Post by cross on Mar 2, 2015 12:35:30 GMT -5
Ultimate Catman #7
Peter Lomax is kind of a dick Part 2
Special Co-Writer: Adrini
"Damn it Blake! Where are you?" Peter Lomax looked down the alley looking around for any sign that Thomas Blake was on his way. A member of the small group walked up to Lomax.
"He split man. He split on the team like we knew he would. He's been talking about his kid since the bitch got it. You know he's gone." Peter looked at the man and then back at his team of five standing ready for orders. "He's gone. That makes you the king shit. What's the plan now?"
"We can't do this without Blake. He was the one with the ten digit key code for the lockboxes." Peter started pacing nervously.
"Fuck it man. We can just hit the truck as planned and just take the damn lockboxes. We'll worry about getting them open later." The team member waited for an approval.
"Fuck 'em. We don't need Blake." Lomax turned and gathered up his team. "Blake bailed on us like some of you figured he would. That's fine. We can still hit the truck on our own and get the lockboxes. Suit up. We have an hour."
***
Thomas opened his eye's slowly. Not recognizing the room his heart rate began to quicken. "Hey there Catman." Roy Harper stood next to his bed and smiled at him.
Thomas felt a weight on his torso, and hand. He looked down to see a heavy looking brace strapped to his hand and around his midsection. "For future reference, don't mix Belladonna poisoning with internal bleeding. We came pretty close to losing you there." Roy looked down at the braces.
"Hey! I forgot tell you. So we pulled some strings at the Star City hospital and nabbed these for your injuries. The way you were going those broken bones were either going to never heal or heal horribly wrong. They are Ultrasound Bone Healing/Regenerating braces. Keep them on for at least a few hours a day and your broken hand and ribs will be good in about a week."
"I'd just let him heal the old fashioned way like the rest of us." Jade entered the room looking much healthier than the last time Thomas had seen her.
Thomas tried to sit up but the pain was still present despite the braces. "Jade, I'm so sorry for what happened. I didn't know Lomax was going to come after me. Hell, I didn't know anyone else knew I was here."
"It's fine. What's not fine is that Lomax knows that you are working with Green Arrow now." Jade grabbed Roy's arm and locked her hand with his. "Oliver and the Birds are in the 'War Room' getting a plan together to take out Lomax before he comes at us."
Thomas sat up on the edge of the bed. His body was sore but he felt better than he had going in to the fight with Lomax. The braces were doing their job. "Before we go in, How mad are the Birds?" Jade ignored the question and continued out into the hallway. Roy turned around at the door.
"Their 'Kate' mad." Thomas dropped his head to his chest.
"That's not good."
***
The security truck was straight ahead of the two vehicles. One late 80's pickup truck and a windowless work van sped along the city street catching up to the security truck. Peter grabbed the radio. "Okay. Once we pull up next to the truck you guys come in behind and get the doors open. Remember, we are just grabbing and going. No need to make this more complicated than it already is." Peter dropped the radio and the van pulled up next to the security truck.
"GO GO GO!" Peter screamed to his team member in he back of the van. The man opened the sliding side door on the van and aimed the rifle at the two drivers.
BLAM!
BLAM!
BLAM!
BLAM!
The security truck instantly slowed it's speed to a stop in the middle of the empty road. The old pickup truck stopped right behind the back door of the security vehicle and three men exited the truck. The team member that was riding with Lomax in the van appeared from the front of the truck. "I should have the keycard for the doors here." He flashed the card and slid it trough the scanner on the back of the vehicle.
DING!
CLICK!
The doors acknowledged the security card and unlatched. The men opened the doors to find five lockboxes stored nicely in the back of the truck.
HONK!
HONK!
Peter was growing impatient. "LETS GO!" Everyone from the team entered the van as it sped away from the scene. "Did you get everything from our truck?" Peter questioned his team.
"Everything is clean boss. Nothing will trace this to us." Peter smiled at the answer and glanced at the five boxes.
"Those five boxes are going to change our lives!" He turned down a street making his way to the warehouse of his employer.
***
"Reports say about six new guys are in his crew, new hold up. More secure." Diggle said as Jade and Roy arrived, Blake slowly walked behind.
