Half way back to the camp, the three of them pass by some restaurants and bars, as they did when they went to the alley. Hondo takes a side step to one of them, grabbing the door handle.
 
“Where are you going?” Fernando asks him.
 
“I’m git’in a brewsky.” Hondo replies. Fernando nods, not wanting to argue with a friend, especially one who is going through so much. Fernando guides James to head in before him and the three go in and take a stool at the far end of bar.
 
“Name your poison.” The barkeep says as she along the length of the bar to them.
 
“A Beer.” Hondo says to be heard.
 
“Make it double.” Fernando replies.
 
“And your ‘essen?” the barkeep asks as she begins to fill a mug with beer from the fountain.
 
“Whatever he wants.” Fernando says.
 
James looks away at them as he answers, “Just a seltzer water.” The bartender nods, putting down the two drinks in front of the men. The seltzer water is served immediately.
 
Not seen was the bartender pressing a secret button under their side of the bar.
 
“I want to know what is the plan.” Hondo almost demands.
 
“We go home and take care of the girls first.” Fernando begins, turning to face James, “Then you are taking us to this Lenny the Lich.”
 
“You don’t talk to Lenny the Litch. You talk to his manager.”  James point out.
 
“I do not care if we go see Santa Claus to see Lenny, we’re seeing Lenny.” Fernando points out.
 
“Who is dis ‘Santa Clause?’” Somebody says from behind them.  
 
The three turn around, seeing a dozen or so men in suits and hats behind them, each with their hands on some firearm with the closest pointing Thompson Submachine guns at them (M1921 model).
 
He then asks, “What is yo biz-ness with Lenny? Nobody sees Lenny...”
 
“It’s personal.” Fernando says before Hondo could reply.
 
“Then yo coming wit us to see the boss.” The one who is doing all the talk says. He adds, “Don’t worry about the bill, it’s been paid for.
 
As they get up from their seats, they are frisked and their weapons taken from them. Then they are guided to a nearby wall which opens into a hidden hallway and down a couple flights of stairs. From the stairs, they are guided to a maze of halls and then to a drab looking elevator door. Looks are deceiving however, as the elevator door opens, the large elevator inside was of fancy Art Deco style ornamentation reminiscent of the 1920s. They all pile in, Fernando notices one of the top floor buttons was pressed.
 
It takes a couple of minutes to get to their floor, as it was a slow elevator.
 
They all get off the elevator onto a guard vestibule, men in suits, hats and machineguns guarding several doors. They are led to one on the left side of the vestibule and into a large waiting room which also has well dressed and equally armed guards. Instead of waiting, they are led to a door besides the secretary’s desk where they are buzzed in. Fernando, Hondo and James were pushed into the room.
 
The view outside the window says they are quite a way up, if this were New York City, Fernando estimates about the 45th floor but they were on less than 20 stories though each floor was double height floors with tall ceilings about 18ft high. They stand in front of a desk, with the chair turned to face the windows. It seems they are the only ones in the room.
 
Hondo steps to the desk but a female voice says, “Stay where you are or something dreadful might happen to you.”
 
The chair slowly turns around, revealing a young girl of around 10 or so wearing a shirt skirt school uniform, her arms flat on the arms rests though right fingers were pressing buttons on the armrest. They look at her.
 
She continues, “Don’t let my looks deceive you, I am much older than I look. Much, much older.”
 
“Assuming you’re an Immortal, how much older? You look like you’re 11 years old.” Fernando asks.
 
“11? How insulting. I stopped aging at 10. That’s beside the point, I’m almost 30.” She tells him. She then adds as she puts her hands together on her desk with her index fingers steeples upwards, “What is your want with Lenny the Litch? No one gets to see him. You only fight him in the ring.”
 
“We have business with him and his boss.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Again, you do not see him, you fight him, in the ring.” She tells him. She then adds, “That I can arrange... for a price.”
 
“Don’t do it.” James says out loud to be heard.
 
