Guile.. Part five conclusion. ( Revised.)

Chasing Ghosts

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He is sitting in his lieutenants office waiting for reaction to his latest update on a case that seems to be haunting him, seemingly endless hours chasing what appears to be a ghost has not endeared him to his superiors. He enters the office and casts an annoyed glance at Joshua Kirkland. He sits down behind his desk and draws a slow patient breath.
“So detective. What do you have to tell me?.”
Joshua Kirkland chooses his words carefully before answering his lieutenant.
“There isn’t much to say, I still haven’t caught him, but I am actively working on it sir.”
“This man detective, he is responsible for the death of one woman and also for another being institutionalized?”
“Yes sir, I believe that he is, Maxine Greer was once a sane reasonable woman, after becoming involved with this man I think-” the lieutenant stops him in mid sentence.

“The captain has closed this case detective, he believes as do I that you are no closer to solving it than you were ten months ago, it is time to move on. After all, all you really have to go on is conjecture and hearsay. You really have nothing to prove that he has any involvement in any wrong doing whatsoever do you?”
The young detective rises to his feet abruptly, startling the lieutenant.
“Sir? You can’t be serious! This guy is dangerous. We can’t just-”
“You have no choice in the matter Detective Kirkland! This case is no longer a priority, and it is closed. You are dismissed!”
He returns to his desk and flops down into his chair, more than slightly disenchanted with the whole justice procedure, he tries to clear his head and his thoughts soon return to Maxine Greer, and he wonders. How is she being treated at The Harker Institute where she was placed on suicide watch just nine short months ago.

What was she ranting about when he’d found her lying on the floor? both wrists had been sliced through, self inflicted wounds brought on by traumatic episode is what he was told by the doctors. She was placed in Harker’s for her own protection, and he never shared with anyone the words that he had heard come out of her mouth just before she’d lost consciousness.

“I have met the Devil”

She'd repeated it several times before the paramedics arrived on the scene, she was saved, from herself, in spite of herself, that’s what he was told. After her admittance she was placed on permanent suicide watch and was determined to be a danger to not only herself but others around her as well, the last news that he’d received on her was just after her admittance nine months ago, the same nine months that he’d spent chasing the ghost that killed Abigail Henry.

Silent Offerings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He finds his way home, it is just past 7:00 PM as he places the key in the door lock of his apartment and turns it in the tumbler to unlock it. He opens the door wide but stops as he suddenly feels a cold dark chill come over him, emanating from the dark room through the open door. He starts to pull out his service revolver but hesitates for a moment while reaching for the light switch just inside of the door. The light almost jumps out at him and he sees that the room is empty. He enters and close’s the door behind him before pouring himself a drink and turning on the television. The news is very depressing for him to watch and he slowly falls asleep in his chair , it isn’t until almost 6:30 am when the telephone rings to life and starts him from his deep sleep, when he answer’s, the voice on the other end seems almost hesitant.
“Detective Kirkland?”

He clears his throat before answering the unknown voice at the other end of the phone.

“Yes Ma’am.”
“This is Detective Joshua Kirkland?”
“Yes it is.”
“ Hello Detective, my name is Serena Mackey, I’m a nurse from the Harker institute, I was working the ward that your lady friend Maxine Greer was in.”
He pauses.
“And how is she doing?”
“Well Detective I didn’t want to do this over the phone, but I’m afraid that Ms Greer died yesterday morning. And we need to notify the next of kin, do you know perhaps who that might be?”
“No I’m afraid we never got that close, I can try to look it up for you if you would like, perhaps her former employer might know.”

“We would certainly appreciate that sir, we would prefer to release the child into the custody of her closest relative.”
He sits up abruptly..

“Child?”

“ Yes sir. that’s how Ms Greer died, during child birth, she was pregnant when you brought her to us. Didn’t you know?”

He sits in an uncomfortable silence, and the woman at the other end of the line almost hangs up.
“Detective?”
“Uhhh. Yes Ma’am I’m still here. Uhh No. I didn’t know that she was pregnant. I will try to find and notify her next of Kin. I’ll drive out on Friday and let you know what I find out.”
“That will be fine Detective. Until then the child will be a guest of the state. See you on Friday then?”
“Yes ma’am, I’ll be there on Friday.”

They both hang up the phone, and Serena Mackey returns to conducting the business of her morning rounds. And one hour later she finds herself in the Harker Nursery looking down at the son of Maxine Greer. She has seen more than a few babies born in her twenty six years of service here at the Harker institute, but she has never known a child such as this, the child never cries, never whimpers, and he seems at times as though he is watching the nurse’s of the ward through cold gray calculating eyes. Almost as if he’s figuring things out, she finds it more than a little odd and sad. If the Detective should find the child’s next of kin, it will grow up never knowing its mother. She thinks for a time while looking down at him.

“Who knows little guy? Maybe your father will show up to take you home with him.”

An odd chill passes almost through her body and a strange feeling grabs her as she sees the child slowly smile.

Scratch. A.B.T. Copyright © 2006.

Guile.. Parts three & four (Revised)

Still Life

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She isn’t exactly sure what it is that she is looking at lying in the vacant lot there in the snow until she move’s in for a closer look. When she sees the eyes staring back up at up at her cold and lifeless, Maddie Harris knows that she is looking at the body of a dead woman. A beautiful young dead woman. It is 2:32 am on Monday morning when the patrol car happens upon her sitting on her hands and knees trying to scream out for help. It is only when the officer sees the nude body of Abigail Henry that he realizes that Maddie is not screaming out for herself. He puts his arm around her and helps her to her feet while his partner radios for an ambulance, sixty seven year old Maddie Harris has seen many things in her life, but this is different,

"She looks so young" she tells the officer, he nods solemnly.

“Yes ma’am.” A soft whimper escapes from her throat.

“W. Who could have done such a thing?” he pause’s slightly.

“Ma’am I really don’t know,” seconds later his partner appears with a hot cup of coffee to calm Maddie’s nerves..

Soon the scene is all abuzz with unmarked police cars and patrol cars alike, there are detective’s everywhere and a forensics team has secured the crime scene from further contamination, three detectives have begun the canvas when Detective Joshua Kirkland emerges from the unmarked police vehicle, he has no way of knowing that the young woman in the vacant lot is connected to Maxine Greer. A member of the medical examiners office begins to approach him almost immediately, he is a thin young energetic fellow who looks as though he’s drank way to much coffee. He extends his hand.

“Detective Kirkland?” he nods slowly.

“We have a nude white female early to mid twenties, no sign of struggle, no bruising , no ligature marks, no sign of foul Play.” He stops him in mid sentence and stares in disbelief.

“She’s naked and dead in a vacant lot at two thirty in the morning, off the top of my head, I would have to assume that she did not get here of her own accord, trust me when I tell you- there was foul play involved.”

He blinks, taking in what the detective has just told him,

“Since the temperature out here is below freezing, we’ll have to take her back to the lab to establish a time of death, off the top of my head though I’d say she’s been dead at least seven hours.”

He sets out to see what the canvas has turned up if anything, as he walks his thoughts oddly bring up the name of Maxine Greer, he thinks to himself that he should probably find time to check on her, since she hasn't called in a couple of days. Meanwhile it has begun snowing again as the body of Abigail Henry is loaded into the back of the ambulance, there are no sirens blasting away through the silence of the early morning hours to signify that Abigail Henry has a chance, there is no one riding with her to pray for her survival, no one yet even knows of her loss. No one but a sixty seven year old homeless woman yet knows of this terrible waste of life.

