CHAPTER III

A Job for a Huntress

Two huge German Police dogs cleared the six foot fence and hit the alley on a run coming directly toward me. “Oh shit!” I pulled a screwdriver out of the tool pouch and waited.

One was slightly ahead of the other and both launched about eight feet from me, intending to take me down with their massive weight as they ripped me apart with their teeth. I leaned into the attack and spun away to the side at the same time. The lead dog ended up with a screwdriver embedded between his eyes. The second one had his throat ripped open from his jaw clear down to the middle of his belly as he sailed past me. I gave him credit as he was turning his head to latch onto me as I rolled away from him as he went by. I grabbed his left hind leg as he went by, held on, and slammed him down into the ground. The situation was over. The cut wasn’t that deep. Eventually it would have bled him out. He would have come back at me again before he died. I didn’t have time to wait.

Born, raised in human society the two dogs never learned that innate survival instinct. Which is don’t attack everything because you can. Retrieving my screwdriver from the dead body, I disappeared out of the alley. “BRUTUS, SULTUN, HERE BOYS. BRUTUS, SULTAN? GET BACK HERE.”

Dumb sick bastard. If it had been some child or woman strolling through the alley nothing would have been left when the dogs returned to their pen. I didn’t blame the dogs. I blamed the guy who had turned them loose. Little wonder people hate attack dogs when their owners turn them lose on everything that moves.

The next morning was spent looking for that life sustaining job. I picked up a Sunday paper even though it was Wednesday. Most companies place their ads in the Sunday paper because it has the biggest circulation.

The restaurant/club was huge. It was one of those open at ten and worked their way through the rest of the day until twelve PM or there a bouts. One of the guys was moving crates from the box truck backed up to the loading dock. He glanced over in my direction before he hefted the next box. “May I help you?”

“I’m here about the job offer in the paper.”

Pointing to the big doors behind he gave a nod with his head. “Go past the second set of doors, turn right, go up the stairs. Check in with Kathy in the first office.”

“Thanks.” I put his directions into motion.

At the top of the stairs I checked my blue blouse and blue jeans to make sure I was clean. The door to the first office was open so I tapped on the doorframe.

The lady at the desk looked up. “Come in, may I help you?”

“You advertised for help in the Sunday paper. I’m well experienced in most any kind of work.”

She looked me over. “Those job slots were filled Monday. Sorry.”

“Thanks.” I turned to go.

“Wait.” She got up from the desk and walked around to stand in front of me as I turned around. She gave me a through examination. “What are you experienced at?”

“Short order cook, chef, waitress, bar tending. I’m good in the cleanup area, pots, floors, tables, wood or trim around the dining area. I’m good at cleaning the commercial kitchen equipment, vents things like that.” I wondered if she found anything in that job description she might need me for?

She held out her hand. “Let me see your hands.”

I held up my hands in front of me.

She reached for my hands. Instinctively I moved them out of her strike zone and back. Hopefully before she noticed. She had my hands in hers and turned them over. She gave a careful examination of the nails. “Cleaner my ass unless it has been years ago. Those hands aren’t use to hard labor.”

I pulled my hands back and slid my fingers into my back pants pockets. “Ma’am, I don’t lie. You may not get an answer or an answer you like. When you do get one it isn’t a lie.”

She gave me a long hard look. “The hell you say. When was the last time you had your hands scrubbing floors and kitchens?”

“A week ago, I spent a week cleaning up a commercial kitchen in a hotel. I was house cleaning and maid service after that.”

“References?” She waited.

“None.” I knew this job whatever it was, wasn’t going to be mine.

“Police problems?” Kathy was digging far deeper than if she was going to send the girl on her way.

“Possible but I don’t know for sure.”

“Do your nails ever break?”

Bingo! She had gone for the ‘we don’t want freaks in this place’. “No.” For the second time I turned to leave.

“Wait.” Kathy reached out for the woman’s arm…, only it wasn’t there. She had moved just enough to be out of reach. And then turned back to look at her.

Kathy shook her head. “I’d sell my soul to look as beautiful as you. May I touch you?”

I gave a slight nod without saying anything.

