Bonus Scene: Catrina at Jenkins Bar & Grill

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That night passed all too quickly, and before she’d even considered what she was going to do, Catrina found herself in the sitting in the corner booth of Jenkins Bar and Grill, the closest rat trap bar to her apartment, a perfect spot for greasy food and flat beer. She picked at a bowl of fries like a vulture stripping a carcass, as eight o’clock loomed without a decision made.

She chose the same booth as always; tucked in a darkened corner with a view of the entrance and within arm’s reach of the fire exit. The ever-present haze of cigarette smoke lodged up her nose, drowning out any hope of tasting the grease-covered snack.

She took the card from her jacket pocket, although she didn’t need it anymore, since she’d memorised the address within minutes. While she hadn’t reached a conscious decision yet, she’d still packed a bag with a week’s worth of clothing and her most precious possessions, consisting of the oversized t-shirt she wore to bed, and her gun, now un-jammed and nestled comfortably in the back of her jeans. She also packed the bullet into a side pocket. She didn’t have much of a sentimental side, but a bullet that jammed her weapon and set in motion an intervention that in turn led to her recruitment for a covert government operation, that was worth keeping. Maybe she would tell her grandchildren about it someday.

The time on her watch read 19:23. The same time showed seconds ticking away on the clock over the bar, with her indecision in danger of becoming an indication of disinterest growing closer with every shift of the hands.

Amelia “Call me Millie” Jenkins eyed the carry-all on her table-clearing circuit. “You going on a trip?”

Mille was a skinny, gangly little thing, all elbows and knees, but she had the sweetest smile, which she wore every minute of every day. Jenkins’ Bar and Grill was her parent’s business, and Mille–having all the prospects one might expect for a high school dropout–had all the wonders of working in a bar to look forward to for the rest of her life.

Catrina pocketed the card. “I don’t know yet.”

“Sounds interesting.” After checking no one needed her immediate services, she slid into the opposite side of the booth, despite Catrina’s frown. Millie tended to latch onto her whenever she came in; maybe because they were within a few years of each other, she thought they’d have something in common. “Come on, spill.”

Maybe an outsider’s perspective would help, and with time marching on, she needed to make sure that she was making the right choice.

“So this guy came up to me at work last night.” Millie’s eyes brightened. “Says he has this job offer. But doesn’t tell me anything about it. Just says it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. More money, less hours, that kind of thing,” she lied, filling in for the details involving super-human abilities. “And I have until eight o’clock to decide if I want it.”

“Leaving it last minute, then,” Millie said, eyeing the clock. “So this guy…he cute?”

Catrina smiled at the fact the waitress hadn’t jumped to the immediate conclusion that the stranger was a creep of any kind, or why a new job involved packing a bag, but whether or not this man would make good eye-candy.

“I wouldn’t say cute,” she replied, recollecting the sharp cut to his jaw, his dark eyes with a distant gleam that could only be seen when he lit up a cigarette…his inhuman speed and strength. “He was more…the mysterious type.”

Away with her thoughts, Millie mumbled, “What I wouldn’t give for a tall, dark, handsome stranger to come sweep me away.” As though her wish was about to come true, the door to the bar swung inwards with a clatter, and they both turned with baited breath. An elderly couple entered the bar. Visible disappointment darkened Millie’s expression, but the moment was fleeting and she was soon all smiles again. “So what’s the problem? Anything must be better than cleaning at a hospital.”

Like waiting tables? Catrina thought, silently defending her make-believe career.

Seeing her expression change, the waitress put up her hands. “No offence.”

She waved the comment away, taking the last handful of fries. “Am I being an idiot? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I should just do it, right?”

“If it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, you should totally take it.” Millie slid out of the booth and took the empty bowl with her. “Who knows, if you’re lucky, you might be able to break out of Dayson.”

Catrina snorted at that. Nobody “broke out” of Dayson city. People were born, raised, worked into the ground, and died here. That was the way of things. And while nobody moved to Dayson by choice, once they were here, it sucked the very life out of them, and by then they hadn’t the energy to up and leave.

She’d spent too long living a life that benefited no one. Her life to this point had been one big disappointment after another, this had the chance to become one more notch on her belt. Then again, maybe it would be the best decision she’d ever make in her life.

She slammed her hands down on the table.

“I’m going!” she announced, throwing too much cash onto the table as she hauled the carry-all over her shoulder and rushed for the door. Millie waved her off, pure delight beaming in her smile.