Author's Note: *Steps up to the microphone, clears voice* All you party people!

Tag Team, back again
Check it to wreck it, let's begin
Party on, party people, let me hear some noise
DC's in the house, jump, jump, rejoice
Says there's a party over here, a party over there
Wave your hands in the air, shake your derriere
These three words mean you're gettin' busy,
Whoomp, there it is! Hit me!

*Looks out and sees nothing* Maybe I waited too long...

Chapter 31 – Entering Hollywood

October 2, 2004 = Saturday

First thing I had done was head for Hollywood, following the overhead signs to Downtown then back up Highway 101. I was then able to take the exit for Sunset Boulevard, and headed into the lion's den.

I was nervous not sure what would happen when a man stepped into the street. He was rough, and the pale skin that was illuminated under the streetlight told me he was kindred. Riding the brakes hard, I managed to not run him over, and he just crossed his arms like I was wasting his time.

"I haven't see you in Hollywood before," his deep timbred voice proclaimed. Struck as odd by someone who didn't immediately recognize me, I said nothing as he hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "If I ain't see you, neither has Isaac. Means your next stop is the Golden Age Jewelry store, three more lights and a left. Isaac's office is accessible through the alley on the left. Consider yourself invited."

"Thanks," I said as he got out of my way. He only harrumphed in reply, walking on down the sidewalk. I kicked off, passing several businesses that were still up and running, including what looked like an open air restaurant that was still being setup.

The jewelry store wasn't hard to find, as it was still brightly lit. I parked my bike in the alley, and went into the office. Isaac sat behind a large desk, eyeing a necklace through a jeweller's monocle. The way it sparkled in the minimal light, I could only assume it was made with real diamonds.

"Ah, welcome," he said as he took the monocle out of his eye. "I'm Isaac Abrams. I've been expecting you, neonate. Seems the wooden soldiers of the Camarilla shuffle in a little too often these nights. That baby-faced, two-bit prince Lacroix got something to say to me?" Isaac raised himself as he talked, and I couldn't help but feel like he was trying to put me in my place and start a fight.

I shuffled uneasily on my feet, not wanting to start a kindred war on the prince's behalf. The guy was already kill crazy. "I'm just looking for the Nosferatu clan, more importantly, their primogen, Gary," I said, and he deflated a bit at my honesty. "Seems he angered the prince and I'm supposed to bring him in."

"So, you've come to barter information with the sewer rats?" Isaac said as he almost spat the last. "Lacroix must really be desperate if he's stooped to consorting with their kind, and asking for my help, of all people."

"Any idea where I can find them?" I asked hopefully, hoping he could lead me right to the source.

"Perhaps," he said, then a wicked smile played across his face. "However, before we discuss how I might help you, there is the matter of tribute."

My hopes fell in that I could get this over with fast. Seemed like every kindred I met was going to make me their errand girl. "And what is it you want?" I asked with an irritable growl.

"A tape," he said with a smirk on his face. "Head down to the Ground Zero Internet Cafe and find out how to meet the guy," he said as he wrote down some instructions. "One of the computers will have this login ID, use this password to open it," he said as he handed me the post-it note that also contained an address. "Meet with him and bring back the tape."

"Sounds easy," I said as I pocketed the note. "Do all older kindred like making the newbies dance on their string?"

"Keeps them in their place," he said as he continued to smirk at me. "Live long enough, and you might even be doing it yourself to some newbie that comes along."

"Be back soon," I said as I stepped out the door and got back on my bike. Soon I was pulling up to the internet cafe, it's lights on to tell me it was still open for business. I walked in, finding almost no one inside but a few people who were glued to the screen in front of them. I pulled the post-it note from my pocket, then began looking for the computer with the required log-in information.

I finally found it in a back corner, and used the password to open it up. Checking through the emails in the account, I found one without a subject, and I opened it up. The contents told me to meet the guy in an alley behind the Fast Buck down the street. I deleted the email, more out of habit then anything else, then left the cafe.