A smile traced across Kathy’s face as she hesitated. “Please, come off your predator defense. Even as beautiful as you are, that is intimidating.”

Damn this woman was good. She wasn’t a mutant herself or I would have sensed it. I was one of those our government labeled “handy”. Those like me could look at a room full of people and pick out the mutants at a glance no matter how normal they looked. The government used us when they could find one of us and capture us. No one knew how many there were. We didn’t go advertising the fact. Some estimates we were one in ten thousand, one in a million, one in a billion and so forth. It was only guesses, as no one knew. We certainly didn’t step forward or raise our hand to volunteer as mutant hunters for the government.

Kathy took a step closer before she ran her fingertips over my face, touching my lips. When she reached behind me for my hair, instinctively I sidestepped. I thought her smile was going to split her face as she stepped up and took hold of my hair. “A Huntress no doubt.”

She removed my ponytail holder and brought part of my hair up over my left shoulder, watching as it draped down and over my left breast. “Unbelievable. How much of that body are you hiding?”

I shook my head. My emotions were rolling, screaming at me to run. It had been a long time since I let anyone get this close and touch me the way she was doing. Usually it was guys wanting to get their hands on me, which meant they ended up with broken limbs if they kept it up.

“Okay, I have a job for you if you can turn off the predator and turn on the charm. I already hired a Maitre d’ to replace dAngelo. You’ll do shift duty with Marco. When you aren’t substituting you will be the roving hostess as you circle the dining and bar room to make sure all our guests are enjoying themselves. Find out if they have any complaints and fix it.”

She backed up and sat on the edge of her desk. “You will have to do all of that and take verbal abuse from some of them without losing your temper and ripping their head off. You will be my official unofficial quality control in this overgrown monstrosity we unofficially call a social club. Check for clean kitchen and serving buffets, docks, etc. SUGGEST solutions to the help for the problems you find. If they don’t correct those problems by the next day you come to me or our boss, Brent Parsons. I’ll clue him in why I hired you. This restaurant will be YOUR restaurant, treat it as such. Anyone and I mean any of the help, the drivers, the shippers anyone who comes in contact with this place, anyone gives you shit, you come to me instead of dismembering them yourself.”

“Everyone has got real lax about doing their respective jobs. The theft going on in this place would bankrupt a smaller place. It isn’t sustainable. Do you have a nice dress?”

“A couple of them. How nice?” Nothing I owned was designed for wow. It had been years when I last wore a dress for a date or as eye candy for the randy males.

“I mean head turning, can’t take my eyes off you dresses. That includes four inch heels.” She looked dubiously at my sneakers. “You can wear heels can’t you?”

“Yes. It is hard to chase down my prey though, unless I can get them to come to me.” I gave her a wink as I smiled.

Kathy closed her eyes and shook her head. “Oh My God…, I smell blood in the water already. Seriously, all joking aside, you ever kill anyone?”

I didn’t answer and I wasn’t smiling.

“Okay, just don’t kill anyone here. Got it? Problems start rising along with your blood pressure you come to me. I’ll take care of it. Your job description does not allow murder. Are we perfectly clear?”

“Yes. Who is the mutant in your family?” I had it figured out.

Her breath caught in her throat as a single tear escaped from her right eye. “My brother. He isn’t dangerous. He is a projector. He can put ideas in people’s minds. When they are sad or depressed he puts pictures of the ocean beach, wild flowers, birds in flight, those things in their minds. I’ve seen people who were ready to end it all perk up and abandon their depression after Tim helps them. The impressions are like glue, it takes years to work back out and by then they think the idea is worth keeping. He’s never hurt anyone.”

“Where is he now?”

Pure hate flashed across her face. “The police arrested him seven months ago. He’s still in jail. They won’t bring him to trial for they have no evidence he is doing anything wrong. They have a couple guys who went on a killing spree claiming Tim put the thought in their mind. I know he didn’t do it. Tim is my twin. I can almost read his mind and he mine.”

“What is his last name? What precinct are they holding him at?”

“Why?”

“I plan on visiting him.”

Her eyes turned to two egg whites. “You! You can’t walk into a police station. They would arrest you without any charges and figure out what you were guilty of later.”

