So Jessica Biel is coming up next? Another name from the past that has become all but forgotten in time.
There was a war between Jessicas 12-15 years ago, and Alba got the upper hand. I always thought Biel was underrated and good at playing action babe.
Episode 8
Speaking of Dean Koontz, this episode borrows a few details from his novel
Dragon Tears (1993). This is a more thriller'esque story, of which there'll be more of in the future.
I always loved the idea of sex as something the heroic character earns by saving the helpless damsels (think
Conan the Barbarian) from life-threatening situations, so I played up that angle here.
Codes: cons, MFF, damsel in distress, sex as reward.
Starring: Summer Glau, Jessica Biel
This story is smutty, sleazy, morally corrupt and will probably make you into a worse person. Consequently, it shouldn’t be read by anyone.
This story is FICTION. It did NOT happen. The people portrayed in this story do NOT act this way in real life.
August 2004You know those stories where the main character have to rise to the occasion and play action hero? This is one of them.
Like so many of these stories, it started during the most mundane circumstances. Our hero was leaving the grocery store (beer, beer, and more beer) when the phone rang. It was Conrad. That immediately struck me as strange because he was not one to call unless there was something very urgent going on.
«Yes?» I answered, and was met with a panicked voice that almost shouted.
«Alex? Listen up, we’re in a royal clusterfuck right now!»
«…Okay, what is the…!»
«Summer and Jessica are gone from the set!»
«Come again?»
«They’re gone!»
«Gone? They went shopping?» I asked, a bit angry that his triade didn’t make a tiny bit of sense.
«No, they’re GONE! Taken! Kidnapped!»
«Kidnapped? What the hell! How? Why?»
«Don’t ask me. I got a call one minute ago. As soon as this gets out things will go straight to shit!» he was almost screaming in the other end.
I tried not to attract attention and walked into the sheltered entranceway of some office building. Conrad was aflame, and it was obvious something serious was happening. First thing in a crisis is to stay calm and assess the situation. Then counterattack.
«Okay, okay! Calm down! Let me get this straight… There’s a kidnapping. Summer Glau and Jessica Biel? If the two of them were together they were on the set for
Dynamite Duo, right?
«Yesyesyes! They were having a break! Everyone was having a fucking break! And then someone used that break to kidnap them.»
«Alright. What do we know about this someone? One person or more? Have anyone claimed responsibility?»
«Why the hell would anyone claim responsibility?»
I understood his frustration. Pop-culture figures and high-level celebrities disappearing would be global news in seconds if word got out.
«Listen, if there’s a kidnapping there are various possible reasons. Someone want ransom, some are after attention, and then there are psycho fans. Until we know the extent of this situation I want to thread carefully. Please tell me everything you know so far.»
It sounded like what I said got to him. At least he calmed down slightly, because he lowered his voice when he spoke to me again.
«Okay… I got this. There was a guy. I think it was… I mean… That’s what I was told. A caretaker at the Paramount observed what happened. Everyone was out, except those two when he went back to the lunch area. That’s when he caught a glimpse of this guy forcing both girls into the trunk of some car… I think.»
«You think?»
«The caretaker think so! At first he couldn’t believe his eyes, but he decided this was high priority enough to give me a call.»
«Why didn’t he think of alarming the other pe…»
«He and I go way back. That he decided to call me right away tells me exactly how serious things are!»
«Okay, I understand.» This all sounded serious enough, but with all the silly Hollywood stuff flying around I was still not convinced about this. «Conrad, there’s no reason to believe this is some sort of elaborate joke set up by the actors themselves, or…»
«Fuck no! No-one play pranks around me without my consent. I would know about them!»
«You do?»
«Yes, because I set them up and green-light them. I do that! ME!»
«Okay, okay! Any weapons?»
«What?»
«Did this guy carry guns? Knives? I need to know this if I’m supposed to handle it.»
«Yes… I mean, he did say there could’ve been one involved. He got a vague impression of what looked like a gun, but he couldn’t confirm anything.»
«Right! Now, for the most important part: When and where? This is essential Conrad.»
«It happened barely twenty minutes ago, and…»
«At Paramount studios, right?»
«Yes. In the back yard of the place.»
«During lunch break?»
«Like I said, they were having a break, so…»
«Okay, okay! I got it. This could be good news. That’s an area usually covered by cameras, right? If anyone did anything in this area they should’ve been recorded.»
«Hopefully. Can you…»
«Maybe I can, yes. Now, tell me how many people knows about this now?»
«You, me and the guy who saw it. We know each other well, and I’ve informed him I want to keep very quiet about this. The rest of the crew was out, and they have no idea what transpired. As far as they know Summer and Jessica got fed up, left the set and went home. I want them to believe that for as long as possible.»
«Great. This is great,» I said, feeling slightly elated. «That means we can control the situation before it goes viral.» Conrad sounded flabbergasted and annoyed.
«You’re saying you can take care of this?»
«I could, if…»
«…take down the bad-guys on your own like some 007? Listen Alex, I’m confident about your capabilities. That’s why I wanted to inform you first, but this shitshow will get even shittier if we start to run around like action heroes.»
«Then why did you call me?»
Silence on the line. Right then I knew Conrad had genuinely considered the possibility of me taking action, but didn’t want to beg. If he could avoid the controversy of a kidnapping case throwing shade over StarGazer I knew he would be eternally grateful.
«Believe me or not Conrad, but I’ve been in this sort of situation before.»
«How? Are you talking about tracking-devices and surveillance?»
«Kinda. If I get as much as a registration number I’ve got ways of handling this.»
«Right… So, how much time do you need? I can give you a couple of hours, but not more than that.»
«That should do, thank you.»
«And Alex?»
«Yes?»
«I only allow this because I believe you when you say you can handle this. I know you have methods and a reach the police haven’t got.»
This was the exact moment I knew Conrad knew more about my background than he had previously let on. How much I did not know, but that was irrelevant right then.
«Trust me, I can do this.» I said with confidence. «And listen Conrad… Do not spread this information to anyone else. Let’s keep the situation under control for as long as we can.This is between the two of us and that friend of yours. Give me a couple of hours and I’ll see what I can do. If anything else fails we’ll unleash the pigs. Got it?»
«This better work Alex.»
I had begun running before I even realized it. Flashbacks begun welling up inside me and I couldn’t stop it. I felt something move inside me that had been kept restrained for ages. Things were getting interesting real fast.
