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Mesh Applique Open-Front Jacket
Wanted something special to wear for a cruise. I think this is perfect.
October 9, 2014
Love the jacket
This jacket is perfect. I needed something to dress up a plain black dress and this was it! It is finished nicely on the inside seams as well.
August 28, 2014
Pretty Jacket!
When I saw that this was a mesh jacket, I was concerned that it might be stiff or scratchy. In trying it on, I was surprised that it was softer than I expected. I haven't had a chance to wear it anywhere, just tried it on out of the box.
August 21, 2014
Best jacket ever!
I saw this jacket and waited quite a while before purchasing until it went on sale. What a deal! I bought the jacket to wear over a black voyager knit dress and the look is stunning. Everyone who reviewed the jacket said that they got compliments, and I see why. I have not traveled with it yet, so I can not comment about if it wrinkles. I will update my review when I have more to say. Don't hesitate to buy the jacket if you are on the fence. I should say that I usually wear a large, but since this jacket is short waisted and above hip, the medium fit great. It is also comfortable in the net like fabric and is not scratchy. It is extremely well made and the collar is faced with more netting and white scroll design.
August 21, 2014
Couldn't be more pleased
I purchased this jacket to wear at one of the formal dinners aboard the Royal Scotsman Train Tour. I plan to wear it with a longish black tank dress as pictured in the catalog. Since it arrived in its mailing package without a wrinkle, I suspect it will do the same in my suitcase.
I normally wear a size 6. I ordered size small in the jacket, and it fit perfectly.
August 9, 2014
good purchase
Great purchase; good quality and good value. The fit is perfect.
July 16, 2014
Lovely jacket
I have been admiring this jacket in the catalog for a long time, so when I came on sale this time around, I bought it. It is beautiful! Well made, light, and seems to be wrinkle resistant. The perfect accompaniment for a sleeveless black tank dress! Very happy customer.
July 1, 2014
Runs small
I saw a review that said this runs a bit small so I ordered a larger size and I'm glad I did. The next larger size fits nicely and I live the looks of this jacket.
June 25, 2014
Product:26342-Mesh Applique Open-Front Jacket


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Peace Eludes Kashmir: Who Is At Fault?
August 11, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Nilofar Suhrawardy, TMO
NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: The brief phase of apparent peace in Jammu and Kashmir has been shattered once again by what has been described by critics as "state-terrorism." The recent weeks have been marked by several suspect-terrorists having been killed in what have been labelled as "fake encounters" and the custodial death of Nasin Rashid (28) in Sopore district, Baramulla district. Rashid's death provoked Kashmiris to take to streets demanding justice and prompted several Kashmiri leaders to strongly voice their protest against it.
The Indian troops claimed to have killed five suspect militants, three of whom were killed at Rajwar in Handwara and two in Surankote area of Poonch. They were, according to Indian troops, killed as they tried to cross the Line-of-Control. The Kashmiri leaders have, however, blamed the troops for having "martyred" the five in an act of "state-terrorism." Even before this issue has settled down, an actual "fake-encounter" has raised questions on credibility of the earlier claims made by Indian troops. A preliminary probe has reportedly revealed that a man killed in an alleged 12-hour gun battle with an army unit was not a suspect militant, but a mentally unstable civilian.
Initially, a high-ranking officer had briefed the media (Aug 7) that the "militant" killed was Abdu Usman, Lashkar-e-Taiba's "divisional commander." The officer also claimed recovery of a pistol and other materials from his possession. Ironically, before this "news" had created any waves, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accepted that the "encounter" in which the individual was killed may not have been real.
"We are still enquiring into the exact circumstances as to what happened. Preliminary information suggests to us that a local Territorial Army fellow and an SPO (Special Police Officer) had conspired to inform the local army unit about the presence of the foreign militant in Pooch," Abdullah said. "Subsequently, information came to light that that the person is not who (that is a 'suspect militant') the Territorial Army and the SPO claimed him to be," he said.
The "accused," according to Abdullah, "have been charged under section 302 amounting to murder and we will ensure that the law follows its own course." The accused, include SPO Abdul Majid and Territorial Army soldier Noor Hussain. While the SPO's intention, through this "encounter," was to be regularized as a constable, the soldier wanted a cash reward of Rs 200,000.
Amazingly, this is one of the rarest of rare "fake encounters," which on the basis of a preliminary probe has been promptly acknowledged as one, with the state chief minister himself saying so. Over the past three years, at least 14 cases of fake encounter in Kashmir have been reported and registered by India's National Human Rights Commission. And this raises the pertinent question: Who is to be blamed for grievances afflicting Indian Kashmiris?
Speaking at a seminar in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra said: "A major problem facing the country today is the nexus between political hierarchy, mafia and bureaucracy. All elements of government are tainted and now fingers are being pointed towards the armed forces." Taking note that the Police Act was 150 years old, Vohra said: "We need to reform every part and parcel of the government including police for providing justice to the people."
Vohra's tacit acceptance that people were being denied justice was referred to from a different angle by former Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Justice Bilal Nazki at the seminar (Aug 8). He raised the question: "In Kashmir there are many cases of alleged excesses committed by the police and at the same time police is investigating them. How can anybody expect fair investigation from the accused?" "Once the crime takes place there should be no business of police to meddle in investigations. Police cannot handle everything from law and order to security to the investigation," Nazki said.
Undeniably, Kashmiris have suffered for long at the hands of law and order system in their terrain. The army and police are expected to ensure security for the Kashmiris. But instead, they have been trigger-free while targeting Kashmiris, particularly Muslims. In recent years, thanks to communication revolution, "reports" on fake encounters accusing Kashmiris (particularly Muslims) as "terrorists" have started hitting headlines. The Indian media has also woken up to not easily accepting claims made by officers about several "terrorists" being killed in certain encounters. Earlier, their prevailed the tendency to virtually accept whatever was said at press conferences, after such "encounters" as the final word, without examining the credibility of such claims and not considering the option of giving "suspect terrorists" a chance to prove their innocence.
Despite the media and people having woken up to the hard reality that "peace" and "security" continues to elude Kashmiris as innocent persons are still being targeted by state-controlled bullets, the concerned authorities have not yet taken any major step to solve this problem. Irrespective of whatever claims that India makes about its commitment to the Kashmir-issue, peace shall elude problem-ridden region, till adequate attention is paid to address grievances faced by Kashmiris!

subset: commoncrawl


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Connect to other sites within the UBM Medica Network
Evidence suggests that co-occurrence with ADHD is a marker of preadolescent-onset mania. Insights here.
ADHD Symptoms Common in Adult Epilepsy
Symptoms occur in nearly 1 in 5 adults who have epilepsy. Their presence may have severe implications for patients' quality of life.
The Globalization of ADHD
Mental disorders have become a global commodity. According to the author, "a diagnostic fad heavily promoted first in the US has now quickly spread around the world."
Cardiovascular Safety of Stimulant Use Re-Examined
New national cohort prospective study finds increased, though rare, cardiovascular risks associated with stimulant use in children and adolescents with ADHD. Is your patient at risk?
A Back-to-Basics Approach to Managing ADHD?
What forces influence your decision to treat ADHD? Case vignettes and a back-to-basics approach may bring clarity to the diagnostic and therapeutic clinical processes that surround the decision.
Co-Occurring Mania and ADHD in Youths
Evidence suggests that co-occurrence with ADHD is a marker of preadolescent-onset mania. This slideshow provides some evidence for you to decide whether this form of very early-onset mania represents a developmental subtype of the disorder.
Course and Treatment Outcomes of ADHD
What factors are involved in parents' decision to begin medication treatment for a child with ADHD? An overview of studies that provide clinically relevant information related to the course and treatment outcomes of ADHD in children and adolescents.
No Child Left Undiagnosed
In just 20 years, rates of ADHD have tripled and autism and childhood bipolar disorder have increased forty fold. The last thing our kids need is to be misdiagnosed with "Sluggish Cognitive Tempo" and bathed in even more stimulant meds. More in this opinion piece.
ADHD—A Lasting Disorder Needing Long-Term Treatment
ADHD and impulsivity: ADHD is a highly prevalent disorder that persists across the lifespan in one form or another. There are often major impairments that result from persistent impulsivity symptoms
ADHD Is Not a "One-Size-Fits-All" Disorder
Research suggests there are varying versions of ADHD, and like multiple subtypes of cancer, ADHD encompasses an entire family of disorders.
Top Paper of the Year—Integrative Management of ADHD: What the Evidence Suggests
The use of complementary and alternative medicine treatments by children and adults with ADHD is the rule rather than the exception…more than half of parents who have children with ADHD treat their child's symptoms with vitamins, dietary changes, and expressive therapies—but only a small minority tell their doctor. More in this podcast.
When a Patient Asks You For a Neuroenhancer
With the availability of drugs for ADHD and Alzheimer disease, more and more healthy people who have no mental health condition have been asking their psychiatrist to prescribe neuroenhancing medications in the hopes of improving their memory, cognitive focus, or attention span. What's an appropriate response when one of your patients asks for a prescription for a drug for this off-label purpose?
Earn CME Credits for reading Psychiatric Times articles. Click here to go to our free online CME activities.
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Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle
City of Dumas has received the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle. This award is given to recognize local governments that are striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online. Check out award and the public records here
Dumas Fire Department Reunion
Anyone who is, or ever was a member of the Dumas Fire Department, in any capacity, is asked to contact Erin Holland at the Dumas Fire Department. Please make sure we have their name and a way to contact them. Call Erin Holland at 806-935-6434.
Welcome to our website
Thank you for visiting the City of Dumas website. We hope you find the information within informative and helpful. If you have any questions we can be reached at (806) 935-4101 or by fax at (806) 935-6104.
News and Information
City Surplus -
The City of Dumas has posted on Govdeals.com surplus cars up for bid to the public. follow the link below to see the postings and bid!
Govdeals.com - Commission meetings and news for the city will no longer be broadcast on Cable One channel 11 but on channel 58.
Reminder!!! -
Stage 1 Drought Contingency beginning on May 1st. It is voluntary, but we want to encourage everyone to conserve water whenever they can. Stage 1 begins each year on May 1st and runs through September 30th, unless there is a change to a higher stage during that period
Just a Friendly reminder to please mow your alleys
Thank You - Recycling Center New Hours - City Recycling Hours are now 9am-Noon & 1-6pm Tuesday - Saturday. The center is closed Sundays and Mondays.
