Men…
Handling business on their own
Jessie watched Demetri, who had just unlocked the back way into his production studio, and spoke, “Are you sure you want it handled like this?”
Demetri spat on the ground. “These men are pigs... worse than pigs. They pass disease with no regard...”
“You sound like a man who has been harmed.”
“In business, yes. Those two fuck the girls, give them hepatitis and other diseases. Bad for business, bad for girls, bad for Demetri. Joel told me the plan to hurt Halo is worse than bullet. He is sick and needs to be put down. I handle disposal in there, you no worry.” He handed her Joel’s briefcase. “I take some for expenses, da?”
“Sure. Why don’t you just do it and take all the cash?”
“I hear you no like men like this...”
Jessie eyed him. “What have you heard... exactly?”
“I hear you cause pain to Joel Miller for hurting girls in the club. I hear you help other girls... also, this is a gift to you.” He let out a dry chuckle.
“I no want you to be upset with Demetri. I no make girls into whores here. It is legit business. One girl is animal doctor, other a nurse. Others win AVN awards.” He shrugged.
“It is business. Much worse men out there than Demetri,” he said, as if to justify himself.
Jessie eyed him and wanted nothing more than to put a round in his head, but sometimes you must deal with the devil’s minions to accomplish your goal. “Fine.”
She slipped on her mask, buttoned up her black trench coat, and slipped inside the door. Turning back, she watched Demetri quietly close the door with a nod.
Jessie let her eyes adjust to the dimness inside. She recalled the layout and glided forward, gun in hand. Three men. Two actors. One camera operator. One or more armed.
There would be three set ‘filming’ rooms, three makeup booths, a shower, a bathroom, and a breakroom. She was moving through the prop storage area when she heard laughing and talking.
“Paid to fuck Halo Raines...” The voice laughed.
“Can’t get better than that shit,” came another voice.
Jessie’s heart rate shot high. She calmed herself, breathed out slow, and switched her emotions off with a click sounding in her mind.
She peeked around the door and saw the three men standing together near a large platform with a king-size bed.
Two were wearing shorts; the other wore jeans and a ratty tank top, checking his watch.
Jessie scanned the area for additional people and found no trace.
She thought of Halo, then herself on the freighter, stepped out into the light, and called out in a sexy voice, “Mudak!”
They all turned, and three rapid, silenced shots thumped, followed by three more, then three more as she moved calmly forward. Looking down, she realized they all fell together on rolled-out plastic sheeting. “Convenient.”
She kicked each one with her high-heeled shoe. They were dead. She glared down at them and wanted to spit in their faces, but with DNA and all, she held back.
She went back, collected all her bullet casings, and pocketed them. Picking up the briefcase, she walked to the front door, peeked out at the empty parking lot, took off her trench coat, rolled it up, and set it outside the door.
She adjusted the radio receiver behind her back, reloaded her pistol, and slipped it also behind her back in its holster. She tapped her earpiece. “Production completed.”
Gunnar’s voice was in her ear. “Halo inbound with Stubbs. We are secured.”
“Understood. Eliminate the driver?”
“Introduce him to the undertaker, Miss Outlaw.”
Jessie smiled. “Roger that… Sheriff.”
“Watch your six and ride easy.” Gunnar chuckled.
Halo’s breath was knocked out of her as the bald ape of a man threw her over his shoulder.
She put up a token amount of resistance.
He cursed, opened the front passenger door, and slid her down onto the seat.
He looked down at her and growled in a deep voice, “Don't make this worse, bitch.
Fight me and you gonna be pickin' your pretty teeth up off the floor.” He jabbed his thick finger toward the floor of the car to accentuate his point.
Halo looked up with fear and nodded. He ran around, got in, started the car, and pulled out of her driveway.
She hoped Simo was right. Her hands were behind her back.
She pulled hard against the filed chain links on her cuffs, and they easily broke.
She slipped the knife Xander had made for her on the island out of her back pocket and unsheathed it.
Halo glanced at Stubbs driving; she worried that he was so strong he could easily kill her with one hit of his heavy fist.
She watched the scenery go by, trying hard not to seethe at what Joel had planned for her. He really was a sick fuck.
Soon they were pulling up to an old industrial office complex.
They parked in front of a lone, steel-blue door.
The sign above it read Wicked Sinful Productions.
