Friday the 13th the Series: Silver Dragon
Disclaimer: Based on the series Friday the 13th: the Series. Owned by Frank Mancuso Jr and a whole bunch of others who aren't me. I think. Sam knows the disclaimers better then me.
Rating: Pg-13
by Karen (coe42@aol.com)
For Sam of course.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jenna, no woman has ever run Princeton and Louder." Mark laughed, grabbing the nameplate and swiveling it around to face her. It said in shiny new gold letters, 'Mark Veiner.' "And no woman ever will."
"That's not fair! Mark, you stole half of my files and didn't even finish the classes they sent you to and they promote you over me! Damn you."
"No honey, I'm the luckiest man alive." Mark grinned and reached out a hand. Sliding it over her breast he sneered. Jenna shoved him off of and pulled out a lighter and her pack of cigarettes. "You filthy pig, Veiner!"
"Yeah," Mark leered, "And I'm your boss. So get over here and show me what you'd do for a raise."
Jenna's hands shook with rage and she clicked the head on her silver dragon lighter. The stupid thing had been a gift from a friend. The tiny blue flame shot out and then exploded into a stream of fire. Mark screamed.
His name tag shimmered and stated in shiny gold lettering, "Jenna Seeberger."
~~~~~~
Kate Brannigan woke up as the curtains were ripped away from her window. Hideous sunlight streamed in and hit her full in the face. Letting out a melodramatic scream, she pulled the blanket over her head. A hand grabbed it and pulled the fluffy comforter away.
"Get up." The sour face of Ryan Dallian stood above her.
"Ugh, no. Why?" Kate muttered.
"Because we're going to be late. That lady who called about the lighter said we were supposed to meet her at one." Ryan tugged at the covers again.
"Yeah okay." She rolled out of bed in a ratty old T-shirt.
Ryan gave her the once over. "I thought all you girls slept in baby doll nighties?"
Rolling her eyes, she tossed a pillow at him.
"Oh I get it, yours is in the wash. That's okay. My fantasies are intact." Ryan dodged the other pillow.
Micki walked past the door in a smart business suit with her red hair smoothed down. Ryan frowned. "I miss the height. Your hair used to make you look so tall."
Micki glowered then smiled. "And what about that ripped T-shirt you used to wear with the pink..?"
Ryan grimaced. "Yeah okay but I was a whole 'nother person then. I had yet to be staked and rejuvenated." He gave her a wink. "Anyway I got the better deal because you look so much older than me. See what clean living does for you?" He indicated his nineteen year old body. In reality he was in his thirties but to save his friends he had stabbed himself with a sacred knife and God had rewarded him with a new life.
Unfortunately the old one had resurfaced when he hit eighteen.
"Oh you! What do you think would happen if you got stabbed again, huh mister?" Micki advanced on him with her comb.
"I'd probably bleed all over your nice clothes..." Ryan backed away and grabbed Kate. Shoving her in front of him, he peered out from her blond hair. "Hide me. She's crazy."
"She's crazy? I should let her have you." Kate grumbled. "Aren't we supposed to be somewhere? Where's Johnny?"
Johnny appeared politely not staring at her ratty old T-shirt. "Right here. Hey I know Micki and Ryan inherited this shop but why do you and I do all the work around here?"
"Look at them." Kate indicated the shivering Ryan behind her and the menacing comb wielding Micki.
"Good point. Hey, Jack said you two are going to be late. Micki, I got our car ready. That guy said he has the tie tac and he's willing to sell."
Micki dropped the comb. "You mean we aren't going to have to stop a string of murders before Ryan gets the crap kicked out of him and I do a lot of intense screaming and you do a lot of intense screaming and Kate saves all our asses?"
"Chicks rule." Kate sighed. She turned her head and Ryan stopped cowering.
"Yep. It might cost us though."
"Oh I don't care! We pay more in medical bills for Ryan." Micki took his arm. "See you tonight Kate, try to keep Ryan out of trouble."
"Like that's possible." Kate murmured under her breath. "Get out so I can get dressed." Ryan gave her a smile then wandered out, shutting the door. She may have been friends with that guy all through his second stint in high school but that didn't mean she was going to parade around naked.
She stepped in front of the mirror. Her green eyes had wonderful you-never-sleep-enough bags under them and her blonde hair was getting long again. Stripping, she admired the bruises from their last adventure. They were the perfect shade of disgusting yellow-green. Pulling a bra out of her drawer she put it on and winced as it met a nasty bruise on her back.
