[Nogrod]

Johnny 99 woke up from the backseat of his car only to realise his girl had slipped away to the awakening hush and buzz of the street. He was parked in front of the Tip Top club - and it was hot inside the car. He thought there was something he should remember, but he didn't.

His tongue felt like sandpaper in his mouth and the bells tolling inside his head freaked him out. There had to be something to drink... he grasped the leg-room of the backseat only to hit at the barrell of a shotgun. Touching the cold metal brought dizzy images from the last night... Oh no... He started remembering things.

They had oozed 'n boozed around. There was some shooting somewhere and somethin' about cops. He remembered driving the street wavin' his gun around and threatenin' to blow his top. Uh oh... How on earth could he pay for the mortgages? He was in a big mess for all he knew.

Slowly getting up he reached for the frontseats to find anything to drink. There were two bottles, gin and wine! Warmed in the morning sun. Pretty no... well maybe just a shot to wake up the engines...

With the boost from Tangueray he managed to get out of his car to look at the streets afresh. There was still something he had to remember, he was sure there was something.

Walkin down the Tenth Avenue looking for a suitable grocery to lift a can of cold beer he started remembering bits and pieces. There had been talk of people, other than judge Brown or auto manufactory-owners who moved their plants to China, who wanted to crush dreams and lives. There was a rumour of evil on them, chasing them from inside in the night.

He stole away with a pack of beer from Moes' running fast enough for old Frederick. Sitting finally to the bench at Southside Park and opening the first can he finally started thinking more clearly.

His first clear thought was: where is everyone? He had seen City Dude and Johnny the Saint talking about poetry in the corner of Tenth and the Park, but that was little. Where is my girl?

His second clear thought was: OMG, I'm gonna have to get that shotgun. We might need it toDay. There was sudden tremble that shook his body. Hangover and fear of the unknown aren't a nice combination... not a night but "a day of the lizards" was taking hold of him. He shook his head and opened a second can of beer.

That lead to his third clear thought: We'll need to gather together, now under daylight and general fuzz. And if no one looks like guilty enough, we'll hunt the creeps who try to sneak in the shadows as one darn searchin'party this city ain't seen since the witch hunts...

This led to his fourth clear thought: Where is my girl? Which was actually just a repetition.

From somewhere he could hear Rosalita singing. Emptying the third can he took a nap, sliding slowly into deep sleep on the bench with the melody Rosalita had sang repeating and repeating itself in his mind...