I drove to the alley, parking my back near the street. One thing I didn't fear anymore was a thug, so I walked openly down the center, not finding anything till I rounded the corner. The guy I was looking for was smoking a cigarette and wearing a dark hoodie and jeans, and he looked nervous as his eyes darted around the graffiti covered walls.

His eyes found me, and he stammered a bit as he said,"Y-yeah? What do you want?"

"You got the tape?" I asked him, and he went wide eyed. "Isaac sent me."

"Ye-yeah," he started then back tracked himself when a thump came from a nearby garbage can. "I-I mean what? Who the hell is Isaac? I don't know anyone named Isaac. Get lost, wii ya."

That made me angry as I crossed my arms. "Fine," I said as I turned to leave. "I'll tell Isaac you wouldn't give me what's his and you can deal with him."

"Alright, sorry," he said as he turned went to check around the corner. He looked extremely nervous, but it didn't stem from me. "It's just that," he said turning to face me and running a hand over his hair to toss his hoodie back. "I mean something is, I just want out of the whole thing. I don't want anything to do with that damn tape."

"Why?" I asked as he checked the corner again. "What's going on?"

"I-I don't know," he stammered a bit. He looked like someone who had the shit scared out of him, but not a mark marred his clothes. "I mean, when it comes to video, I've sen everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING," he said, emphasizing the last word for effect. "But this thing, this tape? It's sick. I-it can't be real, but," then he turned back to me and I understood. That tape showed something he couldn't explain, and his world was coming apart. "It is, I know it. It's real and it scares the hell out of me."

I put a hand on my hip, slipping a finger under my duster to reach for a weapon if he bolted. He'd already seen too much, and I couldn't risk him breaking the masquerade. "Really?" I said, trying to make him think it was nothing. "Is it that bad?"

"You have no idea," he said as he leaned against the wall. "it's disgusting. That girl, the things that are happening to her? It just ain't right, man. It just ain't right? And now..." he said, his voice trailing off as he checked around the corner again, "Something's wrong, something's after me. I swear to God, something's after me!"

"Just hand it over, and I'll take care of it," I said, holding out an empty hand. This guy was ready to bolt, but since this was Isaac's territory, I'd let him handle his own problems.

"I don't have it," he said as he pulled a pack of cigarette from his pocket. "I stashed it some place. Look, you need to find Ginger Swan's..." he started to say, when a loud crash and a screech metal sounded through the alley. "Oh shit, did you hear that! I'm outta here," he said as he bolted around the corner. I started around to follow, but a blood curdling scream filled the alley. When I rounded the corner, he was gone, but the manhole cover was missing off a sewer access.

I dropped down to see if I could find any evidence of the guy, but there was nothing but a chewed up corpse. I turned to climb out, finding the manhole cover had been knocked aside as it was tossed off its cover. I put it back where it belonged, hiding the man from any casual observer.

With nothing to show for my troubles, I headed back to Isaac. He stood as I opened the door and entered, but he had slight smile as he saw me.

"You made good time! Hand me the tape, I'm anxious to see what the man was talking about."

"He didn't have it," I said and Isaac scowled.

"Did he at least have a good excuse?" he asked me, his smile fading.

"He said something was after him," I said, and Isaac scowled a bit. "He was right too," I added and Isaac cut me off.

"If you," he started but I held up a hand.

"I didn't. Something came out of the sewer and drug him down fast. Nothing left but a chewed up corpse under the manhole cover behind the Fast Buck," I said and Isaac nodded in understanding. "He also said something about a Ginger Swan, but I didn't get all of it."

"Ginger Swan," he said, then hmm'd at something he thought about. "Brings back a lot of memories. Fifty years ago, wasn't a man in this city that wouldn't have given up his family, career, or anything else for one night with her. Hell, even twenty years after she was buried there were still grown men weeping at her grave. I don't know how she's relevant, but I have faith you'll figure it out."