"Is it? Good for them." Kate said dryly and motioned for her friend to join the table
"Di, stop." Jade said and smiled a little at her friend, knowing there was no point. Mrs. Queen had made sure to have extra pillows in her chair so that her healing wound wouldn't flair up. Di only scooted closer, placing Jade safely between her and Kate. Roy, who was looking over the map, only hid a grin as her and Oliver shared a look. Lomax had no idea who he had pissed off.
"But hardly as safe as he thinks." Roy said and turned on the screen. It showed street shots of the man and his team coming and going out of the old concrete building. Placing the remote on the table he sat down. "He's actually asking around about us, okay information."
"We need a play." Looking at the screen the family protector could think of a few. "And to decide what to do with Mr. Blake."
"Ah yes, the one who brought chaos and disaster on our heads, again." Kate said, not caring that he could hear her. "Such a good idea to green light this, Roy."
"He's a father who wanted to see his son," Roy said, defending his decision. "And no one knew he was being followed. We've only dreaded loosing the kids, he's lived it. All he wanted was a visit."
"And your wife got an arrow in the chest!" Kate said, standing.
"I'm sure he didn't mean for anything like that to happen." Adrien looked at the red head, trying to calm her down.
Thomas looked at the group as they argued. "I can totally hear you guys." Kate glared at Thomas not caring what he heard.
"It's my fault. I could have recommended the gym, or Tommy's room. Nothing would have happened." Di wasn't just angry but also guilty, it was her who had tried to soothe Tommy as the nurses tried to clean him of this mother's blood. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It was a good idea, this wasn't your fault." Oliver said, sighing. Jade was trying to assure her friend that she had nothing to answer for. "We live in this city, we can't be afraid to walk it's streets. Besides, we're beyond that now. He's here and that's what we need to deal with. I was hoping Mr. Blake would fill us in on who exactly we're up against so we can get started.
Thomas looked at Diggle and studied him. "My team has a 'Diggle' too! We call him Cayce." Everyone in the room looked at Thomas like he had just said the dumbest thing they had ever heard.
"Just trying to break the tension." Thomas muttered under his breath. "If you guys could hear the conversation Lomax and I had at Kid World then you know about everything I do. I was the leader of our team and he was my second in command. We had just been offered this huge payout for a heist. After we got the job you all rescued Tommy and changed everything. That was when I decided to bail out of that life and start new. Lomax took over the team and you all know the rest."
"He ever use a bow when you were rolling with him?" Roy hunched over in his chair thinking while listening to Thomas.
"No. We always used guns when we were on jobs." Thomas answered.
"What in the hell is he doing?" Jade stared at the wall mounted screen. Everyone turned their focus to see Peter Lomax waving at the camera watching him and his crew. He grabbed at his shoulder and acted like he was in pain.
"He's mocking us." Jade quietly sat back in her chair.
They watched as the man and his crew laughed and returned to go back inside. Hanging behind, Lomax pulled out a newspaper from the new years edition, announcing the city damage and Robby's birth. He held up the picture of the new family and then slowly stabbed a dagger into the paper, right into the infants head.
"Suit up." Said a voice, normally calm and soft. Dinah got up, her posture not shaken, but decided. The matter was settled. "We move at night fall."
The Birds followed, and Oliver and Roy weren't far behind. Thomas stood there with Diggle and a woman he hadn't talked to before.
"Are we okay with this?" Diggle asked, the woman looked at the now empty doorway and nodded.
"We are." She said. "We have one line."
"I don't understand." Thomas said, Diggle was helping the woman to her feet. "What's going on?"
The woman walked out of the room but Diggle looked at him before answering.
"Peter Lomax is about to see his family again." Thomas looked at Diggle as he exited the room.
"I thought we didn't do that kind of stuff!" Thomas hollered down the hallway after the group.
***
THOKK!
THOKK!
THOKK!
"Next time you don't go in half assed!" The large enforcer stepped back up and slammed his fist across the face of the bloodied Peter Lomax.
THOKK!
THOKK!
THOKK!
"I had to empty three different safe houses because of your fuck up. That's a lot of time and energy put forth from me and mine." Peter could barely open his left eye. His right had swelled shut long ago.
"I didn't know that the boxes were traced!" Peter frantically spewed his excuse from his mouth. His employer stepped forth from behind his hired muscle.
