Ok, so, everyone ready to find out what the demons' next plot is?

Mike: Yeah, before they get US.

Peter: I'm ready.

Micky: You bet!

Davy: Ready.

(We open in the lobby of Dark Star Records. Mike, Peter, Emma, and Lauren enter. Mike and Emma wear suits. Peter wears a good shirt and trousers.)

*Lauren wears black slacks and a lightweight sweater.*

Mike: Ok, guys. Pete n' I are gonna meet Belavarg and see if we can get any information outta him. You girls are gonna prowl around and see if you can do any snooping.

Emma: I want to find out more about this company. It's so new, it's barely been around a year...and yet they can afford offices and recording studios in this part of town and their owner also owns a country club, not to mention their late vice-president owned a beach house the size of Montana and a yacht.

Lauren: Yeah, there's definitely something weird going on.

Mike: We'll join you girls after we deal with ol' Bela and check out the recording studio. I want to talk to some of the other artists, too. The reputation this place is picking up has got to be scaring off a few.

Emma: We'll talk to the staff, too. I'll bet a lot of them have heard some interesting gossip.

(Mike stiffens noticeably when Belavarg arrives, in his human form. He wears a pristine gray silk suit.)

Belavarg: Ah, greetings, gentlemen.

Mike: Hello, sir. We've arrived, as we said we would.

Peter: We've considered your generous offer.

Mike: However, (narrows his eyes) we have things to discuss first.

Belavarg: Well, why don't we step into one of my meeting rooms, and we can discuss any issues you have.

Emma: (She steps up to him) After your meeting, I'd like to ask you a few questions. I thought it would be interesting to do an article on your company, since you're so new and up-and-coming.

Belavarg: Ah, certainly.

Emma: Would you minded if we had a look around? I'd like to get a good feel for your company before our interview.

Belavarg: Go right ahead, please.

Emma: I'm bringing Mrs. Dolenz with me. She has a good head for detail. She'll be a great assistance. (To Lauren) And you know more than numbers than I do. You'll be able to figure out how they can afford all this shit.

Lauren: *To Emma* They’ve more than likely been doing some cooking...and I don't mean food.

Emma: I'll bet ol' Charlie wasn't the only one playing with the books.

Lauren: And I'm sure you'd win.

Emma: (To Belavarg) Thank you, Sir. We'll be back as soon as I can gather enough information.

Belavarg: You're welcome, ladies. Take your time.

Emma: Thank you. (Turns to Lauren) Come on.

(The girls head down the hallway, past the receptionist doing her nails and a series of doors leading to meeting rooms and offices.)

Emma: Ok, where should we start? I wonder where Belavarg's office is? Or the accountants' offices?

Lauren: Well... *motions to one door labeled "Meeting Room #1"* it would appear that the doors are labeled.

Emma: Good. That'll make things a little easier. I wonder if Belavarg's office is locked? (Looks around) I don't see any with his name on it. Maybe he has a fancy corner office on the top floor.

Lauren: Probably. They're almost always on the top floor.

Emma: (Taps her notebook against her palm) I wonder if we could imagine ourselves there, or if he has spells protecting it from powers?

Lauren: Only one way to find out.

Emma: Shall we beam ourselves up there, Scotty?

Lauren: We shall.

(The two young women concentrate. There's blue lights around them. When it subsides, they're gone. The receptionist does a double-take, then goes back to her nails.)

(Cut to a large, spacious office, with fancy, modern - read 70s - space-agey furniture, a typewriter, and shelves filled with books. The wrap-around windows offer a wide (and obviously fake) view of Laurel Canyon and LA. There's a blue light, and Emma and Lauren appear.)

Emma: (Looks around) Well, looks like we got in all right.

Lauren: And a-snooping we will go.

Emma: This must be his office. It's bigger than even Val's at Headquarters and twice the size of most normal offices. (She goes to the window) Get a load of this view!

Lauren: *Also goes to the window* Oh, my goodness!

Emma: If he can afford an office with a view like this, he either has money from other ventures, has been skimming himself, or Dark Star's REALLY been doing well.

Lauren: Or perhaps all of the above.

Emma: (She reluctantly turns away from the view) Ok, Lauren, you check his desk, I'll go through the books. (Grins) And I promise I won't stand there and read everything I find interesting for hours.

