by Tom Howard
Michelle gasped, “Hello…” She said, slowly making her way toward the girl. However, the girl had no reply. Michelle inched her way forward. “Hello…can I help you?”
Suddenly, the girl whipped her head toward Michelle and growled. Slowly Michelle began to back away, wanting to get back to the bedroom. However, the girl wasn’t going to let her go alone. She turned, stuck out her bony, claw-like arm and began walking toward Michelle, who turned and ran for the bedroom. On her way, however, she bumped the light switch causing the girl to vanish. Out of shock, Michelle stopped, wondering if the girl was gone or if she was only visible in the darkness. She turned the bedroom light on and began to walk in when suddenly the lights began to flicker. She looked in the hallway and saw the girl coming closer and closer to her. Michelle bolted back inside of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her and ran into the bathroom. “This can’t be real, I have to be dreaming!” She said as she splashed water on her face. And as she looked up, into the mirror, her reflection shocked her. There, looking back at her was a face of terror she wasn’t making. She looked more afraid than she ever knew possible. As she backed away from the counter, her reflection slowly pointed to the bath tub. Michelle looked at the closed curtain to see it slightly moving. She turned to try leaving the bathroom only to find the door was locked, and no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Slowly, she turned, glancing in the mirror to find her reflection still pointing. Suddenly, low muffled sounds started coming from behind the curtain as though someone was trying to talk but couldn’t because there was a hand over their mouth. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Michelle crept toward the tub, and with her nerves on edge, yanked the curtain back. She let out a scream that could wake the dead, as there before her stood a woman chained to the wall, with her mouth sewn shut, shaking violently. Michelle wanted to move but was paralyzed with fear. All of the sudden a hand ripped through the woman’s chest, grabbed Michelle and pulled her into the tub. The door behind her shot open and in walked the girl. Suddenly, Michelle was thrown down and her head was being held under the running water. There was nothing she could do. The more she tried to scream, the more water began to fill her lungs. She could sense her death closing in, and the more she struggled, the tighter the grip she could feel holding her down.
Suddenly, Michelle was yanked up from the confines of her soon to be watery grave. As she looked up, she saw Wyatt pulling her into his arms. She tried to talk but kept coughing up water.
“It’s ok now, I’m here, you’re going to be fine.” Wyatt wasn’t sure what to think. The only thing he saw was Michelle’s stiffened body struggling under the running water. It definitely wasn’t how he expected to find her, not even in his wildest dreams. “What in the heck happened?”
Still coughing, and with her lungs burning, Michelle managed to pull herself together just enough. “Get me out of here.”
Wyatt didn’t think twice, he scooped her up in his arms, left everything, and took her back to his house. There was no way he was going to let anything happen to her on his watch.
When they arrived, Michelle was still very much shaken by the whole experience, one which she hoped never to repeat. She sat on the couch staring blankly into space, wrapped in a blanket, shaking, as the horrifying flashbacks filled her mind like a broken record. She kept wondering what made her such a valuable target for these terrifying hauntings. Did she have something they wanted? Did they want her to become like them? But more importantly, why were they trying to kill her? With no memory to draw a theory from, Michelle had nothing to go on to make any kind of guess.
Wyatt came walking in from the bedroom with some dry clothes. “Sorry, I don’t really have any clothes here for women, so you’ll have to make do with these until tomorrow.” He said as he placed the sweats on the couch next to her. Michelle still didn’t look away from the wall in front of her. The face of the girl and the woman on the wall were etched in her mind, and were all she could see, no matter where she looked. Fear had ensnared her like a Venus flytrap, clasping its victim between enlarged jaws of death, never letting go until its prey had breathed its last. And for Michelle, if not for Wyatt, her last breath would have come too soon. “Hey,” He added, hoping to snap her out of her trance as he sat down on the coffee table in front of her. Michelle blinked, but was unable to shake the terror which filled her eyes as she looked at her friend. “You’re safe here, nothing is going to hurt you…I promise.”