The talent Conrad assumed me to have access to was real enough, but I didn’t have the resources to take care of this like some solo show. I needed people with the sufficient kind of talent.
It was time to call the Zone.
***
«Speak!» the man on the other end said.
It was years since we had last spoken. Hopefully, this wouldn’t stop us from acting like professionals.
«Are you up for another gig Craig?»
«Dwayne?»
Hearing that name again sent shivers down my spine.
«In the flesh. I’ve got a situation here.»
«Are we talking bioterrorism, nuclear assault or Mexican standoff with cartels?» he asked, as if he was ready to move out in the field on seconds notice. The best thing about Craig was that he never wasted a second on trivial matters and never underestimated the situation. In his profession you were not allowed to, as every situation had to be regarded as a matter of life-or-death.
«I don’t know everything yet, but things just went south at work. We might have an ongoing kidnapping, and the studio is not prepared to handle it without proper help. The police have yet to be involved, because I opted to take care of the situation myself.»
«Kidnapping, eh! Any motive?»
«Dunno. We’ll have to assume ransom, but we can’t rule out deadly intentions.»
«You think it’s that serious?»
«Instinct. I fear we might have seen the last of a couple of film-stars unless drastic measures are taken.»
«Alright, that does sound serious. I love it.» I could «hear» the smile on his face now. Craig was the kind of guy who loved odds stacked against him. Perfect guy for races against the clock.
«If I give you an address - could you gain access to cameras in the vicinity?»
«Ah, fuck off man! You still think hacking is as simple as in the movies you’ve begun to make? Hollywood’s given you cancer in the brain already?
«Yes, I do indeed expect it to be that simple. Now listen… What I need to know is the camera feed around Paramount down at Santa Monica boulevard.»
«The film studio?»
«That’s right. Less than one hour ago there had to be some sort of commotion around those parts. I don’t know exactly what happened, but something has got to be captured on cameras over there. Anything would help.
«Recordings of someone pulling someone else into a car?»
«From what little I know, that’s very likely, yes. If there are, there could be a visible registration plate. You can trace that to whoever owns said car, where he lives, where he work. Then you can find out what he eats for breakfast. If he collected Transformers figures as a child I want you to uncover it.
«Same procedure as every year James?»
«Yes miss Sophie.»
We hung up. I knew Craig had started to work on this as soon as he got my call.
Hollywood hacking, eh? I recognized his frustration regarding the romanticized spectacle you often saw in movies. Take the scene from
Swordfish for example: The hero is receiving a blowjob and have a gun to his head while he’s forced to hack into the Pentagon with a laptop in under 60 seconds!
Hokum! And yet, it isn’t. Not all of it. The things that seems like exaggerated means of gathering intel are of the sort that create underground legends. You may think this sounds like some sort of pulpy B-film fiction, but the fact of the matter is that the «Zone» has resources to do various tasks of immense efficiency.
What this zone really is has always flown way above my head. What I do know, although I have never met him in person, is that it involves more than Craig and his steady Louise. I imagine a gang of oddballs like The Lone Gunmen from the X-Files. They might be eccentric like that, I don’t know, but ever since I got introduced to them I have learned to respect and value their abilities. They work fast, they work hard and they never earn a dime for it.
I watched the street ahead. People were walking by, busy doing nothing. It all seemed so insignificant now. As soon as you enter twilight zone, the mundane tasks of everyday life suddenly become completely insignificant because of the enormity of the situations that arise.
As I passed a newspaper stand I got this morbid and unwelcome vision of possible headlines that would pop up in the next few days if I wouldn’t succeed - «Famous actresses disappear. Police without trace. Kidnapping likely.» I blocked those thoughts out of my head.
If I had to do a solo-raid I had to be prepared. Whoever was behind this was capable enough to make a couple of famous actresses disappear in seconds. Was this the work of some professional? Or a league of professionals? Where had this guy taken the girls? What was his agenda? Were they even alive at this point? Was this someone who wanted money? Was he sponsored by Taliban or some international terrorist network who wanted to take on Hollywood to hurt the American film industry? Thousands of potential scenarios ran through my head, but I had little to work with until Craig came up with something. Everything up to then was speculation.
Conrad was right though - this was indeed a clusterfuck, and it would grow out of control if we couldn’t handle the situation in the next couple of hours. First there would be unconfirmed rumors, but eventually the news would slip that two major actors had been kidnapped and that StarGazer had hesitated to contact the authorities and foolishly taken the situation in their own hands. We would be skinned alive for this, but what was more important…
«Summer, Jessica…» I said to myself. I hadn’t met them yet, but I had spotted Jessica briefly a year before. Summer Glau was of course the it-girl from the ill-fated Firefly series, ready to branch out into action films. The two of them had been on the set of
Dynamite Duo - a silly action romp that looked more like a B-movie knock off
Charlies Angels. It was not a huge production, but Conrad and Jack Schaffer thought it had sleeper hit potential, as it starred two hot actresses clad in leather - more than enough to attract male audiences worldwide.
I was almost back at my car when a miracle happened. The phone rang! The number was not the same I had dialed, but that was not important.
«Dwayne?» the female voice asked. I replied.
«Yes.»
«This is Louise. Craig told me to contact you in case we found the culprit.
«You found him?»
«We got him. A car was parked outside Paramount about 30 minutes ago. It belongs to a certain Doyle Durner. Have you heard that name before?»
«Never. That’s not a name easily forgotten.»
«Right. He’s located up in the rocky areas not too far from san Jacinto mountains, southeast of LA.» she said, before handing me the full address.
«Excellent!» I said. That trip would take two hours if traffic went smooth. «So… this guy is a loner of some sort?» I asked, immediately thinking of the infamous Unabomber profile.
«Seems like it. He lives alone. He’s got a rather large property up there.»
«Is the road leaving up to his property visible from his home?»
«Positive. There’s a long dirt trail leading to it, which would be visible from some distance, although it might be obscured by trees. That’s unconfirmed by the way. I suggest a discreet form of approach.»
«Affirmative.» I said. I was about to hang up when Louise cut me off.
«Listen… Craig told me about the situation and there’s one thing you should know.»
«Yes?»
«This Durner guy was employed at StarGazer until a couple of years ago. Did you know that?»
«… No, I didn’t.»
«That’s why I wondered if you had heard about him. Apparently, he got fired.»
