Chance

Nine Years Ago

"Need another?" I look up from my empty glass and nod at the bartender. The liquid pours into the tumbler and I quickly down it, signaling him for another.

I could have made a dangerous mistake tonight. That's all I can think of as the next shot of bourbon fills the glass. I recall the night of mistakes I had as I down this one.

The gun in my hand

Watching the minivan appear, lurking in the shadows directly across the street

Watching as Detective Alberts family got out of their car, happy and care free without worry

I was going to do it. I was going to end the lives of every single one of them. Alberts was not there, but I didn't need him to be, I was going to seek the revenge I was due. An eye for an eye, family for family.

But as I neared the house, gun ready in my hand while my face was covered by a scarf, I stopped.

Ava

She was what crossed my mind the moment I crossed the threshold. She wouldn't want me to do this. I couldn't do this in honor of her and Laurie. My guilt was my own. It was something I had to suffer alone. Alberts deserved pain. He deserved punishment for what I now know he did, but not this way. He would one day get his own. I was going to be there to make sure of it.

"You good buddy?" I snap out of my stupor as I make eye contact with the bartender once again.

An hour I've bene here and I am nearly drunk. Still I nod my head boringly and watch him help the next patron. Glancing down at my phone I ignore the tenth phone call from my parents. They have been worried sick since I got back from Albuquerque, a trip that surprised even me that I took.

"Mr. Malone, your son is in the hospital, it's serious." That was what they said to me. At first I was going to tell them they had the wrong number, that is until I realized they said my full name.

Sean

He was the only one that would have them call me and only me. I was on the very next flight out to New Mexico.

To say I was shocked to see Sean in the state he was in would be an understatement. He was bruised, bloodied and broken from head to toe. Worse than when I had seen him the day he came to my home. Broken ribs, broken nose, punctured kidney and lung. He was stabbed multiple times and had a concussion. I nearly broke walking into the room to see him, but when he made eye contact with me, I knew I had to put on a brave face.

"Alberts. That's who d-did this to me. He's some c-cop, same guy that works with m-my old crew. He knows you h-helped me, knew where I was. He m-made them beat me until I b-blacked out, then woke me up and h-had them do it all over again. He went after your family Mr. Malone. I h-heard him say it to one of the guys. You have t-to stay safe. Trust no one."

Anger clouded my judgement as Sean spoke, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Deep down, I knew something didn't add up and my instincts were right. But I couldn't prove anything, and I couldn't trust anyone. I learned that the hard way.

Sean had passed just two hours after we spoke from his injuries.

I had officially lost all twelve of my students.

"Let me go you big jerk." I hear from behind me. My vision is distorted from the amount of alcohol coursing through my veins.

A young girl, no older than the legal age to get in here, attempts to pull her arm free of a giant sack of shit drunk off his ass. I turn my head, looking around the packed bar. No one seems to notice, if not even care, about the apparent sexual assault going on around them.

"C'mon baby, just tryin' to have a little fun." He and his goons beside him chuckle as he pulls her even closer to his table and makes her sit on his lap.

"Fuck off." She yells out. Cringing when he apparently holds her a little too tight.

Standing up, I am just about to head over to stop him when I see the idiot now laying on the ground bleeding from his mouth.

"Think you and your fuckin' friends should leave asshole." I squint my eyes and focus on the man helping the young girl up. He's built, tall with dark brown hair. He's wearing jeans with some kind of black vest on.

Is that a cut?

"Thank you." The girl says softly then walks away to her table.

The new stranger walks over, starring down the idiots table with animosity. "What the fuck man, we were just messing around." The goon shouts looking back at his friends, but they are now standing and backing away from the stranger.

"You think that's fun? Hearing a girl tell you no over and over?" The stranger bends down to his level seething from his teeth.

"Fuck you man." I watch as the asshole attempts to stand and ready his stance to fight but stops when his friends pull him back and whisper in his ear.

"Let's just get the fuck out of here." One of his buddies announces and they each scurry out of the door.

The man with the cut looks over at the bartender and gives him a chin lift. Then spots me. His eyes narrow as he takes in my frail pathetic form.

"Thanks Austin. We'll handle them." I turn to hear the bartender address him.

Austin nods his head, walking past everyone's gaping mouths and nervous stance. I watch him pass me and note the lettering on the back of his cut.

Nightmare Warriors.