by J. R. Tate
Michael leaned back in his chair. “So, right now you’re saying you can’t help me? Figures, you cops can only do something once the damage has been done.”
Matson held his hand up. “No, McGinnis, that’s not what I’m saying. A threat is a crime and we’re here for you. What I’m saying is that I want to make an arrest on something solid that will hold up and he can’t make bail. One small technicality in evidence and the judge will throw it right out and we’ll be in a worse situation with Viper even more pissed off at you than he was before.”
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“We’ll keep a watch on your place and where you work. We’ll look around for this Viper character. We can get you to even wear a wire around him and get him on tape.”
Michael shook his head no. “That’ll never work. He shows up at random times. I can’t wear a wire all the time.”
“We’ll get it figured out. Maybe you can arrange a meeting with him or something. Whatever it takes.” Matson paused. “What is your brother’s name?”
“Casey McGinnis. You should be pretty familiar with him.”
“We’ll be on the lookout for him too. We need to advise a game plan. We gotta corner Viper. He’s bound to make a mistake eventually.”
Michael looked down at his watch. “Well he hasn’t yet and FDNY lost a great man a few days ago.” He stood up. “I appreciate you getting involved, but the game planning will have to wait a little bit. I have a viewing to get to.” He stuck his hand out and shook the detective’s hand. “I got your card. We’ll be in contact.”
Chapter Fourteen
As if the viewing the night before wasn’t hard enough, Michael was now standing in front of several hundred people in the front of St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, all eyes on him, everyone ready for him to speak words about Darryl Young, FDNY’s newest fallen hero. Why had he agreed to do this? For some reason, he never could say no to Janice and when she asked him to speak, his heart melted. It was an honor, and terrifying at the same time.
Michael’s eyes scanned the crowd. Janice and Braden were in the front row near the casket, which had now been closed during the mass. Everyone from Ladder Twenty-One sat a row down from the Conrad family, all in their pressed dress uniforms. It felt like every time he had to wear his, something bad happened. He ran his fingers over the front buttons of the jacket and stared down at the hat he took off to say his speech. Braden was holding his dad’s fire helmet in his lap, lurching Michael back to when he was in the same spot Braden was in today. It was even in the same church.
Taking a deep breath, his hands clenched on to the sides of the podium. He wondered if he could make it all the way through without choking up.
“There’s so many things I could say about Firefighter Young. I sat up all night trying to think of a way to sum him up. What I came up with is that there’s just no way to.” He paused when he felt a tear trickle down his cheek. “First and foremost, he was a husband and father to two of the greatest people anyone could ever know. When he talked about Janice and Braden, it was evident how much he loved them just by the smile he had on his face. I sometimes grew jealous of the happiness he had found with such a great family.” He felt his voice crack and more tears fell when he looked at Braden and Janice.
After a few moments of silence, he pressed on. “Friend is another word I have to bring up. Every morning we had a shift, Darryl was there before anyone, putting the coffee on and getting things ready. He had a newspaper laid out for me every time. He was there when anyone needed to talk, and was understanding when things were best left alone.” He had to stop himself again. He wiped more moisture away and ducked his head. He had to do this for Darryl. He had to man up. It was the least he could do for someone who was laying where Michael should have been. “It’s always the little things that add up, who make a person what they are. He wasn’t in firefighting for the glory. He wasn’t a friend just because. Darryl was a man all of us should strive to be each and every day. A family man, a friend, and one of the best firefighters New York has come to know.”
Michael stepped down from the podium and approached the casket, running his hand down the smooth surface, allowing more tears to stream. “I’m going to miss you, Bud. I should be lying there instead of you.”
He walked to Janice and Braden. Janice stood up and pulled him into a tight hug. “He really loved you, Mikey.” She whispered in his ear.
“I loved him too. Always will.”
After the graveside service, Michael was somewhat glad to get back to his apartment and away from people. Eva had gone back to her place but mentioned something about coming over if he was up to it. He wasn’t sure what he was up for. He was exhausted and mentally worn out. Sleep probably wouldn’t happen for him. He sat down on the couch and stared at the TV, which was off. He had gone so far as unbuttoning the jacket and shirt of his dress uniform, but not taking it completely off. He was too tired to even think to do that.
He grabbed a photo album off of a nearby shelf and thumbed through it. Random pictures were put together in no particular order. Most had been compiled by his mom and given to him, but there were a few he had tossed in from recent years. He stopped when he got to a page where there were several pictures of a barbecue held at the station. Darryl seemed to be in every photo, most of him being silly and humorous. Michael felt a lump in his throat and slammed the album shut. He felt the urge to cry but no tears fell. Instead, he felt trapped, unsure of what to do, similar to the night of his breakdown with Eva.
He didn’t want to go through that ever again. Standing up, he went to the window and looked down at the street. Life was going on, just as it was the days before Darryl was gone. The world kept spinning, even if it felt wrong to continue about. Michael wanted to be alone, but at the same time, he couldn’t stand it. His own thoughts worried him. Reaching for his phone, he dialed Eva’s number. She was the only friend he felt like he had at the moment.
“Hello?” Her voice pulled him out of his haze.
