The woman dug through her bag and found some cash holding it out to them."Here I can pay if you'll just listen." If one of the two accepted she would make sure their hands touched as they did.
She'd tried to help the one with time left but she didn't have time to deal with a stubborn kid she knew would survive anyway."Staying here is a much worse idea. My friends have gotten lost and need help."
Dammit! She really is crazy! This clearly wasn't a local thing, Phoebe looked seriously bothered. S%$#, I need cash, but not *that* bad! Gently but firmly Liisa pushed the money away from her (touching hands in the progress). Before speaking up, she glanced quickly at the barkeep - hoping that she was already calling the police.
"Okay lady, we'll hear you out. Just let the kid off the hook."
Johnny eyes the cash. "You can hire me, but I'm a PI, not some park ranger. I'm more'n the business of finding those that don't want ta be found. Not those who can't find themselves." He then starts looking warily around. "And why is stayin' here a bad idea? Something gonna go down soon?"
Too nice of a place for a raid. Bomb? Could be another mob hit. But who would've known... He grimaces. Well, that'd explain the bad intel. He pulls himself slightly out of his dark thoughts. Or the gal's just off her rocker. Or paranoid. Just in case though, better be on the lookout.
Seeing something a bit more genuine in her friends needing help, Phoebe cools a bit to the woman's demeanor. She just ran in from the storm-from-hell, having lost track of her friends. Phoebe would be acting similarly. "If you need help, and they're willing, I'll come with. It sounds urgent, yeah? I'll just need my coat." She nods at the coat behind the woman, then takes a drink of her soda. "Either way, keep the change." she said to the tender, in response to the 'no more drinks' policy.
After a moment of better gauging things she understands a bit better. "Right. Forgot. Still look like a kid." She shrugs and lets it drop.
"Sorry, didn't mean to brush you off like that..." But this woman *screams* lunatic of some stripe and you are just a child ... "... but it's your decision of course Feebs, not mine." Maybe she can read my thoughts? That would be convenient...
Johnny looks amused. Ahh, the young. Always wishin' ta be older while the old wish ta be younger. He quickly finishes his drink while waiting for a response from the newest girl in the group.
"I guess we're prob'ly not lucky enough for this 'wild'rness help' not to require that we go outside in that." He nods towards the door and the continuing downpour. "Whatever we're doin', that'll make it at least 10 times harder. Could barely see my hand in front of my face."
The bartender looks up from the phone. "Just got a call, gonna be some cops coming in to do an inspection..." She catches Johnny's eye, and gives Luna a look behind her back, making it obvious she's called the cops about the loony patient.
"I can't lose my liquor license over a minor, girl. So I'm afraid I gotta get you out of here." She grabs Phoebe by the arm, and pulls the protesting girl out of the bar.
Luna, noticing the hourglasses beginning to crack over Johnny and Liisa's heads, unexpectedly drives her fist into Johnny's nose.
As the bartender pushes Phoebe up onto the street, a pair of lightning strikes hit the top of the building over her bar, and the lightning pulses down the old wires in the building, shorting them out from top to bottom.
The old gas furnace, that hasn't been working because it's leaking gas into the walls of the basement rather than burning it, detonates with a force that sends both the bartender and Phoebe into the street with second degree burns and broken bones.
The 14 patrons still in the bar are all dead, although, only 12 bodies are ever found.