Franklin's office was in a squat and ugly tan metal industrial building. The two big guys who had accompanied Franklin into the Water Grill were standing in front of the door, but this time they were not nearly so well dressed. They each wore short sleeved shirts out and over their pants. The guy with the short blond hair had tattoos covering both arms.

The bald one with the earrings gestured towards the side of the building.

"We need to search you," he said. "We don't allow pieces in Franklin's office."

"Nope," Hawk and I said simultaneously.

"Sorry," I continued. "We both think it's more practical for us to remain heeled."

The blond guy made the mistake of stepping towards Hawk. "Then maybe we'll just take them off you."

The next moment, the blond guy was on the ground holding his throat and gasping for breath, and I had my gun out and centered on the bald guy.

"Nope means no," I said.

"OK, that's enough," someone said.

The two smaller men I'd seen leaving the Water Grill with Franklin were now standing about fifteen feet away by the front door. Both were well dressed in full suits, minus the vests. The coats were open.

"I better not see either of your hands go inside those jackets," I said.

The smaller black guy, who I could now see was probably in his fifties, looked at the bald man.

"Thrash," he said. "Help Tiny up and go take a break."

"But, Elijah, shouldn't we...?" Thrash said.

Elijah gave Thrash a hard look. The larger man put his head down.

"I shouldn't have to repeat myself, Thrash."

I looked at Hawk.

"Thrash?" I said.

"Tiny?" Hawk said.

Thrash nodded and hauled Tiny to his feet. Tiny was still hacking and coughing, and weaved a bit as Thrash walked him into the parking lot.

Elijah and the little white guy held their empty hands up around their shoulders. The white guy looked to be barely twenty, with a sharp nose. Both men looked amused.

"I apologize for those two." Elijah said. "The word didn't get out to them that you were honored guests."

"Honored guests nothing," Hawk said. "You two testing us."

Elijah's look of amusement intensified.

"Perhaps a little, but don't be insulted. We knew you two were more than a match for these two stumblebums."

"You're lucky we didn't put those 'stumblebums' into the ground," I said.

The white guy chuckled. "Doesn't matter. We can always get more stumblebums. And now we have a better idea of how good you two are."

Elijah jerked his head towards the front door to the office.

"If you will follow Vincent and myself," he said. "We can complete our business."

"Well you sure ain't going to be following us," Hawk said.

I put up my gun, and we went in. The inside of Franklin's building wasn't nearly as elegant as he or his two actual bodyguards. Concrete floor, girders with no walls, and it was entirely unfurnished except for a single metal desk, which was covered by three computers. There was also a metal conference table surrounded by eight folding chairs. Three of the chairs were occupied by men in their late teens or early twenties. One of them stood out in particular with his right arm in a sling and a fading black left eye. Franklin was leaning against the metal desk, impeccably dressed as ever, this time in a grey suit and pink shirt and red tie. Elijah went and stood to Franklin's right, Vincent went over and stood to his left. They were careful not to stand too close to one another, making it more difficult for even two men to cover all three of them.

Franklin looked at Hawk. "I think I would have preferred a visit from the beautiful Susan."

Hawk didn't take his eyes off of Elijah, but looked mildly amused.

"What, you don't think black is beautiful?" Hawk said. Franklin smiled.

"This is Hawk," I said. "He's here to hold my hand if I get nervous."

"Hawk," Elijah said. "Knew another man a long time ago named after an animal."

"A predator?" Hawk said.

"That he definitely was," Elijah said. "Even though he was named after a harmless little rodent."

I went over to the men sitting at the table. They were all looking very nervously at Franklin, Elijah, and Vincent. I stopped in front of the man with the sling and the fading black eye.

"Hey," I said.

The man jumped slightly and looked at me.

"How'd you get the shiner?" I said.

"A boyfriend tried to get a little rough with me," he said.

"Looks like he succeeded."

"Yeah, leastways I'm not the one in the hospital."

I looked at Franklin and his two associates. "I'm taking a picture out of my jacket pocket."

Franklin nodded. "Go ahead."

I took out Buffy Summers' junior picture, given to me by Joyce Summers.

"Ever seen her before?" I asked.

The man's eyes widened. His left hand started involuntarily to his right arm, but then he stopped himself.

"No, never seen her," he said.

I looked at Hawk. Hawk smiled slightly.

"Bingo," he said.