Sad part was that this life was becoming incredibly normal to her. Her best friends fought the forces of evil on a daily basis. Her parents had gone up in a blaze of glory and she lived with the fear of death every week. Actually it was kind of fun. Not that time her entire body had been crushed by a werewolf but the rest was cool.
Dressing quickly, she opened her door to a granola bar. "Eat on the run." She snatched it and they ran down the half flight of stairs to where Jack was working the phones. "No ma'am. No, I am not trying to sell anything. I need to know the location of an eighteenth century lantern. Yes. No, well it's dangerous." He put his hand over the receiver. "You kids be careful. And try not to spend all of our funds. Micki can haggle with the best of them but I have a feeling that Mr. Matonis is going to be more trouble then he's worth."
They nodded and jumped down the rest of the stairs. "Bye Jack!" Ryan called out as he gave the door a shove and all the bells above it rang. Kate waved.
~~~~~~~
"What happened to Mark?" Eric asked.
"Mark is gone. No one else seems to miss him." Jenna replied, turning the silver lighter over and over again in her hands. After Mark had "died" and the name plate had changed to her name, the phone had rang. Mark had left everything he owned to Jenna. She had doubled her assets with one flick of the lighter. And now it looked like she was going to have to do it again.
"Jenna, he got named company president and then he vanishes. Then this place gives the job to you!" His voice was incredulous. Apparently he shared Mark's views on women. "I mean, that's ridiculous! Where is he?"
She relaxed in her big chair. "Eric, I earned this job which is more then I can say for Mark. He had no brains and only enough ambition to get him promoted to sales clerk. The only reason he got this job over me was hanging between his legs. Once he was gone the company realized their mistake."
"You did something to him. You bitch! I'll get to the bottom of this. I will. Hear me?" Eric slammed his fist down onto the desk.
Casually, Jenna leaned past him to grab her pack of cigarettes. Popping the cigarette into her mouth, she breathed huskily. "Eric, you know what you need?"
"A cop. You killed him. I don't know how you..." Eric trailed off as Jenna deliberately leaned forward so he could see down her shirt. "Got. To him. What I need..." She leaned back again, the lighter coming up to her mouth. She lit the cigarette and took a long pull off of it. The smoke came out blue in the dark office and Eric was watching her mouth. He was even dumber then Mark.
"Is someone to make you hot." Jenna stated.
"Hot?" Eric asked, puzzled. "I'm talking about a dead guy."
"Who said Mark was dead?" Jenna asked, her lighter held carefully on her left hand.
Flustered, Eric raged, "He's gone, Jenna! His family said he left everything to you!"
"And so will you." Jenna smiled and clicked the dragon's head once. A huge stream of fire hit Eric. He managed to scream once before his entire body was incinerated. "One more pig gone. Chicks rule."
There was a knock on her door as the phone rang. "Come in!" She called and lifted the phone. "Hi, Mz Jenna Seeberger? I need to talk to you about the estate of one Eric McCabe," Jenna smiled. "Bring the papers over." She told him and hung up.
A good looking young woman with blond hair walked in followed by a good looking boy with almost black hair. "May I help you?" She asked them, sliding the lighter into her pocket.
"Hi," The boy initiated contact. "Mz Seeberger, I talked to you on the phone the other day?" He extended his hand. "I'm Ryan Dallion and this is Kate Brannigan." She waved them into chairs.
"Oh. The people from the antique shop?" Jenna pursed her lips. She vaguely remembered they had an interest in her lighter.
"Yes, ma'am, Curious Goods, it's on Druid." The girl, Kate answered. "On the phone you told Ryan that you owned a silver Chinese dragon headed lighter.."
"Well, yes I did." Jenna answered slowly, her hand lowering to her pocketed lighter.
"Did?" Kate asked.
"Oh yes, but I gave it away. I'm sorry to have dragged you all the way out here for nothing." She stood. They stood.
The girl was persistent. "Do you remember the name of the friend you gave it to?"
"Oh yes, quite clearly. His name is Eric McCabe." Jenna smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me,"
"Of course." Ryan agreed quickly and pushed the girl ahead of him and out of the room. "Well, you're very busy so we'll go."
The door closed. Jenna pulled out the lighter and grinned, flicking the little flame on and off.
~~~~~~~~~
"Why did you rush us out of there?" Kate demanded.