- City Commission to meet on Monday nights - The Dumas City Commission meets every first and third Monday of the month. The meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and are held in the Commissioner/Municipal Court at the Dumas Police Department. The meetings are also televised live on Channel 11. Click here for the latest agenda.
- See how your favorite restaurant stacks up! - Did you know that the Code Enforcement officer posts his latest inspections on our website? Click here for his latest results.
Follow us on Facebook -


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Editors' Top PicksSee All
Some products end up becoming so-called poster children for their category, and there's no doubt that Jawbone's
It goes bigger and more expensive.
Yes, the latest addition to the Jambox family, the $299 Big Jambox, is three times as large as the original Jambox, measuring 3.6 by 10 by 3.1 inches (HWD) and weighing 2.7 pounds. It maintains its little brother's signature boxy design with a wraparound metal grille and rubberized top and sides. A sleek-looking speaker -- it comes in graphite, white, and red -- it's easy to pick up and carry in one hand thanks to the indented, geometric design of the perforated metal grille. It's also worth noting that Jawbone's designers equipped the bottom of the speaker with eight of what the company describes as "strategically placed rubber feet to help isolate vibrations [to] reduce movement caused by heavy bass."
Unlike with the original Jambox, no protective cover is included, but Jawbone sells a $49 travel case as an accessory that looks like something you'd use to transport a long camera lens or a bottle of wine.
The Big Jambox is easy to set up to wirelessly stream audio from any A2DP Bluetooth-enabled device (as with most Bluetooth devices, you're supposed to be within about 30 feet of the speaker to stream music, but I managed a good 50 feet without any trouble). That means nearly any smartphone or tablet will work as an audio source -- with the notable exceptions of the Kindle Fire , the Nook Tablet and Nook Color , and the first-generation iPod Touch, which are not Bluetooth-compatible.
Feature differences
Aside from the bigger size and much bigger, richer sound, Jawbone has made a couple of feature upgrades to the speaker, one small, one more significant. This model has a dedicated Bluetooth pairing button on the side, which I appreciated, as it makes the pairing process slightly easier. The Big Jambox remembers up to eight devices that it's been paired with, and you can actually pair two devices with it at the same time, though it will only accept sound from one device (I know that doesn't quite make sense, but you can pause the music on one device and immediately start playing it from another that's already paired with the speaker).
With buttons on top of the unit you can adjust volume, pause/play tracks, and skip tracks forward and back. Press the button with the letter J on it and a soothing female voice tells you how much battery life is left. As with the original Jambox, Jawbone gives you a choice of voices, though you have to upload them through its MyTalk online app by connecting the speaker to your computer with the included USB cable.
The more significant upgrade is to the speakerphone capabilities. Jawbone says the Big Jawbone speakerphone is a Type-1-compliant speakerphone that features a "newly designed omnidirectional microphone for 360-degree sound input, with improved echo cancellation and full duplex communication." That makes it suitable for conference calls in a business environment (yes, every startup in Silicon Valley will soon have one of these). I can't say that I was able to notice a big difference in the quality of my speakerphone calls, but callers said they were able to hear me well and I had no trouble hearing them.


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Category archives: PR Interviews
Fashion Tech Q&A with Lindsey Green, Vice President of SKDKnickerbocker
Four years ago this month, we featured Lindsey Green, then in-house PR at Jill Stuart, in a post titled "So what do fashion publicists do?." This article went on to become one of our most popular posts of all time. Since then, Lindsey left Jill Stuart and launched her own company, Ti14th. Noting a need in the space for a communications… More
Camera, Laptop, & Tablet Bags Oh my: Accessory Brand Q&A with Gail Backal, President Jill-e Designs
If you've ever been the recipient of one of those awful black nylon laptop bags (I sure have), either as a gift or part of conference swag, or spent hours searching online for a stylish, functional laptop or camera bag (done that too), then you know what a challenge it can be to simply find something that looks like a… More
Kenwerks Takes On Coachella (& Takes Over PR Couture Instagram)
We have been having so much fun this year, turning our PR Couture Instagram account over to PR agencies for amazing access and insider peeks like Linda Gaunt Communications' NYFW takeover. This week, we're excited to not only bring you Skirt PR on Friday, but we're headed (vicariously) to Coachella's first weekend, thanks to Kenneth Loo and his creative marketing team at… More


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PUBLISHED EVERY WEEK AT, 21, RUE RAYNOUARD, PARIS FIELD SERVICE DIPLOMAS A number of inquiries about the Field Service diplomas have been received from men who entered the Field Service as volunteers during the spring and summer of 1917 but who did not terminate a six months engagement before the ambulance or transport sections with which they were connected were taken over by the American Army. This situation was taken into account in awarding these diplomas to all volunteers of the Field Service who came to France before American troops arrived and who served for six months, or who continued in their sections until their sections were militarized. This means that diplomas will be given to all of the volunteers who arrived in France before July 1917 and who faithfully fulfilled their engagement up to the time that they were released, either by the dissolution ot their sections, or through their section's absorption by the American army. CONTEST Attention, s. v. p. All are invited to take part in the open-to-all- classes, no handicaps, Descriptive Competition which is now opened by these presents: Prize offered of Twenty Francs. Time limit is one month from date of this issue. The quantity limit is twelve hundred words for a short description of anything having to do with your experience in France to be printed in one issue. A two part story can have two thousand words approximately. RAVITAILLEMENT Papa, what did you do in the Great War? Well, my child, for the first six months I served my country if chef de popote in an ambulance section. Did you have many soldiers to command, papa ? Hush, my baby, I was elected to be commanded, commanded 1 y a multitude. They wore soldiers' clothes, yet were no soldiers... And then I will launch forth upon my painful Odyssey of that spring and summer of 1917, telling of my advent to the so-called front, of my labouriously acquired knowledge of French, and of my prompt upheaval from the humble, but oh so peaceful rank of conducteur, 2 classe to the glorious dignity and flowing title of chef de popote. The title was the only consoling feature of the post, and we, poor unimaginative Yankees were unable to discover a more eupho¬nious name than chef de popote variously abbreviated by the vulgar and uncharitable. At least, the British, with the courtly refinement bred in their very souls by three years of war, have graced the dignity with the more expressive and flattering title of mess president. Why could I not have been a president? (never mind the first half it is already an old joke). The word chef somehow brings one into much greater intimacy with stoves and frying pans and warm grease.But nothing could alter our time honored traditions, and I held my title, wearing, as badge of office, a knife and fork, rampant over red cross 011 field of horizon black (color of my thought during the coming months.The daily course of activity brought me into close contact with those glorious, but as yet unsung heroes of the French Army, known to the world as the Quartermaster Corps, but to the Ame-rican Field Service as Ravitymists.Search through the Allied armies from trench to base hospital, from bombing plane to carrier pigeon roost, and nowhere I guarantee will you find men more willing to accept a tactful gift, or more deeply imbued with the policy and doctrine of laissez faire.Watch them, under the vigilance of the officer in charge, throw the frosted cattle to the ground, and gently cleave it with axes, carefully weighing every piece and clipping of the surplus weight, that 110 shortage or loss to the government and our glorious cause may ensue.Watch me slip up with my meat bag tightly clutched, and pass it to the chief chopper, who ducks behind the car and remows the bottle from the bag to his hip pocket, returning to his wor'c, much encouraged, and merely waiting for the officer to pass down the line, before handing out a fifty per cent increase in our weight, carefully excluding all but the finest cuts.Sugar in scarce in France but Bull Durham tobacco is plentiful in the American Ambulance, so we manage to have sweet coffee, and, preserve large quantities of jam in the fruit season.We read of the shortage of fuel, and the shipping difficulties, but the Ambulanciers Amtricains must keep warm in winter, and their private rooms, office and messhalls be kept at a comfortably high temperature; so the art consists in leading the custodian of the coal heap into some distant corner, and telling him a good story, while the busy little assistant loads the camionnette to its full capacity 011 a hundred pound order. All ingenuity is lost however on the pinard gentleman, who mans the hose near the tank wagon and siphons the rosy liquid into the section barrel, by the hygienic and effective method of applying personal suction to the end of the hose, until he has a mouthful, and then allowing the wine to take its own course. In cold weather, the process is still further simplified, and probably made more sanitary by tlie official taking an axe and chopping off a piece of wine corresponding in weight to the quantity due. (Careful drivers are cautioned against keeping this wine too near the exhaust pipe on the ride, home. ) So much for government supplies. Then we have the buying from civilians of all the various delicacies, the little things that add that last touch of flavor. Somebody told us lie thought that salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and mustard just grew on the table, with the napkins and forks, until he took my job and discovered the bitter truth by personal experience. Washing soda, soap, eggs, vegetables, disli cloths, butter, fruit, grease, hors d'oeuvre, cheese, such are a few of the daily requirements, and it is necessary to reconcile the tastes and appetite of the men with the limited funds drudgingly doled cut by the section commander and pitilessly' mangled by that bottomless sink of iniquity and waste: the cook! We have enjoyed many varieties of cooks: the cook that drank, the cook that did not drink, but also did not cook; the cook that sold the section sugar for a place in the... sun; the cook that lost his kitchen during a move; and last but not least the cook that stood guard over the kitchen trailer with a rifle, the first time the Boclie planes blew over our camp. Oh pity the poor popotier of all ungrateful posts, he holds the worst. May his seat in Heaven be soft! P. A. RTK, S. S. U. 637 (old 19). A GLIMPSE When Dawn peeps over the low A is lie hills And star shells point to morning, And screaming obus send their thrills Through brave hearts in the borning; And then as Daylight grows apace, And boom the guns 110 more. Of things I sought, I see a trace, And this, I say, is War. David DARRAH, Reserve Mallet. PRESENT ACTIVITIES OF FORMER A. F. S. MEN. NOTRE POELE. When ycmv'e had a howling ride Down the steep and frozen side. Of the Valley where