“I refer to your question. Why?”

“Because…, you’re a god damn mutant. A beautiful one, but that will only cause them to hesitate. I refuse to contemplate what they would do to you once they had their hands on you.”

“I rest my case, Your Honor. Mutants don’t walk into police stations or jails. They avoid them at all cost to their own health and life.”

She shook her head. “but…”

“But nothing. I’m a null. I don’t register in any tests as a mutant. I’m as normal as you are. The only reason you figured me out you have a brother who is. Plus I mentioned all the jobs where I should be showing a lot of wear and tear working those kind of jobs. Next time when I go job hunting I’ll leave off all those dirty, callus causing, fingernail breaking jobs.”

“Next time?”

Sadly I nodded. “There is always another next time. Eventually someone besides you will figure me out or accidents will happen where I should need a doctor or hospital. When I don’t, the first word people will start screaming is mutant instead of that poor girl.”

“You don’t damage?”

“Oh I damage alright but I heal quickly. You don’t need to take out medical on me. It would be a waste of money.”

“Jeeze girl, I’m hating you more by the minute. No wonder people hate mutants. You would destroy the economy. No one needs doctors, prescriptions, hospitals, patient care and the entire medical industry would collapse taking the rest of the economy down with it.” Then she ruined it by giggling as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth.

Kathy reached across her desk and picked up a pad and pen. She started writing. “This is the address of a beauty parlor you need to visit when you leave here. I’ll call Joan and tell her you are coming. Don’t let anyone besides her handle you. Her sister is a mutant and she understands the hate the rest of the world has. Joan is…, gifted herself. Can you wear makeup? Does it stay on?”

“Yes.”

“Will your hair accept a perm? I’d like to see some soft waves in that straight hair even though it is beautiful the way it is.” She glanced up waiting for an answer.

“I can take care of soft waves if that is what you want.”

“You can control your hair!”

“Only to the extent you mentioned. I can shorten it but it will be back in a few hours to this length. I can give it some waves. That takes most of the night or day to be noticeable.”

Kathy handed me the sheet she had been writing on. “This place comes alive at five AM to get prepared for the first customers at ten. Food must be prepared, the place cleaned in the dining areas and bar. You won’t be a hostess or Maitre d’ the first week. I want you to be the curious new girl hired for dusting, cleaning. Whatever you can come up with as you circulate getting your mind engaged on how this place and the employees operate. Do not break arms, limbs, or kill anyone. Don’t even write it into your job description. As of now you are on a salary. We can’t afford to pay you an hourly bases for all the hours I want you working. So like all good selfish businesses who abuse their employees, you’re management on a salary like the rest of us slaves. When you figure out your hours on the job and what we are paying you it will probably come out close to a dollar fifty per hour.”

Figuring the math I guessed I’d be drawing two or three hundred a week. At least it would be steady dependable pay.

“Stop by and check in with Joan after you leave here to give her an idea of what she is up against. Set up an appointment for Friday for her to do her magic on you. I’ll warn you now she’s mutant herself. Nobody knows except a few close friends. Makeup is her gift. Normal enough trade no one has guessed but she is better than good.”

Kathy pointed at the pad. “Brenda’s is an upscale dress shop. Stop by as she will need measurements first thing. I’ll call her and tell her what I want you wearing when you report in on Monday as our hostess. She isn’t a mutant. She isn’t afraid of them either. Even if she figured you out she wouldn’t turn you in.”

She sighed. “I really like you and wish this was a lifetime appointment. From what I have heard about your kind, forty years from now I’m old and gray you will still be young, beautiful and never look like you aged a day. If for no other reason that one would be up there close to the top why you keep moving. I’m not going to ask how old you are. It would probably piss me off and make me more jealous than I already am. You aren’t quite jailbait in the looks department unless it was rape. I guessing I can put down nineteen to twenty one on your employment sheet. What will it be?”

“Twenty one, please.”

“Name?”

“Nova”

“That first or last?”

“First and use Baker for the last name.”

“What is on your driver’s license if you have one?”

“Judy Miller and we will use her social security number.”

