Prolougue
"What does it mean to stand your ground? To fight off those who look to bring you down? When adversity looks you in the eye what do you do?"
"I'm not sure I understand what your asking."
"When you faced certain death, everyone around had either left or given up, so why did you still feel the need to fight? What strength do you believe you have that warrants the type of reaction you had against the ones looking to crush you?"
"These are some pretty out of place questions you're asking considering i'm supposed to be a criminal in your eyes."
"Am i not allowed to try and gage what you may be thinking? Yes you have committed some crimes-
"Look i mind my own business. I fought because I had to. I'm not some plucky hero. I'm just a guy who was travelling. Yeah i have broken the law a couple times to get by, but i'm sitting here right now why? Because you're holding some stupid grudge about something that happened years ago."
"You think i brought you in because of the Porch?"
"I think thats exactly why you brought me in. You want me here so you can blame me for what happened. Yes i killed that day. Yes it was them. Nothing else to it. And i still believe it was necessary."
The two men bore holes into each other as the room grows tense and quiet.
"I'm done here."
The man dressed in a nice suit and tie, harboring his badge close to his chest, starts to walk out of the room.
"You will lose if you keep this up. And i will smile when that day comes."
Chapter 1
The smell of beer and party fills the air as the bar rumbles from the bass of the music.
There's a reason i never take club jobs anymore
The man stands there as he orders a shot of bourbon. He's dressed in a long brown trench coat, black jeans, a ragged brown t-shirt and a pair of black combat boots. His hair is short but scruffy, looking as he has yet to shower in his entire life. Small amounts of facial hair coat his face as he seems consistent with his ragged war veteran style. There's a small bulge at his hip.
"Having a lonely night?"
The man looks over to see what voice caught his ears at a somewhat inconvenient time. It's a woman in a beautiful red dress.
Always, but nothing you can do will change that "I'm fine" his voice is scruff, almost as if he smokes regularly.
"Aww hon don't be like that. For just a small amount i can make your night passionate."
Seriously now isn't the time. "Really i'm fine" his voice grows angry
"What the hell's your problem?"
His patience finally evaporates "Look i'm here for a reason, and if you don't leave you will become part of that reason. Now you seem like a nice girl. So how about you take that pretty ass dress and put it to good use on someone else. Preferably someone not me."
"God you're rude!"
Yeah whatever.
Another man walks up to the bar. Buys a drink and sits down. That's him, poor bastard, wonder what he actually did to those folks
As the man in the trench coat walks toward the other man he starts to tap his thigh. He sits down next to him and he introduces himself. "Hello, my name is john." he says as he looks over the man intenlty. He's wearing a nice, blue business jacket with a jet black tie. His hair is slicked black with what looks to be hair gel, and his face is plastered with a steel, emotionless look as he turns his head to look at John.
"What do you want?"
John reels a little bit, not expecting the snap response from the man. "Just looking for someone to have a drink with"
"Well unless you're looking to throw hands with someone i suggest you look somewhere else"
Just make this easy for me, i don't have time for a fight.
John looks around the club to see if there is any security near the bar itself.
"Are you gonna just keep standing there? I told you to shove off you ass hat"
The man's words snap John out of his hyper observant state. "Look, just let me buy you a drink, you never know we may have something in common."
"I highly doubt that"
Okay then, hard way it is.
John takes out what looks to be a detonator from his hip. "You know, now that i think of it there is at least one thing we both have in common"
"Yeah and what might that be" The man takes the last swig of his whiskey and calls over the bartender "Another if you would?"
John looks at him with a smirk "Neither of us are gonna be drinking at this bar again"
The man stands up and gives John an angry look. "Are you threatening me?"
John throws his hands up in defense "No sir just merely stating a fact."
John turns and walks away. The man sits back down grumbling.
John walks out of the club into an alley behind the bar. A small, petite, shadowy figure walks up to him. The figure speaks In a soft, feminine voice "Did you do it?"
"Hold on" John pulls the detonator from his pocket.
"I didn't ask you to kill the entire club! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
John looks at the figure like they're stupid. "I'm not. Just wait and listen." John pushes the small button on the detonator, but instead of an explosion, only a single gunshot can be heard along with screams and the sight of people scrambling out of the club. "See? No harm done. Well except to him."
The shadowy figure peeks around the corner before speaking once more. "Shouldn't you be running from here?"
John sighs, "It doesn't matter, this city is so big the cops probably won't show up til tomorrow anyway. And i'll be long gone."
The figure runs up and wraps john in an embrace, revealing themselves in a small light in the alleyway. It's a woman, no more than 17 years old. "Thank you so much, thank you thank you thank you"
John stands there awkwardly. I really need to tell people i don't hug. "Don't thank me, i just do this for the money. Now go. I have to get out of here." John crushes the button in his hand and chucks the pieces every which way.
"I'll be seeing you, well…. Hopefully not." the young woman walks away.
John sighs and looks up to the sky. One day. But sadly today is not that day. Gotta keep moving. John pats himself down to make sure he has everything. He then brushes off the dust from his coat and starts walking out of the alley and past the empty club. He's calm and collected. He gets into his car, an old, beat up blue ford expedition. He starts it up and he hears the familiar sound of music filling his ears. As he drives off a thought fills his head, one though only. Who's next?