Beth walked into her store and found her sister Clover behind the counter. " So how is the detective work?" asked Clover.
" Hit a big fat dead end" said Beth, " there is the Chris Fontain guy but I can't find him for love or money."
" Maybe you should give it up" said Clover.
" God, not you too" said Beth, " Jack is really worried about me doing this, like I'm going to try and bring the killer down myself."
" You're just doing it to get back at Jack for doing what he does" said Clover, " you can't lie to your sister, you worry yourself sick all the time over him. He has been killing vampires for years and not so much as a twisted ankle. Admit it, he is blessed and you are jealous."
" Clover" Beth groaned.
" Okay, you won't have to admit it but you know its true" said Clover, " seeing that you're here, I'm taking off."
Clover hopped over the counter and before Beth could argue was out the door. Beth sat behind the counter and took her notebook out. Beth turned the radio on and listened as the weatherman warned the elderly to stay indoors, like the whole heat issue was brand new. You live in Los Angeles to get use to 100 plus degree days, Beth loved the heat. Beth slowly scribbled some ideas in her notebook, she still couldn't figure out why Chris Fontain would hack up somebody like that, he was thief, not even a good one. What brought him from here to there is the key.

" So that's her huh" said Danny Bryce.
" That's the one" said Chris Fontain, " the twat with all the tatts."
" She ain't no cop" said Danny, " he is kinda cute."
" You would like her" said Chris, " I want to know why she is asking about me, she is too close to the source, she could fuck it all up."
" Then just do her" said Danny.
" You're fucking insane" said Chris, " no way, he would have us both skinned if we violated the plan, I want to scare her, make sure she leaves us be. He wouldn't mind if we had some fun with her."
" I don't do that" said Danny, " I won't."
" Why? You like her, think that she'll just fall for you?" asked Chris, " no way, that bitch is a dyke, you can just tell."
" I won't do that to her" said Danny, " if you do, you do it on your own."
" What is this?" asked Chris, " we are in this together."
" No, this isn't part of the plan" he said, " I'm not going to rape her, you can't do it without me, she would kick your ass. Remember you owe me from that time in the showers at Q. Now I collect."
" Fuck, you are in love" said Chris, " okay, we won't rape her, but we still have a couple of days, I want to keep an eye on her. He couldn't get pissed if we just watch."

Drusilla slowly tossed small coloured balls of light about the room to the delight of her new cat, whom she named Domino. She was so thrilled by the little display, not because it was any great feat of magic but because she was happy, she was actually happy. It was something she never thought could come from something this small. Drusilla and Domino played for several minutes before she decided to get some tea. Drusilla knew she was out and would have to travel to Beverly Hills to find her favorite brand. It would be her first time there, maybe she would meet some movie stars.
The drive took a little longer than usual due to the fact that she got lost three times until she found the tiny store, Mystic Grounds.

Maresa was paying for her order when she felt a shiver go down her spine. She turned around and saw a girl dressed in black with black hair, the only thing that wasn't black was the large silver cross. Maresa knew what she was, no mage wore anything like that unless they were members of the Cherubim. Guess the Order was really bringing out their big guns, must have learned that LA is a very tough town.

Drusilla saw the mage standing at the counter, she was amazed at the power of her aura, she'd never seen anyone that bright. She picked up her bag and walked over, " Hello" she said, in a warm pleasant tone, " welcome to Los Angeles."
" Hello" said Drusilla, " I've seen your picture."
" Ah, Maresa Chillton at your service" she said.
" Drusilla Du Pri" she replied.
" I hope you're adjusting to Los Angeles" said Maresa, " where were you living before?"
" Prague" said Drusilla, " this is certainly a change, especially with this heat."
" You get use to it" said Maresa, " this is a little hotter than normal but it is part of the city's charm. I hope we meet again."
" It was nice talking to you" said Drusilla.
Drusilla watched as the attractive woman in the light blue sundress left. She knew she was part of the Chosen, but why did she seem more friendly and welcoming than any member of her own team? Drusilla wondered if everything the Order told her about the Chosen was true, if any of it was true.

