Aaron

by I D Johnson

  He wasn’t sure if it was the early hour or the intimacy of the setting that brought her to this, but he was taken aback by her forwardness. “Vicky, I honestly don’t know what to say,” he began, leaning back in his chair.

  She sighed. “I apologize if I’m making you uncomfortable. I don’t want it to be that way. I’m just… frustrated. You’re so much more attractive than any other man I’ve ever known. Stop blushing; it’s true. You’re intelligent and kind. And despite my attempts to distance myself from you, I keep finding myself falling under your spell.”

  He was blushing, her accolades making him feel uneasy. It had been too long since he’d been in the company of a complimentary woman. “Vicky, thank you. That means a lot, especially coming from a beautiful woman, especially coming from you—someone I both admire and respect. It’s just… I’m married. I promised myself to one woman years ago, and I’ve no intention of going back on that promise.”

  “Aaron, I don’t know what happened to her,” Vicky began, leaning forward and speaking in a quiet, calm voice, “but she’s gone. It’s been nearly half a century. Don’t you think it’s time to find someone else to share your life with?”

  “She may be gone, but that doesn’t make my promise to her any less real,” Aaron insisted, absently twisting the ring that encircled his finger. “I’ve resolved to keep myself only unto her, as I promised on our wedding day.”

  Vicky slowly shook her head. “I appreciate your conviction, my friend. But do you think that’s honestly what she would want for you? To continue on this path alone?”

  While he still spent hours each day thinking of Aislyn, remembering her soft skin, her warm lips, the way her body felt beneath his hands, he had never truly asked himself what she may want for him, now that she was gone. He now knew that his Aislyn had left him the day she had fallen victim to the Vampire, that the body he’d driven the stake through no longer occupied the soul of the woman he loved. Would she hold him responsible for her demise? After all, he had promised her on many occasions that he would keep her safe, a vow he had failed to keep.

  Earlier in his career, it had been quite easy to ignore the women who showed interest in him. He was so focused on learning, bettering his skills, and missing the woman he loved and their child, he didn’t have time to pay attention to anyone else. Now, forty years after his journey began, he was more aware of the women who flashed him coy smiles or gently touched his arm. He was particularly aware of Vicky, a fine woman if there ever was one. Here she was before him, offering her heart, and for the first time, he was actually contemplating the possibility of weakening his resolve to stay true to his marriage vows.

  The prospect seemed even more complicated than the mountain of paperwork they’d just sorted through, and he realized now was not the time to make a brash decision. “I understand your perspective,” he finally managed to respond, “but… it’s too soon.”

  She opened her mouth and then closed it, a sign that she was compelled to argue that four decades was plenty of time, but not to him. Time had little meaning now that it was endless, and in the larger picture, forty years may as well have been forty days. He missed his Aislyn more than he could express.

  “All right then,” Vicky said. “I suppose it is pointless to invite you to breakfast then.” He offered her a weak smile, a clear declination, and she stood. “Well, I’m starving. I’ll be back in a few hours for the meeting.”

  “Very well,” he replied, watching her walk to the door.

  With her hand resting on the doorknob, she turned and said, “Think about what I’ve said, Aaron. Regardless of what you think you’ve done, you deserve to be happy. Even if it’s not with me.”

  Before he could formulate a response, she was gone, leaving the stacks of papers on his desk, a diversion from her remarks if nothing more. But as he began to arrange the documents so that he could return them to Ward, he couldn’t help but to reflect on her statements, subconsciously. How would Aislyn feel if he were to move on? Was it even something he wanted to consider? Could he ever find another woman to make him even half as happy as he had been with his redheaded beauty? He didn’t think it was possible, but somewhere, deep inside, he began to hope he might find out.

