The Dive
Issue 64

In the backstreets of Atlantic City, Jack is making a living as a bare-knuckle boxer. His latest bout is being observed by Agent Graves. The jackhammer remains undefeated. His tactic is to take a pounding until his opponent is exhausted, and then deal the knockout blow. Graves talks with the punters, commenting on Jack’s hard head, and calling him soft, saying that he prefers a man with a hard heart.

Jack dispatches his opponent and collects his winnings, disappointed that the fight didn’t last longer to earn him some real money. He ended the fight early for two reasons, firstly because his opponent was useless, and secondly to talk to graves. Jack throws the attaché back at Graves’ feet, saying he doesn’t need it. Graves refuses the attaché, saying he never takes back what he has given. Jack says he’s changed, and kicked the heroin, but graves tells him he’s just looking for the same kick from somebody’s fists that graves once gave him. He says Jack hasn’t changed at all, is still looking for a way for something else, be it drugs or fists, to do what he can’t do himself, and is still a passive-aggressive pussy. He asks jack if he still wants to die, telling him he’s been given a hundred chances to do that, but if he wants to live, he’s got to stop pretending he doesn’t.

Graves heads for a small bar to get a drink. Jack follows him in, threatening the bouncer who tries to block his path. He forces the attaché onto Graves, who once more refuses to accept it. Gripping Graves by the lapels, Jack is beaten around the head by Andy, the bouncer, with a baseball bat. It makes no difference to Jack, who disarms Andy and then puts him down with a head butt to the nose. The barmaid begins to call the law, but Jack puts a round into the phone. He stands over Andy, ready to put the next round into his head, unless Graves takes back the attaché. He gives the old man until the count of ten, but Graves retorts that Jack’s body count with the gun is already higher than that. He says that Jack only wants to give the gun back because it allows him to do exactly what he wants. The barmaid pleads with Graves to accept the case, but Graves repeats his taunt: “Passive-aggressive pussy”.

Jack demands that Graves takes the case, but receiving no response, fires the gun. The round goes into the floor just above Andy’s head. Jack presses the photograph of himself from the attaché into Graves’ hands, then shoots it from between the old man’s fingers, putting a further three rounds in it before it hits the floor. He grabs his money, the remaining bullets and the gun, and returns them to the case before storming from the bar.

As Graves reaches for his drink, he notices blood coming from his fingertips. He contemplates this for a moment before passing one final comment: “Pussy”.

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