Hollywood After Dark Ch. 06

"Yeah?" a crackly voice said.

"It's Alex, Charlie. I was told to meet you here?"

A buzz sounded and the door to the building opened. I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me as it whooshed shut, locking once more. Walking up the stairs slowly, I knocked on his office door.

"Come in," a deep male voice called. Opening the door, I stepped into the dimly lit room. As my eyes adjusted, I could make out about five people all sitting around Charlie's desk against the wall.

"Hi Alex," I heard Katherine say as she walked over to me. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and walked back over near the desk, taking a seat on the window sill. Now that I could see things better, I was able to make out everyone's face.

Behind the desk was Charlie, as was to be expected. He wore a neat pin stripe shirt with a pair of suspenders and despite the fact that in the light, his face looked more haggard than I had ever seen it, he managed to smile at me.

On his immediate left was Rachael Leigh Cook. I was startled to say the least at seeing her there, but she smiled at me as well. I wondered if she had told Katherine or anyone else about our encounter. But I knew Rachael was more proper than that and, given Katherine's friendliness, she didn't seem to have said anything.

Mila was on Charlie's right, just as I had asked her to be. She had a concerned and nervous look on her face, as if she wasn't sure she trusted what was going on. I smiled at her to try and calm her fears, but all she could muster was a half hearted return smile.

Katherine of course was now sitting on the window sill, her arms crossed underneath her chest, the outline of her nipple rings a painful reminder to me now of how we had gotten to this situation.

The last person however, not only startled but enraged me. After smiling at saying hello to everyone, in the far corner of the office I saw someone who I was not expecting to see at all: Jamie Pressley.

"Woah, what the fuck is she doing here?" I said, pointing at Jamie as I moved in a protective motion towards the other girls. No one in the room however, seemed to mind her presence.

"Calm down Alex," Charlie said, sitting up. "She's here to help,"

"The fuck she is! She's part of the reason all of this shit is happening," I replied angrily.

"Look dude, calm down. I want what you want, alright? I'm tired of being some sex slave to those power hungry cunts. Now step the fuck off all right?" Jamie said, moving out of the shadows to look at me, a snarl on her face. As much as I wanted to tell her off right there or react with more anger, the feel suddenly of Katherine's hand touching my arm managed to keep me in check.

"It's alright Alex. I trust her," Katherine said.

Still studying her for any signs that she might be betraying us, I folded my arms against my chest and moved against the wall, carefully watching her.

"Ok Charlie, tell Alex all of the stuff you just told us," Katherine said to him. Charlie nodded and cleared his throat, but not before taking a hard swig out of a flask he had seemed to pull out of nowhere. Swallowing the liquor with a grimace, Charlie started to speak.

"I know why all of you are here - you are tired of Antamount and the Rose Petals controlling your lives. Let me tell you right off the bat that you aren't alone in this. There are many others like you who have either publicly or privately grumbled about the influence they exert. When I heard through the grapevine about what had happened to Katherine, I knew that things had reached a point where they could only get worse. Much much worse," Charlie said.

"That's why he got us together tonight Alex," Rachael said, speaking for the first time all night. "He knew that some people were just bitching and some people, like us, wanted to solve things,"

"Exactly. Even telling you all this is a big risk - I'm not certain that they don't know about my involvement with the Vegas incident and aren't just waiting to get me. In fact, knowing Willis, I know that as soon as my name enters his radar, Old Charlie is going to be in for some real troubles. But that's why I have to spread the information, spread the knowledge I know about them as much as I can,"

"What exactly do you know about them that we don't Charlie?" I asked, a little skeptical still about telling too much with Jamie in the room. I glanced over at her and saw that she was more relaxed in posture but still looked as distrusting of me as I did of her.

"For starters, I know the history of the company, though unfortunately not the full history of Willis. 20 years ago, Antamount was around - they were in the business of making late night b-grade sci-fi movies for the then new cable channels, and dabbling a bit into soft core pornography on the side. During the 80s, the economy hit them hard and it seemed like they would just be another victim in a quickly rising list of small companies who couldn't make it in the cinema world. But then, out of practically nowhere, comes Wilton Willis. When Antamount was on the verge of bankruptcy, he was like a guardian angel, swooping in and rescuing the company by paying off the debts and buying out the owners,"

"But where did he get his money?" I asked.