No Quarter.

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He waits for almost three hours before Trent Drayson comes in with the autopsy results, she had been dead for approximately eight hours up until the time the body was discovered. She hadn’t died at the scene but was moved there only three hours before discovery, the dental report is still out and they haven’t got an answer yet as to who the deceased girl is. Joshua Kirkland has left word to bring the report as soon as it returned to them, they have tried running her prints but this girl was found to have never been in the system so they had to wait. He returns to his office at ten thirty sharp to a plethora of questions from his lieutenant who is demanding to be kept posted, Joshua Kirkland brings him up to speed and vows to follow up every lead no matter how minor right up to the very last detail as soon as the report comes in. he tries once again to ring up Maxine Greer’s phone number but by that time it is well past eleven am and she was sure to be at work. Finally it is almost eleven thirty before the report comes in and he has a name to go with the face, the deceased girl is indeed Abigail Henry.

He retrieves her home address from the case folder and decides to go and have a peek inside of her life. The gray sedan pulls to a stop in front of 336 Jefferson Place the now former residence of one Abigail Henry, and as soon as the manager opens the door and as he steps inside, he sees the picture of Abigail and Maxine Greer together. He now knows that he must tell Maxine Greer that her friend is dead.
“Coffee, black with one sugar.” He tells her. Maxine Greer is surprised to see detective Joshua Kirkland but not so surprised to hear that he is there on official business.

“Miss Greer.. Do you Know a Abigail Henry?”

At first Maxine doesn’t want to answer sensing that something is very wrong.

“Yes, she’s my best friend.” He pauses checking for a possible reaction.

“Miss Greer. I don’t know how to tell you this, But Abigail Henry is dead. I’m so sorry.”

"The reaction is as expected with Maxine’s legs coming out from under her and she’s collapsing on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

He tries to console her and tells her to take all the time she needs. She will need to gather strength for she realizes that Abbey had no friend or family here so Maxine will have to go and identify the body. When she finally becomes reasonably calm, he takes his leave, and she heads to the bathroom to take a hot shower. When she returns, she is not yet clothed when she decides to lye down on the bed. Her freshly washed terry cloth robe the only thing between her and her nakedness, she closes her eyes as her thoughts slowly drift towards Abigail Henry and she begins to cry, but suddenly stops when she feels the slight cold chill slowly move across her naked thighs. Her eyes close even tighter almost afraid to open for fear of what they’ll see, and it is then that she can feel the hands untie her robe and gently push her legs apart. Her eyes squint to a barely open position and she sees him slowly lower his naked form down on top of her. When he enters her, her legs almost against her very own will, slowly wrap themselves around him, pulling him even further into her invitingly. she feels an odd smile pursing across her own lips as she opens her eyes to see this wonder. He is smiling slowly rhythmically pushing in and slowly pulling back, he kisses his beauty, and her tongue hungrily accepts his into her mouth, and when he pulls back she can feel his hot breath as he whispers into her ear.

“Now Maxine. You are mine.”

Transformation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She doesn’t look the same to him for some reason, she is standing there with an almost stark indifference to the events that are taking place around her. Abigail Henry is being lowered into her final resting place, and Maxine Greer stands there emotionless, dry eyed, as though she has barely noticed. Joshua Kirkland has seen many different reactions to peoples loss of a loved one but never has he seen one quite like this. He thinks back to when he broke the tragic news to her, and how she had almost immediately collapsed onto her living room floor. And now here she stands, almost the picture of serenity, calm, collected and quite confident. Even her outward appearance has taken a new tone, and it is then when Detective Joshua Kirkland takes notice that there is something very, very different about Maxine Greer now. He approaches her with the slightest hint of caution.

“Ms Greer?” she turns to face him.

“Why. Detective Kirkland.. What a wonderful surprise. So nice of you to come.” He takes her hand and briefly looks into her eye’s, there is no sadness, no shock.

Something else is pulling at him, something in her eye’s that wasn’t there before something alluring. Sultry. Strangely hypnotic.

“Ms Greer I-” she takes his hand and smiles.

“Joshua. Its okay. Don’t worry. Everything is fine. I am better now than I have ever been before.”

Her words stop almost in mid sentence.

“Oh I see it now- You want to give condolences for Abigail. Well that’s sweet but we weren't family or anything. Its all been taken care of. Abbey is resting now. It was so nice of you to bother though.” He slowly pulls his hand away as a strange feeling of disbelief tugs at his thoughts. He knows now that something has taken place with Maxine Greer. He tries to study her look for a clue but nothing comes to him. Her whole demeanor has changed. she has changed. virtually overnight. It has only been three days since he told her about Abigail’s untimely death and the woman that now stood before him seemed to be a completely different person.

“Ms Greer. I wanted to talk to you about the man that you told me about. Someone matching the description that you gave was seen around the vacant lot where Abigail was found, on the morning of her death."

He stops in mid sentence to study her reaction knowing full well that somehow this is not the same woman that he'd left in a sobbing heap in her home only days before.

"Our detective’s haven’t been able to get a name yet, or to make a positive connection, but I did find it interesting that the description they got was almost the same as the one that you gave me.” She gave him a blank stare.

“Oh? Well detective. I haven’t seen that man since. On reflection I would have to say that it was a coincidence that he and I were in the same neighborhood and he probably wasn't following me at all, I do have an over active imagination sometimes. or so it would appear.”

He shook her hand again and made his exit, but paused briefly to watch as she walked over to where a sleek looking black sports car was waiting for her to get in. she lowered herself into the passengers seat and leaned over to the driver and kissed him full on the lips, and when Joshua Kirkland sees his face he knows that Maxine Greer has lied to him. The man in the drivers seat of the sports car at first glance matches the description that she gave him, and he can feel it in the pit of his stomach that Maxine Greer will be next.

Revelation..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He follows them for the better part of two hours along Canal Street, and watches them go in and out of various clothing shops and restaurant’s. he checks his watch and its twelve thirty in the afternoon, when he returns to the precinct, he now has a better image of the man that he knows is responsible for Abigail Henry’s death. He also knows that he must approach Maxine Greer cautiously from this minute forward or he will completely lose her confidence. It has become clear that she is simply not herself anymore, and at two- pm he makes a phone call to Faversham’s book store on Prospect Street to talk to her employer about her recent change in demeanor; only to find that has resigned her position at the book store only two days earlier. He knows that this is very bad and if he doesn’t find a way to prove that Maxine’s new love interest is indeed the person responsible for Abigail’s death, Maxine will be lost forever. At three thirty seven the black sports car pulls up in front of Maxine’s apartment where she gets out and removes the packages from the back seat and takes them upstairs, and when she returns, she finds that he has left.

She turns towards the stairs and walks up to her apartment and close’s the door behind her. She waits there by her phone in her bathrobe for what seems like hours for him to call her. And when it doesn't ring she finds herself becoming anxious and angry. She decides to go to bed and when she turns to pull back the covers she finds him sitting there in the chair. Smiling at her confidently. She folds her arms in front of her body defiantly taking an angry posture with him. He smiles at her childish mannerisms.

