The doors to the warehouse burst open. A tall, attractive woman, wearing a long, black tight-fitting dress, her dark hair long and wildly curled, came confidently walking in. Behind her were four identically dressed men in black carrying AK-47 semi-automatic rifles. Antia Kristos Savo had made her typical dramatic entrance.
“Well,” Savo began, “no one calls! No one texts! No one sends a note! I feel like I’ve been stood up and left in the dark! So, would someone explain to me why I have not been informed as to the status of my journal??!!”
Savo glaringly glanced around at the Groogs.
“And where is Slicer??!!” she asked.
Braincase nervously stepped forward.
“Ms. Savo,” he began, “I regret to inform you that our Master is dead.”
“Dead??!!” Savo incredulously replied, “then who is in charge?! Who, prey tell, is your new Master? Not you, I hope! You look like a nerd! I don’t like nerds!”
“Uh, well…” Braincase stammered.
“Well, Einstein,” Savo growled, “are you, or are you not, the new Master of this pathetic group of losers?! If not, then who is in charge around here?”
Braincase stated to answer when he was suddenly interrupted.
“I am!!!” Lysergic Oldham confidently stated.
“And who in the hell are you?!” Savo replied.
“Lysergic Oldham,” Lysergic answered, “I am, or was, a friend of Slicer. I will speak for him.”
Savo gave Lysergic the once over.
“You look to me like some smart-ass punk chick!” Savo said.
“I am a smart-ass punk chick!!!” Lysergic replied, “The best smart-ass punk chick you’ll ever come across! Now, you asked for who was in charge and I told you. So, what do you want?!”
“What do I want?!” Savo replied, in mock surprise, “what do I want?! If you were a friend of Slicer, like you claim to be, then you should know what I want and why I’m here!”
“Yeah, I know,” Lysergic impatiently replied, “you’re here for the journal.”
“Bingo!!” Savo said, “So lets quit wasting time. Where is it?!”
Lysergic nodded to Braincase, who quickly produced it.
Savo nodded to one of the men in black by her side, who went over and grabbed the Journal from Braincase’s hand and returned, handing it over to Savo.
Savo opened up the journal and thumbed through the pages.
“How do I know this journal is legit?!” Savo stated.
“You don’t!” Lysergic answered, “How do I know you’re the real Savo?! Besides, didn’t you bring some designated “expert’ along to verify it? If you didn’t, then that’s your problem, not mine!!”
Savo nodded. “Yes, I guess in any transaction there has to be some semblance of trust. When, and if, that pseudo trust is broken, that’s when things can get messy. Will things get messy around here, Ms. Lysergic?!”
“Only as messy as you allow it to get!” Lysergic replied.
Savo smiled crookedly.
“I like you,” Savo noted, “you’ve got spunk! I can deal with people who have spunk!”
“Well, that’s nice to know,” Lysergic replied.
“What? That I can deal with people like you?” Savo smiled.
“No,” Lysergic answered, “that you think I’ve got spunk!”
Next: Chap. Thirty-Five “Savo’s Story”