  Chapter 9

  New York City, New York, America, 1891

  They had been a few minutes too late; that had been evident in the hurried evacuation of the East River Hotel their suspect made as Aaron and Ward rounded the corner of the poorly lit Manhattan street. After years of investigation, deduction, conversation, and a near miss back in Whitechapel last winter, they had watched the Jack the Ripper case go silent in London. For months, there was nothing, not a peep. It wasn’t until Aaron had finally stumbled into his old informant friend one night about a month ago that he learned Jack was quiet because Jack was gone. Fearing he could not escape their clutches next time, he had taken off for America, New York to be exact, and with permission from the Guardian Leader, Aaron, Ward, Vicky, and Frank had followed.

  Aaron had discovered teams operated quite differently here in America, and while it took some getting used to, he appreciated the new experience. From the beginning, he learned that the New York team consisted of hundreds of members, each with different specialties and talents. Whenever they went on a hunt or an investigation, the team members had specific jobs, including someone who “ran interference” as they put it, which consisted of lying to the public or anyone who may have seen the operation.

  He was hopeful he’d have the opportunity to meet the Guardian Leader, Jordan Findley, or his wife, the Hunter Leader, Janette, when he arrived, but so far, it was day three, and he’d met neither. He shouldn’t have been too surprised, however, since they generally operated in the middle of the country.

  The New York Area Leader, a fellow by the name of Jeffrey, had little interest in the case. While he was familiar with Jack the Ripper, he quickly voiced his opinion that the man they were tailing likely was not the same person responsible for the Whitechapel murders, and while he didn’t mind Ward and his team operating here, he would not lend any of his support.

  This made the task at hand quite difficult, since none of Ward’s team was familiar with New York City, all of them having been born in England or Ireland, and Ward the only one who had ever even visited the states, and that many years ago. They were all relieved when Dr. Joplin rejoined them. After the Ripper case began to stall out, he’d been reassigned back to America. Now, though he was from nearby Boston and not New York City itself, at least he could offer some insight as to where Jack might be headed.

  It had been on a tip from an informant Vampire that Ward and Aaron had taken off towards the East River Hotel, located on Manhattan’s East Side waterfront. Jamie was able to point them in the right direction, but rather than joining them, Ward sent him to follow another lead across the East River Bridge with Vicky and Frank. They all knew by now stopping the Ripper was going to take not only skill but a whole lot of luck, and if they wanted to increase their chances, they needed to put themselves in as many locations as possible.

  Now, seeing the familiar form they’d twice watched disappear into the Whitechapel night sneak out of the hotel with a nervous glance around, the two surveyed the situation, an attempt to determine their best opportunity to capture and destroy the Ripper once and for all.

  The man seemed to realize something was out of sorts. Slipping something into his pocket, he went back into the hotel, and before he could disappear from site altogether, Ward took off chasing him, yelling at Aaron to, “Cover the back door!”

  As Ward sprinted towards the East River Hotel, Aaron ran around the building. There was more than one door, and it would have seemed ridiculous to arbitrarily choose one while Jack simply strolled out the other. Rather than take a chance and miss him, Aaron positioned himself in the very narrow alleyway that ran between the East River Hotel and the Glenmore Hotel next door.

  It only took a moment for him to realize he’d chosen a good pos
ition. A noise above him caught his attention. He watched as Jack flew from the roof of the East River Hotel to the Glenmore. Aaron had options again. By the time he found a fire escape, Jack could be gone. But that didn’t seem like a good choice either, and rather than trying to chase Jack from atop the buildings, he decided to track him from the ground, thinking Ward would give chase from inside.

  Running back to the street, Aaron positioned himself between the Hudson and the next building. A few minutes later, he saw a figure jump the substantial distance between the two but knew instantly it wasn’t Jack; it was Ward. If Jack hadn’t made the leap, and Ward hadn’t seen him, that could only mean he was still inside the Glenmore.

  He couldn’t take the chance to shout to his leader, so, he ran to the back of the Glenmore, which was closer, and kicked in the door as quietly as he could. He tore through the hallway on the bottom floor but saw no one. It wasn’t until he neared the lobby that he heard arguing, and sticking his head out from around the corner, he saw Jack talking to the clerk behind the counter, pleading for a room.

