Harry Strange in The Stones of Solomon

By Tony Sarrecchia Jr.

"Magic and magical people--the 'unnatural order' is all around us. There are benevolent witches, malevolent witches, demons, vamps, werewolves, shape shifters, ghosts; it's a protoplasmic party of creature features out there. But unless you know where to look, you won't find them. I know where to look. My name is Harry Strange."

A beautiful woman walks into Harry's office and asks him to recover some property stolen by her ex-lover. Harry surmises two things, she's not telling him everything, and she's rich. He takes the case. Much later, he'll discover those 'little stones' can mean the end to creation.

Along the way to saving the world Harry fights demons, the mistress of nightmares, vampires, werewolves, Lilith, and a horrible little troll of a man named Mr. K.

For the first time in print, the first season of The Harry Strange Radio Drama.

These are the original, uncut scripts from the award winning Harry Strange Radio Drama. Episodes in this edition:

Harry Strange 101: Comes a Hero
Harry Strange 102: Teenaged Girls do the Darnedest Things
Harry Strange 103: The White Lady
Harry Strange 104: The Mara (Part I)
Harry Strange 105: The Mara (Part II)
Harry Strange 106: The Mara (Part III)
Harry Strange 107: The Sad Tale of Albert Finkel
Harry Strange 108: Sansavani
Harry Strange 109: Den of the Scepter
Harry Strange 110: The Toaster-Pastry Test
Harry Strange 111: The Immortal
Harry Strange 112: Layla
Harry Strange 113: St. Luna Island
Harry Strange 114: Romeo Chase
Harry Strange 115: Harry Strange
Harry Strange 116: The Blink of an Eye

This 398-page volume includes a Forward by the Sonic Society's Jack Ward and a Brief History of Harry Strange by Tony Sarrecchia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tony Sarrecchia Jr.
• Release date: Aug 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310673566

Tony Sarrecchia Jr.

Tony Sarrecchia is a storyteller whose tales include the award-winning Harry Strange Radio Drama podcast, a full cast, supernatural thriller; radio drama adaptation of science-fiction and steam-punk novels; a short story of unlikely apocalypse survivors; and a novella about a rabies outbreak in a major city.Tony worked as a trainer and presenter as well as a bouncer, disc jockey, sales manager, and electronic warfare systems specialist. He often appears as a guest at conventions and talks about writing, producing, and B-movies. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association.He was lucky enough to marry his muse. He has two children, and lives in Atlanta with his wife and two rescue dogs: A boxador and a pit bull.

Book preview



harrystrangebookcoversmash.jpg

Harry Strange in

The Stones of Solomon

Tony Sarrecchia

Harry Strange in the Stones of Solomon is copyright (C) 2010 - 2015 by Tony Sarrecchia. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations used in critical articles or reviews.

ISBN-13: 978-1508865551

ISBN-10: 1508865558

For more information contact the author at [e-mail]

This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events in the story are either creations in the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Listen to episodes of the Harry Strange Radio Drama at www.harrystrange.com

Tony Sarrecchia on the web: www.tonysarrecchia.com

Cover Design: James R. Tuck http://www.jamesrtuck.com

For Jo, SHMILY

Table of Contents

Forward 

Harry Strange 101: Comes a Hero 

Harry Strange 102: Teenaged Girls do the Darnedest Things 

Harry Strange 103: The White Lady 

Harry Strange 104: The Mara (Part I) 

Harry Strange 105: The Mara (Part II) 

Harry Strange 106: The Mara (Part III)

Harry Strange 107: The Sad Tale of Albert Finkel

Harry Strange 108: Sansavani 

Harry Strange 109: Den of the Scepter

Harry Strange 110: The Toaster-Pastry Test 

Harry Strange 111: The Immortal

Harry Strange 112: Layla

Harry Strange 113: St. Luna Island 

Harry Strange 114: Romeo Chase 

Harry Strange 115: Harry Strange 

Harry Strange 116: The Blink of an Eye

A Brief History of Harry Strange 

Forward

In the middle of the journey of our life, I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost.

― Dante Alighieri, Inferno

Dante, guided by Virgil, makes his way through the Inferno in the first part of his 14th century epic poem Divine Comedy.

Hell just cracks everyone up, doesn't it?

Everyone but Harry Strange. The stone cold sober shamus of the modern age of radio drama reminds us that The 'unnatural order' is all around us.

