Chapter One: He walks beside us all.

Lester Johnson stood at cab stand outside of a casino.

The night was cold, made colder by the heat of the daytime hours. The sun took with it all of its dry fire, leaving only rage to warm his body. There were not many people out at this hour, though he was certainly not alone. He was mostly kept company by the drunks and bums, the college students and the elderly, the ones that had nothing to go home to, vainly hoping it would come spilling out of a slot machine or maybe it would be at the bottom of a glass.

There was also Jesse, but he was somewhere else right now. He had said to meet him here. He had said he would be here. Where was he?

Lester adjusted his tie. He had wanted to look his best. This was a very important night, and he wanted to look his very best. The suit had cost him almost $1100, but he did look good in it. This was going to be a special night he wanted to remember.

Come on, Jesse where…ah there he was. Lester frowned slightly. Jesse had also worn a suit, but his, as always, seemed to be more expensive, more expertly tailored. Jesse was taller than Lester, and his body seemed to be made to make a suit look perfect. Like his body was the mold all other men’s deviated from into unattractiveness.

Jesse’s neck was tight against the collar of his shirt, where Lester’s collar seemed to be unable to tighten sufficiently. Unconsciously, Lester fingered the line of his own jaw, mentally comparing the shape to Jesse’s. Jesse’s face was all harsh corners and bone structure. Lester felt like his skin had been loosened somehow, or that his face had no manly features to push against it. Lester had also missed a spot shaving, he realized.

“Hello Lester. Sorry I’m late, I got, delayed by an old friend,” Jesse said, raising his hands slightly.

His voice. His voice was so soothing, seductive and comforting. Lester found himself forgetting everything but what Jesse was saying at that moment.

“Ahh, it’s alright, I just got here myself,” Lester lied.

“That is a very nice suit, I’ve never seen you all cleaned up, Lester, you should do it more often.”

Lester blushed slightly at the compliment.

“Did you bring what we discussed?” Jesse asked.

Lester pulled a backpack into view. A small black bag, bulging with heavy contents. Lester made as if to open it to prove he had done what he was told.

“No, best leave that closed until we need it,” Jesse’s attention shifted suddenly over Lester’s shoulder. Lester turned to see the headlights of a cab coming toward them. Lester signaled and the cab pulled up.

“Is this the one?” Lester asked.

Jesse looked inside, bent down for a closer look and smiled.

“Yes,” he said, “let’s get in.”

Lester opened the door and squinted suspiciously at the cabbie. The driver did not turn around, he was occupied with a clipboard under a dashboard light. Lester let Jesse get in and then hurridly piled in behind him. He shut the door and waited.

The driver shut off the light and said, “Where to, sir?”

His voice had a slight accent, Lester thought, some sand nigger accent or maybe asian, he couldn’t tell, he wasn’t American, and that was all he really needed to know. Would these foreigners not be happy until they had taken everything from us, he thought.

“Just head to the strip, I’ll decide on the way,” Lester said.

The car pulled forward abruptly, seeming to accelerate instantly to top speed. Jesse indicated for Lester to bring his head close so they could talk quietly.

“I told you he’d be here tonight,” Jesse said.

“How did you know it would be him?” Lester whispered.

“Well, I went down to the cab company and threw some cash around, made sure the dispatcher would send him specifically when I called.”

Lester shifted his eyes to look at the man driving. This motherfucker. No this wifefucker, was in for some serious shit if he thought he was going to get away with what he had done. But, maybe he was being a little rash.

“How do you know it’s him?” Lester asked.

“How do you know it’s not?” Jesse retorted.

“What the fuck kinda answer is that, Jesse? Shit,” he said the last part a little too loudly.

“What was that?” the cabbie asked.

“Nothing, just keep driving ‘till I say to stop, alright pal,” Lester said.

He moved his head back conspiratorially next to Jesse’s.

“I don’t know if this is something I can do…I mean, why not just kick his ass or…” Jesse trailed off.

“We covered this already, a mere ass kicking would not be enough for this guy, after what he did to you, to your family.”

“I know, but, shit…I know,” Lester said, almost whining.

“Lester, look at me. This man raped your wife. So violently that she made up a story that she had been cheating on you to hide the shame of the rape. He did it in your house, in your bed, while your child slept not one room away. He has taken everything from you, and now you must repay him, in kind.”

Lester’s brow knitted in determination. He looked at Jesse and found resolve mirrored in the man’s too handsome face.

“We’re best friends, Lester, we’re in this together, but you have to do it, or you’ll never find peace.”

Lester clenched his teeth together and reached down to unzip the backpack. He pulled out a large plastic bottle that was full of a not quite clear liquid. The bottle had been the largest one in the fridge, he had dumped the kiwi-strawberry juice into the sink before he refilled it. The plastic seemed warm, and not as thick as it had been that morning. The plastic was almost brittle, now.

The cab stopped at a red light. Lester looked at Jesse, then to the cabbie.

“Hey man, do you recognize me?” Lester asked.

The driver looked in the rearview mirror.

“Should I, you don’t look familiar.”

Lester unscrewed the red cap from the bottle.

“You raped my wife you fuck, I’ll introduce myself when I see you in Hell-“

“Wha-“ was all the driver could say before Lester was splashing the contents of the bottle over the driver’s head, “What the fuck are you doing, what is this…gasoline?”

Lester lit a match and threw it at the driver. There was a white flash and a loud “whoop!” of air as the man instantly caught fire.

Then time stopped.

The driver seemed to contemplate what had just befallen him. His face on the brink of panic, though he seemed to be saying, “Well, fuck, I’m fucked. Fuck,” all with his eyes.

Lester seemed to realize what he had just done. Lester looked to his side.

The cab door was open, Jesse was no longer anywhere to be seen.

Then time started again.

“Fuck ahh fuck….ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

There was screaming and a flurry of motion as the driver scrambled to get his door open, and escape. The flames consuming his body fueled by the commotion, he somehow got the door open and ran screaming out of the cab. The front seat of the cab was now on fire too, and Lester smiled. It was the smile of a person that suddenly realized he had maybe made a mistake, maybe done something that he might one day regret.

Jesse got out of the cab and looked around at all the people stupidly watching the unfortunate driver flail and burn. One man ran from the sidewalk into the street, removing his jacket as he ran.

When he reached the burning man he jumped on top of him, trying to smother the flames with his jacket.

Lester sat down on the curb and began to cry.