Greta Schwartz was born in Paraguay but nobody would taken her for South
American in any manner. Her Norse-Teutonic blood ran deep, pure and holy in
the Aryan mystique.
She was tall, firm and blond with deep fierce blue eyes as if she
sprang
from the North Sea, the living, breathing daughter of Odin himself. Her
stern, cold persona matched her hardened body.
She was the embodiment of the once-great Third Reich, prominent among
the
third-generation Nazis who were spread far and wide around the globe, torn
asunder by the fall of their magnificent leader but still clinging
passionately to his racist principles.
Nobody adhered to those principles more than Greta and deep in her cold
heart she lived for the day when a Fourth Reich would emerge, the mistakes of
the past would be erased and the Master Race would again take their place as
ruler of the earth.
Her grandfather would have been proud, a former S.S. officer who had
been
especially brutal, first to the Jews, Gypsys and Slavs before the war and
then prisoners, spies and the resistance during the war. He had escaped in
the end and fled to Paraguay with many others where the hopes and dreams of
the National Socialists were kept alive amid the peasants and farmers of that
alien land.
Greta's parents were shopkeepers, preferring to forget the past and
hoping to forge a new life for them in their family. Other children followed
their path but not Greta. She worshipped at the knee of her grandfather,
learned the secrets of the past and plotted the course of the future.
When she reached womanhood, she was ready and she rose steadily through
the ranks of power as she strove to unite the various factions into one
unified force of true National Socialism. She was strong and passionate,
mighty among men, weilding great power.
They called her Lady Valkyrie.
Now she sat in a Boise hotel suite, staring across the table at Tim
Sharpe, the squinted red-neck who had become a powerful force in the American
Racist Movement.
""What I wanna know hun is if you can deliver the bucks,''
Sharpe said.
""Mr. Sharpe,'' Lady Valkyrie said. ""The money is
ready. It is there.
What my people want to know is if you have the intelligence, the manpower and
the sheer audacity to pull off something of this magnitude.'
""Honey...you can bet your shiny little boots we can,''
Sharpe said.
""Don't you worry nuthin about that.''
""For this kind of money, I can assure you that we are
concerned about
you proficiency,''
Lady Valkyrie loathed Tim Sharpe.
""Hun....''
""It's Lady to you Mr. Sharpe,'' Lady Valyrie snapped
harshly, glaring at
him with her blue eyes blazing.
""As I was saying, Lady,'' Sharpe said curtly.
""We've been burning
churches and blowing things up long before your Furrer ever marched into
Pollack Land.''
""Failure, Mr. Sharpe, is not an option.''
""I understand. When do we get the money.''
""One week. We will meet in Las Vegas. The money will be
delivered to our
bank there. There the exchange will be made. But I want the exact plans, down
to the detail, delivered to me before hand. I demand right of final approval
of everything.''
Sharpe eyed the icy stunning blond across the table. Her eyes continued
to pierce him like daggers.
This is one mean Nazi bitch, he thought.
Lady Valkyrie also had private thoughts going through her mind.
When this is over, Mr. Sharpe, you will die like the rest of the Muds.
********
Normally Frank Marchetti immensely enjoyed the view from his
spectacular
penthouse apartment. He could sit in an oversized chair, smoke a thick Cuban
cigar and look down upon the Vegas Strip, the neon lights ablaze morning,
noon and night.
It gave him a feeling of power and power was exactly what he had.
But today the view wasn't quite as spectacular or enjoyable because
Marchetti knew he could lose it. He swore and cursed and hoped those two
goons roasted in hell.
$1.2 million.
Gone.
And Marchetti knew he was the one responsible.
It didn't matter if he was the Godfather of Las Vegas, the powerful
head
of the mafia that controlled the darker aspects of Sin City. The missing $1.2
million represented sizeable revenue and investment from his many
""associates'' and they would be wondering how it would be made up.
Plus it was his idea to stash the money in the bank up in Rattlesnake
Bend. Many had objected, told him it was a crazy idea. But it had served it's
purpose for many years...up until now.
