After leaving the club, Martin and Bruce went to where the car was parked because they came out rather late after drinking with Hart and the others.
The safety of West Strip at dawn was not very reassuring.
Martin watched as two black men walked past them on the street, his hand unconsciously going under his clothes, gripping the gun handle, and after the men had walked away, he said, "Why does it feel like we're in Iraq?"
Bruce replied, "There are no weapons of mass destruction here."
At that moment, black smoke drifted over as a battered van drove by, stopping in front of the Black Bar.
The van's door opened, and several armed men escorted three black youths out.
Martin recognized one of them; he had bought beer from him a few nights ago, and the other black guys seemed to call him Fred.
Bruce remembered them too: "The ones who robbed the Black Bar?"
Martin said, "Seems so, looks like they got caught."