“How can you say that?” Michelle began. “I don’t even know what safe is anymore. I mean, how do you fight something like that…something so…evil?”
Wyatt pushed her wet, blonde hair back behind her ear. “I don’t know.” He replied. “I’ve never had to try until now. But one thing’s for certain, I’m going to do whatever it takes to stop this thing.” Although Wyatt had only met Michelle a few days ago, he couldn’t believe how much he came to care for her in such a short amount of time. It wasn’t a sense of love he felt, it was more like they had been best friends all of their lives. There was no real way to explain his connection, all he knew was that they were destined to find one another. “Can you tell me what happened back there? Who else was in that room?”
Michelle shook her head. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“You’d be surprised what I believe…try me.”
“The only way I know how to describe it is demonic. I mean what else do you call something that evil?” Wyatt sat there with his expression showing no surprise at all. “You don’t seem shocked…why?”
“I’ve seen too many bad things happen to not realize there are forces both seen and unseen just waiting for an opportunity to attack.”
“How do you deal with it?”
“You try to put it behind you, the things you’ve seen, and you convince yourself you can actually make a bit of difference. Sometimes you get there in time, and the rest you wish you could forget. But it’s the ones you can’t get to in time which drive you to push even harder for the next. Truth is, all you can do is deal with it…and wake up each morning, look in the mirror, and tell yourself you’re tougher than whatever comes at you.”
“What about a higher power, something stronger than all of this evil?”
“You mean God?”
Michelle nodded.
Wyatt sighed as he looked to the ground then back into Michelle’s eyes. “I knew someone who believed in Him once…but I haven’t seen that kid in a long time. With the things I’ve done, I don’t even know if He still likes me. Shoot, I don’t even know if He’s real or not, but if He is, it’d sure be nice to have His help.”
“My memory may be shot, but there’s something inside of me telling me He is real.” For the first time since she woke up in that crater, Michelle smiled a real smile, even her eyes sparkled a little.
“I hope you’re right,” Wyatt replied softly. “for both of our sakes.”
Wyatt went into the kitchen to make Michelle a quick snack while she got changed. He had many talents, aside from being one of the best homicide detectives on the force, being very knowledgeable about many things, being one of the best hitters prior to joining the force, he’s also an incredible chef. He could whip up a three-course meal in no time, so a midnight snack was nothing. Cooking was one of the things which calmed him down after a hard day at work and he loved it because he was able to create something out of nothing. Sometimes it was great, other times it was crap, but either way, it let him feel…something.
As Wyatt walked back into the living room with a peanut butter and cucumber sandwich with a side of homemade chips, he noticed Michelle lying on the couch, sound asleep. Gazing down at her, he couldn’t help but smile. She had been through so much in only a short amount of time, Wyatt was happy to offer her a safe haven. God only knew what she had been through before she lost her memory. He rested the plate on the coffee table where he had been sitting not long before, and reaching for the blanket atop the couch, covered her up. With a gentle kiss on the
forehead, Wyatt watched as a grin formed on Michelle’s lips. “Sleep tight” he whispered, and then went to secure the house.
The doors and windows were locked tight, and as Wyatt was beginning to pull the blinds down, standing beside of the window, he noticed something odd outside on the street next to his house. There was a black van with a couple of Damon’s boys, staking out the house. They were trying to blend in with the shadows as they weren’t parked in a well-lit area, but with Wyatt’s keen eyes, they weren’t hard to spot. He knew the two watching his house. They were just joining the organization when he quit. He was supposed to train them, to teach them how to kill like an assassin and leave with no trace, but never got around to it. And by the looks of things, their teacher wasn’t very good, at the very least, whomever trained them could have told them to look more inconspicuous, especially when taking on Damon’s former number one hitter. Wyatt knew how to spot a tail, if he didn’t, he would have been dead a dozen times over.
He glanced back toward Michelle, who was still sound asleep, then back to the guys outside. There was a plan being formed in his head which took him back to his old days. Wyatt had been out of the game for years with no one bothering him, until now. Why? What was so important about Michelle that Damon would risk a confrontation with Wyatt?