$1.2 million gone and it need to be found. There were only a couple of
days. $750,000 was earmarked for a drug shipment arriving from Peru in two
days.The bitches who robbed his bank had only left about $200,000. It would
be difficult to scrape up the rest of the money.
It could be done, but the he would have to answer many questions about
the robbery.
The robbery.
He couldn't believe the story. The deputies locked in the cell. Vito
and
Joey dead. The sedan missing. And $1.2 million gone.
Marchetti believed he knew the answer. Devil's Dungeon. He was certain
the crooks were among the sadistic whores who worked there. They had all been
questioned but they all either had air-tight alibis or were home sleeping
that morning.
He wanted to beat the truth out of them. He wanted to kill them one by
one until somebody confessed. But that wasn't like him.
He still believed himself to be a businessman. Violence and brutality
were for others. There was no doubt he'd had a few heads brought to him in
his day and had a few legs broken.
But his spectacular rise through the ranks of the mafia were more on
cunning and guile. He was one of the few mafiaoso who could be considered
smart. He had as much or more in real estate and other legitimate investments
as he had in drugs, prostitution and racketeering.
There was no doubt though, if he ever found out who stole that money,
they would be dead. But first he had to find the money.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He didn't turn
around, he didn't say a word. He simply stared at the view below and waited
until Alfonzo entered the room.
""There are two girls here to see you,''' Alfonzo announced.
""What do they want?'' Marchetti asked.
""They say they know who robbed the bank at Rattlesnake
Bend,''
Marchetti turned around slowly and looked at Alfonzo hard.
""They do?''
""Yes sir.''
""And you believe them?''
""Are we not desperate?''
Marchetti smiled, ever so slightly as he looked at his bodyguard,
chauffeur, aide-de-camp, trusted confidante. He was big, maybe even obese,
but also strong as a bull and quick on the uptake in his own simple way.
Deadly, but no thug, Alfonzo could think for himself without having
everything spelled out.
He should have been on watch at Rattlesnake Bend, Marchetti thought.
But
Alfonzo was rarely farther than the next room unless on an urgent errand as
Marchetti's personal emissary.
When Alfonzo talked, Marchetti was speaking.
Alfonzo turned, held the door open and nodded. Two girls entered the
room. Marchetti did a double-take.
The taller girl was older, maybe a year or so. And harder. Much harder.
A
beautiful body, accented by the leather lacket and tight jeans and the chic
leather boots. The hair was dirty blond, coiffed so that it curled around the
shoulders.
But the face...tough and mean in a sexy way. The dark eyes smoldered,
the
lips were grim. A whore? thought Marchetti. No. With her, whatever she was,
went deeper than that. It was clear she was unafraid and not intimidated with
the Godfather of Las Vegas.
Marchetti, who had dealt with criminals on all levels, knew this scene
would be played out on equal terms.
The shorter, younger girl seemed out of place here. Strawberry blonde
and
cute, twinkling blue eyes. Marchetti wondered why she wasn't wearing a
cheerleader outfit instead of the black jeans and lavender tank-top.
""Who are you?'' Marchetti asked.
The older girl did the talking.
""Friends.''
Marchetti lowered his eyes.
""Alfonzo said you know who robbed the bank at Rattlesnake
Bend...''
""We do.''
Marchetti stared intently.
""Who?''
""Us.''
Marchetti was silent for a moment, trying to gain a perspective. Did
they
not know they were messing with mob money and now were here to plead for
their lives?
""You robbed the bank...you two.''
The two girls nodded.
Marchetti looked out the window for a moment, then stared at the girls
again.
""I take it you did not know whose money you were stealing
then.''
The older girl looked at him hard.
""We did. We knew exactly who we were stealing from.''
""I see,'' Marchetti said. ""And this did not scare
you?''
""Not at all.''
""Where is the money,''
""It is safe.''
""All of it.''
The girl nodded.
