"Gila's hidden in the inner city." Lou guided them through a maze of alleys. "Only retired labourers and penniless people live in Li'l Earth." She paused. A strong fetor hit them. "Huh, maybe someone's been dead for days and nobody noticed it," Lou said. "They remove a corpse almost every day. People here mind their own business, that's why Gila's hidden here," she offered apologetically. "Perhaps they go too far with that!" Lee groaned. "There! Second floor." Lou whispered pointing at an old house whose windows glowed with a dim light. JS stopped the car behind the corner and watched the streets and the house. The street was grimy and some houses were derelict and boarded up. Piles of rubble surrounded by wire fencing marked the spots where once condos stood up. Some palm-like rusted trees here and there dotted the dusty crowded emptiness like vinos wandering around a liquor store. Yet, around the diehard condos the hurly-burly of the inner city reigned. "How many entrances?" JS asked. "One," Lou gestured. JS sighed and motioned to follow him into a deserted house with a view. Inside, near the window overlooking Gila's refuge there was garbage from previous stakeouts. After dark the street went pitchy since most lamps were busted. Behind the curtains stiffened with dust, they watched people enjoying the breeze, sitting at the fast food tables, moving to-and-fro. When Babel-5's two moons rose Li'l Earth shone like a ragged nickel dream. The bustle was continuous. A car arrived and stood in the shadows a few meters from a pizzeria just in front of Gila's house. A prowl car showed up and parked in a dark alley nearby from where the cops could cover the whole area. "Did they follow us?" Lou asked. "Nay, the hitman is here to terminate you," JS said. "Those cops on the payroll have to be sure everything goes smoothly." JS gave his jacket and a gun to Eve: "Go to Gila's. Lee, take care of her. Don't move until I call you." "And you?" Eve asked. "I wipe out the gunman." While the others entered Gila's house, JS felt the killer and the two policemen relax: "We do away with them all when everybody goes to bed." They radioed. JS grinned, pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up and went out. He rounded the block and came out behind the killer's car, joining a group of foxed youths. He felt Eve watching the car and the street behind the window. Laughter and chatter weren't so loud. So stealth won over stopping power, and JS opted for a subsonic round. He was going for a killing not for a gunfight. Near the car, JS tripped a guy up. The sot hit the car, puked over the hood and went away groggily. Feigning he was excusing, JS leaned over the car window and shot the goon right in his heart. Eve barely glimpsed the flash of the muzzle. JS stood by the window, moving like he was telling a joke, his left hand zipping the dead man's jacket up. "Is he crazy?" Lee cried, "the cops can discover him!" After some time JS sauntered away waving as old friends do, and joined the merry brigade again. He entered a brewpub with the others but slipped out from the back door, then went around the block, arriving as a predator behind the police car and struck the cops dead. The road went on enjoying its nightlife in a relaxed way, unaware of the drama. "Eve, can Gila walk?" JS mind-asked. "Just a few steps." Eve said. "Tell Lee to feign Gila's doped. Go down quickly." When they reached him, JS had already put the corpse on the back seat of the car. Lee tried to help Gila to get into the car but she started to writhe: "Who're you? Don't torture me. My face ... It hurts." "Sh, Gila. It's me, JS." he said scanning the street. "You! JS tell EVIL I did exactly what they ordered." Gila prayed. "The orcs kidnapped the Rogue. Mia and me, we just doped him, I swear!" "Keep cool, Gila, you're safe now!" JS whispered. "Eve, go to our car, we're coming with this one." -- Thanks!