A Gray Girl Has an Encounter With the Underworld....Collision course!

Theyr'e all men, by the way. Mean looking, too.... Low level Mafia types, it appears...

But for them this is a . . . . well, it is not exactly a job sanctioned by their Boss, if you catch the meaning. They would argue that they have to make ends meet “whilst the headmen have other things on their mind”. Basically, these goons are out to make a little bit of extra “dough”.

These are the types of men who are strong on muscle, but a bit weak in mind. What might be described as “grunts” if they were attached to a military organization. Low grade ones at that which are never to do well if left unattended. Yeah, grunts are what they’d be called (if one is willing to be generous), but they aren’t in the armed forces so they go by different names in this “other” organization. But goons are the best term for our needs today so never mind about other names, okay?

The goons here (some who Stephen King would describe as being dim in the analogy “If dynamite was brains, they couldn’t blow their own noses) looking to score some cash reward from some strangers who’d recently muscled into their Family’s territory. Odd group, them. One of them swears up and down he saw one of these strangers had olive colored skin (an inhuman quality), but most dismissed those claims as too much imbibing of the spirits. Olive skin or not, these other “foot soldiers” seemed to work for another Organization (probably another Family trying to muscle into the action here about). Bad enough, but so far they seemed only interested in staking out certain areas of the city! The dark areas, really…. Had been at it for about a month now and some whispers, if the goons had the brains to have try to overhear while their “bosses” were in meetings with superiors, said “government”. But frankly, the goons somehow felt that while these other . . . Some called them Low Men (“Low” as in dangerous in the Dickensonian meaning, if the goons bothered to research the terms origin). Others called them “Regulators”. While odd, they didn’t have the stench of “government” (i.e. police) to them. Oh, something really OFF, but not government.

Note: "Low Men"/"Regulators" are yellow-jacketed men--monsters from King's Dark Tower novels who take over the shady part of town in the story: Heart in Atlantis. Unlike in that novel, it seems that these monsters in human form seemed to have sidestepped some palms that needed greasing. Stepped on a few toes and alienated their usual tools, the Underworld types. They're still in business, here in New York, but they'd made enemies on the way.... At least for some within the present Mafia Family here about.... Not so for some of the lower order types, you dig?

They'd paid good money for information, they heard. Heard that these Low Men (who sported yellow coats and hats with feathers in them for some odd reason, outta style) were looking for a . . . run away. A young girl they wanted . . . . to take into custody.

Note: the Low Men had time to prepare for the arrival of Aeryn-Pip, but had made contingencies for her getting "lost". Their superiors sometimes had the oddest sense of humor. It was a humor that they could do without, really. Instead of just plunking down the quarry in an agreed upon spot, they'd plunk them down elsewhere and then the damn chase was on! Always on. Not that the Low Men, with mustard colored jackets and red eye sigils pinned onto their right lapels. Oh, they liked the chases, but sometimes it was just . . . excessive. Oh well, theirs was not to reason why but to do their job... They just hoped to . . . whatever alien mindsets believed in.... that this "gray girl" got located and bagged for safe keeping before she somehow managed to jumpstart this level of the Tower's space program and slip off into space, making the Low Men's job all the harder...!

What exactly the Low Men wanted with this girl the goons couldn't give two figs, really. Times were right now they needed some money to make ends meet and, BOY, wouldn't these Low Men really pay good money if they did the legwork. If they scoop up this young woman and deliver her to them, "personal like".

So when one of them spotted a young woman who'd checked into a hotel which they frequented from time to time to . . . utilize a room for a lady friend they'd picked up earlier.

Well, you get the idea, right?

Where the Low Men--angered at having somehow lost track of their quarry just moments after their superiors (one Randal Flagg) had dropped her off (Aeryn-Pip had a ways of disappearing)--failed, fortune had smiled on simpletons. The goons had found what the Low Men had been tasked to find (and had lost track of) and now planned on hauling her away to meet the Low Men!

See, as a contingency plan (just for these kinds of situations) when ordinary assets fail, sometimes the locals come in handy. In the end, even IF a bounty was paid, wouldn't matter one jot of piss. After all, if the Low Men and their faction had their way, the Tower would fall and....

