When the Night Calls

by Rashad Freeman

  Victor rubbed at his eyes trying to sober himself. He stumbled into the kitchen and ran water over his face then grabbed a dish towel.

  “So…so Lawson. He’s dead?” Victor repeated.

  Daniel nodded. Pulling out a chair he sat down and started to replay the night. Victor listened intently. When Daniel finished it was impossible for Victor to hide his satisfaction.

  “Good riddance,” he said with a grin.

  “Victor, this is serious shit. You know they’re gonna look at you as a suspect.”

  Victor laughed. “Good luck.”

  Daniel shook his head. He’d had enough babysitting for one night. “Get your shit together,” he jolted.

  Annoyed, Daniel stood up and walked out of the door. Victor stared after him still grinning from ear to ear.

  “Daniel, don’t leave,” Victor giggled to the sound of a slamming door.

  Daniel had been covering Victor’s ass since high school. It was always one thing or another. Trouble with some guy wanting to kick his ass, trouble with some girl he wouldn’t leave alone. Victor was a walking problem.

  Daniel left Victor’s house and drove to his office. As he neared the garage he found Tom waiting outside. He stopped at the curb and Tom hopped in.

  “Where to boss?” Tom laughed.

  “I know a place,” Daniel responded.

  “I take it you got eyes on our fat friend?”

  “Yeah, he’s still kicking.”

  “Okay, so no fake tits tonight. What’s the world gonna do?” Tom laughed.

  “Well, no appointments and our assistant is still MIA. What’s the point of opening up tonight anyway?”

  Daniel pulled off and followed the familiar path he’d taken for so many nights. As the city lights started to fade Tom looked around in confusion.

  “Where the hell you taking me? I’m usually on the other end of these mysterious rides,” he said.

  “Don’t worry, it’s a surprise.”

  Twenty minutes later Daniel turned off the main road and headed down the winding dirt path. Tom fidgeted in his seat, but didn’t say anything.

  “We’re here,” Daniel announced as he stopped just shy of the river.

  “What the hell is this place?” Tom asked and narrowed his eyes.

  “My little peace…my bit of the Mekong in Louisiana.”

  Tom stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. “Peace, huh? You find it here?” He looked around, soaking in the sounds of the night. Squatting down, he grabbed a handful of muddy dirt and crumbled it in between his fingers.

  Daniel looked on smiling. He knew if anyone could appreciate his special place, Tom could.

  “So, you been hiding this from me, huh?” Tom asked.

  “Not really hiding it.” Daniel looked back at him and shrugged. “Victor’s gonna get himself killed you know?” he mumbled after moments of staring off into the distance.

  “How’s that?”

  “Just a feeling. That asshole is never happy,” Daniel shook his head and turned back to the water.

  “Yeah…yeah, I guess,” Tom muttered.

  Daniel picked up a rock and tossed it into the murky water. “So, what’s the news on Lawson?”

  “No leads. I overheard one of the deputies, looks like this case is going federal.”

  “Just what we need, more dicks in suits showing up out of the blue.” Daniel paused and looked at Tom. “You never did tell me what brought you down here after all these years.”

  “So, so that’s your segue, dicks in suits.”

  They both laughed.

  “Nah, it was just some girl gone missing case. Family's been looking for years with no results. I caught a few leads that sent me this way. The authorities I’ve spoken to think she might have something to do with some murder cases they’re trying to wrap up,” Tom said dismissively.

  “Seems up your alley.”

  “It’s a paycheck.”

  They stood at the riverbank well into the early morning. They relived war stories and joked about the good old days. Tom even laughed about Victor being the murderer; he seemed to have a motive.

  “There’s no way that fat bastard could cut somebody’s throat. They’d have to pry the donut from his hands first,” Tom chuckled.

  “Sun’s gonna be up in a few hours, you ready to hit it?” Daniel asked and started to yawn.

  Tom nodded. He looked back out on the river one last time, then together they headed back to the car. Within minutes they were zooming back down the highway.

