Was this bitch crazy?

The pistol weighed heavy in his pocket. His hand itched for it.

Officer Lang frowned then unhooked the radio mike on her chest. She squeezed at its button but the device didn't make a sound. Not a squawk or hiss of static.

Damnit, she said. Still dead? She pressed at it a couple more times. Click-click-click.

Nate found this very interesting. Radio not working today, Vicky? Might want to get that checked. Never know when you'll need backup to save your skinny square ass. Officer Lang's eyes flared, but another shout drew her attention. Again, Nate thought she was about to draw her weapon. Instead, she leaned in close and pointed a finger at him. Stay right here. I have more questions for you. Nate shrugged and held up his hands. No problem, Vicky. I await your return. She glared at him, then another shout, this one for help, pulled her away. Nate watched her square ass wiggle in her uniform trousers as she hustled down the sidewalk.

He let out a sigh of relief. But now he was faced with a dilemma.

Of course he wouldn't just sit here and wait for little miss square ass to interrogate him, maybe even get into a shoot-out with her. Yet she could now place him in the immediate vicinity of a triple murder. Even the drunkest homicide detective would have no problem linking Perry to Unger's crew, which Nate was a known member of.

Or he could simply leave. Walk away and go to ground for a while which was standard procedure after a hit, anyway.

There were no other direct witnesses here. Too much chaos was going on. Only Victoria Lang and her broken radio could place him near the scene.

This was intriguing. Phones were dead. Cars were dead. That plane was dead.

And her radio was dead. Which meant she hadn't called Nate in. Yet.

Huh.

Nate stood up from driver's seat and slammed the door. He turned slowly around, taking in the immediate area. Past the children in the park were a large cluster of trees. Beyond that was Greenside avenue. That would do.

He slipped on his nylon mask, withdrew his pistol and walked in the same direction Officer Lang had gone.

He found her a couple of houses down in a yard surrounded by high hedges. Lang was hunched over, giving CPR to an elderly man on the ground. An old woman, presumably the man's wife, fretted next to them.

Maybe it's his pacemaker? the old lady said. She turned to look at Nate walking swiftly toward them and gasped in surprise. No electricity, then a dying husband and now a masked man on her property. What next?

Officer Lang turned at the woman's gasp and her eyes widened as Nate aimed his pistol. You shouldn't have been here, he said and shot her through the temple.

The old woman was to stunned to scream. Nate thanked her for her silence by shooting her, too.

Then, as an afterthought, he shot the old man. Nate figured he was actually doing the guy a favor at this point.

He immediately moved to the backyard which he accessed through an open gate. He climbed over several fences and in a few minutes emerged near the park. Slipping off his mask he walked to the trees at the rear.

His heart hammered in his chest, but the ice claw's grip had vanished.

No one screamed at him. No signs of pursuit. No direct witnesses to his presence.

Flush with the success of not one, but six murders, Nate felt like skipping along like one of the playing children.

He'd never done six before. Not all in one day, at least.

As he stepped through the trees and onto Greenside's sidewalk he was confronted by dozens of stalled-out vehicles. Up and down the street, across four lanes, were cars, vans and trucks as far as he could see. At least eight blocks of dead metal and fiberglass. People were everywhere, confused, angry, some even crying.

This is big, he thought. But how big? How many more blocks were like this? City wide? And for how much longer? No cars, no planes, no phones, no sirens or police radios.

He felt himself getting excited at the prospects, almost to the point of being aroused.

There is opportunity in chaos. Someone important said that, but he was clueless as to whom. Maybe it was him, right now thinking it.

He looked at his phone, still dead, the screen black. Maybe this would go on for a long time.

How long would he need?

He'd turned left, to face north. His post-job instinct was to take his out " his escape route to a farm Unger controlled at the far outskirts of the city. Hole up. Stay low.

But, instead, he turned south and his feet carried him forward. Into town.

There is opportunity in chaos.

As he passed bewildered people, he smiled to himself. If Unger wanted to know if the job was finished, then Nate would tell him.

Face to face.

CHAPTER SIX.

Wyatt Wyatt helped Ethan carefully walk down the alleyway back to the street, trying not to let his anger show.

It was his fault his friend had been hurt. If he'd kept his mouth shut and simply gave Casket what little money they had, Ethan would not be bleeding all over the place right now.

Wyatt's temper had always been his curse and scars marred his skin to prove it. Rage issues. That's what he had. But then didn't everyone? Avoiding alcohol was key to him not beating the ever loving crap out of anyone who got on his bad side. But alcohol was the hobo's mana, their gateway to a different reality, one where they could forget about their awful existence. And everyone Wyatt knew lived for a bottle of the stuff.

Could really use a drink right now, Ethan said as if reading Wyatt's mind.

Wyatt chuckled. You need a doctor. The sauce can wait.

I need a pretty nurse. Think you can call one up and get her down here, pronto?

Forgot my Rolodex of hot nurse numbers, but I'll see what I can scrounge up for you, you old goat.

Once they made it to the street, Wyatt paused to look around. Cars were still parked all over the place in messed up locations, with even more people standing about. Everyone looked agitated and confused.