“Maxine. Do not be a stubborn child. Come here now..”

She doesn’t respond, and instead tries to look away from him out the window at the falling snow.

“You just left me here. Didn’t say a fucking word. You just left.”

Silence. He pauses to see if there is more.

“Maxine. What is it exactly that you would like to hear me say? I’m sorry I had other business to attend to? I’m sorry I left in a hurry?" He stops..

“No Maxine. We both know that that isn’t what is bothering you. You need to know something else don’t you?”

she say’s nothing but looks away, he’s smiling there at her again. she struggles to regain her confidence.

“You need to know about Abigail.. Don’t you? You need to know if I- ”

she stops him in mid sentence.

“I already know in my heart, its you that I don’t know. Your name. what you do. I know nothing about you..”
“You want a name?”
“Yes.”
“I have Many. Which would you prefer?”
She says nothing. She looks at the floor, fearing that she already knows the answer..
“Come over here Maxine. Now.”
She hesitates before finally giving in to his soft demands. He reaches up from his seat and unties the robe and helps it slowly fall to the floor.

She is standing in front of him now naked once again. He rise’s from the chair and slowly ease’s her down on the bed, removes his clothing and lowers himself on top of her.. And there in the chill of her own bed he takes her for the last time. As he dresses she watches him from the bed.
“You won’t be back will you?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
He looks down at her beautiful naked body. And once again smiles.
“Our business has concluded Maxine. My work here is done. She rolls onto her back and stares at the ceiling. He is gone now. And she knows that everything that she thought she knew. Has horribly changed.

Scratch..A.B.T Copyright© 2006.

Guile.. Parts One & Two.. (Revised.)

At first she is not sure if he is real or imagined, as he slowly moves along the fringes of the crowd of people that have become so much a part of her daily routine. As she travels on foot to and from her work at Faversham’s book store on Prospect St; he does seem to have a familiar presence to him, that carry’s with it the slightest scent of danger. He is tall dark and handsome and his appearance is well groomed making him look slightly out of place in this crowd.. Perhaps he is nothing more than the fanciful imaginings of a bored, plain looking young woman, who craves mystery, romance and intrigue in a life, that has offered her little and delivered even less. Still. She wonders. What if?She pushes him from her mind as she crosses over the eighth street bridge and begins her descent into the lower east side of the city, and then makes her way along Canal Street. She stops at the door of The City Café, then looks back to find that he is not only still there, but has moved closer. She opens the door and steps inside of the small room of the diner, and approaches the counter, the older woman that works there knows Maxine Greer all too well, and warmly greets her favorite customer.

“So the usual then Max?”

She offers a soft smile and nod in return. Ruth Carney has worked behind the counter at The City Café for all of the past twenty two year’s and has become a fixture on Canal Street. And she knows every street person, hustler and sidewalk vendor that has worked, hustled and walked the length of it. In all of that time, she has never seen the young man who enters the café as Maxine Greer excuses herself to the ladies room. When she returns to the dining room it is as though an ice cold chill has passed through her body, when she sees him sitting in the booth in the corner, he is drinking black coffee and reading the newspaper, she begins the process of taking mental notes of his appearance. Long shoulder length black hair, a slender face with features that speak of European lineage. Eyes of a color that she could not distinguish because of the dark glasses, seated he looks to be in the six foot something range, he is well dressed in a full black suit with a tie,covered by a top coat..

For the first time she can feel the nervousness creeping in on her, she quickly returns to the counter casting uneasy glances in Ruth Carney's direction, she notices the slight change in Maxine Greer’s demeanor and now she too begins taking mental notes. Until he rise’s up suddenly and exit’s the café, it is only then that Maxine Greer realizes that she is being followed. She opens the door and returns to the sidewalks of Canal Street, pulling her coat up and around her shoulders as the snow begins to drift to the ground, the five o’clock crowd has thinned itself somewhat and her eyes begin to dart in and out of it taking swift notice of every single face there. The young man in the black suit has disappeared, but she can feel it in the pit of her stomach. He is still there. She closes her eyes and tries to focus on his face, and suddenly they re open as though startled from sleep. She knows that she has seen him before, in all of the same places as today, now- she must go to the police.