“Eva, you wanna come over for a little bit?”
“Of course, Mikey. I’ll be over there in a sec.”
He didn’t say anything back, and hung up the phone, tossing it to the coffee table next to the album he refused to open again. He paced back and forth as he waited, almost like if he sat still, he would end up doing something he’d regret. He searched the refrigerator and pantry for food. Nothing looked good. He relaxed when Eva called for him to buzz her up.
She had changed into some jeans and a T-shirt and looked just as beautiful as when she was dressed up. He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the lips, shutting the door behind her.
“Everything okay?” Eva grabbed his hand and squeezed.
“Yeah, why?”
“It’s just that after the funeral, you sorta acted like you wanted to be alone. I wasn’t expecting you to call me or anything.”
He sat down on the couch and stared down at the photo album, fighting the urge to throw it out the window. “If you got something else to do today, I understand.”
Eva scoffed and sat beside him, as close as she could get it seemed. “Don’t be silly, Mikey.” Her hand ran through his hair, sending a chill down his spine. “Anything you wanna talk about? Or do? We could watch a movie or something.”
Michael leaned back and rested his head on the couch cushion, staring up at the ceiling. “I buried my best friend today, Eva. First my father and now him. If I were you I’d run away from me as fast as you can.”
“You guys don’t exactly have the safest job. It’s bound to happen here and there.” Her hand continued to run through his hair and down his neck, relaxing him. He didn’t want her to stop doing that. Maybe it would help him fall asleep.
“I talked to a cop yesterday.”
“Yeah?”
Michael nodded. “They’re gonna keep a watch on the place and the station. See if we can catch him making a mistake.” He paused and looked at her, his hand cupping her cheek.
“I don’t want you to get involved in any of this. If he’s capable of killing Darryl, he’s capable of a lot more.”
She leaned into his palm, closing her eyes. “It’s all gonna work out.” Her breath was warm against his hand. “I think the worst is over.”
“Possibly the worst is yet to come.”
Eva opened her eyes, her facial expression growing intense. “Be positive, Mikey. The cops are working with you and I know you. You’re not just gonna roll over and let someone invade your life and threaten you. If you ask me, this bookie is really stupid for messing with you. They obviously have no clue who you are and what friends and family mean to you.”
Michael couldn’t help but smile at her. In the midst of all the drama and problems, she still found a way to make him feel better about everything, no matter how deep he felt he was in. “Thank you, Eva.”
“For what?”
He didn’t reply, but instead leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. With each second, their kiss grew more passionate. He felt her mouth trail from his mouth, down his chin, and to his neck, an unintentional moan escaping from deep within his throat. Her hands traced around the top of his jeans. Her palms were smooth against his chest as she helped aid in taking his shirt off.
“Mikey…” She spoke between kisses. “Let’s get your mind off of today.”
For a split second, Michael felt guilty to be doing this, almost like it wasn’t right, but it was quickly replaced with a deep need for this to happen. He was almost sure that if he even tried to resist Eva that she wouldn’t let it happen. There wasn’t a chance in hell that he could pull away now.
She had definitely accomplished her goal. She got his mind off of things. All he could think about was how this all felt so good, and felt so right.
Michael was pulled from a deep sleep when he heard his phone ringing next to his head. He felt Eva next to him; her heavy breathing became shallower as he reached for the phone on the nightstand. He kissed her on the forehead as the bright display blinded him. Who was calling at this time of night?
“Hello?”
“Damn Mikey, you got yourself an amazing girlfriend, to come over and service you like that when you should be mourning the death of your friend.”
Michael instantly sat up, his heart pounding at the sound of Viper’s voice on the other end of the line. “Where the hell are you?” Eva was now awake and sitting up beside him, a questionable look painted across her face.
Viper laughed. “What do you think Darryl is thinking right about now? He’s stone cold in a coffin, and you’re busy fornicating with a woman you’re not even married to on the day he is buried. Some friend you are.”
All Michael could think was how he wished he had his phone bugged right about now. That, and how did Viper know what was happening in his place? “Where are you, Viper? How did you know that?”
“Oh, how you’d like to know, wouldn’t you?” Viper’s breathing was heavy on the other line. “I love to know that you’re squirming, Mikey. If I told you how I knew that would take the fun outta all of this, now wouldn’t it?”
Michael got out of bed and put on a pair of jeans, walking to his living room, his eyes scanning the dark room. “No, I guess it wouldn’t be fun for you.” He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but Viper had broken into his place before. Maybe he was there again. “So tell me, Viper, are you scared?”
“Scared? I think you’re asking the wrong person, Fireman.”
Michael shrugged and went into the guest bedroom, opening up closets and doorways to see if Viper was stowed away in one. “Oh I don’t know. Seems you’re the one who hides away and only comes out when it’s convenient. If you ask me, I think you know just who you’re dealing with and it scares you a little bit.”
Viper let out a raspy laugh. “I didn’t know you were a funny guy, Fireman. I think you’re full of shit.”
Michael leaned against the doorframe, noticing Eva standing in the hallway. He nodded at her and continued to talk to Viper. “You killed my best friend. Don’t think you’re gonna get away with it.”
