Doghouse Riley threw back a shot of whiskey and grimaced slightly, feeling the burn seep deep into his chest. Beside him, Sean Regan laughed, pouring another round. The smoky barroom air curled around them, yellowed by nicotine and humming with quiet jazz.
"Your shot, Riley," Regan said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Try not to choke this time."
"You keep pouring, I'll keep drinking," Riley shot back, tossing down another fiery gulp. He slammed the empty glass back onto the bar and nodded appreciatively to the bartender.
The door swung open with a jangle, drawing everyone's eyes to the tall silhouette standing in the doorway. Action Johnson stepped into the bar, hat tilted at a rakish angle, his trench coat dusted with road grit. He spotted Riley and Regan immediately and strode purposefully toward them.
"Evening, boys," Johnson greeted, motioning for a shot of his own. "Mind if I join you?"
"Only if you've got something worth interrupting our little party," Regan replied with a smirk.
Johnson smiled thinly, downed his shot in one practiced motion, and leaned closer. "Matter of fact, I do. Just got back from the highway outside Reno. Strange business out there."
Riley raised an eyebrow. "Define 'strange,' Action."
Johnson glanced over his shoulder cautiously and lowered his voice. "A police officer named Donaldson—solid guy, reliable—had a close encounter of the second kind. Said he saw something hovering above his patrol car around midnight. Engine died, lights went out, radio went dead. Whole car went ice-cold in seconds."
"Sounds like he might've been dipping into his own evidence locker," Regan chuckled.
"Not Donaldson," Johnson said firmly. "Whatever it was, it wasn't from around here. Donaldson said the thing glowed blue, shot straight up, then vanished like it was never there. Next thing he knows, the car fires up on its own. Everything normal, except for Donaldson—he's shaken up bad."
Riley leaned in, his interest piqued. "Who's investigating?"
"Some suits from back east," Johnson answered. "They called me in as a consultant. But something's off about them too. Like they already know more than they're letting on."
"Sounds messy," Regan mused, signaling for another round.
Johnson eyed them seriously. "Messy is an understatement. I'm telling you, boys, something big just touched down in our backyard."
Riley exchanged a glance with Regan, curiosity shining behind their eyes.
"Then I suppose we better get another bottle," Riley said finally. "This story sounds like it's just getting started."