“You need to shut up, you have not won a fight in over a year.” She tells him with a pointed finger. She then reaches down and lifts up a heavy book, putting it on the desk. She looks at them with shifted eyes though her face was towards the book, “As for you two, the best I can do is a Death Match with Lenny the Litch in a year and six months from now.” She adds, "I can rig it so that you are severely hurt and not killed in the death match. How about it?"
 
Hondo rolls up his coat sleeve, “WHY I OUGHT TO...”
 
“Ought to what? Hit a little girl like me?” She acts out the little girl routine on him, changing to adult tone, “You would not survive the fall out that window if you tried.”
 
“Cool Heads, Hondo. Cool Heads...” Fernando tells him.
 
Hondo backs down and fumes in place.
 
“Look, Miss...” Fernando tells her.
 
“The names Ichigo. It means ‘strawberry’ or ‘number one position’ in Japanese. Take your pick.” She tells him.
 
“Alright, Miss Ichigo. We need to see him in immediately for he may have information about a missing member of our party.” Fernando tells her.
 
Ichigo laughs for the moment before turning all serious on them, “Lenny the Litch is a strong man with the brains of a gold fish. What, if any, information he has is forgotten by now.”
 
“We were sent here by somebody to get our party member back, and then your goons took us.” Fernando tells her.
 
“You were taken because you mentioned seeing Lenny the Litch. I’m tell you no one, absolutely no one sees Lenny the Litch. And like I said, whatever information he may have on your missing person he would have forgotten by now.” Ichigo tells him, adding, “You have no options in your search. Maybe you can go to the police and ask them for help. Price for a missing persons case starts at $20,000 in gold coins, and take 5 years before getting a report.”
 
“I’d rather do it myself like I was doing before your men interfered.” Fernando tells her, “Who runs this town and how do I get to see them?”
 
“Are you talking about Government or the real people running the show?” Ichigo asks, holding back her laughter. “Either way it’s going to cost you more money than I think you do not have.”
 
“You do not know how much money I have, and I am not letting on how much I have.” Fernando tells her, “Price is no object when it comes to saving a life, which is what we are trying to do.”
 
Ichigo leans back against her seat, putting her feet up on her desk crossed at the ankle, slightly spread open at the knees, giving Fernando a view of what her black silk and satin lace panties has to offer. She smiles, “Price is no object? Hmmm...” After a pause, "Only a few can back up those words. Thing is, can you?"
 
She leans forward, uncrossing her legs and opening them wide for the moment, showing all she has as she pulls her legs back under her desk. She flips through the pages in her book. As she goes through the pages, she says, “I hope you enjoyed the view. I usually do not give out such freebies, but you seem to have passed that test.”
 
Fernando tells her "My 13 year old daughter has more to offer than what you have shown."
 
"I bet she does..." Ichigo replies, suddenly looking up at him. “Tomorrow night I can put you three in a 3-way match with the Litch. Take it or leave it.”
 
“We’ll take it.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Good. It will be ‘Winner Takes All’ ‘Anything Goes’ Elimination Death Match. 10-million to 1 odds on any of you winning. I doubt James there will be of any help, as he’ll be the first one to be dragged out dead. Then it will be 3 against 2. But if you win, which I highly doubt, you’ll break the house.”
 
“I’ll put even money on that bet.” Fernando tells her.
 
“You’ll put down 10-million? You lose, then again you’d be too busy being dead to pay up.” Ichigo tells him.
 
“If I had 10-million to put down, I would. At 10-million to 1 odds, the returns would be...” Fernando begins to calculate the figures in his head.
 
“100-million-million. The collective world and all of their connected spirits do not have that kind of money.” Ichigo tells him.
 
“Fine by me. I’ll just take it out of your little ass on top of this desk, the cheap little hoe you are.” Fernando tells her, “I’ll put down a thousand, for a return of 10-billion when I win.”
 
“As highly unlikely that will be, if you win, it would break the house and the city. I seriously doubt you will win.”
 
