Chap. Four

Haze Fazer

"You hold yourself real still, girly," Ally Punk sternly stated, as he continued to hold a knife to Lily's throat, "you got any money?!"

Lily shook her head no.

"You got Haze?!" Ally Punk continued. Haze was a street stimulant that dulled the neuron receptors in the brain long enough to let you freely hallucinate while fully awake. It was like being jacked into the polynet but without the implants.

Lily continued to slowly and secretly stretch out her arm to feel if any of her weapons were anywhere within reach. Nothing. Ally Punk must of either kicked them aside or stole them outright.

The Punk suddenly slapped Lily hard across her face. She felt the stinging pain but remained silent.

"I'm talkin' to you, Slut!" he angrily said, "you got any Haze?!"

"In my vest pocket," Lily lied, referring to the corset vest she was using as a pillow.

"Take it out slowly from under your pretty little head," Ally Punk commanded.

Lily complied, as Ally Punk grabbed the vest and sloppily went through the pockets, still holding the knife to her throat.

She continued to covertly reach around with her right arm in a desperate search for anything she could find to use as a weapon. Suddenly, a touch! She could feel the tip of the baton she had taken earlier from the Skull punk out by the bridge. Her fingers grasped out for the baton carefully, as to not accidentally knock it further away.

Meanwhile, Ally Punk continued to rife through the vest pockets, in a desperate search for some Haze. Lily could tell he was just another stimulus junkie, a "Haze Fazer", whose brain was already fried. Which was why she knew Stim Heads like him could become very dangerous, very fast.

"I'm lookin, but I ain't findin!" Punk stated in a voice straining of desperation, "you better not be lyin to me, Bitch!"

"It's there somewhere!" Lily stalled, while she continued to grasp in desperation for the baton.

"Well, I don't find it," Punk frustratingly replied, "so that's too bad for you!"

Punk sneered, as Lily felt the knife blade begin to brush her throat. Suddenly, she got a firm grip on the baton.

With a quick flick of her wrist, the baton fully expanded to its 26" maximum length. She swung hard, connecting the steel rod alongside the Ally Punk's head. There was a sudden "crack" as his skull split open and the blood splattered and the knife dropped.

Lily quickly pushed Punk away and immediately retreated to the far side of the box. Punk, remarkably, was still conscious but was now on his knees, moaning. Lily came around and stood directly over him, baton still in her hand. Ally Punk slowly looked up, blood gushing down the side of his head where the baton had made contact.

"Please!" he begged, "Don't kill me!"

Lily psychotically smiled.

"Oh, you won't feel a thing!" she replied, as she smashed the baton down hard on his head. Punk keeled over in slow motion, his face now blank with death.

Lily quickly gathered her corset vest, stove pipe hat, and weapons, including the Ally Punk's knife. She then grabbed the scooter and started to exit the box only to be met just outside by an older man holding an ancient 30.06 double barrel shotgun inches from her face.

"And where do you think you're going in such a hurry this fine morning?" the man asked in a, considering the circumstances, friendly manner.

"I'm, uh, just going out for my morning walk," Lily nervously answered.

The man motioned for her to step aside.

"Slowly," he firmly stated, as he peered inside the box.

"Friend of yours?" he asked, after seeing the Ally Punk's dead body.

"We just met," Lily replied stoically. The man nodded.

"What say you join me for breakfast?" He then motioned for Lily to walk ahead of him down the ally. Since the man was still holding the shotgun just inches from her face, she figured she had no choice.

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to be planning on having Pizza for breakfast, would you?" she asked, in an effort to stall.

"No. Why?" the man wondered.

"Cause, I've got some in the saddlebag of my scooter, if you'd like."

"Just give me the key to your scooter and slowly put all your "items" into that saddlebag and start pushing it that way," the man said, motioning for her to move on down the ally. Lily slipped her weapons into the bag, handed over the key and began to roll the scooter.

"What's your name?" he asked, keeping a few steps behind her and the shotgun ready.

"Lily," she answered. She wondered if she could somehow distract him long enough to make an escape.

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Lily", the man replied, "I'm Bradley Stein and don't even think of trying to escape."

To be Continued- Next: Breakfast with Bradley