  Jack saw him, too, and without another word, he took off out the front door. Aaron blurred past the clerk at such a rate he likely wouldn’t have even seen him go by, but once Aaron reached the street, it was difficult to see which way Jack had gone. By the time he saw him making his way up Water Street, he had a good head start, and Aaron had no idea where Ward had gone.

  This was one time when some sort of telepathy or other communication would have been very handy.

  Aaron didn’t give up. He knew he was faster than most Vampires, and there was still a chance he could catch the Ripper. Without another thought, he gave chase, tearing down Water Street as fast as he could.

  Soon, it became quite certain where Jack was headed. Even though he zigged and zagged a few times and was still a good block and a half ahead of him, Aaron could tell he was headed for the bridge. Toward what end, he wasn’t certain. Perhaps if Jack knew he was still being followed, he thought he could lose him in the water. Thoughts of plunging into the East River were not particularly inviting, but after three years, this needed to end tonight.

  It was past 2:00 in the morning and there were very few people in sight as he followed behind Jack who, despite constantly checking over his shoulder, had given no indication that he was aware that Aaron was still behind him. He seemed to have slowed his pace a bit, as if he was calculating what to do next. The few pedestrians they passed seemed to pay them no mind. There was no automobile traffic to speak of either, and before long, Jack had reached his destination and began to hoof it across the bridge.

  There would be little room to hide now, and so, once Jack was firmly on the bridge without any other options other than the East River, Aaron increased his speed. If Jack hadn’t seen him before, he certainly knew he was there now and took off at a speed greater than Aaron had ever seen him run before.

  He used an automobile lane, not the narrow footpath, which gave him more room to navigate around obstacles, including the occasional car. Aaron began to narrow the distance, but Jack was nearly halfway across the bridge now. If he reached the other side, Aaron could potentially lose him again. He had to prevent that from happening.

  Just over the crest of the midpoint, Aaron looked past Jack to see they were not alone. Three figures stood spread out across the termination of the bridge in the distance, and they were slowly advancing. Jack saw them, too, which caused him to slow up. He realized he was trapped now between Aaron and his teammates, and the only place to escape was over the side of the bridge.

  “Jack!” Aaron shouted as he watched the man seem to weigh his options. “Put your hands up and come with us, and you won’t be harmed.”

  The man began to laugh as he continued to back toward the far lane behind him. “If you truly think you know who I am, there’s no way you’re taking me in without harming me.”

  They had no weapons that worked at this range, only silver-tipped stakes and Holy Water. Aaron found the Holy Water almost worthless. Sprinkling it at the Vampire only slightly burned and dazed them. In order to actually do any damage, they had to be close enough to land the stake, decapitate, or bludgeon the beast to death. He’d been researching alternate weapons, but so far nothing he’d come up with had been approved, so he stood in the middle of the East River suspension bridge eyeing Jack the Ripper, knowing he was cornered, and a gun would do him in, with nothing but a wooden stake and his bare hands to end the life of the worst criminal he’d ever pursued.

  They were close enough together now that Aaron could see the eyes of his teammates. Jamie had been covering the far right path, but since Jack was backing toward the one to Aaron’s left, he leapt over the railing and stepped into the automobile lane where Vicky was also closing in on Jack.

  Frank had a stake in his pocket; Aaron could tell by how he was fingering it, and he seemed to be signaling to Aaron that if he could back Jack that direction, he would get him.

  Aaron was fairly certain that plan would not work.

  “Jack, you have my word,” Aaron assured him. “Drop your weapons and slowly walk this direction.”

  “My weapons?” the tall man in the hat replied. “You mean like this?” He produced a long surgical knife from his coat pocket.

  “Drop it!” Frank shouted. He was a mere five feet away now at best, and Jack’s back was nearly touching the outside railing of the bridge.