“Her? Oh this keeps getting better and better. What state did Mrs. Miller misplace her driver’s license?”

“Washington.”

“Very clumsy of Mrs. Miller.” Kathy gave me another body scan. “Those kind of clothes will work for your first week. Try and blend in as another body in this place. After you are outed as hostess and Maitre d’ any stealing or other things will be harder to find if they see you coming. Get this place back on track Nova. My job is depending on you doing your job. We are now bonded as a team. I’ve got your back, make me proud to know you.”

“Any questions?”

“I doubt I have enough money to be paying for any of those dresses you want me wearing.”

“Company tab. You’re an employee and will get the discount. I’ll deduct it out of your salary as it comes due. Which reminds me, you have a place to stay?”

“Not yet. I’ve been sleeping in my car.”

“Won’t do.” She was writing on the pad again. “My place until you find an apartment.”
She reached into her purse and handed me a key along with the address of her home.

“I can’t impose on you like that.”

“Nonsense. Of course I’m scared of you. But it is in a nice way. Our neighborhood has been having problems with burglars and car theft. I’m pretty sure I’m inviting Home Security to move in with me for a while. If you kill anyone please don’t leave the body in our neighborhood.”

“I think you have the wrong impression of me. I’m not a killer.”

She shook her head. “I have the right picture. You’re a Huntress not a killer. I know you’re a good person and you don’t kill anyone without reason. My brother is a good person and he’s in jail. He wouldn’t hurt anyone either without due cause.”

“Let me know if you want to bring any boyfriends home and I’ll make myself scarce for the evening.”

“There won’t be any men.”

She got a question look in her eyes. “Girls?”

I shook my head. “I don’t do sex.”

“Someone hurt you way back when?”

“No, I am not interested. Not even curious.”

“You’re a virgin?”

I gave a slight nod.

“Going to take some time to wrap my mind around that one. You’re a beautiful woman, a Huntress, and a virgin! I feel like I’m reading some dime store novel here.”

She shook her head to clear her mind. “Okay, back on track here. There is food in the cabinets and fridge. I usually pick up something from the kitchen on my way out if I am headed home and haven’t eaten. Employees get a half price discount on their meals they eat here. Management is free. One of the perks of being overworked and underpaid. For the first week let them put your meals on the register as if you are one of the employees. After that you can sample whatever and as much as you want without question or having anyone itemize it.”

Kathy pointed to the door. “Go home, rest up if you need it. I see road trip on your clothes even if it isn’t on you. I’ll be home anytime between ten and one tonight. I don’t always have to keep a handle on things and close up, sometimes I do.”

Walking over to the door I stopped and turned around. “Kathy?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for taking a chance on me. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t.” She smiled.

My GPS was several years out of date. I punched in the address for the beauty parlor after I had returned to my car. It was about eight miles away. I put in the address for the dress shop. That was in the opposite direction from the other place and six miles away. Dress shop first as it was on the screen.

Looking lost after I entered the dress shop I was searching for any one who might look like a Brenda. A young girl with Trish on her nametag closed in on me. “May I help you find something?”

Kathy sent me over. Told me to ask for Brenda.”

“Trish, I’ve got this.” An attractive woman was coming up from the back of the store.

“Certainly.” She looked like she had lost a sale and a possible commission before she turned and walked away to wait on another customer.

The woman looked me over with the eye of one long experienced in gauging customer’s body shape and condition. “Kathy said you were a stunner. Understatement if I ever heard one. Come to the dressing room so I can get measurements. I don’t want to embarrass the women in this place who think they have it all together by having you expose yourself out here.”

She waved to the girl who had just left us. “Trish, I’ll need some help in the dressing room. Bring the model tablet from my desk if you would.”

The three of us were in the dressing room when Brenda focused in on Trish. “You’ll get the commission off this sale if and only if you keep your mouth shut by what you see. I find out you shared with anyone and I mean anyone at all I’ll have you flayed until there isn’t any skin left on your body. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes ma’am.” Trish’s eyeballs were two egg whites and she was swallowing hard.

“I mean every word Trish. Nothing about what you see leaves this room. If I don’t make you pay this woman might. I won’t let you ruin her life. If you do she probably won’t be too happy with you either.”