Dance..

~~~~~~~~~~~

She enters the 13th precinct at 6:05 pm, and walks up to the front desk requesting to speak with the desk sergeant. He comes to the desk with a slight wobble to his walk and the glazed over uninterested look, tells her that he’s been drinking and that speaking with him will get her absolutely nowhere..
“ I have a problem and would like to speak with a detective please.”
The frumpy overweight desk sergeant gives her a quick look up and down.
“You got a name Missy?”
“Maxine Greer.”
“So. What’s yer beef lady?”
“Someone has been following me.”
“How do you know?”
“I see him in all the same places as me every day.”
“Lady. Do you know how many people are in this city?" She doesn’t answer.
“Come back when you have more proof and then we’ll talk..”

She walks out onto the frozen sidewalk, feeling more frustration than when she went in, she begins to head east towards her tiny one bedroom apartment on Lansing blvd. she gets a half of a block when she hears the faint voice calling out from behind her.

“Oh miss! Oh miss!"

A younger man has emerged from inside of the precinct house. She has barely stopped when he extends his hand to her.

“Excuse me, Detective Joshua Kirkland, sorry about the sergeant, he was born an asshole, he just grew bigger.”

She tries to laugh but finds little humor in her situation. He tells her that he’d overheard her conversation with the desk sergeant, and wanted to buy her a cup of coffee and talk it over with her. They return to the City café and get a Booth and Detective Kirkland listens to her story, he doesn't dismiss it.

“This happens a lot Miss Greer, sometimes they just pick you out of a crowd and just start following you to learn your routine, they could be lining you up for a scam, heres my card with my cell number on it, if you see him again. Call me.”

They shake hands outside of the café and go their separate ways, she once again heads east.

She enters into her cramped one bedroom apartment and examines the room for signs of anything other than the way she left it that morning. Still exactly the same. Confident that she’s alone she slowly close’s the door behind her; and walks into the small galley style kitchen to make herself a hot cup of tea. And as the water slowly heats she resigns herself to the bathroom for a quick hot shower, she undresses and slips into the cascading steamy water and pauses in its warmth as it envelopes her body in its wet warm cocoon. She steps out moments later and quickly towel dries herself as if fearful that someone will actually look upon her naked flesh. She pulls the clean dry terry cloth robe around her and ties it tightly at the waist and returns to the kitchen for her tea. Finally at 9:09 PM she rests her hot cup of tea on the nightstand and slowly sinks into the comfort of her warm bed and drifts into a deep peaceful slumber.

It isn't long when she first feels it, a cold dark presence that slowly pulls her away from her dreams, she knows its there but cannot move. Her eyes bound tightly at the lid; teeth grinding together, her robe is open revealing her nakedness to this unseen intruder. She feels his hands slowly moving up and along the inside of her thigh pausing only slightly to feel the moisture slowly growing between her legs. Deep throaty moans rise up from deep inside of her in a voice that she knows is her own but fails to recognize. She slowly opens her eyes to see him standing over her. His hands gracefully gliding over the contours of her perfectly proportioned breasts, he is smiling at her, telling her how truly beautiful she is. Her body rise’s to meet his touch but he pulls away as if to tease or prolong the enticement. And just when she doesn't think that she can take anymore he bends down and softly kisses her slightly parted lips.

“Very soon Maxine my pet,” he softly whispers to her. “Very soon. You will be mine.”

Startled she jumps to find herself alone, eyes open wide and darting around the room to search for clues that never appear. The double doors that lead to the small balcony outside are wide open, and slight traces of snow drift across the empty floor where she stands alone in her confusion. Leaving her to wonder. was this a dream? or.

Dreams of Love and Pain..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She enters the book store at 8:00 am and her boss is just unlocking the front door, he warmly greets her and she asks if he’s made any tea yet. She moves to the back to the office, and even to sixty nine year old Jason Faversham, Maxine Greer does not appear to be herself. He walks up beside her and a look of concern briefly crosses his face.

“Maxi girl are you okay This morning?”

At first she doesn’t answer, her eyes dance nervously around the room looking for signs that tells her that she is indeed awake now. Jason Faversham gently puts his hand on her shoulder.

“Maxi honey. Maybe you should go home, take the day off with pay if you like. Honey you need to rest.”

She slowly nods her head, and began to put on her coat, he studied her for a moment, and decided that there was no way that he would let her walk all of the way home. He calls for her a taxi and upon arrival pays the driver in full to take her home. She gets in at 8:30 am and they drive down Prospect Street and then turn onto Eighth and slowly head east across the snow covered bridge.

They head east on Canal and seven blocks later they pull up in front of the old building that Maxine Greer has lived in for the last ten years. She thanks the driver and heads up the narrow flight of stairs and enters her one bedroom apartment and cautiously locks the door behind her, even then knowing somehow that it will do her no good. She makes tea and resigns herself to the living room and sits by the double doors looking out as the traffic outside passes by below her, she sits and wonders if he himself is even real. She picks up the phone and begins to dial a number a slight hum at first followed by five short rings. Click..

“Hello. You have reached the residence of Abigail Henry, I’m not available right now which means I’m either in the Shower or throwing one into some cute young hottie that I picked up in the bar last night. ha! please leave your name and number at the tone and I’ll get back to you at my earliest inconvenience. Thank you.”

She leaves a message stating that she needs to see her best friend and asks her to come over that morning if possible, Abigail doesn't rush to pick up the phone until she hears the stress and tears forming in Maxine Greer’s voice, and then she hurries to catch the call before Maxine can hang up.

“Hello? Maxi? Are you okay sweetie?”

The voice at the other end is not a calm one, and it doesn't take long to convince Abigail that her friend needs her, and she agrees to come to Maxine’s apartment so the two can talk. She place’s the phone in its cradle and returns her attention to the hot cup of tea, slowly her thoughts begin to fade back towards the events of the evening past. She calculates every little step she’d taken up to the point when she had first felt that cold presence standing over her bed. She pulls her blouse up around her tightly and goes to the closet to retrieve a sweater to wear, outside of the door and down the hallway she can hear footsteps fast approaching, and it cause's her to hold her breath until she hears the knock on the door and Abigail Henry’s voice on the other side.

Abigail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She listens intently as Maxine Greer relates to her the strange occurrence of the past evening. The entire thing played out there in her words as Abigail Henry tries to offer her support.
“So what do you think Abbey?”
“I think I would need a cold shower after having a dream like that Maxi.”
“Abbey. I’m not sure it was a dream. It seemed so real. I just don’t know.”
“Even though Maxi, having dreams about hot sex, beats sharing a bed with a pair of cold feet any day of the week. Honey look. When’s the last time a guy has shown interest in you like this? I mean really? You’re a good lookin woman Maxi, and no matter how hard you try, you’re not gonna be able to hide it forever. Okay. So you saw a hot guy that looked like he may have been following you. And you had a hot dream about him. And now you feel a little guilty. Its normal. Relax. Take it easy. What’s the worst that could happen? He comes up and asks you out? look I gotta go to work sweetie, I’ll see you later. Okay?”

Abigail Henry is three years older than Maxine Greer, and drop dead Gorgeous. She has long flowing brownish red hair and a hot body to match.

Abigail Henry is young and energetic and has a great modeling career ahead of her, she has the world by the ass and she knows it. As she leaves Maxine Greer’s apartment and steps out into the cold morning air and heads for the Ault modeling agency.. She doesn't even notice the tall dark haired young man that moves in behind her and begins to follow her along the snow covered side walks of Canal street. She enters the sidewalk café called Baroque’s Palace and saunters up to the counter and orders herself a orange juice with a bagel, she still has not noticed the young man that now has entered behind her and takes the seat across from hers. When she feels the cold presence there in the room with her, she raise’s her eyes to find herself locked into his stare. He rises from his seat to leave and without even the slightest pause or thought, she rise’s up and follows him out the door. She ignores everything around her, the cold air, the snow drifting from the sky. The traffic and people there have all but grown silent to her.. He turns left on Ardmore street and she follows. He enters into the slightly run down hotel called The Gateway and pause’s to look back over his shoulder at her.

Abigail Henry is still following him. He waits for her to enter into The Gateway, and she follows him up to the room.. He opens the door and Abigail Henry enters. He close’s the door behind him. She is there, but she isn't, she is thinking, but her thoughts are not those of a rational young woman. He removes her coat slowly letting it fall over her shoulders onto the floor, she doesn't resist. He pulls her close to him and slowly runs his hands over her firm round buttocks, she is staring into his eyes. They seem to swirl in their sockets in gray and dark smoldering hues. She has never seen such a color before. And as his lips slowly moved towards hers, she finds her own rising almost too willingly to meet them, and as their tongues meet and slowly slide around each other, he begins to undress his prize. One button. And then two. And soon her blouse and brassiere are on the floor. He slowly begins to unzip her skirt. And she almost consciously holds her breath as she feels it sliding down the back of her thighs, and she moves slowly to the bed and lye’s down, allowing him to remove her panties. And as his hands skillfully caress her firm young body, Abigail Henry closes her eyes.. She thinks to herself that if there is heaven on earth that this surely must be it. When in fact there is no place farther from heaven that she could ever be..

Scratch.. ABT Copyright© 2006

Three Souls for the One Parts 7 - 9 (Revised)

Do dead men dream of the living?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is as it has always been here, a dark over cast day wet and cold night. The streets are dim and dreary, lined with human refuse, with nowhere to turn,and no where to escape the harsh reality of their existence. He is six years old walking the streets of the growing population of Kings Harbor; today he is clutching the hand of the only mother he has ever known. She has raised him from birth, she is Sister Mary Coven and to six year old Eric Bitters she is the world. Today the way he sees that world will change forever. He holds her hand tightly as they make their way from the market back to the First Baptist church of Sandoval Street; just ahead a small crowd is growing in numbers as they stand in the mouth of an alley. There are sirens in the air, but he does not hear them. They push through the crowd and Sister Mary tries to shield young Eric from the spectacle. She is unsuccessful. There lying in the alley; a man is dead. His glassy eyed stare sends an odd sensation coursing through the young boys body, he is only six years old. And already. He knows of death.

The images slowly grow dark, and then fade and for a moment, it seems as though its over, and then as though on a screen in a movie theatre, a new image begins to emerge.. There are six boys running from the police; they have stolen from a store. When the clerk catches them, the middle boy takes the lead and breaks a bottle over the his head, and when he falls, they begin to kick him mercilessly. A woman that passes by has seen them and calls the police. Now they run, Eric Bitters is just ten years old, and though his friend Ian Specter is one year younger than Eric, he seems to be older and has already begun to flourish in the world of petty crime. This day the boys all escape save Eric, they have all left him to the police, he spends the next two years in a youth facility, before being released back into the custody of Sister Mary Coven. She warns him to stay away from the rotten stench of Ian Specters gang of young thugs, and for a short time he does. Until Ian recruits him for an easy job. Ian has obtained the services of a hand gun, it will be the boys first armed robbery, they pull it off without a hitch, save for the small matter of Ian shooting a man dead because he saw their faces.

