Walker heaves a heavy sigh as she shifts her car into park. She sits in the idle automotive thinking about the past three days.

The day of the incident, the Vanhoover Police takes over the investigation. Then they have the audacity to say that they never found a cell phone on her. They then charge her for withholding evidence when she brings up the flash drive. Walker had to hold back Captain Viridian from biting heads off.

Day two of the investigation and Nightshade Toxin starts wreaking havoc on the Vanhoover Police: she hacks the Vanhoover Police databanks—in broad daylight, incapacitates seventy five percent of the force, destroys ninety percent of their vehicles, destroys their databanks, steals all the money from evidence lockup, destroys the armory, and rescues a cat in a tree all before lunch. After lunch, the homeless shelter, the Veteran’s Housing Project, the animal shelter, and the Vanhoover Youth Foundation receive large sums of anonymous donations—all cash. That night martial law goes into effect.

The second day of the investigation and the Equestrian Army and National Guard rolls into town with a company of one hundred and fifty men along with four light armored vehicles. Everything is quiet until the night the munitions depot explodes. The LAV’s are the next to go. Helicopters are the last targets. Surprisingly, or not, there are no casualties.

Early in the morning today, the Governor and Chief of Police go missing. Shade releases a video of the Governor and Chief of Police’s shady dealings and underground criminal activities: not limited to, prostitution rings of minors, smuggling, and larceny. Shade states that the destruction will stop when everyone who had collaborated or knew about the activities turned themselves in. Several commercial airliners and all the private jets have been destroyed by lunch. The port and marinas close when yachts explode. People go on a witch hunt for the Governor and his accomplices. Hundreds of citizens lay dead in the streets before they return to their homes.

Walker turns off the car and exits the vehicle heaving another heavy sigh. Her chest explodes with pain. She pulls out her side arm after the pain subsides with the mark vibrating.

She pushes open the garage door which opens up to the utility room. Two silhouettes are at the far end of the living room. She rushes over to the bodies sitting in chairs. The mark sears her skin making her yelp in pain.

Ka-chak.

The mark grows cold along with her blood. The unmistakable sound of a shotgun cocking rings in her ears. She hears the utility door squeak and close with a click.

“You took too long so I had to do things myself. As always.” Nightshade Toxin says in a soft, even tone.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Walker’s voice escapes her dry throat as a hoarse whisper.

“Put the gun away.”

Walker slides her side arm in its holster.

“Turn around.”

Walker gulps. She slowly turns around to face the teenager. The lights flick on to reveal the ivory teen pointing a finger gun at Walker and holding a cell phone in her right hand.

“Bang.”

The teen laughs; a curious inhale kind of laugh, Walker had never heard before, as soft as the teen’s voice.

Nightshade’s face returns to a neutral expression as she stares at the Warden. “Before you go abusing my hospitality,” she holds out the phone with numbers on the display along with a green button, “pushing this button sets off the bombs in the orphanage.”

“You’re bluffin’.”

A smirk flicks across Nightshade’s face. “Correct. See you are learning about me. I do not intentionally kill innocents. Not like your military.”

Walker frowns. She slowly reaches for her side arm.

“The question now is: ‘what does the button do?’ No?”

Walker’s hand stops.

“Unless you shoot me in the ‘T’ zone I can still push the button. Sure you kill me but at what cost? Do you have the names of the Governor’s little criminal circle?“ Walker looks over to the bodies in the chairs: the Governor and Chief of Police. “They are not going to be talking any time soon.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“The question you should be asking yourself is: why am I not doing this? Can you honestly tell me you condone their actions?”

“Killin’ ‘em like animals ain’t the way! Causin’ millions of bits in damage ain’t helpin’ no one! There is law! There is order!”

“There is law. There is order.” Nightshade nods in agreement. “You can not try the corrupt with their laws. You can not try the corrupt with their peers. The only way to try the corrupt is swiftly and mercilessly.”

Walker ruminates on Nightshade’s words, thinking back to all those officials that have rumors about their criminal activities and how those rumors just disappear. Reporters go missing, cops die in the line of duty while investigating the rumors.

A man steals forty bits worth of groceries to feed his family and gets fifty years life in prison while a government big shot pays lawyers millions to keep them out of jail when a child makes a claim against them. How is that justice?

A cell phone hovers in front of Walker’s face. The green call button pulses.

“Pushing the button will kill everyone of those bastards associated with the Governor.” Shade says.

Walker pushes the phone away and it clatters to the ground. “Since you already have them, then we can let the courts deal with them.”

Nightshade smiles.

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” a familiar voice says. Walker sees Captain Viridian walk from the kitchen.

“Captain?” Confusion wavers in Walker’s voice.

Viridian stoops to pick up the cell phone. She straightens herself and turns to Walker. She lifts up her shirt to reveal her stomach and a scar that matches Nightshade’s. “That bitch cursed me because the man she loved didn’t love her back. She thinks she can control this world? I think not.” Viridian presses the green button with her thumb. She tosses the cell phone over her shoulder where it crashes onto the linoleum floor of the kitchen.

“This world needs more people like you Walker,” Nightshade says. “This world needs more fair and just laws so that you can enforce them.”

“Captain!” The radio on Viridian’s shoulder speaks.

“Go ahead, Corporal, over,” the Captain calls back.

“A cargo ship exploded in the port, over!”

“En route. Walker found the Governor and Chief. Both KIA. Get the coroner and CSI to her apartment, over and out.”

“Yes, sir, ma’am! Over and out.”

“Your report is on the counter, Walker. I suggest you memorize it and sign it.” Viridian walks to the front door while tucking in her green shirt.

“Captain—“

“That’s an order,” is Viridian’s curt demand.

“Looks like you will be busy.” Nightshade opens the utility door. “See you around.” Before she can disappear behind the door, she pokes her head from around the door, “Oh and only you and the Captain know I can talk. Keep it that way.”

Walker heaves a sigh and rubs her hands down her face. She holds her hands against her chest. “What do I do now?” Nothing. No heat. No vibration. No response. Walker crumples to the floor to sob in her hands.