Hana left Rachael’s home with a new focus. She could make the world a better place. She could remove bad people and make them suffer for their sins against others. She could elevate the downtrodden. She grinned widely, not realizing how her thoughts had warped and how her mind had begun rationalizing her authority to act as the judge and the executioner.
She slipped into her car and drove towards Henry’s former landlord’s home. The landlord lived in an affluent suburb in the hills to the west of the city. The radio started playing top forty. She flipped the station, looking for something harder. Blasting music she ripped up the narrow streets taking hard corners, rolling through stop signs.
Flashing red lights pulled her back to reality. Who was this cop to pull her over. She pulled to the side of the road and watched him emerge from the patrol car. He was older, a bit overweight, and he sauntered towards her with a bow legged gait, clearly trying to take on the persona of a movie lawman. The cop leaned into her window, his mirrored sunglasses glinting and his blondish handlebar mustache close enough to tickle her ear.
“Do you know how fast you were going, pretty lady? he asked?
“No officer. How fast?”
“Well damn. I was hoping you could tell me,” he winked. “I could check the radar but maybe we could... well... work something out if you get my meaning. It’s a mighty big ticket you’re looking at. Be a shame someone so pretty get busted.”
Hana shivered. The officer was certainly making it very clear how he wanted this to go. They were stopped in a wooded area away from any nearby houses. Hana knee she needed to take this carefully. She put on a fake smile and cooed. “You look tired officer, would you like to take a seat beside me in the car?”
The cop smiled brightly. “Well now, you might not even need a warning ticket.” Hana pulled her purse from the passenger seat into her lap. The camera was readily accessible. The cop slid into her car and started loosening his belt. He flopped out his penis and gave Hana a wide toothy grin. Hana took advantage of the situation, taking a picture. The cop frowned with confusion, then disappeared.
In his place sat a teenage girl in tattered clothing. Her long brown hair was matted into dreds and she smelled of alcohol and sweat and pot.
Hana glanced in the car mirror. The cop car was gone. Instead there was a worn down microbus covered in mud.
The girl looked up at Hana with wide blue eyes. “Hey like thanks lady I can’t believe I broke down here gawd what a mess.”
“Sure thing,” Hana replied. “Where am I taking you?”
“Oh. Just three miles up the road. We have an old house a bunch of us hang out in.”
Hana started her car and pulled onto the road. The girl looked at her. “Hey lady mind if I smoke?” she asked, holding a joint.
“Sure. Okay” Hana replies shaking her head and fighting back a laugh. She wondered if the cop was still in there, watching from inside. Hana kind of hoped so.
She dropped the girl off at a run down home on a large rural lot. It gave her cult vibes. Then she continued on towards Henry’s old landlords home.
She pulled up to the house. The gate was locked. There was a call box next to it. She needed a way in. She could call. Or she could hop the gate. Or she could try something else.