"Because she has the lighter. I saw it in her hand when we walked in to the room. I thought it might be a good idea to get out before she knew what I knew. I bet you a hundred dollars we never find an Eric McCabe," Ryan dragged her down the corridor towards the elevator.
"I'm not taking that bet. You think Eric's probably dead. Nice and convenient. "Kate growled. "We should go back in there."
"No way. She's obviously used the thing. People who haven't hand the things right over. It's the ones who deny ever having it who are killing their neighbors to make themselves prettier."
~~~~~~~~~~
"That was too easy." Johnny held the tie tac in a small black box.
Micki smiled, "Sometimes we catch them before the murder spree. Jack, we're home."
Jack stood up. "Micki, how did it go?"
"We," She began as the door opened again.
"Struck out. Miss Jenna Seeberger is now the proud owner of a one way ticket to hell. How'd you two do?"
Johnny held up the box. "We practically had to wrestle it away from him. It wasn't pretty. But she's using the lighter?"
Ryan nodded. "It smelled like a barbecue in there."
Kate frowned. "All I smelled was cigarette smoke."
Ryan shook his head. "I've smelled charred skin before. It was light but there and I saw her with the lighter in her hand. She hid it from us and then made up a story about a guy." He looked at Kate.
"Eric McCabe. Ryan thinks it's a sure bet he's dead."
"Yes, probably. Johnny, get that thing in the vault. Micki, call the place where Jenna works. Find out if anyone's gone missing. Kate, hit the phone book, let's see if Eric has a family. Ryan, can you enter the tie tac in the manifest while I try and look up the lighter's powers?"
"Sure Jack but the thing fries people. Smell proves it."
"Yeah, well I want to be sure." Jack pulled out a few of his books. Everyone got to work.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jenna held up the card to the address. This was the same place, "Curious Goods." She clutched the lighter in one hand. With all of the money Eric had been squirreling away for his wretched stepford wife and two 'strapping' boys, Jenna was set for several years but she couldn't be discovered. That Ryan Dallion had rushed off.
Rushing away from her meant he knew something. Jenna knew she had to get rid of him. To protect her job, her money and herself, she had to wipe him out. Probably kill the girl as well, just to be safe. The cab behind her beeped. "Hey lady, it's gonna cost you if you want me to stay here. I gotta run the meter."
Jenna leaned back into the cab. Why don't you have a cigarette, on me? Hm? "She held out one of the white cancer sticks. The cabby took it and Jenna gave him her best sultry smile. "Here, let me get that for you." She flicked the dragon's head and the flame shot out, frying the cabby. The best part was he didn't get to scream so no one inside the shop heard him.
~~~~~~~~~
"Mark Veiner." Micki hung up the phone. "He was her on again off again partner before all this happened. He got promoted over her and vanished."
Jack sighed, "The lighter has to do one of the basic things and I'm guessing this time it's Ambition."
"Seven deadly sins," Ryan remarked.
"Collect them all." Kate quipped, flashing him a wolfish grin.
Johnny ran a hand through his dark hair. "Ryan, what did Jenna look like?"
"Tall, long dark hair, she was either well tanned or half Latino. Beautiful, confident, smart. Why?"
Johnny stood up. "Because she's outside."
"Oh no," Jack stood up and saw the woman approaching the shop. "Ryan, Kate, get out of sight. You're the one's she'll be after. Micki, go talk to her but stay away from that lighter."
Ryan and Kate went up the half flight and dove into her room as the bells rang.
Jenna Seeberger walked into the shop and started browsing. She had to find the young couple. It would probably be a good idea to kill everyone who was here. Then torch the entire shop. No witnesses. Not that there would be any bodies to convict her with.
A red haired woman approached her, "Can I help you"
"I'm just browsing," She gave the woman a befuddled grin, "What happened to the dark haired man who helped me last time?"
Johnny stepped down on to the show floor. "I'm the only dark haired guy here today." He gave her a bright smile. "So you must mean me."
Jenna glanced at him. "You're too old." She growled. "The one who helped me was much younger."
"I'll try not to be insulted by that." Johnny told her, keeping the smile on his face.
She pulled out the lighter and everyone took a big step back away from her. "Little jumpy, are we?" Jenna asked. She aimed it at the man. "Where are the young man and lady? I have a few questions for them."
"Lady, I don't know what you're talking about." Johnny feigned annoyance. "And there's no smoking in here."