“Tell your girlfriend that she’s got a nice body, clothed or not, I got a nice show.”
Anger flared through Michael and he looked back at Eva, trying to hide it from her. He ducked back into the guestroom. “Listen here you fucker. You mess with Eva and I’ll make sure I’ll kill you slow, you hear me?” He knew all Viper wanted to do was get a rise out of him, and he allowed him to win. “You’re already in enough shit as it is.”
“Temper, temper, Fireman. Just what I like to hear! We’ll be in touch.”
There was a click and the line went dead. He saw Eva out of the corner of his eye, standing in the doorway, causing him to jump. Just from her look he could tell she wanted some answers. “Mikey, what the hell?”
He tapped the phone against his leg and shrugged. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that she pretty much was involved in everything now too. Just the opposite of what he wanted to happen. “That was Viper.”
“What did he say?”
Michael walked past her into the living room and checked the lock on the door. “He saw us today, Eva.”
“How?” Her voice was shaky and he grabbed her hand, trying to comfort her but it was next to impossible. He couldn’t even calm himself down, much less her.
“I don’t know.” He slammed his hands down on the bar, rattling glasses in the upper cabinets. “Damn it.” Guilt poured over him yet again. How many lives was he going to screw up in the process? The only way to ensure that anyone he knew would be safe was to eliminate them from his life until this was all over.
“I think this is a fine time to call the police, don’t you think?”
Michael looked up at her and then out of the window, hoping that maybe there would be some kind of clue out there. Could Viper have possibly been watching from another building? There were known stalkers that did that to people all the time. The building next to his was another apartment complex. It was a possibility.
“What if he’s still watching, Eva?” His voice was a whisper and he felt her arm wrap around his.
Her breath was warm against his skin as she leaned in. “Maybe it’ll scare him, seeing the cops involved.”
“Or worse. He could get even more hostile.”
She pulled away and began to pace, her brow creased with worry. “How do we know he really saw anything? He could just be bull shitting you, Mikey. Playing you like a pawn.” She paused and sat on the edge of the couch. “Maybe he saw you on the street with me walking this way and just let his imagination run wild.”
Michael wished that were true. Her speculation was good, but sadly, was inaccurate. “Eva, he was specific about what we were doing.” He sat beside her and kissed her on the forehead, reaching for his phone again. “I’ll give Detective Matson a call.”
There was a long, silent pause, and finally on the sixth ring Matson picked up. “Sorry for calling so late Detective, but we just had another encounter with Viper.”
Judging by Matson’s tone of voice, Michael had woken him up. “What happened, McGinnis?”
“He claimed to be spying on us. Was very specific with what he saw. Didn’t say where he was or how he did it.”
There was a low grumble and Michael wasn’t even positive if the detective was awake enough to remember their conversation. “Okay. I’ll assemble a neighborhood watch. I’ll give the description you gave me of him and see if we can get a sketch artist on this.” There was another low cough. “McGinnis, I suggest you keep all your curtains drawn and change the locks on your doors. We’ll get this taken care of, but in the meantime I need you to stay levelheaded and don’t panic. We gotta be patient.”
Michael rolled his eyes. That was easy for him to say. He wasn’t on the receiving end of a man threatening his, as well as Eva and Casey’s lives. “Thanks, Detective Matson.” He hung the phone up and squeezed Eva’s hand. “I don’t know if we benefited from that or not.
The r
est of the night, Michael had a hard time even attempting sleep. He would jump at every little sound, first making sure Eva was okay and then looking into the darkness, half expecting to see Viper’s face emerge from the black. He was glad to see that Eva was asleep, the rise and fall of her chest was rhythmic and soothing to him. Rolling over, he glanced at the alarm clock. The red digits beamed brightly. It was three fifteen. He wished he was working tomorrow, but the Captain hadn’t cleared him to get back on the truck until he talked to the department psychologist. The last thing he wanted to do was open up to some stranger.
Eva mumbled something inaudible in her sleep and buried her face in his chest. He wanted to get up and do something but feared leaving her here alone. He wouldn’t do that. Now that Viper knew Eva was close to him she would definitely be a target. It was already bad enough that he had lost Darryl.
It was evident that the police were dragging their feet about this. A part of him was glad that they didn’t come in here blazing with lights and sirens, but shouldn’t have Detective Matson at least dispatched someone to scan the area and see if they could at least find Viper? He was known to be in the area.
He reached for his phone and came close to calling Darryl. He wondered how long it would take for him to realize that there would never be a way to call his best friend again. Tossing the phone back on the nightstand, he burrowed under the covers and fought off all other thought. He’d hopefully get in a good two hours of sleep, if that. By allowing the insomnia to take over, he was allowing Viper to win. He was terrorizing them in any way, shape, or form, and Michael’s sleep deprivation was a victory for the bad guy.
Chapter Fifteen
“Mikey, I gotta get up and get to work.” Michael felt an arm nudge him in the side, along with an annoying alarm ringing in his ear. “Hit the snooze or something! That sounds horrible!” Michael rolled over and saw Eva above him, searching for something on his nightstand.