Lauren: If you do, I'll toss a wad of paper at you.

Emma: Thank you. I appreciate it.

(Emma goes through the books and Lauren digs into the huge wood desk.)

Emma: There's some really interesting stuff here. Some of it's on business, but there's a lot on religion and on science...

Lauren: *Leans over to dig in a low drawer* Boring, boring, boring...

Emma: Science...some on the LA area, some on world history. He has quite a range of interests, for a demon. Some of them go back a long, long time. There's some first editions here...wow, is that a Charles Dickens first? (She takes a book off the shelf and looks at it) "Great Expectations." Wouldn't be surprised if Belavarg bought some of these when they first came out. He is centuries old, after all.

Emma: How's it coming, Lauren?

Lauren: *Sighs* He must have some stuff locked away somewhere...

Emma: Maybe he has secret panels somewhere.

Lauren: Maybe a safe in the wall...

Emma: That makes sense. (She starts pulling out books) Tap on the wall. The panels are wooden. You might hear an echo or something.

Lauren: *She checks behind paintings, then starts tapping the walls. She thumps on a low portion of the wall & it sounds hollow* Bingo. *uses her fingernails to pry a panel off* Well, well, well... *pulls out a legal size accountants pad*

Emma: (She's pulling books out) Found something?

Lauren: *Flips it open* Found one of his accounting books.

Emma: (Grins) Good work. (Leans over his shoulder) See anything interesting?

Emma: Did he make off with any funds? Has he been stealing from himself?

Lauren: As far as I can tell, there's funds going out AND coming in that I can't figure out WHERE.

Emma: It doesn't say where?

Lauren: It's a bunch of abbreviations. I don't know what they stand for. :P

Emma: Swell. (Looks at her watch) Maybe we ought to get out of here, and...whoa! (She pulls out a book...which flips open a compartment just behind the books) Holy cow! :o

Lauren: What? What'd you find?

Emma: (Pulls out several folders) Looks like musician's contracts.

Emma: (Hands Lauren one folder) Let's see if there's anything weird about these.

Lauren: *starts to flip through the folder* I recognize some of these names...

Emma: Yeah, me too. I've seen some of these guys at clubs and hanging around with the guys...or I did, a couple of months ago.

Lauren: Yeah...

Emma: (Frowns) Lauren, these contracts have been canceled. Every single last one of them.

Lauren: Huh? Do they say why?

Emma: (She continues to shuffle through the contracts) Let's see. There's a variety of reasons, most of which run along the lines of "left the company" or "no longer with us." (Growls) Yeah, they're not with US. They're with THEM. Belavarg's probably done something to those missing musicians, bent them to his will. X(

Lauren: *sighs* Figures.

Emma: (Shoves the contracts back in the panel) Ok, we've found proof that there's something nasty going on around here. I wonder where, exactly, they're torturing all these people? The mansion?

Lauren: It could be anywhere.

Emma: You know, mystery books always have this one odd-book-out that you pull and reveal a secret door or panel or something. (She sees a copy of what looks like "The Joy of Sex" pulled out slightly from the others) Hmm... (She pulls it; nothing). I guess this isn't the movies. (Sighs and leans against the bookcase, kicking the side of it) I've read too many...whoa! (She moves away when the bookcase appears to move, revealing the entrance to a secret room)

Lauren: *grins* By Jove, you just discovered the second way to find a hidden panel!

Emma: Well, I don't know what I did, but it worked! (She gestures at the room) Let's roll in, shall we?

Lauren: We shall!

(The girls enter a large suite that's basically a continuation of the super-modern theme in the office. There's a conversation pit with plush seating near the wrap-around windows - these covered with blinds - lots of fat, sleek chairs and couches, a bar, a huge TV, a row of bookcases, a stereo built into the wall, and framed modern art near the tiny kitchen. Another room leads to chemistry equipment that looks a bit like a small lab.)

Emma: Wow. What in the heck is this?

Lauren: *Glances into the room with the chemistry equipment* Whoa. This one looks like a play room Mick would love.

Emma: (Looks around) I'll bet this is where he lures those musicians after he's taken them under his wing.

(Stella walks out of the chemistry room. She now wears a simple blue pantsuit, her hair in an elegant twist.)

