Seattle, Washington
Black clouds sped across the sky like stampeding cattle. Heavy rain danced off awnings and building fascia. Jack tucked his chin further into the collar of his jacket as he approached the 13 Coins Bar & Grill. The subtle fragrances of rain, oily streets, exhaust fumes, and many restaurants filled his olfactory senses. The end of a long week was finding its way toward a small reward: dinner with two old friends.
Taking a moment to shake off as much water as possible, he pushed open the door and entered. A draft of warm air greeted him as he entered the restaurant. Shrugging out of his coat, he scanned the dining area and waved off the host, indicating he already had a table. Toward the back of the elaborate wood-paneled interior, he spotted Larry. Jack became enthralled by the aroma of freshly baked bread and wood-fired steak as he made his way through the crowded dining room.
Looking up, Larry flipped his hair away from his face with a shake of his head. He gave Jack a smile as he brought his beer to his lips. Wearing a rumpled white business shirt, slacks, and a loosened tie, it was apparent that Larry had come straight from work. Larry's complexion was fair, with reddish-blond hair crowning a thin face, a long nose, and a narrow mouth. His skin was mottled with light-colored stubble. Evidently, his face had missed its morning date with the razor.
"Have you been waiting long?" Jack asked.
"Nah dude. ‘Got here about ten minutes ago."
Looking around the dining room, Jack said, "just you and me so far? Brad still coming?"
Larry frowned, "far as I know. You know Brad. Always on his own schedule."
Jack laughed. Brad had always done things his way, and in his own time. But he was usually on time for their monthly hangout.
"How have you been, man?" Jack asked as he grabbed a menu.
Larry smiled and shook his head. "Oh, you know. Riding the coaster and trying to predict where the market's headed."
Jack has heard all about Larry's trials with the stock market since college. Larry and his wife Natalie struggled when the slowdown occurred. Natalie sold real estate and was one of the more successful agents in the city. She dealt with high-end properties, but her sales were never consistent. Having to market for high-end real estate cost her monthly as well.
Trying to steer Larry onto a new subject, Jack said, "you see the news today? There's another one missing."
Larry took another large sip of his beer.
"I try to avoid hearing about any of that. Nat's obsessed with it. Thinks she's closer than the cops are to figuring out who's doing it. She's got the damn TV on the news 24/7."
The city was in a media frenzy. There had been many disappearances of young women. The Emerald City Vanishings, as it was being called, had been going on for at least two years, but no one knew when they started. To date, there were thirteen women missing, all under thirty. Several families banded together to create a website and post a reward. But they were without any leads, no ransom notes, no bodies, and very few clues.
Shrugging, Jack said, "well, it is intriguing. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"
"No, it doesn't. My wife has cornered the market on wondering what it all means."
"Hmm…Well maybe she does. Other than that, you doing okay, Larry? I mean, other than business? You seem edgy."
Larry looked across the top of his mug at Jack. Made a grimace and said, "Nat and I had a big argument earlier. That's why I came into town. Just finished a meeting at the brokerage on my way here. I usually work out of the house on Fridays, but it was really messy."
"Sorry, man. I hope you can work it out." Jack responded, but not surprised.
Waving his empty glass at a passing server, Larry said, "Oh, sure. We always work it out. I'll have to deal with it when I get home, that's for sure."
Jack was about to suggest that Larry and Natalie think about counseling when he noticed the body language at several surrounding tables change. People were glancing in the direction of the front door.
Larry was facing the entrance and smirked at Jack.
"Did you just feel all the air getting sucked out of the room?" he laughed.
Looking over his shoulder, Jack recognized the huge figure clad in a leather coat, natty plaid shirt, stylish jeans, and a pair of Air Jordan 5’s heading in their direction. People were doing double takes as Brad's six foot six two hundred and seventy-five-pound muscular frame smoothly navigated through the crowded dining room.
Brad smiled broadly as he saw his friends and wedged himself into the booth beside Larry.
"Let's get this party started, fellas!"
Looking at Brad with darkened eyes, Larry said, "Good evening, your Highness."
Brad glanced at Jack and Larry, "wow, I'm not that late." He leaned back and laughed.
"What held you up?" Jack asked.
Brad shrugged and said, "sometimes women don't understand I must leave now."
"Well, I hope that worked out for you."
"Always does," said Brad.
