Chapter 138: Demons Among Us

[Chapter 139: Demons Among Us]

At the Artel Mountain Shooting Range, the Mexican man exited the gun store and walked to the rest area.

There, a Latina woman was reading an old Los Angeles Times. An article reported on the LAPD's annual awards ceremony, featuring a large photo of Erica Ferguson wearing a heroic medal.

The Mexican man, Ayala, glanced over and remarked, "That 23-year-old police chief is quite something."

The Latina replied, "That's the result of our millions of dollars in goods and the blood of dozens of our brothers."

Ayala said, "Camila, that man rarely shows up in public, but Erica Ferguson is a star cop, and everyone knows her. I made inquiries; the people on that yacht are Erica's boyfriend; they're pretty famous around the shooting range."

Camila tore out the Erica picture to keep, cautioning, "These two aren't ordinary people. One of them is a ruthless LAPD officer. Don't let your guard down; we need to use this place as a bridgehead, looking for opportunities."

Ayala warned, "We can't act here; there are many coaches moonlighting as shooting instructors at the Western precinct, and the PD often comes to practice..."

Camila, though seething, remained composed. "You're good at shooting; connect with them and determine their movements so we can find the right location and opportunity for an effective strike."

Ayala and Camila posed as a couple, spending a lot of money to get introduced as members here.

Camila left on her own, getting into a Ferrari before taking out the Erica clipping and burning it to ash with a lighter.

Her mule gang had been compromised at their Venice hideout; several of their personnel had been caught, and under the LAPD's favorable conditions, they revealed two more locations.

Camila's brother died during the LAPD's raid, struck down under Erica Ferguson's gunfire.

The internal rumors within the LAPD suggested that whenever Erica fired, there were never any survivors.

Thinking of this, Camila muttered to herself, how coincidental; her own hands never left any survivors either.

...

Century City, Beverly Business Club.

Hawke met with Josh Hartnett and his manager, Will, in the meeting room.

Josh was brimming with confidence, feeling reborn like during Pearl Harbor, "My new film is in post-production. It's coming out in February, and you must attend the premiere."

Hawke asked, "Is it the Punisher we talked about?"

"Yes, that's the one I mentioned before," Josh said, feeling certain of its potential. "I think it'll sell well, especially since it's based on the selfie scandal."

Will interjected, "Already has built-in hype and a strong gimmick."

"Wishing you success in advance," Hawke offered politely, before asking, "You mentioned a new project? Is it related to this film?"

Josh went silent, turning to Will.

Will responded, "The director of The Punisher has run into some publicity issues that could impact his reputation and the film's as well. Josh and I recommended you as the best person to handle such problems."

Hawke, unafraid of trouble, was even eager to create some for others when there wasn't any.

He directly asked, "Can I see the documents first, to understand the specifics?"

Necessary background checks were essential.

Will opened his briefcase, pulling out a document to hand to Hawke. "Sterling is a seasoned director who has long collaborated with Robert Redford and co-founded the Sundance Film Festival."

Hawke recalled making waves at Sundance and knew who the festival's founder was --Robert Redford.

Redford had launched his career as an actor, starring in The Great Gatsby and All the President's Men, before shifting to screenwriting, directing, and producing, eventually earning an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

Seeing the director's name on the paperwork, Hawke asked, "Is this related to the accusations about him abusing minors?"

Josh replied, "You've seen the relevant reports?"

Hawke nodded slightly, not elaborating, and folded the document back, handing it to Will.

Will continued, "Wagenen is an outstanding director with a wide network in Hollywood and a good reputation..."

"None of that matters," interrupted Hawke, heading toward the door.

Josh hastily added, "I asked Sterling, and he insists he did nothing; those people simply want to blackmail him."

While Hawke had never aspired to be a paragon of righteousness, even if he was willing to help Josh Hartnett and Allison Faith redeem their image following the selfie scandal, there were certain lines he wouldn't cross.

Even Frank the old bum looked down on those obsessed with hairless black holes.

As for not doing anything wrong? This was Hollywood we were talking about.

Hawke politely said, "I have other matters to attend to."

Will knew that Hawke was the type of person who could change situations and decided to cut to the chase, saying, "Sterling is willing to pay $1 million for this, and we can negotiate up to $1.2 million."

Hawke kept walking toward the door, not looking back.

Will raised his voice, "I can get Sterling to agree to $1.5 million."

Hawke looked back, saying, "None of that matters."

Opening the door, he gestured politely, "You both should leave."

Josh wanted to say more, but Will saw he was uninterested and shook his head to stop him.

...

As they exited the meeting room, Hawke shut the door and pulled out his voice recorder, pressing the stop button.

