Getting the Band Together

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Arrival

She had walked into town six months earlier. It was a busy place unlike anything she had seen in her travels. Certainly unlike her home. That was something she could never explain to the people she met here. They would think she just arrived. Her explorations had been low key. Like a lost puppy. Other cities. Learning languages, manners, cultures. She had to fit in when she got where she was going. Little things went away or were replaced. Clothes. The guitar case needed to look like it was once well cared for but time and rough living stained it. Her hair, that was a crime but it was necessary. Less bathing. Her mother would be annoyed to see her.

Her guitar case hung loosely from her hand, its once-polished wood now worn and scuffed, bearing the marks of her travels. Covered in travel stickers she had collected. Her pack hung on her shoulders heavily with its necessities and treasures. Paper money and a few gold coins. Her pack had a few practical items. Note books filled with songs and music. A cellphone with more music then she had ever heard but her father had insisted. If she had left it behind she would be running away from home. If she took it, she was just traveling. Her jeans were patched and fraying, her loose shirt faintly smudged with dirt.

The careful disguise had worked well enough: she looked the part of the drifter, the runaway. But under the surface was something sharper, something the average observer wouldn’t see. A hunting knife hung on her belt, and deeper in her pack rested her father’s .45—a weight she carried with purpose. She didn’t plan to use it. But then again, planning wasn’t always her strongest suit.

She found a shady spot under an oak tree where she could see the musicians take turns performing. The crowd’s reactions told her everything she needed to know—who played for passion and who played for desperation. Gadget leaned against the tree, watching, listening, and feeling the pulse of the park.

It wasn’t long before someone noticed her. A boy, maybe the age she portrayed, with unruly hair and a guarded expression, walked over and sat down beside her, uninvited but not unkind.

“Hey,” he said, nodding toward her guitar case. “You looking to play?”

She hesitated. “Yeah.”

“Well, just so you know, in this stretch, Tiffy’s up now, then I’m next, and Jax gets lunch. Cali is missing and we are worried about her. Holden would be after her but hes not shown up today. After that, it’s you, if you’re still here. We’ve got a system.” He smirked faintly, but his eyes were serious. “We all gotta eat.”

“Got it,” Gadget replied, her voice measured. She didn’t need to explain herself yet.

“I'm Eddie. Edwardo, technically,” he said with a half-grin. “Parents thought it was funny. And you?”

“Do I find it funny?”

“Whats your name, new girl?”

“Gadget”

“Really? That’s what you’re going with? People usually pick something easy, like Gail or Ginger.”

“Gadget’s fine,” she said, unmoving. “Nice to meet you.”

Eddie shrugged. “Suit yourself, Gadget. You new to the city?”

She nodded. “Been here a week. Wandering mostly. Stayed at the mission for a night.” She paused, shuddering. “That place isn’t what I expected.”

Eddie gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, the mission’s rough. Better to stay in the open if you can. But, you know, stay visible. Shakers come out when you’re alone.”

“Shakers?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Shakers are takers,” he said, gesturing toward the park’s edge. “They roll in, act like they belong, and take what’s ours. They don’t care if you’ve got a spot or if you’re trying to eat. Stay sharp, Gadget.”

She nodded, filing away the warning.

Eddie continued, “Listen, you can wander off if you need to, but be back when Jax is done, or someone else’ll jump in. Holden’s been known to push his way in, but if you stand your ground, he’ll back off. He respects the system, even if he pretends not to.” “And Cali?” Gadget asked, catching the name from the murmurs earlier.

Eddie frowned. “Cali’s...well, she hasn’t been around. Missed a whole week. She’s in trouble, and we haven't been able to find her. Till we hear something she’s gotta sort it out herself. That’s how it works.”

Gadget didn’t reply, but her mind turned. Trouble had a way of finding people like her, and she wasn’t sure yet if Cali’s story would intersect with her own. For now, all she could do was wait. And watch.

The guitar case at her side felt heavier now, but not with dread. With purpose. If the park was a stage, she’d play her part soon enough.

2

She listened to Eddie play for the mid-morning crowd as they cut through the park going from one tall building to another. He's as good as she remembered. Though maybe not quite as good yet. Style would come in time. Besides, it was Tiffy who blossomed, if they survive.