“All I want is one thing, the information on who had Ms Valentine. If you can get her alive, better. That is all I care about.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Sounds like she’s your wife.” Ichigo replies.
 
“She’s a friend to me, but she is Hondo’s wife.” Fernando point to himself and then to Hondo, “So let me say this much, when you lost so much that you have nothing left to lose, you become a most dangerous thing to all those around you…” He pauses for a second, “We will get what we want or this town looses everything. Like Slave Town.”
 
“What do you know about Slave Town?” Ichigo asks.
 
“I’m the one who took it down, with a little help from my friend.” He tells her as he points to Hondo.
 
“Those blimps were flam’in.” Hondo replies.
 
“Besides the Lich, who will we be fighting?” Fernando asks.
 
“Hamburger Mel the Butcher; James lost in a fight against him last year. And Al the Arsonist. Anything goes, including weapons, except for firearms and blades. You win only if you kill your opponent, knocking them out cold does not preclude a win. They need to be dead.” Ichigo explains.
 
“We’ll do as we must. If in a rescue someone interferes with that rescue, then we have the kill those who interfere in order to complete the rescue.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Brave words for somebody who is about to die.” Ichigo tells him.
 
“If you can get us back out weapons, we will be on peacefully our way.” Fernando tells her.
 
Ichigo presses a button on her arm chair, “Where will you be to finalize the paperwork?”
 
Several well dressed men walk in, to which Ichigo nods to them as Fernando replies, “We will be at a large parking area with several other vehicles. Just come in and asks for me- Fernando or for Hondo. We will be there. ”
 
“Expect me to be there around noon. And be ready for tomorrow night’s match. Hope you have somebody to collect your bodies when the match is over.” Ichigo tells him as their weapons are returned to them.
 
“Hondo, James, let’s go.”  Fernando tells them.
 
Ichigo signals to the men to escort them out of the building.
 
The elevator gets crowded before it goes downstairs.
 
“I said we would leave peacefully...” Fernando tells them.
 
“We’re making sure you leave the building... peacefully.” One of the men in suits replies.
 
Once out of the elevator, the trio are guided to a side exit of the building.
 
“I still want a beer.” Hondo says.
 
“We’ll get one when we return to camp.” Fernando tells him as they begin their long walk.

As the sun rises shortly before 6AM, there is a knocking at a camper’s rear window. Under several layers of blankets, a body stirs from the knocking. It becomes louder, loud enough to wake up the one under the blankets. A sleepy head comes out from the blankets and looks at the window where the knocking was coming from.
 
“Zoe?”
 
The one on the outside turns the lever but it is locked, with a muffled voice saying “Open the door!”
 
An arm comes out from the blanket and search behind the mattress of the bed inside the camper until it reaches a latch. The latch is pulled on and the door pops open slightly. A pair of hands reaches under the door and pulls it upwards and the one outside crawls into the camper before it closes the door from the inside.
 
“Macey, why are you still asleep! It’s time to wake up and get dressed for breakfast!” Zoe tells her.
 
Macey crawls back under the blankets, “It’s cold.”
 
Zoe looks around, finding some of the clothing Macey wore he day before. She stuffs them under the blanket, “Get dressed, its warmer in my camper and food will be ready soon.”
 
There is a loud knock on the Camper’s side door. Zoe jumps off the bed and opens the Camper’s side door for she knew who was on the other side: Tonya.
 
“Is Macey awake yet?” Tonya loudly asks.
 
“She’s under the blankets getting dressed.” Zoe explains.
 
“Then she has 2 minutes to get to our camper for breakfast or she won’t get fed!” Tonya says loud enough for Macey to hear her before closing the door and going back to Hondo’s camper.
 
“Come’on Macey, hurry up!” Zoe complains.
 
Macey gets out of her blankets mostly dressed, “I’m almost done!” Looking around she sees Fernando is not around. “Where’s my father?”
 
“He and my dad went out on a mission last night, they have not returned yet.” Zoe explains.
 
Macey is not happy hearing that but decides to keep her protest silent. She might as well get ready for breakfast.
 