«Interesting. What happened?»
«According to the files, he was sacked due to aggression towards other employees and female contract stars. Among other things he threatened Winona Ryder with a toaster iron. After that episode his colleagues had had enough and begged Conrad to have him fired.»
«Can’t imagine why!»
«He doesn’t seem to bet the kind of person to get along well with other people, and judging from his rap sheet he’s not the nicest guy to be around. I think you’ll find this valuable if you have to deal with him personally - you know what I mean?»
«I understand. Thank you Louise, this was indeed valuable information.» I said before hanging up.
So I was about to face a psychopath with anger issues and a personal agenda against Conrad? What a wonderfully messed up situation. I threw the groceries in the back of my car, exited the parking lot and headed out of the city as fast as the speed limits would allow me.
***
Getting out of LA went smoother than I had expected - the drive towards san Jacinto was done in a couple of hours. That was good, because dark thoughts clouded my mind. What if Louise and Craig had messed up and sent me on a dead end? No! I had to assume I was on the right track. Because if I didn’t, I feared Summer and Jessica wouldn’t live to see the next day.
The mountain ridges of san Jacinto grew higher and closer. I was soon driving through an area with little to no population. Doyle Durner liked his isolation. Following a dirt trail for a few minutes I finally found myself looking down into a wide valley-landscape covered in green. This was the place. A lonely farm laid in the distance, slightly less than a mile away.
I texted one last time - pinpointing my location to Conrad and giving him a final message: If he didn’t hear from me within one hour - call in the cavalry.
I immediately confirmed most of what Louise had said. The road leading down to the Durner place took a giant turn around a major planted field, which told me a few things. If this guy was really behind this he would have time to prepare a warm welcome if he saw me approaching, just what Louise had warned me about. So what did that leave me with? I pondered on this as I closed in, bringing my vehicle down to about 10 so I could take a closer look on the area. The house was a large white farmhouse. A red barnhouse stood beside it, and there was some smaller building in the eastern corner of the property. Between the farm and my current location laid that huge forested area.
Louise was right - approaching by car was far too risky. Getting closer than this could result in a barrage of gunfire or a hostage situation. Something told me this guy wasn’t used to visitors, and a lone car appearing right after his big raid would be suspicious as hell.
Parking alongside the road I went out, carrying only my Leatherman knife as I descended down into the grove that laid at the bottom of this valley like a green oasis. The trees spread out in carefully made rows - a citrus plantation perhaps. Thankfully, it gave me some much-needed cover as I closed in on the domain.
I knew I wasn’t properly dressed for this occasion - clad in grey jeans, cream colored shirt and nikes. My lacking camouflage meant that I would stand out like a sore thumb down here, but time was of importance and time was running out.
As I closed in on the farm I could hear sounds - a machinelike thumping-sound coming in a steady pattern. All the noise meant that he wouldn’t be able to hear me approaching, but it also meant I would have trouble sensing him if he got close.
I had one clear advantage through all of this: Doyle Durner had no reason to believe people were on to him already. Not this fast. I had caught on to him quickly, so I had to assume I was at most one hour behind his scheme, which meant he wouldn’t have had time to do too much damage yet.
I was close to the edge of the field and the machinery got louder. I realized the sound had an underlying high-pitched background noise. A bandsaw perhaps? Maybe he was cutting wood… Or other things… A grim vision crept into my overactive mind: This guy was a Texas ChainSaw kind of serial-killer who was now in the process of dismembering both women and placing their body parts in the fridge. Once again, I had to force those unwanted images from my mind as quickly as possible. I had to stay alert and focused if this was going to have a happy ending.
I reached the edge of the trees. To my right was the barn house and an open field where the thumping noises emitted from. Right in front of me stood the main house. There was no sign of anyone, neither kidnapper nor victims. I rushed across the dirt trail like a shadow and dived into he bushes that laid cast around the western part of the house. It was a building that would’ve been idyllic under normal circumstances. Now it felt as inviting as entering the abattoir of some psychotic sadist.
I moved along the wall, trying to find an opening inside. If I could find a cellar window I had free access to his hidden secrets - these fuckers always hid suspicious shit down in the basement. Trailing along the wall I suddenly found something better. A backdoor was standing ajar. Sneaking inside this way was tempting, but suddenly this all seemed far too easy. A setup? If that was the case he could be watching me now. Although he would have no reason to believe someone was on his trail, there was no way of knowing if he was paranoid enough to set up this whole property with booby traps.
I decided the thumping machinery would keep the enemy occupied and peered inside. No-one. I opened the door further. No dogs were barking at me, and no alarms went off. So far so good.
I hunched down and crawled inside. No-one. The doors had opened into a pretty furnished kitchen. Nothing suspicious in sight. No boiling pots with human remains and decapitated heads. The kitchen was empty so I moved further inside.
Surveying the insides of this house I regarded my opinions. If I was a psychotic kidnapper - where would I hide my victims? Upstairs in the attic? In the cellar? Or on the first floor, hidden in plain sight? I scanned the environments. No-one. No kidnapper and no Summer or Jessica. Outside the machine kept thumping.
As I moved further inside I got hit with a heavy sense of unease. This house. Something was completely off about it, and I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why it made me so worried. There was no sign of violence so far. The house was of normal architecture and there were no exotic pets of any kind, so what made me anxious?
Then it occurred to me. The rooms themselves looked clean and inviting, and there were fairly expensive furniture placed everywhere. It was nothing out of the ordinary here that immediately seemed to scream «psycho lair». However… There wasn’t a single picture on the walls. No posters, no flowers or no other form of decoration. White walls. Blank walls. Nothing, not as much as a photo. Nothing but featureless whiteness greeted me as I moved around, and it freaked me out in such a well-furnished environment.
As I entered the living room, still crouched to the ground, I finally found a form of decoration: a giant replica of a famous classical painting. I knew this one!
Saturn Devours his Son - one of Francisco De Goya’s «black paintings».
It was a gothic masterpiece that would look great on a museum wall, but inside this otherwise non-decorated house and at this size the dark energy was overwhelming. In fact, it was fucking terrifying! What the hell was wrong with this guy? I turned from the bleak painting, my worries now skyrocketing.
Standing there in the living room, I was wondering if I should continue forward and start looking for the stairs for both attic and basement. I had just decided I would give it a try when I stopped.