there's nothing but your paste, Where the snow blows bleak and bleary, And the night falls dark and dreary, And your frozen breath rides off, a white-draped ghost Then you sort of stamp the boards And you wish the naked swords. Could be sheathed just while you got a little warm; Or the wind would blow up hot As you leave the barren top. Of the Plateau and dip down by the ruined farm. But when with slide and slip The triage ends your icy trip And you've got your blesses safely tucked within, You jump upon your voiture And By Jove you're really glad you 're On your way to that old smoky Rita Tin. Some people talk and rant About their central heating plant. But the thing that always works in thick and thin Is our little franjaise poele That's neither large nor very small It's a soot-begetting-smoky Bita Tin. You can throw in rocks and dust And she'll burn it or she'll bust If you let her have her head and lots of chin You can rake her you can stoke But By Her Dirty Pipe she'll smoke So much, she'll camouflage that modest Bita Tin. She's a whiffle little chose, Though the Keeper hardly knows What insane caper she's in line for now She must not be fed too soon And when she burns just give her room For she'll backfire and Believe Me she knows how. When we've put the Fritz in Hell We'll get our Poele to roaring well And we'l smoke the Bums from neck to very chin. Then we'll hang the sooty Kaiser And we'll chuck the dirty miser In our smoking-sooty-roaring Bita Tin. Shade of Sixty Five. WAR AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE The fun has all been knocked out of it. Can't you remember when you got that grand and glorious feeling with a bulge in your side pocket where the permission papers just sort of oozed out with things written all over them that meant anything from ten days to two weeks? Biarritz, Chamonix, England, any place on the map of Europe wasn't too good for us. But GHQEAF has lost all its sense of the just and since the arrival of General Order 6749 we can't do anything for more than seven days. And it is almost impossible to break ones glasses now. Why just the other day we tried it and the Lieutenant made us put 011 our extra pair. And Paris! What are we going to do now since we can't go near the Place? ri will be deserted and those nice rooms that were going to be for us will have to lie idle. And the boulevards will be deserted! For wasn't it the Field Service Boys that kept Paris full and the Gendarmes 011 their jobs? Though Henry has gone his bar has not. It runs, but what for? My God what for? Probably waiting for the end of the war so that those natty boys of Piatt may again live their well earned and narrowly saved lives. No, War ain't what it used to be since General Order Number 6749 came. The only thing we have to live for now is our Field Service Diploma. The Shade of Sixty-Five. Just as a suggestion, Ed, before I yank this from the machine. Why don't you accept a short story or two. Make a limit to the bulk and see what the boys can turn in. We might guarrantee a couple or so with evidence of more forth coming. We have a little contest within our own doors. The sergeant, having nothing else to do, sits up nights and furnishes plots. S. S. U. 629 Convois Autos. A. E. F. Far B. C. M. France February 27, T918. Dear Sir, Am glad to announce to you that old S. S. U. 9 has just been cited for the second time in the following terms. La Section San it aire Americaine No. 629. Section Sanitaire oil tous les conducteurs rivalisent de zele et d'entrain. Le 20 fevrier 1918 la section, sous Pimpulsion energique de ses chefs, le Lieutenant americain Cogswell et le Lieutenant francais La Gerondiere a assure Pevacuation de tous les blesses avec uue rapidite, une discipline et un devouement dignes des plus grands eloges. We get a formal ceremony tomorrow or the day after. Sincerely yours, George Russell COGSWELL. VISITORS AT 21 RUE RAYNOUARD. W H. Cutler (S. S. U. 9) 1st. Lt. (Chaplain) 13th Engineers; J. M. Walker (S. S. U. 3) 2nd Lt. F. A.; B. Harper (T. M. U.. 526) 1st. Lt. Aviation; Vivian C. Neville Thompson (T. M. U. 133) American Mission Motor Transport Division; Bruce C. Hopper (T. M. U. 527) 1st. Lt. Pilot in Air Service; William J. Bingham (S. S. U. 30) 1st. Lt. U. S. A. A. S.; Harold M. Page (S. S. U. 65) Returning to IT. S. A. for Naval Aviation; Arthur M. Dallin (S. S. U. 1) French Artillery at Fontainebleau; John W. Ames, Jr (S. S. U. 2) French Artillery at Fontainebleau; Robert Chambers (S. S. U. 16) American Red Cross. Imprimerie RAVILLY 27, Rue Nicolo, 27 PARIS (XVI)
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San Francisco
Catch flights to San Francisco for cable cars, Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Things to do
Hop onto San Francisco's small red cable cars for a tour of this California city. Up and down steep hillsides, their bells clanging cheerfully, the cable cars travel past San Francisco's landmarks – Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Walk through Chinatown's markets on your San Francisco holiday, scooping up bags of jasmine tea, porcelain teapots and filigreed incense burners. Asian spices perfume the air at tiny Asian grocers, where visitors buy souvenir chop sticks and bamboo steamers.
Come in from San Francisco's fog and tuck into creamy seafood chowder served in bowls of hot sourdough bread. Fresh seafood fills menus at Fisherman's Wharf, where diners overlook San Francisco Bay and the playful sea lions on Pier 39.
After flights to San Francisco, liven up the night at energetic dance clubs in the city's SoMa district. Dance to young DJ mixers late into the night, and relax with trendy cocktails or a glass of Northern California wine.
When to go
KLM has frequent flights to San Francisco. Plan a holiday when San Francisco's Chinatown celebrates Chinese New Year or wait for the Bay-to-Breakers costume footrace in May.


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Katrina Wingfield presented the Board's annual report for 2011.
The report focused on a successful regulatory event organised last October, where Sir Ian Kennedy, expert on the law and ethics of medicine, was the guest speaker, and the establishment by the Board of an Overview of Regulatory Procedures Working Party.
Council was pleased to note the report overall highlighted the Board's commitment to continuous improvement in regulation. It was reassured that, going forward, the Board would continue to provide proactive oversight of ACCA's disciplinary and regulatory processes.
The Council meeting also:
- met in discussion groups to debate the competitive landscape in the global profession and ACCA's response to it.
- considered the regular report of Helen Brand, Chief Executive of ACCA. The report covered ACCA's performance as well as a review of ACCA strategic development and developments in the wider profession.
- on recommendation from the Resource Oversight Committee, approved the proposed budget for the organisation for 2012/2013. Following a recommendation from a group of standing committee chairmen, Council also approved achievement measure targets put in place to track ACCA's strategic performance in 2012/2013.
- at the request of the Regulatory Board, considered its policy regarding ACCA students who hold AAT practising certificates. Council agreed to maintain its current policy to recognise only professional level, IFAC member body-issued practising certificates, and to not introduce any exemptions for AAT practising certificate holders.
- under the terms of membership regulation 3(f), agreed to invite to the ACCA membership four senior accountants from Indonesia - Rosita Uli Sinaga, Ahmadi Hadibroto, Irhoan Tanudiredja and Langgeng Subur.
- happily approved the signing of a renewed Mutual Recognition Agreement with the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
- confirmed Anthony Harbinson as its preferred nominee for vice president 2012/2013. (The formal elections for ACCA's officers will take place at the annual council meeting immediately following the AGM on 20 September).
Council's next meeting will be held in June, in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the biennial series of meetings held in ACCA's key international markets.
- ACCA's Regulatory Board was established after the AGM in May 2008 and brings together all of ACCA's arrangements for regulation and discipline in a single entity. The Board stands at arm's length from Council and the majority of its members are lay individuals.


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Forums >Off the Beaten Path>Who's the bunny?
Now that was a bath...
Roads were made for journeys...
Needs more cowbell!
• 6 duathlons (1 Olympic distance)
• 130#s (and stay there, gotdammit!)
Sorry Janell! I suppose it's not a very 'vegetarian' picture. I'll go to bed and spank myself with a nail spiked paddle. Oh wait. I always do that.
Ok if it isn't Kirsten and it isn't me. I rewrite my list... 1.) Jake 2.) Mike 3.) Jeff
Ahhh...that explains the blood running down your legs while you run...
Kirsten. Put your hands in the air. You are under arrest. Claire xxx
Hey Kirsten - I was looking at that running skirt the other day. I think that there was a combat print one that I liked too. I think that skirts great. Are you going to get one?


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Shortlist: Suzanne Rheinstein
By Ingrid Abramovitch
1. Villa Feltrinelli
A grand hotel on Italy's Lake Garda—the ideal combination of welcoming comfort and chic.
2. Patagonia's Glaciers
I could look at their gorgeous, nuanced colors for hours.
3. Black and Chartreuse Flowers
Queen of Night tulips, chocolate cosmos, black hellebore, dahlias, and chartreuse hellebores.
4. Meyer Lemons
Great for drizzling over fruit or squeezing into a glass of bourbon and mint.
5. House Museums
My favorites include Villa Kérylos in France, Longue Vue House and Gardens in New Orleans, and Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como in Italy.
6. Los Angeles's Fantastic Food Scene
Purist, fusion, high, and low. For my birthday we got tacos from the Kogi BBQ truck.
7. Ginger Fireball
From the Juice Press in New York, to ward off germs before I play with my granddaughters.
8. La Grenouille
This New York restaurant remains elegant and delicious—the ultimate place for a celebration.
9. Garden & Gun Magazine
For the writing, Southern food and drink recipes, and the characters it profiles.
10. Cocktail Ham Biscuits
Callie's Charleston Biscuits makes the perfect party size—and they'll ship overnight.
11. Friedrich's Optik Prescription Sunglasses
I own their Jackie O style in black and tortoise.
12. Painted French Chairs
In every stage of flake and decay.


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November 1, 2005, 12:00 AM
Shameless Obsession of the Month: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer
Swiss watchmakers are known to make wild claims about their new creations. Nevertheless, TAG Heuer's announcement that the hands of its new Aquaracer Calibre S go counterclockwise caught our attention. Finally, we thought, a way to get back the two hours we wasted on The Island. Alas, the Aquaracer does not turn back time but rather counts it down. Inspired by the nail-biting ten-minute preamble to a competitive yacht race, wherein skippers count down from the ten-minute gun to zero, the Aquaracer's hands sweep counterclockwise around its face from the ten o'clock position, moving the space normally covered in an hour every minute. When it gets to zero (or twelve o'clock) the watch immediately reverses direction and shifts into traditional chronograph mode to function as a stopwatch. Of course, if you're not steering schooners through icy waters for a living, then you'll simply enjoy the charmingly elegant way it tells time in stainless steel with a gunmetal-gray face or the deep-blue facade shown here. For all its landmark technical innovations, the fact that it never misses a beat while maintaining such beautiful simplicity is reason enough to forgive it for not returning all that precious time lost.
Stainless-steel Aquaracer Calibre S chronograph ($1,750) by TAG Heuer.