Eddie comes over to her, “Ah, Gadget. You said you been wandering around? Don't wander south of here. Bad area. Forty Thieves.. Actually the Forty Threes, 43rd Street gang. Fucking takers. Over by the river is a nice place in the summer. Cold as hell this time of year but a more or less permanent encampment of old timers is there. The city comes through and cleans it up some times. Gives them time to get their valuables out then trashes whatever they had been living in. Twice a year. Shows the uptowners they are cleaning the place up. After that some Do Gooders come by and drop off new tents and mattresses and blankets. The hawks stay away from there because police got no concern if one or two kiddie pimps end up in the trainyard. Some of those old timers are ex military and ain't shy about it. But, some are almost as bad as the hawks. They won't rent you out but they will trade warmth for wetness, ya know. Better off finding a squat.”

“You and Tiffy got a squat? “

“Ya...but.. its tight.. sorry.. I can't help with that. The industrial by the train-yards have a lot of junkies. You can sleep there but the temptation is too strong for people. Temptation to use, temptation to steal.”

The usual crowds go back and forth with little or no regard for the desperation they pass through. Think them self generous if they toss the change from a six dollar cup of fifty cent coffee.

Eddie wanders over to Sit as Tiffy finishes her set. Gadget wonders if they think of it in terms of 'Set' yet.

Eddie starts playing. Riffing really. Loud, to get attention. Hes got endurance, Gadget thinks.

A couple hours go by and Gadget spends it looking over the place. Walking around and getting a feel for the square and its regulars.

A coffee shop, a waitress looks out the window at the buskers sadly. Grief, and gratitude. She escaped the life. A newsstand. No reading. A fat man watches a little TV and collects money. Thinks he's sly to slip alcohol from a flask into what is probably coffee.

A Little Ceaser's Pizza. Classic cardboard pizza. The clerk. Another survivor. A paycheck away from being on the street again. Squats. Can't make rent.

A laundromat. Customers only. A walkway to the parking lot.

A liqueur store that looks like a prison with bars and locks.

A big youth comes running like he's being chased through the plaza. No one behind him.

He runs past Eddie and Tiffy. Jax has already gathered his blanket and put his arm through loops and was moving. He jumps down stairs only to stop. Tiffy and Eddy are almost up when the runner comes walking over to them, hang dogged.

Up the stairs come 4 guys and a girl. Toughs. Shakers for sure. Their clothes only look a small bit better then the people they shake down. They walk straight for the three.

Suddenly she feels a should hitting her from behind, walking past. A big guy, 19, scared and cruel. A follower. He looks back at her, sees the guitar, “I don't know you. Tax ya later.”

He walks to the top end of this part of the plaza. Another coming in from the parking lot . Jax walking ahead of him, being pushed.

Behind her two more. The ones the runner was fleeing from. In to their trap it seems.

Gadget touches a knob on her hearing aid and she hears better.

The big guy in front. Army boots. New. “I don't give a fuck, Eddie. Starve. Fork it over. Hey, Tiffy, you can keep your money for a little help with handsome.”

Eddie scowls, steps between him and Tiffy, bravely but foolishly. He hands over a wad of bills.

“That's both of ours...a days work, Wart.”

Big Wart....Good. Now I've seen him, “Not for me it wasn't. All fun. Maurice will fork over a couple hundred for a couple hours with Tiffy.”

Eddie says nothing, smart for once.

Jax says he hadn't played yet, he doesn't have any money. Wart's number too grabs Jax's guitar and the two struggle. Eddie intervenes and gets a punch in the face from Wart. “Little wart holds Jax's guitar.

'That was stupid Eddie. Jax, 5 bucks and you can have your guitar back for tomorrow. Or wet trade. You know where we will be.”

Lastly Wart turns to the runner. “Holden, you are the stupidest fuck I know. You got taxed and instead of just playing elsewhere you tried to warn Eddie and the Stone Benches Band. “ He says with an air of mockery.

Gadget smiles for other reasons when she hears Wart's jab. She's in the right place and time.

Wart lays a smack across Holden's face and wart two punches him in the belly as he falls.

The shakers move along, laughing. This can't be the only way they make money. Shaking down buskers. Cali...They have her someplace. Making money off her.

Tiffy starts crying after she the gang has gone. Jax, probably only 13 himself, start sniffling, trying to be tough. Tiffy must be 14. Eddie would be 16. Holden 15. Cali would be 13, if she lives.

Walking over Gadget hears without the spy ear.

“Those assholes,” Eddie says.

