Fiction | Short Story

Jack’s Back

When Jane saw the Cadillac smashed up against the street lamp, she knew it could only mean one thing. “Jack’s back!” When George heard the clipping of cowboy boots around the corner, he knew it could only mean one thing. “Jack’s back!” *** The thirty to fifty year old kids all danced at their house […]

When
Jane saw the Cadillac smashed up against the street lamp, she knew it
could only mean one thing.

“Jack’s
back!”

When
George heard the clipping of cowboy boots around the corner, he knew
it could only mean one thing.

“Jack’s
back!”

***

The
thirty to fifty year old kids all danced at their house party that
night. They were celebrating New Years Eve. They were on drugs and
they pretended to be happy. The sound system stopped and the lights
turned on. The thirty to fifty year old kids all looked up, baffled,
to fix their eyes on him. He stood there in his cowboy boots, tight
jeans, leather jacket and shades. Holding up the plug of the sound
system in his rugged hand. His hair slicked back.

“Jack’s
back bitches!” said Jack.

Before
anyone could respond, Jack kicked the sound system to the floor.

“I
got an announcement to make!”

Jack
clipped over the broken sound system.

“I
got some unfinished business round here!”

Mouths
gaped open in shock. Is he’s back? He can’t be? Can he? Is Jack
actually back?

Jack
chewed on a cocktail stick.

“I
got a score to settle at City Hall! Is any one of you punks going to
get in my way this time?”

No
one said a word.

“What
about you?” said Jack, pointing at Phil Marsden.

“No.
No. No sir. I mean. I don’t-”

“Don’t
what?”

“I’m
not going to stand against you this time sir.”

“This
time?” Jack squared up to Phil. “So you’re saying you stood
against me last time?”

“No.
No. No sir I-”

A
second later, Phil was unconscious on the floor.

“You
ingrates better call the police,” said Jack. “By the time I’m
done here there’s gonna be some serious bodily harm on all your
faces. I’ll give you all three seconds to get your phones out. ONE!
TWO! THREE!”

***

It
was not going to be a normal day at work for Bertie Borngate. Not
just another day of selling house insurance. Bertie had heard about
the party. He’d heard that Jack was back. He knew that Jack would be
coming to see him.

The
door opened and there was Jack: cowboy boots, sunglasses, slick hair
and cocktail stick in his mouth. He hadn’t aged a day.

“Nice
to see you Jack,” said Bertie.

“Nice
to see you too old pal,” said Jack.

“Hey,
do you want a coffee or something?”

“Can’t
stay long buddy, I got business to settle at City Hall.”

Jack
smiled and surveyed the insurance shop.

“Got
yourself a steady, little job here.”

“Thanks
Jack, it’s my own business.”

“Come
with me buddy, lets go take down City Hall.”

“I
can’t Jack, my wife-”

“Come
on buddy! It’ll be like the old days! Me and you! Butch and Cassidy!
Burke and Caffrey! Batman and Robin!”

“I’m
sorry Jack.”

Jack
spat on the floor and snarled.

“Well
that’s loyalty for you.”

Jack
clipped aggressively out through the door.

Bertie
picked up the phone and called his wife.

“Jack’s
back, he wants me to help him take down City Hall.”

***

At
City Hall, in his office, Mayor Lester Green slunk back in his
leather chair and looked through an ancient grimoire.

“I’m
the Mayor! Since getting rid of Jack, I can do whatever I like!”

His
secretary burst through the door.

“Mayor
Green!”

“Call
me Lester baby.”

“Jack’s
back Mayor Green!”

Mayor
Lester Green got to his feet and fluttered in panic.

“How?!”

“He’s
downstairs! He’s beating up security! Then he says he’s coming up
here to beat up you!”

***

The
meanest of the security men had Jack in a headlock.

“You’re
finished Jack!” said the security man.

A
sledgehammer clunked on the security man’s head. He fell to the floor
with a fractured skull and released Jack.

Jack
looked up, Bertie stood there with a sledgehammer in his hands.

“You
know what they say Jack,” said Bertie. “The bigger they are, the
harder they fall.”

Jack
smiled.

“I
couldn’t do this without you buddy,” said Jack.

“Let’s
beat up the Mayor!”

***

“When
I told my wife you were back,” said Bertie. “She told me I
should do what I thought was right.”

“Women,”
smiled Jack. “You gotta love them.”

Jack
and the secretary passionately kissed whilst the Mayor screamed under
Jack’s boot.

“Happy
New Year baby,” said Jack, with lipstick smeared down his chin.