CHAPTER FOUR (Holy BATSH!T Batman!)

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO LES BRANSON..MOVIE MAKER EXTRAORDINAIRE..WHOSE FILM: 'HAVING MY BABY' HAD IT'S WORLD PREMIER JULY 9TH..YES, DREAMS DO COME TRUE, HEY LES????? THANKS, LES FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR HECTIC LIFE TO REVIEW ONE OF THE 'SMALL PEOPLE'S' STORYLINES. AND YOU SAID YOU WOULD FORGET ALL ABOUT US WHEN YOU WERE RICH AND FAMOUS!!!! ENJOY!!

Another chilly night. Haley Meadow's scowl translated her mood. She had thought deserts were supposed to be hot..all the time.

She made a mental 'note to self'..do not become a prostitute in Las Vegas. The nights were too cold to walk around in skimpy outfits.

She crossed her arms over her fuzzy red top, her fingers gripping her bare arms tightly. The gold chains she sported for 'effect' were cold against her bare skin. To hell with 'bling' next time, she decided. She should be wearing a cross anyway..she was supposedly chasing a vampire.

It might even come in handy, in which case. The thigh high leather boots gave some measure of warmth which is more than could be said for the thin strip of silver material which constituted her 'skirt'. AND...her feet hurt..as usual.

She was bored, plain and simple. She had even stopped her suggestive 'walk', parading up and down the cracked, oil stained sidewalk in front of the once lucrative shops lining this end of Fremont Street.

The woman stood, reading a faded business sign across the way. 'Carl's After Bites..Bar and Grill.'

And old neon sign hung behind the unwashed window promising 'all you can eat cat fish'..after four.

Which reminded her, she hadn't eaten today..well..tonight.

The pealed paint on a burger and fries poster plastered against the large windows of another diner three doors down made her mouth water for the food implied. Rows of empty booths, inside the darkened restaurant, lent a melancholy mood to the place.

"I'm hungry." The woman declared her state of being.

"Shut up and walk" Vincent Duvalier's disembodied voice came through her earpiece..the one she was supposed to lose if a prospective 'client' came along. To the layman, her sophisticated device appeared to be an ordinary Ipod. It was not one.

"You just better go get me something to eat!" She snapped, glancing down the empty street both ways, her mind on 'cruise control'. "I want a twinkie!"

"Make your ass wider." Vincent stated his belief. "You're practically the only one out there tonight. He might actually hit on you."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." She mumbled.

"We can't chance pulling you. Sorry kid. Didn't you eat earlier?"

"Like you give a crap." She was pretty sure he didn't. "The stupid airlines found my 'lost' luggage and I had to go mess with them since none of you assholes would do it for me!"

Vincent glanced around the cramped confides of the 'security van' sharing a good laugh with his buddies and constituents. They drank their starbuck coffees and ate their crispy creme donuts and just had a very pleasant moment at the expense of their friend and comrade-in-arms..

The woman stopped counting the red bricks which comprised the building behind her, making an extremely exasperated sound. "Now you've made me lose count!" And she had gotten almost two stories high. Two hundred eighty-seven bricks..not counting the end ones. Which were short. "I hate you!"

"Yeah, chivalry is definitely dead." Was the general consensus inside the van.

Haley decided to count something else. She enjoyed counting things. Didn't really matter what.

She fixated on the drainage grates in the street. She started as far down as her eyes could see clearly in the dim light of the street lamps. "Where's my cutie? I'm lonely out here!"

Vincent glanced to his right, lazily ignoring Jim Brass. "He has other priorities. He's a busy man. He'll be here if anything goes down, don't get your panties in a bunch, if indeed you are wearing any."

Jim Brass cut his eyes back to the blinking console before him. A part of him happy the girl had asked of him. He tried not to think about the 'panty' thing.

"Never you mind what I am wearing or not wearing. I don't like this one. Let's go back to Seattle."

"Well, see? The guy is HERE..it would kinda defeat the purpose if we up and left."

"He doesn't like me." Haley took the lipstick, the bright red one she hated, and begin to write cryptic messages on the brick wall directly behind her. 'Kilroy was here'... "Who is Kilroy? He sure gets around, doesn't he." She mused. "I can't get his attention. It's no fun here." She moped, leaning against the cold wall, laying her head on the bricks, continuing her efforts half-heartedly. 'Nine out of ten voices in my head say..shoot.'

"Oh, you have his attention." Vincent glanced at Brass with a knowing grin. "He just doesn't know it yet."

"No.." Haley had to disagree on that one. She moved to another section of the wall. "He's hung up on that Weena chick..what the hell kinda name is that anyway? Weena??"

"Well I don't know 'Sunshine'." Vincent admitted he was stumped. "A rose by any other name."

"Don't make fun of my name!" She halted in her artistic endeavors long enough to bitch.

"That's against the law..graffiti..Special Agent." It was reminded sardonically.

"Yeah, well come arrest me. And bring a twinkie." She sighed heavily, finishing her 'quote'. The red lipstick didn't show up well against the red wall. Oh well.. She read her efforts mentally. 'Do not disturb..I'm disturbed enough already.'

She lifted her 'marker', another 'saying' coming to mind only to halt mid-stroke, the make-up poised in the cool night air.