Jax says, “Lets see if Dearly will spot us a blue plate special or two.. its been long enough.”

Eddie shakes her head, “Can't. Bossman is there.” Jax whimpers.

She walks up, “Those are the takers? “

Eddie nods, “Not their name.. Just Wart's guys. They get you, too?”

She shakes her head, “That big guy said he would tax me later. “

Holden says, “That's Waldo. Wants people to call him Eastwood, but Waldo is his name. Big, tough, and mean. One of Wart's muscles.”

Eddie puts his arm around the whimpering Tiffy.

“We ate yesterday. Holden? Jax?” They both shake their heads.

Gadget says...”You all squat together? “ Eddie looks at her, confirming, thinking they have to find Cali.

She says, “If I can squeeze in to your squat, I'll get pizza. A couple from that place.” Pointing to Little Ceasers. Jax looks at her, then Eddie. Holden looks too. Silent agreement.

“Alright. We should go. If we set up again and start playing they'll come back. Today is over.”

Gadget says, Where do I meet you. I have an errand to run before getting food.”

Eddie gives her directions for 4 blocks away. “You'll see a tall water pipe on the side of a building. Painted blue. Hit it a few times and one of us will come get you.”

She nods. “An hour at most.”

After they leave she looks around the square. Regulars going back and forth had walked past the shakedown without noticing or interrupting. They didn't seem to miss the music even.

Gadget walks to the liquor store. Walking down the rows the clerk's eyes never leave her. She picks up a flask sized whiskey and then a large bottle to fill the small one from. She stops at the register and picks up several tiny bottles. They kind of things she could have shoplifted. She looks to the clerk.

“Are you high or stupid?" he says with disdain, "Ok Lets all sing the song- Lalala!! I have to see some identification! Lalala”

She produces a hundred dollar bill and puts it on the counter. Meeting his eyes. “Even if I kept the change its not worth selling to you if you don't have ID.”

She pulls a thin wallet and opens it to the clerk. His eyes go wide. “Ah.. really?”

“I can depend on your keeping it a secret?”

He nods, takes the money and puts the purchases in the bag.

Next she goes into Little Ceaser's and orders four $5 pizzas. She slips them int a canvas bag, not minding that they slide to the bottom of the boxes when she shoulders it.

Walking down toward the the building with the blue pipe her ears tingle. Hunter and prey.. She is being hunted.

She cuts over down a narrow gap between two city buildings. Stopping she waits.

He comes. Waldo. “Well I didn't think taxing you would make me rich! Booze and food. Fork it over. And any cash you got”

He walks up toward her with certainty born of experience. Gadget puts the bags down so not to damage them. She walks toward her hunter. He has no idea he is now the prey.

He reaches out to grab the smallish girl with both hands, “Maybe a kiss or a fuck too, now that I SEEEeeee........” Gadget grips his hands on her should hard, then kick out with her traveling boot, steel toed, and hears the sound of soft flesh, not bone. She kicks again and Waldo sinks to the ground. Pushing him to his back she delivers two rapid punches to his belly.

“Now, don't you throw up..... it'll only make you messy and me pissed off. Look me in the eyes.... OK? You think you're tough? The universe is filled with monsters that would not blink about squashing you like a potato bug. And I am goddamned well one of them, Waldo. Now.... You belong to me. Unless you want me to make sure you never get an erection again. We understand each other?"

“I'll take that for a yes. Where is Cali? “

“Wart has her.. Hes got her up back of the station.. Passed out last I saw. “

“OK. The station....Eddie knows where it is? Good. Now you go away. Not to the station. It won't be safe there tonight. You understand me? “

He nods.

She reaches into a pizza box and extracts three slices, “I can tell you're hungry. So here. Just to show you I'm not.. well.. totally a bitch. Remember. Don't go to the station. Don't tell Wart. Don't piss me off. Now go.”

Waldo gets up and staggers, trying to run, but he carefully holds the pizza. Everyone gotta eat.

She finds the pipe and knocks on it. Waits only a few moments till Holden peeks his head out.

“We were worried you were followed. “

“I was but its ok. Lets go inside.”

She follows Holden down a short alley to a pried open side door to an industrial building. The interior shows a lack of traffic. The path makes several turns before ending at a dead end. Above are large pipes passing through. Water pips probably. On the west wall is a concert poster in a language Gadget does not know.

Those huddled near each other are Eddie, Tiffy and Jax. A single candle puts out light if not warmth. They shiver under blankets and their breath comes out in fog.