Getting out of bed Macey gets her socks and boots and thicker out layers. Meeshie decides to wake up and look at the two girls at what they were doing. She goes to Zoe and climbs on her lap. Macey gets onto the bench part of the bed to put on her socks and boots. She sees Meeshie on Zoe’s lap.
 
“Figures.” Macey complains.
 
“What?” Zoe asks.
 
“That cat will never like me.” Macey complains as she puts down her foot with the boot on it.
 
“I’m sure she will like you. You know how it is – respect is given, trust is earned.” Zoe explains.
 
“Yeah, whatever.” Macey says as she puts on the other boot. In a few seconds, she puts her foot down.
 
“You ready to go?” Zoe asks as she takes Meeshie off her lap.
 
“Yeah.” Macey replies.
 
“The lets go.” Zoe says as she gets up and opens the side camper door.
 
Meeshie manages to jump out of the bed and outside before Macey could. They walk to the rear of Hondo’s camper where Zoe opens the door and Meeshie jumps inside before anyone else got in. Macey enters before Zoe.
 
“We’re here!” Zoe says.
 
“I can see that.” Tonya complains as the girls take their seats at the dining table.
 
“Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew!” Kitty mews as Meeshie carries her into the kitchen area by the scruff of her neck.
 
Everyone looks at the cats before Tonya turning to the girls, “Either of you ladies brought in cat food?”
 
Macey and Zoe look at each other dumbfounded.
 
“Well, how about going back and get a can?” Tonya tells them.
 
“The camper’s lock.” Zoe says.
 
“Besides, she eats anything.” Macey says.
 
“If she’s like most cats and dogs, she’ll eat anything the master give her. We are not her master...” Tonya says, “Either way, I’ll start breakfast for us and see if she’ll take some cooked meat I’ll give her.”
 
“What you making?” Zoe asks.
 
“I’ll make some French toast with the meat from the leftovers.” Tonya says as she takes a giant chicken egg from the refrigerator. She finds a mixing bowl and a small electric mixer. She managed to break the egg without spilling it on the dining table. Her luck continues as she beats the egg with the electric mixer.
 
Tonya then heats up a frying pan and puts some of the egg into a smaller bowl, covering the larger bowl. She adds some sugar and cinnamon to the egg.  The slices of bread they had she gets dunked into the egg, and into the frying pan. In a few seconds, they get flipped over to cook the other side as she looks at the leftover meat from last night’s dinner. Any wessens who has been taught to cook meals can do extremely well with leftovers. Tonya has learned to be a master chef with leftovers.
 
French toast with slices of roast beast with gravy, a tasty breakfast to some, but Macey thinks it’s too yucky for breakfast and should be served for dinner. Tonya takes a small bowl and puts some meat and gravy in it, giving it to the cats. Meeshie sniffs it before she starts chewing on it and rips the meat into smaller pieces for Kitty. They both share in the kitty meal.
 
There is a knock on the camper door.

Tonya gives a plate of food to Denver, pointing to where she should sit down and eat at the small table.
 
Another knock on the door, Tonya goes to open it. It was Ruth with a large pot in her arms.
 
“How can I help?” Tonya asks.
 
“Since Val is not here, Joanna and I are going to feed Karl and the other wessens. I just need about 1 quart of milk and some of the Giant Chicken egg for their hot cereal. We’ll replace what is taken.” Ruth says.
 
“Oh come on in.” Tonya says before turning to the girls, “Zoe, Macey, if you are finished with breakfast, get up stairs and be scarce until I call for you again.”
 
“Let’s go...” Zoe says to Macey.
 
“I just want to go back to sleep...” Macey complains.
 
“We’ll see what happens when we get there.” Zoe says as they climb the ladder to the upstairs section of the camper. In a few seconds they disappeared upstairs.
 
Tonya takes the empty plates off the table scrapes the bits and pieces from the plate and puts them into the sink for washing later. Ruth puts her pot on the table before receiving the milk from Tonya.
 
