the cold white stars looked down from the cold black sky.
you’ll get them for this, won’t you, johnny? you’ll get the rats who did this?
i will, pete. count on it. i will get them if i have to hunt them to the ends of the earth.
pete was gone. there was nothing left for johnny to do.
johnny started walking.
he walked and walked.
he came to the edge of the city
there was a bench for a bus stop for a bus that did not run any more and johnny sat down on it.
he thought about pete and laughed.
hunt them to the ends of the earth. yeah, right. sorry, old buddy, i got priorities of my own.
johnny got up and walked a little further and came to joe’s diner.
he ordered a cup of coffee - all he could afford. joe looked like his usual mean self so johnny did not ask him for a free piece of pie.
hank came in. he nodded to johnny.
how’s it going? hank asked johhny.
could be better, could be worse.
i might have a job for you.
oh?
you interested?
yeah, i’m interested.
i can’t pay you much, but it might lead to other opportunites, you follow me?
i follow you.
johnny did the job for hank. hank gave him another job, and another one after that.
johnny moved along, and moved up. boy makes good, the old army game.
time went by. civilization collapsed, and the gangs took over. and fought.
when the smoke cleared, johnny’s gang was on top, and johnny was boss of the gang.
some of the guys thought the pope should declare johnny the leader of the free world.
johnny thought that might be pushing it, but he invited the pope to a party and the pope came. that was not nothing.
at the party for the pope, a young woman came up to johnny. she was not bad looking, or real good looking.
you probably do not recognize me, the young woman said.
johnny smiled. i am getting old, he said, my memory is not what it was.
you remember a guy named pete wilson?
i might have known a guy named pete wilson. i might have known more than one guy named pete wilson.
pete wilson was my dad. you told pete you would hunt his killers to the ends of the earth. and you never did it. you did not see me but i was there, hiding in the bushes. i was three years old, but i remember it like it was yesterday.
well, miss, what did you say your name was? maybe i can make it up to you.
make it up to me? how about if i make it up to you, you dirty lying scumrat!
and with that , the young woman suddenly produced a pistol that was not very big, but was big enough to fill johnny’s guts with hot lead!
johnny looked up. bobo, his long time bodyguard, was standing over him.
we.. we had some good times together, didn’t we, bobo? johnny managed to gasp.
if you say so, bobo answered.
i always treated you right, didn’t i?
actually, you were always kind of a jerk. ordering me around like a monkey. how do they say? abusing your privileges… yeah, that’s it… abusing your privileges…
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