Body Packaging #14: The Lethal Marketplace

The Grove/LA Farmers Market

Los Angeles

“I don’t know what I’m doing here. But hey, my boyfriend’s dead and everything else’s all fucked up. So, what do I have to lose?” She barely breathed as she uttered one final sentence. “Except maybe my life.” Veronica Walters could have easily passed for one of the incredibly famous clients she outfitted as she walked through The Grove towards the LA Farmers Market. She wore a pair of specially designed horn-rimmed Louis Vuitton sunglasses and a magnificent Hermes scarf which she had carefully draped around her face.

The Grove was a perfect venue for B and even some B+-list celebrity sitings. Upscale shops were spread out along the outdoor shopping center’s manicured grounds. Veronica almost forgot where she was for a split second when she suddenly felt a heavy hand clamp down on her exposed right shoulder. “Hey, Ronnie. I’ve missed you.”

Veronica instantly recognized the voice belonging to the man with the vise-like grip. She braced herself for the person she would be encountering. “Sidney. It’s been so long.”

“I was so sorry to hear about Dede’s passing.” Sidney Martel, the famed director who her sister Dede was convinced had died months earlier faced her with a smile planted on his face.

She tried not to be obvious as she scrutinized Sidney’s face up close. The voice was dead on and his face looked precisely the way she remembered from their last meeting three years earlier. “Yes, it was tragic.” She put her hand over his. “It’s been a tough time.” As Veronica and Sidney began walking through the Farmers Market, she sensed that they were being followed.

Sidney adjusted his sunglasses and began gathering oranges and grapefruits from a nearby vendor. “She was one of the best at what she did. As are you. In fact, I think I have a job for you on my next film.” He paused. “If you are up to it.”

“I loved my sister, but I don’t think she would want me to starve simply because I’m in mourning. Sure. I’m up for it.” Veronica’s eagle eyes spotted the barrel of a gun which was aimed directly at the both of them. She jumped on top of Sidney moments before a barrage of bullets headed their way.

“Someone’s shooting at us!” Sidney struggled to get out of Veronica’s firm grip. People began stampeding amidst their screams as they struggled to flee from the gunfire.

“Just stay down. I spotted four of them.” Veronica scouted the Farmers Market for back-up. It appeared that this time she was on her own. She hid behind an enormous display of apples and inserted a few razor blades from her purse into several apples. She spoke in hushed tones to Sidney. “I learned this from an evil old woman who had it in for trick-or-treaters on Halloween.” Veronica carefully aimed the razor apple at one of the shooters.

“Aaaaah!” The apple successfully ripped the flesh off of the shooter’s hands just as he was about to take her out.

“There’s no way you can take them all out with a bunch of apples.” Sidney spoke confidently as if he knew exactly what Veronica was up against.

Suddenly, Veronica retracted a FN-2000 Assault Rifle from what appeared to be a bag of fruit.  She methodically began taking out her enemies until there were none left. She turned to Sidney who was stunned by her feat. Her eyes smiled as she spoke. “Don’t worry. I get underestimated all the time.”  Veronica pulled Sidney up off the ground and began running with him. “Now, let’s get to the bottom of what’s going on here.”

©  Jennifer Rush 2014. All Rights Reserved.