4. Neighbourhood Threat

It was the morning after, and Sarah entered the central work area of the District Attorney's office. She appeared quieter than usual, her pale complexion and slow-paced steps reflecting this. From the look of her empty expression it looked as if she was contemplating her existence, wondering what she was doing working as a police detective when all she really ever wanted was a quiet little life with the man of her dreams. As she moved to her cubicle she was suddenly intercepted by a geeky-looking office clerk... "Somebody's waiting for you…" he said. Sarah approached her cubicle and saw Sophie Carlton through the glass partition...

"Sophie." Sarah entered... Sophie looked haggard and nervous. "Hi…I didn't expect to see you here." Sophie's prescence suddenly made Sarah realise what she was doing here. She needed justice. She needed to get those thugs behind bars so they could hurt no more innocent young women.

"Yeah well, I didn't expect to be here either... I'm so sorry what they did to you. I couldn't stop thinking about it…maybe I can help you out." Sophie uttered, awkwardly. Her dark hair was pinned back, and she wore a worn, but decent dress-suit. It seemed as if she was trying to make an effort, trying to impress Sarah who was so stylish and wealthy-looking.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

Sophie took a swallow. "I was working for this escort service, it's called Mayfair. They have a pretty good clientele. You know, businessmen from out of town, that sort of thing."

"And you'd go out with them?" asked Sarah carefully. She didn't want to offend or upset Sophie when she was obviously still in an unstable condition.

"Yeah, more or less…but it's run by this man, Joe Sikes, a real bad character. He was using the service to shake down his customers. Sometimes he would have the girls carry tape recorders…sometimes he'd em get it on film."

"And…how did you get into trouble?" asked Sarah.

"When I wouldn't go along with it, Belmont got it into his head that I was gonna spill everything to the cops, so he sent his men out to get me."

"So the men that attacked you, and me -- they were Sike's men?"

"Had to be."

"Would you be willing to testify against them, with me?" she asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll testify."

Sarah went over to her desk, and rooted through her drawers until she found a mug shot of Joe Sikes. He was a dark wiry man in his late 30's. She began to punch numbers into her phone. "Hello…yes. It's Sarah Williams. I want to set wheels in motion for an arrest and search warrant to be issued tomorrow morning...Joe Sikes - - Mayfair Escort Service, 232 West 52nd...Fraud, extortion, aggravated assault -- for starters... I have the affidavit of a witness...Thanks Tom..." She hung up, then walked Sophie out into the reception area. "Okay we're all set. You're not going back to your apartment…" she said.

"Where am I going?" asked Carol.

"A friend of mine is renovating a brownstone in the Village. There's not much in it, but it'll be a lot safer. Someone'll meet you with a key…"

"Okay."

"David'll give you a ride over." she said, indicating to the Clerk. "I want you to call me as soon as you get there."

"-- there's no turning back, huh?" said Sophie.

"Sophie, you sure you understand the risks?" she said, seriously. "Don't do this for me... I don't want you to do anything that doesn't feel right." Sarah spoke with the expertise of a professional, but with the kindess of a companion.

Sophie smiled. "I'm doing this for me."

"Okay." Sophie and David began to make their way out of the building, but what they did not know was that a familiar stranger hung around the newsstand, waiting just outside of the building. His face was covered as he read a WWE magazine, but his heavily tattooed arm could be seen… It was the Tattooed Punk...! He followed Sophie and the Clerk as the came out of the building.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A while later, Sarah climbed out of a cab to arrive at her townhouse in Greenwich Village. Her arms were full of groceries as she hurried up the front steps of the building which was under renovation. She struggled to unlock the door whilst still holding her shopping bags, but eventually she entered the dark, empty residence. "Sophie?" she called, confused as to everything was so still. All of the lights were all turned off, and it didn't feel right. Sarah laid her groceries on the floor, and began to climb the stairs... "Sophie?...Sophie?" she called again, reaching the second floor landing and moving toward the bedroom... Sarah screamed. Entering, she found Sophie Carlton sprawled on the floor. "Oh no!" Sarah rushed into the bedroom and knelt beside Sophie's body…She leant over and touched her cheek..

"Don't bother, she's dead…" said a hauntingly familiar voice, who flickered his knife open and shut. It was the attacker from the van! Sarah shivered in fright as another man entered the bedroom behind her…It was Joe Sikes!…Sarah looked up...