A thud! A faint and dull sound, but it had not emerged from the outside. Then it appeared again. And again! It was coming from inside this house. It was muffled by walls, but I was certain it was coming from somewhere on this floor.
It was a gamble, but the sound I had just heard might indicate the girls were kept somewhere close. But where? Searching for the right room gave me a lot of alternatives. The hallway leading towards the front door had two doors on the left, and the sound I heard seemed fairly close. Or was the sound transmitted throughout the house from somewhere else?
Closing in on what I assumed to be the source, I blocked out the sound of my own breathing before it appeared again. Yes, it was definitely coming from a room on this floor. I decided I should give it a try. Slowly pushing towards the first door, I opened it slightly and peeked inside. Outside the machinery continued.
The entire room was filled with stash, largely grouped in two general categories: garden gnomes of varying sizes, and ceramic statues of turtles. The array of artifacts would’ve been amusing if it wasn’t so damn creepy. The mysterious sounds I had previously heard were getting stronger inside here, but there was no-one in sight. A walk in closet covered the wall on the far side. Opening the doors revealed empty space, apart from a replica of the mock turtle from Alice in Wonderland.
Studying the back wall of the closet I noticed it was…. different somehow. Furthermore, the sounds had subsided the moment I opened the doors. Was there some machinery that had turned on a doomsday device? Or maybe someone was scared because they were unaware of my intentions?
«Hello? Summer? Jessica?»
I spoke in the lowest possible voice, but loud enough to be heard for anyone inside this room. The sounds returned, only more frantic and violent until they were loud enough they could’ve been heard all over the house. They were definitely coming from somewhere in front of me - as if someone was beating or kicking on a wall. The room beyond? That should be the kitchen, which didn’t make any sense.
It was then I realized, the sounds weren’t coming from inside the closet, but behind it! Somewhere there had to be a switch or some gear which would reveal a hidden door or a passage. As if the device had teleported inside my vision, I noticed a button on the left side of the closet. Jackpot!
The clanging sounds from outside sounded distant. But were they distant enough? Would the pigdog have the time to get inside and corner me if I acted now? I decided to take the chance and called out to whoever was hidden behind the wall.
«Girls, if you are there, get ready! I’m flipping the switch now. You’ll be free in seconds.» I thought I heard something. Muffled sounds.
Maybe this walking pigshit really had installed boobytraps that would be activated once I turned it on, and the girls tried to warn me? My imagination worked in high gear, but deciding I could hesitate no longer I pushed the button.
With a rasping sound the back-part of the closet slowly slid downwards into the floor, like in an Indiana Jones movie where a secret chamber is revealed inside an ancient temple. This was not a huge crypt however, as became clear when the descending wall revealed a room no more than five feet deep. I moved backwards as two female figures were revealed.
Summer and Jessica starred in
Dynamite Duo as action heroines, but apart from their sexy leather costumes there was nothing heroic about their display inside this secret cabinet - both of them kneeled barefoot on a dusty floor - their hands were tied together above their heads, their legs were tied by their ankles, and both had tape over their mouths, making them look like some BDSM fantasy.
As I came into view their eyes widened so hard it almost seemed comical. Their muffled voices intensified behind the tape. Right now I needed to calm both of them down.
«Girls, I know you’re very afraid, but right now I need you to stay focused. This scumbag who did this to you is still out there and we can’t let him find out about this. As soon as I cut you loose you need to follow me and we’ll exit at the rear end of the house. And we need to do it as silently as possible, so don’t make unnecessary noise. Now, please nod if you understand what I’m saying.»
They did. Both appeared to have been crying. Mascara were smeared all over their pretty faces, but apart from that they seemed to be unharmed. At least physically. Whatever this scumbag had planned to do with them I didn’t even want to think about. Moving in I began by unfastening the tape over their mouths. Summer let out a gasp, breathing heavily as I repeated the process with Jessica.
«You’re…» Summer started.
«I’m the guy who is going to get you out of this. That’s all you need to know for now.» I said as I pulled out my Leatherman to cut them loose.
«Now, I meant, you’re Alex - Greg’s right-hand man. He spoke about you last week,» she said in-between gasps as she tried to get her breath under control. So she knew who I was. That would make things easier, but we still needed to get out of here. And quick!
«You’re right about that Summer. Now please stay calm. I need to cut some rope here.» I said, starting with the rope that tied Jessica’s hands to a hook above her brown hair before I went back to Summer.
«Listen,» Jessica started. «This bastard, he’s got a gun. He caught both of us the moment we were separated from the people down at Paramount. He must have planned this meticulously.»
«No doubt,» I said. «I have reason to believe he knew the studio property inside-out.»
«Huh?»
«Former employee. A really ugly and aggressive one at that.» I said as I freed Summer’s feet. This was tight and professionally made knots made by someone who knew his Boy Scout lessons. Impossible to untie without proper tools.
«Oh, I understand. Yeah, he definitely knew what he was doing. He confronted us in the cafeteria when we were alone. Had he come in only one minute earlier he would’ve been up against two dozen other people. He dragged us with him to his car in less than a minute.» She spoke fast, as if she was trying to stay focused to avoid a full panic attack.
«He threatened you both inside his car?»
«Inside the fucking trunk.» Summer said in a voice that sounded close to a sob. «He pushed this huge fucking gun into our faces and told us to shut the fuck up, or else he would kill us. He forced both of us into the trunk at gunpoint.»
I had been angry enough when I discovered them inside this closed-off room, but now I felt like I was about to lose consciousness by pure rage. God help this creep if I got my hands on him.
«We were tied up inside here as soon as he arrived. He never said a single thing or gave any reason for our kidnapping.» Jessica said as she moved her arms and legs in a waving manner, trying to get the blood flowing to her limbs again. «What do you think he was trying to do?» Moving out of the closet, she still spoke way too fast, but she sounded a bit less shaken than Summer as she embraced her, trying to calm her down. I noticed they both had quite fit and well-trained frames. A bonus from starring in numerous action flicks no doubt.
«Trust me, you don’t want to know. Listen up girls. As we exit the door in the back, we’ll cross the road and get out in the trees in those fields. There we’ll find cover. I’ll take the lead from there.» I told them all of this in a low voice, close to a whisper.
We had moved out of the creepy room and was crouching down in the hallway which was as deserted as before. Machinery still thumped outside. No-one in sight. We moved forward - me in the front and the girls right behind me. If I didn’t know any better I would say things were going smooth. «Too good to be true» I thought grimly.