Brenda turned to look at me even though her warnings were meant for Trish. “Have you heard the name Huntress?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Trish’s eyes were still on Brenda and slowly turning in my direction.

“Now you have met one. You can’t tell anyone. Not one single soul or you probably forfeited your life if you do.”

What kind of world had I dropped into if everyone was figuring me out so quickly? I prayed Kathy hadn’t mentioned this over the phone. If she had there would be a thousand government agents organizing to bring me in or preferably kill me. I had to know if I was running again or not. “Kathy tell you?”

Brenda shook her head. “No, I had met one of you years before. She was young, inexperienced, and easily killed in a government ambush they set up. She was like yourself, beyond common beauty, the smoothest skin I had ever seen, eyes that saw everything and missed nothing. She was at one of my parties at my house. Her heel caught in a crack on the deck. She ripped apart a four inch railing, wrought iron barrier, and poked holes in special weather proof decking when she went down. All with the same kind of nails you’re sporting. I’m guessing you can rip chunks out of steel beams?”

Ninety nine percent of that tale had to be exaggeration. I figured part of that was for Trish’s benefit. “I thought I was here for a dress?”

“Remove all your clothes. The dresses you will be wearing accent the body and not in a sloppy manner either.”

I removed my clothes and set them off on the table beside us. I didn’t remove a bra as I didn’t need one.

Brenda shook her head as she stared. “Venus, eat your heart out girl. You’ve been outclassed.” She giggled when she looked over at Trish. “Girl, close your mouth.”

“Thirty eight, twenty one, thirty six, Trish hand me the tape and lets see how close I got.” Brenda held out her hand for the seamstress tape.

They measured every thing and I do mean every thing from the floor to my ankle, knee, crotch, hip, waist, breast, shoulders, and chin. Thigh diameter, ankle, wrist, arm, shoulder spread and arm length. They measured my neck diameter and head. I was absolutely positive I didn’t want any of this to become public knowledge. The government get hold of it and get me on their radar I would be history. There wouldn’t be any place to hide.

“Make sure that data isn’t available to anyone.”

Brenda nodded as she put it into the designer’s tablet. “Encrypted, even NSA wouldn’t be able to break the code. The passkey is in my head. They can’t unlock it without me. Kill me and it is gone forever. They will never get their murderous hands on another girl if I have anything to do with it.”

She pointed to my clothes. “Get dressed and go. I’ll have one dress for you by Friday. Kathy was adamant you needed ten at the very least so you don’t have to wear the same one twice the same week. It will take time to cut and sew those dresses. I’m positive my seamstress isn’t going to believe it is for anything besides one of our mannequins.”

I had managed to get my clothes and sneakers back on while Brenda was talking. “Thank you.”

Looking at Trish I gave her a small smile. “Please don’t talk about me.”

Brenda reached for my arm and instinctively I moved away from where she had aimed for me to be.

“Un huh, she was that quick too. Kind of like trying to touch lightning. Jenna didn’t have them but I understand your kind does. Would you mind if I asked you to show Trish your canines before you go?”

I gave that one some thought. There were thousands of stories about Huntress’s. Mostly just stories as I had yet to meet another one. Very very few knew the truth what the stories were calling canines. “Actually they aren’t my canines. They are fangs.” Slowly fangs slipped out past my lip hanging over my bottom lip by a little less than a half inch.

Trish stopped breathing along with her heart as her eyes rolled back in her head. My fangs retracted and I caught her before she hit the floor. Lifting her up I placed her on the dressing table, placed my hand over her left breast and gave a sharp push. Her heart was beating again and she sucked air into her lungs. She was still out but she was okay.

“I think that was a little too much. Her heart stopped.” I was wishing I hadn’t done it.

Brenda leaned over to look at her. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. Heart rhythm is normal. Probably flutter some when she wakes up.”

“You can hear it can’t you?”

I nodded.

“And mine?”

“Good strong beat tells me you exercise regularly. No blocked arteries, circulation is good to your toes and fingers. Keep it up and you’ll live past a hundred.”

Brenda held her arms out. “Please.”