They look up as Gadget enters. Eddie says, “Glad you made it. We were worried.” They look at the pizza boxes in anticipation.

Eddie goes on, “Cali is usually between Jax and Holden, if you don't mind."

Gadget moves close to Holden, between him and Jax. She wouldn't tell herself yet but her pack nature was already forming, even after so little contact. Holden might be the lucky one.

Gadget nods, taking the top pizza box with the missing pieces, slipping the other 3 to the group. She pulls out a large bottle of Tabasco that she liberally puts on her pizza. The others eagerly grab the other boxes. They relish the pizza, a good meal for them. Jax reaches for the Tabasco looking to gadget for permission. She smiles and hands it to him.

Looking around the dead end has much to recommend it. Defensible but without and escape route. Out of the elements sort of. Frigidly cold. Too cold as she thinks about it. Its winter but the weather outside was hardly cold enough to warrant the cold inside.

“Whats on the other side of the building?”

“Meat packing plant. Its why its so cold in here. But the squat is too good. Out of the elements and deep enough not to be easy for takers to ffind unless led here. Holden used to squat here before.”

She reaches into her pack and pulls out a small backpacking ring of stainless steel to curious eyes. Popping the lid she pulls a lighter out and a bit of newspaper. She wraps coal with the paper and lights it, starting the stoves fire. The flickering fire catches and warms the area slowly.

They turn to huddle around the fire in gratitude and surprise. “I've been camping a lot.” She explains.

The small area began to heat as they returned to eating. Silence fills the room as they eat. She looks around the space. A bright poster on the wall is in Russian she thinks. Rafe might know what it says. Being a music aficionado he might know the band anyway. Maybe someone else in the huge Adventure's Society would know. Time will tell.

While they huddled under blankets that had seen better days their over coats were neatly hung for drying. The candle putting out light but little heat. Looking up the ceiling must have vents somewhere. Its why the space has so little heat. This place wouldn't do. Not for seven or eight people as her plans as the group develops.

Gadget stands after they finish eating. “Eddie? Can I speak to you for a moment?

“I spoke to Waldo. He tried to tax me and we can to an understanding. He says Cali is at someplace called the Station. Strung out and in trouble.”

Eddie curses, “Damn... damn. The Station? Shit... SHIT.... That's an abandoned gas station at the edge of the industrial area. There's a huge dog pack that lives there. Used to be security dogs that went wild when the plants closed. Abandoned warehouses mostly. No one squats there because the dogs are vicious. probably a hundred of them. The city gave up on that whole part of time. South of the railroad and the freeway. Shit... this sucks.”

“Dogs, you say? Vicious ex-guard dogs and their get I imagine. Good to know. How many people would he have there, this Wart guy.?”

“5 maybe, a couple more. Depends where they are in their raiding.”

“How do they handle the dogs. Will you show me where this is? “

“Carefully i imagine. Sure. Do you have an idea? If we could get them to come out chasing me you might be able to get her out.”

“Do any of you people fight?”

“Holden can land a punch. Jax can fall down and take them for awhile. Tiffy, not so much.”

“How tough are these guys? How long have they been around?”

“Tiffy and I have been here about 6 months. Holden a couple years. Not sure about Jax and Cali. Wart and his guys have been terrorizing people since grade school I hear. He's beat us up several times. Beat Tiffy and I pretty bad when we first got here 'cause she wouldn't put out. Holden hates them. I think he had run ins with them before. I know some of the businesses in the plaza lock their doors when they wander in. One of their parents is a cop.”

“Ok, show me this station.”

“Why? You got a plan? If we get them to chase me out maybe you could get in there and get her out.”

She nods and follows him as they cross town.

Dogs

Looking over at a vacant gas station tucked between industrial buildings. Lights are on in the building but none out side. The walls are covered with graffiti. The windows covered in newspaper on the inside.

Gadget asks, "Will they have a lookout you think?"

"No idea. But they probably depend on the dogs. When i start running I'm going to run back the way we came in. Stays away from the dogs. "

Eddie goes was walking far to the east to see if anyone was out on the outside.

She pulls her cell phone and makes a call.

“Gadget. Wants and warrants on a Wart and known associates. Especially wants and warrants on an associate named Waldo. Police tours in the area of Third street and Hunsiker ave. Yes.” She lights a cigarette and puffs it while she waits.