The machine-like sounds from the outside. As steady and thumping as a heartbeat. If we were lucky we could sneak into the bushes without anyone even noticing us. Then, in a few minutes, we wold be at my car, and by then I would contact Conrad and the police would be on the move. After that we…
«GONNA GET YOU FUCKER!» someone shouted, followed by a deafening blast.
The wall beside me splintered into fragments, sending me and the girls covering on the floor. Had he aimed a bit further to the right he would’ve turned my head into gory paste. A large man with a huge beard and an even bigger shotgun was standing back in the main doorway, looking like an outlaw from some biker gang. He opened fire again. Aiming lower this time, hitting the floor right beside Jessica. It splintered apart like someone had been firing the gun upwards from the basement.
The girls screamed and ran past me, heading for the backdoor.
«GET THE HELL OUT! HIDE!» I shouted after them. I would’ve followed them if I had the chance, but I was distracted by another blast which made me leap for cover. The slugs hit the door of the massive cupboard I hid behind. Luckily, the walls were too solid to be penetrated by the shells. I crouched down, my heart pumping so fast it felt like it was breaking through my rib-cage.
Shoot-out rules for indoor fights were running through my head: Find out where your opponent is. Get inside his head and mess with him. Distract, confront, fight, win.
«So, Doyle!» I shouted in a mocking tone. «You certainly have a way with ladies. Your former girlfriends gave you some dating advice!?»
«Piss off! I will take care of your bitches after you’re gone. Bet your ass!»
His voice came from somewhere further back, but I didn’t know how far. At the end of the living room? Or closer to my right? My ears were still ringing from the shotgun blasts which made detection hard.
«Such a gentleman you are. I’m sure you were considered mister loveboy back at StarGazer.»
Low swearing were heard.
«So, you’re one of Atkins’ men aren’t you?»
«What if I am?»
Scornful laughter.
«Fucking knew it. I’ve barely made my investment and they track me down like some stray dog. Have Atkins hired professional assassins now?»
«Yeah, he’s got his own private army of ninjas, and I’m their leader.»
«Sonuwabitch! If you’re working from him you should know how he treats the folks around him. How can you hold this against me considering the shit he does to his people?»
«Kidnapping with violent intent? I'm supposed to sympathise? Sorry pal. Does not compute!» I was still trying to decide where the voice was coming from. He sounded like he was moving in on me, but I couldn’t decide from which direction. I needed to cause a distraction of sorts.
«Had you left me alone you and Atkins would’ve gotten both of your bitches back again eventually…»
«Gee, how nice of you! I’m sure the cops will reward you for your cooperation. How does a cell with Bubba Bendover sound?»
«…their HEADS at least!» he spat. «But don’t worry, well continue our transaction as soon as I have your brains smeared all over the floor. Your bitches won’t get far on foot. I promise you that.»
I sat hunched down behind the cabinet and considered my opinions. How many bullets did he have left? He had fired three times. With a shotgun that meant he was likely down to just one shot, unless he reloaded. A piece of broken ceramic laid beside me. I could give it a try.
«Now, where the fuck are you!?»
He fired again, hitting the cabinet. His aim was getting accurate. He knew where I was.
«Out of ammo yet?»
No response. This was the opportunity I had waited for. I threw the ceramic tile to my left, which made Doyle squeeze off another shot, but this time only a metallic clicking sound was heard.
Action!
I jumped over the large piece of furniture. Doyle had anticipated his opponent escaping, not rushing towards him, so unless God himself had made a little shotgun-miracle I had him.
A solid kick to his gun send it flying out of his hands and clattered to the floor. I had the upper hand now, unless…
Drawing a knife from his belt, he charged me without a seconds hesitation, aiming for my throat. It was amazing how my old reflexes came back at the right time. In a flash I had dodged, grabbed his wrist and pushed him headfirst against a glass cupboard. Glass shattered and rained down as his head smashed through the door. I thought for a second victory was mine, but this guy didn’t go down easily. Releasing my grip on his arm for a second was enough time for him to reverse the situation. The bastard pulled his head out of the broken frame and turned 180 degrees in a second, swinging his knife as he moved.
«DIIIIIE MOTHERFUCKER!»
He lashed out. The knife graced my right arm as I stumbled backwards. If I could only get into his next swipe….
What occurred was done rapidly. I caught his wrist again and, twisting it, jerked him forward and off balance, at the same time kicking forcibly upwards. I then, bending his wrist back, thrust him to the side. And still he was coming…
I snapped a swift kick to his thigh. It should’ve been his groin. The fight was going to continue as long as he was standing. He spun around, reading his knife once more. I gambled everything on a high kick. Fast and strong as he was, he was only vulnerable for a second, but a second was all it took to land him a proper hit to the face.
A hit to the jaw will take out most opponents. This guy was built like a brick house, but my kick was strong enough to leave a mark. He was finally staggering, like he was about to lose balance. Another push and his dreams and ambitions would come crumbling to the ground in a well deserved concussion and a several decade long prison sentence. He slashed again, gracing my chest, tearing my shirt. But I was inside his perimeter now. The knee to his groin told him that much. As did my three concussive jabs to his jaw. When I planted a solid elbow to the top of his head he was already unconscious and would be for hours. The lights in his eyes went out and he fell over with the grace of a toppled tree.
The fight was over. This guy sure knew how to hand out and take punishment, but I had been in situations like this before. I had been in WORSE situations before.
Walking over to the sink I splashed some water in my face, getting back to the real world. Having a dangerous criminal lying around wasn’t going to happen, so I opened all drawers until I had two whole rolls of flexitape. I tied his hands and legs together. Then I connected them and fastened it through a nearby radiator so he wouldn’t, by some miracle, crawl around and get himself free.
And so the criminal career of Doyle Durner came to its end.
***
«GIRLS! THE FUCKER IS DOWN!» I shouted as I moved outside, not realizing I had boasted it like a triumph. I’ve been told that the rush of winning a fight is creepily similar to that of winning a lottery. The intensity was almost precisely the same, especially in a life-or death situation.
Walking over to the eastern part of the property, I saw nothing of the girls. It didn’t matter. They were probably still hiding, and didn’t want to reveal their position.