"Time flies like an arrow.Fruit flies like a banana. " --Groucho Marx
How to Use Your Watch
Because sometimes knowing the time just isn't enough
The trick: Clock your speed. How: Good for the mathematically challenged. Using the tachometer on the outside of the dial, time how long it takes to go one mile. If, for example, it takes forty-two seconds, look to the position of the second hand on the watch face and then to the tachometer immediately outside it, which in this case will show the number 85. Your speed, then, is eighty-five miles per hour. Easy. The tool: Platinum-coated stainless-steel Star Tachymeter chronograph ($1,900) by Montblanc.
The trick: Stop a fight. How: To be done with robust metal watches. Remove watch from wrist. Wrap it around your fist with the watch face on the outside of your knuckles. Clench fist. Give the face of the watch a quick kiss. Then swing for your adversary's jaw. After contact, run like hell. The tool: Titanium Royal Oak Offshore chronograph ($20,200) by Audemars Piguet.
The trick: Get un-lost. How: Use your watch as a crude compass. Hold the watch horizontally and point the hour hand at the sun. Halfway around the bezel between that point and twelve o'clock--moving clockwise in the A.M. hours and counterclockwise in the P.M.--will indicate south. Note: Your watch needs to be telling roughly the correct time. The tool: Stainless-steel Radiomir Base watch with leather strap ($4,050) by Panerai.
The trick: Start a fire. How: Forest legend has it that this works with watches with convex crystals. Drop a few beads of water on the crystal of the watch. Position it so that sunlight is reflected through the water drops and the crystal and onto dry shreds of grass or kindling. The water will magnify the sunlight and cause the dry grass to begin to flame. Be patient, though; if it works, it's going to take a while. The tool: Stainless-steel Bubble watch with crocodile strap ($3,395) by Corum.
A Name You Need to Know:
Parmigiani For those willing to plunk down the price of a house for a wristwatch, the name Parmigiani is a sure thing. It is, after all, one of the few watchmakers in the world that still makes its own movements, building its watches with no borrowed parts. Each of the twenty-five watches it makes per year can take thousands of hours to complete. And they cost a small fortune (from $8,400 to more than $1 million). Pink-gold Grande Complication watch ($346,000) by Parmigiani.
Famous Watches of the Silver Screen
Tinseltown made them famous. You can still buy them. Here, five watches that shine onscreen and off.
The Rolex Submariner
Worn by: Sean Connery in Goldfinger Current price tag: $3,800.
The Oris Modern Classic
Worn by: Keanu Reeves in Constantine Current price tag: $750.
The IWC Mark XV
Worn by: Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky Current price tag: $3,400.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Mark 1
Worn by: Steve McQueen in Le Mans Current price tag: $2,995.
The Omega Speedmaster
Worn by: Tom Hanks in Apollo 13 Current price tag: $2,795.
What To Read Next


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zollern II
Taken by knipsomat with a Praktica MTL 5B loaded with Mega Film I00 Expired film in Dortmund, Germany. These tags describe this photo: 35mm, abgelaufen, praktica, pancolar, coal mine, culture, denkmal, industrie, industry, kultur, monument, zeche, zollern, expired, lamp, and lampe. Date: 2012-09-15. Time: Afternoon. This photo can also be found in the album zollern II.Please login to get more out of this site
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Cancer Research
This group is an open forum to discuss cancer, research, prevention, causes and rehabilitation. Millions of humans are diagnosed with cancer every day. Research is absolutely crucial!
Recent activity in this group:
"How do breast cancer cells transform normal cells into tumoral ones?
A new study describes how exosomes secreted by tumor cells contain protein and microRNA molecules capable of transform neighboring cells into tumoral cells promoting tumor growth. "This finding," one researcher said, "opens the door to developing new biomarkers and new therapeutic strategies exploiting these characteristics of exosomes in breast tumors, and other tumors such as ovarian and endometrial cancer among others."
Source: http://bit.ly/1wtjPwA
"Free Webinar Starting Now! "Calibration Verification / Linearity Training" November 5, 2014 10:30am PT, 1:30pm ET. Speaker: David Kelsey PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Maine Standards Company. Earn Free CE Credits! https://engage.vevent.com/rt/labrootswebinars~mainestandards-kelsey-nov5
"Improving breast cancer chemo by testing patient's tumors in a dish
A technique that monitors the response of 3D chunks of a patient's tumor has been developed to determine how effective different anti-cancer drugs will be before starting chemotherapy. In a new article, the engineers describe applying the technique to the three major forms of breast cancer. They report that the test can detect significant drops in the metabolic activity levels of all three types of tumors within 72 hours when exposed to an effective drug whereas tumors that were resistant to a drug show no change.
Source: http://bit.ly/1wJ1yAG
"Cyanine Dyes, Cyanine5 NHS ester, Citations and Tech Questions - Lumiprobe Newsletter
When was the last time you visited Lumiprobe's updated website?
Lumiprobe.com Take a look ! Lumiprobe manufactures and sells over 80 reagents offered in 1mg, 5mg, 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg sizes plus bulk and larger sizes available! Each page has pricing, availablility, information on structure, absorption and emission spectra, downloadable MSDS, and general properties.
Want a quick guide to what binds with what? amine reactive, azides, thiol mono, NHS esters, Azdes, maleimides, ROX, carboxylic, water soluble, BDF FL or Pyrene and more!
Lumiprobe's catalog by alphabetic listing
Custom Synthesis
Want something not in the catalog? Need a large volume? Lumiprobe has created dyes since 2006. Often a research lab requests a custom probe, that is added to the Lumiprobe catalog. What do you need to use in your research? Talk with Lumiprobe tech support and something can be created for you, at no additional development charges.
Downloadable Lumiprobe Catalog and reference book:
Lumiprobe supports all size research labs!
Quality Control
Lumiprobe manufactures and sells its own reagents. Quality control has improved over the years and never sacrifices quality. All chemical materials produced, including intermediates and of course final products, undergo analysis. Lumiprobe quality control uses a combination of two gold-standard analytical methods for the assay of purity and identity our chemicals: NMR, and LC-MS. For our users, knowing that the compound works for the desired application is often the main thing. We regularly check that the reagents work as expected - for example, that they label proteins, stain gels, and provide fluorescent signals. Each batch manufactured by Lumiprobe is labeled with batch number and a sample stored. Lumiprobe can assay it again if something goes wrong at customer's lab. Lumiprobe maintains an electronic quality system which keeps records of all materials and intermediates produced and analyzed at our labs. All manufacturing steps are well documented, too. This allows to obtain consistent results and maintain outstanding quality over time. Certificate of Analysis (CoA) with analytical data is available for every batch manufactured.
Read more...
Featured Reagent : Delve into Dye NHS esters (Reactive dyes)
ROX NHS ester, pure 6- isomer | BDP FL NHS ester | Sulfo-Cyanine3 NHS ester
Sulfo-Cyanine 5 NHS ester | Sulfo-Cyanine7 NHS ester | Cyanine3 NHS ester
Cyanine3.5 NHS ester | Cyanine5 NHS ester | Cyanine5.5 NHS ester | Cyanine7 NHS ester | Cyanine7.5 NHS ester
lumiprobe Cyanine5 NHS ester Limelight on Cyanine5 NHS ester
During the last few years, Cyanine5 flurophore (analog of Cy5) has become an incredibly popular label in life science research and diagnostics. Fluorophore emission has maximum in red region, where many CCD detectors have maximum sensitivity, and biological objects have low background. Dye color is very intense, therefore quantity as small as 1 nanomol can be detected in gel electrophoresis by naked eye.
This Cyanine5 NHS ester (analog to Cy5 NHS ester) is a reactive dye for the labeling of amino-groups in peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides. This dye requires small amount of organic co-solvent (such as DMF or DMSO) to be used in labeling reaction (please see our recommended protocol for more details). This reagent is ideal for very cost-efficient labeling of soluble proteins, as well as all kinds of peptides and oligonucleotides. This reagent also works well in organic solvents for small molecule labeling. For more sophisticated targets such as easily degradable proteins, when use of DMF or DMSO is undesirable, consider using water-soluble sulfo-Cyanine 5 NHS ester which does not require co-solvent, and has very similar fluorescent properties.
Citations of interest - Take a look!
Would you like your paper featured on Lumiprobe citation page?
Use of Lumiprobe Cyanine dyes for diagnostic tool and drug development:
1) Liu, Z.; Miller, S.J.; Joshi, B.P.; Wang, T.D.
In vivo targeting of colonic dysplasia on fluorescence endoscopy with near-infrared octapeptide.
Gut, 013, 62, 395-403. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2011-301913
Peptides were labeled with peptides were labelled with Cyanine5.5, a NIR dye, and characterised by mass spectra. Research demonstrated the created near-infrared (NIR) peptide is highly specific for colonic adenomas on fluorescence endoscopy in vivo and sub-cellular resolution images were achieved
Full paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3563943
2)Xie, M.; Shi, H.; Ma, K.; Li, B.; Shen, S. Wang, X.; Jin, Y
Hybrid nanoparticles for drug delivery and bioimaging: Mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with carboxyl groups and a near-infrared fluorescent dye.
J. Colloid and Interface Sci., 2013, 395, 306-314. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2013.01.001
The development of a drug delivery system with fluorescent biolabels is important in anti-cancer drug delivery application due to the potential for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Here, we reported the synthesis and multiple functionalization of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) for bioimaging and controlled drug release. After the functionalization with carboxyl group, the nanoparticles exhibited much better dispersity and stability in aqueous solution than MSN. Furthermore, a substantial doxorubicin (DOX) loading level was achieved and DOX loaded nanoparticles exhibited noticeable pH-sensitive behavior with accelerated release of DOX in acidic environment. Compared with native DOX MSN, DOX MSN/COOH Cy5 exhibited enhanced intracellular uptake efficacy and stronger effect on killing tumor cells. Meanwhile, it was observed that the MSN/COOH Cy5 was able to locate in the cytoplasm of MCF 7 cells and could accumulate in tumor tissues for a long period of time. Overall, the functional nanoparticle could potentially be used for simultaneous controlled drug release and near-infrared fluorescent bioimaging
Tech Support: Lumiprobe offers FREE tech support before or after you order.
A few questions:
Could you compare sulfonated vs non-sulonated cyanine dyes?
Read the Lumiprobe paper comparing sulfonated and nonsulfonated cyanine dyes http://www.lumiprobe.com/tech/cyanine-dyes
I'm looking at using Cyanine5 as a background dye in some PCR experiments to check for loading amounts of liquids into these experiments (add and scan on first cycle). Thus I'm looking for a non-reactive version of the dye to add in that will not interfere with proteins (such as polymerases) or DNA. Can Cy5-azide that is used for click chemistry be used for this application. Are there other possible Cyanine5 types that would be possible for this application.