He switched on the computer in the conference room, checked the article online, and discovered aside from Hollywood Life and a few forum sites, there was almost no news regarding Wagenen's accusations.

Unfortunately, it was not the weekend. News of the World hadn't been published, and The Sun was not overly invested in Hollywood.

The latter was reputable when it came to gossip scandals.

Hawke closed the computer.

The media wasn't reporting much, and with Will approaching him with high prices, it was easy to suspect the truth behind the matter; it was likely genuine.

The lack of media coverage all but confirmed that the matter was being suppressed.

Hollywood was rife with suppressed scandals.

But then he reflected that this issue might not be simple -- it could involve aspects he had yet to comprehend.

Sexual abuse incidents against child stars in Hollywood had a long history; victims often stayed silent to avoid jeopardizing their future or financial security.

Typically, many revelations came only when former child stars had transitioned beyond their careers in the industry.

Those who thrived after growing up in Hollywood often claimed nothing had ever happened or said they had sensed danger and left before it got too late.

So much for the judgement of right and wrong; Hawke packed his bag to leave.

...

Outside in the parking lot of the club.

Josh got into the car, turning to his manager Will at the wheel, asking, "Is Hawke nuts? He rejected $1.5 million."

He shrugged, "Isn't this normal in Hollywood?"

Will was also a bit surprised. "He was all about money during our last collaboration."

"What's the plan for landing Wagenen's directing business now?" Josh asked.

Will said, "Without Hawke and the West Coast Studio, there are others and other companies." He paused slightly, "We should visit BWR Public Relations and have a talk with Rooney Chasen."

Josh fastened his seatbelt, "Looks like that's our only option."

...

In Los Angeles, Woodland Hills.

A massive luxury estate filled with guests for the Christmas party.

After dinner, Erica and Brian were called into the study.

Inside the study were six people. Erica greeted them as she made her way to sit beside her grandmother, Barbara.

Her father, Carter Ferguson, and mother, Mary, were seated across from her.

Brian also wanted to say hello, but before he could speak, his father, Gordon Ferguson, scolded, "Hurry up and get to the point; don't dawdle."

Carter patted Brian on the back reassuringly.

Brian sat down obediently.

Paul Ferguson, the eldest, looked toward Brian. "How's that project you're pushing going?"

"I got three child stars and their families to cooperate. It was reported by Hollywood Life and two other media outlets," Brian explained, showing that he was more sober than he appeared, "But Hollywood's pretty blue and so is the entertainment media; it didn't really make waves."

Surprised, Erica thought to herself why her grandfather would care about this.

Her father, Carter, signaled her not to speak.

Paul glanced over at Erica, saying, "You've been promoted to police chief now, your growth exceeds my greatest expectations. Unlike your peers who only know how to cash in on dividends, you stand at a key intersection in life; there are things you need to know now."

Gordon Ferguson chimed in, "We're preparing to launch a recall campaign against Governor Davis. What Brian did is just a small opening, an initial test."

He shook his head, "Not that impressive."

Brian could only stay silent.

Paul's expressions were still kind, but his words were equally stringent: "Since you decided to go into politics, you need to prove you have the capability."

Brian pledged, "I will."

He stole a glance at Erica, "I decided to invite a friend to be my partner."

Erica quickly reacted, "You're inviting Hawke?"

Brian said, "Out of everyone I know, he's the best at managing such events."

Barbara held Erica's hand, "You're always telling me about that Hawke Osment?"

Erica nodded slightly, "Yes."

Gordon asked, "Who is he?"

"Erica's boyfriend, comes from Jeffrey City in Wyoming," Carter remarked succinctly. "A young man skilled at handling PR crises."

Paul replied slowly, "It doesn't matter where he's from; it's more about what he's done, where he stands, and how capable he is."

Brian understood and responded, "I'll extend the invitation."

Paul waved his hand, "I'm tired; let's all head out."

Erica looked towards her grandmother, who patted her hand.

Erica got up immediately and left with her parents.

Mary lingered behind, softly saying to her daughter, "We're not against your relationship. Before I met your father, I was just a small-town beauty queen, but everyone makes choices, dear. You can't interfere with his choices."

Erica put down her phone. "Mom, I understand."

...

On the other side, although Gordon was rather displeased with his worthless son, he still called Brian over for a serious word: "You are only one of four in the outer circle. This is not just about opening a gap; it's a test for your generation. In a place like California, we don't waste our limited resources on a fool."

Brian nodded fervently, agreeing to everything his father said.

In this plan, given his age and experience, he could only serve as an errand boy for now; higher-level matters were left to his father's generation.

...

Brian found a quiet spot, dialed Hawke's number, and upon hearing a groggy voice on the other end, he shouted, "Get up, you bastard! Let's go out!"