Fancy Dan's Classy Ladies was in truth wasn't fancy and the ladies certainly weren't classy. It was a rundown dive a few blocks west of the UCLA campus. Malcolm, Jack, and John all three walked into the club. It wasn't an usual sight for three men to enter the club so no one took any notice of them. The two tired strippers slowly rocked back and forth to a really bad 80s hair metal song, both were too strung out to keep up with the music. The few drunks that populated the bar mostly took no notice of the ladies and were more interested in their booze. The trio spotted their quarry, sitting in the back flanked by two Satan's Storm Troopers, both looked mean enough to eat nails and shit bullets. " On three Jack, you grab Carlos, we'll handle the vamps" said Malcolm.
The three casually walked over, in a flash of activity, Malcolm and John jammed knives into the eyes of the Satan's Storm Troopers and Jack jammed the muzzle of his Walter P99 into Carlos' agape mouth. " We're going to take a little walk" said Jack.
Malcolm and John grabbed Carlos and hauled him out of the booth and into the VIP area. The threw him hard onto a couch, " Talk you worm, where are the Hand?" asked Malcolm.
" I don't know" said Carlos, a visible stain growing on his pants, " shit, fuck I fucking know. Please don't fucking kill me, I just sell blood."
" Yah that you get from runaways and hookers" said Malcolm, punching Carlos, " you know, you supply them with their blood."
" No, the two Satan's you just killed come and pick it up" said Carlos, " oh fucking mother of god, the Hand won't get their blood and they'll kill me. Oh please I'll tell you every dirty secret I know about every vamp in town if you hide me. I know Dante has virgins in the basement of his mansion, I know where they store their extra blood, I know lots."
" You know nothing little man" said John.
" I know the Satan's are from the Hawaiian Garden's chapter" said Carlos, " they rode in to pick up the shipment I have under the bar."
" Thanks" said Jack, " I suggest you start running now."
Carlos leapt to his feet and sprint out of the VIP area and through the fire exit, which to no one surprise the alarm didn't sound. " I think we're were we started" said John, " shit."
" We have at least one lead, Hawaiian Gardens, now we just need to find a big abandoned house out there" said Malcolm.
" That shouldn't be hard" said Jack, " we certainly picked a nice day to go driving to the surface of the sun."

Fred Baines was the poster boy for burn out, the scrawny long haired surfer dude ran a tiny little shop in Long Beach that offered more water pipes than surf boards. Blue knew who they were and immediately ran into the back. " I clean" he said as he walked out, the sound of a toilet flushing behind him.
" Too bad, we're homicide" said Jenna, " looks like you just flushed your stash."
" Damn, you all pigs are alike" he said, " you would have busted me anyways."
" Maybe we'll just plant something on you and then arrest you" said Jenna, " but we don't really care what you're up to we want to know about a client of your, Chris Fontain."
" Fontain?" asked Blue, " ain't seen him since he got out of San Quentin, he'd stashed some stuff with and picked it up. He was with this big gorilla. I didn't catch his name or ask what was up. You know things go on in prison so I didn't ask but he made some reference to staying in Malibu with this guy he'd meet. I gave him his stuff and he's hasn't been back."
" What was the stuff?" asked Melinda.
" 5 grand worth of heroin he snatched from that record guy" said Blue, " but you didn't hear it from me."
" Of course" said Jenna, " you have any idea where in Malibu he went?"
" Nope, Malibu is all Barbie country, no way I surf that shit" said Blue.
The pair left the surf shop, " 5 grand isn't exactly a king's ransom" said Melinda, " you think Malibu County will let us poke around?"
" No, but if we don't get caught they won't know" said Jenna.

Beth slowly put the day's receipts into the bank pouch and zippered it close. Beth had managed to make three sales that day, all high priced items that was cause for celebration. She planned to go shopping at the cool lingerie store a few blocks north to find a special surprise for Jack. She had a couple of ideas that she would looked amazing in. Beth flipped the sign on the door to closed and made sure everything was securely locked before pulling the security gate across the door and locking it. Beth walked back behind the counter and up the stairs and made sure her old and now empty apartment was locked up. She went out of the back door and stopped short of getting into her car. She saw a car parked across the street from the alley, there were two guys sitting in it. The engine wasn't running because she couldn't see any exhaust coming from it. Beth wondered what they were up to, she couldn't get a good look at them but she knew damn sure that they weren't cops, no cops would drive a piece of shit like that. Beth climbed into her car and drove out of the alley. She saw the car pull out and start to follow. She started to worry she'd gotten the attention of the guys she was searching for. She pulled in front of the lingerie store and watched as the car harmlessly drove by. Beth shook her head, too many horror movies she thought to herself as she walked inside the store.