Charlie shook his head. "That I don't know. Things were really fuzzy in the 80s - there was talk that he ran drugs and other vices in foreign countries, but even though the DOJ opened a case against him and his company, Willis Enterprises, which is now just part of Antamount, they could never make anything stick. Besides, with all the savings and loan scandals, the government had other things to worry about,"

"Ok, but I'm sure all of this is public information right?"

"Yes, it is. If you look in Variety, you can probably find old articles announcing the buying out of Antamount. What you won't find there, or anywhere else though, is their rise to power. Now, at first, the company flew really low on the radar. They didn't do anything risky, they didn't do anything to draw attention to themselves. But then, about five years into his ownership, Antamount started popping up in places. BIG places - first they bought a few smaller studios, then a record label, then some struggling magazines. They were still small potatoes mind you, but it was really just the start of things. No one really paid much mind to it, myself included. The 80s for me are one big alcoholic blur," he said, raising his flask in emphasis. "It wasn't until the political aspect of things started appearing that people started to take notice,"

"Political?" I asked.

"Yeah. See, there was this wanna-be starlet, Bitsy Thompson who had a contract with another small studio, Palm Tree Films. Nothing huge, but it was still enough to impact their bottom line, you know? So anyways, Bitsy has a contract with Palm Tree, and Antamount wants her. They offer her a huge amount of money, but she doesn't relent. Antamount, undeterred, decides to take things to the courts. Now, Palm Tree hired some of the best lawyers in town while Antamount had just in house counsel - practically nobodies. Except for one: Gordon Hapsboro,"

"I was wondering where he fit into this," I said to myself. Katherine nodded at me as Charlie continued.

"Well, the trial date rolls around and Antamount asks for a summary judgment. This is the FIRST DAY mind you. The judge decides to take a recess to think about it. When he returns, the people who were there say that he was as white as a sheet. The judge rules in Antamount's favor, turning the girl's contract over to Antamount without so much as a word from Palm Tree's lawyer. They vow to appeal but each time they take it to a higher judge, they refuse to hear the case. Six months later, the judge who ruled in Antamount's favor turns up dead. Bullet through the head. Turns out he had a penchant for little boys,"

"Jesus Christ," Mila said, covering her mouth and shaking her head.

"The worst part about this though, was that despite the fact that Antamount had won the contract away from the Palm Tree, Bitsy herself did not want to work with Antamount at all. She smelt scum when it came floating in. But if she ever wanted to work in Hollywood again, she would have to comply with the contract, at least through it's duration. In effect, Antamount had essentially bought her and now owned her to make whatever movies they wanted. Keep in mind, all this was just through the grapevine stuff, but it seems that Bitsy was one of the first to be a 'party favor' at the infamous Antamount parties,"

"Why didn't she just stop acting?" I asked.

"Well, she did. Only, not on purpose. Bitsy got into a bitter dispute with Antamount after they tried to sneak an extension onto her contract. She threatened to quit and walk away from Hollywood forever. Antamount made her wish come true - while on the set, a light from a rig fell and clipped her on the side of the head. It didn't kill her but it did put her in a coma. She woke up three years later, totally forgotten from Hollywood and broke, after Antamount used the fees they would have paid her to take care of her hospital bills,"

"So then after that incident, people got the message that Antamount wasn't to be fucked with," I said.

"Exactly. It seemed all of a sudden that everyone was lining up to be there to help them. That's when they got their first crop of willing leading ladies who didn't mind being 'kept' if it meant they got good roles. And naturally, being suddenly flushed with talent, they were bound to find some who would be future stars. They just sorted out the riff-raff and promoted the shit out of the talented ones. It paid off - they went from a nobody studio to one of the giants in just under 10 years. It was incredible,"

"And I take it that you too lined up for a free hand out?" I said, a little bit of bitterness in my voice. This did not go unnoticed by Charlie, who just shrugged.