""You must understand I want it back....immediately.''
""Of course.''
""And you will return it?''
""Of course.''
Marchetti looked at the girls some more. He knew then they both had ice
water flowing through their veins. They had not stammered, they had not
hesitated. The answered as if they knew the questions even before they were
asked.
""You two....you shot my men...Joey and Vito?''
Again they nodded solemnly.
""I find this hard to believe.''
""Did you see their bodies in the desert?''
Marchetti nodded.
""You murdered them?''
""It could be said that it was self-defense, but let's not
bickering over
the wording.''
Marchetti smiled...ever so slightly.
""And I can have you killed right now.''
""No...I don't so..you'd never see your money again.''
Marchetti knew that to be true.
""You want something in return for the money?''
""Yes.''
""All right, let's have it.''
""Inside information....support.....and a way to dump stolen
goods.''
Marchetti looked at these girls harder than ever.
""Information and support for what?''
""Jobs...heists...robberies. We can pull it off, we just need
someone who
knows the right places to hit, when to do it. Someone who can help us. And
someone who can help us let rid of the loot.''
Marchetti was 50. He had been in the mafia for 30 years. He hadn't seen
the inside of a jail for 25. He was well-known throughout the country.
The only female criminals he had known were prostitutes, druggies and
petty theives. He had heard of the Legend of LynnRobber but dismissed it as
fantasy. This was new for him. But the Rattlesnake Bend job had been
professional. They knew it was mafia money. They had overpowered the
sheriffs. They had killed two thugs.
He was intrigued.
""What do I get out of this?'' he asked.
""Ten percent of every job.''
""Twenty-five.''
The older girl nodded.
""Fine.''
""And the money from Rattlesnake Bend.''
""Of course.''
Marchetti stared out the window.
""You killed two of my men.''
The older girl had pulled out a cigarette. Cooly she lit it and blew
the
smoke directly at the Godfather of Las Vegas.
""Do you give a shit?''
Marchetti laughed.
""Not at all.''
""Then do we have a deal?''
Marchetti stared at them for a long time. Neither girl looked away.
Instead they stared straight at him, not flinching, not twitching, not moving
a muscle.
""We have a deal....when I get my money.''
""We will take Alfonzo to it right now.''
""And you don't think he will kill you when you give it to
him.''
Again the girl looked at him hard.
""It would be foolish and you are not a fool.''
Marchetti smiled. This women, this girl, had been sent from the Devil
himself.
""Then it's a deal.''
The older girl smiled.
""Good.''
""By the way....what are your names.''
""I am Catwoman...and she is Angelique. The Angel of Death.''
*******
Marchetti could see many hotels from his penthouse apartment. In a
suite
in one of those., Lady Valkyrie welcomed an important visitor. They sipped
cognac and talked long into the night.
""Are you well, Reichmarshall?'' Lady Valkryie asked.
""I am well my dear for an old man,'' he said.
He was 75 and balding, two bad knees and a left hand that was missing a
finger, the product of frostbite from the nightmare in the snow, the endless
agonizing retreat from Moscow so many years ago.
""So what do you think,'' Lady Valkyrie asked.
""My dear, $15 million is a lot of money,'' the Reichmarshall
replied.
""Are you sure they are trustworthy.''
""They are pigs Reichmarshal,'' Lady Valkyrie said.
""But RAHOWA must
begin.''
The Reichmarshal sighed and closed his eyes.
""It started many long years ago my dear, long before you
were born,'' he
said.
""Then it is time to achieve victory, do you not think.''
""I stopped hoping for victory a long time ago.''
""But you fight on. Why?''
""Because it is in my blood my dear. As it is in your blood
and your
grandfather's blood.''
""And in my blood and in my heart, I still believe victory
can be
achieved.''
""How....with $15 million.''
""America is ready for racist holy war. There are over 500
racist, Aryan,
neo-Nazi and KKK groups spread out across the country. If we can ignite their
passion and unite their forces, than the tide will be reversed.''
""And then?''
