"Requiem For A Stripper" drabbles by Christopher

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 336

Requiem For A Stripper #336

The bullet I fired hit the wall above Romero's head and one of the burning torches was dislodged from a sconce and went toppling down, catching the giant red curtain on fire. It quickly went up in flames. I fired again while Romero's attention was on the fire and hit him in the chest. He flew back and his gun went skidding across the floor. The flames were beginning to catch everything around the curtain on fire. Mindy ran out from behind the altar and toward the front entrance, as did most of the people in the room, screaming frantically...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 335

Requiem For A Stripper #335

Schmidt tried to regain control of the situation.

"Lizzen, young man. If you truly believe zat Nicky is rezponsible for your zizter's death, zhen I vill help you."

"I wouldn't trust you any farther than I could throw that concrete slab you're standing behind, Schmidt!" Horace said. He was getting smarter by the second.

Romero re-emerged with a pistol from behind the red curtain that was hanging in back of the altar and fired at Horace, who went flying back. I grabbed the gun as it was falling from Horace's hand and made a wild shot in Romero's direction...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 334

Requiem For A Stripper #334

It was amazing to see how quickly Mindy Porter could change her allegiances. But it wasn't very convincing. I didn't think she'd make a good actress at all.

Horace just stared at her. The next moment would determine just how intelligent Horace Busby really was.

"Shuddup, bitch!" he yelled. "You're a conniving little tramp who'd sell her own mother out to get ahead!"

Nope. Horace Busby wasn't dumb in the slightest. I stood corrected.

"Now, someone better get Minga here real soon or I'm going to shoot all of you!" Horace yelled.

I looked around. Romero seemed to have disappeared...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 333

Requiem For A Stripper #333

Horace turned his attention to the altar.

"Nicky Minga iz not a member of our club," Schmidt said. "He merely provides uz vith entertainment. If you vant to locate him you could probably find him ztill at ze Pink Puzzycat."

He was hanging Minga out to dry.

"You ain't absolved of guilt either!" Horace yelled. I always thought he seemed a little slow. I was surprised to hear him use a word like absolved. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as I thought.

"Horace!" Mindy yelled. "I am so glad to see you! Can you please get me out of here?"

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 332

Requiem For A Stripper #332

"Horace, listen to me!" I yelled. "Minga didn't kill your sister! It was the old broad Madame Helga! But I got her! She's dead!"

"I don't care, Jake!" he said, practically screaming. "If it wasn't for Minga my sister never would've gotten mixed up in this garbage!"

I couldn't argue with him on that front.

"How'd you find this place?" I asked.

"I followed Mindy here. I was still looking for a way in when I saw you come up. So I waited and followed behind you. Now where the hell's Minga?"

"Young man," Schmidt said in a calm voice...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 331

Requiem For A Stripper #331

I thought I heard gunshots coming from outside. I figured it was because my head was still swimmy from the blow I'd taken to it, but then others in the room started reacting to it. There was murmuring in the room as everyone tried to determine what was happening. Then I heard three loud gunshots and bodies started falling beside me, including the joker who had his foot in my back. I rolled over the see Horace Busby. He'd gunned down the three goons that were guarding me.

"Horace!" I said.

"I'm looking for Nicky Minga!" Horace screamed with anger...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 330

Requiem For A Stripper #330

I was getting some of my focus back and it was the first time I'd had a chance to really get a look at the room. It was decorated like a dungeon. There were burning torches nestled into sconces on the walls. There was a thick curtain behind the altar that was blood red colored. I looked around at the people too. The higher ups, like Schmidt and Romero, were wearing purple robes and had masks that completely covered their heads, mostly resembling animals. The others had red robes and were wearing masquerade masks, harlequin masks or simpler domino masks...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 329

Requiem For A Stripper #329

I was in that twilight haze of having just been knocked nearly unconscious. Voices seemed muffled and it looked like I was staring at everything through eyes covered with gauze.

I looked over to see Mindy. I think this had made her realize just what kind of people she was dealing with. But I could see in her eyes what she was thinking: If I say anything they'll kill me too.

I tried to raise up but one of the goons that had knocked me to the floor put his foot on my back and pinned me to the ground...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 328

Requiem For A Stripper #328

"So you're not a murderer, huh, Klaus?" I asked. "If you let Romero kill me that's what you'll be. Or is that an accessory to murder, Chief? You're the expert, after all."

"That's right, Randolph," Romero said. "I know how to use the system from the inside. It's just as Klaus said. We're everywhere. And we're untouchable. You're an insignificant ant, Randolph, and we're the boot."

Just then three guys came up behind me and before I could react they had my gun and had knocked me to the floor.

I could vaguely hear Schmidt and Romero discussing my fate...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 327

Requiem For A Stripper #327

"Oh, ve do zhat as vell, Mr. Randolph. Zhere must be zome perkz for all zhe hard vork ve put in running your vorld."

I looked at Romero. "Y'know, it always seemed like you looked down on me every time you saw me, and now I find out what an utter sack of shit you are! You know, Harrigan thinks the sun shines out of your anus, Romero. I wonder what he's gonna say when he finds out you're a murderer."

"He's not going to find out, Randolph. Is he, Klaus?"

"No," Klaus said softly. "He iz not."

Uh-oh...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 326

Requiem For A Stripper #326

I wasn't sure if that was delusions of grandeur or if he was telling the truth. Either way it was a terrifying thought.