Jenna flicked the lighter and Micki yelled, "Lookout!"
A little blue flame licked out of the lighter. Micki tried to recover. "Ah, everything in here is wooden. It's really not safe."
"Not safe?" Jenna shoved the lighter's tiny flame in Johnny's face. He skittered away from her. "Stop playing with me. Obviously you know what this little thing can do. I want the boy and the girl. NOW. Or I fry you, him, and that old man up there. Give me the teens and I'll leave at least two of you alive."
"STOP." Ryan stood at the top of the stairs.
"Come here." Jenna crooked her finger at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryan and Kate had stayed put for about ten seconds. Then Kate had opened the window. "I'm going to go out the window and down the pipe, okay?"
"What?!" Ryan whispered fiercely. "You'll fall off!"
"No way, Micki told me her loser ex-boyfriend Lloyd did it. If he can I can." Kate gave him a quick hug. "Just in case I don't comeback...Tell Johnny I love him." She gave him a melodramatic look of desperation.
Ryan shoved her away. "Break a leg."
She saluted him and climbed out the window. Ryan closed the window and opened the door, listening to Jenna threaten Micki, Jack and Johnny.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kate had underestimated Lloyd. Clinging to the slippery copper drainage pipe, she started a semi controlled slide down. After a few feet she tried not to let out anything more then a few terrified squeaks. But then he hand got caught on a metal fastener. It sliced her palm and she let go, crashing to the pavement. "Ow."
Pawing around in the wet leaves, she found what she was looking for. She grabbed it. Praying it wasn't too late she pulled it around to the back entrance to the shop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryan watched Jenna Seeberger. She'd already killed two people. There was no telling how many more she'd kill. He was positive Jenna would fry Johnny and Micki. "If I come down, you let them go?"
"Maybe one of them." Jenna smiled. "You may pick. But only if you tell me where the girl is."
"She's not here. She's on a run." Jack told the woman. "And even if she were do you think we'd give her up to you?" He pulled his glasses off and used them to point at her. "Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would give up their honor for a job."
Jenna glared at him. "That's because you're a man. You've never been turned down for fifteen promotions because you're missing a piece of anatomy. You've never been called 'sweet ass' by a boss. You've never had to deal with sexual harassment. the verbal abuse and the cries of 'Oh look she's being hysterical, must be that time of month!' You can't possibly understand! You aren't "equipped" to put it delicately. So I killed Mark and I got his job and Eric was going to expose me. And this is all pointless because now I'm going to kill all of you."
The lighter clicked open. She pointed it at Jack on the second level and the little lighter shot a stream of fire. Everyone ran at once. Jack covered his face and tried to duck. The flames touched him and then he was soaked.
Kate was holding the garden hose on Jack. Johnny tackled Jenna and the lighter flew free. Micki skittered across the shop after it and Ryan ran to help Jack up. Kate turned the hose on Jenna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The cops dragged the tall beautiful woman out. Kate waved. Ryan and Jack were toweling off. Johnny had a mop. Micki was talking to the officers about the damages. "I'm sure the court will award us whatever we need." She told him.
He left and the bells jingled.
Ryan collapsed into a chair. Jack lowered himself down slowly, the guy was in his sixties and still going strong. "Retire Jack. That was way too close and I like you way too much." Ryan told him.
"Bah, what's the fun in that? Rasheed and I would be bored inside of a week and he's the only friend I've got besides you lot. Good thinking Kate."
Micki held up the lighter. "You know what? This was kinda easy." She smiled brightly.
"Easy?" Kate demanded. "I fell off the side of the house!"
"And I almost got charbroiled." Jack stated.
"Me to." Johnny chimed in.
"And me." Ryan exclaimed.
"Yeah but look at us! No hospital trip." She stated proudly. "That means we're getting better at this or this one was easy. A piece of cake even..."
"I'm going back to bed." Kate deadpanned.
Johnny handed Micki the mop.
Jack stared at Micki. "She's delirious, surely."
Ryan frowned. "Must be feverish. Kate? Turn the hose on her."
Micki laughed. "It was too bad about the company she worked for. To think that sexism could driver her to murder."
"Abuse in any form can drive a person to do things they wouldn't normally do. And your Uncle Lewis didn't help any by providing her with the means of attacking her abusers."
"Kate, Jack's giving a moral. Hit him with the hose again." Ryan grumbled.