"And so are you…" said Joe. As they moved on her, Sarah, still in a crouch grabbed the base of a pole lamp, then charged both of them with it and knocked them over. She ran out the bedroom door...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

At the same time, Jareth sat in the underworld playing chess with Abe in his chamber. Suddenly his body stiffened. Something was not right!

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in Sarah's world, she dashed down the stairs with the two men in pursuit…The Tattooed Punk and van driver appeared at the bottom of the stairs, making their way up… "Get her!" yelled the punk.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Meanwhile, Jareth raced down a tunnel with incredible speed.. -

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah made her way to an empty room on the second floor…she locked the door. Her attackers had her trapped, cut off from the stairs. She listened at the door…Their voices and footsteps could be heard in the hallway, just outside the door...

"Where'd she go?" asked the driver. Sarah ran over to the window and tried to yank it open, but it was jammed. She ran back over to the door and listened quietly.

"Try in there…she's gotta be in one of these." said the punk.

"Andy, block the stairs." she heard Joe Sikes say. She scanned the room for a weapon, and picked up a heavy hanging plate.

Outside of the door, the main attacker and Joe Sikes were opening and closing all the rooms looking for Sarah... "Nothin' in here." said the stocky guy.

"Go check the other door." said Joe Sikes. Sarah raised the plate high ready to use it as a weapon, but it was too heavy for her to handle. She dropped it…causing it to crash to the floor. The noise alerted the men as to her whereabouts… The attacker broke down the door, and Joe Sikes and the Tattooed punk followed him into the room... "There you are!"

Sarah managed to run past them and headed for the stairs, she knocked the driver down the stairs…as she passed him near the bottom he grabbed her ankle and she fell down. She kicked out at him with her feet…and she reached into the grocery bag at the bottom of the stairs and grabbed a bottle of wine from it…she was just about to whack the driver with it when Sikes and the stocky man came down the stairs… Joe pulled out his gun. "Uh uh uh…" he said, bending over Sarah and pointing the gun in her face, half cocking the trigger. "Say goodnight…"

The door to the basement suddenly burst open in a shower of splinters, and Jareth came crashing through… He knocked the gun out of Sike's hand and shot him instantly. Then he shot the Punk, but there were no more bullets for the driver and attacker, who had just seen their worst nightmare… Jareth pulled a crystal from his sleeve and rubbed it a couple of times with his hands, which were now gloved. The men didn't quite know what to think -- they chuckled a little, but suddenly Jareth lobbed the crystal at the attacker causing him to freeze on the spot. In a few seconds his frozen stature shattered into tiny pieces and crashed to the floor. The driver gasped in horror, for he was next... Jareth threw another crystal at him. This time it turned into a ferocious cobra, which hissed and coiled round him until he choked to death. After he'd killed him, the cobra vanished. Sarah looked in disbelief… When it was over, he looked up at her -- it was a look of exquisite vulnerability, almost shame...he slumped back onto a step…Sarah walked over to him… "We can't stay here…" she said, grabbing his hands and pulling at him.

He lead her to the basement...The wall of the basement appeared to have been broken through as if by a battering ram... Jareth lead her through the hole in the wall, into a passageway. -- and they disappeared.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in the apartment building a Lieutenent walked down the stairs and stood with several of his patrolmen, surveying the devastation in the townhouse...

"So you got any ideas?" asked a patrolman.

The Lieutenent shook his head. "I know two of them were shot to death...but the other one looks like he was wrangled by some kind of animal... and I really don't know how to explain the pieces of ice on the floor." The Lieutenent and his men moved through the splintered basement door, down the stairs... "Some pretty strange things going on in this city..." he said, staring at the hole and passageway in the basement hall... "And, I hear, there are even stranger things going on underneath it... I don't know what happened here, but I'm going to find out."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jareth and Sarah found themselves in a cavernous chamber… "I owe you everything -- everything…" said Sarah.

"You owe me nothing -- I'm part of you, Sarah. Just as you're part of me... Wherever you go, wherever I am...I'm with you…" Sarah gazed at him lovingly, this beautiful, noble Goblin King... "Good-bye…" he said gently.

She puts her arms around him and rested heer head on his chest... "For now…" she said softly.

They parted and headed in opposite directions…

Jareth moved onto a large chamber with many levels and entrances… Sarah went back in the opposite direction... Suddenly they both turned round at the same moment, gazing at each other wistfully …then continued on their respective ways… Jareth disappeared down the tunnel steps... back into the darkness...