"Maybe if you had thought about your actions and not went in without your info guy this wouldn't have happened. No, you wanted to step up and show me how much of a badass you are." The employer turned and waved his hand at another hired thug. The man disappeared behind a large SUV and led Lomax's wife from the vehicle.
"PLEASE! I"M SO SORRY! IT WONT HAPPEN AGAIN!" Peter was frantic. He tried to stand up but his left leg couldn't support his weight anymore.
THOKK!
The enforcer punched him in the face for his troubles knocking him back into his chair. "I cant let you go unpunished for what you did. Next time when you work for me, you'll know not to fuck up."
BLAM!
Peter's wife dropped to her knee's like a ragdoll and slumped over to the cold cement with a bullet hole in the left side of he forehead.
"NOOOOO!" Peter fell to the ground crying as hard as he could staring at his wife's dead body.
THUDD!
The boot from the hired muscle connecting with his ribs felt like nothing compared to what he had just experienced. "I know this hurts now but you really haven't felt shit yet Lomax."
Peter looked up at his employer as he smiled down at the broken man. He looked over and watched as two more men led out his two children.
***
"What do we say?" Oliver said as he drove the small van to the outlying warehouse. "What do we tell Tommy when he doesn't come back?"
He and the birds were nearing the location, darkness now fully here. In the seat next to him his wife was looking out the window with the facade of going to the store to grab milk and bread. They were on a mission to kill a man and she wasn't terribly concerned.
"Did you see Robby this morning?" She asked, her eyes worried. "I don't like how that scratch is healing, I'm going to take him in tomorrow. It could be serious."
"Changing the topic." He said and she sighed and nodded. "We need a plan."
"I don't know that there's much we can do, Ollie." She looked in the back where Jade was pointedly not adding to the conversation. "People die, it's horrible, but it happens. We'll be there for him when it does, he'll be cared for."
"Man isn't that much of a loss." Kate said dryly. "I don't see it being a problem."
"What did he do?" Ollie asked, and the three looked away. "He's no Errol Flynn, but he's trying."
"Tommy wasn't Jade's idea." Di said, grabbing her sister's hand.
"Surprises happen." He said but his wife shook her head. "Oh, okay, that's bad."
"When I told him he just ran, didn't want anything to do with us." Jade looked at the red light. "When he finally decided to make an appearance he tried to pretend like nothing happened. I had to crawl back to my mother for help but he can waltz in whenever. Tommy was almost six months old before he got to know his sperm donor. Then he decided that Tommy was his property, like he had done anything to earn it. I had to kidnap my own goddamn son."
"That would do it." Ollie looked in the rear view window, the three were bound by more suffering then he would likely ever know.
***
"We don't kill people!" Thomas said as he and Roy made their own way to the scene. Shocked at the scene in the base he was venting while the red clad man said nothing. "Heroes don't kill people, they save people, then send the bad guys to the police. It's the hero code or something, how can she-"
"Lay off the Canary." Roy said suddenly. He was upset, his normally middle American English becoming heavily laced with Hispanic tones. He was plainly defensive. "She never calls it like this, you can trust it when she does."
Thomas was shocked, he knew he was new to the super hero trade, but this was murder. Lomax might be obnoxious and annoying but he was nothing to the trained crew Thomas was traveling with.
"I don't get it." Thomas dared to say, even he could see there was more going on here. "How can one person just call something like that?"
"It was after you left, I forgot that." Roy sighed. "But you might have been there when it started."
"What do you mean?" Thomas asked again, still confused.
"Dinah was kidnapped back in haven, you might have been there." The man said and Thomas nodded, he would never forget that.
"Yeah. She just dropped off the face of the earth, Jade was destroyed." He could still see his ex thrashing in her sleep and calling for her friend. "Then we all thought she was dead, it was terrible."
"A lot of people were." Roy turned to the next street. "She eventually got out but the first six months were spent-" He swallowed. "She's only told Jade and Kate, and I think Ollie, but none of them will talk about it. What I can tell you is that by the time Adrien found her and shipped her out of haven she had spent the last several weeks in critical to recover even enough to travel safely."
"But what does that have to do with-" Thomas asked and Roy shot him a look.