They are never caught, and through the next few years the image follows the young men into adulthood where their criminal activities continue to escalate. much to young Eric Bitters credit, he has beaten many a man near to death, but has never taken a life. Ian Specter on the other hand has all in all three murders under his belt before the age of eighteen. he has personally witnessed all three murders and Ian Specter secretly begins to look for an opportunity to rid himself of Eric Bitters. It would be six years later in a small market in an incident involving an Arabic grocery clerk and a young pregnant black mother to be; when Ian Specter would get his opportunity. The low rumbling of thunder opens his eyes and Eric Bitters looks down at his cold white hands, and as he listens to the faint sounds of distant sirens reverberating throughout the city. he is not sure if he just had a reflection of distant memories, or if he was somehow dreaming. He stands to look out at the flickering nightlife of Kings Harbor, and though he is not certain where fate will next take him, he knows in his soul that it is not over yet.. There is more work to be done here.

The Fools Circle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There far off, just beyond the reach of normal ears, he can make out the muffled sounds of voices, conversing with one another, lovers fighting , old men speaking in aggravated tones of where their lame duck horse happened to finish in the race. Defensive motorist’s pleading their case to the police officer that is about to give them a ticket. Sounds of the city. Of every city, not however, the sounds that he hopes to hear, the burning inside of him pushes at him.. Driving him through the rain filled sky until finally he comes to a stop above the abandoned church on Summit street. He hides in wait in the steeple watching through the rain. The deadman knows that this is where he must wait.
“What are you doing Eric?”
“Waiting.”
“For what?”
“The End.”

He closes his eyes. There is a slight flash of light. Moments pass and then there is a second flash. Only the second one seems to hold more meaning to him. The burning in his upper torso returns, faintly reminding him of what was. He runs his fingers across his stomach and they linger over the two bullet wounds that have now completely closed. He remembers. His first true act of selflessness. He remembers. The clerk that he couldn’t save and the pregnant woman that he almost didn’t. One or the other. Either or. The supreme selfless act that took his most valuable possession from him. His life. His eyes open and begin to search through the night sky. With purpose. There in the silence of the church steeple. He waits until he hears a familiar sound.

There is a dark green van that slowly motors up and along the curves of Summit street. There are two people inside of this vehicle. A man and a woman both are approximately middle aged. They park across the street from a dimly lit liquor store and wait. He can hear their voices clearly.

They are arguing over something. He listens intently. And then it comes to him. They are going to commit a robbery.

The man is driving. His voice is the loudest. as he begins to curse at the woman.

“No Bonnie. We’re going to wait!” he snaps at her.
“Jimmy! You’re such a wuss! We can take it without him! That just means more money for us!” she coaxes.
“No! damn you woman shut up already! I said NO!
She gets angry with him and continues taunting him with the name calling. But he eventually wins out.
“ Baby listen to me.” he tells her. “ this place. This little shit hole of a store is loaded! Over ten grand I hear!! In that little shitty ass store! It will be worth it to wait. To do it right. The man is a master of this. We’ll wait.”

They fall silent until almost thirty minutes pass, then he hears it.. A familiar sound.. From the not too distant past. He leans outside of the steeple to watch. And as he sees the small black compact pull up behind the van.. The burning returns to his stomach. He has found Ian Specter.

Spiraling Edgeward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stands, silently watching until what seems like an eternity has past. And there in the light rainfall, he sees Ian Specter. Ian Specter.. Ian Specter. he repeats the name several times in his head until he can feel the rage beginning to burn inside him, Eric Bitters is very angry.
“No Eric. Dead men don’t get angry.”
“This one does.”
“No. Eric.. Dead men don’t need revenge.”
This one wants it so bad that he can feel it burning in the very soul he is trying to save. All of this anger. Damnation. Pure rage. All of this. What. Is. it? Emotions?? How can that be it? Your dead my friend. No blood in your veins. No heart beating in your chest. No. Eric.
There are no emotions. You are dead. What then is this? Madness?
A memory? Yesss. that’s what this is. A memory. Of a smile. That evil little smile that you saw. Just before the that little flash of light, took you from your prison. Ian Specter’s evil little smile.

Close your eyes now deadman. Go back. What do you see? What is your wish? Tell us. Ian Specter is lying on the ground, he is quivering, perhaps for the very first time in his life he knows fear. He trembles before the dead man begging for mercy to a person that is no longer capable of such feats.

“What now Eric?.. What are you prepared to do to him?”

there is a silence all around him . He can see Ian specter’s face. He is yelling or perhaps it is a further extension of his pleas for mercy, but there is no sound. He is begging. Even pleading. But it is all a sham. You know this truth Eric. People like Ian. They’re only sorry when they are facing the consequences of their actions. Well. Its time. Do it Eric. Kill him. Well deadman? What are you waiting for? You hesitate. Why? What is it that makes you feel this way? Ahhh. Yes. There it is then. the one thing that will always pull you away from the edge of insanity even long after death has claimed you. The truth. Reason. Remnants of a conscience. Because you do see the truth.. You can’t kill him. Because you still not like him.

You are not Ian Specter.. You are Eric Bitters.

“Open your eyes Eric..”
“I. I don’t see it.”
“Its there Eric. Just open your eyes. Its- Right. there.”
“Ian.”
“Yes Eric.”
“It ends here.”
“Yes Eric”
“Do it for Annie?”
“No.”
“Marcus and Zack?”
“No.”
“For you Eric. This you must do. for you.”
He opens his eyes.. The rain is still falling only harder. The black compact parked behind the van, moves slightly as the form of Ian Specter emerges from the vehicle. He briefly stops to meet the man and woman from the van, and together they begin to cross the street towards the small run down liquor store. Above them Eric Bitters stands and moves silently towards the edge of the steeple. It is time for Ian specter to come face to face with his greatest creation.

Of Suffering And Sanity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The three of them are walking across the dark empty street, the man and woman walk stride for stride in front of Ian Specter. Upon entering the liquor store he raise’s his pistol to the back of the woman’s head and fires point blank, killing her instantly. Shocked the man turns to face Ian Specter, and he is the next to go. Ian turns the weapon towards the clerk,

“Wanna be a Hero?” He taunts.

The frightened clerk shakes his head no.

“All of the money in the register and the safe, now!”

The clerk tries to comply, and for a split second something catches Ian’s eye and he turns away for a second, when he turns back he is face to face with Eric Bitters.

“Hello Ian.. Goodbye Ian..”

A ice cold clammy white hand clutches at Ian Specters throat; and he is suddenly flying through the air. He crashes through the store front plate glass window and lands back first on the sidewalk.. Eric Bitters tells the bewildered clerk to call the police, and he steps out the door to deal with Ian.

Ian staggers to his feet, he now has no weapon.

“Who in the fuck are you?”

Again he is flying through the air, this time he lands back first up against a brick wall in the alley. Stunned he stumbles to his feet.

“N.. No.. please wait..”

Eric Bitters pauses.

“ Please Ian? Why- that isn’t like you. Why don’t you just shoot me again?”

He stares at Eric Bitters through the rain.

“Again? Man. I don’t even know you.”

The rain comes down harder ..

“You mean to tell me after all of these years Ian you’ve forgotten me?”
He peers through the rain trying to look closer. Startled he falls back against the brick wall..

“No Way man! Y.. Y.. You’re’. Dead- aren’t you? I. I. I shot you. Twice.. You’re suppose to be dead. E. Eric? Is that really you?”

He slowly slides down the brick wall whimpering as he goes. Sirens. Many siren’s. in the distance behind him. Ian will go to prison.. If Eric Bitters doesn’t kill him first. Killed by a dead man that YOU killed.. Irony at its finest. Times up. He grabs Ian Specter by the coat and raises him from the ground, he is soaking wet.. His bottom lip quivering.. A distant vacant look roams freely in his eyes. Ian Specter is slowly slipping away from the world of the sane..

And suddenly to Eric Bitters, revenge does not seem so important.. Ian Specter for all intensive purposes. Is dead to the world. He will never have another victim. There are four police cars present when the store clerk point them in Ian Specters direction. They take him into custody, they have two bodies, they have the murder weapon. And pending his sanity. They have Ian Specter. One way or another, sane or not, he will be safely locked away for the rest of his life, as the two officers are leading him to their cruiser; he is muttering the same thing over and over again.

“It can’t be. I killed him. I killed him.”

The police cars slowly pull away one at a time while the ambulance loads two more bodies into its belly. Two more for Kings Harbors growing collection. He watches from the top of the church Steeple, the store clerk is now explaining what happened to two of his regular paying customers outside of this establishment. One guy in Halloween makeup stopped a armed robber in his tracks. Eric Bitters lifts himself back into the night air. There is one more thing that he knows he must do.

Home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He’s sitting there, in the dark part of the room in a wooden chair, his elbows rest on the arms of it and his hands are bound together by his fingers and his chin sits on them. His eyes study her while she sleeps, and in the back of his mind he wonders. How could one human being be so loving. So patient, giving and understanding of someone who caused them so much grief over and over again. He wonders. Why hadn’t he ever told her? The things that he knew deep down that she needed to hear even if she never told him so. Mama. I love you. Mama I’m so proud, to be your only son. Mama. I proud of you for being an angel to the living- so many needed you. I needed you. And you kept giving. Your love. Your compassion. Your grace. How could I have never told you those words that I needed you to hear? How could I have been. So, so blind, by selfishness, by vanity, by my need to be part of that crowd that tore me away from your shelter, from your love. From you.

Now here I stand, humbled by that unforgivable knowledge. Maybe I’m still selfish. But I need you to know, that you’ve always had my respect, my love and undying admiration, even though I never spoke the words. I speak them to you now. I love you Mama. Eric Bitters rises to his feet and slowly goes to where Sister Mary Coven peacefully sleeps, with but one finger he slowly brushes the strands of silken hair from her face, she is still the most beautiful woman he has ever known, his cold lips touch her forehead and he kisses his mother for the first and last time, and in her slumber Sister Mary’s lips purse into a smile. The words she has waited for twenty five years to hear from her only son, invades the world of her dreams and tells her what she has known all along. And for the first time in life and in death Eric Bitters soul is at peace.

“Eric?”
He doesn’t answer.

“Eric. It’s time son.”
Followed by silence.
“You’re time here is finished, it is time to go.”
“Go where?”
“Home.”