Beth pulled into the garage of their house and closed the garage door. Beth snatched her bag from the passenger seat, she had found the perfect nightie, this was going to put a big smile on Jack's face. Beth walked into their house, it was still woefully empty even with all the stuff from both their apartments. Beth walked upstairs and into their bedroom. She shed her sweat soaked clothes and tossed them into the hamper. She walked into the bathroom for a nice cold shower. She stopped for a moment in front of the bathroom mirror and looked at her tattoos. A few of them needed to be touched up, especially the evil looking Jack-O-Lantern on her shoulder blade, that tattoo was her first, a 15 year old girl with a really bad fake id trying to impress a boy. Beth climbed into the cold spray and let off a long groan as the cold water froze her boiling body.

Beth was enjoying her cold shower when suddenly the lights blinked out making her jump. She turned off the water and snatched her towel off the rack and wrapped it around her body. She pulled open the drawer and pulled Jack's 38 stub nose out. He had warned her bad guys might drop in looking for him, and she wasn't going to go wandering through the house in just a towel without a weapon, a healthy diet of horror movies had taught her well. Beth slipped out of the bathroom and made her way to the window and looked out. To her relief there wasn't a light on as far as the eye could see, it was just a brownout, not an assault by a thousand vampires. Beth looked at her revolver in her hand and began to laugh uncontrollably, she had such an over active imagination. Beth was about to slip into her new nightie and light some candles when her ears flexed. She'd heard something downstairs, it wasn't Jack, he was never this stealthy. Beth felt a cold chill race across her wet flesh. It was worse than vampires, it was burglars having a field day with the brownout. Beth looked back out at the dark street, there was a car parked on the opposite side of the street in a place where she'd never seen a car parke before, right next to the fire hydrant. Beth gripped the pistol knowing full well that her cell phone was laying on the counter with her keys. Beth started into the hallway, she could hear the warped board in the living room groan like the death rattle of an elephant. Beth slipped down the stairs, to the entry. She heard the noises coming from Jack's study. She slipped up to the door and spun into the doorway.
Jack pressed the barrel of the Walter against Beth's chest as she pushed the barrel of the 38 under Jack's chin. " Jack" groaned Beth, " what the hell are you doing sneaking around your own house?"
" I was worried somebody else might be here, other than you of course" said Jack, " and why do you have my own 38 under my chin?"
" Because you scared the shit out of me" said Beth, " you have me convinced an army of killer vampires are going to storm the house any second, what do you expect?"
" Touche" said Jack, " you smell lovely."
" Thanks" said Beth, letting the barrel of Jack's gun pushed her towel off, " you smell like the inside of Malcolm's car."
" I spent a lovely afternoon driving around Hawaiian Gardens and East LA looking for big empty houses" said Jack, " you can tell we got far."
" I bet" said Beth, " why don't we get you out of these sweaty clothes and into a nice cool bath?"
" Sounds perfect" said Jack, " you look so great bathed in moonlight."
Beth hooked her thumbs in Jack's belt loops and led him upstairs.

Celestine slowly paced back and forth waiting for Devlin, she didn't like asking him for favors. It wasn't because he wouldn't honor the request but because she would never ask unless it was dangerous. She'd told him to meet her at the Griffith Park Observatory, she wanted to be a little more out of the city than their usual spot. But he was late, and it was bothering her. Finally after five more minutes of Celestine's tense pacing Devlin appeared in the moonlight of the blacked out night. " The address is 8653 Norman Boulevard" said Devlin, " it is an old Spanish mansion that was once unsuccessfully converted into apartments."
" How?" asked Celestine, stunned that Devlin had guessed precisely what she wanted.
" Because we want the same thing" said Devlin, " we can't allow Dante to use these killers to exact his petty vengeance, it will mean the end of all of us. But you can't be seen or we'll be just as dead when Dante finds out."
" Don't worry about that" said Celestine, " I'll never been seen."
" I have faith in that" said Devlin, " just be careful, and be quick."
Devlin left Celestine with a strange feeling, he'd never told her to be careful. Celestine adjusted her tank top and followed Devlin away from the deserted observatory.