"Because for a woman who has been though the worst kind of hell she actually learned a lot. She learned to control the baser emotions on the battlefield, she learned to consider the short term and long term risks of a threat, and she learned to control the board. It's how she survived." He saw Thomas' eyes go a little wide. "This is actually the first time she's called it like this, but she has a point. He knows who they are, he's actually well skilled and not going to stop. There's no clean way to fix this."
"Lomax is in the same boat." Thomas stared out the front of the car as it kept up with Oliver and the Birds. "He was tortured and scarred and his whole family was taken from him. He didn't have people looking to save him though. He didn't get the same luck as Black Canary. He faced his demons alone and is doing what he can to avenge his family and wrongdoings. I put him through that hell and this is my punishment through him. I deserve this."
Roy gripped the wheel and slowed down a bit more. They were close to the warehouse. "So what do you think we should do?"
"We do the right thing. We don't kill. That's what separates us from them. We show people that there is hope. Things can and will get better." Roy stopped the car within eyesight of the building. The car in front of them stopped and the Birds and Green Arrow exited in their gear.
Thomas put on his spare leather jacket that Roy had given him to wear. "Seriously, you all look badass when working."
***
THWIP!
The black arrow sunk into the throat of the beaten kingpin. Blood poured from the arrow as the man began to choke. "A Bow and Arrow. So simple of a weapon that people tend to go for the flashy guns. They're loud and clumsy and really they get to the point. An arrow though, Heh, that is a weapon that you can use to get a point across. That's a weapon to inflict real pain in a person. You took my family from me. Thus, I took your family from you. The only difference here is that I am going to let you die from choking on your own blood. You tried to beak me and you did. You set me on this path and now I plan-" Peter stopped talking and watched as the man sunk over and died. "GOD DAMN IT! I WASN'T FINISHED WITH MY SPEECH!"
Peter kicked the man in the head and his body fell into the open sewer manhole behind the two. He sheathed his bow and turned around to face the bright city lights of Star City and the assembled crew of the man he had just killed. "Gentlemen! I am Peter Lomax and I have a plan. You are free to join me if you would like but know now that this is a revenge quest. I expect most of you are looking to get paid for this. I will pay each of you one million dollars of that piece of shit's money if you choose to help me." The group mumbled a bit. No one moved.
Peter smiled. "Excellent. we are going to kill Thomas Blake and his whole fucking family!"
***
"Green Arrow in position."
"Black Canary in position."
"Cheshire in position."
"Red Arrow in position."
"Batwoman in position."
"Thomas in position."
"Alright everyone. I am locked in on you all visually with the local traffic cams and you all are coming in clear. Thomas, you're up." Diggle watched the monitors seeing the scene as it was about to unfold. Every member of the team and Thomas were surrounding the building. The back of the large two story warehouse was left un-guarded since it was fenced off. No one was leaving this warehouse tonight untouched.
Thomas walked up to the large sliding entrance door and unsheathed his newly acquired Escrima sticks that Oliver had given him. He twisted his wrists to loosen up and took a deep breath before swinging the unlocked door open. "PETER LOMA-!"
Thomas screamed his war cry as a barrage of bullets let loose towards him from different areas of the building. "JESUS CHRIST WHY WAS I THE BAIT!" Thomas screamed as he spun behind one of the walls of the building avoiding the gunfire.
"Stay off the comms unless you need help!" Cheshire barked the order at Thomas.
"I have two in my sight." Oliver from the building roof next door announced over the comm as he fired two arrows ripping the guns from the thugs hands.
THWIP!
THWIP!
THWIP!
"I have three gunmen unarmed on the second floor." Red Arrow was on the opposite building as Green Arrow and was taking down armed thugs as well. Both archers were providing the cover through the upper windows of the building. The armed thugs never stood a chance.
Diggle adjusted the traffic camera outside and found two vans making there way to the teams location. "Green Arrow and Red Arrow! We have two inbound vans heading your way!"
"I got 'em." Batwoman stepped out from the shadows of the neighboring building and aimed a grapple gun at one of the street lights.
BLAMM!
CLANK!
The grapple was hooked and Batwoman was in the process of latching her end of the line to a brick wall. "Ok. These guys should be done."
