Lainy continued to walk down the odiferous, debris filled alley, to come out on the far side of the building. She peeked cautiously around the corner to see men streaming around the adjacent building and forcibly entering the gun stores rear entrance. She strode out of the alley turning her back on the commotion two blocks down, entered through a back door and climbed a set of stairs, to the 6th story roof. From there Lainy just had to hop from roof to roof where no one could see her.

After ten minutes she once again returned to the ground level, confident she wasn't being followed,  and found a inconspicuous coffee shop. Lainy sat down after ordering a black coffee. "Fuck, the hell is going on here?" She said, rubbing her temples to ward off an oncoming headache.

She slid her rebreather down around he neck to rest under her chin. Lainy placed her hand on the table, palm down, knuckles skinned and a faint chrome glimmer emanated from the scrapped skin. She rested two fingers on her forearm. "Call Julissa." She stated, an image of her ex-girlfriend appeared on the table top and she heard a tuneless tone sound once, twice..

"What!" The sweet, slightly southern accented voice exclaimed.

"Jules baby, how's it hangin?" Lainy chimed, sounding unconvincing in her attempt at cool detachment. "How's it hangin?" She groaned inwardly and thought, "who the fuck says that?" Cursing herself.

"Don't Jules baby me whore. You still owe me a new copy-cat." Julissa sounded pissed.

"Ok,ok I know. I love you too, but listen, I'm in trouble and need a place for to chill for a bit." She cursed again silently realising she sounded very suspicious, but hoped that might work to her advantage.

"N...no." A slight hitch in her voice made Lainy optimistic.

"I'm serious, some shit...." she didn't finish because she heard the unmistakable hum of a charging P.C.G. come from behind. Lainy stood and turned to see a man standing there pointing a plasma charge gun at her mid section, the chair she sat in, now between them.

Without waiting to see what he wanted, she kicked the chair striking him in both knees and doubling him over. Lainy pulled out her golden glock placed it against the top of his now down turned skull and squeezed the trigger. The sound was deafening in the small, quiet coffee house.

Three men in suits where out front standing by a black, hovering z-gav. They stood shocked from the unfamiliar sound but took action as soon as they noticed the man inside slumped over a chair bleeding profusely. All three drew weapons from under their suit jackets and ran in.

Lainy ran too, not away, but toward, feeling invigorated by the power of this weapon in her hand. Three times she pointed, three times she fired and three times the faces that sprung out from the collars of their black suits exploded in clouds of crimson and chunks of grey brain matter. Blood splattered against the shops front window. The few people in the shop screamed and cowered timidly against the wall.

The car out front began to slide forward silently, Lainy quickly jumped into the passenger side and pointed the gun at the driver. He sped up swerving around the cars rolling down the road the old fashioned way. She backhanded him with her gun hand,"Who sent you, fuckstick?" The drivers head jerked back and the car jerked as well, side swiped a car with a squeal and a crash, he said nothing. He regained control and flipping an autodrive switch, he grabbed for the gun, grasped the barrel and punch Lainy hard in the mouth, trying to pull the gun from her hand. She pulled the trigger and the glass next to the drivers head shattered.

He released the barrel and clapped his hands over his ears, face scrunched and pained. "I only ask once." She said with singular finality.

Lainy took the time the momentary distraction afforded her and turned her body in the seat to face feet first toward the driver and kicked with both feet. The man sprawled against the driver side door, arms up and she fired twice into his chest.

Lainy lifted the man by the legs and flipped him out the shattered window. The cabin of the car was buffeted by wind but she could still hear him scream as he tumbled down the road. "You should've told me."

She looked back and heard a honk and a squeal of rubber and the man disappeared under a small passenger vehicle.

The car was dinging and beeping, warning lights flashes,  casting yellow and red jubilation on her face. Lainy flipped off the autodrive and pulled off the road, hopped out and her hair lengthened and faded from black to brown then to blonde after a few whispered commands. She looked in a shop window and saw she was covered in blood. Inside the store a clock read 11:13 pm. A woman sat at a bench out front, her brown jacket on the seat next to her, her face turned down staring at her palmphone. As Lainy walked passed she grabbed the jacket and replaced her rebreather mask, doning the coat.

"How do these cocksuckers keep finding me?" She asked her self and as she entered a restaurant she could hear a commotion behind her, the women yelling." My jacket, my jacket."