The next evening, Steph awoke and found herself wrapped in Ric's arms. The events from last night returned in a rush, and her eyes snapped open in horror and shock. Her phone beeped quietly on her bedside table. She rolled over and retrieved it, quickly noting that she had a message. It read "The time is now. We call for the dragon, to save us from the perils of death." That was what she nicknamed her 'bat signal'. She was wanted by her gang. Obviously another execution needed to be performed. She had to hurry.

She quickly untangled herself from Ric's arms, grabbed her underwear and other items of clothing off the floor and quietly padded to the downstairs bathroom where she had a shower and dyed her hair, dried her hair, got into fresh clothes (a short leather mini, black fishnets, black knee-high boots, dark red low cut top, dark red gothic style lace jacket and then a black overcoat) and then went and did her nails black with red tips. She then did her makeup which was her normal routine but added black and red eyeliner and dark red lipstick. She then brushed and styled her hair as per the gang's rules: dead straight and out and down. The end result was to the effect that had Ric seen her, he would have done her right there and then. She looked hot as! Steph only took care with her appearance when she was wanted by the gang as no-one could know her identity. She quickly headed down to her garage where her CCX was kept. The one she had crashed was actually a Toyota Celica with the CCX shell.

It's true, we're all a little insane.
But it's so clear,
Now that I'm unchained.

Fear is only in our minds,
Taking over all the time.
Fear is only in our minds but it's taking over all the time.

One day I'm gonna forget your name,
And one sweet day, you're gonna drown in my lost pain.You poor sweet innocent thing.
Dry your eyes and testify.
And oh you love to hate me don't you, honey?
I'm your sacrifice.

(I dream in darkness
I sleep to die,
Raise the silence,
Erase my life,
Our burning ashes
Blacken the day,
A world of nothingness,
Blow me away.)

So you wonder why you hate?
Are you still too weak to survive your mistakes?

She started the CCX which now bore the decals and graphics of her gang. Everyone who was anyone knew that if her car was spotted in the area it meant trouble or even death for the unfortunate gang members to whom she was headed for. For her to be called meant something really unpleasant had happened. She was only very rarely called in by any of the gangs.

She purred out of the garage and glided down the street, the automatic doors closing silently behind her. She was not in that much of a hurry. They could wait.