  “You don’t understand!” the Ripper shouted. “None of you see the importance in what I have given you. The science. The art. The restitution! How can you possibly see?”

  Aaron had no idea what he was blathering on about, and it didn’t really matter at this point. He knew the knife Jack clutched could not hurt him or Jamie, but if he turned it on Vicky or Frank—whose actions showed perhaps he had forgotten this—it could be deadly.”

  “I know you want to be heard,” Aaron said cautiously, “and we will hear you. But you must drop the knife first.”

  “Have you any idea the skill it takes to remove a kidney?” Jack continued to wax. “To remove a uterus?”

  Before Aaron could answer, Jamie replied, “I do. You’re a talented surgeon. Of that, there’s no doubt.”

  Jack looked at the Guardian who was only about ten yards away and nearly directly in front of him, the pedestrian walkway railing between them. “Are you a physician?” he asked.

  “I am. Not as capable as you, but a surgeon nonetheless.”

  Jack sniggered at the compliment, and Aaron could see Jamie’s attempt at conversation and accolades was working. Jack was starting to relax. If he could get a few steps closer, he could launch himself at the Ripper, planning to land between him and the outside railing, pushing him forward. If Jamie went at the same time, he should be able to get him before Jack managed to escape or harm one of the Hunters.

  He would never have the opportunity to find out if his plan would work. Before he could carry it out, Frank rushed forward, stake in hand, and attempted to plunge it into Jack’s chest before he could swing the knife around.

  Jack saw the attack coming, and stepping out of the way, he used his forearm to block the stake, hitting Frank’s arm with his, jarring the weapon free, and in one smooth motion, he spun Frank around so that his back was pressed against Jack’s chest, the knife poised against his neck.

  “Take me in without harming me?” Jack screeched. “I knew that was not true!”

  “Calm down, Jack,” Aaron said, hoping his own voice sounded as tranquil as it needed to. “We can still work this out. There’s no reason for anyone to get hurt.”

  Aaron heard the sound of footsteps behind him and turned to see Ward had finally managed to find their location. Having the leader on sight now, Aaron gestured for him to take over, but Ward shook his head, an indication that he wanted Aaron to continue to run the situation. At this point, it didn’t seem to matter which Guardian did the talking; Jack was in control.

  “I thought she might be my last victim,” Jack shou
ted, climbing up on the bottom edge of the railing behind him, dragging Frank, who was struggling but making no progress, backward. “I thought I’d spilt the blood of the guilty for the last time. Now, I have at least one last opportunity to show the world that the unjust will always get what’s coming to them!”

  Aaron looked at Vicky, who had moved to block any exit Jack might try to make out the other end of the pedestrian path, but it seemed evident that was not his intent. He knew exactly what Jack would do, and he could see no way out of this situation without losing Frank.

  “Do it,” Ward whispered harshly just over his left shoulder, as if he could tell what Aaron was thinking.

  “We’ll lose him,” Aaron reminded him.

  “No we won’t,” Ward argued back.

  Aaron had no idea how that could possibly be true, but seeing no other options, he gave a signal to Vicky, one they’d used lots of times over the years, and she called, “Hey, Jack! Do you get off on being such a pompous ass, or is it ramming your knife into innocent victims that gets your knickers in a wad?”

  The brash remark worked. Jack was shocked and turned to face the blonde beauty. Using the split-second distraction, Aaron launched himself at the Vampire, aiming for his exposed right shoulder, which if he hit correctly should jar Frank free and cause him to lose the knife.

  It worked—almost. Aaron hit him in the right shoulder, but Jack was cleverer than most of the Vampires they had encountered in the past, and the Ripper used Aaron’s momentum to help him embed the knife in Frank’s throat. Though he was unable to pull the weapon across and slash the jugular, which would have clearly been his preference, blood began to spurt from the wound where the knife still stuck as Frank was released and slumped forward onto the ground.