The thumping from the machinery had now lodged inside my head and would probably play concert for days. Walking over to the metallic apparatus I noticed it was some sort of carving tool for sharpening tree poles. For what purpose I didn’t dare to think about, although the stakes looked like they would be perfect for what a guy like Vlad the Impaler had done to his enemies.
Shuddering, I turned off the machinery. Not surprisingly, the noise subsided inside my head and continued to ring for seconds.
That’s when I spotted the girls. They could have run into the field to get as far away from here as possible, but instead they had sought refuge inside the barn. Maybe not the dumbest move as the kidnapper might have ignored the most obvious hiding places if he had won.
Standing outside the huge building, holding each other tightly, the two brunettes looked like a couple of scared little schoolgirls. There was something incredibly pitiful about the sight. As I moved toward them they stared at me like I was some knight in shining armor from a fairytale, looking like they couldn’t believe their eyes.
«He’s… dead?» Summer asked confused.
«No, but soon he’ll wish he was.» I said as I snapped out my phone, ready to deliver some good news to Conrad.
«He’s still inside?» Jessica asked, sounding like she wasn’t convinced that the danger was over.
«Nothing to worry about. I tied him up tighter than the Gordian knot.»
«Oh, God! You’re hurt!» Summer said with a sudden panicking voice, pointing to my shredded shirt.
«Oh, this is nothing. If you think this is bad you should see the other guy.»
«Please tell me he won’t come rushing Michael Myers-style for a final showdown.» Jessica said pleadingly, glancing nervously at the house.
«I told ya, that guy is down, an he’ll stay that way until the cops com and take him away for good. Now, if you’ll give me just a second girls. I’ll arrange our transport out of here.» The phone rang for half a seconds before Conrad answered.
«Alex? Tell me you’ve got good news man.»
I almost laughed in satisfaction. «Oh yeah! I’ve got the girls Conrad. They’re both safe.»
A pause.
«You’re serious?»
«I sure am.»
«FUCKING A!» he literally shouted so loud I almost dropped the phone.
Summer and Jessica glanced at each other, breaking into a smile for the first time. It was as if the truth finally dawned on them. As emotions got to them, Jessica had to tighten her grip on Summer’s body so she wouldn’t collapse to the ground. They began weeping in each others arms - tears of relief. I couldn’t blame them. Experiences like these tend to leave a mark, especially if you’re not trained for it. You don’t feel safe until days later, sometimes weeks later. Various forms of PTSD may occur, and who knew what the long-term effects would be for these two.
«Yup! I had a feeling you’d like this.»
«And the guy who did it? You didn’t kill him?» he said, sounding almost worried.
«Against my better judgement, no, but mister kidnapper is down, and he’s just waiting for a pick-up. I’d say we put him away for a couple of decades.»
«Wow, you really are something!» Conrad said in awe, probably taking in the absurdity of a lone man having taken care of the situation Jason Bourne style. «Any witnesses?»
«No, we’re alone, but I’m standing on a crime scene here. I want you to contact the PD Conrad. As soon as they arrive we’ll be ready to tell them what they need to hear. Nothing less, nothing more. We have time to think about what I did here and how to tell it. This isn’t exactly an everyday situation.»
«Yeah, you figure something out. This needs to be watertight.»
I glanced over to the girls who were now laughing relieved and cleaning each others tears. They were leaning close and whispering to each other. Summer said something to Jessica which made her break into a grin, her eyes widening as if she had suggested something outrageous. I snapped back to our conversation.
«Yeah, I’ll do.»
«Hey man!? You saved the day today. I owe you a lot Alex.»
«Just doing my job Conrad.»
I hung up. Police stabs would go loco within minutes when they heard about this. In about an hour they would be here, which gave us some time to think up a plausible scenario for what to tell.
«You…» I heard someone say hesitantly and turned towards the girls. Their outfits were meant for badass heroines, but right now they seemed like two lost and frightened bystanders who had just been through hell. However, there was more to it. For one thing they didn’t seem anxious anymore. Instead, they looked excited somehow. Summer stepped towards me - her brown hair blowing lightly in the wind like some of that action heroine character had returned to her.
«You saved us.»
«Like I just told Conrad: I did my job ladies.» I said, trying no to act heroic as this was probably not the right time. «Atkins put me on the trail and I followed it here.»
«We would’ve been dead without you.»
«She’s right. This filth wanted to put us up for ransom. And I don’t think he would’ve left us alive. I mean, LOOK at that!» Jessica said as she pointed to the stable of seven feet tree spikes back at the carving-machine.
«Now, now. Let’s not jump to conclusions…»
«Yes, that scumbag wanted us dead. And you saved us.»
«Listen,» Summer said. «How long before the police arrive?»
«Considering the time it took me to get here… At least 30 minutes. Likely a bit longer. Unless they use a helicopter.»
The two girls shared a glance, then they grinned naughtily, turning back to me again.
«Okay, that should give us some time to celebrate.»
«Oh, but we’ll have time for that when we get back. I’ll make Conrad demolish his liquor chamber down at Stargazer.» I said, trying not to get carried away with where this was going.
«I know. But don’t you think the three of us deserve a more… personal form of celebration?»
Once again, I recognized the pattern. Fear was the greatest aphrodisiac. Considering the situation I had experienced with Zhang Ziyi just a few months prior, it wasn’t at all unexpected. In fact…
«Both Summer and I want to show you our gratitude for helping us out of this awful situation.» Jessica said dreamily.
«That’s awfully nice of you, but you don’t have to do that.»
«We insist. We both agree to do this.»
«We
need it!» Summer added. «Something to take our minds off of all that shit, don’t you agree?» she said as she fingered with the top of her leather vest. Jessica followed suit as two zippers were pulled down in unison.
They flung their vests aside, revealing black t-shirts. Those soon joined the vests on the ground. The pants were next to go as they slid down their shapely young legs. Jessica kicked them off, as did Summer. They now stood in their undies, their bodies shaking lightly as if someone had turned on an party-mix only they could hear.
They weren’t undressing. This was a striptease!
«You won Alex. We are alive thanks to you and it’s only reasonable the hero get his reward.» Jessica said, following her co-star releasing her bra-straps and let the fabric fall to the ground. Their medium sized breasts were as glorious as one could’ve imagined from their flimsy costumes and scantily clad film roles. With only their g-strings left, both did a twirl - spinning around and looking over their shoulders as they pulled them down.