"I'll start with the grave then," I said as I looked to Isaac. "Where was she buried?"

"Hollywood Forever Cemetery. She was laid to rest in a mausoleum vault in the back corner."

"I'll go check it out then," I told him and headed out.

Mounting my bike, I headed down the street, following the signs to the Hollywood Cemetery. The main gate was closed, so I circled around the high wall, finally finding a quiet alley that butted against the wall. I parked my bike behind a parts store, and looked around the alley.

It was pretty quiet, so I vaulted over the head high steel fence and landed on my feet. I ducked behind a headstone as I looked the cemetery over, finding the place wasn't well lit and that even if someone looked in through the gate, I wouldn't be easily seen.

That made me feel over-confident as I walked down the street. So confident that I was startled when a man carrying a rifle walked over a rise and pointed a gun right at me. I fell back, scrambling for my own pistol when he lowered the rifle.

"Whoa there sugarpuss," he said as I finally brought my gun out. "Might want to think about announcing yourself next time. I nearly took your head off."

"Why would you do that," I said, lowering but not putting away my pistol.

"Thought you might be a zombie," he said, which shocked me. "See it's like this. Every night about this time for the past, oh, several months now, the dead've been getting up with an itch to stroll down Hollywood Boulevard. Nobody knows why, but until they figure it out, they needed a volunteer to patch the problem. I stepped forward, problem temporarily solved, baron's happy, and I get to practice my marksmanship and get my blood for another month."

"What's causing them to rise?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Who knows," he said as he looked around for possible zombies. "Could be vampire necro-hoodoo, toxic waste, solar radiation. Important part is: they continue to rise up, and I get to put 'em down. Everybody's a winner."

"Sounds like fun," I said, holstering my pistol. It wasn't hard to get back in, and since ghoul boy wasn't going to shoot me I figured I was safe enough.

"You're telling me. As far as I know I'm the only person around Hollywood who considers marksmanship an art," he said as he brought his eyes back to me. "Plus, a lot of the stiffs around here used to be asshole celebrities too. Bonus."

"So, who puts back in the ground?" I asked and he chuckled a bit at that.

"Morning crew does that," he said. "People just think of it as maintenance on the grounds."

I shook my head. Isaac definitely seemed to have it all together in Hollywood. Maybe that's why the prince stays out. "Well, I have to go find Ginger Swan's grave. Apparently there's a tape there that Isaac wants."

"Last mausoleum on the left, bear left once your inside and it's vault three-oh-four," he said from memory.

That struck me as funny. "Were you a fan?"

"Big fan, actually," he said as he wiped at his eye. "You can still get copies of her movies at the Sin Bin. Best place for smut in Hollywood."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said as I moved past the ghoul. "And good shooting."

"Thanks," he said as he started up the path.

Left alone, I continued down the street to the mausoleum and entered. Some lights were still on, giving just enough light to see the vault numbers. Ginger Swan's vault was easy found and I opened it by pulling on the flower holder. It was odd that it came away so easily, but I found that it was only held in place with a few drops of a rubbery glue.

Searching inside, I found a battered VHS tape just in front of a coffin. Pulling the tape out, I found it had a name marked in masking tape and an emblem of a skulll like mask with tentacles surrounding it like hair that was sticking straight out. Holding it up the light, I read the name as 'Monsters Eat Chick.' Figuring I had the right tape, I took it and put the cover back in place before I left. I didn't see the ghoul on his rounds as I headed back over the wall, so hopefully he was taking care of business.

Hopping back over the fence, I mounted my bike and booked it to Isaac's store. He was waiting on me when I got back, and I handed him the tape. "All this for a tape? They have online shopping now," I told him.

"I didn't doubt you'd find this," he said as he turned to his entertainment center and put the tape in the VCR. "And I apologize if I was overly imperious before, a reflex action. I get a lot of young blood in here forgetting their place. I'll assist you as reasonably as I can with your task but first," he said as he hit rewind. "This tape. I'm in a hurry to find out what's behind all the hype I've been hearing about it. I do have a feeling that whatever's here may be of use to both of us, however."