“Yes. Alright. Route police at least a mile from this location. Ok,. Ok. ok. And Waldo..Ok. Gadget down. ”

She watches for any of the gang members returning.

The air around the vacant gas station grows heavier, the tension palpable as Gadget watches her surroundings with predatory focus. The graffiti-covered walls seem to close in, the windows’ newspaper coverings adding a claustrophobic feel to the eerily quiet industrial zone. As Eddie vanishes into the distance, her instincts prick with the unmistakable feeling of being watched—or perhaps stalked.

Then she smells them.

The dogs are close, their musky scent mingled with the faint metallic tang of rust and oil. Gadget pivots, slipping behind a building with a crumbling wall, her heart steady but her senses sharpened. From the shadows, three shapes emerge: large, muscular dogs, their eyes reflecting the dim light like embers in the gloom.

The leader—a scarred, thick-furred brute with torn ears—moves forward first, his posture radiating dominance. Behind him, two slightly smaller dogs fan out, their growls rising in anticipation. The pack begins to circle her, their intent clear.

Gadget exhales slowly, her father's teachings resonating in her mind. She doesn’t run. Instead, she drops to all fours, her movements fluid, deliberate. She raises her hips, her posture bold and challenging. Her eyes lock onto the leader’s, refusing to break the connection. The world seems to fall away, leaving only the primal, unspoken dialogue between her and the animal.

The leader snarls, testing her, his hackles raised. Gadget bares her teeth and growls low and deep, channeling every ounce of her willpower into the sound. It’s not just noise; it’s intent, a projection of dominance and confidence that taps into the primal currents of the canine psyche.

The other two dogs falter, their growls cutting short as they glance at each other, uncertainty flickering in their eyes. The leader hesitates, his head lowering slightly, torn between instinct and her overwhelming presence. Gadget growls again, a commanding sound that brooks no argument. The leader steps back, his defiance faltering under the weight of her gaze.

Then it happens. With a whimper, the leader drops to his belly, his body language one of submission. Gadget moves forward on all fours, her movements deliberate and measured. She sniffs at the leader, solidifying her claim. The two remaining dogs quickly follow suit, rolling over with their tails tucked.

Gadget straightens and rubs the leader’s belly, her touch firm but acknowledging his surrender. He rolls to his haunches, sitting obediently, awaiting her command. She rubs her cheek against him, radiating love of him. Love he has never known till now.

She greets the other two the same, feeling them give up their devotion.

Focusing her awareness, Gadget channels her intent, pushing it outward like a wave. Her thoughts take form, her message clear: “Tell the rest I am coming soon for them. Tell the pack leader.”

The dogs respond instantly, bolting into the shadows without hesitation. Gadget stands and dusts herself off, exhaling slowly. The pack is hers now—or at least, they know better than to challenge her again.

As the shadows settle once more, Gadget turns her attention back to the gas station. It’s time to finish what she started.

6

A few minutes later Eddie returns carrying a half full 40oz bottle... “No one there. The door is on the west side. Ok..probably won't be locked. We sneak up. I'll open the door and yell at them. I'll throw this bottle of ...beer...piss... at them. They will chase me out. Especially if I hit Wart. While they are chasing me you go in, find Cali and get her out of there. I'll run them as far as possible. I am pretty sure I can out run them.”

“Sounds good. Lets go.”

They sneak up to the station going around to try peaking in the windows finding them taped shut. The industrial buildings surround the station and shadow it from the sun. She looks it over and figures it must have several rooms inside. Two bays in the garage. Six empty gas pumps.

Eddie shakes his head looking terrified but determined. He reaches up and grabs the door handle, opening quickly and stepping in.

He steps in, looking around the room and seeing the surprised look on Wart's face. "Look! Eddie has come to sing for us!"

Yelling Eddie says, “YOU FUCKERS!!!!! WHERE”S CALI!!!????” He throws the bottle and hits Wart in the chest. Splashing him liberally.

Behind him steps in Gadget.

They men jump up as one to chase Eddie. Eddie turns and bumps surprisingly into Gadget.

Gadget puts her right hand on his chest, pushing him hard against the door jamb. With her left hand She raises a .45 automatic.

The young men stop. Wart says, "I don't know you but pointing a gun at me is going to get you slung up in our back room, Blue."

She looks around the room at the squalor. Cigarettes, beer, takeout boxes. The smell of sweat and male testosterone. Somewhere is the smell desperation and semen. Her hackles rise.