Brad looked like he always did. Upbeat, fit, and wearing his signature self-satisfied smile. But he also seemed charged up, full of extra energy.
They all had been friends since college. While Jack's career as a software programmer limped along, Brad put together a small string of gyms and spas throughout the Pacific Northwest. His vast physical stature is magnified by his confident personality and gregarious nature. Brad was good-looking but needed to be softer and more refined. He had a square jaw and prominent features. He looked like a professional football player and used that look to target women across a broad spectrum. Jack often wondered how he avoided trouble when he moved on to the next woman, which was often. He was constantly dating someone new as the previous women melted away into a blurred multiplicity of attractive faces and long legs. Brad looked across the table at Jack, with a smile full of big, straight white teeth. A long faint scar traced his jawline, curling up and ending in the cleft of his chin. It gave him a slightly dangerous look.
A tall, attractive server approached the table with Larry's fresh beer. Brad pointed at it and held up two fingers, indicating that he and Jack wanted the same. Jack smiled at the server and shook his head. He grinned at Brad's questioning glance, suggesting he was now okay.
Larry gave Jack a thinly concealed look, indicating, 'Brad's in charge...again'. Shallow-faced, and somewhat boxy in appearance; Larry was at the opposite end of the spectrum from Brad. It was a marvel how the three of them formed a bond in college since Larry was so different from the two of them.
Brad and Jack made small stock purchases with Larry's help a while ago to support their friend, but Jack hadn't pursued an extensive portfolio. As a struggling programmer, he couldn't afford to spend too much. Larry and Natalie had no kids, which Jack thought was a blessing. Larry had stumbled into the relationship and married after a short whirlwind romance. Although Natalie was beautiful, her edgy personality made it hard to picture her and Larry being romantic. Jack always expected Larry to drop the bomb and announce they were separating.
The server returned with two pints. Brad laughed, and Jack smiled, shaking his head. She apologized when Jack reminded her, he hadn't asked for one but an iced tea instead. Larry, who had already finished his beer, grabbed the pint before the server could remove it.
Brad winked at Jack as he asked for the server’s number. She smiled at the charm Brad was emitting and tried to let him down nicely.
"Now, if I gave you my number, I'd have to give it to every guy that asked for it." She said, giving Brad a neutral smile.
Undaunted, Brad said, "I'm not every guy, and I've got to be at least slightly more interesting than anyone else that's asked for your number today." That earned a pity laugh as the server quickly ran through the specials, leaving them to ponder their dinner selections.
Giving his friend a leering smile, Larry raised his glass and said, "Don't you ever give it a rest? Geez! I feel like I'm on some reality TV dating show when I'm around you. Didn't you notice she pretty much blew you off?"
Brad leaned back and propped his elbows on the back of the booth, "you can't catch fish unless you're fishing."
Looking over at Jack, he said, "you aren't drinking tonight? Are you up for dinner, or will you phone that in too?"
Jack chuckled, "iced tea is a drink, and I'm ready for a good meal. I've been living off leftovers all week."
"Yeah? Under most circumstances, a beer is just a beer, but you never can tell. Having just one might change enough of what will happen around us to significantly change any of our individual destinies, potentially for the better."
Jack responded, "So, you're talking about the Butterfly effect? With a fucking beer? That's a fascinating take on an unproven theory. So, no, thank you. But I'm glad to be here."
"Well, let's enjoy ourselves. I just eliminated a huge problem and closed a deal guaranteeing enough money to finance my new location plus two more." Brad said as he smiled widely and winked at Jack while he elbowed Larry.
"That your angel investor again?" Jack asked. He and Larry had never been able to get Brad to divulge the identity of the venture capitalist who had originally staked his business. In the past, Brad had hinted that it was someone high up in local government or the financial district, but lately, he avoided discussing the topic.
Frowning for a moment and then smiling, Brad responded, "No. Fresh blood!" He laughed and raised his glass to toast his own good fortune.
The conversation segued into discussions about all their separate businesses. Brad's had money and landlord issues with his newest gym. Larry complained about his client's lack of foresight, and Jack talked about his latest project. More drinks arrived as meals were ordered, and the three spent leisurely hours enjoying dinner and passing the time.
Clearing plates later, the server asked if they were interested in dessert. Laughing and waving off any possibility of dessert Brad asked her if she'd had second thoughts about giving him her phone number.
Deliberately not looking at Brad, she made eye contact with Jack and laughed, "Is he always this aggressive? Or are you still training him how to behave in public?"