"You zee, Randolph," Schmidt continued, "ze Immoral Zociety has been around for untold generazions. Zhe richest people in zhe world controlling and manipulating world hiztory. I waz a part of it in Germany. Vhen I got here and found out zhat zhe club had fallen dormant I waz zhe one who rezzurected it."

"And here I thought you were all just a bunch of degenerates gathering up to engage in debauched behavior now and then," I said...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 325

Requiem For A Stripper #325

"Zhut up, Romero! I can't even hear myzelf think!" Schmidt said.

"Schmidt, why did you make Minga help me at your club?”

“I wanted to locate my mizzing girlz. And I needed to know how much you knew about zhe Immoral Zociety. Vhat better vay to know vhat you knew zhan to azzist in dizcovering it? It's not going to make a difference. Ve are an old eztablished firm, Randolph. Ve are in every azpect of your lives. Ve control it all. Federal, ztate and local governmentz. Zchool boardz, judgez benchez. Ve control ze media and Hollyvood. Ve are everyvhere.”

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 324

Requiem For A Stripper #324

"Nobody will know, Klaus! I'll take care of Jake Randolph! He's a nobody! He has no family! No one will miss him!"

Man, he was doing wonders for my self-esteem.

Schmidt looked like he was contemplating it.

"If you take me out, Schmidt, someone else will come along. It's just a matter of time before your secret is out."

Romero actually pulled his pig mask off and went up to the altar.

"Klaus, listen to me! Let me take a couple of the boys and drive out to the desert. We'll shoot Randolph through the head and dump him."

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 323

Requiem For A Stripper #323

"Listen, Klaus! It wasn't my fault! She started getting too cozy with me! She wanted me to leave my wife! I couldn't do that!"

He still had on the mask, but even though his voice was muffled I could tell it was Anthony Romero.

"Romero, ve have ztrict rulez. Zhe fraternization with zhe girlz iz alwayz done at zheze partiez, with zhe mazks on! None of zhose girlz are zuppozed to know who ve are! Even zhe girlz who work at my club don't know zhat I am a member! But you broke zhose rulez. Look vhere it got uz!"

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 322

Requiem For A Stripper #322

"You're just as responsible for those girls' deaths as Madame Helga, including the ones who worked for you, Candy Apple and Lily Padd. The only one I can't figure out is Honey Comb. Madame Helga said Honey was murdered before she could get to it. And since Honey Comb was a guest of these parties, that puts you in the hot seat for her disappearance too."

Schmidt looked over at another man that was wearing a purple robe and had a pig mask on.

"I knew zhis vaz going to happen, Romero!" Schmidt said.

Romero? Chief of Police Anthony Romero?

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 321

Requiem For A Stripper #321

"You see, Schmidt," I said, looking around to make sure no one was trying to sneak up on me, "Madame Helga went into hiding after she was burned so badly years ago. You might not have known that since you weren't in this country yet. But after the dormant Immoral Society was resurrected, and you wanted Madame Helga to go back to her old ways of recruiting chickies for your little parties, she couldn't take being around so many beautiful girls. It reminded her of what she used to be. And she snapped and started killing them."

Schmidt just stared...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 320

Requiem For A Stripper #320

"Let me guezz, Randolph," Schmidt said. "You believed zhe Immoral Zociety waz rezponzible for zhe dizappearances of zhe mizzing ztrippers, yes?"

I just stared at him.

"Vell, you vere wrong. Your attention vould have been better focuzed elzevhere."

"Oh, I solved the case of the missing strippers. Well, all but one," I said.

"Exzellent. Vhat happened to zhem?"

"They were murdered. By Madame Helga."

A chorus of gasps went through the room.

Schmidt said, "You are lying, Randolph."

"No, I'm not," I said. "I saw her trying to kill her next victim. So I shot her. She's dead."

More gasps...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 319

Requiem For A Stripper #319

Schmidt said, "I vazn't going to kill her, Randolph. Zhis was merely zymbolic."

"Stabbing a naked girl on a concrete slab?" I asked. "What the hell does that symbolize?"

"You vouldn't underzstand, Randolph."

Mindy got off the slab, grabbing a robe that was draped across a chair.

"Don't you have better things to do, Randolph, than to go poking your nose in where it doesn't belong? This was an acting test! They were trying to see how frightened I could act!"

If that was true I made a complete ass of myself.

But I didn't believe it for a second...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 318

Requiem For A Stripper #318

The figure stopped, lowered the knife and looked at me. They replaced the knife under the altar and pulled off the mask. I couldn't believe it. It was Klaus Schmidt.

"Zhat mask doezn't do much to hide your identity, Mr. Randolph."

I pulled it off and tossed it to the floor.

"Untie Mindy, Schmidt."

He did as I said and then pulled the gag out of her mouth. She rose up and sat on the edge of the slab and said, "You again? What is it with you?"

She didn't seem like she was frightened for her life at all...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 317

Requiem For A Stripper #317

I made my way across the room, trying to get a little closer. The figure in the goat head mask reached under the altar and pulled out a curved silver dagger. Mindy started struggling and making muffled noises with her mouth. I couldn't believe whoever was under that goat mask was going to stab Mindy in front of all of these witnesses. But I guessed that was what secret societies did. But I wasn't going to let that happen.

As soon as the goat headed figure raised the knife into the air I pulled my gun and yelled, "Stop! Now!"