"When in Rome," he said. "So basically, what you are going through is nothing new. Antamount got their biggest yet during the boom of the late 90s, buying huge chunks of stock in companies like Paramount, Fox and Sony. They formed alliances with Disney and all the major record labels...before anyone knew it, they had their fingers in every pie in town,"

"Which is not to say they didn't encounter some resistance," Charlie continued. "There were all sorts of lawsuits and protests by the Hollywood elite, but they never amounted to much. The suits were settled out of court and the elite were hired by Antamount. They now run this town, despite the outward appearance that the other studios are in charge,"

"Where do the Rose Petals come in?" Jamie asked, looking at me first as if for encouragement.

"That I can't tell you my dear. They claim to have a long history of membership, but I doubt if it goes back further than the 1970s. They too allied with Antamount and have been under their wing for a long time now. As I'm sure you know, they only get talked about in whispers and in backroom deals. If the public ever found out about them, they would be history,"

"Well, why don't we take it public? We have two members right here who I'm sure would be willing to talk,"

Charlie laughed. "Boy, you wouldn't even get to speak to a reporter before their goons would be on you and you would become an unperson so fast it would make your head spin,"

I punched my fist against the wall, putting a slight dent in it. The noise startled everyone as they stared at me.

"So what you're saying then...is that we are going up against one of the most powerful organizations in the world," I said through my teeth. I was very pissed off at hearing all of this - the situation seemed hopeless.

"Yes, without a doubt," Charlie said. "But there is hope,"

"What do you mean?"

"As I said, you aren't the only ones who hate Antamount. I was put in contact a few days ago with Yasuo Kyokota, a Tokyo business man. He too has an issue with Antamount, though I'm not sure exactly what it is. However, he asked me to fly out to Japan to see him,"

"And are you going to?"

"No," Charlie said, reaching into his desk. He pulled out an airplane ticket. "But you are,"

"What? Why me?"

"Think about it Alex," Mila said, stepping forward towards the desk. "Katherine is already under suspicion and Rachael, myself and Jamie can't just disappear. It would look too odd. The same with Charlie - who knows how long it will be before they find out his involvement. You're the only natural choice. They already fired you, they wouldn't be expecting you to fly to Japan,"

"What makes you think that they aren't following me?" I asked incredulously.

"They may be Alex," Katherine said, now chiming in. "But if you can get to Tokyo and to Mr. Kyokota, then you will be out of harm's way,"

"That's a big if," I replied sarcastically.

"It's something you have to do Alex. There really isn't too many other options, and this is something that we - and you - really need to make sure happens,"

I took the ticket off the desk and held it in my hand. "When do I leave?" I said with a sigh.

"Tonight. Four hours from now," Charlie replied, again sipping from his flask. Despite his calm voice earlier, his face was now starting to sweat, as were his underarms.

"Jesus, you didn't give me much notice did you?" I said, stepping back from the desk. Katherine was right there to comfort me. I gave her a hug, but then noticed Jamie staring at me again in the corner. I pushed Katherine away.

"And what about you?" I asked, now stepping up to her directly. "Why do you care and why should we trust you?"

"Because I'm tired of being Eliza and Salma's bitch. If the Rose Petals will keep existing, then I want to run them," Jamie replied, her face still in a snarl at me.

"Oh, so it's a power thing," I said to her.

"Isn't EVERYTHING a power thing?" she replied, putting her hand swiftly on my balls and holding them.

I stared at her for a moment longer then turned away.

"One final question Charlie. You mentioned Hapsboro - what about him? What can you tell us about him?"

Charlie again shook his head. "Nothing. In fact, no one can. I've looked him up in every resource possible. It's as if he just appeared out of nowhere,"

I let this sink in for a moment before turning away again from the desk.

"I better get going if I'm going to make this flight," I said reluctantly as I looked at Katherine. "Are you going to be ok here alone?"

"Oh, it's alright. I'm going to stay with her," Mila said. "We're going to stay at a hotel. My treat,"

I looked back at Katherine, who nodded in reply. "And Rachael, what about you and Charlie?"

"We will manage. I'm pretty low on the radar so I can stay out of harm's way. Besides, I don't know anything really about what's going on. I'm just trying to keep from sinking into this sinkhole,"

"Oh, don't worry about me...I'll be fine," Jamie shot at me, her voice bitter and cold. I gave her a hard glare and then walked towards the door.

