“A fucking faggot wearing a goddamn dress when I first saw you!” he laughed. “Did you even look at yourself?”
Shay stopped his onslaught and looked down on me. “I should shoot you and put you out of your goddamn misery.”
“…stop…”
I could barely focus on Jack, but he didn’t move.
Shay raised his gun.
I could barely make out the barrel pointing at me.
“Get up and face it like a man,” he sneered.
Sirens blared in the distance.
Shay growled. “Who the fuck called the police?”
“I did, you asshole,” Pat said over the intercom.
Three cruisers rounded the corner into the industrial park, and headed toward the entrance to the yard.
To Shay’s credit, (not that I want to give him much credit), he didn’t attempt to retreat, but rather stood his ground. If he didn’t have an ability similar to, or better than Walter’s to guide him, he was overwhelmingly delusional.
The cruisers came to a stop alongside each other. The doors flew open and each officer immediately used it as cover as they readied their weapons.
“Drop the gun!” a voice called.
It sounded like Riley. I hoped it was Riley.
“Fuck you!” Shay countered.
He fired a single shot at them.
It was as though he wanted to test them. I was pretty sure I understood. It wasn’t police protocol to aim for the head, so any hit he received, he could recover from and counter in kind. Provided they didn’t assault him with a combined hail of bullets. Even then, I had to wonder how much of a recall he had. For all I knew, it exceeded Walter’s ten seconds.
Shay side-stepped an officer’s attempt to take him down. He fired back, taking out the rear-view mirror near the officer’s head.
He was toying with them!
“Come on!” he roared. “Try harder!”
More shots came, but Shay always knew where to step, or shift his weight.
Even the police were perplexed.
I attempted to lift my head. Everything was blurry. My consciousness was slipping. But I knew I left a gun by Walter’s side. I attempted to make my way to it. I didn’t know if I had the strength.
“Billie, stay down,” Riley’s voice called out.
Shay turned, apparently bored with the police behind him. He pointed his gun at me.
I didn’t know what to do. I held out my hand, as if it could somehow protect me.
“Sick ‘im, girl!”
Out of nowhere, a tiny little bichon frise leapt into action. It lunged at Shay’s ankles.
“What the fuck,” he spat as he kicked it away. The dog yelped as it went tumbling.
What a horrible way to treat a dog.
“You bastard!” Joey shouted.
Joey charged at Shay. He was old, and slow, but I give him credit. Joey charged Shay with the ferocity of a bull, but stopped short when he came face to face with the barrel of his gun.
“Put the gun down!” Riley ordered.
“Or what?” he laughed.
Shay’s laughter was cut short when a shot rang out.
A hole opened between his eyes.
It took us all by surprise.
Shay wavered. He dropped the gun. He remained upright another moment before collapsing, dead.
Behind Shay sat Walter, barely conscious, holding the smoking gun I had left beside him.
“Drop the gun, sir!” another voice called.
Walter wasted no time in dropping it.
“Move in!” Riley’s voice commanded.
I crawled over to Walter, an act more painful than anything I’d ever endured before.
Walter managed to meet me halfway.
We both fell into each other, and leaned upon one another.
“…you okay, princess?”
“…no…”
“If…if I die…” he gasped, “I…I want to pass my power onto you…”
I tried to raise my head. “…can you do that…?”
“…I have no idea.”
“Is that some kind of Indian shit?” Riley’s voice asked. She loomed overhead like a blurry silhouette.
Walter coughed. “That’s racist.”
“You’re not going to die,” Riley muttered. “You were shot in the leg.”
“…huh…”
When the coast was clear, Pat emerged from the office and joined my side. Everyone gathered around us. Everyone except for Jack.
In the distance, some of our tank trucks started to return.
Moments later, Todd towered over me, alongside another officer.
“Where should I put this cash?” asked Todd.
“Sir, can you give us a moment?” Riley asked, her tone hardly cordial.
Riley gestured to another officer to lead Todd away.
Riley looked down at me. “You alright, Billie?”
I nodded, and it hurt.
“You realize you’re going to have to explain all this, right?”