I stepped in and gave her a hug.

She laid her head on my shoulder. “You’re so amazing. I wish I had a chance to get to know Jenna better.”

“That was her name? The Huntress you met?”

Brenda backed up and wiped at some tears. “Yes.”

Reaching out I caught one of her tears on my finger. “Live for her then. Don’t mourn her death. She’s gone and nothing can bring her back. If she’s the person you shed these tears for I know she wouldn’t want you to feel sorry for her.”

“Thank you.” Brenda wiped her eyes. “I will treasure meeting you for the rest of my life no matter how long or short it may be.”

On the drive over to the Beauty Shop I had a lot of time to do some mental soul searching. Did Houston have a better knowledge base on mutants or was I meeting a small class of special people? Obviously those in government still had the same damn mindset about mutants. ‘Kill them all.’ I wish I had a chance to meet Jenna. So far I had only heard stories about those like myself. I had yet to meet another one. There were more out there if Jenna was any proof. We weren’t all lies and stories dreamed up in someone’s mind as abominable freaks to be hunted down and killed before we multiplied and wiped out humanity.

Kathy’s house was only a couple miles out of the way. I decided to swing by it first and see what I was letting myself in for. The neighborhood was mostly well kept up ranch style homes from the fifties and sixties. Low sprawling homes with large yards for the most part with a few odd later built trac homes tossed in here and there. They all had three homes stacked together on the same size lot each ranch house occupied. Some developer’s idea of everyone’s home which he wouldn’t be caught dead in himself. I was wondering if Kathy’s home was a trac home or one of those extravagant ranch homes?

Checking street numbers after I got on Mockingbird Lane, I thought I saw her ranch house before I got to it. There was a van in her driveway. The garage door was up and the front door was open. As I passed by the house a man came out of the garage carrying a huge big screen TV, Another was coming out the front door carrying a computer.

“Well crap! Just my luck after this day had been going so well.” I kept going, turned the corner at the end of the block and parked out of sight. I walked up past the house I was beside and looked. The men weren’t outside at the moment. I didn’t sprint, I flat out ran up to the side of the van. I pulled a big strand of my hair over my right shoulder and was playing with it as one of the men came out carrying a high end food mixer thingy. I was positive Kathy paid more than three thousand for it even getting a restaurant discount from the dealer.

He looked up as he stepped off the front step and came to a quick stop. The man behind him was carrying some kind of coffee machine. Probably another two thousand. It didn’t look cheap.

Smiling with my best innocent little girl look, I gave a halfhearted wave. “Hi, I just moved in down the street and notice you were moving out. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to meet you before you left.”

The first one blinked a couple times. “Yeah, we’re moving out. Kind of busy here. Don’t have time to stop and visit.” He was headed for the van and my direction again.

I moved back so the guys could put their loot into the van. “Shouldn’t you be packing all that in boxes? Won’t it get broken or scratched moving it all stacked up like that?”

“Uh, we aren’t going far and it will be fine. Now I don’t mean to be rude but get lost. We’re busy.” The first man was glaring daggers at me.

The third man had come out of the house. “Who the hell is that? What is she doing here?”

The first two turned to go back into the house as the third man put what was obviously Kathy’s coin collection in the van.

“Guys wait. I have something important to tell you.” I was still playing with my hair.

They hesitated as the first one turned around. “Get lost you stupid bitch. Go home wherever you live.”

“Now that’s no way to talk to a lady.” I kicked the one closest to me in the gut and sent him flying back against the van. His body slammed into the van as his head creamed the door frame. He was through.

The first two were pulling guns. “I don’t like to play with guns.” I did a leap and hit the one on the right in the chest with both feet. Not sure if I crushed his rib cage or not as he sailed through the air about ten feet and slammed into the side of the house. He wouldn’t be coming back for seconds.

The third one had his gun out and was turning in my direction. Flat on my back on the ground, I arched my back pulling my feet up under me and rolled up on my feet. I started to cut his arm off and then remembered where I was. I was tired of running. I slammed my fist down on top of his hand. The gun went off as his wrist was broken. It slipped out of his fingers and fell to the driveway. He was starting to turn to run.