  Daniel dropped Tom off at his hotel then headed straight for his house. He figured if he was lucky he might get four hours of sleep before he had to pick Monica up from the airport.

  As he walked inside, his eyes slowly adjusted to the stale darkness. He blinked his eyes a few times then tossed his keys toward the table.

  "Pocket...Pocket here boy,” he called out.

  Daniel walked into the kitchen expecting Pocket to come running toward him. Instead, something hit him hard over the head and he grimaced in pain. Staggering forward, he turned around. He raised his hands just as a pan came crashing down again.

  His arms bore the brunt of the blow and the pan ricocheted and dropped to the ground. Daniel fell backwards onto the floor and slid into the cabinet. He scrambled across the tile, grabbed the pan and leapt back to his feet.

  With the makeshift weapon held high like a tennis racket, he swept back and forth across the dark kitchen. "Come on out! I'm gonna beat your ass!" he growled.

  There was no reply. Whoever attacked him had vanished like smoke leaving only a bruised ego behind.

  Daniel rubbed his head with his free hand, his chest moved like an enormous wave as he breathed in and out. Straining his ears, he listened for the slightest sound of movement.

  Suddenly, a thud fell behind him and he turned around just in time to avoid the twelve-inch knife swinging towards him. It flew by his face close enough to shave the stubble from his jaw and stabbed into the counter behind him.

  It was hard for Daniel to see, but someone dressed in all black was hell bent on ending his life. The attacker was a little shorter than he was and moved swiftly with the grace of a trained assassin. In their hand was a serrated knife that they had taken from the kitchen counter.

  Grunting, the mysterious intruder swiped at Daniel again. He used the pan to deflect the knife then jumped to the side. Lunging forward he hurled the pan like a baseball across the kitchen.

  They ducked to the ground and the pan whizzed by, banging into the refrigerator. It rattled to the ground as they rushed at Daniel, kicking him into the center island. Daniel let out a muffled grunt as they swung the knife viciously.

  Daniel fell back and gripped his stomach. The knife had found it’s mark and a deep crimson trail flowed from his side. He staggered back against the wall then stumbled to the sink. He looked up and moved his head just as the knife sailed by again. It spiraled past him and plunged into the cabinet door.

  The intruder circled him, slowly walking around the marbled countertop like a hungry lion. Daniel carefully edged backwards. He grimaced as his wound started to bleed more freely. Blood ran down his arm and fell onto the tile floor with a splash.

  With his free hand, Daniel reached backwards and yanked the knife from the cabinet behind him. He flipped it around holding it just above his waist. "Come on!" he growled

  The dark figure stopped and stared at him. For a moment Daniel thought they were going to attack again, then suddenly they turned and ran for the front door.

  Daniel gave chase. His wound felt like it was tearing apart with every step he took. Before he made it to the foyer, they’d bolted out of the door and disappeared into the night.

  WELCOME BACK

  “You sure you okay?” Monica looked at him empathetically.

  Daniel glanced at her and smiled, then looked back to the road. She could tell he was still pretty upset about the break in. Unlike most people who’d be unsettled at someone being in t
heir house, Daniel didn’t like the idea that someone had gotten the jump on him. He’d consider it an insult to his manhood, to his situational awareness. The six stitches that closed his stomach wound didn’t make him happy either.

  He was tense, gripping the steering wheel like he wanted to rip it off as he drove. A grudge was one thing Daniel could keep and it burned him to the core that he hadn’t beaten the living shit out of burglar. He drove down the road replaying the incident in his head, randomly cursing under his breath and grunting.

  Monica turned her head and stared back out of the window. Beads of rain rolled down the foggy glass. Cars zipped by in a blur as they sped down the highway. She hadn’t expected to come home to such a somber mood, but she refused to let it dampen her spirits.

  “I have a meeting later today with a rep from the publishing company,” Monica raised her eyebrows waiting for Daniel’s response. When he didn’t react, she continued. “It should be good news.”

  “That’s good,” Daniel mumbled the words autonomously.

  Monica rolled her eyes and breathed heavily. “Daniel, are you even listening to me?”

