It was nearly dark when my Hudson squeezed down the alley next to the Potter building for a few feet before I parked it. Deliberately blocking the entrance into the darkening alley, I slid out and went inside the building from the unlocked door in the back. Looking at my shaking hands with the realization that my nervousness was building, I hurried to a front window facing the street. The gray car parked next to another warehouse building across the avenue still held my two shadows. Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked at my watch in the dying light of the day.

Not much time left!

Ensuring the doors and windows to the building remained secure, I walked through the offices. I turned on a light in an upstairs office and walked by the window several times for the benefit of my shadows outside. Checking the phone, I noticed there was no signal. However, it didn’t surprise me, but it reinforced how isolated my presence was.

There are no cell phones in this timeline.

Heading back downstairs, I went to the main dock doors while feeling my tension rising. It was pretty dark inside the building, but I avoided using my flashlight. The wide windows placed near the top of one wall allowed enough light in the open space to avoid obstacles when moving about. After flipping on the outside light near the doors, I see a pale light stream through the opening in the battered door. Using my flashlight to look at my watch quickly, I went over to the unlocked back door and picked up an old paint can I found earlier. Cutting off a length of rope, I tied one end to the handle. Then I pulled out a partial string of firecrackers left over from Adele’s bathroom trick to get us aboard the train. Putting most of them into the can, I rose, then locked the door.

When I stepped back to a position near the front door, I peered out the small glass window on the door at the men in the car watching the building. They parked far enough away that I couldn’t see anything but shadows. However, they were good sports about it since both of them were smoking cigarettes, which showed up as red dots inside the car.

I pulled out my bag and nibbled on my sandwich. There was no surprise that my appetite was gone as I thought things over. Maybe it was rationalization, but I considered Lloyd like a festering wound that needed treatment. Outnumbered by his men, I couldn’t let him dictate the terms. Another day or two, they’d find me alone, and all bets were off. Since Lloyd suddenly showed up to meet Adele at the library told me that his confidence was back. I strongly suspected that I’d end up like my predecessor. Still, O’Conner’s words to me about not being too smart in how I dealt with Antonio came back to me.

“Maybe so, but I’m fixing this problem as well,” I said to the empty room.

Finally, car lights lit up the street and I watched as a car slowed to a stop next to the gray car. After watching over their unheard conversation, I saw the car slowly roll forward, then pull into the parking stall in front of the building. I had to move back as the headlights focused on the front door for a moment, then they went off.

Reaching under my coat, I pulled out my .45 and pulled back the slide to inject the cartridge into the chamber. From my vantage point, while looking out the small front door window, I noticed the men in the gray car get out. However, they remained across the street, and I backed away from the door. A moment later, I heard a knock at the front door, but I remained quiet. Soon, the doorknob jiggled, then turned.

Lloyd cautiously entered the building. I could see his outline in the doorway as he called out.

“Dagger, I’m here!”

He moved out of the doorway, and I heard him searching for a light. He flipped the switch, but I had already removed the bulb. After he took another step into the room, I turned on the flashlight, pointing the beam in his face.

“Close the door and we can talk.” I told him with more calm than I expected.

“Get that light out of my eyes,” he grumbled. But he closed the door.

I dropped the beam of light on his chest and came around to the front wall.

“Keep going inside,” I said. “Your boys are out there to keep you safe, so no need to worry. But, if you’re carrying, I’ll kill you.”

His bitter expression remained, but he pulled open his coat.

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“That’s right. Don’t you forget those men. They’ve told me all about your time with Sally Vaugh. I don’t need a gun. Now, are you ready to talk business again?”

While he thought he held the upper hand, I went to the door and turned the lock. I noticed Lloyd’s eyes widened at my move. It was the first time he was worried about my gun.

“That’s just so they don’t interrupt,” I explained. “Now come on, let’s talk.”

Leading him to the back of the building, I saw his darting eyes scanning the room.

“Why here? You can’t kill me,” his voice leaked his concern.

“I told my guys to kill you if I don’t come out.”

“Hell, you little bastard, I expected that,” I chuckled. “You can relax. I’m just being careful. Let’s start with why you’re pestering Adele.”

He glanced back with a smirk.

“She still doesn’t trust you, so I’m letting her know she can dump you still,” Lloyd said. “I don’t like how you double crossed me. You’re just getting some payback now.”