Part of me wanted to come up with a reasonable refusal and convince them this was a hugely inappropriate thing to do so close to a crime scene, merely minutes after they had escaped a life threatening situation. If anyone found out I would no doubt be accused of taking advantage of our company’s talent. That said - that part was now locked tightly outside the cage of reason as I stood mesmerized - and hardening - while I watched, gladly enjoying the show unfolding right before me.
Both girls were totally naked as they swayed sensually before me. Their hands roamed all over their young and sexy bodies, tracing them up and down, squeezing their breasts lightly and moaning softly - mouths hanging open as they eyed me. They wouldn’t have looked more eager if they had lapsed into a fertility dance.
«Shall we go inside?» Summer said in a sultry voice as she slapped Jessica on her butt, both of them backing inside the barn before turning around and running inside the darkness. Their tits bounced as they went, both of them smiling back at me, motioning for me to follow.
Feeling like I had indeed earned some reward for this whole mess I decided it would be unkind of me to turn down their offer. I went inside the barn and kicked off my shoes before disrobing. This little show of theirs had fired me up so hard my dick would’ve ruined my pants if I had them on any longer. Pulling them off along with my boxers I walked inside as nude as the girls.
The building wasn’t the immense type of barn house I knew from westerns, but a smaller model, maybe designed to hold a few horses. The place was abandoned and empty, save for a large mass of hay that covered the ground. I heard giggling sounds as I approached the main room.
I turned the corner. Summer and Jessica laid in the hay at the far end of the room with their asses in the air.
«Come on Alex. Take your reward and allow us to show you the affection you so rightly deserve.» Jessica said, turning her head over her shoulder to look at me. She slapped her ass playfully, as did Summer.
Walking up toward them I was standing with one babe to each side. They slowly rose up on their knees and turned around, their eyes widening in awe as they saw my erect member. Eager hands engulfed it, feeling it as it stiffened further in their grip. I decided to let them lead the show. They seemed more than experienced in the art of lovemaking, and I was eager to see how these beauties were going to reward me.
Summer and Jessica were like mewling kittens, writhing around, desperate to have my cock inside them. I patted their heads tenderly before I watched as the two of them began to work on me at the same time. Jessica slid her tongue up on my cock from the base, then Summer repeated the motion from the other side, mirroring their actions in perfect sync. Their eyes didn’t divert from my gaze as their heads drifted closer and closer, until they had completely engulfed me. My enormous cock was now sheathed between them in a tunnel of lusty lips as they worked in perfect unison to pleasure me.
Jessica whimpered and panted with need as Summer forced her sexy thighs apart and began to finger her sopping pussy. Jessica had a pained expression as she regarded me through half-closed eyelids and swiveled her hips in response to Summer’s probing fingers. I growled with lust as they kissed and tongued each other’s mouths, keeping my oozing crimson head between their pouting lips, slathering me with their warm spit and tantalizing me with soft kisses and long licks over my veiny shaft.
Summer lifted her sopping fingers and slurped her co-star’s juices from them.
«I think she’s ready Alex! Her pussy is so wet you’re going to slide right inside her!»
Jessica rose up as she met my eyes with a hungry smile. I took the brunette goddess by the hands and guided her out on the floor where we began our copulating.
Embracing the naked woman before me I lifted her up by her ass like she weighed no more than a feather, slowly lowering her down on my throbbing member. Jessica wrapped her legs around my back and her arms around my neck, whimpering in pleasure as I filled her. Bottoming into her, I bowed my legs slightly before I began to lift her up and down, thrusting into her in this standing position. It didn’t take long for us to get into a fast and steady rhythm as I tightened my grip on her ass to hold her steady. Her face leaned in on mine and we began to kiss passionately, our tongues sloppily entwining within our mouths as the entire barn echoed with wet slapping sounds.
I always enjoyed lifting my lovers like this, as it gave me complete control over them. The backside was that it quickly took its toll on my arms. Pushing Jessica against the huge principal post in the middle of this room, I steadied myself as she continued to probe my mouth with her tongue. Her eyes were shut and nothing but primal whimpers escaped her. Summer had watched us as we started, but she wasn’t content letting Jessica getting all of the attention. I sensed movement below us as nimble fingers snaked their way over our skin. Suddenly Jessica broke our kiss and cried out, as did I. Summer was on her knees, right below Jessica, and had begun to lick both of us at the same time. Her tongue slimed over my dick and found its way up to the point were our sexes met before she moved over to Jessica. Summer’s talented tongue teased Jessica with loving licks.
«Oooooh, Summer! Don’t fucking stop!» Jessica cried.
She made no intent of stopping, but instead doubled her efforts. Her tongue was like an overheated snake that slithered around between our pelvises.
Jessica was beginning to feel a bit heavy in my arms, having supported her body for minutes. I was about to set her down when she wanted to try something else.
«Alex! Hold me still and move out on the floor. I’m going to take a handstand!» she gasped.
«Are you sure?» I asked, impressed by her acrobatic initiative.
«Don’t worry, I know Kama Sutra. Let me show you!»
«Alright! I’m holding on to you now.» I said as I carried her into the middle of the hay.
I held her by her hips as she let go of my neck. Bending her upper body downwards, she rested her hands on the hay-strewn floor. Showing great body-control, she kept her right leg wrapped around my back while I hooked her left atop my shoulder. She was right - this position was definitely something a practitioner of Kama Sutra would be proud of. Not only did it look ridiculously great (someone should’ve filmed us), but it also eased access to her pussy, and I no longer had to support her entire body.
As soon as she was in position I began pumping into her again, desiring to push us both to climax. Jessica panted like mad as she let herself be fucked in her upside-down position.
Summer hadn’t forgotten about us, but this time she wanted Jessica to provide the pleasure. Moving down on all fours she reared her firm ass over Jessica's face, raising it up so the other girl had full access to her. Jessica didn’t mind this extra challenge and dove into the nether regions of the young woman before her.
«Mmmh, yeah! Eat me out Jessica. Yeeessssss! Mmmmmmmmmhhh! Nnnnnnnhhhhh!»
«Mmppppphhhh, mmmmmmmhhh, ssssmmmmqmpppphhhh, slllllmmmmmppphh!» was all we could hear from Jessica as she buried her face between Summer’s legs. The position had gotten even saucier - combining all three of us as we sought mutual orgasms. Minutes ago we had all been in a life-or-death situation. Now we celebrated life with a hot threesome taken straight out of a porno!