EPILOGUE
There was no ‘me and Jack’ after that. I was sympathetic, to a degree. His sense of loyalty to Walter went deeper than I realized. He went to great lengths to keep him out of trouble. I guess he got in over his head so much, he was desperate for a resolution. Maybe I didn’t understand loyalty before I met Jack. But I certainly came to understand it after getting to know Walter. He was still a pain in the ass, and inadvertently the cause of a lot of Jack’s troubles. But there was always another way to resolve the issue. It didn’t have to come to this. There was no way it had to. Jack had my sympathy, but he and I were done as a couple.
I returned to our home one last time, to leave him a farewell note. I didn’t want to talk to him; I didn’t want to give him the chance to talk me out of it, or embarrass himself further. The note simply read:
‘Thank you for making me feel important. But more so, thank you for making me realize what’s more important.’
I didn’t have thirty pieces of silver to leave him. So I left thirty coppers. I doubted he’d get the significance. But I didn’t care.
I didn’t take anything else from the apartment. There was nothing I needed. I took my self-respect. Anything else, I could rebuild myself. Maybe with a little help from others.
I told Riley everything I could, omitting Walter’s ability. It left holes in the story, but I had the luxury of playing dumb. I left gaps to be filled by speculation, left by the corpses of those who played their part. I have no idea what Jack told them; I never bothered to find out. I thanked Riley for looking out for me. We were both outsiders in a closed-minded community. She saw that from the start. She fully believed things would eventually change for the better. To my knowledge, she still serves the community to this day.
I gave Joey my notice, effective immediately, the moment I could return to the garage. Joey had some fancy new doors installed. The insurance helped replace the old Mack truck, though he kept the husk of the thing in the back of the yard regardless. The whole ordeal was good for business, once it made the news. He’d found new renown in the community, so I’m sure he was drinking that in.
Pat got my old job. In my last conversation with the kid, he said he managed to get Joey to informally refer to the business as the ‘Shit Kickers.’
Walter recovered from his ‘near-fatal’ leg wound in little time, though he would walk with a limp for some time.
Walter and I met for breakfast at the food court shortly after. He paid.
“I still don’t know why I couldn’t dodge that shot,” he said. “It was like it just…didn’t work. It really threw me.”
“Does it work now?”
“How do you think I paid for this?” he asked. “Side note: I don’t think I should go to that lotto kiosk anymore.”
“Were you familiar with Shay?” I asked.
I had been wanting to ask for some time but I had a hard time broaching the subject.
He pulled his lip and shook
his head.
“Never?” I asked.
“New guy, as far as I could tell. I don’t know where the hell Frankie got that psychopath from.”
Maybe I should have told him my suspicions, but I never did. Maybe that was wrong of me. I don’t know. Shay was dead now, so perhaps it didn’t matter. He never seemed that bothered about the origin of his own ability anyway. I was always afraid he might find out and be angry I knew. But it’s not happened yet, and perhaps never will. It’s also possible he did know, and was the one trying to protect me.
“Have you spoken to Jack at all?” I asked.
“Fucking assholes,” he spat.
“What?”
“They didn’t give me any syrup. Are we not in Canada?”
“Walter…I know it’s a touchy subject, but…”
“You know what we should do?” he asked, upbeat.
“Go down south and hit the casinos?”
He looked at me with a smirk. “How did you know I was going to say that?”
“Woman’s intuition.”
Walter set down his French toast sticks and sipped his black coffee. “We’ll fill up our coffers and set ourselves up for a new life.”
“Then I’ll never have to set foot in this town again,” I added.
He shrugged. “I’d come back.”
“Really?”
“I like it here. I get it though. You’d do better down south. There’s more people like, well…”
“Me?”
“Well excuse me, princess.”
I laughed. “You’re not wrong.”
“Just come back and visit me sometime, understood?”
“Of course I will.”
“Are you going to eat that?”
I was, but… “No. Go ahead.”
“I had a long day.”
So did I, but I imagine his was longer. I used to think his behavior was due to obsessive compulsive disorder. Despite all the revelations, I still do, to be honest. I guess his need to be one step ahead is what leads him to be so tired all the time. I had no idea how to broach that subject though. It would be a psychiatrist’s nightmare.
“We’ll have to get you a dress,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“You have to go to the casino in a dress. That way, you can wow the other players so I can check out their cards.”
“Are you going to wear a suit?”
“Well, that’s just not fair.”
I scoffed. “Life isn’t fair.”
Walter raised his coffee cup. “Cheers to that, princess.”