He stares out the window at the rising sun on the horizon, the clouds have parted, the rain has for once stopped to witness this odd new miracle. And as he close’s his eye’s he can almost feel the warmth of the sunrise touch his cold face.. And Eric Bitters smiles, for he knows. He is already home.

~Fin.~

Scratch.. A.B.T Copyright © 2006.

Three Souls For the One. Parts 4 - 6 (Revised )

Cathedral
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




They have been there awhile, for how long exactly he cannot be certain, he thinks that they act like brothers. They argue sometimes, they’re both very, very young, the oldest looks to be in his mid to late teens, he is street wise beyond his years. The younger one looks to be no older than ten or perhaps eleven years of age. In the past two months that Eric Bitters had been staying in this abandoned tower that he has called his cathedral since he was first sent back to Kings Harbor, He has been watching the comings and goings of the two youths for the last two weeks. He has studied them in the darkened hallways as they interact with each other, and he soon discovers that his suspicions are correct. They are brothers. The oldest is called Marcus, he is fifteen, the youngest is nine, his name is Zackary. He studies them from a dark room adjacent to theirs, there is no electricity here, no heat, no workable plumbing. They live hand to mouth, day to day, and Marcus does what he must, to ensure that he and his younger sibling survive here.


The floor is wet in place’s as they are near the very top of this building and the roof is leaking badly. The only source of heat and light comes from a few well placed worn candles, that are used sparingly. Here in the cathedral, voices are being raised. Marcus is scolding Zackary, he has stolen food for them to eat tonight, but took an incredible chance to get it. Marcus tells him often that here in this life, Chances for anything are rare. People like them don’t get many, and they must use them carefully. Eric Bitters decides that he will stay near the two young siblings tonight, there is a long window here in this dark room, he sits on the sill with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. He stares for a time out the broken window into the dark abyss that has become a prison for so many. Many like Marcus and Zackary, babes in arms, guarding what little piece of the world that they have with all of the strength they can muster. And doing so with a dignity and pride that few adults would ever know.


The prison known to the world as Kings Harbor sleeps tonight, but Eric Bitters knows all too well, that it won’t sleep for long, soon, the inmates will be stirring, and out in numbers looking for prey. Prey like Marcus and Zackary. Marcus is trying to listen patiently to Zackary’s explanation of why he took a chance to get the evenings meal, Marcus isn’t buying it. You do not steal from under the nose of Jinx’s soldiers, the man that owns the market that Zackary has stolen from; has a son that is under Jinx’s employ. Marcus warns him, that if he were to be caught in the act, the son would come looking for him. And where there is one of Jinx’s soldiers, there are many. They dine on the cold deli Sandwiches that Zackary has taken from the one of the markets refrigerators for them to eat, soon the candles grow dim and then the light fades, they both fall into an uneasy sleep, tomorrow will be a new day for the brothers, a new day filled with new opportunities. New Challenges to be met. If they are to stay together they will need to rest.


ATHENA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



It is almost 10:00 am, Zachary is slowly making his way through the sparsely crowded sidewalk. he has once again ventured out alone; away from the protection of the cathedral, against his brothers wishes. Marcus is out as well, searching for a legitimate way to make a better life for his younger brother. He fears that Zackary may be becoming too street wise, and his getting into trouble is slowly beginning to escalate. This morning Zackary wanders the streets of Kings Harbor looking for the new opportunities that Marcus spoke of. He can slowly feel it as the painfully familiar signs of hunger begin to slowly burn in his stomach. He knows that soon, he will have to take another one of his chances if he is to eat this morning. He makes his way to 33rd street, there are vendors on the sidewalks selling fresh fish and there are even a few others who have fresh fruit and vegetables to offer. Getting to 33rd street however is a long way off, and it will take him at least two precious hours of the morning just to reach it.


He pushes his way through the small crowd and turns left on Wicker street and begins the trek east towards 33rd. Upon his arrival he sees that it is the busiest time of the morning, most vendors will be too busy tending to the demands of their customers to notice a small boy lifting fruit and vegetables from their tables. He finds a likely candidate and sizes it up, there are four people around the vendor and she doesn’t even see him. He moves in quickly and seizes three small pieces of fruit and smoothly makes his escape. Once clear he begins a slow run to distance himself from 33rd street, two blocks. Three and then four. Now he is becoming tired and he finds an alley to rest in, he pulls one piece of fruit out from under his shirt and shaking, he pulls it up to his mouth and slowly sinks his teeth into the sweet nectarine.
“your pretty smooth kid.”
A voice from the street has entered the alley where Zackary hides. It is a young woman, he recognizes her from 33rd street, she was at the vendors where he stole the fruit .


This morning Zackary’s hunger has made him careless. This morning he was followed. This morning he has been caught. Her name is Athena, the vendor that Zackary stole from was her mother, but oddly enough, Athena isn’t angry, she sits down next to him and smiles. She has a beautiful smile.
“Don’t worry kid.” she tells him “ I’m not taking you back to stand trial or nothing!” she laughs. “ I know what its like to be hungry, and having to steal food shouldn’t have to be a crime.”
He produces a piece of fruit to her and together they sit in the alley and eat. Athena really likes young Zackary, and she soon volunteers to walk him home, they make their way towards Wicker Street. The gateway to Kings Harbor’s true hell. On the way he regales her with stories of his life on the street and she patiently listens, Athena finds him to be a rather charming boy, but they are losing track of time and the day grows dark. Soon it will be nightfall in the district of predators who feed on young boys and pretty innocent women. They have unknowingly attracted the attention of some of the local talent, and now they are being carefully watched and followed.


Rats Among the Ruins
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



He is there just out of their field of vision, at first they are too busy ushering the beautiful young woman and the small boy in her company into the alley, just past the corner of Wicker and seventh avenue. It is nightfall now, he is in his element. here he is king. Through the misty billows of his own hot breath as it filters through the cold night air, he silently watches from above as the six young men slowly gather around Athena Santini and her new friend Zackary. There is much masculine posturing going on and the leader seems to be the biggest of their brood. He is completely in black leather and towers over the beautiful young Athena. But he is more interested in personal amusement and he motions for a rather short unpleasant looking fellow that they refer to as Pig Iron to have a go at her. He smiles at her through broken yellowish brown teeth that are in some places even black. He is short and fat, and smells of the stench of his own urine and she finds his childish attempts at sexual advances utterly disgusting.


She steps in front of Zackary and squares off with this unpleasant little cretin. It comes completely unexpected to all of the witnesses, especially Eric Bitters, Athena does not back up one step, quite the contrary, she steps forward, towards the giddy little toad known as Pig Iron.
He advances on her, trying to look brave in the eyes of his comrades, but what he gets is humiliation, as Athena Santini drives her Shinbone hard into his crotch, he instinctively doubles over groaning loudly in pain all of the while cupping both hands over his badly wounded testicles, leaving his snotty little pointed nose wide open for her perfectly timed and executed right cross. He is now crumpled up into a ball on the wet alley floor while the other five look on in amazement. The alpha male stands and stares at Athena Santini, now in a different way, he no longer seems to be taken by her beauty, now he is angry.


He produces a knife and slowly advances on her, his four accomplices have begun to close on them as well. Two of them however, have spotted Eric Bitters descending on them and have bravely run away, his appearance has suddenly taken the fight into a darker part of the alley where there is much confusion as to who is doing what and to whom. When as suddenly as it starts, it stops, staggering into the light comes the alpha male, his movements are sluggish and his face is pale, he stares a blank stare at Eric Bitters for a second, until small tear shaped crimson drops of blood slowly ooze from the corners of his lips. He falls forward. Behind him stands a stunned looking Zackary, wielding a bloody knife. The wide eyed stare. The realization that comes with knowing that a life, any life, has been lost and you have taken it. Eric Bitters knows that look all too well, a life is lost. An innocence is shattered. A childhood. Lost forever.


Waiting for the Light
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Athena stands behind the bewildered child with both hands resting on his shoulders, he was protecting her. He didn’t know what that bad man was going to do to his new friend. He didn’t really have a choice in the matter. Kill or watch her be killed, adult decisions. Made in the minds of babes. Athena gently takes the knife, Zackary has descended into a weeping shock at the realization of what he has just done. She leads him slowly from the alley and down the dark deserted street, only Marcus would know what to do now. He stands above the dead body of the alpha male, the rain has washed away the crimson spots on the lips of this now dead youth, Eric Bitters cocks his head. Something does not seem right about this young man, he kneels down to closer examine the body, the fingernails on both hands have been manicured recently, and there on his right forefinger is a very expensive looking mans ring,


he places his fingers on the dead youths lips and slowly parts them.. They have been brushed, he is well kept. Now Eric begins to realize that this was no ordinary street soldier, there is something special about him. Eric knows, someone will come looking for the person, and then for revenge. Moments later, Zackary and Athena return to the scene with Marcus in tow, upon seeing the dead body Marcus becomes extremely shaken, and begins to pace back and forth in the alley nervously. Marcus knows this young man, his hands are on top of his head and he has become almost panic stricken.
“Oh My God Zack! What have you done?”
It is then that the reality of the situation provides Eric Bitters with his very own realization..


The dead youth is the son of the crime lord known as Jinx. Marcus accompanies Athena and his younger brother back to the protection of the cathedral. They light what’s left of the candles and Athena and Zackary watch as he nervously paces the floor trying to consider their options.
Marcus knows that Jinx will come looking for his son, and one of the young hoods will tell him who killed him. Jinx will want blood. Zackary’s blood. Eric Bitters listens quietly from the next room as the three young minds begin to formulate a desperate plan to escape from Jinx’s wrath. Zackary will hide in a place beyond 33rd street where only Athena’s Greek and Italian friends will know how to find him. Marcus will walk with them through the night to get Zackary to his sanctuary before dawn and hopefully before Jinx finds out what has happened. Eric Bitters will follow them to ensure their safety.


Halfway through the night time trek to 33rd street, something captures his attention, near a bus stop on a bench there lye’s a news paper, there is a story on the front page about the attempt that was made on Annie Harlow’s life just two nights ago, the police have taken into custody the hired gun that shot and killed Maurice Salazaar. The gunman had in his possession the Ledger that contains the names and numbers of Jinx’s known fencing activities, which means that now the police have the ledger and have begun decoding it. Soon the noose will tighten. It would appear that now there is something else for Jinx to worry about. They are close to 33rd street now, soon he will be following Marcus back to the cathedral.



Dark Faith
~~~~~~~~~~