"Bye everyone. Be careful," I said, giving them all a wave before shutting the door. I walked quickly down the stairs and headed for my car. Starting the engine, I hopped on the interstate and headed for the airport.

CHARLIES'S STORY:

"Are you two sure you're going to be alright?" I said to Katherine and Mila as they sat in the idling cab I had called for them.

"Yes Charlie, thank you. We are just going across town," Mila said. I shut the door for them, staring in at them through the window.

Katherine mouthed "Bye Charlie" as the car began to pull away. Despite being now drunk off my ass, I still managed the coordination enough to wave a lazy wave at them. Turning my attention now to Rachael and Jamie, I felt Rachael's small arms wrap around me as she gave me a hug.

"I don't know you Charlie, but you are indeed a brave man," Rachael whispered. She kissed me on the cheek and then started to walk away, back towards her car. Jamie and I stood there, watching her leave.

"So...I guess you'll call me if you need my help with anything else?" Jamie asked, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket as she looked around the street.

"Yeah, no problem. This is pretty risky you know Jamie, talking to me like this and switching sides," I said, my words now starting to slur a little bit.

"I know. But I meant what I said - I want the power of the Rose Petals for myself. If that means destroying the people who control them, so be it,"

I shook my head at her. "You are one mean bitch, you know that?"

Jamie laughed. "That's what they tell me. They say I'm a great lay though, you'll have to try for yourself sometime,"

Laughing, I stumbled up the sidewalk towards my office. Jamie waved and then walked off in the opposite direction as Rachael, into the night.

Climbing the stairs to my office had always been a perilous endeavor for me, but being drunk certainly didn't help things. Trudging up one step at a time, I finally reached the landing, out of breath from the effort.

Half stumbling against my office door, I opened it and stepped inside. That was strange, the light had been on when I left...

WHOOOMMMPPP!!

I suddenly felt a hard blow to the back of my head, my mind exploding in pain as I staggered forward onto the floor. Clutching the back of my head, I felt blood dripping down between my fingers. The back of my head felt like it was on fire as I struggled to crawl on the floor. I could hear heavy feet around me, clumping and moving as they pushed furniture out of the way.

All of a sudden, the lights in the room came on and I cried out in pain, the light hurting my head even more. I closed my eyes tightly for a moment before opening them up again and taking in what I saw. I managed to turn over onto my back as I looked up at two large men in black clothing, the muscles on their arms seeming to have muscles themselves. Standing between the two of them was Gordon Hapsboro.

Moving closer to me, I saw that he was polishing a pistol with a silencer in his gloved hands. He looked down at me with a smile.

"Charlie Charlie Charlie...tsk tsk. Didn't you know that we would be listening to every word you said? You were the first place I looked when I knew I had a vermin infestation,"

"Fuck you," I said at him. I was greeted in response by a hard blow to the ribs by one of the men's feet. I gasped and wheezed for breath, my already throbbing head now added onto by the pain in my ribs.

"That was quite a story you told Charlie. Too bad your audience won't get to share it with anyone else,"

"Maybe you didn't hear me - I said 'Fuck you' Gordon,"

This time Hapsboro himself, with a nasty snarl on his face, reached down and swiftly pistol whipped me in the mouth with the gun. I felt my teeth crack and break as they flew out of my mouth, my gums and teeth and lips now a bloody mess.

"You couldn't just be a model employee Charlie. It just wasn't in you. But then again, not much else will be in you here in a minute. Just to let you know that I am a sporting man, and despite the fact that it is just another tired cliché in this business we call entertainment, I'll give you a choice. Would you rather be shot in the face and die quick, or in the stomach and die slow?"

Swallowing a mouth full of blood, I could hear my own wheezing as I breathed in through the gap in my front teeth. Struggling against the pain, I finally managed to speak clear enough to be heard.

"The stomach. Save me the dignity of people still recognizing me, and it gives me more time to hate you,"

"Fair enough," Hapsboro said with a shrug.

Lowering the gun at me, he shot me in the face anyways.

KATHERINE'S STORY:

Mila and I rode in silence in the car. I think both of us were a little stunned by everything Charlie had said, Mila especially. Part of her I think did not want to believe it. Not that I blamed her - it was a grim and harsh reality to have to accept and one that would be with her for a long time.