""War will break out in the American streets. Racial war. The
Jews will
be obliterated...the blacks subjugated....the Hispanics sent back to their
holes...America will emerge stronger, whiter and more sympathetic with the
neo-Nazi causes being stirred in Europe.''
The Reichmarshal looked at the young lady sitting across the room. A
lioness among men, he thought, a princess warrior who was born 1,000 years
too late. She should have been leading Viking raids across the North Sea.
""It is but a dream, don't you think.''
""What was American independence or German unification.''
The Reichmarshal nodded. It only takes a leader, he thought, just as he
had 60 years ago. If only Lady Valkyrie were a man. Such a man with her
passion, strength and charisma could truly be the Fuehrer of the Fourth Reich.
""Then I have your approval,'' she asked.
He rosed, walked across the room and placed a kiss on her forehead.
******
Catwoman looked at the bottles of liquor piled to the ceiling.
If there were a time to start drinking, it would be now, she thought.
She felt the sweat of her palms mesh with the black leather of her
gloves. She looked at her watch.
8:25.
""Five more minutes,'' she whispered.
Angelique nodded, and pulled her black leather jacket ever tighter
around
her shoulders. Her 44 auto mag gleamed against the black leather of her
gloves.
She took a drag from her cigarette and then saw Catwoman hold out her
leathered hand. She handed her partner in crime the cigarette and watch her
ruby-red lips take a deep drag. The smoke wafted out nicely.
She peered out the back door of the liquor store.
""The alley is empty,'' she whispered, before taking another
drag of the
cigarette and handing it back to Angelique.
Angelique pressed her body against Catwoman's and wrapped her arms
around
her, her hands softly caressing her partner's body. She could feel both the
tenseness and anticipation of excitement.
Angelique could feel it too. The robbery had been perfectly planned.
She
had no doubts their latest heist would go off without a hitch.
""Two minutes,'' Catwoman hissed, ""Put on the
masks.''
Angelique nodded and placed the gas mask on her face, tightening the
strap in back. She watched Catwoman do the same, her dark sinister eyes
glowering behind the mask.
""Ready?'' Catwoman asked.
Angelique smiled and nodded.
Catwoman looked out again from Frank Marchetti's liquor store to the
back
door of the jewelry store across the alley. She saw a figure turn into the
alley and she closed the door.
""He's coming,'' she said.
Angelique smiled.
""You have the tear gas?''
Angelique nodded and patted a pocket in her black leather jacket.
Catwoman smiled behind the gas mask and raised her gun, resting it
against her nose ever so slightly. She heard the footsteps and then a knock
on the door across the way.
""NOW!!!'' she hissed
The two criminals were out the door in a flash and across the alley.
They
had the jewelry store manager covered in a hurry. Angelique pointed her gun
right at his head and pressed it against the temple.
""Do as we say or you die,'' Catwoman said.
The man nodded, his eyes bulging in fear.
Catwoman felt her heart pound as she waited for the door to open.
The guard that opened it, saw the manager.He said the ladies too late.
Catwoman had her gun pointed right at his forehead.
""Freeze motherfucker,'' she snapped.
The guard rooted in horror. Angelique shoved the manager inside, closed
the door and relieved the guard of his gun.
""Do exactly as I say or nobody will get hurt,'' Catwoman
said, the gun
still pointing at the guard's head.
They were in a hallway leading to the main store. It wouldn't open for
30
minutes. Catwoman knew three clerks were getting ready for business. They
moved quietly down the hallway. They passed the manager's office on the right.
To the left was the vault. It was open. Catwoman glanced in and saw
diamonds, emeralds, rubies and more glittering in the dim light. Her heart
pounded.
They reached the main store. They shoved the two men into the store and
Angelique grabbed the tear gas canister.
""EVERYBODY FREEZE,'' Catwoman yelled. ""THIS IS A
ROBBERY!!! NOBODY
BETTER MOVE.''