Something had flashed out of the corner of her eye..a movement. To her left, above..blocking the light from the corner street light for a brief millisecond.

The woman forced her hand to resume it's pastime. She began to hum 'I Got You, Babe'. She..waited.

Once again..this time more definite. "I've got movement." She spoke very distinctively into her chest. "Rooftop to my left." She managed keep her tone steady but her heart was pumping adrenalin like crazy. Her hand shaking slightly as she continued to write.

She knew things were happening. Things she could not see or hear. Cool things.

Guys were moving into position, commands were being given.

"Talk to me."

Her heart skipped ahead then went into over-drive as she recognized ..that voice. "Hello Cute Guy." She purred. "He's moving to the East." She sensed the fact, casually putting her lipstick into the tiny clutch bag she sported tonight. The shiny metallic one, that glimmered in the light and had a difficult close clip.

Haley sighed heavily, pushing away from the wall, stepping out by the curb. She stretched luxuriously, her eyes scanning the out-jut of row after row of dilapidated buildings. She caught a glimpse of blurred movement before she was forced to resume her 'casual' stance. "The fucker is wearing a freakin cape, for god's sake!"

She broke into Prince's ..or the Artist Formerly Known As..maybe. She couldn't remember which, right now.... 'Kiss'..

"Don't have to be beautiful..to turn me on...ahahah!" She moved to the beat in her head. "Don't have to be rich to be my girl....don't have to be cool to rule my world.."

"Let him see you." Vincent Duvalier was back, and she could hear the calm quietness in his tone..which calmed her own erratic heart beat.

"He sees me." She moved her hips seductively, 'dancing' for the 'asshole'. She could feel his eyes. He was stationary. Maybe the guys could get a bead on the fucker.

"I want to be your fantasy..maybe..you could be mine." She resumed her 'walk' with the added movements of her 'dance' added in. If that didn't turn the bastard on, she didn't know what else she could do but strip down to her skivvies maybe.. "Just leave it all up to me..we could have a good time."

A loud 'pop' broke the night's stillness. Haley started, forcing herself not to look up. A loud grunt of pain followed almost immediately. She turned and the rooftop was clear. "Shit!"

She resumed her walk, slowly..as if she had not heard..as if she had not turned. "Advise!" She managed tightly into her mike.

"We got him." She was...advised.

Her entire body relaxed..and she closed her eyes, allowing her head to fall back. She opened her eyes to the starry heavens above. She took a moment to enjoy their beauty.

"Stay where you are. Continue patrol. We don't know what the hell we 'got' just yet."

"I may have blown it. I..reacted to the shot."

Vincent could hear the annoyance in her voice.

"We'll just have to hope not. If he was watching..and it's not this creep..he's smart enough to know you're a plant now."

"I know that, damn it."

"Hey..it's alright. You did great." Jim Brass thought Duvalier was being an asshole..so, he had leaned, speaking his piece. "Maybe this is our guy."

"Maybe it's not." Vincent shook his head. "Geeessh, Meadows..just..." He searched for the word. "Three damned weeks..down the drain. This better be the fucking perp!"

The girl felt horrible.

Brass covered the mouthpiece, his temper flaring. "What the fuck is that? Cut her some slack.."

Vincent threw up his hands in resignation, arising. He left the van, on his way to find out the answer to the burning question on everyone's mind, Brass assumed.

Haley stood, under the glare of the street light, her mood more than depressed. She knew better than to break character. She should NOT have looked. Why the hell had she...looked???

"Hey..Haley."

The man's voice soothed her frayed nerves. She lifted her eyes, automatically reading the tattered billboard across the street. 'Pepsi..the choice of a new generation.'

Brass felt bad for the woman. He wanted to make it better somehow. He worked on instinct.

"Does this mean 'breakfast' is a 'go'?" He kept his tone light. "Wear the outfit..it turns me on."

She..smiled. "Liar."

"No..I love those boots..we can do a little S and M. I have the cuffs and everything."

"You..called me by my name." He had never done that before. It made her feel all warm and gooey inside.

"Should I have said..Mistress?" He was flexible. The silence was not uncomfortable. He tried again. "I like your singing..sing me a song. Just for me."

"Advise." She said softly, realizing he was trying to make it ok.

"Well, I like thongs, myself but..the 'no panty' thing works too."

She..chuckled. "Should I come in or..not."

"Come in. I'll buy you that twinkie."

"You sweet talker you." She felt..better. "I hear them up there." She wasn't about to look up though. "Guess we got something, at least..no thanks to me."

"We got something BECAUSE of you. Come on in."

"What does asshole say?" She was naturally concerned, biting her thumb nail anxiously. "Is he still there?"

"Never mind what asshole says. I say...come in now."

"You aren't my boss."

"Bet I could be.." He flirted openly in the now empty trailer. "If I played my cards right..what do you think?"

"I think you're a butthead."

"No you don't." He was pretty sure of the fact and his tone said as much.

"You just better have my twinkie."

"Got everything you'll ever need."

She...grinned. "That's what they all say."

"You have to have the last word, hum?"

"No..well..." She didn't want to be one of those women..did she? "...Yes." She turned on her six inch heels and..headed for the established 'safe place'.

Jim Brass smiled to himself, flicking off the mike.