NEEDLES. A Novel
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BY JEREMIAH TREACY
Character Profiles
Doc Martinez – former Hollywood plastic surgeon to the A-list, who's in a witness protection program. He was writing liquid cocaine 'scripts for his weekly tony, poolside soirees. The Feds found out. Made him an offer: Help change the noses (and eyes, and ears, and cheeks) of mobsters in witness protection…or say hello to Camp Fed. Doc chooses wisely, except the part where he offs a mobster's wife in the O.R. A little too much laughing gas?
Helena – Doc's new millennial g/f. She befriends him in L.A and finds herself in the Mojave; Needles appears safe; she’s hiding out in his Airstream and taking extended sight-seeing trips in his '65 Porsche cabriolet. She packs heat, but we’re not sure if she quite knows where the trigger is.
Ivan – built like a Sherman tank; wields a .357 the way most guys carry an iPhone; he has a thing for
scorpions, and for good reason.
Agent Jack Murphy – the married, suburban family man and Fed who spends half his time on the golf course, the other half keeping Doc alive; ask Jack about his wife Holly and her proclivity for spending money (a lot of money).
Jack #1 and Jack #2 – aka ‘The Twins’. Not the Bobbsey Twins, more like Mutt and Jeff if Mutt and Jeff went to Duke and got a degree in shake down.
Chet - Chet's a bad mother f-ck, no doubt about it. A former Needles cop who, like a lot of desert creatures, knows how to bite when backed into a corner. But if he likes you? Chet will break out his private stash of Herradura, pour a shot, and push it your way. A gesture that makes you feel like family. And that's when you're totally f-cked.
Maxim Gorikav – Really nice guy, and great dresser, unless you inadvertently kill his wife, Darya; but maybe she needed killing?
Darya Gorikav – From the looks of her waistline, Darya’s taste receptors had demanded that she move deep-fried-anything to the top of her own, personal food pyramid. But be careful. She might eat you alive from behind all that bling – Gucci Gucci!
Quentin – Doc’s 15-year-old son, who is about to take the plunge of a lifetime. He might not make it to 16. Another depressed teen? Yeah, but he’s also the motivation for Doc’s personal downfall. And you thought it was all about ‘scrips.
Darlene - Phil's ex and current featured dancer at the Route 69 club. Darlene's stunning body and her long red hair gives the Drakkar Noir crowd a glimpse of Rita Hayworth beauty. Make no mistake: she's young, gorgeous and perhaps naive and naughty, but Darlene is a sharp little pistol who has the unfortunate life experience of once having lived with Phil. Darlene can get away with murder, if she wants to.
Debra - A career-climbing L.A. animal control officer. Black hair pulled back in a severe bun; all business when it comes to identifying and logging the L.A. animal kingdom. Wears her Khakis with pride. Along with her official Animal Control Gear walkie-talkie, keys, neck pole, and flashlight. Her service patch reads '10 years' and she means it.
Phil & Roy, Needles PD – it’s a family affair; Chet and his sons know a good deal when they steal one; they're shaking down their new upstanding citizen (Doc) for those 'scripts he used to write for the Hollywood A-listers
Cynthia aka 'CC - CC is nobody's fool. She can smell money...no matter what Chet has on the grill. And she likes it charred, rare, bundled, sliced...and carved. Anyway she can get it. And the getting's been pretty awesome.
There are 13 additional characters in the story. And they all have a story to tell.