“What’s left off the giant chicken egg is in that covered bowl.” Tonya explains.
 
“OK, thanks.” Ruth says as she empties out the quart of milk into the pot. She hands the empty quart of milk to Tonya, “Please fill that up with water? Thank you.” She then uncovers the bowl with the egg in it and nods. Taking the ladle from it, she pours 6 ladles full of egg into the pot. Tonya returns with the refilled quart bottle of water. “Pour the water in.” Ruth tells her.
 
“What are you making?” Tonya asks.
 
“Oatmeal with some egg for protein. It won’t make the wessens sick and give them the protein they need.” Ruth explains, “But first I have to beat this until smooth before putting it on the stove to cook. Got any fruit or sugar?”
 
“We got some left over fruit from the dinner and not a whole lot o sugar left.” Tonya says as she hands over the sugar bowl to Ruth.
 
“This will do, and the left over fruit too.” Ruth says as she pours half the sugar from the bowl into the pot. “Save the fruit to the very end. They will serve as a garnish for the oatmeal.” She begins to beat the contents of the pot with a large spoon she had inside. It takes her a couple minutes to beat it into a smooth slurry.
 
“This is ready to cook. 20 minutes top or until thick and bubbly, stir it occasional so it won’t stick to the bottom. I’m going to need some bowls and utensils for them to eat from.” Ruth explains. Then she asks, “Where can they eat?”
 
- - - -  
 
It is approaching 7o’clock in the morning as Fernando, Hondo and James return camp. Within their silence, they are communicating, at least Fernando and Hondo are. James is trying to make sense of what he was dragged into. Perhaps a hot breakfast will calm his nerves.
 
“James, continue ahead. Hondo and I are going to stop here for a moment.” Fernando tells him as they stop by the parking lot entrance.
 
James gives him a haunted look, like that of one would have walking to the gallows. In the least he nods before he continues on this his way. Fernando waits until he is out of hearing range to say something.
 
“Hondo?” Fernando calls to him. Hondo does not answer. Fernando calls to him again, “Hondo. I know you’re not the type to let you anger go one somebody who does not deserve it, but I want to know you will save all that negative energy for tomorrow’s fight.”
 
“Got it.” Hondo tells him.
 
“Seriously Hondo. Check your anger right here and now.” Fernando tells her.
 
“I am and I did.” Hondo snaps at him. But then he calms down, “I know there is a method to your madness, and if it were me, I’d put a collar around James’ neck and have him lead me to the Liches’ hang out would be. But at least you got us out of a trap – twice today, and the possibility of getting information to get and rescue Val from. That is better than nothing, all that worthless wessen has given us is nothing.”
 
“Hondo, don’t you think he is being misled like you and I? I can sense his body language, he acting as truthfully as either one are doing.” Fernando tells him. “I did not want to say it, but seeing his reaction to being a Death Match, he’s scared. So we need to fight as a team and protect him from permanent harm. Like it or not, I’ll take the Litch and hold him until you can get Hamburger Man and Fireman off James and then you two join in me ripping the Litch’s head off.”
 
Hondo takes a moment to answer, “I won’t do anything to upset or hurt anyone. I’m just going to take my whiskey and cigar and sit the whole day contemplating on killing somebody for someone I love.”
 
“I know you won’t, but take it a notch higher, spend the day with somebody you do love, then relax and let the day fall into place.” Fernando tells him.
 
Hondo just looks at Fernando for a moment, then nods before heading into the parking lot. Fernando waits a few seconds before following him into the parking lot and into their camp site where some have begun to cook breakfast.

James arrives at the Dub Box to literally cry. Hondo makes it to his camper a minute later. Fernando makes it to his camper a minute after that. Of the three, he is lucky in that he finds it empty.
 
Hondo steps inside his camper without knocking, finding it crowded with women milling about making something out of nothing. He steps in and makes his way to the rear of the camper.
 
“Fat…Err Hondo. Want anything to eat first?” Tonya asks.
 