Tony Sarrecchia, the creator of the detective of demon denizens, goes down at least several levels of Hell to dream up some pretty ugly and endlessly compelling bad guys in Harry's ongoing saga.

What I find so fascinating about Harry Strange, is how two disparate genres- that of film noir and epic fantasy intertwine. You see the noir style is darkly cynical, bitterly atheist and bleak. There's no magic in a noir world. It is, for lack of a better word, black. Characters are blithely dispassionate and self-serving. Noir heroes often don't know why they're doing the right thing, beyond the fact that it's the right... well, thing. By fighting injustice, they often go against self interest in a world that hates and misunderstands their motives.

On the other hand, epic fantasy is about higher ideals and the greater good. When things are out of whack in the universe, all that is Right and Just task the hero to bring order out of the chaos. Certainly there's sacrifice, but in a fantasy epic, the hero can expect a greater reward.

So, here's where the brilliance of Tony breaks down the perp's door, and bashes heads.

You see Harry Strange is both. He is at once the lone crusader for justice, and the detective who's going to impose his own will on a situation whether the forces of light agree with him or not. Harry is both painfully mortal and achingly immortal, and those conflicting impulses mesh with an almost unearthly smoothness throughout his casebook history. Tony knows Harry's line of moral virtue far better than anyone else could guess, and he keeps the audience guessing with each turn of the ethical screw. That Harry Strange is at once familiar and unique, makes him dashingly enigmatic.

And it's not like he's truly alone, but there aren't a lot of supernatural sleuths, in literature. radio, or film.

From the beginning of the universe, we have Neil Gaiman's Murder Mysteries, where an angel investigates the first crime before the Fall. Of course John Milton chronicled the dismantling of a hero after the Fall with his epic Paradise Lost; when Lucifer says, Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven, you can almost hear Harry's rebuttal. As long as you stay off of Earth, we won't have a problem.

It doesn't seem to matter when a story was written. Dr. Abraham Van Helsing feels like he was trained by Harry himself to become England's first paranormal investigator (I'll bet he wish he had Harry's magic sword against Dracula). Everywhere in literature, the actions of occult hunters from H.P. Lovecraft's protagonists closing eldritch portals, to the crass anti-heroics of Alan Moore's John Constantine, to the impishly disbelieving antics of Douglas Adam's Dirk Gently. Every occult detective hero seem impossibly to borrow heavily from the skills and character of Harry Strange.

Because Harry Strange is an original.

His world is as familiar and shadowy as our own. But those shadows come from elsewhere. Those people across the street, aren't actually people. All marks on old maps when unrolled are shown to be true...

HC SVNT DRACONES.

Here there be dragons.

Tony Sarrecchia's Harry Strange reveals the horrible truth- monsters are as likely hidden in the human heart, as they are wearing demon's horns. What makes us all terrified is that we can't tell the difference; but Harry can.

So, you hold the magical tome in your hands (or e-book reader) as a lantern against the darkness. If you're like me, you're going to delve into these preciously bound first season sixteen gems and remember, that while we may be paralyzed in the face of evil...

Harry's just getting warmed up.

We all love to be afraid; just as long as we've got a way ahead through that fear. A way bound in a series of exciting adventures that will leave you wanting more.

Or as Dante put it:

They yearn for what they fear for.

Happy Hunting,

Jack J. Ward, 

April 19, 2015

The Sonic Society

sonicsociety.org

Harry Strange 101: Comes a Hero

Featured in tonight’s cast were: Kellen Stennett, Parisa Johnston, Jason Tyler, Ray Saltrelli and Sylvia Galan

THE OFFICE OF HARRY STRANGE - DAY

((STANDARD OPENING))

HARRY

Magic and magical people--the 'unnatural order' is all around us. There are white witches, black witches, demons, vamps, werewolves, shape shifters, ghosts; it's a protoplasmic party of creature features out there. But unless you know where to look, you won't find them. I know where to look. My name is Harry Strange.

SOUND: SFX: BACKGROUND MUSIC SHOULD BE FILM NOIR STYLE.

SFX: SOUND OF A CEILING FAN.

HARRY STRANGE

((VOICE OVER))

After you've been in my racket for a couple of years you think you've seen everything. Cheating spouses? Please, that tune got old after six months. Double crossing partners--the only partners I know who didn't double cross each other were Marley and Scrooge. I'd seen child abductions, parental abductions, blackmail, white-mail and greenmail. I'd even seen my share of poltergeists, witchcraft and demon possessions. But I had never seen anyone turned inside out before--and let me tell ya brother, that's the kind of thing that will put you off red meat for a while.