I sat in one of his chairs as Isaac hit play. The tape TV showed nothing but static for several minutes, then the screen blared to life showing a brown haired woman running up a set of stairs. She was being chased by three creatures compromised mostly of a head and two powerful arms they used for legs. If they were CGI, they were expertly crafted but it was hard to tell with the snow still dancing across the screen. The woman ran through several doors, finally barricading herself in a bedroom. She was crying as she braced herself against the door, the door rattling as the monsters tried to break in.

The view shifted to a further view, showing that there were two more monsters in the bedroom that jumped over the bed and attacked her, ripping her skin from her and tearing her apart. The scene faded, showing the logo on the tape along with some heavy breaths before it ended in snow. A name also appeared under the logo, Death Mask Productions.

I got up, rewound the tape and played it again and began studying it. After my third playthrough of the tape, I stopped it and looked back to Isaac, who had steepled his fingers in thought. He looked at me, and his grim lines spoke volumes. What were we dealing with?

"It's more disturbing than I was led to believe," he said finally. "You can understand my concern now, can't you?

"Yes, and if these things were what drug your mule underground, they are fast, small and deadly," I said and Isaac nodded.

"It just so happens that around the time this snuff film began circulating, the Nosferatu disappeared," he said and I quirked an eyebrow. "That was Friday evening, and not one Nosferatu has been seen since. Not a one. I tried to elicit their help in tracking down the source, and for the first time in all these years, I was dismayed by their absence."

"So you assume this tape and these monsters have something to do with their disappearance," I asked, wondering if I had kicked Damsel in the face for nothing. She would be pissed if that were the case.

"I assume it does, it's awfully coincidental otherwise," he said as he moved to sit back behind his desk. "I don't know how many professional FX houses could pull those off. There's a problem though in that the film's incomplete, the first half is damaged. We need a complete copy."

"And since those monsters are what I need to get past, I need to help you so I can help myself," I thought aloud. Isaac nodded, confirming my thoughts with a smirk on his face. "So where do I find a better copy?"

"Behind the spit-shine of the Hollywood dream factory, there's another city churning out a vile by-product for the furtive consumption of a debauched audience," Isaac said in what I would assume was a Toreador style of talking. "I have no doubt the film's found its way to another smut peddler, so I'd ask around."

"Smut, huh," I said, again thinking of what the ghoul in the cemetery had told me of the Sin Bin. "I think I have a line on that one."

"Good luck in your hunting," Isaac said as I stepped back outside.

I mounted my bike and found a phonebooth, using the phone book inside it to find the Sin Bin. It wasn't too far away, and directly across from another place I'd been thinking of going to visit. Vesuvius Gentleman's Club, home of one Velvet Velour.

I stopped in the Sin Bin's parking lot, mainly because Vesuvius was full and walked over. The bouncer outside gave me a some serious stink eye, but only opened the door and allowed me in. Walking inside, a pretty little lady in pink lingerie sat behind the counter filing her pretty red nails, gesturing me on through with the file.

Walking into the main area of the club, the first dancer I saw was actually leaned up against the VIP entrance as if asking men to take her up on her offer. She looked at me, her smile dropping from her blonde face and going into full panic for all of three seconds before she started to smile again. I looked at her for a bit, then decided to ask her about it.

On my way over, I realized she was kindred. Her skin had paled some, but maintained an almost pink quality about it that fooled me into thinking she was still human. But as I got closer, I could see tell it was somewhat too light to be normal. She was dressed in a red and black silk bustier, red thong and black thigh high fishnet stockings while standing there in pair of 6 inch spiked heels with no platform under the toe to help alleviate the stress her foot must be under.

"Oh! Look what just walked in," she said, wrapping an arm around me and getting close enough to press her glitter covered chest against mine. "I can't imagine you'd get much of a rise out of Vesuvius, being what you are," she crooned in my ear. "Maybe I'll have more luck with you in the VIP suite, where we can...be ourselves," she said, smiling her prettiest at me.