She regards the men. She can feel their anger. She looks at Eddie, as her hand presses him to the door-jam. Fear. Shock. Uncertainty.

"That thing looks like a canon in your hand, you stupid slit. Put that down and I might let you walk to the bedroom rather then beat you down and make Eddie watch us."

The loud crack of the gun echos in the room to the shock of everyone except Gadget.

Gadget tracks from left to right, putting a round into each of the chests of the gang members. Eddie's eyes go wide in shock.

Gadget steps into the room, slowly walking to each man and putting a single round into the skull of each of them. Wart last, looking up in despair. "No!!! Please!!! No!!!" Gadget fires again.

She turns to Eddie, “Find Cali.” He staggers past her, walking past the dead into other rooms.

Gadget moves among them taking wallets, cash, and jewelry off them. Weapons she quickly puts into plastic ziplock bags and putting them into her satchel. She looks over the table and grabs several bags of green herbs. She walks around the room and finds a backpack, looking in she finds several kilos of pressed powder.

She stands and goes to each of the dead and takes a picture of each with her cell phone.

She makes a call. "Gadget. Targets Neutralized. Send in the Cleaner."

Eddie comes out carrying a limp girl. She is bruised and sweaty, dirty, and clearly has been abused. Nude of course. He is white as a sheet, a mixture of awe and terror. She steps to a couch and shakes off a comforter. They put her into it, wrapping her.

Eddie staggers picking up the girl, holding her close. “You killed them...How could you?” Eddie comes out carrying a limp girl. He is white as a sheet, a mixture of awe and terror looking around the room.

"You killed them," Eddie stammers, his voice cracking as his mind struggles to reconcile the woman beside him with the efficient, lethal force he witnessed moments ago. "How could you?"

Gadget doesn’t flinch at the accusation. Her gaze remains fixed ahead, her steps even and deliberate. Her voice, when it comes, is calm, devoid of the chaos that lingers in Eddie's mind. "How? Efficiently," she repeats, her tone as cold and deliberate as her actions.

The weight of her words strikes Eddie harder than the gunshots, leaving him speechless. The horrors of the room behind them—the blood, the screams, the sharp finality of death—cling to him like a suffocating fog. But there is no hesitation in Gadget, no regret in her stride. To her, it was necessary. Clean.

They cross the empty road, the cracked asphalt beneath their feet a reminder of the desolation that surrounds them. The industrial skyline looms like a graveyard of forgotten ambitions. Gadget keeps her hand on her satchel, its contents jingling faintly—a collection of stolen wallets, weapons, and evidence now safely in her possession. She knows every item has a purpose. Every detail serves a larger goal.

Eddie's steps falter as he glances down at Cali. Her face, bruised and streaked with grime, remains slack and lifeless. But there is a faint rise and fall to her chest, a fragile confirmation that she’s alive. It’s enough for now.

"You didn’t have to kill them all," Eddie murmurs, his voice barely audible.

Gadget stops abruptly, turning to him with a gaze sharp enough to cut through steel. "Yes, I did," she says firmly. Her tone leaves no room for argument. "They were predators, Eddie. They preyed on people like you, like Cali. You think they would’ve stopped? Changed? That girl in your arms is living proof of what they were willing to do."

Eddie swallows hard, unable to look her in the eye. He knows she’s right, but the sheer brutality of what he witnessed gnaws at him. His grip on Cali tightens, as if holding her closer might make sense of the chaos.

"We’ll get her back to the squat," Gadget continues, her voice softening slightly. "She needs rest. Food. Medical attention. And you all need to keep your heads low for a while. This isn’t over."

"What do you mean?" Eddie asks, his voice trembling.

"I mean that there will be repercussions," Gadget says. "Wart’s crew isn’t the only threat out here. There’s always another predator waiting to take their place. But we’ll deal with that when the time comes."

They resume their walk, the squat just a few blocks away now that offers a distant promise of safety. Eddie holds onto that thought, clinging to it as tightly as he clings to Cali.

Behind them, the gas station stands silent, its sordid history now marked by the finality of Gadget’s intervention. Whatever demons she carries, she’s made one thing clear: in her world, survival means making hard choices. And she’s prepared to make every single one of them.

Unseen by the pair and their rescued companion a pair of white vans pull up to the station. Men in hazmat outfits get out and enter and begin to work.