“This is our stop, bitch!” Stubbs chuckled, reached for the shift lever, and placed the car in park.
With his hand on the lever, he reached over and squeezed Halo’s thigh hard, then began moving his hand upward.
Halo squirmed away toward the door in disgust. She remembered Xander showing her how to use her knife: Push the blade into the side of the neck, then pull out slicing down if she can.
Then strike under the arm, into the armpit or into the ribcage…
then run. Stubbs’ hand began to reach up toward her breast as a figure caught his attention in front of the car.
They both turned to see a tall, stunning redhead in front of the car.
She was wearing only black garters with glossy, thigh-high stiletto boots and a black lacy bra, and she was carrying a black briefcase in one hand.
Her smile was wicked as she looked directly at Halo and licked her lips. Then she held up the briefcase.
“Holy fuck…” muttered Stubbs. “Joel said I could have a piece of you… but this one... it’s my lucky fucking day!”
As the red-haired Amazon slinked up to the front bumper of the car, she stared at Stubbs, bit her lower lip, and, using her index finger, gestured for him to come get his briefcase of cash.
“Stay here and don’t fucking move.” He stepped out of the car and smiled as he approached her. Halo watched the stunning woman smile wickedly at him. She handed him the briefcase, then caressed his face and ran her fingers down his shirt toward his pants.
Halo swallowed hard and set her hand on the door handle. She couldn’t tear her eyes away and watched the scene unfold in shock.
When the woman reached his crotch, she squeezed, leaned close to Stubbs, and whispered into his ear. Stubbs started to smile. Then, suddenly, his face lost all expression as he tried to reach for his gun. The woman suddenly had her own gun in her hand.
The man dropped the briefcase as he tried to get his gun free.
The half-naked woman simply began firing into Stubbs’ chest. The sound of her gun was a quiet thumping as she sent multiple bullets into him.
The look on the redhead’s face was one of sheer satisfaction, and Halo knew she would never forget it.
She watched in abject horror as the woman casually picked up the dead man’s gun, dropped the magazine, reached behind her back, and brought out a new one.
She then proceeded to set the new magazine and the gun on the hood of the car.
The next thing Halo knew, she was coming around to her side of the car.
The woman was at her door, knocking. “Halo, Halo! I’m Jessie, and I work with Simo. Let’s get you out of here! Don’t look at that dead asshole!” she admonished as she pulled Halo from the car.
As she was being walked away, the tall, red-haired woman gently pulled her face and gaze away from Stubbs’ dead, bloody body.
“He… he’s dead?” Halo mumbled as Jessie led her a good distance from the car and sat her down next to a tall palm tree.
“Yes. He will never be back to fuck with you or anyone again.” She saw Jessie snap her head up. Her gun was instantly back in her hand as they heard tires screech to a stop.
She looked up and saw a man bolt from a black Challenger, gun in hand, running up to the car.
“It’s Xander!” she shouted to Jessie and, thankfully, watched her lower her gun.
“I know.”
Halo met his eyes over the distance, and he stood stock-still. Then it looked like he nearly buckled from relief to see her safe. He bent over, hands on his knees, and was breathing hard.
“Xander?” she called out to him as he slowly stood up.
He stood there, staring at her, unmoving. A siren screaming closer seemed to snap him out of it. She watched him turn toward the Challenger and run.
“Fuck! Xander, stop!” Jessie yelled.
Halo’s heart fell in her chest as she watched him race back to the car, get in, and burn rubber as he sped away.
She covered her face and fought back the tears.
“Men… fucking men,” Jessie sighed as she wrapped her arm around Halo.
“See! She's safe and not hurt! Now what?” Joel begged anxiously.
Xander kept driving away from the approaching sirens, then looked at Joel. “Time to pay the piper. Live or die. Ari or me?”
“Like fuck I'll go to prison. Just fucking kill me then!” Joel screeched.
“Fine. You are going to show me exactly where Elara is. Her family has a right to know. Call it a measure of your regret.”
Joel nodded as he choked off his sobs.
Xander's phone kept vibrating incessantly in his pocket. He ignored it as he drove along Topanga Canyon Road. Joel gestured with his cuffed and bloody hands to the side of the road.
Xander glanced around and realized that from the pullout, he could see approaching cars in either direction for at least half a mile. He pulled up, turned off Simo’s car, and turned on the emergency flashers. He turned and looked at the tear-streaked face sitting next to him.