"Sure," I said, and she untangled herself from around me and pulled my hand so I followed her into the area marked VIP. I started up the steps, with her beside me when she flicked some sort of switch that turned off the lights on the stairs. I figured it must be some sort of signal that the room was taken and shrugged it off.

The VIP room turned about to be a lava themed room with a private stage for the dancer to dance on. I could tell she put a lot of effort into her VIP area, and looked at some of the photos of dancers on the wall, figuring they must have be the current crop of candidates VV kept as entertainers.

VV sat on the couch, right in the middle, and patted the area next to her. I sat there, and immediately VV curled up next to me, again getting intimately close with her arms around me.

"Isn't this better?" she purred in my ear, her voice soft and low and sultry and...

'Oh for pete's sake!' I thought as I forced myself not to fall for her charms as she rubbed at my soft skin. 'Damn Toreadors are such seductresses that they can make just about anyone fall for them.'

"You and me, alone," she continued, doing her best to play the lover card, "For just a little while? Away from the Jyhad, the nonsense, and the dangers. Just the two of us. Mmmm?" she said, purring each word into my ear.

I knew she had likely felt the sword on my back as her arm was around my back but she gave it no mention or thought. I just crossed my legs and looked at her, taking in the silvery eyes and strawberry lipstick. "You asked me up here?" I said and she nodded.

"The reason I asked you up here is because I, and the rest of the Hollywood kindred, have been under surveillance lately by hunters," she said, dropping the lover card a bit but not uncurling herself from around me. "At first I thought you had come for me, but then I realized who you were when I saw the pale skin. I asked you up here because I didn't want you to say anything that might draw attention."

"Well, thanks for that," I said and she smiled. "Are you Velvet Velour?"

"I am," she told me. "You can me Velvet. It's been months since I've seen anyone new in here. I was starting to take it personally. And who should come in but a real celebrity. You're quite the talk in salons. So much so, that I've already heard a lot about you," she said as she smiled playfully at me. "So, uh, wouldn't you like to know about me?"

"I know a bit already," I said and she giggled. "I know you're trying to recruit Angel from down at Four Play."

"Yes," she said, her angelic face frowned a bit. "But Duke keeps sending my boys back empty handed. This last time, he broke poor Lenny's hand. Poor dear probably won't help me again for months."

"So you don't use ghouls?" I asked her and she shook her head before leaning hers on my shoulder.

"Oh, I do," she said, her finger making circles over my stomach. "Most of us have at least one. Mostly I use mine as a bouncer, you met him outside."

"So that's why he allowed me in when I look like a hunter," I said. Velvet nodded, then added, "He probably saw your skin and realized you weren't a threat. He's been trying his best to keep the hunters out of my club for me."

"You've had hunters in your club?"

"Up until a week ago, I had one working for more," Velvet said, and I looked down at her as she continued on in a sad tone. "They've been staking out Hollywood for several weeks. They've been in Ash's club, mine, a few others. I think they're whittling down their list of suspects. The one I had here was keeping an eye on the clientele. I found a weapon in her locker and fired her, but she's still in Hollywood, watching my club, and me."

I stared at her as she kept tracing circles on my stomach, and she finally looked up at me, the sadness evident in her eyes. "I know it's difficult to accept," I said, the hurt look in her eyes deepening, "But you may have to kill her."

"I've had to adjust a lot to this existence," she said, her silvery eyes staring into mine. "And I've accepted that I may have to do just that. But I'm a suspect, and if she ends up dead and I'm seen, they'll either kill me, or chase me into obscurity."

"Maybe I could get rid of her for you," I said and she smiled. I had the brief idea I was being played, but what did VV really get out of this?

"Would you? I think it might be a little much to ask," she said and it clicked. Yeah, I was being used, as an executioner. VV got the opportunity to keep her hands clean as she was probably a 'lover, not a fighter' and I would get to face a hunter, a hunter who was probably as lethal at hand to hand combat as me.