“Oh no you don’t.” I brought my right elbow up and slammed it against the side of his head. He went over with a thud and looked kind of crumpled up from the way he was laying.

Searching the guy’s pockets rewarded me with a cell phone and keys. This dummy had a billfold. Erick Brockton was the name on the driver’s license. I kept the license and tossed the billfold back down on his chest. I had no idea what Kathy’s number was or the number of the restaurant. I pushed nine one one.

“Nine one one, what is the emergency?” Came back to greet me.

“I’m at four sixteen Mockingbird Lane. Three men are robbing Kathy’s house. Please send a squad car and a couple policemen.”

“Are they still there?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Stay out of the way and don’t try to stop them. They may be dangerous. Do you understand you do not interfere and don’t confront them.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“A squad car is on the way now. It will be about ten minutes. Don’t stop the men if they leave. What is your name.”

I yelled, "NO!” and closed up the phone. She had the address and the situation. I didn’t care if she thought I panicked and ran or what she thought. No more information lady. I’m gone from here. I checked over the guys. They were so damaged they weren’t leaving under their own steam. I collected two more cell phones, keys, and driver’s license leaving their billfolds beside them. What kind of idiot goes on a burglar job carrying personal ID with them? Do they have a burglar school where they teach this stuff? Sorry Mr. Policeman I want to know who these guys knew on a social basis. First come first served you know. Besides I had first scrounging rights. Raising the hood on the van I yanked off the distributor wires and walked away with them in my hand. That van would have to be towed in before it got to moving again. I was leaving the community when three police cars whipped past me with lights and sirens going full blast. One of the little boy thrills being a policeman was they got to play with the lights and the siren.

It was time to head for the Beauty Shop Kathy told me I needed to visit before Friday.

======================================

Kathy’s phone was ringing. “Hello.”

“May I speak to Kathy Owens please.”

“I’m her.”

“Miss Owens have you been home in the last thirty minutes?”

“Who is this?”

“I’m Sergeant Jim Banks with the Houston Police Department. I’m at your house and there has been a break in.”

Kathy covered her mouth in shock for a second before she got the courage to ask the obvious question. “How much did they manage to take?”

“Uh…, ma’am I don’t think they managed to take anything. Their van is loaded with what is probably your household items. It is still parked in the driveway. The men we believe were robbing your home are in seriously bad condition. The only one who can talk said a girl tried to kill them. Do you know what he is talking about?”

Kathy shook her head even though the guy on the other end would never see it. “I’m sorry officer, I have no idea who or what he is talking about. Are they still alive?”

“I guess one could say they are still alive. I believe one has a fractured skull and another has broken ribs. The third one has a broken hand and arm and we think a broken neck. He has a big knot on the side of his head for sure. The idea of them claiming some little girl did this to them is hilarious. No one believes that story and why is the guy even telling it? My money is on someone six ten around two hundred forty pounds and knows kick boxing or some shit. No little girl did this to them. Besides the distributor wires have been pulled off the engine. No girl is going to think of things like that.”

Kathy let out a sigh of relief. “You are absolutely right officer.”

“Miss Owens, I need you to come over as soon as possible and identify your items and take notes if anything is missing.”

“Yes sir, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes. Thank you for calling me. I best go. Thank you.”

“We’ll be waiting for you. Goodbye.”

Kathy closed her eyes and shook her head. “Guys, it was a little girl. Only she was a Huntress those idiots ran into. Thank god she didn’t kill any of them. It would have been a much bigger mess. I wanted neighborhood protection from the burglaries. I didn’t think it would be this soon. Christ, does this kind of thing follow Nova around wanting to be thrashed?”

She locked up and headed down the hall to the last office. Walking in, Brent was on the phone. “Just a second, one of my people is here with a look what she has to say won’t wait. Hold for a minute.”

“What is it Kathy?”

“The police called. Someone broke into my house.”

Brent motioned her out. “Go, I’ll cover it from here. Take your time and if you need help call me. I’ll bring a crew over to get your place back together.”

“Thanks Brent.” She stopped when she was turned halfway around. She turned back. “I hired a new girl today. She is going to be management, and quality control, and every other title I can think to hang on her as I work her ass off for a salary.”

