Two Evils // Sweet Pea

Chapter Nine

          Katherine Lodge sit impatiently on the cool metal chair, the cliché derelict warehouse surrounding her. They could at least make an effort, Kat sighs to herself.
Was she scared? No, not really. Kat had been trained for this kind of thing years ago, it came with her father's business. On the outside, Lodge Industries was a successful company owned by the ruthless Hiram Lodge. In reality, it was more like something out of The Godfather. So much so, Kat and Veronica had panic buttons in each place they stayed. Of course, Veronica didn't know the complete ins and outs of their fathers dealings, Kat wasn't really sure whether her mother knew exactly what was going on, but Kat did — or knew more than them, at least. Hiram Lodge had taken part in too many dodgy deals for Kat to count, even before he was arrested, she knew it was only a matter of time.
Maybe this was payback from the St. Clair's, maybe they wanted revenge? That felt far too ironic. Maybe it was some other NY family? Surely, her father hadn't pissed someone off that badly already. The Black Hood? He would've killed her by now.

         Kat looks around the warehouse, searching for some sign of life. They couldn't have just left her here.
"Hello," Katherine Lodge shouts, her voice echoing, "Hello?!"
Nothing. No answer.
"If you're gonna leave me here, at least give me some water," Kat shouts, growing more and more irritated, "Hello?!"
A metal door swings open, an irritated blonde woman storms out. She strides over to Kat, stopping a metre before her.
"Who the hell are you?" Kat raises an eyebrow. She definitely did not recognise her. The woman looked like she hadn't slept in a week, her blonde hair scraggy and unkept, her eyeliner — if that's what you could call it — smudged.
The woman scoffs, "They told me you were feisty."
"Look, whatever my father owes you—" Kat begin, rolling her eyes.
"Father? No. No no no," The woman chuckles menacingly, "Sweetie, your father isn't the reason you're here."
Kat swallows, confused. Now she began to worry, if this wasn't to do with her father, then what was it? Worry soon turned to fear.
"Is it money you want?" Kat's breathing picks  up, "If it's money, I can pay you."
The woman cackles, as if it was such a stupid question.
If it wasn't money, then what was the motive? Kat had never seen this woman in her life, how had she become the target?

Kat looks around, if it wasn't to do with her father, or money, she didn't exactly know how to get out of this situation. Usually, the hostile would demand something — money, a name, revenge, something — but this woman demanded nothing. She just sifted through her many crates of, what Kat assumed were, drugs; Jingle Jangle specifically.
Kat swallows, it hadn't taken long for the Sugarman to be replaced.
Was that the reason?
Kat had given Sheriff Keller the names of the Ghoulies in cahoots with the Sugarman, in return for the Serpents being released. Was the woman a Ghoulie out for revenge?

"If your precious Jughead keeps his end of the deal, you'll be free to go," The woman eventually speaks up again, this time circling Kat's chair, "If not... well, let's just hope it doesn't come to that."
"Jughead?" What the hell had Jug got himself into this time? Kat furrows her brows, "What's going on?"
"Let's just say, your precious Serpent owes me a favour, Cooper." The woman continues to try to intimidate Kat, not realising she'd grabbed the wrong girl. If it wasn't such a precarious situation, Kat would laugh.
"So," Katherine finally clicks on, "You're the Snake Charmer."
"At your service," She bows, mocking Kat.
"You got another name?" Kat looks the woman up and down. She didn't particularly look scary, nor did she look like someone that could earn such a notorious name, "Or do you expect me to actually call you 'Snake Charmer'?"
The woman scoffs, "Penny. But let's leave the pleasantries for later."
"Whatever you say, Penny," Kat rolls her eyes, "Why does Jughead 'owe you a favour'?"
The Snake Charmer narrows her eyes at Kat, "I got his father out of jail."
"But, did you though?" Kat retorts, in a matter-of-fact tone. She didn't know what she was doing, or why she was doing it.
Kat watches Penny take a frustrated deep breath, "Listen hear, Northsider. Don't ever question me again."
"Okay," Kat pushes it even more, smirking, "Except, I know that you didn't get FP out."
Penny rolls her eyes, "Right, and you would know that how?"
"Because I had FP Jones released from jail."
The Snake Charmer narrows her eyes at the girl. Kat knew she was pushing it, but what else was she going to do. The idiot woman had grabbed the wrong person in the first place. How much danger could she be in if the woman was clueless enough to nab the wrong girl?
"Ergo, Jughead owes you jackshit," Kat smiles, sarcastically, "Capisce?"
Penny grabs Kat by the collar of her shirt, "Keep playing cute, Sweetheart. See where that gets you."