El Paso: The Mean Streets #10
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The Priory, Texas Tower
Vance watched the feed from the mask that Danni wore, the images of the scantily clad women from the inside of the Kat Scratch Club dancing across the screen.
"You know sometimes I love my job." He stated as he watched Danni look one a woman wearing nothing but a leopard print bikini up and down. "And sometimes..." he sighed as he felt a crossbow bolt rest against the back of his neck, "...it sucks!"
"Hi Vance, sorry to do this to you." Siwang sighed, as she lowered the crossbow and dropped a camera onto his lap. "There is something I need help with."
"Now you want help, you killed a pair of police officers.! You don’t deserve help!" Vance snapped, as he reached for a button on the laptop behind him.
"I didn't, but I caught footage of the person who did and her guilt is only the tip of the iceberg." Siwang answered. "Boccanegra is back and this time it's a petite blonde version with a taste for sadistic torture."
"You're kidding?" Vance asked, before watching Siwang shake her head. "Wow okay tell me more."
**
Kat Scratch Klub, El Paso 'Black Zone'
Danni shook her head as she caught a look of herself in the full length mirror, her reflection dressed in a gold lycra leotard and a winged mask with glowing green lenses. Despite her revealing attire, she wasn't the most scantily clad, with several of the women virtually naked. Walking up to the bar Danni winked at the bartender, causing him to walk over.
"What can I get you miss?" The bartender asked as he was slid a photograph of the dead woman.
"Information please." Danni asked, as a pair of girls walked past on a lead held by a third woman. "Preferably about Megan Hunter, a regular here judging from the attire she was wearing." Danni asked, as a woman dressed in a corset and leather skirt walked up behind her.
"Perhaps I can help Madame Sedova." The new arrival stated, causing Danni to spin around suddenly. "My name is Madame Onca and this is my club. May I ask why you are asking about Miss Hunter?"
"How did you..." Danni started to ask.
"I've seen your work on TV, and I recognised the outfit from one particular sting operation." Onca purred. "Now please tell me about Miss Hunter."
"She was mauled a few nights back, and judging from the stamp on her hand she had been here earlier that evening." Danni announced as she looked into Onca's eyes, just as something predatory flashed in the woman's eyes. "Also I'm looking for a potential suspect called Dr. Elise Cartwright, I don't suppose you know her?"
"Hmm, Miss Hunter was an advanced member of my inner circle," Onca purred as her skin rippled and turned golden yellow with black spots. "As for Dr Cartwright," She snarled, as she picked Danni up by the scruff of the neck before looking into the mercenaries eyes. "She's right here!!"
"Let me down now!" Danni ordered as she stared back into Onca's eyes. "Now tell me about Miss Hunter!"
"I didn't kill her, she was one of my acolytes, I fed her my power and she gave me her love" Onca snarled, as she threw Danni to the floor. "Someone tore her from my breast, tore them from my favour and you come her accusing me!" She snarled, before letting loose a roar that shook the building, the gathered dancers and clubbers running for the door. "You blame me! I hate you for that, but I hate the person who took my hunter from me! As such I will hunt by your side until her killer is in the underworld!"
**
The Priory, Texas Tower
Siwang sat motionless as the arrest record of Juno Stryker appeared on screen, alongside an address for a house in the relative safety of the Green Zone. Taking a note of the address she chanced a look at the big mission screen and saw something that made her blood run cold.
"Vance please tell me this is some remote surveillance operation." She asked, as Vance emerged from the bathroom.
"Oh no not her!" Vance spat as he dropped into his seat and picked up his headset. "I thought you and the rest of the mercenaries who worked for Boccanegra killed that thing."
"Not killed, just sent to the underworld when we literally pulled the plug on her." Siwang replied, as Danni and her new 'ally' walked down one a deserted street towards a nearby industrial park. "You need to get your operative out of there now!!"
"Danni can you give me a sit-rep?!" Vance ordered down the headset. Nodding Danni stopped and watched as Onca kept walking, her stride quickly carrying her out of earshot. "Are you crazy?!" Vance snapped. "That thing is dangerous!"
"Yeah I can see that, she also claims to be our dead woman, Dr Cartwright." Danni replied. "That's why I'm keeping an eye on her, well that and we may have two of whatever these things are out there."
"Seems like a thing these days," Vance answered sarcastically, "Apparently we have a second Boccanegra running around too. Listen that woman fought five well trained mercenaries to a standstill and ripped through two thirds of the original 'Negra's' organisation in a only a few hours, should she turn on you..."
'I know, I wouldn’t stand a chance." Danni answered, as she reached the now ripped open security gate into the industrial park. Stopping next to Onca, Danni heard a slight rumbling noise, as one of the industrial skips shook wildly.
Silently walking over, Danni placed a hand on the skip, the movement becoming more violent, the lid flying off as an overweight man burst from the receptacle, a series of intact skeletons fused to his form, the additional weight forcing the inflicted man to walk on his calloused knuckles. The most disturbing thing about the scavenger however, was his face, especially the rotting skin and the elongated tongue draped over his shoulder like a macabre scarf.
"One of the Jaguar's accolytes." The overweight man announced, his voice sounding like bubbling tar. "Do you know what your beloved demi goddess did to me?" He asked, as Danni reached for a side-arm that wasn't there. "Well I'll show you." The man continued as he uncurled his hands to reveal hooked nails so long that they pierced his own skin, his tongue quivering as he advanced towards his prey.
"What in the name of all that is holy..." Vance asked, as the abomination swiped at Danni with the skeletal hands fused to his back.
" No idea." Siwang answered, as she headed for the door. "Hand that footage to the police tomorrow morning Vance, by then there should be a body to go with the pictures."
"What about Danni?" Vance asked, his voice causing Siwang to stop, her body flinching. "I know the pair of you never got along that well but she helped you with Boccanegra, she helped you find Tag and your mother's grave when you were lost in Macau, you owe her!"
"Wrong." Siwang hissed coldly. "I owe her nothing!"
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