Hawke, having just fallen asleep, replied grumpily, "Are you celebrating your new diagnosis of AIDS?"

Brian sternly reminded him, "We agreed not to mention that."

"Fine, my bad," Hawke said, "What's with the late-night call? Got something to discuss?"

Brian responded, "Get up; I have something important to discuss."

Hawke was surprised, "Aren't you all at a family gathering? Is that over already?"

Brian retorted, "Hey man, quit whining."

"You want me to let go of my morning grumpiness?" Hawke asked for an address, washed up, dressed, and hit the road.

...

A few minutes later, Hawke arrived at Beverly Hills, finding the single-family home that Brian had mentioned, quickly driving inside.

The porch light was on, and Brian stood there.

Hawke got out of the car, asking, "How many beauties are lined up?"

Brian replied seriously, "I'm preparing a headache of a case."

The two entered the house and took their seats on couches.

Brian retrieved a folder, handing it to Hawke. "Take a look?"

"You have received high legal fees for all the cases I asked you to help with," Hawke reminded him. "I trust you won't try to freeload."

Brian's expression turned serious: "Am I the kind of guy who takes advantage?"

Hawke pulled out the files in the folder, scanning them quickly and frowned slightly.

"What's wrong? Is it complicated?" Brian asked.

Hawke shook his head, "I don't know how complicated it is, but the same case being approached by two different groups in one day is quite strange."

This time it was Brian's turn to be surprised, "Someone else has reached out to you? Did you accept?"

"Not at all," Hawke clarified without reading further. "If you're the lawyer for Sterling Van Wagenen, then I'm not looking any deeper. Two different people came earlier today asking me to help clear him, and I turned them down."

Brian explained, "I'm the representative lawyer for the victims." He couldn't help but add, "Didn't expect you to have a sense of justice."

Hawke didn't respond to him but instead asked, "Why did you take this case? For the money? Or for a sense of righteousness?"

"The idea of righteousness is quite extravagant to me," Brian confessed. "The money depends on the case's outcome. With cases like this, the firm has a large percentage to make. There are strict confidentiality clauses, so I can't disclose much, but one thing's for sure -- your West Coast Studio can net over a million dollars."

Hawke looked over the files, continuing to peruse, saying, "You also have other objectives, right?"

Brian knew he couldn't hide it: "Opening a gap that will reach certain people and force them to yield."

Hawke grasped immediately: "Buddy, you want to drag me into this."

"You chose Erica," Brian declared plainly. "This isn't me dragging you; it's you who made the choice."

Hawke understood full well that this day was bound to come, and he kept quiet for a bit, focusing on the information that Brian provided.

There were three victims, all underage girls. The eldest, named Evan Rachel Wood, described that while auditioning for Little Secrets and Simone, she had been assaulted and molested by Sterling Van Wagenen, who served as one of the producers.

The next, named Judy, was a bit younger than Rachel and had only appeared in advertisements and children's music videos so far; Sterling Van Wagenen had lured her under the pretense of offering film roles to train her alone.

The last girl's name was Amanda, with circumstances similar to Judy.

After perusing everything, Hawke said, "This afternoon, I was wondering why those young actors and their families had the guts to come forward. Looks like you've been working behind the scenes."

Brian replied, "I mentioned this to you when Erica was receiving her award; I was still starting to persuade them. I wasn't confident they would stand up, but in reality, there are even more victims, but only these girls are willing to step up."

"It's clear that Hollywood has a plethora of victims," Hawke stated.

"Just like you said, perhaps we possess some sense of justice, but it isn't abundant," Brian said sharply. "My goal is straightforward: to go after Sterling Van Wagenen."

After contemplating for a moment, Hawke noted, "I recalled a line from a zombie movie: 'Hell is empty; demons walk among us.'"

Brian extended his hand. "Shall we join forces and become demons hunters together?"

Hawke kept in mind their long-term goals as he reciprocated the handshake, stating, "$1.2 million, and you must reveal the real objective."

"This situation involves state-level matters, I'm not yet qualified. I don't fully know what the big shots plan on doing," Brian explained. "Remember the last time I mentioned to you? Governor Davis has thrown California's finances into disarray; some want him dethroned and replace him with Arnold."

Hawke immediately thought of the action star who married into the Kennedy family, exclaiming, "Schwarzenegger?"

Brian confirmed, "They want to push him into power, but getting rid of a governor is no easy task. Hollywood and its companies lean left, and we've received word that one of Davis's closest aides is tight with Sterling Van Wagenen."

Hawke asked, "So you want to leverage this opening?"

"Not just this," Brian replied succinctly. "There are several groups looking for their own openings in different places."

*****

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