Vigilante: Book One

Drinks with Jessica

"Hmm, this place still has the best coffee." Jessica said.

'Let's distract ourselves from the elephant in the room, how are things at the firm? You started your own didn't you?" Lazarus said.

"We opened two weeks ago, Merritt and Nettles. We have had one case about a divorce, that's it." Jessica said.

"So, it's slow." Lazarus responded.

"Glacially." Jessica responded rolling her eyes.

They sat in silence for a little while. Then Jessica put her coffee down and looked straight in his eyes.

"What happened?" She asked with her icy stare.

"Be a bit more specific please." He responded staring back.

"Who really killed Jason?" She said plainly.

"The Russian that is in jail." He said, hopping she was not as smart as he thought of her.

"I have a friend or two over at the department, they said there was camera footage of a man in a mask. There were calls talking about how a man in a mask stopped a potential rape. There was a warehouse that had unconscious demons in it. When the Demons came to, one told of how a man in a mask took their prisoner that had very valuable assets." Jessica responded, she whispered.

"So you think this masked man, who saved Jason, who knocked out demons, who stopped a girl from getting raped, killed Jason and framed the crazy Russian dude?" He sarcastically responded.

"No, but I think the masked man knew what Jason had that was so valuable." Jessica whispered again.

"And what would that be?" Lazarus asked blatantly.

"Information. I think he had dirt on someone working for the demons, and they wanted him gone before he could tell anyone." Jessica said.

"You work too much." He said, hopping to change the conversation before she connected all the dots.

"Don't care. Now, what did he have? I am hopping you will tell me." She sipped her coffee.

"I'm sorry, what?" He tried playing dumb.

"Come on Lazarus. you were Jason's best friend. You two hung out all the time. You two told each other everything. In school you two spent almost every weekend  together. If I was an outside observer, I would probably think you two were like lovers or something." She paused. "Wait, were you?" Jessica joked. She was right, they were best friends. The demons would have figured that out too. They may realize that he knew too, but he could think about that later. 

"No, we weren't lovers! We were closer than brother's though." "Lazarus, what did he tell you? You could be in danger." Jessica said persistently. 

Lazarus thought about it. He could use her assistance. As a lawyer, she could potentially get access to records if he needed. He also did not feel like doing this alone. But she could get hurt. She could get killed. He couldn't do that again. The demons could not take his other friend. He wouldn't let them. He could do this. He had to wear the mask, she would be a distraction, a liability, he was at war, he couldn't let the enemy get to him. 

"Nothing,  I guess this was the one thing that he never told me." He shrugged, hopping that she would believe him.  

"I have a gun, knife, pepper spray on me. As well as ten years of martial arts lessons. Try thinking twice before you lie to me." Jessica said starring back at him. 

He decided that he should keep going. "He didn't tell me anything. Not about this. I wish he had told both of us about it. We could have helped him. " He said, starting to get emotional. 

Jessica's expression quickly changed. "I'm sorry Lazarus, I shouldn't have said that." 

"It's OK.  I want this man to get what he deserves. He deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life." Lazarus responded.

"We both do. I have a decent case built, but an eyewitness report would seal it. But the Russian said only the Masked man was there. If I knew who he was, then I could get his report. " She said frustrated at the end.

"What's wrong? You don't like that masked man?" He asked as he sipped his coffee. 

"I think that he shouldn't wear a mask." She responded.

"Why is that?" He inquisitively asked. 

"No one knows who he is. He could be on the demons payroll for all I know, and this is some elaborate plot by them. And why does he wear a mask. If he really is a hero, then why wear a mask? What is he hiding? He puts on a mask and beats the sense out of people and isn't held accountable. What if he goes one step further? What if he kills someone? He thinks that since he wears a mask that he can do what he wants and not be held accountable to the law. Armed demons can't stop him, that means that almost no one can. If we have a masked man that can stop a warehouse of demons and we can't find him or stop him,  why should we praise him for doing the police's job?" She said.

Lazarus thought about that for a second. She made some good points. "I don't know, I mean, he seems like he is doing the right thing. Stopping demons and stuff." He said, looking down, not liking this conversation. 

"Well, I for one think someone should hold this vigilante accountable. I bet I could set him straight." She said, only half joking. 

They sat there for a little while until they both saw the time and that they needed to go.