The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 34: The Savior]

The Mondeo turned onto Santa Monica Boulevard, and Hawke slowed down the car a bit as he pulled into the lot of a supermarket and parked.

Edward was still buzzing with excitement. He asked, "Boss, did I do good? I easily annoyed that British old-timer! Of course, you taught me well, and I did my part too."

Hawke grabbed the digital camera, flipped through the pictures, and said seriously, "Edward Connor, I hereby officially inform you that you've passed the West Coast Media Entertainment Studio's probationary period and are now a full-fledged employee."

There were many occasions that required Edward to charge headfirst like a boss. He pondered a bit before adding, "Your weekly salary is $400."

"That's awesome! I just need to find a divorced woman with alimony, and I'll be middle class!" Edward's thoughts strayed far from the norm. "If I could find two at the same time, I could just kick back."

Then he realized something didn't add up. "No way, I'd get drained; those women are way too desperate."

...

Hawke ignored Edward's ramblings and took out his laptop to transfer the photos from the camera. He looked over the footage as well; the angles and clarity were decent, though the audio was muffled due to the distance.

After transferring the photos, he moved on to the video.

Edward snapped out of his fantasies about alimony and divorced women and glanced at the laptop screen, asking Hawke, "So, what's next? Should I contact the buyer and turn this into cash?"

Hawke nodded slightly, waiting for the video to process before reviewing it carefully. Considering that they needed Edward to represent them, he made sure to grab his phone to call.

Hawke had contemplated selling the footage and photos back to the production team, but he realized he lacked the clout to face big media and could easily become a victim of extortion. There were countless cases of that.

The news trading business had a well-established system, and the danger in entertainment news was relatively low. Most Hollywood productions willing to spend big bucks on public relations primarily targeted media outlets.

Hawke reached out to National Enquirer, US Weekly, World News, and Hollywood Life. This time, World News offered the highest price.

"Why did the others only offer $3,000 while World News could go as high as $5,000?" Edward asked, curious.

With a difference of $2,000, Hawke dismissed Jack from National Enquirer as he explained, "The original author of The Lord of the Rings is from the UK and is hugely influential there. Ian McKellen is British, and World News is the weekend edition of the British tabloid, The Sun."

The blockbuster success of The Lord of the Rings and the presence of Gandalf were too obvious to ignore.

Edward scratched his head repeatedly. "It's too complicated and troublesome. I am more suitable to make money by running or lying down."

...

Hawke started the car and headed toward the World News office in Los Angeles while telling Edward, "In a bit, you'll take the photos in for the trade and sign an exclusive authorization agreement under your personal name."

"Me alone?" Edward, inexperienced, felt nervous and asked, "Aren't we selling them the video too?"

Hawke replied, "The video is a different piece of news and unrelated to the photos we took. We're two different journalists with two separate pieces of news."

Edward didn't quite grasp this and struggled to understand.

Hawke explained, "If one piece of news has an exclusive authorization agreement, it can't be sold to two different media outlets, or it can lead to unnecessary trouble."

The West Coast Media Entertainment Studio was still quite weak and couldn't stand up to larger media.

Hawke's plan was simple; Edward was one journalist, and the news he captured was independent. He was another journalist, using a camera to shoot footage that independently existed.

The World News office was located in a modest three-story building.

Hawke parked the car visibly at the entrance, told Edward about the storage drive and phone number, and instructed him to go in for the deal. He had already discussed the price over the phone; as long as the photos were fine, they would pay $5,000.

Edward took the storage drive, but just before getting out of the car, he suddenly asked, "Boss, aren't you afraid I might run off with the money?"

Hawke patted his shoulder and said, "I saved you from the barrel of a gun; you're not the ungrateful type."

"I'm a composite of saviors, all about loyalty!" Edward replied as he opened the door and walked toward the office.

At first, Hawke didn't understand, but after a second thought, it clicked. Edward Connor was a composite of Edward Furlong and John Connor from Terminator.

...

Seeing Edward enter the office, Hawke got out of the car and chatted with the guard at the door, casually asking about the layout. He learned that the office usually only had two exits and that the fire exit was at the back of the building.

Hawke slipped the guard a $20 bill and asked him to notify him when Edward exited, suggesting he call him.

The Mondeo was parked neatly at the front.

Hawke first made a quick stop at a nearby convenience store to buy some beer and snacks, then circled around to keep an eye on the exit of the security door.

...

Inside the office, because Hawke had already settled the deal over the phone, and the photos were clear and eye-catching, Edward had a smooth transaction. He signed the exclusive authorization agreement and walked away with a $5,000 check.

Upon leaving the office and entering the lobby, Edward glanced at the number on the check and instinctively shoved it into his jacket pocket, an urge to bolt with the check bubbling up inside him.

He glanced outside, and under the glow of the streetlight, the Mondeo stood out like a sore thumb.

His gaze landed on the security exit sign, and unconsciously, he took a few steps toward it before halting in his tracks.

In that moment, a vision flashed through his mind of Hawke tackling a thug, saving him from the barrel of a stun gun.

Edward didn't feel grateful to Hawke; rather, he recalled the ruthless skill with which Hawke had fended off two attackers and emerged victorious effortlessly...

He rubbed his neck and stomach, then resolutely turned around and exited through the front door.

When he got to the car, he discovered it was locked, and Hawke was nowhere to be found.

...

A little while later, Hawke returned with shopping bags from the convenience store and casually asked, "All set?"

Edward felt a pang of guilt and quickly pulled out the check to hand it over to Hawke. "Smooth sailing!"

Hawke took the check, handed him a bag, and said, "I bought some drinks to celebrate."

Edward grinned, showcasing a gleaming set of teeth, hopped into the passenger seat, opened a beer can, and took a big swig, savoring the moment with his eyes closed.

Hawke added, "You performed excellently tonight; once the news sells, you'll earn a $200 bonus."

Edward was ecstatic. "Boss, you're more generous than all the divorced women I've pursued!"

Hawke couldn't help but think that Edward's talents seemed to lie in handling divorced women.

After closing their first deal, they cracked open a beer and snacked on food.

Edward asked, "Who's buying the footage?"

"The TV station." Hawke pulled out his phone and began looking for contacts. "Video footage isn't worth much to print media these days, but a television station can really take advantage of the video."

Edward asked, "Will I need to go to that deal too?"

"This time, it's my turn to go." Hawke found the number he was looking for and called. After a brief conversation, the other party showed great interest and asked him to come down.

Hawke drove off, heading west along Santa Monica Boulevard, making his way into Beverly Hills, quickly arriving at Century City.

He made calls to several television stations, including Channel 11, which Frank had mentioned. That station had been bought by Fox News and had relocated to the Fox Television Center, directly managed by Fox News.

*****

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