Sulfo-Cyanine5 azide (http://www.lumiprobe.com/p/sulfo-cy5-azide) should be suitable for your application. While regular Cyanine5 azide has low water solubility, sulfo-Cyanine5 is very soluble in water. It does not seem to interact with normal biomolecules, and it has same fluorescence as other Cyanine5-containing probes.
Could you send me a quotation and delivery time for 25mg of 43020 Cyanine 5 NHS ester and its protocol?
Lumiprobe thanks you for your enquiry and sends formal quotes whenever requested. Each reagent on the Lumiprobe website
has its own webpage with information. Pricing, availability and information about Cyanine5 NHS ester is at: http://www.lumiprobe.com/p/cy5-nhs-ester
Under General properties there is downloadable MSDS. The Cyanine5 NHS ester has chemical structure, absorption and emissions spectra. Protocol for NHS ester labeling of amino biomolecules and other protocols are at: http://www.lumiprobe.com/protocols
What Cy5 polimethyne dyes can be used in hematology analizer with flow citometry, to differential of leukocites in 5 parts? The light source used in the system is a semiconductor laser emitting red light at 633 nm
Yes, it is possible to use this cyanine dye with a flow cytometer. If your instrument has Cyanine5 channel then it is compatible. Cyanine5 and sulfo-Cyanine5 are suitable dyes for your instrument - you can use them with your cytometer/sorter.
Do you ever have a sulfhydryl reactive version of a sulfonated Cy3 or Cy5?
Lumiprobe offers two sulfhydryl reactive water soluble cyanine dyes. sulfo cyanine3 maleimide and sulfo cyanine5 maleimide
Send your tech questions
Any comments on the newsletter? What information would you like in the next issue?
Visit Lumiprobe.com


text:
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No, you misread the title. It said 5 facts to brighten your Blue Monday.
Not that my Monday needs any brightening. But I just read that today is something called Blue Monday- a day called by "scientists" the most depressing day of the year. Reading that was the most depressing thing that's happened to me all day, honestly, but I figure some of you might need brightening. So. 5 Facts to Brighten Your Blue Monday.
5. Josh Hamilton left the hospital today, after being there for five days with pneumonia. Wishing him a smooth rest-of-recovery.
4. Albert Pujols will not leave the Cardinals. If we repeat that enough times, it will totally come true. Join hands. Positive affirmations only.
3. Moneyball comes out in 249 days. I am still not sold on the whole Brad Pitt thing but I am, evidently, counting the days 'til it comes out.
2. And since we're doing the whole countdown thing here, it's 73 days until the Ultimate Day, a.k.a. Opening Day. And I'll let you in on a little secret. I just realized the home opener is on a special day for me. No, I'm not getting married or moving to the set of Lord of the Rings. Nothing like that. It's a, you know, recurring special day. I will reveal more to my obviously riveted audience later.
1. The Giants won the World Series. Say it out loud, for good measure. I know it's become sort of common knowledge now, but it does serve to remember it.
And here's to a less depressing tomorrow. ::clinks orange juice glasses::
Diamond Girl


text:
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The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Scott Wright of Cleveland. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. John Jaggers Jr. of Cleveland, the late Mr. Jaggers, and Meta Wright of Savannah, Ga.
The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Tingle of Watkinsville, Ga. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Jenkins of Watkinsville, Franklin McAllister of Watkinsville and the late Mrs. McAllister.
The wedding was officiated by the Rev. Hal Farnsworth, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church of Athens, Ga. Nuptial music was provided by Jake Coleman, pianist and organist, and Charlie Wright, pianist.
The bride's parents presented her in marriage. Bridesmaids were Codee Baylee of Soddy-Daisy, Lindsay Hook of Aiken, S.C., Stella Hungerford of Greenville, S.C., Elizabeth Morton of Lookout Mountain, Alison Pryor and Sarah Beth Ramsey, both of Cleveland, the bridegroom's sisters, Emma Tingle and Katie Tingle, both of Watkinsville, Bryson Young of Greensboro, N.C., and Jean Battle Zvara of Jacksonville, Fla.
The bridegroom's father served him as best man. Groomsmen were Nathan Bosshardt of Chickamauga, Ga., Alan Doak of signal Mountain, Nathan Kirkpatrick, Daniel James, John Maudlin, J. Tingle and the bridegroom's brother, Matt Tingle, all of Athens, Michael Martin of Greenville, S.C., and the bride's brothers, Steele Wright of Cleveland and Charlie Wright of Chicago, Ill.
Ushers who served the wedding were Davonta Appleby, Marty Booker, Terrance Crawford and Lee Scott, all of Athens, Ga., and Adam Murphy and Jefferson Walker, both of Cleveland.
The reception was given by the parents of the bride in the Weaver's Room at the Old Woolen Mill.


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"So, this is the life of a celebrity?" Jessica thought to herself as she leaned against the railing and gazed upon the city of Steelport. It was indeed a glamorous life, but it wasn't what she wanted. She was a Saint, a hardened gangster, not some sellout pop idol. She wasn't for signing autographs or filming commercials, she wanted to be tough.
It had seemed like it was yesterday when Jessica first arrived in Steelport. Sure it was a nice city, but it was far from home. The boss called her a few days ago saying he had just took over a Morning Star penthouse and wants the Saints moved out of Stilwater and into Steelport. The next thing she knows, she and all the other Saints are boarding a plane for Steelport. She didn't want to leave Stilwater, but orders are orders, and she dared never to go against the will of the boss. Letting out a deep sigh, she brushed her flaming red hair out of her face and walked back into the lavish penthouse. As usual, the other Saints were either drinking or passed out from partying too much. Jessica liked alcohol every now and then, but she wasn't into getting drunk. She opened the refrigerator in the kitchen and pulled out a can of Saints Flow, which she prefered over the stockpile of alcohol that almost flooded the fridge. While most people said it tasted like ass, she actually enjoyed the taste. It tasted almost like grape soda. She sat down on the plush purple sofas in the living room and flipped through the channels. It was the usual as always. Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax was on one channel, and Pierce's Saints Flow Commercial was on another channel, in fact, the same channel was showing a re-run of I Wanna Sleep with Shaundi. In frustration, she turned off the television. It was just a grim reminder of what the Saints have become. "Gat was right." She whispered to herself. She reminisced about the time when Gat found out about the Saints signing some contract with Ultor and creating this media-group. He was furious. She could remember him saying, "So we're just gonna turn into a bunch of f*cking p*ssies for the sake of money?"
Suddenly, she was snapped out of memory lane by the hollering of another Saint, "Hey guys, the boss called, he needs backup! We're rolling out!" Jumping up from the sofa, Jessica ran to her bedroom and pulled her KA-1 Kobra out of the nightstand and loaded a magazine full of hollow points into it and rushed out. The other Saints were already loaded up in the purple and gold Criminals parked outside as she rushed out of the elevator. She could hear one of the female Saints yell out, "Hey Jessica, hurry your ass up or we're f*cking leaving you!" Jessica jumped in the back as the Criminals sped off. "Where are we going?" She asked the female Saint? The Saint responded, "Loren Square. The boss and Pierce got into a firefight with some Morning Star thugs and we're going to help them out." Over the reving of the engines, Jessica could hear gunfire. Soon she saw a mass of bombed out cars and a few dead bodies. The Criminals screeched to a halt and every Saint flooded out armed with TEK Z-10s and 45 Sheperds. The boss was ducked behind an overturned Infuego in the middle of the road as the Morning Star goons fired on him with their customized K8 Krukovs. Pierce was firing back with a TEK Z-10 in one hand and a D4TH Blossom in the other. "About time y'all showed up!" He called as he ducked back behind the Infuego and reloaded. "These motherf*ckers are all over the place!" Racking back the bolt on his AR55, the boss shouted back to Pierce, "Pierce, shut the f*ck up and keep shooting." All together the boss and his Saints unloaded on the Morning Star, killing several of them. Jessica focused her sights on one of the thugs and fired her Kobra. Almost in slow motion, she could see the punk's head snap back as a red mist erupted from it.
More Morning Star goons showed up, only this time they were also in Criminals. Riding in the back of one of the Criminals was a sight all too familiar. "Oh f*ck!" Hollered the boss. "They sent a brute." The brute jumped out of the back and charged like a rhino at the boss, who in return switched over to his 45 Sheperd with explosive ammo and began firing away at the monster. The brute smashed his gigantic fist into the boss, throwing him back a good 3 or 4 yards. The brute then turned his attention to Pierce, who at this point was hauling ass away from him. Killing off a few other Morning Star henchmen, Jessica ordered some of the Saints to protect the boss. As they rushed over to him, the boss got back up on his feet and groaned, "Jesus, I felt like I was hit by a train." "You okay, boss?" Asked one of the Saints as they handed him his 45 Sheperd. The boss stretched for a bit and said, "I'm good." before charging back into the fray. Meanwhile on the battlefield, the brute caught eye of Jessica and charged right at her growling, "I'll smash you!" With haste, Jessica jumped out of the way of the brute's collosal punch and sprinted as far as she could from it, but the brute was hot on her tail. Clumsily, she tripped while running away and fell to the bloody pavement below. She could feel the brute stomping towards her. Nowhere to go, she curled into a fetal position and readied herself to be trampled. Before the brute even laid a hand on Jessica, the boss smacked him in the face with his pistol then shoved a grenade in its mouth. The grenade exploded, sending a shower of blood and brain matter all over Jessica. "F*cking great." She groaned. "I just washed this tank top yesterday." "You alright?" Asked the boss lending Jessica a hand up. "Yeah." Replied Jessica. "Thanks, boss." She was a bit shooken up by the experience. That brute would've crushed her like an ant if it hadn't been for the boss rescuing her.
