“What the fuck did you have to push her for?” Johnen asked as they walked down the sidewalk.  Every other light overhead was out, casting the area in patches of light and darkness.  The clouds overhead reflected city lights, casting everything into pale orange glow.

Veronica threw her hands in the air.  “They took my fucking money and didn’t give me the drugs.  What the hell did you want me to do?  Oh shit, it’s the cops.”

Johnen looked ahead, spotting the cruiser rolling slowly down the street.  “Ignore it.  They’re probably just patrolling.”  Despite the weather, he zipped up his jacket.  Heads down, they walked on in silence as the patrol car passed.

Then the cop flicked on the siren briefly, with two blips breaking the peace of the city night, and the lights began flashing.

“Shit.”  Johnen looked over to Veronica.  “Don’t look back.  Just keep walking.”  He took out his phone, swiping a pattern to unlock it, opening the video recorder, and locking the screen.

The car pulled over beside them, and they were walking fast enough to pass it before the cops were out.  “Halt, police!”

Johnen turned, walking backwards.  “Hey officers.  We’re just headed home.  Not looking for any trouble.”

The officer on the sidewalk—Harris, according to the nametag—quick-walked towards Johnen.  “Walker, you get the girl,” he said to the officer jogging past him on the street.  “Johnen Luna?”

Johnen nodded, still walking, but turned back forward.  “Maybe.  Why do you wanna know?”  He pointed the phone towards Veronica, but couldn’t keep it focused on her because of his pace.

“We need to talk to you.  There was a call about a disturbance at a house near here.  Your name was mentioned.  Please put the phone away.”

“Look man, I didn’t do anything.  I’m just going home.  Are you arresting me?”

“We just want to talk to you, Johnen.  You need to stop walking.”

“Am I under arrest?”  Johnen felt a hand on his shoulder as Officer Harris swept his feet out from beneath him, dropping him to the ground.  “Ah fuck, my elbow.  What—”

“I said to stop.  Where’s the phone.”

“It’s underneath me.  Ow!  Get off me, man.  Let go!  What the fuck, you’re cuffing me now?  What’d I do.”

“Resisting arrest.”

“The hell?”

Harris rolled him over and sat him up on the curb.  “Okay, now where’s that phone.”

“Screw you, asshole.”

BANG!

BANG!  BANG!

“Fuck.”  Harris reached for his shoulder.  “Dispatch, this is Harris.  We have shots fired near Wilkes and Booth.”

“Holy shit.  Did you just shoot my girlfriend?”  Johnen began to rise, but Harris pushed him back to the curb.

“Copy that, Harris.  Shots fired near Wilkes and Booth.  We have additional units on the way.”

Harris walked towards Walker, reaching again for the radio on his shoulder.  “Suspect is hit.  All officers are okay.”

Walker was kneeling now over Veronica.  “I don’t have a pulse.”

Harris rushed to assist.

“Fuck.  Fuck fuck fuck.”  Awkwardly, due to his hands being cuffed behind him, he grabbed his phone, pointing it towards the officers but not really sure if he was capturing them, and narrated as his voice cracked.

[hr]

“I know it doesn’t feel this way, but you’re goddamn lucky.  You’d probably be in jail if you hadn’t configured your phone to upload video automatically.”

Staring out the church’s office window, Johnen gave a noncommittal grunt, then turned to face the priest.  “Father, why did God allow this to happen?”

The priest sighed.  “God gave free will to humanity.  We each have the choice to accept or reject his grace.  The systems that we build can promote good or problematic behaviour, but it doesn’t make them good or bad objectively.  Striving to improve ourselves in spite of ourselves is the human condition.”

Johnen looked down at his hands.  “I’ve been thinking of quitting my job.  I’ve enjoyed working for the church, but it’s like you just said.  I want to improve myself and improve my community.  I think I can do more for the community by working on the governor’s re-election campaign.  They offered me a position and I’ve been thinking about taking it.”

“We’ll miss you around here, but we’ll support you whatever you decide.  Just give us some warning if you do decide to go.”

“Of course, Father.”  Tears pooled in Johnen’s eyes.  “Does it get any easier?”

“The hurt never goes away, but if you fill your life with good things, it’s harder to notice.”