Diggle watched as the first van hit the line at full speed. "JESUS CHRIST!"
The van ripped in half and toppled head first over itself as the four men inside flew from the spinning vehicle. The line snapped from the impact ripping the street light from its concrete roots. The second van screeched to a halt with its lights glaring at Batwoman in the middle of the road. "Fuck this man! Run the bitch over!" The thug slammed on the gas aiming the van for Kate.
POPP!
The van spun out and drove headfirst into a brick wall launching three men out of the windshield. The fourth opened the back door and stumbled out from the wreckage. "C'mon Bat-bitch!" He finally caught his footing and noticed a batarang in both front tires of the van.
THOKK!
Kate's foot connected with the side of his head dropping him instantly. "I've got the outside under control. No ones coming to help these dipshits. Batwoman out."
Diggle turned the camera back to the warehouse. "Green Arrow you are clear to enter through the top windows for second level infiltration. Red Arrow I want you on lookout with Batwoman."
"Seriously?" Red Arrow fired his line and slid down to meet Batwoman in the street near the van wreckage. "So, clean up duty again?" Kate looked up and shook her head before going back to tying up the thugs.
Thomas swept through the front door again and made his way to a large crate off to the side of the building. He looked over and saw multiple people, none being Lomax. "I'm not seeing Lomax here guys. He may be up top but lower level are just his goons."
Cheshire leapt over Thomas and the crate wrapping her legs around one of the men and spun him to the ground in an arm lock. "Pay attention to your surroundings, damn it!"
SNAP!
The man screamed in pain as Cheshire broke his arm. She got to her feet and took off leaping off of a nearby wall and bouncing up to the scaffolding above. "I need you to teach me that!" Thomas hollered after his ex. Thomas could see a shadow behind him approaching. He turned and swung straight for the head. Green Arrow caught the Escrima stick and ripped it away from Thomas. He pointed up to the rafters and didn't speak a word. Thomas looked up and could see Lomax aiming his bow at a preoccupied Cheshire. Green Arrow fired his grappling gun and gave it to Thomas quickly. "Shit."
Thomas ripped up to the rafters Lomax was aiming from. He grabbed the railing and let go of the gun letting it zip to the ceiling of the building. Lomax fired his arrow as he stumbled.
"You little shit!" Lomax looked behind himself to see Thomas running towards him.
"Blake! Good to see you man!" Lomax drew another arrow with ease and fired at Thomas.
THWIP!
Thomas ripped the arrow from the air in front of his face and snapped it. "Holy shit I caught that?" He whispered.
"Damn Tommy boy! You been getting some good training from these archers!" He drew another and let it fly this time making contact with Thomas' left thigh.
"GAAAH!" Thomas dropped to the metal flooring of the rafters and ripped the arrow out. He couldn't feel the effects of Belladonna.
"No poison tonight Tommy boy. Just looking to kill you off the old fashioned way." Lomax made his way up to Thomas and ducked just in time as one of Cheshire's talons ripped through the air over his head. He spun in the kneeling position and fired two arrows at once. Cheshire back flipped off of the rafters and landed safely on one of the shipping crates below.
FWAPP!
Lomax's bow connected with Thomas' face almost sending him over the safety railing. He swung again. Thomas couldn't hold on tight enough. His hand slipped from the rail as he toppled head first over the rafters.
SLAM!
He landed back first on a shipping crate. Peter looked over the edge and quickly leaned back dodging an arrow from Green Arrow. He started to run for the fire escape but was stopped by a sight of pure hatred. In front of him stood Black Canary. Her suit was a burgundy color.
"Why do they call you the Black Canary if you wear dark red?" Lomax nocked another arrow slowly.
"That's your men's blood." Lomax looked over the edge and could see he dark red color of blood all over the ground floor and his downed men. "Don't worry Lomax. I didn't kill any of them. That fate I saved for you only."
Lomax reared back and almost fired his arrow. Black Canary ducked trying to dodge the attack. "Too early you stupid bitch!" He fired the arrow.
She grabbed the arrow out of mid air and snapped it over her knee. Lomax slammed his knee into her chin before she had a chance to notice his oncoming attack. She fell back from the attack as Lomax leaped over her running for the fire exit.