He has felt the odd presence of something just out of his reach for the past few days and he knows that someone has been watching his brother Zackary and him. He is sitting in the dark room with his legs crossed, with both feet tucked under his thighs, he sits in alone now, in the middle of the floor pondering his fate. Praying to whatever God may be listening; that his brothers life will be spared in all of this nonsense. Waiting for the sun to rise to give him precious light to live in, in Marcus’s young heart he feels that hope is dying fast, and soon there will be no resolution through which either his brother or him will live.
“You remind me of someone that I used to think that I knew”
Marcus stops in mid thought and quickly raises his head to the cold voice echoing through the empty room.
“I knew you were there. Somewhere in here. Do you work for Jinx?” have you been watching us for him?”

Eric Bitters does not answer at first, he calculates the words, that will ease this tension.
“No Marcus. I work for no one, you have a problem. I think I can help you there, but you will need to trust me.”
The confused youth abruptly rises to his feet, the voice seems cold and as empty as the room he stands in, and has an eerie other worldly feel to it.
“What are YOU going to help me with? What could you give me that I can’t get myself?”
He stops to ponder what he has just asked, already suspecting the answer that will come. “Salvation Marcus.. Salvation.”
There is quiet.
“Yours or mine Spirit?” more silence. And then.
“Both.”

Marcus looks down at the floor, it is as cold and barren as he feels his future to be.
“Salvation? When Jinx comes for my brother and me there will be nothing but spilled blood. Ours.”
He lets Marcus’s words hang for a brief instant.
“You’ve seen Jinx. You’d have had to, to know that the youth in the alley was his son.”
Marcus thinks for a second.
“Yeah, I’ve seen him a few times, been to that place where he holes up too, Beacon Towers I think it’s called. You never seen Jinx?”
There is an even colder silence that follows his question that makes the boy uneasy.
“I’ve seen his work.” Eric Bitters tells him. “Can’t say as I’ve ever had the pleasure of making his acquaintance though. So. You know how to find him. Right?”