I don’t know if Walter ever spoke to Jack again. I suppose he might have to eventually. There are times I wonder what became of Jack. But some futures just aren’t worth dwelling on. I had my own to look forward to.
###
ADDENDUM: WALTER
(…in Jack’s office, from Chapter Four…)
A figure darkened the doorway. I knew him immediately, and felt a twinge of relief. It was Barry, a security guard Jack was friendly with. He was generally receptive to my presence. But before I could greet him…
“Can you identify yourselves please?” the security guard asked.
“Hey, I’m Walter. What’s your name?
“Officer Wallace. Now can you please identify yourself?”
“You must have a first name!”
“Look, sir, I’m going to have to ask you to…”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Hello Officer Wallace. How’s it going?”
“Do I know you?”
“We met once before, at the Christmas party.”
“Security doesn’t attend the Christmas party.”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Hello Officer Wallace, how’s it going?”
“Do I know you?”
“Yeah, we met before. It’s Antony, isn’t it?”
“Barry,” he corrected.
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“We went to school, didn’t we? Sudbury Secondary?”
“No, I went to Lasalle Secondary.”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“We went to school, didn’t we? Lasalle Secondary?”
“I did, but I don’t remember you…”
“Did you wind up marrying that cheerleader?”
He shook his head. “What? No.”
“Who’d you end up with then?”
“I mean…I dated Angela for a bit.”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“We went to school, didn’t we? Lasalle Secondary? You dated Angela.”
“Uh, yeah, but I…”
“Didn’t you two end up getting married?”
“No, she left me for a football player. Thanks for the reminder. Anyway, you’re not supposed to be here, so if you could please tell me what you’re…”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“We went to school, didn’t we? Lasalle Secondary?”
“Uh, yeah, but I…”
“Angela dumped you for that football player, right?”
“The hell do you think you’re…”
“Hey man, it was a good thing. You’re with what's-her-face now, aren’t you? Tracy?”
“No.”
“Nancy?”
“No.
“Tonya?”
“Are you high?”
“Fuck.”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“Tell me your wife’s name or I’ll slit your goddamn throat with this fucking letter opener!!”
“Jesus Walter, get off of him!”
“I need back-up!!”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“We went to Sudbury Secondary together…”
“I went to Lasalle.”
“Aw fuck…”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“We went to school together. Lasalle Secondary. You dated Angela.”
“Uh, yeah, but I…”
“What’s your wife’s name?”
“Why the hell would I tell you that?”
“Is it Sarah?”
“How’d you know that?”
“Holy shit, are you serious?”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“How’s Sarah doing?”
“Sarah? She’s…fine…doing fine…”
“You’ve been married, what, ten years now?”
“Five.”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“How’s Sarah doing?”
“Sarah? She’s…fine…doing fine…”
“You’ve been married what, five years now?”
“Six.”
“You goddamn liar.”
“What?
* Snap back *
/> “Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Can you tell me why you call yourself ‘Officer Wallace’ when you’re only a goddamn rental cop?”
“What did you just say?”
“I said you have a tiny dick.”
“Get over here you son of a…”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Barry! How’s it going, man?”
“I’m sorry, do I…”
“How’s Sarah doing?”
“Sarah? She’s…fine…doing fine…”
“You’ve been married what, five years now?”
“Six, actually.”
“Whatever, I’ll give you that. Got any kids?”
“Listen, I don’t know what you’re playing at, but…”
“Hey man, relax. I just like kids!”
“Are you a pervert or something?”
“What? Wait, no!”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Oh, officer! Thank god you’re here. We’re trying to find our daughter!”
“Your daughter?”
“What, you don’t think my wife here could have a child?”
“Your… ‘wife?’ ”
“Jesus. You’re a closed-minded asshole, aren’t you?”
* Snap back *
“Can you identify yourselves please?”
“Officer, thank god you’re here! We’re trying to find my friend’s daughter!”
“Well…was she in this building?”
“Yeah. She ran off. Have you seen her?”
“No, I haven’t…”
“Do you have any kids? You must know how we feel.”
“I have a daughter too. Don’t worry. We’ll find her. What’s her name?”
“Georgia. How about you?”
“Andrea.”
“Aw man, nice. How old is she?”
“She’s only two.”
“Is she healthy and all that?”
“Uh, yeah…I mean we had a bit of a scare when she was just a few months, but…shouldn’t we be looking for your friend’s daughter?”
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