Brent’s eyebrows rose up. “She’s that good and she’s available? What in the hell did she do to get laid off from her last job, kill the boss?”

“You’ll meet her this week. She starts undercover working through all the jobs in the club and restaurant. I’ll tell you more when you aren’t on the phone. This isn’t to be shared between anyone else besides you and me.”

Kathy was gone before Brent could collect his thoughts and ask more questions. “Damn, I gotta meet this super girl. She must be something to impress Kathy this much.”

He remembered the phone. “Sorry Jackie, I was distracted there for a minute. Tell me again about that last order of meat. You say your driver delivered it. It never got checked into our inventory. Whose signature is on that receipt your driver has? Not legible. That figures. Could he point out the person who signed for it if he saw them? Probably not?”

“Jackie, you’re asking me to eat four thousand dollars worth of meat I never received and you don’t have a legible name on that receipt you say was signed for. I’ve known you for ten years before we even opened this restaurant and that is the only reason I believe you. I’m not paying for the whole shipment when your driver screwed up and didn’t get a good signature. Sure you can come over any time and inspect our lockers. That shipment isn’t here. I’ll pay for half of what I didn’t receive. Don’t expect me to pay for all of it. Hell yes I feel I’m being generous. Take me to court if you don’t feel you’re getting a better than fair deal and you’ll end up with lawyers fees and nothing else. Jackie, don’t ever push this friendship relationship again. We’re through being friends. From now on you don’t get a readable signature and I don’t get a shipment I’m not paying for anything ever again. Friends don’t treat friends like this. I can get a shipment of meat from Kimeco as soon as I call them. Fine, we’re through Jackie. Don’t ever call me again.”

Brent stared at the phone after he hung up. There had to be more than one person involved to steal the meat if it was done on their dock. The security cameras had a wink out about that time with ten minutes lost. Could the pallet have been pushed back into the cargo trailer after it was pulled off? Simple enough to do. The driver could then drop it off someplace else and no one would have any idea where it went. Damn thieves were stealing them blind. Maybe Kathy’s wonder woman was what this place really needed instead of security cameras which lost video and time? He hoped Kathy hadn’t lost everything at her house. Job theft was one thing. Stealing one’s hard labors from their home made it personal.

=========================================

Walking into the Beauty Shop I stopped at the front register. One of the women came up from the back. “May I help you?”

“Yes ma’am Kathy called in an appointment for me with Joan. If she’s around I’d like to speak to her. I’m not here to have anything done today.”

“I’m sorry, Joan is busy with a customer. Maybe I can help you or you can come back at another time.”

“Sorry, no thanks.”

“Sandy take over for me for a couple minutes, please. She isn’t wanting a treatment at this time.” Some one called from behind curtains at the back of the salon.

Darla gave the girl in front of her a closer look. What in the world could this girl want from a beauty salon? She was Miss Perfect. Maybe she wanted to be pampered for a few hours? It was only by casual glance she notice the girls nails. Her head snapped back for a better look as a chill ran down her spine. Those were talons, they weren’t fake, they were real. She had a friend who had nails like those. She gave the girl a closer look as her eyes opened up wide. Oh hell yeah, this was one.

I knew I had been made. Did I leave or did I stick it out? I guess a thousand patrol cars pulling up out front would probably be the deciding factor.

Darla headed to the back. She got up beside Joan and whispered in her ear. “I know. You gotta let me be there when you do your magic on her. I hate that girl already and she is only wearing a touch of lipstick. It’s not fair they get to look so beautiful.”

Joan leaned close and whispered back. “You can come when I take her in Friday night. Don’t tell anyone. As beautiful as they are, they are a thousand times more deadly. Kathy said she is experienced. I don’t think they could ambush her like they did Jenna. I don’t know what they are capable of. The rumors about them is enough to keep me from wanting to find out.”

Joan stepped away from Darla and spoke in a normal voice and volume. “I’ll be back in a couple minutes. This won’t take long.”

When the lady with Joan on her name tag walked up to me I asked the first question. “Is she calling the cops?”