The End.
Disclaimer: Based on the series Friday the 13th: the Series. Owned by Frank Mancuso Jr and a whole bunch of others who aren't me. I think. Sam knows the disclaimers better then me.
Rating: Pg-13
by Karen (coe42@aol.com)
For Sam of course.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jenna, no woman has ever run Princeton and Louder." Mark laughed, grabbing the nameplate and swiveling it around to face her. It said in shiny new gold letters, 'Mark Veiner.' "And no woman ever will."
"That's not fair! Mark, you stole half of my files and didn't even finish the classes they sent you to and they promote you over me! Damn you."
"No honey, I'm the luckiest man alive." Mark grinned and reached out a hand. Sliding it over her breast he sneered. Jenna shoved him off of and pulled out a lighter and her pack of cigarettes. "You filthy pig, Veiner!"
"Yeah," Mark leered, "And I'm your boss. So get over here and show me what you'd do for a raise."
Jenna's hands shook with rage and she clicked the head on her silver dragon lighter. The stupid thing had been a gift from a friend. The tiny blue flame shot out and then exploded into a stream of fire. Mark screamed.
His name tag shimmered and stated in shiny gold lettering, "Jenna Seeberger."
~~~~~~
Kate Brannigan woke up as the curtains were ripped away from her window. Hideous sunlight streamed in and hit her full in the face. Letting out a melodramatic scream, she pulled the blanket over her head. A hand grabbed it and pulled the fluffy comforter away.
"Get up." The sour face of Ryan Dallian stood above her.
"Ugh, no. Why?" Kate muttered.
"Because we're going to be late. That lady who called about the lighter said we were supposed to meet her at one." Ryan tugged at the covers again.
"Yeah okay." She rolled out of bed in a ratty old T-shirt.
Ryan gave her the once over. "I thought all you girls slept in baby doll nighties?"
Rolling her eyes, she tossed a pillow at him.
"Oh I get it, yours is in the wash. That's okay. My fantasies are intact." Ryan dodged the other pillow.
Micki walked past the door in a smart business suit with her red hair smoothed down. Ryan frowned. "I miss the height. Your hair used to make you look so tall."
Micki glowered then smiled. "And what about that ripped T-shirt you used to wear with the pink..?"
Ryan grimaced. "Yeah okay but I was a whole 'nother person then. I had yet to be staked and rejuvenated." He gave her a wink. "Anyway I got the better deal because you look so much older than me. See what clean living does for you?" He indicated his nineteen year old body. In reality he was in his thirties but to save his friends he had stabbed himself with a sacred knife and God had rewarded him with a new life.
Unfortunately the old one had resurfaced when he hit eighteen.
"Oh you! What do you think would happen if you got stabbed again, huh mister?" Micki advanced on him with her comb.
"I'd probably bleed all over your nice clothes..." Ryan backed away and grabbed Kate. Shoving her in front of him, he peered out from her blond hair. "Hide me. She's crazy."
"She's crazy? I should let her have you." Kate grumbled. "Aren't we supposed to be somewhere? Where's Johnny?"
Johnny appeared politely not staring at her ratty old T-shirt. "Right here. Hey I know Micki and Ryan inherited this shop but why do you and I do all the work around here?"
"Look at them." Kate indicated the shivering Ryan behind her and the menacing comb wielding Micki.
"Good point. Hey, Jack said you two are going to be late. Micki, I got our car ready. That guy said he has the tie tac and he's willing to sell."
Micki dropped the comb. "You mean we aren't going to have to stop a string of murders before Ryan gets the crap kicked out of him and I do a lot of intense screaming and you do a lot of intense screaming and Kate saves all our asses?"
"Chicks rule." Kate sighed. She turned her head and Ryan stopped cowering.
"Yep. It might cost us though."
"Oh I don't care! We pay more in medical bills for Ryan." Micki took his arm. "See you tonight Kate, try to keep Ryan out of trouble."
"Like that's possible." Kate murmured under her breath. "Get out so I can get dressed." Ryan gave her a smile then wandered out, shutting the door. She may have been friends with that guy all through his second stint in high school but that didn't mean she was going to parade around naked.
She stepped in front of the mirror. Her green eyes had wonderful you-never-sleep-enough bags under them and her blonde hair was getting long again. Stripping, she admired the bruises from their last adventure. They were the perfect shade of disgusting yellow-green. Pulling a bra out of her drawer she put it on and winced as it met a nasty bruise on her back.
