Night was closing in. Justice sat shotgun, gripping the handle above his door’s window tightly, vaguely aware that it was overly warm, reshaping under the force of his grip. Behind Chad sat Scarlett, clearly still rattled but unwilling to be left behind for whatever reason. She was afraid of Chad but mostly focused on Justice, perhaps aware that her original role was to distract him with sex and attack him with what were, technically, poisonous chemicals.

It was Chad that broke the silence. “Really, this is just a misunderstanding, man. Seriou–”

“Shut up.” Growled Justice.

But the coked up gunstore owner was like a dog with a bone. “This is important. Look … when we get there, you need to let me talk to these guys. They’re pretty bad dudes.”

Head tilting left Justice gave Chad an incredulous look. “Really? After what I did back there? What kind of drugs are you on?”

“Coke but that’s got nothing to do with it, Justice!” Chad sniffed hard and brushed fresh powder away from his mustache. He’d, somehow, snuck more candy up his nose. In fact Justice hadn’t seen him do it once. “That vest of yours won’t stop the ordnance these guys are using! They’re Bratva, Russian mobsters out of East Germany!” He hit the wheel with a hammer fist to illustrate his concern.

“I ain’t wearin’ no vest, you dumb shit! Look at me!” Justice wanted to smash Chad’s stupid head so badly but, for now, the man was a necessity.

Chad pulled a double take, then a triple. “No vest. Right. No, I knew that. You took a gut shot … then you showed me the bullet. What the fuck?” He turned his head and looked down, wavering in the lane.

Justice grabbed the wheel to steady the car. “What the fuck, man!?”

“Sorry!” Chad snapped back to front, fixating on the road. “I … I thought I shot you. I don’t see a bullethole. Too much coke.”

“I have your shirt!” whisper-yelled Scarlett in the back, perhaps revealing why she fixated on Justice. “Both of them, actually.”

“Oh! Thank ya, darlin’.” Justice struggled into his athletic shirt, the Camaro’s cab giving him just barely enough room to do so. “As for you, yeah, you shot me because I reacted like any man on finding out his woman had been sold. By you!”

“No. Nonono, that doesn’t make sense. You’re clean. Except … blood in your hair … and beard.” Eyes bulging Chad struggled to put it together.

“He also broke glass by yelling, Chad.” said Scarlett, her tone condescending.

“I … what?”

“All the drink glasses nearby. You were too high to notice but I did. You said Justice’s girl would ‘get it’ if he didn’t win, he roared, my ears rang because it was louder than everything, and when I looked around a bunch of people were wearing their drinks! Some even had blood on their hands like the glass cut them!”

“That don’t make sense. Justice, what the hell are you?” Chad had stopped blinking.

A little more bass slipped into the big man’s voice. “Yeah, man, I heal fast. Man has me drugged, I burn it off. Giant man beats me with a hammer, I bleed a little, then the only challenge is not killin’ him when I win the fight. Little man shoots me … well, let’s just say you’re lucky to be alive.” Justice glared at Chad who looked at him sidewise, moving only his eyes.

“But … that’s not possible. What are you?” He giggled nervously.

Lip curled in disdain Justice shook his head slightly. “A soldier. I served in the United States Civil War, Union Army, ranglin’ rebels. I come from the past to the future. In that future I was an officer in Spacefleet, a force that spanned the galaxy. I done fought real demons, got chased by gods and I’m here to stop this universe from ending the way the last few have. You about ruined it, Chad. Think on that.” Justice slipped into his Hawaiian shirt, rage somehow soothed by layering up.

Chad just focused on the road. It was Scarlett who leaned forward, coming to Justice’s ear. “I am so sorry for all of this.”

“Darlin’, you got nothin’ to apologize for. I see how you was a pawn used by a bad man. I’m freein’ two ladies tonight. Bet on that.” He looked again at Chad who, if he heard what Justice said, he wasn’t letting on.