Stella: (Frowns) What are you two doing here? Don't you know this is off-limits? And how did you find it, anyway?

Lauren: We were looking for the ladies' room.

Stella: Shouldn't you be doing that on the first floor, where guests are supposed to be?

Emma: We have lousy direction.

Stella: I've heard this before. (She snaps her fingers...and Emma and Lauren are lifted into the air) You two are going to tell me what you're really doing here.

Lauren: Hey!?

Emma: Hey! I didn't ask for a free ride!

Stella: (She snaps her fingers again...and the two are slammed into the ceiling) You may have noticed, but I have some fun new powers to play with. We could do this all day.

Emma: Oh shit.

Lauren: Ow! Where did she get new powers from?

Stella: A friend of yours. Now, are you ladies going to talk?

Emma: About what?

Lauren: Yeah, we're not like Mick who goes on about anything and everything.

Stella: How did you get in here?

Emma: We walked...ow! (Stella thumps them against the wall again)

Lauren: ...in on our own. *Is thumped again* Ow!

Stella: No wisecracks! I want straight answers! What are you doing here?

Emma: Being thumped into the celing.

Lauren: And getting a headache.

Stella: (Sighs) I could do this all day (looks at her watch) but it's getting late. Why don't I just let my boys take care of you instead, including my newest?

Emma: Your zombies?

Stella: If that's what you want to call them. (She calls out to another room) Oh boooyyyysss!

(Several zombies parade out...including one that isn't really a zombie, but only sort of looks like a greenish Alex... )

Lauren: Oh, great.

Emma: Is that...

Stella: Oh, he's just a former lover of mine. (Pats his cheek) He'll take good care of you.

Lauren: Looks vaguely familiar...

Stella: Have fun, ladies. (Turns to the zombies) Don't hurt them too much. Belavarg might like to have them. Get them in the chemistry room and leave them there.

(She seems to dematerialize in a vapor of dark purple light before the girls' eyes. The moment she's gone, the two drop to the floor hard.)

Lauren: Owww.

Emma: (Groans) Oh man. My nose is never going to feel the same. (Rubs said appendage)

Lauren: *Lifts her head; sees a pair of feet* Uh oh...

Emma: (Looks up; sees more feet) Shit. (She's grabbed to her feet roughly by one of the zombies) Ugggh! You're so cold and clammy! It's like being manhandled by seaweed!

Lauren: *Is also picked up, though not quite as roughly* Watch the hands, buddy!

Emma: Lauren, doesn't the one who picked you up really, really ring some bells?

(Emma concentrates...something starts appearing in a blue light....)

Lauren: *Looks at the eyes; gasps* Holy crap!

Emma: Lauren, who is it?

Lauren: It's Alex!

Emma: (Squints...and her eyes widen) Ho-ly SHIT! What in the hell happened to him?

Lauren: I gonna say that Stella happened to him. Where do you think she got her "new powers" from?

Emma: Damn it. She must have absorbed Alex somehow.

Lauren: I thought she'd said that he had so much that she wasn't able to absorb it.

Emma: She must have figured out a way to do it...hey! (She finally slams the zombie holding her with the field hockey stick that just appeared) Watch those fingers, mister!

*Alex-zombie grabs Lauren again and picks her up. She beats on his arms, but he doesn't let go.*

(Emma slams her field hockey stick into Alex's back.)

Emma: You get your dirty zombie hands off of her, Alex!

*Alex drops Lauren and turns to Emma.*

Emma: I'd say "Alex, it's us," but maybe that's not something I'm eager for you to remember. (She smacks him over the head, just enough to knock him to the floor) So how about we let you have a nap instead?

Lauren: *gets up* Good shot, Em.

Emma: (Takes out another zombie) Thanks. Maybe we'd better get out of here. As much as I hate to leave Alex, we have to find Stella and warn the guys.

Lauren: Yeah. Besides, what else could happen to him?

Emma: We concentrated to get in. We'll do it to get out. We'll get back to the lobby and find the guys.

Lauren: Yeah, easier and quicker that way.

Emma: Ok. Think "lobby." (They concentrate. There's two blue lights, and when they're gone, so are the girls...and we fade out on the zombie Alex laying unconcious in the empty room.)