  “Yes, publishing meeting, exciting stuff,” he said in a sarcastic tone.

  Monica became furious. She huffed and banged her fist on the dashboard. “Damn it, Daniel! Are you really gonna be like this the rest of the day?”

  Daniel didn’t say a word he just continued staring straight ahead.

  “So what, you got your ass kicked. Fix the door, buy an alarm, and get over it,” Monica jabbed at him.

  That’s what he loved about her, her innate ability to oversimplify everything, reducing even the biggest issues to nothing. He turned to her and smiled.

  “Yeah, I’ll get over it.”

  In all honesty, he was only half mad at getting his as kicked. He was more concerned with the homicidal maniac running free. The officer that came over last night said it seemed like a typical break-in. They suspected he’d startled them and that’s when they grabbed a knife from the kitchen. Daniel wasn’t buying it one bit.

  “I think you should stay at Sandra’s for a few days,” he said, turning to Monica.

  She looked at him like he’d just threatened to kill her. “You think I should do what?”

  “I’m sorry, babe. This whole thing has got me nervous. All the murders and now Lawson and the break-in. I’d just feel safer if you were out of the city until they caught the guy,” Daniel spoke softly.

  “And what about you?” Monica rolled her eyes.

  Daniel ignored her and kept driving. As they pulled into the driveway, Monica let out a sigh of relief. Although her time in New York pretending to be a star was exciting, she also found it a bit overwhelming. She longed for the comfort of her favorite couch and the sound of Pocket snoring at her feet.

  She had so much to share with Daniel about her trip. The people she met, places she saw. She seemed well on her way to finally attaining writing success.

  Somehow none of what was going on seemed to bother her. She’d completely engulfed herself in her career and anything outside of that had become a minor detail.

  Monica stepped into the house and glanced at the unpainted piece of wood that had been replaced. It was obvious from the bent metal that someone had used a crow bar or other crude device to break in.

  With a loud bark, Pocket ran to the door and greeted her.

  “And where were you when all this was going on?” she looked down and rubbed his head as he shook and wagged his tail.

  “He was hiding under our bed, where all courageous dogs go when there’s trouble,” Daniel said and cut his eyes.

  Monica walked into the living room and collapsed onto the couch. It felt great to be home, she felt like she’d been gone forever. Daniel slid her bags into their room and then took a seat beside her. He let out a long yawn and then laid his head back and stared at the ceiling. He was just getting comfortable when the loud buzz of the doorbell sent Pocket into a barking frenzy.

  “Oh, now you find your balls?” Daniel gawked at the dog as he pushed him aside to get to the door.

  He’d forgotten all about the appointment today with Sykes Security. Having the police on standby wasn’t exactly a fool proof plan, but it made him feel better about leaving Monica home alone. Daniel spared no expense. Every method of intrusion detection and early warning was installed, making it a little more than a hassle for him to gain access to his own house.

  “You sure this is gonna keep the bad guys out?” Daniel interrogated the technician.

  “Oh yes sir. The perimeter alarm should alert the police if anyone comes within fifteen feet of the door. Of course, you have to set it first. And the system will detect entry through any point of ingress.”

  Monica looked on only half interested. She felt much safer knowing that Daniel’s .357 was tucked away in the closet. The technician’s voice trailed off as he walked Daniel around the outside of the house showing him the other features.

  Monica stepped back inside and closed the door as the phone rang. Sandra was on the other end reminding her about the meeting with the publisher.

  “Yes, I remember Sandra. Oh and I guess I’ll be staying with you for a few days if that’s alright. Yeah, Daniel’s freaking out. I’ll see you in a few minutes then.” As soon as Monica hung up the phone it started ringing again.

  “I’m gonna kill you, just get over here,” Monica screamed into the phone.

  “I’m sorry; this is Agent Remy Lanoux with the N’orlans field office.”

  “Oh, oh excuse me; I thought you were someone else,” Monica blushed.

  “No problem, ma’am. Is Daniel Montague round?”

