Chapter 2: Heavy Metal

Really heavy, astonishingly heavy. 'If this isn't lead, there's only two or three things this could be. Gold, Iridium, Palladium or Platinum. OK, four things, ' I thought.

Wendy came in from the front, 'Wow, she's really cute.' "What do we do next?" I asked her.

"Grandfather said to go upstairs and take the fire-escape to the alley." Wendy sniffled, "I'm worried about him, he's all I've got. My parents were murdered in their beds two years ago. Whoever did it shot them in the head and burned the house down around their bodies. The fire was so hot it melted the bullets. I wasn't home or I'd be dead too. My first slumber party saved my life."

She went upstairs, through the immaculate combination living room, dining room, kitchen and out the heavily barred kitchen door.

The fire-escape was more of a woven iron lattice work patio than a standard single width fire-escape balcony with steep stairs and a sliding ladder. This one was a good twenty feet deep and stretched the whole width of the building. There were several lounge chairs, some potted plants and a couple of glass topped tables with umbrella shades. The stairs were spiral. Very pretty considering the mess of the back room workshop. There was a nice Bugatti Bella Figura Type 57 Coupe parked under the patio. (I didn't know it was a Bugatti. I found that out later.) The gate at the bottom of the stairs looked new. It opened with a push but slammed shut and locked once we were out.

"Oh, I forgot my key, I need to go around front and get it," Wendy said.

"Your Grandfather told me to take you and don't come back," I said. "He was very positive about that. We're to go to the park by the river at the end of Genesse. I'd like to get on with it. This box is heavy."

"Where did you get the box?" Wendy asked.

"From the safe," I answered.

"Grandfather told me the safe was empty when he bought the building. It was closed and he didn't have the combination," she replied. She put her hands on her hips and stuck out her chin. "What's going on? What's in the box?"

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know what's in the box. He gave me a yellowed paper with numbers on it, handed me the key I have in my pocket and told me to open the safe, take the box and you, and go to the park to open the box ... and don't come back." I explained, a little exasperated, "I think it's important that we do what he said, besides, the library is a half a block from there and I want to check out some books."

Wendy's eyes got really big and she was looking over my shoulder.

I slowly turned around. Three guys, with the look of junior high bullies. 'Shit!'

"Yeah, book worm," said the biggest guy. "What's in the box?"

"Hi, Blondie," said the guy in the leather motorcycle jacket. "I told you I was going to see you soon."

The third guy said, "Charlie, never mind the girl. Get the box."

I am the wimpiest of wimps, 90 pounds of quivering fear. The Cowardly Lion has nothing on me ... I'll bet the lion punk could take me. Beach bullies kick sand in my sandwich and I still eat it. BUT NOT THIS TIME!

This time there was a mission involved, a secretive mission ... with a blonde goddess and a magic box ... the box I was carrying ... not her box ... although I'll bet hers is pretty magical...

Where in the Holy Hell did that come from? My voice hasn't even changed yet.

I seemed to grow out of myself ... This was My chick and I was going to do my possible to keep her safe. I was ready ... No. Wait. All three of them are in trash cans? Leather jacket has four really deep scratches on his cheek ... he's bleeding like crazy. What the hell? She's dusting off her hands and grinning. Aaaarrrggghhh. Whodathunkit? Ah, well, back to being 90 pounds of quivering fear.

"Charlie, I told you to keep away from me." She said to the bleeder, "I told you you'd regret it."

"Hey, big guy," I said. "You should put something on that eye ... it's going to be a beaut."