Sad part was that this life was becoming incredibly normal to her. Her best friends fought the forces of evil on a daily basis. Her parents had gone up in a blaze of glory and she lived with the fear of death every week. Actually it was kind of fun. Not that time her entire body had been crushed by a werewolf but the rest was cool.
Dressing quickly, she opened her door to a granola bar. "Eat on the run." She snatched it and they ran down the half flight of stairs to where Jack was working the phones. "No ma'am. No, I am not trying to sell anything. I need to know the location of an eighteenth century lantern. Yes. No, well it's dangerous." He put his hand over the receiver. "You kids be careful. And try not to spend all of our funds. Micki can haggle with the best of them but I have a feeling that Mr. Matonis is going to be more trouble then he's worth."
They nodded and jumped down the rest of the stairs. "Bye Jack!" Ryan called out as he gave the door a shove and all the bells above it rang. Kate waved.
~~~~~~~
"What happened to Mark?" Eric asked.
"Mark is gone. No one else seems to miss him." Jenna replied, turning the silver lighter over and over again in her hands. After Mark had "died" and the name plate had changed to her name, the phone had rang. Mark had left everything he owned to Jenna. She had doubled her assets with one flick of the lighter. And now it looked like she was going to have to do it again.
"Jenna, he got named company president and then he vanishes. Then this place gives the job to you!" His voice was incredulous. Apparently he shared Mark's views on women. "I mean, that's ridiculous! Where is he?"
She relaxed in her big chair. "Eric, I earned this job which is more then I can say for Mark. He had no brains and only enough ambition to get him promoted to sales clerk. The only reason he got this job over me was hanging between his legs. Once he was gone the company realized their mistake."
"You did something to him. You bitch! I'll get to the bottom of this. I will. Hear me?" Eric slammed his fist down onto the desk.
Casually, Jenna leaned past him to grab her pack of cigarettes. Popping the cigarette into her mouth, she breathed huskily. "Eric, you know what you need?"
"A cop. You killed him. I don't know how you..." Eric trailed off as Jenna deliberately leaned forward so he could see down her shirt. "Got. To him. What I need..." She leaned back again, the lighter coming up to her mouth. She lit the cigarette and took a long pull off of it. The smoke came out blue in the dark office and Eric was watching her mouth. He was even dumber then Mark.
"Is someone to make you hot." Jenna stated.
"Hot?" Eric asked, puzzled. "I'm talking about a dead guy."
"Who said Mark was dead?" Jenna asked, her lighter held carefully on her left hand.
Flustered, Eric raged, "He's gone, Jenna! His family said he left everything to you!"
"And so will you." Jenna smiled and clicked the dragon's head once. A huge stream of fire hit Eric. He managed to scream once before his entire body was incinerated. "One more pig gone. Chicks rule."
There was a knock on her door as the phone rang. "Come in!" She called and lifted the phone. "Hi, Mz Jenna Seeberger? I need to talk to you about the estate of one Eric McCabe," Jenna smiled. "Bring the papers over." She told him and hung up.
A good looking young woman with blond hair walked in followed by a good looking boy with almost black hair. "May I help you?" She asked them, sliding the lighter into her pocket.
"Hi," The boy initiated contact. "Mz Seeberger, I talked to you on the phone the other day?" He extended his hand. "I'm Ryan Dallion and this is Kate Brannigan." She waved them into chairs.
"Oh. The people from the antique shop?" Jenna pursed her lips. She vaguely remembered they had an interest in her lighter.
"Yes, ma'am, Curious Goods, it's on Druid." The girl, Kate answered. "On the phone you told Ryan that you owned a silver Chinese dragon headed lighter.."
"Well, yes I did." Jenna answered slowly, her hand lowering to her pocketed lighter.
"Did?" Kate asked.
"Oh yes, but I gave it away. I'm sorry to have dragged you all the way out here for nothing." She stood. They stood.
The girl was persistent. "Do you remember the name of the friend you gave it to?"
"Oh yes, quite clearly. His name is Eric McCabe." Jenna smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me,"
"Of course." Ryan agreed quickly and pushed the girl ahead of him and out of the room. "Well, you're very busy so we'll go."
The door closed. Jenna pulled out the lighter and grinned, flicking the little flame on and off.
~~~~~~~~~
"Why did you rush us out of there?" Kate demanded.