"There's no training him. We just try to stay out of the way and clean up the wreckage." Jack laughed.
Smiling, she gave Jack a second appraising glance and said, "now that, I believe. Well, at least he hangs out with quality people."
Spinning slowly on her feet, she walked away to get their check.
"Damn! What am I, grotesque or some shit?" said Larry.
"You're married man," Jack grinned as he eyed Larry's wedding band.
"Well, I mean yeah, but damn it would be nice to at least be considered," Larry said with an exasperated look.
Brad, staring at Jack open-mouthed. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? I ask for her number, and she turns to flirt with you? Wreckage? Really?"
Laughing hysterically, Larry struggled not to choke on his beer. "Bummer, dude! You went down in flames, and not a shot was fired."
Larry's drunk, shouldn't have let him grab that last beer, Jack thought to himself. During dinner, Larry continued to drink heavily, and Jack made a mental note to grab his keys if he didn't book a rideshare. Looking closely, he took in some troubling details about his friend. Always thin, Larry seemed to have lost weight. Dark circles under his eyes, heavy lines around the mouth, and a generally disheveled appearance made Larry look shabby and older than he was. This was new, or at least new, since the last time they had been out together. Maybe things with Natalie really were worse than usual. Or the market was creating severe problems for him. He watched Larry gesturing expressively as he was making some point to Brad. Laughing at Brad's response, Larry exposed his small teeth with prominent gums. That had been a familiar sight since sophomore year at Northwestern University. Jack considered taking Larry out for lunch or coffee the following week to talk about life.
"Dude, what the hell are you staring at? Have I grown a third eye or something?" Larry asked while shooting Jack a stern look.
Jack didn’t realize he was staring and struggled to cover his not-so-covert inspection. "Yeah, I think it arrived right between your fourth and fifth drink. Did you drive, or did you get a ride over here?"
"Nah, I drove, but I'll probably get a ride unless one of my buddies is willing to give me a lift?"
Brad laughed and glanced at Jack because they all knew that Larry's house was out of the way for Brad and Jack. Sighing, Jack rolled his eyes. "I would, but I'm not drinking tonight because I've got to finish this site design. If I take you to the west side of town, it'll take me an extra hour to get home."
Turning an unfocused gaze on Jack, Larry feigned surprise. "Who, me, put you out? Heaven forbid that I ask my damn friends for help! I'll just shell out cab fare since my friends can't be bothered."
Jack looked at Larry amusingly, "Seriously? Reverse psychology? I don't think so."
Brad sighed and pulled out his wallet. "Here," he said as he slid a fifty-dollar bill across the table. "I've got your cab fare. Now shut up and give us a break." Brad's condo was only a few miles away, and he wanted to pre-empt any possibility that Larry might ask to stay with him.
Jack was surprised to watch Larry pocket the money without hesitation. Awkward.
The server arrived with the bill, flashed Jack another smile, and thanked them as she headed to the back of the restaurant. Brad picked up the bill and started to reach for his wallet again.
"No," Jack said. Staring intentionally at Larry, he said, "We can ALL pickup our share. Can't we, Larry?"
Pretending to be oblivious to the implied insult, Larry pulled the fifty-dollar bill from his pocket and pushed it toward the bill. "Take my share out of this."
Collecting their change and leaving a tip after some more wrangling, they all put on their coats and headed for the door. Larry pulled out his cellphone and requested a ride, much to Jack's relief.
A cold blast of wind whipped at them when they opened the door. The three huddled in the tiny entryway as they got their bearings. The rain had really started to come down in force. Reflected light smeared along the rain-washed street, bounced off cars, lamp posts, and every building surface within sight. They were about to move in the direction of Spring Street towards the rideshare pick-up bay when the door opened quickly behind them.
"Come on, fellas, pull out those umbrellas and get the hell out of the way!" said their server as she good-naturedly teased them. She gave Jack a playful shove.
She had finished her shift and was in a hurry to get to wherever she was headed. Brad was about to deliver a joke when the door flew open again as another young lady exited the restaurant. Brad, Jack, and Larry were forced into the rain with no room for such a large group in the entryway. Laughing, the two women pushed past them and ran off in the same direction the guys were walking.
All three stepped into what was now clearly a storm, a bona fide, full-tilt, Northwestern fall storm. A too-windy fall storm for umbrellas was now forcing the rain into a horizontal pattern.