—

“Okay, we’re here.” muttered Chad as he pulled into the shattered parking lot. It looked like some clearing had taken place but it was clear that, until recently, plant life had dominated the lot. A warehouse stood nearby, some old relic, the windows were all half intact, half plywood coverings.

“‘Sages’? Never heard of it.” said Justice, pulling his seat forward to let Scarlett out..

“Not much to hear.” replied Chad. “I barely remember and I was a teenager when they went out of business. If I believe you they were long gone before you beamed down, spaceman.”

Justice chuckled. “Spaceman? That’s better than what folks normally call me.” Looking around he saw that the only light in the area was coming from automotive headlights pointed at the far side of the building. “That where these gang types are?”

Turning to look at Chad Justice saw him with a rolled-up dollar bill, snorting a white powder off the top of his Camaro. “Oof! Oh yeah…”

“Chad! What the fuck, man?” Justice whisper-yelled.

“What!?”

“You’re still doin’ fuckin’ drugs? I need you to keep it together, man.”

“Are you kidding!? This is the only reason I can keep it together! The Bratva have automatic weapons, high-powered rifles, explosives and nasty fucks that do things with knives to people they capture you can’t even imagine!”

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“And you sold Renna to these people.” Justice stated, anger building again.

Chad held his hands up defensively, another tension giggle escaping. “Dude, c’mon, she’s collateral, okay? I’ll just pay back my loan, with interest, bing bang boom Renna comes home safe and sound! It’s all good.” With a snapping sound a spotlight lit up and oriented on the trio. “Looks like they know we’re here.”

“Why are we so far away anyway? What if we have to run?” Asked Justice.

“That’s why we have to keep back. They know if shit goes down it’s easier to get away if you can just jump in a car. Also, if we tried to get close in the vehicle we’d be lucky if they just shot at us. Like I said they have ordnance, explosives.” Chad started walking towards the Bratva. “Hey, hands up, muscles. They really don’t want to see someone like you charging up on them.”

Scarlett moved with the two men but suddenly felt afraid. “Should I be coming? What if they want to … to keep me?”

Chad had a good laugh at this. “Honey, they already saw you. Retreat now and they’re sure to be suspicious. They get too suspicious we’re all dead.”

Coming to within fifty feet of the building it became clear that a ring of tractor trailers had been assembled around the front of the building; more defense against vehicles and also obscuring the building. “State business. We are very busy, friends.” The speaker was barely visible, silhouette merging with the vehicles and building.

“Hey guys, it’s me, Chad! I gotta talk to Bogdan about my … my loan. Repaying it, I mean!”

There was a bit of a commotion as several men moved around before one called out, an older-sounding man’s voice. “Yes, hello Chad! Come in, come in. You have more business? Good. Good.”

“What does he mean more business?” asked Scarlett, sounding more than a little afraid. “We’re just repaying the … the loan, right?”

Chad didn’t say a word but they were too close to keep talking. “Guess we’ll find out” said Justice.

Within the ring of trailers it became clear that the lights were, in fact, not from automobiles and were spotlights which could be aimed either inside or not. Within the ring it was like daytime while anyone outside the ring would be half-blinded and also illuminated as targets for anyone who wanted to shoot them. A middle-aged powerhouse met Chad. “Hello, Chad Packrat. Is good to see you again.”

“Packer. Chad Packer. And Bogdan, yeah, great to see you!” Chad turned back to Justice and Scarlett. “He thinks my name’s Packrat because of the store.”

“You have more business? Redhead is not so exotic as blonde black girl with blue eyes but still … one-hundred gees is worth.” Bogdan stated the cash amount like he was buying a fish at market.

Uttering a shrill peep Scarlett dove into Justice’s arms and the big man glared down at Chad. “Nosir, the business is repayment of the loan you gave my friend here, plus interest.”

Bogdan’s attention went back and forth between Justice and Chad, scowling as he regarded the cokehead. “Loan? What loan? You got five-hundred gees ‘high roller’ money for the girl. You say your bodyguard was sure bet. He looks fine so obviously you got what you wanted. Our business is done then, yes?”