  “Oh yes, one second.” Monica darted outside and hollered for Daniel. “You’ve got a call, sounds important.”

  Daniel wrapped up his tour with the technician and shook his hand. He took an instruction booklet and then headed into the house.

  Monica watched as Daniel listened intently on the phone. He didn’t say a word just nodded and made a lot of “uh huh” sounds.

  “Okay, we’ll be there.” Daniel finally said and sat the phone down.

  “What did he…?” Monica was cut off as the doorbell rang again.

  Sandra’s loud voice echoed into the kitchen as she walked through the front door. “Monica, darling, are you ready?”

  “I thought we just installed an alarm,” Monica giggled.

  Daniel rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys. “I’ve gotta meet this agent downtown about Lawson. Where are you headed?”

  “I told you about the meeting with the publisher and I’m obviously moving out as well. Since my husband doesn’t want me anymore and all.”

  Daniel looked at her bashfully, “Yeah, I forgot about the meeting.”

  “Yes Daniel, Monica is quite the hotty totty these days. I imagine they’ll be featuring her on the television pretty soon,” Sandra interjected.

  Daniel rolled his eyes and gave Monica a kiss.

  “The sheriff’s office is gonna have a car parked outside for the next few nights just to be safe. They’ll probably be out there when you get back...in case you do come back.”

  Although it pained him greatly, Daniel gave Sandra an awkward smile and then headed out of the door. Something about the way Sandra always surveyed him made Daniel very uneasy. As he closed the door he could hear Sandra going off about all the famous people they were certain to meet.

  It was a thirty-minute drive to the New Orleans field office which was deep in the heart of the city. It was a buzzing area overflowing with tourists. Once Daniel made it there he found a parking meter about a block away and sat in his car.

  He stared out at the looming buildings, his mind wandering to issues beyond his control. Lawson’s death was really eating at him and seemed to overshadow everything else. It was as if the world was falling apart around him. The break-in occurring the same night as Lawson’s death was a little more than ominous.

  Daniel yawned and stretched his
arms. He sat watching random people hurry about their day. They all seemed so happy, oblivious to the real darkness hid within the underbelly of New Orleans. He leaned forward, resting his head on the steering wheel and suddenly he was asleep.

  He was immediately bombarded with visions of far off places. Strange voices and foreign faces floated through his mind. Then there was that murky water. It sloshed about bringing him peace like a baby being rocked to sleep.

  He was jarred from that tranquil vision by images of a screaming woman. She kicked and yelled, fighting against a person pressing down against her chest. Daniel watched from the shadows. He didn’t intervene, just stood there in silence.

  Suddenly there was a knock on the window and Daniel jumped up. Victor stood on the other side of the glass grinning. Daniel rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He opened the door and stepped his foot out.

  “Sorry to wake you. I’m guessing Remy called you too,” Victor seemed more upbeat than he had been in previous days.

  “Yeah, said he had some questions,” Daniel stood up and closed the car door.

  “You ready to head over?” Victor asked.

  Daniel nodded and they crossed the street. They slowly made their way to the beige office building that housed the FBI’s New Orleans field office. It didn’t look like much, like a giant, shabby, old, shoe box. It was six stories high and the discolored paint seemed to fall off any time the wind blew.

  A young, blonde receptionist greeted them as they entered the revolving doors. Victor immediately perked up and tried to suck in his gut.

  “Good evening, gentlemen. How can I help you?”

  Victor smiled, “Hello, lovely. We’re here to meet with Special Agent Lanoux,” he stepped towards the counter and extended his hand. “I’m Victor and this is my associate, Daniel.”

  The receptionist offered a laboring smile then picked up the phone. Victor left his hand hanging in the air for a few seconds, then with an embarrassed look, dropped it to his side. Daniel glanced over to him and grinned.

  “Yes, both of them are in the lobby. Okay I’ll let them know,” she sat the phone down and turned to Daniel and Victor. “He will be down shortly; you can have a seat over there,” she motioned her hand towards a pair of leather chairs in the corner.