Naomi After the Gym

Naomi stepped out of the front door of the gym into the brisk night air. She took a deep breath and smiled as she slapped the powdered chalk from her hands. She exhaled and shook out her arms and shoulders, then walked towards the convenience store at the end of the block.

She walked down the empty streets alone, walking towards the brightly lit store in the distance. Periodically, she would stop and stretch, pulling a knee to her chest or bending down and touching her toes. She twisted her torso side to side as she approached the brightly lit parking lot.

Naomi stopped walking.

She stared at the convenience store for a moment, then at the surrounding area. The only car in the parking lot was still running with wisps of condensation emitting from the exhaust pipe. The driver sat with a hoodie pulled over their head and both hands gripping the top of the steering wheel. The driver glanced at Naomi through their rearview window.

Naomi sighed.

She continued walking toward the convenience store. 

As she approached the glass front door she looked at the cashier at the front register. The cashier looked at Naomi, their eyes wide with panic.

The cashier shook her head. She glanced at the back of the store, then back at Naomi.

Naomi looked towards the back of the store, seeing no one. She then stood on her toes and saw several figures moving behind the counter of the pharmacy.

Naomi took out her phone and dialed 911.

The 911 operator answered the call.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"You better get an ambulance here quick. I'm at the convenience store at 4th and main."

"What is the nature of the emergency?"

"Multiple people injured."

"How are they injured?"

"That's up to them."

Naomi hung up, then walked into the store.

The cashier's eyes went even wider. Naomi looked at her and gave her a reassuring nod.

Naomi walked to the food section of the convenience store.

A group of three people in hoodies burst from the door that led to the pharmacy, each carrying stuffed shopping bags in one hand. The person in the front froze when they saw Naomi and whispered to the others.

The three people walk directly towards Naomi.

Naomi stopped at the sports drinks section.

The group walked more quickly towards Naomi.

Naomi stared at the shelf in front of her.

The first of the hooded figures rounded the corner onto her aisle, their pace quickened.

They reached around to grab something from the back of their waistband.

Naomi took a wide step towards them, grabbed the wrist that was reaching behind their back, and slammed her elbow into their jaw. She pulled their wrist free from their body as she grabbed the back of their neck, pushed down their head, and drove a knee into their face. 

The person went limp and fell to the floor. Naomi maintained control of their wrist as they fell and removed the gun from their hand. 

She racked the slide of the handgun.

There was no bullet in the chamber.

She ejected the magazine of the gun, which was empty.

The two other hooded figures stood frozen, their eyes wide with terror.

Naomi bent down next to the unconscious person on the ground, and rolled their body over onto their side, pulling their knee and then elbow across their body. She checked their breathing.

Naomi stood up and faced the other two people.

"Yeah, so, if this was loaded you two would be dead as fuck right now. I'm guessing you don't have any weapons on you."

Both people shook their heads.

"Cool. How about you get on your knees and put your hands behind your head."

Both figures glanced at each other, then broke off running towards the front of the convenience store.

Naomi swept the lead foot of the person in front, and they fell hard. The other stumbled over them, putting one hand on the ground to stabilize themselves. Naomi kicked away their hand, and they fell on top of their partner.

"Hey, so, you two should stay down."

The person on top tried to scramble to their feet.

Naomi kicked them hard in the liver.

They stood up, took a few steps, then collapsed on the ground curled up in a ball whimpering.

The person on the ground froze, then slowly spread their hands and feet until they were splayed out on the ground.

"I'm going to check on your friend outside. If you get up and try to leave, I'm going to break your knees - both of them. That's about a year of physical therapy. You have health insurance?"

The person on the ground shook their head.

"Oh then you should really stay down. Knees never heal right, and it'll be worse if you can't pay for proper rehab."

Naomi walked towards the front of the store, past the cashier and out the front door.

She walked around to the driver side of the parked car.

The driver let go of the steering wheel with their right hand and reached down towards their thigh.

Naomi lunged forward and palm-striked the person behind their ear.

The person slumped over sideways.

Naomi threw open the door, reached under their hoodie, grabbed a handful of hair, then dragged the person out of the car and threw them on the ground face down. 

Naomi reached into the car where the driver was reaching and found a gun. She stood up and pulled the slide of the gun back slightly..

There was a bullet in the chamber.

She ejected the magazine.

The magazine was full.

Naomi looked down at the man on the ground.

"So you sent the kids to do the dirty work, and made sure your ass is safe in the car. Pretty shitty."

The man on the ground began to crawl away.

Naomi reinserted the magazine in the gun.

She squatted down close to the man's head, the loaded gun pointed at his lower back.

He mumbled.

Naomi leaned in.

"You're concussed right now, so you're a little hard to understand. Your head will clear in about a minute. Thing is, now I have to figure out what to do with you, since I think you're the only bad guy out here tonight."

He turned his head and looked at her, then mumbled again.

Naomi laughed.

"Who, me? A cop? Naw man. I'm more in the repo business. So look, I can't kill you or I'd get my boss in trouble, but I'm not going to stick around until the cops get here for the same reason. Problem is, being a petty theft mastermind and getaway driver isn't that big a deal, so you'd probably be able to make bond. Doesn't feel like justice to me."

The man mumbled again.

Naomi looked confused.

"Viagra?"

The man mumbled again.

"Oh - vigilante? I tell ya man, I have thought about it - I'd be good at it too. Thing is, I got bigger fish to fry. So let's do this, how about I break your ankle real, real bad. You'll be walking with a limp for the rest of your life, and every time you do, you'll think back to how lucky you are that I was feeling charitable. How's that sound?"

The man spoke in a growl.

"You touch me...and I'll kill you."

Naomi stood up.

"Thanks man - you know, I do feel a little guilty every once in a while. Threatening to kill me makes it a whole lot easier."

Naomi stood up, positioned herself behind him, took a deep breath, then stamped on the man's ankle.

He screamed in pain.

"Oh don't be a little bitch. You won the lottery tonight. You're welcome."

Naomi's phone rang. 

She took it out and looked at the caller ID.

She sighed, then answered the phone.

"Naomi my dear, was that really necessary?"

Naomi grinned.

"Super necessary."

"911 dispatched law enforcement, they'll be there in about 30 seconds."

"Oh shit!"

Naomi began jogging away from the convenience store.

She stopped suddenly and looked back.

"Dammit!"

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't get my protein shake."

"I really think it's best if you vacate the area."

"Yeah, but what about my gains?"

"Naomi, 20 seconds"

Sirens screamed in the distance, closing in fast.

"OK...fine."

Naomi continued to jog away from the convenience store.

"Did you erase the videos?"

"No, but we did replace your face."

"Cool. I could use your help with one more thing."

"And what would that be?"

"Where's the nearest place I can get a protein shake?"

The person on the phone sighed.

"Keep down this street for another mile or so. There's a food store."

"Awesome, thanks."

Naomi hung up and jogged off into the darkness as emergency vehicles pulled into the convenience store parking lot.