Black Canary got to her feet and followed Lomax. Thomas landed a punch straight to a man's face and looked up to see her chasing Lomax through the second floor exit. Black Canary kicked the door wide open and ran through it but stopped dead in her tracks. "Surprise baby!"
Lomax fired another arrow straight at her face. She ducked this time not being quick enough to catch it. Ten men swarmed her and began to beat her to the floor. "Keep on her boys! This one here is a fighter!" Lomax leaned against a rail as his men continued to punch and kick Black Canary bloody.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
All ten men and Lomax dropped to their knees screaming in pain as they clutched their ears. Black Canary got to her feet beaten and battered and took another deep breath.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
This scream was louder and longer than the last. The men crawled to escape the range of her sonic scream but it was no use. Lomax tried to aim another arrow at the hero. Black Canary just chuckled and took another deep breath.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Lomax dropped his bow and arrow and fell to his side as blood began to trickle from his nose. "Please stop." He whispered trying to block any sound from his ears.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Blood began to tear out from his eyes. Thomas kicked the door open behind her and looked at the mess that Lomax had been reduced to. "Canary that's enough. He's done."
THOKK!
Black Canary high kicked Thomas in the chest sending him falling back into the closed doors with a thud. She turned her attention back to Lomax and took another deep breath. Thomas jumped in front of Lomax and readied for the blunt end of the scream.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH-" She stopped midway through the attack seeing Thomas standing cover over Lomax.
"Get out of the way Blake. He doesn't get to live after trying to kill Jade, and Tommy." She readied for another scream.
"That's not how we roll Dinah! That's what separates us from them. We don't kill, we inspire."
Black Canary's face exploded with anger. She lunged forward towards Thomas and landed three punches to his face before he could react. "GET OUT OF THE WAY BLAKE!"
"No." Thomas' face had already begun to swell from her attack. He could barely hear anything but ringing. "He's in the same boat as you. He was tortured and beaten. The only difference is you got to come home to a loving family. His was executed in front of him. His torture never ended. Yours did. It's over."
"After torture you choose a path. To use your pain to help or hurt. He chose the wrong path, if he lives he'll only keep hurting people. What would you say to them, to their loved ones?" She said, speaking as though it were a perfectly balanced equation.
"He's still alive, he can still chose to help." Thomas said, though he could see 'Haven in her words. "Give him that chance."
She looked at him, but after a moment shook her head. "This is his last chance to make the right choice." She said simply, already turning to leave. "See he gets it right."
***
Thomas had packed up his bags still holding Tommy in his arms. "Alright kiddo, time for me to leave."
Tommy wrapped his small arms around his fathers neck wit all the strength he could muster up. "Bye Daddy."
Thomas gently hugged his son back and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Love you."
As soon as Thomas had set him down, Tommy ran into his mothers open arms. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to face his father. "Oliver and I will take you to Ashram. Get your stuff we are going now." She coldly moved past him going outside.
Thomas flopped his bags over his shoulder and noticed the whole Team Arrow watching him and Jade's interaction. "So can we call us the Super Friends?" Thomas sheepishly smiled waiting for some response but found none. He turned and made his way outside away from the tension.
"Man, anytime you need help you let me know." Roy had grabbed Oliver's Escrima sticks and handed them to Thomas. "Be careful in The Hub."
Thomas shook Roy's hand. "Thanks for everything. Keep doing what you're doing." Both men looked at Jade and Tommy.
"Lomax is in custody so I think they will be fine." Roy took Tommy as Jade got into the front seat of the vehicle.
"Papa!" Tommy grabbed onto Roy's neck and crawled up onto his shoulders.
Thomas loaded his bags in the trunk and got into the back seat behind the drivers seat. "Not what I was talking about." He closed the door and Oliver climbed into the drivers seat.
***
Thomas sat behind an older wooden desk looking over some layouts of a truck design. The room smelled of alcohol and smoke. He ran his hand through his hair and looked over at the framed picture of Tommy smiling in Jade's arms. They both looked happy and care free. Thomas grabbed the frame and really studied the two people in the picture. After what seemed like an hour of just looking he set the picture down and crumbled up the layouts and threw them into a small trash can under his desk.
"Fuck this." Thomas got up out of his chair, put his light jacket on, and walked out of the back room.