With their brute dead along with half their forces, the Morning Star retreated, ending the battle. "Sh*t dawg," Said Pierce shaking his head. "I ain't ever seen that many Morning Star f*ckers in one place at the same time." "Probably won't be the last time either." Said the boss. "Alright Saints, we got work to do. Hey Jessica, why don't you go get yourself cleaned up. Take the day off." "Umm...thanks, boss." Said Jessica bewildered. Though it was odd the boss was being a little partial to her, Jessica ignored the fact and climbed into the only Criminal that wasn't wrecked in the firefight and drove back to the Saints' penthouse. As she parked the truck in the underground garage and entered the elevator she thought to herself, "Even if he's a big celebrity, the boss still knows how to kick ass." Trudging into the now empty penthouse, Jessica made her way to the bathroom, stripped off her blood soaked clothes and walked into the hot shower. As the warm water rained down on her, she scrubbed off the remaining brain matter left from that ugly brute. She hopped out of the shower, dried off and put on her clothes for tonight. It was a thursday night, so that meant she was gonna hang out at the Gothedral. She dressed in a black tube top and a plaid miniskirt, red, zebra striped leggings with holes in them, a spiked bracelet on her left wrist, and a pair of Network combat boots. Before she left out, she put on a bit of dark eyeliner. She never wore her goth gear around the other Saints. The last time she did, some girl called her a f*cking zombie. As she walked out of her bedroom, a voice caught her attention, "So, where's our queen of darkness heading to today?" It was Ty, the same male Saint that constantly kept hitting on her. "None of your business, Ty." Said Jessica. Before she could reach the elevator, Ty stoood in her way. "Well you're certainly not going out in all that sh*t. Where's your flags" "You know I don't like to wear purple, Ty, especially in public." Returned Jessica. "Now get out of my way or you'll be sorry." "Tough luck, !@?$%." Smirked Ty. Enraged, Jessica slammed her knee straight into Ty's crotch, knocking the breath out of him. "Don't ever call me a @**!$."
So...what do you guys think so far? .....OK, no respones at the moment. I'll just go ahead and post chapter 2 then.
Jessica smirked as she watched Ty wallow all over the floor in pain. That's what the douchebag deserved for disrespecting her. She walked into the elevator and pushed the button to go down to the garage where her ride of choice was waiting, a bright red Kaneda. Aside from being a goth, Jessica, or as some people called her "Jess" was your average otaku, so of course she chose to paint her Kaneda bright red to match the bike from the anime Akira. Pressing the ignition button on the handlebars, Jess fired up the motorcycle and zoomed out of the parking garage and onto the streets of downtown Steelport. As she drove to the Gothedral, she zipped past the police investigating the area where the firefight had taken place. The police were one reason she didn't wear purple outside of the penthouse, that and the annoying fanboys. Within minutes she was at her destination. As she parked her Kaneda outside, she could hear the loud music pounding from within the Gothedral. She pushed open the large wooden doors and walked inside. As with any club, there were few lights. Jessica stumbled through the dimly lit hallway, bumping into some guy in a glow-in-the-dark skeleton costume. "Excuse me." She said as she made her way through the crowded hallway. Finally she reached the dancefloor. It was the average crowd as usual, stereotypical goths and emos on one side, Deckers on the other side, and in the middle, f*cking Nyteblade fangirls. You know the type, the girls who have vampire bites tattooed on their necks and wear shirts that say "Team Nyteblade" or something along that matter.
Jess decided to skip the dancefloor and head directly for the bar. She sat down on one of the red barstools and turned to face the bartender. "So, what'll it be?" Said the bartender. He looked to be about in his 20s, almost the same age as Jess. She thought he was kind of cute. "Absinthe." She said propping her elbows on the bar. The bartender prepared Jessica's absinthe and placed it in front of her. "Thanks." she said taking a sip of her drink. By this time, a woman came from the dancefloor and sat next to Jessica. She had shoulder length hair black as coal, but her pale blue eyes shimmered like diamonds. She was dressed in a black corset, a black miniskirt, and fishnet stockings. As many times Jessica has been to the Gothedral, she had never seen this girl before. She wasn't a lesbian or nothing, but to her, this woman looked stunning. Jessica looked at her for a bit, then averted her eyes back to the dancefloor. She didn't want this new girl to think she was staring at her. The woman then spoke to the bartender, "Hey Dante, I need a drink over here." "Your usual, Haley?" Asked Dante, grabbing a bottle of vodka from the shelf and pouring it into a glass of ice. "Haley, that's a nice name." Said Jessica to Haley. "Thanks." Replied Haley taking a sip of her vodka. "I never seen you around here before. You new?" "No, I come here on thursdays." Returned Jessica. "My name's Jessica by the way." "No way." Said Haley surprised. "I love that name. I wished my parents would've named me that." "What's wrong with Haley?" Said Jessica laughing. "Nothing." Replied Haley. "I just love your name better than mine."
Jessica and Haley chatted for a bit until the song switched over to "Suicide Jag" by Chemlab, Haley's favorite. "I love this song." She said jumping up from the bar. "You wanna dance?" "Sure." Returned Jessica. The two girls left the bar and made their way to the dance floor. Within seconds, their bodies were moving to the music. Jessica and Haley danced close to eachother, their skin touching every once in a while. Both didn't seem to mind it. "Hey, you're a good dancer." Jessica called to Haley. "Thanks." Returned Haley, still dancing to the beat. "So are you." It felt weird to Jessica, but it almost seemed like these two girls like eachother, or even more. As the song finished, the girls left the dancefloor. "Wow, I haven't danced like that in forever." Said Haley catching her breath. "It's such an adrenaline rush." "I know the feeling." Said Jessica, also out of breath. "Hey, why don't we go somewhere else." "Okay." Said Haley. They both paid Dante for their drinks and left the dancefloor behind. As they reached the outside, Jessica spotted a Decker punk riding away on her Kaneda. "Hey!" she cried out, chasing after them in vain. "Bastards." "They always do that." Said Haley. "Yeah, well they picked the wrong vehicle to jack." Growled Jessica. "Looks like I got no ride." "Well, there's still my car." Said Haley jingling her car keys. She then motioned over to a black Torch. "Why don't we crash at my place? Sound good?" "Sure, sounds good to me." Said Jessica. She hopped into the passenger seat of Haley's Torch as Haley started it up. The engine released a fearsome roar as it fired up. This car definitely had some power behind it. The Torch drove away from the Gothedral and left downtown far behind. "So, where do you live?" Inquired Jessica. Not taking her eyes off the road, Haley responded, "I've got a house over in Ashwood. It's nothing too big, but it's home to me."
"Ashwood? Isn't that Deckers' turf?" Said Jessica concerned. Haley giggled for a bit then said, "Trust me, they don't give me any trouble. They may think their gods when they're behind a keyboard, but outside, their scared sh*tless." Jessica began to like this girl even more. She was the kind of girl who didn't take sh*t from no one. Hell, she could probably take down the Deckers with just her bare hands. "Well, here we are." The car pulled into the driveway of a small house. The front lawn looked like it hadn't been cut in over a month and the garage door was tagged with "Deckers are 1337" written in blue spray paint. "Coming in?" "Yeah." Said Jessica unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car. As Jessica walked through the front door, she noticed how nice it was inside. The living room was occupied by a few couches and a TV set. There was a Gamestation on the floor with two disc cases sitting next to it, "Zombie Uprising 2" and "Professor Genki's S.E.R.C.: The Game." "You're a gamer?" She asked Haley. Haley smiled and returned with, "Yeah, why do you think the Deckers are afraid of me? I challenged one of their lieutenants to a one on one deathmatch on Genki. I kicked his butt. You should've seen it, he was all crying like his spirit was broken or something." "That's so rad." Laughed Jessica. Haley then took her hand and led her upstairs to her bedroom. As they walked inside, Haley flipped on the floorlamp in the corner of her room, then turned on her radio, which was already tuned to 106.66 The Blood. Jessica sat on the queen sized bed and looked around the room. Plastering Haley's walls were posters of Operation: Fear Strike and the Feeddogs. There was a dresser with a mirror on it propped against the north wall. The top of the dresser was cluttered with a few magazines and various makeup ranging from eyeshadows and lipsticks. Haley sat beside Jessica on the bed and began to strike up a conversation. "So, what's your story?" Jessica hesitated for a moment. She didn't want anyone, even this girl to know that she was a Saint.
"Wow, I don't know where to start." Said Jessica, slightly blushing. She didn't want to say anything about joining the 3rd St. Saints, but she knew what led up to it. Back when she lived in Stilwater, she lived in an appartment in Chinatown. She was content with where she lived, but then came that fateful day. A gang of miscreants from the Brotherhood took over the appartment complex, and forced the tenants to pay protection money. She refused, but that was the biggest mistake she had ever made. Angered, the Brotherhood broke into her appartment, trashed the place, and kidnapped her. The horrid memories of what became after haunted her mind once more. She could remember being dragged out of the back of that blood red Compensator. Her face hit the sand of Stilwater Beach. It was still dark outside. She heard one of the brutish members of the Brotherhood say, "This is what you get for telling the Brotherhood to f*ck off." Jessica pleaded for her life, but it was no use.
Now, the most terrifying moments caught up to her. She remembered vividly the Brotherhood stripping her down to her underwear, then savagely beating her to death. She lied there, bleeding into the sand as she was punched, kicked, and stomped on. Then, one of the Brotherhood bastards laughed for a bit then said, "Okay, who wants to f*ck this %?@*$?" This was horrible, first they beat the living sh*t out of her and now they were going to !%$? her? What did she ever do to deserve something of this caliber? She couldn't move barely an inch. Her whole body felt like it was pounded with sledgehammers. She sobbed, fearing the worst, but then she heard gunshots and saw one of the Brotherhood thugs fall in front of her dead. She then felt her body being turned over and her eyes came face to face with a man she had never seen before. He was a caucasian man about in his early 20s, but his accent sounded like it was spanish. He had on a black motorcycle jacket with purple dragons on each side. His hair was dyed a dark blue. The man looked to her and asked her, "You alright?" She couldn't remember much after that. She had blacked out. She did remember waking up in a hospital bed. Apparently, the man who rescued her brought her to the hospital.
She recently found out that the man who saved her was the leader of the 3rd. St. Saints. After a 7 week stint in the hospital, she paid a visit to their hideout, Purgatory. There, she said to the leader, who most peopled called "Boss," she wanted to join and get revenge on the Brotherhood for what they had done. That is how she became a Saint, but the truth had to be obscured. Jessica snapped back to reality and said, "I used to live in Stilwater, but I got tired of it, so I moved to Steelport." "A change of scenery, eh?" Said Haley, that wonderful smile still on her face. "You could say that." Said Jessica. The girls talked for a bit more and began to know eachother better. Jessica was so caught up in the conversation, she didn't even realize how much time had passed. She stopped for a little and glanced at Haley's alarm clock. The time was 2:30 a.m. "It's getting late. I better go." "Aww, can't you stay for a little more?" Said Haley. Jessica didn't seem to mind staying longer, in fact she would much rather do so then return to the Saints' Penthouse. "What is it?" She asked as she stared into Haley's pale blue eyes. She had a look that appeared to be longing for something. Haley looked off to the side, but Jessica could tell she was nervous about something. "Don't be offended by this, but I wanted to ask you something?" She said, turning her eyes back to Jessica.