He stopped and turned back to me.

“You forced my hand, so I’m playing the long game. You came to me to help get this divorce done, and we agreed to the split. This is fair, considering that you reneged on our agreement.”

One thing I learned in my psychology class was that people like to talk when you let them. They really like to talk when they’re nervous or under pressure. So, I just kept Lloyd rambling as he kept complaining about my changing the deal.

“I’m not sure that I’m the one who did the double cross,” I said as we came to the back door. “Maybe I know better than that. I have several people wondering why I was missing for a few days.”

With my flashlight on him, I easily saw his eyelid twitch at the comment.

“Tell me the truth, Childress. Was it those two outside?” I said as he turned and slowly backed himself into the door.

My goal was to scare him into admitting what I suspect, and I gave him my devil grin.

“I...I don’t know what you’re talking about! You need help!”

“That’s too bad,” I waved my gun. “But your non-answer tells me enough. By the way, I locked that door, so don’t do anything stupid.”

I glanced at my watch.

“Now, would you like to leave?”

The question surprised him, but he quickly nodded.

“Good, but we’ll try an experiment first.”

“What?” he asked in confusion.

I stepped next to a support beam and placed the flashlight on the floor. Pulling out a firecracker from my pocket, I put the firecracker in between my thumb and the handle of my gun. I pulled a match from the same pocket and slid the match along the beam. Instantly, I had a small flame.

“I wonder what your boys will do when this firecracker goes off?” I asked when lit it and threw it behind me.

“Are you crazy?” Lloyd finally figured out his danger.

The minor explosion went off with a nearby pop. To me, it didn’t sound like a gunshot. I could only hope that those outside the building would react differently.

I pointed my weapon at his head.

“Don’t do this,” he pleaded. “They’re coming for you now. You’ll get us killed.”

As if they heard us, we heard a pounding on the steel front door along with shouting for Childress.

“You speak and I kill you!” I growled as both of us looked in the noise’s direction.

Since the windows on the front wall were too high to get in easily, I expected them to come around the back.

“What is this game?” Lloyd asked, his face pale with growing fear.

If I’m honest, I’m sure my face was just as colorless, but I kept my growl going.

“I asked for the truth. You’re not likely to survive unless I get it.”

The pounding on the door stopped and Lloyd’s panic kicked in.

“Alright, it was a mistake. They were just supposed to rough you up a bit. Obviously, they tricked me. Rod said they buried you. Since you’re alive, let’s call it quits with this partnership.”

Lloyd yelled out when a line of paint cans suddenly slammed into a nearby wall. One of Lloyd’s men tripped over the rope in the alley, causing the metallic clattering to fill the room.

As Lloyd freaked, he started trying to open the door. I ran up behind him and put the .45 into his back.

“Shut it!” I hissed. “Otherwise, they’ll shoot you through the door.”

We heard footsteps outside before the sound quickly faded. Lloyd let out a breath.

“Just let me go. I’ll tell them I’m fine,” the man said as he regained his nerve.

“Sure, that’s probably a good idea,” I told him. “Now that I know the truth, I got no issues with you leaving.” My tone remained calm as I pulled out another match from my pocket.

Immediately, pounding came from the large dock doors down the wall from us.

“Childress, are you alright?”

I told Lloyd to unlock the door.

“Slowly!” I warned as I backed away. “Let’s see how your debating skills work.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get them to go away. Just don’t kill me,” he said with growing confidence.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he’d invite them into the building to take me out when he had the chance. I saw it in his eyes when I grabbed the paint can I left near the support beam earlier. While the pounding on the other door continued, Lloyd carefully opened the steel door and peeked out into the darkness. I came behind him and lit the match.

“Rod and Cecil, calm down. It’s me!”

The man suddenly pushed out into the darkness. I lit the fuse on the small string of firecrackers and rolled the can out behind him. Almost immediately, they went off as I closed the door and ducked down behind a barrel.

The yelling from Lloyd, who stood in the dark shadows near the dock, followed by the nearby exploding firecrackers, brought chaos. Louder explosions went off as the men started shooting in the direction of the exploding firecrackers.

As I listened to the sounds, I kept debating my next steps. However, the sudden quiet caught my attention. I heard footsteps on the cement dock growing louder, then stop.

“Crap, we gotta get out of here!” An unfamiliar voice came through the wall.