The three clerks stood in their tracks, their shaking arms slowly
rising
in the air. Then Angelique pulled the pin on the canister and rolled it into
the room. The gas spread slowly and the clerks started coughing.
""EVERYBODY ON THE FLOOR!!!'' Catwoman screammed.
""GET THE FUCK DOWN
NOW!!!!!''
Gaping, hacking and choking, the three women heeded the command. The
manager did too. The guard hacked and coughed but was slow. Angelique's boot
caught him right in the crotch and he doubled over in pain. She shoved him to
the floor and was on him in an instant.
""MOTHERFUCKER,'' Angelique said. ""You give me
anymore trouble and I'll
blow your fucking head off.''
She shoved the 44 against his left cheek.
""Understand???''
The man nodded and buried his face in the floor. Angelique looked up.
Behind the gas mask, Catwoman had a smile on her face and a gleam in her eye.
""Let's rob this fucking place,'' Catwoman said.
""Right, you get the vault, I'll get the showcases.''
Catwoman nodded. Angelique pulled out a bag and got to work. The ring
case held over 40 rings of various shapes and precious gems. Angelique's
greedy leathered hands reached down and snatched them all, throwing them
quickly into the bag.
Her heart pounded. Criminal greed pulsated through he body. She worked
the necklace case quickly, stealing at least a dozen valued over $1,000.
She saw a clerk - coughing and choking -trying to get up, her spasmodic
body wracking in pain from the tear gas. Angelique walked over, put her boot
on her butt and shoved her to the floor.
""Get the fuck down bitch,'' she yelled.
Inside the vault, Catwoman was busy.Her black leathered hands worked
quickly snatching piles of uncut diamonds. There were rubies, emeralds, pearl
necklaces. Catwoman's blood boiled as she grabbed it all, the thrill of the
crime streaking through her mind. Her breath came in rushes. The bag became
heavier with each pile that she stole.
She felt the sweat trickle down the sides of her face,seeping under the
tight gas mask pressed against her flesh. She stole everything she could get
her hands out until.
Angelique grabbed her from behind.
""C'mon, it's time,'' she said.
Catwoman looked at her, then looked back at the vault. There was more
to
steal, more gems sitting in piles waiting to be plundered.
""C'mon damn it,you said five minutes, no more,''' Angelique
said.
Catwoman hesitated, then nodded.
They clutched their bags, raced down the hallway, flung open the back
door and.....
There was Alfonzo, tall and menacing, a crow bar raised above his head.
Catwoman was shocked and she hesitated for two brief seconds while
trying
to grasp the unexpected.
But Alfonzo just stood there. Catwoman waited for the crowbar to come
crashing on her head. It didn't and she recovered.
""Drop it mother fucker,''' she said.
""Bullshit,'' Alfonzo said. ""Get in the car. Hurry
up!!''
Catwoman looked behind Alfonzo and there was a black sedan with the
motor
running.
""Hurry up!!''
Catwoman recovered.
""Let's go Angel,'' she snapped.
Catwoman and Angelique dove into the back seat. Catwoman looked back
and
saw Alfonzo jam the crowbar into the door, wedging it shut. Then he jumped
into the driver's seat and slowly headed down the alley and out into the
streets.
Catwoman took off her mask. She was still breathing heavily. Angelique
did the same. She smiled....
""We fucking did it again!!!''' she squealed.
Catwoman smiled and lit a cigarette.
""Fucking Alfonzo scared the shit out of me,'' she said.
Angelique grabbed Catwoman's bag and looked inside. The loot dazzled
her.
""Omigod,'' she said, her black leathered gloves reaching
into the bag
and fondling the jewels. ""We fucking struck it rich.''
Catwoman smiled and took another drag off the cigarette. Angelique lit
one herself.
""What a rush,'' Angelique said.
""Still like this life of crime my love,'' Catwoman said.
""Forever,'' Angelique said. ""Especially with you.
Angelique took a drag off her cigarette.
""I doubt there's a more dangerous woman in the world than
you.''
TO BE CONTINUED