Jessica lightly responded, "Okay, shoot." Haley then asked her, "Have you ever kissed a girl before?" Jessica's heart fluttered, and her eyes widened. She could feel her throat growing drier by the second. She couldn't find the words to say at all. Sure there was that time she did make out with some chick in college, but that was on a dare. This was something more than just playing around. "Not really, why?" She said, her cheeks now a rosey red. Haley responded insecurely, "Nothing, I was just asking." Jessica then placed her hand on Haley's thigh ever so softly and said, "What if I said I wanted to?" She then pressed her lips against Haley's. Haley backed away for a moment, but then she kissed back with much more passion this time around. As she kissed Jessica, she ran her fingers through her soft hair. Jessica then fell back into the bed with Haley lying on top of her. Both lips were still locked as Haley untied her corset and threw it aside. Jessica did the same with her tube top. She shut her eyes, feeling Haley's lips on her lips then on her neck. Her head tilted back as she felt a wave of ecstasy overflow her.
Morning had arrived to reveal Jessica and Haley still wrapped up in eachother's arms. The sun shined through the bedroom windows blanketing the room in a white light. Jessica was the first to awake. She lied there staring at Haley, still asleep. She looked like an angel when she slept, so Jessica didn't want to disturb her. She slowly got out of bed, dressed back in the clothes she had on the night before and softly kissed Haley on her cheek. Jessica then slowly shut the door behind her and crept downstairs. As she made her way to the living room, it dawned on her she didn't have to leave immediately. She wanted to be with Haley a little longer. She sat on the sofa and flipped on the television. Apparently, channel 7 was doing a Nyteblade marathon. There really wasn't much to watch at all on television these days. She just ignored the crappy dialogue and the typical cliches used in the show. Her mind was more focused on what had occurred last night. She had just met this girl at a club who took her to her place and then had sex with her. It was confusing, but the answer was sure to come to her. Maybe she was in love with Haley, but did that mean Haley loved her too? What if this was pretty much a one-night stand? She was clouded so much in thought, that she didn't see Haley walking downstairs. "Morning." She said sleepily. She must've recently got out of bed as her hair was still a mess and she was wearing a large, gray hoodie and nothing else. "I had a wonderful time last night." Said Jessica. "I did too." Haley responded. "The funny thing about that is I've never been with a girl before. This was all new to me." Haley then looked Jessica straight in the eye and asked her, "Hey Jessica, when we were..you know..doing it, did you feel something?" "What do you mean?" Asked Jessica, her heartbeat once again racing. Haley continued, "I mean...did you feel like there was something between us? Like..I don't know..a connection maybe?"
"Actually..I.." Jessica was cut off by the ringing of her cellphone. She flipped it open and looked at the contact, it was Ty. "F*ck." She muttered under her breath. "What do you want?" "Easy, girl." Ty said jokingly on the other end. "I was just wondering where you were. Boss wants you back here, pronto." "What for?" Said Jessica begrudgingly. "I'm perfectly able of watching myself. I'm not a f*cking kid anymore." "Just do as he says bi.." "Don't even go there, Ty. You remember what happened the last time you called me a ?!$#@. Anyways I need a ride back. Come pick me up over in Ashwood. I'll see you at Nobody Loves Me." "Ashwood?" Said Ty. "Jessica are you f*cking crazy. That's Deckers turf. What the f*ck are you doing there?" "None of your business, Ty." and with that, Jessica shut her phone and grumbled, "God he's such an ass." "Who was it?" Asked Haley. Jessica smiled and said, "Nobody, just some guy I work with. He keeps bugging me to go out with him, but he's such a jerk sometimes. I asked him to pick me up at Nobody Loves Me, so I better get going." "Oh..sure.." Said Haley a little disheartened. "Maybe we'll hang out again sometime." "I'd love that." Said Jessica as she kissed Haley on the cheek. "Bye." She walked out of the house, leaving Haley alone in the living room. Haley curled up on the sofa and stared at the hardwood floor below. "Actually you what?" She whispered to herself. "Does she love me?" Her deep thought was interrupted by her cellphone. The ringtone of her choice, "Downfall of us All." by A Day to Remember. "Hello." The voice on the other end was thick with a Russian accent. "Haley, do you realize what time it is?" "8:30, why?" Responded Haley. It then hit her like a bolt from the blue, "F*ck I'm late." "Precisely." said the voice on the other end. "Mr. Loren expects his employees to be punctual. Ruining an opportunity such as this could spell dire consequences for you." "I get it already, Boris." Grumbled Haley.
"I'm glad." Said Boris quite cynical. "Mr. Loren is letting you off with a warning this time. If you wish to appease him, I expect you come to Syndicate Tower as soon as possible. The next time around, Mr. Loren will carve out those pretty eyes of yours. Do you understand, Haley?" "Yes." Said Haley begrudgingly. She hung up the phone and went to her bedroom. She put on the corset she wore last night, but over that corset she put on a dark red overcoat with a pink star pinned to its collar. Just as Jessica didn't want her to know she was a Saint, Haley refused to tell Jessica that she was actually an assassin working for the Morning Star. She looked into the mirror one last time to see not the face of a beautiful woman, but the mask of a mass murderer. She truly hated what she had become.
Meanwhile outside of Nobody Loves Me, Jessica crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently on the concrete. She had been stuck there for hours and was growing angrier by the second. "For f*cks sake, Ty." She said to herself. "How long does take to get over here?" Soon, Ty pulled up in his purple Neuron with gold rims. He kept calling it his pimpmobile, and as usual he was pumping K-Rhyme out of his speakers. "Took you long enough." Jessica said sarcastically as she flung open the passenger door and slammed it shut. "Geez,..the f*ck's your problem." Laughed Ty. Jessica merely shot him a dirty look signaling to him that he needs to shut his mouth and just drive. Doing so, Ty punched the gas and drove off. "Do you have to drive like a f*cking maniac?" Yelled Jessica over the reving of the engine. Ty, in typical fashion, replied with, "I'm a Saint. I can do whatever the f*ck I want." "That doesn't mean getting us killed." Hollered Jessica. "What did the boss want?" "I'm not sure. He just wants all the Saints back at the penthouse for some reason." Said Ty. This didn't really convey much information to Jessica. Were the Saints planning something huge? Were they going to attack the Morning Star again? What the hell was the boss up to? Due to Ty's driving like a bat out of hell, they soon arrived at the penthouse. The boss, Pierce, and Shaundi were waiting outside next to a pearl white Sovereign. "Brought her back, boss." Ty said as he jumped out of his Neuron. The boss looked stern in the face. It was the face he usually had when he was determined to kill someone by any means necessary. "Where were you?" He said facing Jessica. Jessica felt like a teenager who just broke curfew.
"You said I could take the day off, boss, so I.." "So you what?" Said the boss interrupting Jessica. "Ty already told me you went to Ashwood. Do you realize what could've happened to you down there?" "They're just Deckers boss." Said Jessica trying to defend herself. "They're like you said, just bitches with keyboards." "That doesn't mean they won't hesitate to kill you." Said the boss in a stern tone. "I already have one Saint dead. I don't need another." Jessica knew the boss was talking about Gat. He never showed it but deep down inside, the Boss was suffering from the loss of not only a Saint, but his best friend. "Now, I've got something to take care of. Go up to the penthouse with the rest of the Saints and stay there." The boss and his lieutenants then climbed into the Sovereign and drove off.
Haley had just pulled into the underground parking garage of the Syndicate tower. Before she killed the ignition on her Torch, she checked her hair in the rearview mirror and fixed what parts were messed up. As she stepped out, she was greeted by none other than Boris, who at this point began to lecture her, "Why are you not in proper attire?" He was clearly talking about Haley's black skinny jeans with a leg holster attached to one side and a tactical knife on the other. "I'm not wearing a G-string, Boris." Said Haley. "I'm an assassin, not a !#*?." Boris just glared at her with a "suit yourself" attitude and motioned for her to follow him to the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor and closed the doors. Haley kept quiet as the elevator lifted her and Boris to the top floor, but Boris soon broke that silence, "I don't see what Mr. Loren sees in you. In my eyes, you are just a little brat." "Maybe you should learn how to use a sniper rifle then." Retorted Haley. Boris shut up at that moment, but the anger was clearly burning inside him. As the elevator reached its destination, the doors opened to reveal a large board room. Gathered around the long conference table were Loren's associates.
On one side there was Matt Miller, leader of the Deckers. Haley had a few run-ins with Matt, even when she humiliated one of his lieutenants. On the other side of the conference table was Killbane, an arrogant masked wrestler who led the Luchadores. Haley always thought Killbane was nothing more than a selfish bastard. Standing at the end of the table were Loren's personal assistants, Viola and Kiki Dewynter. Haley was on good terms with Kiki, but Viola on the other hand hated her guts. Taking her place at the table, Haley sat in one of the comfortable office chairs and propped her feet on the table, much to everyone's dismay and asked, "Where's Loren?" Boris was once again quick to scold, "You will address him as Mr. Loren." Just as Boris took his seat, into the board room walked Phillipe Loren, leader of the Morning Star and Chairman of the Syndicate.
"Gentlemen," he said taking his rightful seat at the far end of the table. "And ladies. As you may know by now, the Saints have become a much bigger threat than we have assumed them to be. Most of my men were wiped out in the ensuing battles the other day. I believe the time has come for me to unveil my most cherished project at this moment. I would like to introduce you to Mr. Johnny Gat." Everyone looked towards the elevator as two Morning Star thugs drug in a man who looked like he'd been through a brutal ordeal. Haley couldn't help but gaze at him. His eyes were those of fierce wolf. He looked like if he broke out of the chains that bound him, he'd snap Loren's neck in an instant. Suddenly those fierce eyes met hers in a glare that struck fear into her heart. "Mr. Gat is the highest ranking lieutenant of the 3rd St. Saints. His ferocity is remarkable." "Damn right." Said Killbane. "That guy's a f*cking beast." Gat then growled at Loren, "Trust me frenchy, once I get out of these chains, I'm coming for your ass."