"Depends," I said, figuring this was just a ploy by the Toreador to get me to take care of her problem for her. "What are you offering?"

"I've got a girl, Misti," she said, pointing to a poster on the wall marked with the dancer's name, "She's divine and a willing blood doll for the right amount of money. I'll set her up for you, my treat."

"I already have a blood doll," I said and Velvet looked up at me. "Her blood is as sweet as honey and she loves to give it all to me."

"Then what would you want?" she asked me.

"Information," I said and she smiled at that. "I recently acquired Four Play, and I need to know a few things about how to run a club like this."

"You handle that hunter," she said, smiling to light up her whole face, "And I'll tell you everything I know about running a club."

"Deal," I said and VV giggled. "Where can I find her now?"

"She works over at the Sin Bin now," she told me as she rolled over to lay in my lap. "Her hair's blonde on top, broken heart tattoo on the small of her back. Dances in the peepshow under the name Chastity, as if that wasn't a dead giveaway.

"I want you to understand," she said, her face growing serious as her smile faded. "I don't want any innocents killed on my account. So if there are other dancers or patrons around, you'll have to lure them away from her. Do it as quietly as you can. No witnesses, please. And be careful using disciplines around the hunter."

"This won't take long," I said, giving her a brief smile. "I'll be back in a bit."

"I'll be waiting," she said as she sat up and allowed me to rise.

She didn't join me as I left, just laid back on the couch in a provocative pose. I stepped down the dark steps and back into the club, getting eyed by a guy in a dark suit. He was drinking alone, and I flashed him a smile as I passed and left by the front door. The bouncer ghoul was still standing by the front entrance, and gave me a wave as I walked by and crossed the empty street.

Entering the Sin Bin was easy. No bouncer or patron blocked my way. It was also somewhat more quiet, the only sounds I could hear were music coming from the basement. Behind the counter was a man in a 70's style suit with a cheesy moustache. It screamed cheap, and I assumed he was at least the manager.

"Heya hotpants," he said as smiled lustfully at me as I walked up.

"Keep it in your pants," I muttered, not liking the way he was eyeing me. It was men like him who thought of women as things to be conquered and owned.

"Hey hey," he said defensively, raising his hands to show he was unarmed. "Sounds like you're a little pent-up. You came to the right place for that problem?"

"Oh?" I asked him. "You got the answer to everything in this store?"

"Pretty much," he said, smiling a bit. "Anything you want, you can get here at the Sin Bin. 'Depraved' ain't a four letter word here, if you know what I mean."

"Then maybe you can help me out," I said and he smiled at me lustfully again. I so wanted to pull him over the counter I had to fight not to actually do it. "I need to find Death Mask Productions."

"Those guys?" he said, his smile dropping as he talked. "Ye-yeah I heard of 'em. Why do you want to know?"

"I'm looking for a tape they made and I'm trying to find out if it's real."

"You mean THE tape," he said, his mouth hanging open as he looked at me. "You've got a copy of it? Have you seen it?"

"Yes," I said and he shook his head lightly. "What of it?"

"Look, just get the hell out of here, alright?" he said, moving around the counter as if he could throw me out. "I don't want no part of that scene. I hear people seein' that tape ain't been comin' home for dinner. I don't deal in that kind of snuff anyway, so just take it somewhere else."

I grabbed him by the lapels and lifted him with my potence. "I'm not going to ask you twice. Tell me how to find DMP."

"Okay, okay," he said, getting scared as he realized he was a foot off the ground by someone half his size. "All I know is that a guy calls on the pay phone down the street at the Shell when the watch starts a new hour. He'll say something like, 'The moon is a terrible mistress' or some creepy shit like that and then all you have to say is 'Who walks the night with demons of dread.' Supposedly, you'll be told where to meet the guy to buy a tape. I don't know for sure. I never tried it."