Nothing on the mortal planes would be ever the same, you dig? Point in fact, it would be THE END! Nothing but ashes, ashes, we all fall down! Nothing but a burnt out ruins and something very akin to the Christian version of hell for the victims, some within the Faction hoped.

Nevermind, doesn't matter. After all, in the end this Faction HAD failed and Flagg's head put up on a pike! But . . . you got to remember when time travel is involved (something that can happen when one travels through the right Doors that are somehow connected to the Dark Tower)....

Right now, the Champions are in the middle of things. They know this, of course, just not the full details....nor how serious this might get!

But, on the other hand, they know damn well that this Earth mirrors almost perfectly King's novels. Meaning that somewhere in the shadows, as what is just usual Stephen King fair, the monsters lurk. The kind of monsters that are all the more jarring because they exist in places that usually are so . . . normal.

Hard to explain, but if you've read anything by King you might understand.

So, right now, three of four groups of factions are in play. The fourth we'll get into later (so be warned). One the Low Men, who'd been contacted, where driving one of their cars to a designated spot. A corner where a still struggling TV repair/retail shop was located. Another is the group of goons, dragging along a still struggling (and biting) Aeryn- Pip, to the meet in their own vehicle. The third?

And right now the Champions, having haled a taxi (and endured the famous driving skills of your average New York Taxi driver, an experience that Chiana will NEVER forget)....are now in the shadowy part of town!

After other senses of smell fail due to some of the more exotic (and foul) odors, Inquirer had stepped in with her tricorder, usual whirring sounds on mute. With it (now disguised as a fashionable purse), she and the others haled taxis (needed several for this large group). Paying extra for each taxi to keep up with the head taxi (which Inquirer and the Doctor occupied) the travelers drive deep into the bowels of the city, taking much less time to travel the distance than Aeryn-Pip did by foot!

Despite warnings the cabbie made about this part of town, they'd been let out. Now, on foot they were. Mostly to quietly discuss the next course of action. Also, they wanted to get the lay of the land. See with their own eyes possible hiding spots and escape routes that Aeryn-Pip might try to use in a flee attempt if things should go south. It was a quick walk around the block before going back to case the hotel itself.

See, the Champions were not born yesterday. Chiana herself had said that Aeryn-Pip might not go easily. Might get spooked and run before the Champions could reason with her (and collect her for safe keeping). Aeryn- Pip might flee for her life, despite Chiana being there assuring her otherwise. The Nebari woman sometimes can have trouble trusting people, you know...

This little jaunt was just making plans for the worst. That's all. The "experts" in the group (read Inquirer, the elves, and Chiana) were just looking around for possible bolt holes that Aeryn-Pip might try in case she was being ran after by the Champions.

Got it? Good.

Well, unfortunately the goons got to Aeryn-Pip first like we already know (but the Champions do NOT). They'd been in route to the meet point, a block or so away when...the FOURTH group goes into play. Seems that the hotel manager rather objected to the damage done to one of his rooms. After all, the goons were IN the employment of those he paid "protection money", but they go ahead and do THIS?! Right on the VERY day he's going to make the latest installment to none other than that big, dumb . . . Well, actually the "manager" who's coming along with his "gentlemen" really wasn't DUMB, but he sure looked like a caveman!

So complaints are made and it was a DUTY for "Double Ugly" to look into it! Which in turn is quickly handled by some "gentlemen" who are able to block the goon's car in route. Especially after something catches the lookout's eye!!

Of the goons, some have noticed that their girl seems to have some odd things about her. A twitching defiance. A . . . unusual skin coloration under all that makeup AND one goon nearly shats himself when the "toy raygun" he's playing with shoots a blob of light right through the car ceiling....

But that's not really important for the moment.

Let's concentrate on what's happening a block away.....at that meeting point!

The Champions are overdressed for this part of town, but somehow the "air of menace" that some give off to any would be muggers keeps the other Champions safe (for the moment). The group had paused, shocked, when something playing on a TV display case catches their eye.

1. Yeah, the TV repair/retail store the Low Men are heading towards....

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