SOUND: SFX: MUSIC BRIDGE

HARRY

It was about three years ago, during the heat wave of 2007. Business had been routine and slow. As a general rule, when a private eye tells you his job is routine, it means it's been cheating spouse week and no-one has shot at him. It's the same way in my particular genre--with the added bonus that I haven't turned up any voodoo dolls that look like my clients or, worse, yours truly.

SOUND: SFX: MUSIC BRIDGE

HARRY

Like I said, I had wrapped up a couple of divorce cases and recovered some stolen property. I would have gone home for the day, except home was here--upstairs in a two bedroom flat--where no one was waiting for me.

Oh, I had been married once, to the most wonderful woman in the world. I know, every palooka who walks in here with a sob story about their wife says the same thing. It's practically a cliché. Difference was, it was true about my Maddie. I know, they say that too.

A swarthy Eastern European type stole Maddie from me. Mister Euro-trash was, well still is, a vampire. It took about a year but I finally found up with my Maddie. She was fully vamp by then and, if you'll pardon the expression, out for blood.

It broke my heart, but I pumped a clip of silver filled 45 slugs into her and then decapitated her with the Sword of Yarlen. I stuffed her neck with garlic. And, just for good measure, I burned the remains and scattered the ashes in 5 different church graveyards. I couldn't destroy her head though--she always had the most beautiful eyes. Such is my life.

The Euro-trash boyfriend…sorry to say I haven't caught up with him. Yet.

SOUND: SFX: MUSIC BRIDGE

HARRY

It was the second week of July--we had been in the middle of a heat wave from hell (no pun intended). Heat waves are funny things, they make people crazy and they bring out the crazies.

SOUND: SFX: DOOR OPENING.

LIL

Are you Mr. Strange? Mr. Harry Strange?

HARRY

That's what it says on the door sister.

LIL

Mr. Strange, I've heard a lot about you, I believe you will help me.

HARRY

(VOICE OVER)

Most people ask if I can help them, not tell me I will. (BEAT) Ok sister; let's start out easy, what's your name?

LIL

Lil.

HARRY

(VOICE OVER)

Lil was attractive in a Soviet block sort of way. Who am I kidding? She was beautiful regardless of where she was from. Her lips were moist, ruby red and begging to be kissed. She was built like a pinup queen and held herself like royalty.

It's been my experience that a bird with looks like hers was always gonna be trouble for the sad sack who thought he had her cage; because you can never cage a woman like her. A man could hold her for a little while; she'd lull him into thinking she was his. But when she became bored or distracted--she'd move on, and he'd be left as an empty pathetic husk of the man he once was.

LIL

I'm sorry Mr. Strange...did you say something?

HARRY

What? No, I was just thinking. So what is it you believe I may help you with, Lil?

LIL

My ex-lover stole some very rare and priceless stones from me. I want you to find and return them.

HARRY

When you say them...?

LIL

Just the stones. You can leave him where you find him.

HARRY

Did you file a police report?

LIL

I'd rather keep the police out of it.

HARRY

Why? Did you steal the stones from someone?

LIL

I never take what isn't freely offered, Mr. Strange. I am however, involved in a lifestyle that requires a level of discretion.

HARRY

There are a hundred other guys in this city who do what I do--though not as well of course. Why me?

LIL

Two reasons Mr. Strange. You know to be discreet and you have an excellent reputation among my people.

HARRY

Your people?

LIL

These stones have certain properties that I wouldn't trust to just anyone--and certainly not the police.

HARRY

I am not sure I understand.

LIL

If it's the money, Mr. Strange, consider your fee doubled.

HARRY

(VOICE OVER) Double my fee--this bird must really need my help. I gave her the once over a second time. Yeah, she had money, those 5 inch designer heels she was wearing probably cost more than my entire suit--hell, probably more than my entire wardrobe.

LIL

Mr. Strange, if you are done leering at my cleavage, I would like an answer before you grow too old to do the job.

HARRY

That's not likely to happen.