I dropped the man to the floor and watched him as he sprawled out. "Thanks for the info," I said as I went downstairs following the signs for the peepshow.

I'd never actually seen a peepshow before, and was puzzled at the four doors on the right in a line. I checked the first one, finding it locked. I picked it quickly and quietly, finding that it led into a dressing room. I checked the second door, finding it occupied by a guy in a suit. I closed the door on him before he noticed me. The third one was empty, and the fourth one had a security guard in it.

Picking up a coin I found outside the third booth, I slipped in to test the mechanism. After feeding it the coin, the cover over the window rose and I could see into the room beyond. Chastity was dancing far enough back I could see her broken heart tattoo. There was another woman in the room also, who came over and danced in front of the window. The window didn't stay open long, and I left the room when it closed.

Looking around the room, I needed to find a way to make people leave. Looking at the coin changer, I pulled my lockpicks and opened it up, taking the bills out of it and unhooking the internal wires so it wouldn't work. I then went through the first door, marked manager, finding it was the office. It had a computer on the desk, and I sat to it.

The main menu options included one for 'peepshow,' so I accessed it with the password 'sinner' that I pulled out of the keystroke log. It showed window one as being unavailable, but the other two as being operational. I locked them down, and could hear one of the guys start cussing. I left the office, waiting in the corner as the man in the suit came out, muttering under his breath.

I went back down to the last door, finding that the security guard was watching the still open window. Swinging the door open wide, he turned to face me. "Excuse me, sir," I said, trying to sound sweet as he closed the barn door. "We need to shut down the peepshow for an hour or so," I lied.

"Aww, well," he said as he looked at his watch. "I need to go anyway, good while it lasted."

"Thank you, sir," I said as he left down the hall. "And come again."

He just waved as he went up the stairs. I smiled as I checked the dressing room, finding the other dancer leaned up against the wall, smoking a cigarette. She wasn't a good looking woman, track marks up one arm giving evidence to her habit. I slid the door between the peepshow room and the dressing door room closed as I pulled two of the twenties from the coin changer out of my pocket and held them up to the dancer.

"Take this, and make yourself scarce for a bit," I told her.

"I'll be in the pleasure palace if you want me," she said in a bored voice.

I watched her go down the hall, going into a room across the hall. I went down to the door, closing it almost all the way before reaching in and using my potence to rip the handle off the inside of the door. Dropping the handle in the trash, I went back into the dressing room and pulled my pistol from my holster.

Opening the door, I entered to find Chastity leaned against the back wall, also smoking a cigarette. She went ashen as she saw me, pulling a katana she had hidden in the folds of the room's curtains. I pulled my pistol, and I saw the fear in her eyes. She knew she couldn't cross the room without taking a bullet or three from me, but I could see the hatred in her eyes.

She finally darted to the side, arm already winding up for a swing. I didn't give her a chance as I lined up my first shot and shot her in the chest. She buckled and fell to the floor, her katana clattering across the floor. I lined up my pistol as she struggled to regain her feet, but her legs weren't moving. Squeezing the trigger again, I put one more in her, ending her life as my bullet tore out her brain.

Leaving the mess, I went out the back and holstered my pistol. I had followed VV's orders about how to kill Chastity, so now it shouldn't be a problem on collecting my payment. I went back to Vesuvius to collect.

Author's Note, Supplemental: Hey everyone. Glad to be back. You know, if I had a dollar for all my failed plans, I'd be Batman. Or at least Bruce Wayne. A very fat, miserable, Bruce Wayne. I intended to be back earlier this month, but my job got suddenly very busy. To that end, I can't guarentee an upload schedule, so I'll be cranking these out as fast as I can.

Also, please feel free to re-read the earlier chapters. I've updated everything. Also, since I changed how one chapter went, merging it with another, I added a chapter. The new chapter is the last one, chapter 30. It's not very long, but I hope you like it.

But, for the time being, I'm baaaaaaaaccccccccckkkkkkkkkk.