“No. Hell no, Chad?” Justice maneuvered Scarlett behind him. “Get in cover” he whispered to her. He put a shoulder against the building, she recogized that he obscured a large cone of light for her to sneak out in and started moving. “Chad. You were gonna pay him back double, right? That’s the interest?”

“What!? A mill!? I only won five mill, man. You’re killin’ me.” Chad was way too loud, fear forgotten as his gambling winnings were threatened.

“Yes, you kill us both. The girl is like nothing we have seen. With makeup she could be … anyone. Any ethnicity. With training she could be most high-class whore in Moscow. Training she will have. Worth at least ten million, lifetime earnings.”

Justice stiffened up dangerously and Chad noticed right away. “No, uh, Bogdan, Danny! Remember? It was … was a loan!” His mind was all but shutting down and his body language made clear that the Bratva was not the main source of his fear.

“This man, he frightens you? Dynamic has changed.” Expression obscured Bogdan was still obviously scrutinizing the pair of men. He grabbed Chad by the face, examining him closely. “The woman is his, isn’t she? You have brought a vengeful man to my doorstep. Unacceptable.”

“No! Wait–ah!” and Chad recoiled as a small switchblade nicked his throat, the addict’s cocaine-fueled reflexes being all that saved his life. Running as fast as he could back towards the car, Chad left Justice alone with the Bratva.

“He flees like dog, but you remain. You are either very brave or you are fool.” Looking around Justice Bogdan got a good look at the terrain. “You cover the girl’s escape? What do you plan, big man?”

“Justice.”

“You plan justice? What? You are police?” Bogdan shook his head, mockingly.

“No, my name’s Justice. Right now I’m still talkin’. You should be happy for that.”

“Really? I should be happy because a large man is making demands of my business in middle of night? What else brings you joy? Smell of burning hair, maybe.” Bogdan started to turn away.

“Hold up, where you goin’?”

“Me? I go back to business. I leave you with your life; you will see this as gift momentarily.”

—

Back at the car Scarlett struggled to see what was happening over the hood while keeping herself mostly obscured. Seeming to materialize out of the darkness Chad ran to the driver’s side door, pulling the door once, he found it locked. “Fuck! Why would I lock it!?”

“Chad? What’s happening? Are you leaving? What about Justice!?” Scarlett crept back from the car in anticipation of the door being opened.

“You! You still think you can talk to me after what you did!?” Chad finally got his hands on the right key. “Why didn’t I buy the remote control door locks? ‘Too new’ I told myself. ‘Just came out last year’ I said.”

“Are you leaving us here!?” she asked, nearly in a panic.

“You’re damned right I am, you stupid bitch. Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me? You were supposed to fuck him, get him stupid, so he wouldn’t give a shit about losing his girl. If your pussy isn’t gonna make me money then what the hell do I need you for?”

“Fuck you!” screamed Scarlett, shoving Chad against the car. Swinging off-handedly, he caught her on the cheek, the keys in his hand cutting her face a little. Staggering in her high heels, Scarlett fell to the grass just outside the lot, Chad got in and tore off, peeling rubber with a monstrous squealing sound.

—

Bogdan heard the shouting and the squealing, his silhouetted smile barely visible to Justice. “Ah, perfect. A little drama to go with the action.“ Giving a high sign, he pointed in the direction of the Camaro as it drifted onto the road and up the hill. “You will want to watch this.”

And both men did. Justice scowled, impatient, watching the Camaro nearing the peak of the hill after which it would disappear. “There a point to–” and he cut off, a whoosh and whistle catching his attention.

The light of a rocket leaving a contrail through the air was clear, travelling at tremendous speed. Within two seconds it found its mark; the rear of the brand new 1982 yellow Camaro with red flame patterns, which exploded into flames, instantly a husk, any life within snuffed out in an instant.

Bogdan noisily clapped as if getting dust off his hands, brushed off his jacket and, finally, his shoulder. “Ah, good. I feel much cleaner.” Turning back to Justice he said “and you … you should start walking…”