(TO AUDIENCE) On the surface, her story was a common story. A jilted lover; a stolen object. That the stones possessed some magic properties made it more interesting. Lil didn't go into detail about what those properties were, and I didn't ask. I was bugged by the fact that she could have just as easily gone to the police, or some other private dick, left out the part about the magic and they would have been just as happy to search it out for her. There was more to this story than she was letting on. Of course, among the magic types, there always is.

It's not common knowledge, but it's a protoplasmic party of creature features out there. All sorts of nightmare beasties are around us all the time. Most of us humans, however, can't see the reality of what's in-front of us because we are too busy seeing the reality we think is there.

Lil left a picture of the stones; a picture of her ex and my retainer. She told me she'd be in touch. I studied the picture of her ex. He looked like a regular working class schmuck. How he scored a woman like Lil was the true mystery. The three stones were equally nondescript red stones, each about the size of an eyeball. I was a happy guy though--this job couldn't take that long. And at double my fee, this would be a good week indeed.

I couldn't find any information on the stones. This was looking increasingly like a family heirloom deal. But why pay double the rate to some private dick for something handed down from great-great-grandma? Unless, of course, it was great-great-grandma in one of the stones. Don't laugh, the Unnaturals can be very sentimental. Humans bury our dead, some of the Unnaturals' keep their dead with them. Some of the Unnaturals are dead. It gets very confusing. How did I get hooked in this world? That's a story for another day.

Since the search was a bust, I did the thing I always do when I need to find stolen charmed property. I went to see Phinneas the fence, or, as the local magics call him, Freaky Finny.

Freaky Finny's Pawn Shop - dusk

HARRY

(NARRATION)

Freaky Finny's place was near the dock. Most things unnatural in Night Falls were by the docks. Finny was, as always, less than excited to see me.

SFX: DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING

FINNY

(SNIFFS THE AIR) Smells like human spirit in here. (PAUSE) I hate that smell.

HARRY

How about if I rip your nose off again, would that help the smell?

FINNY

Don't touch me Strange. It took a year for the wounds to heal last time.

HARRY

A little salt and Holy Water goes a long way.

FINNY

You're going to get yours tough guy--and I am going to laugh when that happens.

HARRY

Yeah, whatever. Take a look at this picture, Finny. Ever seen those before?

FINNY

Tell me again, why I should help you?

HARRY

Because if I find out you knew something and didn't tell me, I'll come back here with the Holy Cocktail again. Only this time, maybe I'll pour it down your throat instead of just coating my dagger with it.

FINNY

Right. How did a hairless ape like you become such a problem to a Charmed like me?

HARRY

(SIGH) Charmed? That's a bit much for--what the hell are you? A gargoyle, imp---

FINNY

Imp? I hate that word.

HARRY

Would you prefer Gremlin? Weasel? Fairy? How about lawn gnome?

FINNY

I would prefer to see your head on a stick--

HARRY

And I would prefer to be talking to someone who didn't smell like they spent the night on the inside of a rabid Rottweiler. Do you know what these are or not?

SOUND: PICTURE WAVED

FINNY

Let me see. (LOOKS AT THE PICTURE) Whoa, Strange. Do you know what those are?

HARRY

Yeah, I just came for the witty banter. What the hell have I been asking you?

FINNY

You're right about hell. This is beyond trinket level, Harry. This is serious mojo.

HARRY

And what does that mean, exactly? (TO AUDIENCE) Finny had pushed the picture to me and was stepping back from the counter as if he were afraid to look at the pictures again.

FINNY

If someone tried to hock those in here I'd kill them myself. Then I'd burn the place down.

HARRY

Why, what are they?

FINNY

No. One shouldn't even say its name out loud. The creature carrying those will not be long in this world.

HARRY

Who would he bring it to?

FINNY

Not me. Listen Strange, nothing would make me happier than to see you roasting on a spit in hell.

HARRY

I come here to feel the love.

FINNY

Right. But even you don't deserve what the owner of those stones will do if they find them with you. You need to go Strange.

HARRY:

(VOICE OVER)

I reached across the counter, grabbed Finny by his scrawny shoulders, and pulled him towards me. Up close, he smelled worse--like rotting fish that's been laying on a sunbaked beach for three weeks.

HARRY

Tell me what they are.

FINNY

Ok...let go of me. I'll tell you.

HARRY

(VOICE OVER)

I pushed him back against the wall.

HARRY

I am waiting Finny.

FINNY

Yeah--well--wait in HELL!

SFX: FINNY DISAPPEARING SOUND.

