The Search for Xanar

One long night

"And Colonel Fauzer looked out to stars, he patted Bianca, his trusty gun holstered safely at his side, 'There's still one more left!' He proclaimed," Castor Grimes Junior said bitterly.

Cecelia, his twin snorted in amusement.

She stretched her hand out and ruffled his buzz cut hair.

"Cheer up little brother, it's not as bad as.... nah, that was shit!"

"Thanks...." He sighed, "They should have let it rest when he died, The search of Xanar really went down hill after Truman's legacy..." 

He signaled the waitress to top up his coffee, while his Sister scribbled down notes in her little black book.

The two had been here for close to an hour now, The twin drifters were acting as mediators for their Friend Kelvin, a cop and a Liutenant of the Jawbreakers gang, Jay.

Jay was an ex soldier like Cas, They both got dishonorably discharged around the same time, Cas from the air force for an altercation with his Commanding officer and Jay from the army for excessive force used on a political captive.

They met in a bar and hit it off, Jay invited him to join her gang, he refused but still kept ties with her.

This meeting.... It could either way, they chose Uncle Bobby's diner as a neutral zone for both parties, Given all entities have fond memories here.

However all it would take was.... 

Cas fished out a handkerchief from his black aviator jacket and wiped his olive skin. His neck, his brow, and his hands were drenched in sweat!

His white t-shirt was getting soaked, he shifted uneasily in his seat, his ripped jeans and black leather boots felt a little tighter than before.

He cursed under his breath.

He was nervous about the whole thing, Jay had a short temper already, add that with Kelvin's no nonsense nature and that calls for a-

"Relax little brother," Cece cooed, " Kelvin's not gonna risk anything while we're here..... at least I hope!" She laughed.

"Gee.... how reassuring, I feel relaxed already,"

"See! that's the spirit, now.... what do I get? Too late for bacon and eggs.... a burger? nah! Milkshake? What do you think Cas?" 

Cas often wondered whether he and Cece were truly blood......

She had his Olive skin and Greenish blue eyes, She had similar tastes in food and hobbies, he still wondered though....

She was careless.... too careless, and too quick to anger, a trait she inherited from their mother though he dare not tell her.

Just coming in, she picked a fight with a couple of truckers that tried to hit on her, she gave one of them a black eye, before he could retaliate, Cas flashed him his fake police badge to deescalate things.

To be fair, the horny bastard had smacked his sister's ass which warranted her fist in his eye.

To be honest Cas wanted to hit him too, still he wouldn't be as mad if she didn't do this for far less constantly!

The thing that worried wasn't her outbursts, but how inconsistent they were, sometimes she'd be more reasonable than he and other times she'd snap unexpectedly.

She worried him more than Kelvin to be honest.

She wore her Sleeveless biker jacket tonight, with a blue Turtle neck long sleeve shirt, she tied a Red  Bandana over her ponytail and wore a short black skirt with a checkered red and black shirt tied over her waist like a sash.

Her Black rimmed glasses complemented her 

Her kept bumping him with her black boots until he gave in and told her to get a milkshake.

The diner was quiet now.... only a couple of people were around now, a big burly fella that kept looking over at their direction and a couple of teenagers on a date, who takes someone to a diner for a date?

Just then, their buddy Kelvin came in, he was a Red haired Caucasian, 6'2 like Cas and had deep blue eyes.

He wore a brown suit with a blue corporate shirt and tie.

He spotted them and walked on over to their booth.

"Sorry I'm late! I got held up,"

"Where's your partner?" Cas asked.

"He's the reason I got held up, Some punk jumped us and knocked his teeth in, Allen recognized him, Something about his sister?"

"A case?" Cece chimed.

"Nah...  personal stuff, didn't make it to the station," he waved it off.

"So.... about this meeting, what exactly do you wanna ask her?" 

"..... There's been an increase in the dissapearence of the homeless population in 44th street,"

"You think the Jawbreakers are responsible?"

"It's their home turf right? I just wanna ask a couple of questions is all, if their not responsible, I wanna know who is,"

Cece clapped her hands sarcastically.

"Liutenant Rogers, Champion of the homeless!"

He frowned, "what?"

"Nothing... nothing.."

"Seriously.... what?"

"A bit hypothetically if you ask me Kev, I expected better from you, really...."

"Cecelia!" Cas barked.

"No.... what do you mean,"

Just then the waitress brought Cece's milkshake.

She took a long slurp before answering with.

"Homeless people been disappearing from 44th, 23rd and 32nd street for years now, Since before you became a cop, what's the difference with it now? why are you suddenly interested in that now?"

"It's.... complicated,"

"Un-complicate then,"

"That's not a word..." Kelvin sighed, "Julie.... her uncle is one of the missing now, he got nabbed a week ago, it became my business after that,"

Julie.... Kelvin's girl, Cas and Cece have never met the girl but Kelvin always talks about her when the trio are together.