"Come on! I'll have them drop you guys off at your cars, so you don't get completely soaked!" Larry shouted.
They bent their heads low to keep the rain out of their eyes as they ran up the heavily inclined street. They went with a shambling gait to avoid slipping on the wet sidewalk. Up ahead, they saw the two women slip and fall to their knees. Two unbelievably huge figures had emerged from an alley and blocked their path. Clothed in gray overcoats and with hoods pulled over their heads, the giant figures appeared faceless in the heavy rain. Moving smoothly without concern for the wet pavement, the massive figures advanced quickly like wolves. They reached down, easily picked up the women, and quickly took them into the alley. Screams muffled by the heavy rain died abruptly.
"Holy shit!" Larry screamed.
Brad began running toward the alley, with Jack following on his heels.
Larry stood flat-footed and confused. "Hey...stop! Let's call..." he pulled out his phone, hesitated for a moment then ran after Jack and Brad.
Sliding to an off-balanced stop, Brad came to the alley's mouth, and Jack nearly took him down, slipping on the slick sidewalk. The scene in the alley was so unnatural and out of perspective that it seemed surreal. Caught in the hazy glow of a dim streetlight, two monumental figures bent over the motionless woman. The heavy rain had flooded the alley. The continuing downpour slammed into the pooled water, causing a series of splashes around them. Even in a squatting position, the cloaked figures were so huge that the scene looked like adults bending over two small children. The rainfall slid off the material of the overcoats worn by the giants and seemed to leave behind a dry surface. They gave no sign of being bothered by the rain at all. One of the giant figures hunched forward as though looking for something, reaching out toward one of the motionless women.
Brad took three long strides into the alley and yelled, "Hey! You! Hold it right there! Back off!"
Larry, finally arriving at the entrance to the alley, his mouth dropped open, and he stood there holding his phone in one hand, frozen. One of the giants rose to its full height. A hooded head turned slowly toward Brad and Jack; its face hidden by a shadow. The heavy rain made the figure appear to shimmer. The other figure was still squatting over one of the women. It was grasping her coat in one huge, gloved hand and holding her chin in the other. Her friend lay on her side a few feet away, seemingly forgotten.
"I told you to BACK - THE - FUCK - OFF!" Brad roared as he rushed forward.
Jack also moved forward, drawn by the raw power of Brad's angry advance. As Brad charged, the standing giant moved to shield the other. It reached into its coat and drew out an object. In the rain, it looked like a large rock. A large volcanic rock or piece of asphalt. Jack stepped to one side, turning away from the threatening figure, attempting to divide its focus between Brad and himself. Reaching into his pocket, he felt for his phone and called 911 from voice command. Brad, who had abandoned all thoughts of caution, lowered his shoulder and launched himself at the gray giant.
Jack had seen Brad in a fight or two over the years, and he knew how to mix it up. Brad went into what he liked to call 'beast mode' when fighting. Once, he had taken on three drunks that weren't happy with how a game of pool had turned out. All three were close in size to Brad, and he had laid them out in less than a minute.
But Jack sensed that this confrontation was not going to turn out well. Brad was dwarfed by the colossal figure he was hurtling toward. Man, they were tall, Jack thought. As Brad was about to make contact, the behemoth swept out both arms, fists clenched, and let go of a swing. Its coat flapped back from the force of the blow, water spraying in all directions. The impact caught Brad high on the chest, and he flew backward as though pulled on a string. He landed on his back and slid through the flooded, trash-strewn alley before he came to a stop. He remained on his back and didn't move.
Ohh shit! Bad.
Very bad!
The first team is down! Jack thought to himself.
He glanced back to the alley entrance where Larry was still rooted, rain streaming off him. Turning around, Jack saw the giant had regrouped and was pointing the rock, holding it out at arm's length. Jack couldn't tell if he was going to throw it or...then he realized the giant was pointing the rock in Larry's direction. A muted crackling noise was accompanied by a searing bright flash as a spear of light leaped from the stone and slashed over Jack's left shoulder. The smell of ozone filled the air. The giant adroitly swept its arm, and the rock, in Jack's direction. Jack wasn't willing to go down easy and took an adrenaline-charged step toward the giant. He stared into a dark shrouded visage that was oddly familiar but alien.
"You shot my fucking friend!" he yelled.
Another flash and darkness enveloped Jack's world.