He steps slowly out of the shadows and his appearance takes young Marcus by surprise. He takes one step back.
“You. Look. Well. you know?” Eric Bitters leans forward and says with a slight wink.. “You mean I look like this city feels?”
Marcus smiles looking down as though trying not to laugh. He puts a cold hand to the boys shoulder. Now the deadman is not smiling..
“Take me to him Marcus.. Tonight, you will show me where the devil sleeps, and we will end this once and for all.”
Marcus is not smiling now either.
“Are you crazy man? You’ll never get in there a-”


He stops in mid sentence. Eric Bitters is staring at him. And now Marcus realizes.
“The dead have nothing to fear of the living Marcus, my story is too long to share with you. Tonight Jinx’s reign on this city stops. There is evidence in Jinx’s possession that will put him where he belongs forever. Behind a wall of stone and steel bars.”
Marcus is now sitting again. He tells him to get some sleep and he will wake him at 2:00 am. While Marcus sleeps he retrieves a photo from his shirt, and studies it. It is a picture of Marcus, Zackary and their mother. An idea strikes him, and he steps out of the window for a moment, there is a fading phone number on the back of the photo, there is hope. He raises himself into the rain filled sky. If anyone can find this woman, for the boys, Sister Mary Coven is the woman for the Job.


Death in the house of the king.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





He watches in disbelief as Eric Bitters slowly ascends into the air and takes himself up to the roof top of Beacon Towers. He has told Marcus to stay clear and return to the cathedral and wait where he would return with evidence for him to take to the authorities. He disappears back into the shadows of the streets leaving Eric Bitters to the task of collecting evidence. But he has not simply come here for evidence. Something inside of the deadman burns him to the core. He has long heard the name of this monster connecting him to thousands of crimes, many of which were murders of innocent street people. he waste’s no time dispatching with the pitiful excuse for a security system and finds access into the crime lords lair painfully easy. There are three security guards on hand to guard the entire twenty something floor structure, apparently the feeling is that Jinx fears no one. Nobody after all- would be foolish enough to challenge him in his own palace.


He gains entry on the first attempt and renders the guards unconscious and bounds and gags them in the storage room off of the kitchen. There are vulgar displays of unbelievable wealth all around him. Fine furnishings and marble flooring reach out to every room as far as the eye can see, golden rails line spiral staircases that lead to each new floor along with lushly red crushed velvet lined elevator cars. He takes the first staircase and begins to climb up to where Jinx is. He knows his gut will be his guide. He has climbed all of the way to the top floor, twenty four to be exact, then through a crackled door he hears the faint echoes of opera music slowly waffling through the still air, he sees a lone figure sitting at a desk writing in a black ledger. There are nine others stacked beside it, and when Eric Bitters enters the room the figure abruptly stands. And he comes face to face with the true monster.


But the Monster doesn’t react like a monster, but more like a frightened child. He beckons for his paid thugs to come to his aid. And Eric Bitters Shakes his head no.
“Its finished Jinxy boy, you’re finished.”
He produces a hand gun and fires it at the pale intruder, but he keeps coming. Jinx keeps firing. Eric Bitters keeps coming. Now he is screaming incoherently making threats at him, all of the while running down the hallway to escape. No more nightmares. No more victims. The endless cycle of self perpetuating violence stops here. Tonight. He keeps running. Eric Bitters keeps coming. The city will sleep in peace from this day forth. The healing starts here. The death, the plunder, what has begun here ends here.
"Only one escape. Me. Take a good look Mr Jinx. I am everything that got you to where you are. Death. Pain. Despair."


“What are you? What are you d.. doing. Here?”
"Scarred Jinx? Poor frightened little boy?"
The marble floor is cold under his bare feet and towards the end of the hall Jinx struggles to maintain his footing near the stained glass window pane at the very end. Eric Bitters is closing in on him, he is slipping.
“Jinx?”
He looks up as though all of time and space has stopped.
“Its time to go Jinx.”
Times up.
“B- but I’m. Not. Ready?”
His body falls backwards into the shards of breaking glass as he falls through the window. He falls for what seems like an eternity.. The rain stops almost in the air as though to witness the spectacle. Eric Bitters stands and stares through his misty breath at the sight below him. Jinx lies still on the side walk below. The rain returns. And now there is nothing.

Reunion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~






He is almost to the point of exhaustion, he has turned in the ledgers that Eric Bitters provided him to the authorities. He did it as he was told to, Someone gave him twenty dollars to turn the ledgers in. and when the desk sergeant turned his back for a second Marcus was out the door and down the street before the cops were any the wiser. With jinx dead it was only a matter of time before his co conspirators were drug into the light. Now there is a light rain falling, almost a mist, as he turns towards the cathedral on Tenth Avenue. Zackary stands out in front of the building waiting for Marcus to return. He walks up to his younger brother confused.
“Zackary? How did you?
Sister Mary Coven introduces herself to Marcus, and confesses that she has brought him here and that someone has been waiting to see them.


The woman that they have not seen in over a year since the siblings ran away to escape their abusive step father, appears in the doorway of the cathedral. She stands alone waiting for the reactions of her sons.
"Momma?"
They rush to her side and the three share a heart felt hug. She will take her boys home where she lives alone, and she will feed them and keep them safe from predators. They will be a family. Tonight the young siblings will be safe. Sister Mary Coven looks up at the lone figure silently watching the three family members get into the taxi from the top of the cathedral. And as it disappears around the corner, Sister Mary wishes to herself that her boy could come home too.


~Scratch..A.B.T. Copyright© 2006.~