Jessica was quicky closing in now, her half-muffled moans getting louder and louder and her legs opening up into a full split. Summer was close as well as she began arching her back. Feeling my balls tightening, I intensified my thrusts into Jessica as the three of us rutted our way straight into Paradise. In just a few seconds we cried out almost simultaneously.
«I'M COMING ALL OVER YOUR FACE! OOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!»
«UUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!»
"I'M COMING JESSICA! NNNNNNNNNGHHHHHHHH!"
An orgasmic explosion consumed the three of us. Jessica contracted tightly around me as I shoot my load into her - our juices mingling together inside her while Summer came all over Jessica’s face, her body twitching as Jessica attempted to drink up as much as she could. It was a fleshy spectacle of twisting bodyparts, but I held Jessica as steady as I could while our orgasms subsided.
Finally releasing her legs from around me, I lowered her body slowly into the hay before laying down beside her. She was completely drained of energy - panting in exhaustion. Moving up beside me she laid her arm across my chest.
I took the opportunity to rest for a moment, but I knew that Summer wasn’t going to leave me alone for long. She was far from done, having just been «warmed up» by Jessica. Demanding her own fill she leaned up on her elbow, making sure she got my attention by wiggling her tongue towards me.
I motioned for her to come over. Jessica moved away to give Summer room as she squatted over me. Thanks to her naughty tongue-trick I was rock hard again, and the thought of fucking both of these delicious brunettes inside a barn as some sort of reward turned me on like nothing else.
Lowering herself downward, Summer grabbed my dick and made sure it slid inside her. Keeping her eyes shut, she gasped out in pleasure as I filled her.
I let my hands explore her nimble body - moving my hands all over her flesh, groping her pert tits, sliding my hands over her ribcage, over her calves and ending up with a tight grip on her ample ass. We stared deeply into our eyes as Summer began riding me like a supercharged cowgirl - her pace was fast and intense. I expected her to slow down after a minute or so, but instead she increased her pace and sped up - her riding becoming so fast I felt like she was jacking me off! She sure had lots of energy this young woman, like her insane vigor was a mockery of the deadly situation that had almost ended her life.
I heard Jessica gasp beside me in awe, stunned by Summer’s unbelievable stamina. With seconds away from coming, Summer began panting and moaning like a bitch in heat. Strengthening my grip on her ass I pulled her back and forth on me, driving her crazy with lust.
«Yesyesyes, I’m coming! I’m coming! I’M COMING! I’MCOMINGI’MCOMINGIMCOMING! IIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMCOOOOMMMMMMMNNNNNHHHHHHHHH!»
Feeling her explode around me was heavenly, but I managed to control myself. I just wanted to get Summer off first before I took care of my own release.
Collapsing on top of me, Summer planted a kiss on my lips before she rested her head on my chest - her body still shaking on top of me as I continued to thrust inside her. She spoke tiredly.
«You didn’t come, did you?»
«No, not there yet.»
«Please Alex! Just use me. Use my body to make yourself feel good.» she sighed.
Taking control I turned Summer around so she laid back in the hay. Taking her by her ankles I lifted her long and shapely pins upwards. Testing her flexibility, I proceeded to bend her legs backwards until her feet touched the ground behind her head - the submissive position pushing her ass up invitingly from the ground. I plowed into her again, pounding her hard as I kept her legs behind her head. Smacking sounds once more filled the barn as I used Summer’s hot body just like she desired. Tossing her head from side to side until she was in a blur, she cried out as she lost herself completely.
I sensed movements beside me. Unable to control herself, Jessica was down on her knees as she watched me fuck her co-star - fingering her pussy with one hand and pinched her nipples with the other. She mimicked Summer like an empath and whined loudly.
The scene surrounding me was so hot I couldn’t hold back any longer. Summer was close too.
«Oooooooooh, I’m almost there!»
«Me too!
«Mmmmmmm, fill me up!
«Will do! Babe, here I come! Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!»
«Yesyesyesyes! IloveitIloveit! nnnnnnnnnggggggh, ahhahhhhhahhhhhahhhhhaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!»
Grabbing Summer’s ankles, I pushed her legs down hard as I came, emptying my balls deep into her womb as she strangled my cock. Intense high-pitched shrieking echoed through the barn as both girls reached their second and third climax of the day. Summer’s uncontrollable motions sucked me dry, milking my dick, until I had nothing left to give. Finally pulling out of her, I rolled over to the side.
Summer tucked herself into me on my right while Jessica laid down on my left, both babes wrapping their arms and legs around me. Drained of energy, the three of us took a well-earned rest in the hay.
***
We must have dozed for about twenty minutes or so when I heard the beeping of my cellphone. I couldn’t make out where the sound came from when I remembered it had left it along with my clothes at the gate. I slowly separated from the tangled girls and went outside. Once again it was Atkins.
«What’s up?»
«Hey Alex. It seems like there’s a major traffic jam because some lunatic just fired an M72, causing an immense explosion at a gas station that holding up the guys from LAPD. They have their hands full, so It may take them some time before they reach your destination.» he said, sounding like he was apologizing for a major mistake he was responsible for.
«No problem, that will give us a little more time to… Figure things out,» I said, as I stood naked outside the farmhouse. «So how long before they arrive?»
«Chief Kelsko said they would be there in about one hour if they don’t encounter further setbacks.»
«Another hour? No problem at all. Tell them they don’t need to hurry.» I smiled before I hung up.
Turning around I beheld the spectacular view of the valley surrounding this property. For one moment I thought I saw a flash of light up in the hillside. My eyes were playing tricks on me? I found it hard to believe there were any windows or buildings up there that could cause such a reflection, but I didn’t think more of it then.
«Girls, the cops are slightly delayed.» I yelled to them inside. «One hour until arrival. Do you understand?»
«Oh, we heard.» someone said, followed by a fit of giggles. «That’ll give us more time for round two!» another voice said.
Walking back inside, both girls laid side by side in the hay, raising their legs skywards with naughty smiles on their faces. Their sweaty bodies and unkept hair filled with strays of hay made them look like a couple of horny redneck sluts. It was not the kind of thing any straight male could turn down.
Joining them for «round two» I thought about how the boundaries between reality and fantasy were sometimes vague. Thankfully, the hero getting his reward wasn’t something that just happened in fiction.
NEXT: Playing in the costume storage with Kelly Hu.