment is nothing compared to the chill that shoots down their spines as the cold voice of the Ghost Rider fills the room.

"Where are the children?"

"Holy! What is that thing?"

"Looks like a spawn of Satan himself, but even that does not give you reason to swear, Newell" The priest replies in a harsh voice. However he too feels the need to back down from the approaching figure.

"I am here for the children, and I will not be denied!" The voice of the Ghost Rider is filled with anger as he casually bashes in the table which is now between him and his prey. "Tell me where they are!"

"They are not here anymore. They are safe from your grasp, you demon!" Yells the priest as he raises his crucifix in front of the Spirit of Vengeance. "Begone from this place!"

But just as Blaze is about to reach the duo, he hears a voice coming from the catacombs. "Father Dacosta? Are you alright Father? I saw the ... Holy Christ! Whatever you are, put your hands up NOW!" As he turns around, the Ghost Rider comes face to face with a brown-haired, athletic man in a Sheriff's outfit pointing a gun at him. John just looks at him and raises him up in one hand. "I don't want to hurt you, so do not interfere!" And with that he throws him clear across the room!

"Adam!" Father Dacosta is obviously concerned over the well-being of the Sheriff.

Of course, thinks John, how else would he have known to look down here?

"Dammit Father, Di Stefano is down, we better get out of here quickly!" Whispers Mr. Turner into Dacosta's ear. "If we split up there's no way he can catch us both before we get upstairs and can get some help. RUN!"

As the two men try to go around the Ghost Rider to the door, he reaches out and tries to grab them. However, while he gets a perfect grip on Mr. Turner, Father Dacosta manages to slip away. Figuring that this will only take a second, the Spirit of Vengeance turns toward the man he holds in his left hand. As their two gazes meet, John unleashes the most dreadful of Ghost Rider's powers: The Penance Stare. Every single act of evil that Newell Robert Turner Jr. has committed in his life is suddenly relived by him, only this time he's on the receiving end of it. The screams that emit from his throat are not nearly enough to drown out the thousand voices of the victims with whom he has now traded places. However, John too feels the effect of the stare, but rather than as a victim he finds himself enjoying the suffering of Mr. Turner. Startled by this realization, John drops the now blubbering gangster and tries to regain his bearings, when suddenly he hears a charging scream from behind him. Before he can turn around, a sharp spear pierces him from behind, comming out his chest. This seems to surprise him more than hurt him. As he turns around to face the Sheriff who has just impaled him, he slowly removes the weapon by pulling it all the way through.

"What the hell are you?!" Screams the surprised Sheriff.

But the Ghost Rider doesn't answer.

As the priest runs up the stairs he tries to block out the sounds that are coming from behind him. First there is an inhuman scream. Father Dacosta would think it is right out of the pits of hell itself if he didn't recognize the voice as that of Newell Turner. Then, the screams of Sheriff Di Stefano can be heard while the other sounds emanating from the room suggest that he's being tossed around like a human ball. Then just silence.

Father Dacosta has finally reached the main room of the church and just now realizes he instinctively ran towards the altar rather than the phone or the exit. He smiles however, feeling that in this holy place he is safe from that monstrosity. However as soon as he raises his eyes he sees the Ghost Rider approaching him.

"But you can't come in here! This is a holy Place!" Father Dacosta manages to say before falling down on his knees and praying.

He's praying?! The son of a bitch is praying?! thinks John baffled. How can he believe that God will protect him after what he has done? "Where are the children?"

"I told you, you Satan-spawn! They are out of your malevolent grasp! Do what you will to me, but I will not let them fall into your unholy hands!" The righteousness with which Father Dacosta says that last sentence makes Blaze feel an anger he did not know he was capable of feeling. He grabs the priest by the collar and lifts him until their eyes meet. But instead of unleashing the penance stare, he just looks at him while whispering in his cold voice "You dare to call me unholy? After what you did to those poor kids?"

"What I did was give them shelter and food, as well as giving their life meaning ..."

"Meaning?! You call that meaning?! You are sick!" Screams Blaze as he throws the Father across the room.

Father Dacosta lands loudly, breaking several ribs. As he opens his eyes the first thing he sees is the image of the crucified Jesus hanging above him. "Why have you forsaken me my lord? Why?"

This is more than John can take and he grabs the priest again, confronting him with the image in the cross. "Take a good look at everything you are not." And then he tosses him through the large stained glass window with enough force to break the Father's neck. As he realizes what he has just done, Blaze is even more horrified to notice that he feels almost no regret. Knowing that he doesn't have much time left before the police arrive, he heads back into the catacombs. By the time he reaches them, he is once again John Blaze.

"I can't believe none of these goons could tell me where the children are!" mutters John as he glances at the hellfire-consumed frame of Sheriff Di Stefano. He then proceeds to rummage through the desk's drawers. All he finds that might be even remotely useful is a receipt for a rented Bus from a company in Texas. Then he turns his attention towards the video equipment. Hesitantly he presses the Play button, and a succession of perverse images fill the screen. As the tape keeps on going, John stares in disbelief, tears running down his cheeks. But then he sees something that enacts a whole different reaction from him. Without being able to control himself, John finds himself throwing up violently, while the face of his son stares back at him from the screen.

A few minutes after John Blaze has left the town of Hampton, a lonely figure walks towards the church. He stops as he reaches the lifeless body of Father Dacosta. A look of concern and worry, even tenderness crosses the stranger's face. He kneels down and touches the forehead of the dead body. He then resumes his walking, heading towards the catacombs, not sticking around long enough to see Father Dacosta open his eyes again.

NEXT ISSUE: "The Road to ..." continues, as Blaze is on the trail of his missing children. However, a certain woman from Ghost Rider's past will try to delay him. But, after this issue's shocking revelation, will John be willing to stop for anything? Find out next issue in "The Road to ... Nowhere."

AUTHOR'S NOTES