“I’ll eat later. Right now I need some rest.” He tells her, pausing for a second.
 
“Well, Zoe and Macey are upstairs.” Tonya explains.
 
“As long as they keep the peace and are behaving, I do not care.” Hondo replies.
 
“OK then, laters.” Tonya says.
 
Hondo was about to turn upstairs but looks at Jeanette for a moment. Acting on an assumption, Jeanette volunteers information. "I'm not 100% certain; most likely, my other pair of glasses are either in the Beetle or the Dub Box."
 
“Yeah. Whatever.” Hondo says before going up the ladder to the upstairs section of the camper.
 
Zoe was a bit more cordial, “Daddy!” As she crawls over to him.
 
“SweetiePie, later. I need to rest up first.” He tells her.
 
“Oh. OK then. Laters.” Zoe replies before Hondo disappears in his partition and the privacy curtain slides across closed.
 
Hondo takes off his outermost layers and weapons before crawling on the bed and lies there midway between passing out and screaming.
 
Fernando closes up his camper as he takes off his outer layers and crawls under the blankets. He figures 3 or 4 hours will work fine for him and he’ll be up before 11 to deal with Ichigo at 12o’clock. Food is another matter for him to be dealt with later. With curtains drawn closed and his head under the blankets, it is dark as dark can be for him.

While everyone is looking at the two Jeanettes, Tonya asks Ruth, “I know you’re doing the oatmeal for the wessens, help me set up the table and chairs outside. In fact I think it is done.” She begins to gather some bowls, plastic glasses, utensils, bag of fruit, milk and juice.
 
“May the redeemer save us all, I sense Spirit work is at hand.” Ruth says as she turns off the stove where the oatmeal pot cooks on. She gathers up her towel she had at her waist and picks up pot by the handles with the towel.
 
Together they go outside between Hondo’s and Fernando’s camper on Hondo’s Camper’s passenger side. The tables are lifted up into place from the side of the camper and secured in place with their fasteners. Ruth begins to set up the bowls and tableware while Tonya gets the folded seats from the trailer behind the camper.
 
Seeing what is going on from Fernando Dub Box camper trailer, Molly points out the activity to James, and discuss what is going on before stepping outside. Marvin has La La, Li Li, Teri and Karl with him as they approach Hondo’s camper on the passenger side. He approaches Ruth with the other behind.
 
“Excuse Ms Ruth. Is there anything for a morning meal?” Marvin tries to say as politely as possible.
 
“I’m setting up some oatmeal for all of you to eat out here.” Ruth points to the pot, “I’m waiting for Tonya to return with some chairs.”
 
“Thank you Ms. Ruth. Thank you.” Marvin says to her, as Tonya returns with the chairs.
 
“Everybody grab a seat and hold on to them while Ms Ruth and I set up the bowls for you all.” Tonya tells them.
 
With the bowls and glasses set, Ruth fills the bowls with oatmeal and Tonya leaves the bag of fruit, and the bottles of milk and juice on the table by the truck’s quarter panel. Ruth signals to them to sit down and eat. Though the area can sit 5, Marvin and Karl’s larger size makes it a tight squeeze.
 
“Ms Ruth?” Molly calls out to her.
 
“Yes?” Ruth turns to see Red molly and James by Fernando’s Dub Box Camper. Then she realizes that like Tonya and Zoe, as Fox-Wessens they are Carnivore Wessens.
 
“I’ll take care of them, Ruth. You did more than enough here.” Tonya tells her.
 
“I’ll take the rest of the oatmeal for the boys and put away the rest. Milk, juice and fruit are on the table if you want it. Anyone wanting seconds can come over to my camper.” Ruth tells them.
 
Those sitting down and eating say “Thank you Ms. Ruth!”
 
“You two can wait out here, it’s a bit crowded in the camper right now.” Tonya tells Molly and James, “It should only take a couple minutes.” She then walks into Hondo’s camper to set up 3 meat omelet sandwiches for them to eat.