Leaving the lights and blinds the way they were, knowing full well the guys would bolt out of the van and charge the house if it went dark, Wyatt quietly made his way out of the back door. Sticking to the shadows, he kept out of sight. One of his specialties was remaining invisible until the last possible second, then when ready, attacking like a wolf, going straight for the throat until the target was down.
Given the development in which he lived, Wyatt was able to use the nearby houses for cover. And due to where the van was located, the guys could easily see the front, back, and side of the house, so Wyatt had to be quick. He wasted no time making a dash for the house behind his as soon as the guys looked away. He hopped the fence and rounded the house, of which the front was facing toward the car, and clung to the wall to stay out of sight. As he rounded the side, he noticed the front light was on, which would give him away in a heartbeat. So, in his true fashion, Wyatt picked up a small stone and with barely a glance around the corner, hurled the stone and broke the light. “Sorry Mrs. Hutton, I’ll get it back to you,” he whispered. The stone hardly made a sound when it hit, so the guys just figured the bulb blew. Using the key fob for his security system, Wyatt flipped on his front porch light, drawing the thugs’ attention toward the house and away from the rearview mirror. As soon as he saw them look, knowing it wouldn’t distract them for long, he made a mad dash for the bushes behind the car, just to the right of it, remaining out of sight of all mirrors. Sure, he could have just run up on the two guys, but he wasn’t sure if their guns were out and didn’t feel like getting shot. Picking up yet another rock, Wyatt tossed it on top of the van, and as the guys looked up and behind them, Wyatt rounded the van all the way to the driver’s window, which thankfully was down. “So which hospital are you fellas headed to? I’ll make sure to show up and sign your casts.” He said with sarcasm in a growl. Both of the men were caught off guard as Wyatt quickly slammed the driver’s head off of the steering wheel hard enough to knock him out with only a single hit. The other guy immediately got out of the van as Wyatt hurried to his side, and though he had a gun pointed at Wyatt, he was quickly disarmed. Pulling a knife from a sheath on his leg, the guys readied once more for a fight. “Where does Damon get you guys? Is he offering some kind of two for one sign on deal? Let me tell you, if you two wouldn’t have been so greedy about the bounty on my head, and this van had been filled with a bunch of guys, this may have gone a bit differently for you. I’m just saying.” Wyatt snickered.
The guy lunged at him with the knife but Wyatt dodged, hitting the guy’s hand and elbow, sharply turning around and used his own elbow to hit the guy in the face, causing instant disorientation and him to drop the knife. However, the guy was still standing which wasn’t something Wyatt was about to allow. The guy tried swinging, hitting nothing but air, with Wyatt quickly ending the fight with a knee to the stomach, and once the guy was doubled over, an elbow to the back of the head, laying the guy unconscious on the ground. “I think you boys need to find a different line of work.” Wyatt said as he picked up the knife and opened the back of the van. It looked like a regular utility van equipped with various tools and cables. He found some duct tape, taped up both guys and threw them in the back, still unconscious. “Hey Captain,” Wyatt said as he called the precinct. “I need a couple of uniforms at my house, I’ve got a care package for you. A couple of Damon’s guys wanted to try a kidnapping. Sorry if they’re not too talkative at first, usually when I knock people out, they tend to stay out.”
“Want to tell me why they were trying to kidnap you?”
“I’m going to blame it on lack of intelligence.” Wyatt replied as he punctured two of the tires.
“That’s what happens when you hire henchmen from 1-800-badguys.” Captain Castle snickered. “Hey, listen, I’ve got a couple guys looking into that missing person’s case for you, I’ll let you know if we get any leads.”
“Thanks Captain, I’ve got to go.”
“Wyatt…don’t do anything stupid.”
“You know me, Captain.” Wyatt hung up as he was walking back toward his house.