What in the hell is up with everybody today? Ethan said, looking pale. Can't they just get their shit together and move on?

Wyatt glanced down the street in both directions. Vehicles jammed the roadway but none were moving. In fact, not one had its engine on that he could tell.

You hear that? Wyatt said.

What? The sound of my spirit leaving my body?

No. The cars. They aren't even idling. They've all been turned off.

Ethan winced, again. Screw the cars, get a damned phone!

Okay, but let's set you down first. He helped Ethan over to a bus stop.

A chubby teenage girl stood waiting for the bus, scowling at her smartphone. As Wyatt eased Ethan onto the stop's bench she turned her back to them.

Miss, Wyatt said as he walked over to her. Miss, can I use your phone?

She didn't respond. The girl was either completely deaf or ignoring him.

I need to call an ambulance. My friend is hurt.

The girl whirled to face him. My phone isn't working right now. See? She held it up so Wyatt could see its dark screen.

Wyatt blinked with confusion. Was she messing with him? Can you turn it on, please? My friend needs an ambulance.

It's not off, moron, the girl scoffed. The battery is dead or something. Expensive piece of crap. She glared at the blackened screen.

But-, Wyatt said before she cut him off.

My phone is not working! she suddenly shrieked, causing Wyatt to take a step back. Why can't you understand that!

Ah, for Christ's sake, Ethan said from the bench.

Before Wyatt could ask again, the girl stepped out onto the street and looked eastward. Where's the stupid bus? This traffic jam is screwing with my schedule!

Scoffing in frustration she turned away and marched down the middle of the street, navigating around stalled vehicles.

That there is wife material, Ethan said with a weak grin.

Wyatt made a herculean effort to control his temper. Every fiber of his being demanded he run after that bitch and take the phone from her. But that would only add to their dilemma.

Try that guy, Ethan said and pointed at a man standing next to a car in the opposite lane.

He better not be wife material, Wyatt said as he marched across the street.

At the middle of the road, he paused. Both directions appeared to be cluttered with vehicles as far as he could see. None of them were moving or running their engines. Even the street light at a nearby intersection was dead. Very strange.

But there was something else he noticed, perhaps even stranger still. The quiet. No car engines or garbage trucks in the distance. Other than the occasional shout, or profanity spewing driver, it was incredibly still, almost peaceful.

I could get used to this, Wyatt found himself thinking. But whatever oddity that had killed the cars would be fixed soon, he was sure. Good things can't last forever.

He approached the man standing next to his car, who was glancing from his phone to Wyatt.

Hello, sir, said Wyatt. Can you help me? I need to use your phone. My friend needs an ambulance.

The man arched an eyebrow as he glanced over at Ethan on the bench. Ambulance? You want 911?

Yeah, please, Wyatt said, hopeful.

The man shook his head. Sorry, but my phone is dead. He held it up to Wyatt. Black screen. Funny thing is that it happened around the same time my car decided to conk out on me. He waved a hand at the other nearby vehicles. Looks as if they all did, too.

Wyatt grew frustrated. Okay, thanks. He looked around, trying to judge who to approach next.

The man watched Ethan. Your friend doesn't look to good. What happened?

Wyatt didn't want to get into it, but didn't want to be rude. We had an altercation with a disagreeable third party.

The man chuckled. They are always disagreeable, aren't they?

These ones, especially, Wyatt said. The people around them weren't using their phones. Instead, they glared at their little electronic devices trying to will them to turn on. What happened here?

The man shrugged. Just like I said, really. I was driving along on my way to work when the engine suddenly went completely dead and all the lights on the panel blinked off. Thank God the brakes still worked or I would have rear-ended someone. He nodded to a cluster of cars just ahead of his own. They weren't so fortunate. Maybe it happened to them and they couldn't react in time.

Wyatt noticed the man wore a watch. That still working?

The man looked at it, holding it close to his face and squinted. Nope. This, too. Damn!

And this just happened?

About twenty minutes ago, yeah.

Wyatt was completely flummoxed by it all. What the hell is going on?

But do you know what is really troubling? The man asked.

What?

Where are the police? The fire department? No one has shown up, so that means either they are completely unaware of what's happened on this street or...

Or they've got the same problem, Wyatt finished, not liking what he heard. He listened for a few moments. No sirens at all, yet.

Nope.

So that would mean no ambulance. Maybe not for a long time. He looked over at his friend. Ethan slouched on the bench, his hand over the gauze. Even from here Wyatt could tell he wasn't doing well.

What was he going to do with him now?

He and Ethan had been friends for years. He used to see Ethan at the weekly soup kitchen next to Saint Catherine's Church. They started chatting and eventually became good friends.

Wyatt was very protective of his dumpster diving route, but Ethan kept insisting on tagging along. Who wants to roll around in garbage by themselves? he said. Turns out he was right. Having Ethan along for his morning rounds helped take the edge of the perpetual loneliness he'd gotten accustom to. As they worked, they talked a lot and about everything.

But now Ethan was in some serious trouble, possibly life threatening.

Because of me, Wyatt thought feeling his anger grow. I should have kept my big fat mouth shut and gave those assholes our money. Then maybe my only friend in the world wouldn't be bleeding to death on a God-damned bus stop right now.