"It's okay.... we'll help you.... all you need to do is get along with.... ah, speak of the devil," Cas nodded.

A Dark skinned lady wearing a bright white leather jacket and dark purple pants  walked, an entourage of both men and women followed her in, All of various races and all wore a bizarre selection of clothes.

So bright and colourful it was nauseating, but they all wore a white Bandanna over their mouth.

The rest of the patrons exited the bar once they saw them.

Even the waitress seemed uneasy.

One of her Entourage, a 6'7 dude wearing a rap baseball cap whispered something into her ear.

She gave Kelvin a baleful look before turning to Cas and walking to her booth and taking a seat next to Cas right in front of Kelvin.

 Her entourage each took booths of their own, they stared all stared at Kelvin with hateful eyes.

"Officer Rogers... a pleasure," She gave him her hand.

"Yeah you-"

"What's this about?" 

He sighed and started explaining the story to her, she looked disinterested but nodded her head nonetheless.

"So what are you saying? You think one of my people.... are taking the homeless? for what?"

"I want answers, that's all..."

"Well you're not getting them from me,"

"Jay I-"

"Stuff it Cas, I cane here because I thought this little piggie had something else to offer, what a disappointment!" She shook her head.

She started to rise.

"Wait!" he grabbed her hand.

Her entourage rose at once.

"Kev.... what are you doing?" Cece checked him.

"what's your offer? I.... want to make an offer with you, if you're willing?"

"What kind of Offer?"

"You first!"

Jay put her hand to her chin and looked up, "My boy Rico, the one with the Red cap over there, he's got something personal he wants to take care off,"

"Personal how?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Look I don't wanna do something illegal,"

"Mr officer!" She cried,"what do you take us for? We're a Chivalrous bunch you know?"

"You're a gang..."

"Yeah Chivalrous, without us, you know what'd have happened to the 44th street don'cha? Skidrow would look cute in comparison! we gave them place life, A future!" she spread her arms out.

 Cece and Cas nodded in agreement, they had friends there, people who flourished because of the Jawbreakers.

They were a messy bunch but at least they were fair.

Kelvin didn't look impressed though.

"You still haven't answered my question,"

"Look.... Rico's got some unfinished business, a guy owes his brother some money,"

"What's that got to do with me?"

"You're a cop!"

"So what? you want me to 'take care' of him?"

"Yeah!"

"I'm not some violent-"

"Thug?" She laughed, "Nothing's gonna get violent... that's why you're coming along with him.... scratch my back and I'll scratch your's, a fair trade right?"

Cas gave Kelvin a nod, Cece bumped his Knee and Had  wrinkles under her eyes.

Kelvin sighed and nodded his head.

After that, Kelvin left with Rico and some other members of the entourage while Cas and Cece left with Jay.

They drove in her Party bus, moved around from street to street.

Jay and Cas caught up on old times while Cece Partied with the rest of the entourage.

The neon lights of the bus and the smell of various substances numbed Cas' mind.

The two traded stories as they travelled through the motor city street.

Often times Jay would give him a smooch while whispering, "You look better when you smile Tiger," 

They had this on and off relationship, something Cas dreaded and looked forward too.

Truth be told Jay scared him a little, between her, Cece and Their mother, Jay must've been the most violent.

She quickly rose to the top of her gang through her savagery alone, The stories she told him of her tours In afghan.... it sent chills down his spine.

He often wondered why he knew so many violent women in his short life.

The bus took them to different spots in the city.

A pizza parlor, a night club, a rave, an abandoned building, a pool and a karaoke bar.

Finally they stopped at an open field in the city outskirts.

Their adventure took a dark turn immediately.

In the middle of the dark filed they say a couple of figures standing over a freshly dug patch of dirt.

The twins were led by Jay's group towards the patch.

They found Kelvin, riddled with bullets and a white handkerchief draped over his mouth, red patches stained the white piece of cloth.

A trademark execution of the Jawbreakers gang.

His glassy eyes stared upwards into the night sky. 

"I'm sorry Tiger," Jay stroked Cas' face, "but your friend here needed to pay!"

"Wh-why? what.... what...." Cas couldn't get the words out, his mind was in shambles.

All he could think about was the day he met Jay, the same day he And Cece got their burn scars over their neck courtesy of their mother. 12 years ago the two teens fell victim to one of their mother's drunk violent fits...

Except this time it involved a smoldering stove!

The pre teens were sent to the hospital by their dad, there they met Kelvin, he broke his leg in a hit and run.

The twins went back and forth with him over who had it worst.

They became fast friends after that and as bonus Their Dad finally took them away from their mother!

It was ironically one of the best days of their life...

Cece must've been thinking about that too... she was unusually quiet, her face was a mask but her eyes were a whirlwind of different emotions.

"He put Rico's little brother in the ground a few months ago, this is just retribution,"

"What are you gonna do to us...?" the twins said in unison.

In response, Jay brought out a pistol.