Loren laughed at Gat then backhanded him before continuing, "Once we have harvested his DNA, we can create an army that our enemies have never seen the likes of. We will crush the Saints and anyone who stands in our way." "But Mr. Loren," interrupted Matt. "What will become of the original cloning project of Oleg Kirrlov?" Loren answered, "Mr. Kirrlov has developed disastrous results. The brutes are nothing more than an abomination. I will offer the remaining brutes as hired muscle to the Deckers and to the Luchadores, but as for Mr. Kirrlov, his fate is undetermined." Haley butted in with, "What about the Saints?" Everyone's eyes then turned to her. "Someday they'll find out Gat isn't dead. They'll come looking for him." "That is nothing to fear, Ms. Haley." Said Loren. "I have already calculated that happening and have taken the liberty in giving them back Mr. Gat." Haley didn't quite follow what Loren was talking about until another Morning Star thug dragged in what appeared to be an exact copy of Gat. Loren then pulled out his gold plated .45 Shepherd and blew the clone's brains out. "I believe the Saints will be attending Mr. Gat's funeral sometime soon."
Loren motioned for his goons to drag the newly-dead Gat copy away and continued explaining his plans to use clones of Gat as an unstoppable force. Gat clenched his fists as he listened to "frenchy" drone on about this atrocity. "You're more of a sick f*ck than I thought." He said nonchalantly, further infuriating Loren. "So you just kidnap some random f*cker and think you can play God? Think again ****, no one f*cks with Johnny Gat." Burning, Loren called to the goons, "Silence this disrespectful bastard." One of the goons then pistol-whipped Gat, knocking him out cold. Haley winced as she saw Gat's jaw busted by the back of a .45 Shepherd. As much as she wanted to put an end to Loren, she knew she had to obey orders for the sake of her life. Loren then lit up a cigarette and said, "This meeting is adjourned." And with that, every gang leader and whoever else was in the board room left. Haley was making her way out of the building until she was stopped by Loren, "Ms. Haley, I have another assignment for you." "Who is it this time?" She asked. It seemed as though she couldn't go a single day without killing anyone. While most assassins only saw dollar signs through their weapons' sights, Haley saw a human being, someone who had a life, a family, a person who doesn't deserve to die. Loren had no sympathy for her compassion, it was either kill or be killed. Loren threw down a black and white photo of a caucasian man with spiky, anime style hair, "This man is the leader of the Saints. Mr. Killbane has set up an ambush on the Hughes Memorial Bridge. You will go with him and eliminate this target." "Why the bridge?" Inquired Haley. Loren took a drag on his cigarette and answered, "Were you not listening earlier? I had clearly stated the Saints will be burying the late Mr. Gat. They will be heading back to Stilwater on the bridge." Haley couldn't believe the nerve of Loren. Attacking a funeral procession? It was immoral, there was no way she'd agree to it, but she was forced to. "Do you understand now?" "Yes...Mr. Loren." Said Haley quietly, her head held down.
Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the building. Boris rushed into the board room shouting, "Mr. Loren, the Saints are attacking the building. We need to get you out of here." "Do not worry." Said Loren unphased. "They won't make it this far. Release the brutes and gather your best men. We will show the Saints the Syndicate is a force to be reckoned with. Ms. Haley, go with this man and do as you are told." Haley nodded and raced after Boris who had just left the room. She ran to the armory and grabbed two D4TH Blossoms with armor-piercing rounds and a Nocturne sword. "Do you think you need all of that?" Said Boris reloading his TEK Z-10. Haley quickly responded, "We're fighting Saints, what do you think?" Gunfire echoed through the halls as Haley charged into battle wielding her dual SMGs. The Saints had made their way into the Syndicate's R&D facility and were gunning down anyone who stood in their way. Haley jumped out of the way as a barrage of bullets peppered the wall next to her and opened fire on the Saints. To her surprise, there were only three of them, the leader and his lieutenants. The leader mowed down a battalion of Morning Star soldiers with his K8 Krukov while shouting obscenities.
Haley couldn't believe her eyes. This man was unstoppable, there was no way she could kill a target as powerful as him. "Don't even think of retreating, Haley!" Boris hollered over the gunfire. "We have to hold them back until Mr. Loren is secure!" Haley could care less about Phillipe. The sick bastard just announced to her that he was going to attack the Saints in their weakest moment, truly an act of cowardice. She was about to run until a bullet grazed her arm, dropping her to the ground. She yelped as the brass projectile sliced into her arm like a katana. Crawling back to cover through the mass of bodies, Haley leaned against the steel plated wall, threw off her red coat, and bandaged her wound. Boris was still unloading his TEK Z-10 into the Saints, but his bullets hit nothing. He then cried over the roar of battle, "Pull back!" The remnants of his soldiers retreated, but the Saints were still killing them by the hundreds. Haley and another Morning Star soldier laid down cover fire to buy Boris and the others some time, but they were quickly left behind. "Sh*t!" She yelled as her SMG jammed. She quickly threw it aside and picked up a K8 from the ground and continued firing, but it was too late. The leader of the Saints first grabbed the man accompanying Haley and threw him against the wall, killing him instantly. He then sat his sights on Haley. In a forced motion, Haley chunked the K8 at him and charged forward with her Nocturne drawn. She slashed the heavy blade back and forth at the leader, but he was agile enough to dodge every blow. Haley, in vain kept striking at the leader, but her attack was ended with a kick to the abdomen. She fell to the cold ground in pain. Slowly recovering, she looked up to see the muzzle of a .45 Shepherd pointed right at her. The leader then !*$#%@ back the hammer and said, "This one's for Johnny."
Haley couldn't believe it. She was going to die right there and never see Jessica ever again. She would never know the truth. "Please, don't." She whimpered, begging for her life. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as the leader of the Saints evidently showed no sympathy for her. Realizing death was closer than ever, Haley shut her eyes. The gun fired, but shockingly she was still alive. She opened her eyes to see a brute had attacked the leader before he could pull the trigger. Haley used this as an opportunity to escape. She looked back to see the other lieutenants, a black man and a Caucasian woman, were still in pursuit of her, but were caught off guard by their leader yelling, "Pierce, Shaundi, let the @!#?* go. Phillipe's the one we're after." Haley was relieved that the leader called off his attack dogs. She ran as far as she could until she reached the nerve center of the R&D facility. This was where the brutes were created, all from the DNA of Oleg Kirrlov. Oleg remained suspended in the DNA extraction machine. He was halfway asleep until Haley kicked the door in, desperately looking for an escape route. While most of the Morning Star treated Oleg as a science experiment, Haley was more sympathetic to the gentle giant. "Oh, it's you again." Said Oleg, barely out of energy. The DNA extractor had taken too much blood out of him; he was nearly on the brink of death.
"If I stay in this infernal contraption any longer, I will not make it." Haley assured Oleg, "Don't worry; I'll get you out of there." She pulled at the bindings on Oleg's feet, but it was no use. "The only way to set me free is to release the locks, but the machine must be shut off first." Said Oleg. "What happens if I shut off the machine?" She asked quickly. "The extraction process will stop. Do not worry; it will in no way put my life in jeopardy." Haley ran to the extractor's control interface and slammed the off button. The machine powered down and the air-locks soon released, but Oleg was still suspended. "I'm sorry, Oleg. I tried all I could." Cried Haley. The giant looked down at her and said, "I understand. You must leave, or your life will be in danger as well. Goodbye, Haley." Wiping the tears from her eyes, Haley darted away from the R&D facility and down the main hallway. The exit was just on the other side, finally a way out of this death trap. Freedom was just in her grasp, until she was tackled to the ground by a familiar face.
"I bet you remember me." It was Gat. He had escaped and was out for blood. "Let me go." Haley yelped as she struggled to break free of Gat's grip. His firm hand tightened around Haley's frail neck, choking the life out of her, "Because of you f*ckers I got turned into a g*ddamn science experiment, but that ain't gonna happen again. I'll make sure it doesn't." In an attempt to escape, Haley bashed Gat's head with her fist, forcing him to drop her. She was on the run once again, but Gat was close behind her. "You *%!#@! I'm gonna rip your f*cking heart out!" Roared Gat. Haley finally made it to the exit and slammed the door behind her. Gat was still in pursuit of her. "Dammit, does he ever give up?" Haley thought as she continued on the path of escape. She made it to the garage, only to find it flooded with Saints and worst of all, a bomb powerful enough to level the entire building. Haley couldn't believe it, she was trapped. She had a madman on one side and an army of Saints on the other. There was only one exit left, and that was through the main lobby. Haley was on her way there, until she was once again restrained by Gat. "Thought you could get away from me, did ya?" He growled as he pulled Haley to the ground by her hair. Haley was once again in a situation of begging for her life, "You have to listen to me. There's a bomb in the building. If we don't get out, we're all f*cking dead." "Bullsh*t." Said Gat.
Gat then turned to see more Morning Star thugs charging right at him. "Alright fine, but you're getting me out of here." Pulling Haley up from the ground, Gat held her as a human shield with Haley's tactical knife drawn at her neck. "Where's the exit?" "It's that way." Haley Said as Gat dragged her behind him. Gat knew exactly where they were going now, "So we're going through the lobby." Just then, a Morning Star thug was about to off Gat, but in the nick of time, Gat threw the knife right at the henchman's head. "This should come in handy." He said as he knelt down and picked up the dead man's .45 Shepherd. Haley would've seen this as an opportunity to run, but she knew Gat would gun her down before she moved a muscle. "You're name's Gat, right?" She asked. Gat sarcastically replied, "F*ck no, it's the Dali Llama." "Whatever." Said Haley. "Just follow me, the lobby's this way." Gat followed behind Haley as they made their way through the main lobby and out front door. At that moment, Gat rushed out into the street, stopped an oncoming vehicle and threw the driver out saying, "Thanks, I always wanted one of these." Haley jumped into the passenger seat as Gat punched the gas, driving as far away as possible from the Syndicate Building.
cant explain why im the only one replying... i love it =)
u did a great job
Thanks. I'll have another chapter up as soon as possible. I'm glad you like it.
i really love it, its a fresh idea, and im glad to read/see johnny alive =D
i wanted to rwite a story either, but my english skills suck at this point =D
I like it a lot, IDK why ppl aren't replying. XD People aren't replying much at all on these forums, my story is suffering as well. :/
Seriously? That's weird. "Shaundi's Side" is like the most popular in the Steelport Stories section.