Glancing around he made sure there were no more unwanted guests hanging out nearby. Thankfully the rest of the development was well lit by street lights so there was no easy place to hide, which made spotting intruders rather easy. Wyatt knew Damon wasn’t going to stop sending men for Michelle, so in his mind there was only one thing to do…have a heart to heart with the man himself. When Wyatt walked back inside, he found Michelle was still asleep on the couch just as he had left her. Granted that was how most people were at two in the morning, but with all she had been through, he wouldn’t be surprised if she stayed asleep for a few days. There was no reason to wake her as he knew he wouldn’t be too long. Instead he decided to simply leave a quick note just on the off chance she happened to wake up.
Michelle,
Had to step out for a few. If you’re hungry, I left a plate of food for you in the fridge. I should be back before you wake up, but if you do, and you need anything, give me a call and I’ll be here in two minutes.
-Wyatt
He laid the note on the coffee table in front of her, grabbed his jacket, keys, and was off. Wyatt knew the time made no never mind to Damon, he was up at all hours. When Wyatt used to work for him, he would swear Damon was a vampire because he never slept. There was a time Wyatt stood guard for him for four days straight and was awake so long his body nearly shut down from lack of sleep, but Damon was still going strong. He never really knew how he did it, but there was one thing he knew for sure, and that was where Damon would be at that time of night. If he was awake, he could be found at the local bar he owned, The Haunt. Sure, it was under a shell company for tax and money laundering purposes, but everyone who knew the dark underbelly of the city, knew who really owned most of it. Damon was the kingpin of organized crime for the tri-city area, the one cops knew ordered every hit yet could tie him to none. Half of the judges in the city would love to lock him up and the other half were in his pocket. He was such a feared man, honest citizens were too intimidated to even try standing up to him for fright they would be next on his list. Those who knew Damon best knew when he ordered someone dead, it wasn’t just that person who got whacked, it was their entire family.
As Wyatt pulled up, and parked on the road across from The Haunt, he wrestled with the idea of going anywhere near his past. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized his past had already caught up with him, and it wasn’t going to go away unless he did something about it. So, with a huff, Wyatt closed the door to his Challenger and walked over to the bar. He was quickly met by a bouncer before he was even able to set foot inside. The guy was typical f
or the profession, big and muscular, a little on the tall side, and bald as a cue ball. He easily towered over Wyatt by at least a foot. Blocking the door with folded arms, he glared down at Wyatt as he approached.
“You must be new, so I’m going to make this easy on you, get out of the way and I won’t have to hurt you.”
The bouncer’s brow furrowed. “Who do you think you are little man?” He scoffed.
Wyatt glared back up at him… “I’m Wyatt Cage.” He replied with a hint of a low growl.
The bouncer’s confusion let up and he immediately moved out of the way. Even to those who weren’t around when he was, Wyatt’s reputation still preceded him in most circles. “Smart move, bubba.” Wyatt said as he walked in the bar.
The place was a little bigger than your typical bar, with a VIP section for Damon over to the right of the front door. Booths with black leather coverings lined the walls while tall wooden tables and chairs filled the middle. A couple pool tables could be heard being played in a room off to the side, and an “L” shaped bar stood against the back wall with stools lining the front. Wyatt had to admit, Damon didn’t skimp on the good stuff and had his four favorite guys, Jim, Jack, Johnny, and Jose, lining the top shelf. Of course, those were just a small sampling of what was really behind the bar. Damon was a real mobster lover, he had the walls lined with photos of guys like Al Capone, Samuele Cardinelli, Frank Costello, “Diamond Joe” Esposito, Charles Gargotta, and Charles Luciano, just to name a few. He really admired them all, and Wyatt used to get sick of all of the references Damon used to make when pulling a job. Not everyone in the bar was on Damon’s payroll, some were just there trying to enjoy a girl’s night out or have one last blow out before getting hitched. In true mobster fashion, he liked to keep the place easy on the eyes, so his entire bar staff was female, except the ones who made the food in the back, they were usually fresh out of culinary school, but more of an expert with a knife outside of the kitchen.