"Because she has the lighter. I saw it in her hand when we walked in to the room. I thought it might be a good idea to get out before she knew what I knew. I bet you a hundred dollars we never find an Eric McCabe," Ryan dragged her down the corridor towards the elevator.
"I'm not taking that bet. You think Eric's probably dead. Nice and convenient. "Kate growled. "We should go back in there."
"No way. She's obviously used the thing. People who haven't hand the things right over. It's the ones who deny ever having it who are killing their neighbors to make themselves prettier."
~~~~~~~~~~
"That was too easy." Johnny held the tie tac in a small black box.
Micki smiled, "Sometimes we catch them before the murder spree. Jack, we're home."
Jack stood up. "Micki, how did it go?"
"We," She began as the door opened again.
"Struck out. Miss Jenna Seeberger is now the proud owner of a one way ticket to hell. How'd you two do?"
Johnny held up the box. "We practically had to wrestle it away from him. It wasn't pretty. But she's using the lighter?"
Ryan nodded. "It smelled like a barbecue in there."
Kate frowned. "All I smelled was cigarette smoke."
Ryan shook his head. "I've smelled charred skin before. It was light but there and I saw her with the lighter in her hand. She hid it from us and then made up a story about a guy." He looked at Kate.
"Eric McCabe. Ryan thinks it's a sure bet he's dead."
"Yes, probably. Johnny, get that thing in the vault. Micki, call the place where Jenna works. Find out if anyone's gone missing. Kate, hit the phone book, let's see if Eric has a family. Ryan, can you enter the tie tac in the manifest while I try and look up the lighter's powers?"
"Sure Jack but the thing fries people. Smell proves it."
"Yeah, well I want to be sure." Jack pulled out a few of his books. Everyone got to work.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jenna held up the card to the address. This was the same place, "Curious Goods." She clutched the lighter in one hand. With all of the money Eric had been squirreling away for his wretched stepford wife and two 'strapping' boys, Jenna was set for several years but she couldn't be discovered. That Ryan Dallion had rushed off.
Rushing away from her meant he knew something. Jenna knew she had to get rid of him. To protect her job, her money and herself, she had to wipe him out. Probably kill the girl as well, just to be safe. The cab behind her beeped. "Hey lady, it's gonna cost you if you want me to stay here. I gotta run the meter."
Jenna leaned back into the cab. Why don't you have a cigarette, on me? Hm? "She held out one of the white cancer sticks. The cabby took it and Jenna gave him her best sultry smile. "Here, let me get that for you." She flicked the dragon's head and the flame shot out, frying the cabby. The best part was he didn't get to scream so no one inside the shop heard him.
~~~~~~~~~
"Mark Veiner." Micki hung up the phone. "He was her on again off again partner before all this happened. He got promoted over her and vanished."
Jack sighed, "The lighter has to do one of the basic things and I'm guessing this time it's Ambition."
"Seven deadly sins," Ryan remarked.
"Collect them all." Kate quipped, flashing him a wolfish grin.
Johnny ran a hand through his dark hair. "Ryan, what did Jenna look like?"
"Tall, long dark hair, she was either well tanned or half Latino. Beautiful, confident, smart. Why?"
Johnny stood up. "Because she's outside."
"Oh no," Jack stood up and saw the woman approaching the shop. "Ryan, Kate, get out of sight. You're the one's she'll be after. Micki, go talk to her but stay away from that lighter."
Ryan and Kate went up the half flight and dove into her room as the bells rang.
Jenna Seeberger walked into the shop and started browsing. She had to find the young couple. It would probably be a good idea to kill everyone who was here. Then torch the entire shop. No witnesses. Not that there would be any bodies to convict her with.
A red haired woman approached her, "Can I help you"
"I'm just browsing," She gave the woman a befuddled grin, "What happened to the dark haired man who helped me last time?"
Johnny stepped down on to the show floor. "I'm the only dark haired guy here today." He gave her a bright smile. "So you must mean me."
Jenna glanced at him. "You're too old." She growled. "The one who helped me was much younger."
"I'll try not to be insulted by that." Johnny told her, keeping the smile on his face.
She pulled out the lighter and everyone took a big step back away from her. "Little jumpy, are we?" Jenna asked. She aimed it at the man. "Where are the young man and lady? I have a few questions for them."
"Lady, I don't know what you're talking about." Johnny feigned annoyance. "And there's no smoking in here."