HARRY

(VOICE OVER)

What the? In all the years I've know Finny, I'd never seen him pull that disappearing act. Whatever these stones were, they had frightened him more than the thought of me coming back with a Holy Cocktail.

With no leads here, I decided to head over to Haxens, a small lounge not far from the docks. A little darts and a drink would be just what I needed for thinking.

HAXENS - NIGHT

HARRY

From the front, Haxens looks like an abandoned warehouse. Most humans walk right by it and never see it for what it is: a trans-dimensional portal between earth and a million other realms. I ordered my usual and sat down next to the dartboards. Haxens was neutral territory, and the owners employed the largest Grog Demons to enforce the Neutrality Pact. Most humans were not welcomed in Haxens; I was one of the lucky ones. If a human stumbled in here accidentally, a complicated cloaking spell would make all the patrons appear to be human biker types, when they were actually other-world species who make the cantina scene in Star Wars look like a local Sunday school assembly.

Lately however, more humans were finding Haxens. And I didn't like it. Humans and Unnaturals were not a good mix. If something bad went down the human’s body was found in the fire. Try as they might, a human practicing witchcraft would never be as powerful as a demon practicing human-craft.

The Haxen partners, aware of their new clientele, started dropping some of the cloaking spells to see if that would scare the humans. Most humans didn't seem to mind the change. Because of my (BEAT, SEARCHES FOR THE RIGHT WORD) 'relationship' with the Unnatural Order I could see through most cloaking spells. That was one of the reasons I was so good at my job.

HARRY

I had just busted with a trip 13 when who should walk in but the ex-boyfriend. It made sense. You have something magical to sell--and I was sure there was a sale going on, Haxens would be the place to find a buyer. I waited and watched. After ordering a drink and some buffalo wings he walked past me towards a table near the back. He wasn't any better looking up close, but he did have some wild tribal tattoos coming up from under his shirt--some type of protection spell I would guess.

A few minutes later, he was joined by a huge man-like thing. Oh crap, it was a Nalfeshnee. I hated Nalfs. First off, they are some of the ugliest demons you will ever see--which is saying something. They are about the size of a gorilla with the head of a wild boar and the disposition to match. The Nalf sat with the ex.

If the Nalfs were involved then Finny was right, these stones were more than just heirlooms. From the body language, it was obvious that some negotiating was taking place. I slid into the booth behind them, hoping to hear the details. I stole a quick glance at the table--there were no stones, but there was a photograph, face down.

HARRY

After a few seconds, the Nalf mumbled something that sounded like 'where'? I was able to make out the word 'safe' but little else. The Nalf grumbled something in his native tongue and the ex snapped back. Their voices were starting to get loud. It wouldn't be long before one of the security guards came over. Since Haxens was a neutral ground between the dimensions--a place where deals could be made in relative safety--Haxens took security very seriously. Of course, once you stepped outside the grounds all bets were off.

I got up to go to the bar and stole a quick glimpse in their direction. They weren't arguing so much as they were negotiating a price. By the time I got my drink and returned to the table, some arrangement had been made. The human picked up his photo, did a little head nod towards the Nalf and left. After a second, the demon did the same, though he headed for one of the doors in the back. I waited about 30 seconds to make sure the Nalf wasn't coming back then I went the same way as the ex.

OUTSIDE OF HAXENS - DUSK

HARRY

It was getting darker when I stepped outside of Haxens. There was a cold wind blowing in from the river, cutting through my clothes and slicing into my bones like shards of glass cutting through paper. Odd, considering how hot it was earlier. The ex was about a block ahead of me when I saw him duck into an alley.

If these stones were as strong as I was beginning to believe they were, the ex was going to start a bidding war for them. He didn't realize that treating magic heirlooms like baseball cards on E-bay was frowned upon by the Unnaturals. It was like how a Catholic would feel about auctioning off the Eucharist.

I turned into the alley in time to see four goons with no necks step out of a side door and grab the ex. He put up an acceptable fight until one of the goons pulled out a cattle prod and smacked him on the back of the head. The ex collapsed like a cheap lawn chair. When he stopped twitching and peeing the other three goons picked him up and took him into the building.

If the ex had the stones on him, he wouldn't for long. I needed to keep up with where they went until I could figure out a way to recover them for my client. Of course, I wasn't going to walk into a nest of demons or vampires to do it.

ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

HARRY

It took about ten minutes but I found an unguarded window large enough for me to fit through. I made my way carefully, quietly, through what was probably a receiving office. From all the broken glass and busted office furniture, I was guessing that this place hadn't been officially used in years. I wandered in the dark, catching a whiff of something acidic in the air. Brimstone? There was a light coming from under a door near the back. I put my ear to the door.

SFX: BEATING SOUNDS

SFX: INDISCRIMINATE MOANING

HARRY

Yep. This was where the ex ended up. There was a catwalk above the room and I looked around for a ladder or some other way up there. (BEAT) I didn't have far to go before I found a ladder with enough rungs left on it so that I would be able to climb.

SFX: MOVING THE LADDER

SFX: CLIMBING THE LADDER

SFX: CATWALK CREAKING

HARRY

From my perch I watched the goons working over the boyfriend. They had process going that almost spoke to an intelligence beyond their level: One goon, the one who had mastered speech, asked the ex a question. When he didn't answer right away, the other three took turns using his head like a whack-a-mole. The boys clearly enjoyed playing whack-a-mole--maybe a little too much.

SFX: HITTING SOUNDS

SFX: OCCASIONAL INDISCRIMINATE TALKING/MOANING

HARRY

The high intensity light-bulb hanging freely from an electrical cord over the ex's head illuminated the streams of blood running down the his face. Even from here it was obvious his nose was broken and well on its way to becoming a permanently disfigured bag of blood, snot, and cartilage. (PAUSE)

The good news--well, ok, the better than bad news, was that the goons were humans. If they were magic, they would be doing a lot more damage than just some facial reconstruction; and they wouldn't be getting their hands dirty to do it. Their human status also meant they could be taken down easily with my .45. (PAUSE)

This little dance went on for a few more minutes before the talking good raised a hand the size of a ham-hock. He and the other little piggies left the room---probably to talk to whoever was in-charge. I didn't see the ex give them anything, and the only thing they took from him was his blood so I figured if I was going to get the stones, now would be the best time.

SOUND: HARRY JUMPING/CLIMBING DOWN THE CATWALK

HARRY

Up close, the ex looked like a bad Picasso. His nose was practically flattened against his face, blood was flowing freely from both nostrils. His left eye was swollen shut and his right eye stared into space. I couldn't say for sure if he saw anything. His lip was swollen to the size of a plum; his jaw was angry purple.

I needed to get him and the stones out of here. If the goons couldn't beat it out of him, he surely wasn't going to tell me just because of my ample good looks and hypnotic charm. I started to go through his pockets. I had gotten as far as the second pocket when he spoke.

EX-BOY FRIEND

Mumbles something.

HARRY

Did you say something?

(VOICE OVER) There was a smell in the air that I hadn't noticed before. It was sweet, but there was something underneath, something that smelled like death and I had smelled it recently.

EX-BOY FRIEND

(WEAKLY)Lil, sent you...

HARRY

Yeah chief, Lil sent me. She wants her stones back. (PAUSE) Yeah, I know...that sounded a lot better in my head.

EX-BOY FRIEND

You've killed me.

HARRY

Not me chief, I just followed you here.

(VOICE OVER) Every time he spoke, drops of blood sprayed from his mouth.

EX-BOY FRIEND

She is watching...

HARRY

Look, give me the stones and I will get you out of here.

EX-BOY FRIEND

(STILL WEAK, GETTING BACK STRENGTH) I'm never leaving this room alive. Neither are you.

HARRY

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that...Look, friend, there are only three of them. I can take them out while drinking a chai. Tell me where the stones are and I can get you out and to a doctor who will fix you up. But you have to tell me where the stones are. That's all Lil wants.

EX-BOY FRIEND

Laughs

HARRY

Did I say something funny champ?

EX-BOY FRIEND

You don't know Lil. You don't know what she is. She wants me and the stones.

HARRY

Actually, friend, she doesn't want you. And the sooner you accept that and give me the stones, the sooner we can go home.

EX-BOY FRIEND

You are blind. Don't you know who she is?

HARRY

(VOICE OVER)

I thought I heard footsteps.

(TO EX) Listen, Sparky, someone is coming. Unless you want those goons to finish your nose job, you need to tell me where the stones are and you need to do it now.

EX-BOY FRIEND

It's not...

SFX: RUMBLING AND TEARING SOUNDS.

HARRY

I turned to see the door open. I reached into my holster