Calvin took a deep breath, firmly grasping the moment. An instance he’d seen a thousand times before with a thousand different variations. Capturing somebody for some reason or another and bringing them to the government. What was once a mere arrangement was now his job. Things got violent more often than not, hence the reason for his hesitance.

This time, his target sat in a bar, and a crowded one at that. Likely thinking that no one would shoot amongst a blockade of citizens. Which would be true, for the average bounty hunter. Calvin wasn’t the average bounty hunter, in fact, he’d be considered below average, his methods unconventional. Calvin strolled in, seating himself a few stools away from the man. The bar looked nice for a small town. The seats were comfortably cushioned, it was clean, and the stench of alcohol wasn’t so prominent. Calvin motioned the bartender over, and noticing the target’s taste, Calvin ordered the man another beer.

“What?” the man looked confused, “I didn’t order ’nother!” The bartender shrugged nonchalantly and pointed to Calvin. The man got up, drinks in hand, and sat next to him. His voice was garbled, his intoxication causing him to slur. “Who d’you thinkyu are?”

“No one important” Calvin replied, “It just looked like you had a rough day.”

He smirked. “Yeah…rough.”

The tavern was noisy, excluding the two of them, not a single person could hear the click. The man froze, his smile not fading for a moment.

“Who are you?” he asked.

The cold metal now prodded at the man’s leg.

“I had a pretty rough day myself. So, if you could follow me, both of our days won’t get any worse.”

Calvin couldn’t stop the man in time. He pulled out a gun, not a laser gun, a handgun, something Calvin hadn’t seen in ages. His first shot ran through the roof, scrambling the people in all directions.

“What will you do now?” the man mouthed, his devilish smirk widening with his next pull of the trigger.

He shot someone at random and dashed out the door. Screams mixed with the bullet’s fading echo. Without a second thought, Calvin was out the door, pushing that scene far from his mind as he tailed his target. The sun shined down, eagerly swallowing the earth whole in its heat. The streets were mainly quiet, with the exception of the occasional hover car zooming by. The footfalls of the two men tapped loudly against the pavement, the sound being enough to concern any passersby.

Calvin was close, but not close enough. He had to chase the man for blocks. But within a matter of seconds, it was over. The man stopped short before ramming into a speeding car, giving Calvin just enough time to tackle him. Calvin pinned the man under his knee as he cuffed him. The man struggled, but in vain, Calvin’s ride had just arrived. The criminal was thrown in the back, the doors auto locked. The only thing that could escape now was the man’s hope.

“Look who it is! The miracle child has returned.” The receptionist’s voice echoed through the abnormally large lobby. The floor was tiled, the ceiling tall, only one receptionist desk, but five elevators were spread along the walls.

“Can you please stop calling me that?”

The receptionist looked half bemused and half dead in the eyes. Wouldn’t blame him for that, working here, Calvin thought.

“No promises. Anyway, let’s see…” a few clicks more of the keyboard and he looked back up at Calvin, “Bill Smithington, is that correct?” Calvin nodded. “Alright, any collateral damage?”

“One shot.”

“Civilian?”

“Yes.”

The receptionist sighed. “Gonna have to take some off for that but here’s your pay.”

Calvin swiped the envelope and was out the door within a moment. Staying any longer might’ve resulted in conversations he was not willing to have.

Standing just outside was a familiar face, her light brown hair neatly tied up in a bun and her deep brown eyes just as piercing as ever. Today her wardrobe consisted of a dark gray suit and a striped tie, her skirt just long enough that it still looked professional.

“Sandra.” Calvin acknowledged, not stopping to talk.

Sandra moved from the spot that she stood for who knows how long in and followed. “Calvin, I have another job for you.”

“I just finished one. Can’t it wait ’till tomorrow?”

“It’s about your father’s killer.”

Calvin froze. “You found him?”

“Not exactly, but we do know where he’s going. And as per our arrangement, we’ve set it up so you can work the case.”

Calvin took a deep breath, he kept his cool, but Sandra could see an emotion of some sort trying to burst forth. It was hard to tell if it was anger, sadness, or…excitement; his emotions were hard enough to read on a regular basis.

He stayed silent.

“Calvin, as your superior, I’m warning you not to go too far.”

“And what would you tell me as a person?”

She replied quickly and confidently, “I don’t involve my personal feelings with my work, and neither should you.” With that, she walked away, entering a blacked-out hover limo. Not a second after she left, Calvin’s phone lit up, he’d just received the job’s information. It stated that the job was to start immediately, and the ship was supposed to leave in five minutes. The location, the other side of town.