Jenna flicked the lighter and Micki yelled, "Lookout!"
A little blue flame licked out of the lighter. Micki tried to recover. "Ah, everything in here is wooden. It's really not safe."
"Not safe?" Jenna shoved the lighter's tiny flame in Johnny's face. He skittered away from her. "Stop playing with me. Obviously you know what this little thing can do. I want the boy and the girl. NOW. Or I fry you, him, and that old man up there. Give me the teens and I'll leave at least two of you alive."
"STOP." Ryan stood at the top of the stairs.
"Come here." Jenna crooked her finger at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryan and Kate had stayed put for about ten seconds. Then Kate had opened the window. "I'm going to go out the window and down the pipe, okay?"
"What?!" Ryan whispered fiercely. "You'll fall off!"
"No way, Micki told me her loser ex-boyfriend Lloyd did it. If he can I can." Kate gave him a quick hug. "Just in case I don't comeback...Tell Johnny I love him." She gave him a melodramatic look of desperation.
Ryan shoved her away. "Break a leg."
She saluted him and climbed out the window. Ryan closed the window and opened the door, listening to Jenna threaten Micki, Jack and Johnny.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kate had underestimated Lloyd. Clinging to the slippery copper drainage pipe, she started a semi controlled slide down. After a few feet she tried not to let out anything more then a few terrified squeaks. But then he hand got caught on a metal fastener. It sliced her palm and she let go, crashing to the pavement. "Ow."
Pawing around in the wet leaves, she found what she was looking for. She grabbed it. Praying it wasn't too late she pulled it around to the back entrance to the shop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ryan watched Jenna Seeberger. She'd already killed two people. There was no telling how many more she'd kill. He was positive Jenna would fry Johnny and Micki. "If I come down, you let them go?"
"Maybe one of them." Jenna smiled. "You may pick. But only if you tell me where the girl is."
"She's not here. She's on a run." Jack told the woman. "And even if she were do you think we'd give her up to you?" He pulled his glasses off and used them to point at her. "Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would give up their honor for a job."
Jenna glared at him. "That's because you're a man. You've never been turned down for fifteen promotions because you're missing a piece of anatomy. You've never been called 'sweet ass' by a boss. You've never had to deal with sexual harassment. the verbal abuse and the cries of 'Oh look she's being hysterical, must be that time of month!' You can't possibly understand! You aren't "equipped" to put it delicately. So I killed Mark and I got his job and Eric was going to expose me. And this is all pointless because now I'm going to kill all of you."
The lighter clicked open. She pointed it at Jack on the second level and the little lighter shot a stream of fire. Everyone ran at once. Jack covered his face and tried to duck. The flames touched him and then he was soaked.
Kate was holding the garden hose on Jack. Johnny tackled Jenna and the lighter flew free. Micki skittered across the shop after it and Ryan ran to help Jack up. Kate turned the hose on Jenna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The cops dragged the tall beautiful woman out. Kate waved. Ryan and Jack were toweling off. Johnny had a mop. Micki was talking to the officers about the damages. "I'm sure the court will award us whatever we need." She told him.
He left and the bells jingled.
Ryan collapsed into a chair. Jack lowered himself down slowly, the guy was in his sixties and still going strong. "Retire Jack. That was way too close and I like you way too much." Ryan told him.
"Bah, what's the fun in that? Rasheed and I would be bored inside of a week and he's the only friend I've got besides you lot. Good thinking Kate."
Micki held up the lighter. "You know what? This was kinda easy." She smiled brightly.
"Easy?" Kate demanded. "I fell off the side of the house!"
"And I almost got charbroiled." Jack stated.
"Me to." Johnny chimed in.
"And me." Ryan exclaimed.
"Yeah but look at us! No hospital trip." She stated proudly. "That means we're getting better at this or this one was easy. A piece of cake even..."
"I'm going back to bed." Kate deadpanned.
Johnny handed Micki the mop.
Jack stared at Micki. "She's delirious, surely."
Ryan frowned. "Must be feverish. Kate? Turn the hose on her."
Micki laughed. "It was too bad about the company she worked for. To think that sexism could driver her to murder."
"Abuse in any form can drive a person to do things they wouldn't normally do. And your Uncle Lewis didn't help any by providing her with the means of attacking her abusers."
"Kate, Jack's giving a moral. Hit him with the hose again." Ryan grumbled.
The End.