by J W Kiefer
Jared said nothing.
Joe put his hand on his shoulder. “Hey man, I’m not saying these things because I want to be a jerk or something. I am saying these things to you because I am your friend.”
“I know,” Jared replied softly as he watched a large cloud pass over the moon, causing the small parking lot to feel even more gloomy.
Joe gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You going to be okay?”
Jared sighed. He felt like he was going to keel over and die, right there on the ground in the alley next to the Number Six restaurant. He wanted to scream, No, you idiot, I’m not okay. “Yeah I guess,” was all that he could get to come out of his mouth.
Joe fixed his tie. “I’m really sorry, Jared. I truly am, and I wish I had all night to talk to you, but I have been gone too long already and I really should be getting back to the slave ship.”
Joe gave him one last reassuring pat on the shoulder before walking back down the alley, leaving him sitting there alone.
Eight
Jared collapsed in his car closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He felt like he was going to throw up, so he rolled the window down to let more air in. The sounds of the city shattered his blessed silence.
Sighing deeply, he wondered if he should roll it back up, but determined that it didn’t matter. He was so agitated that he couldn’t sit still, so he decided to get out of his car and go for a long walk through the city.
Maybe some mugger will do me a favor and rob me, killing me in the process, he thought as he locked his doors and then slammed them shut.
The night was especially busy, and Jared found it hard to find a place of solitude. So he walked down a nearby alley to get away from the crowds. Just as he passed into the darkness, a nice-looking young brunette propositioned him. He flashed his badge and she flipped him off, telling him where he could stick it. Ignoring her, he kept on walking, too absorbed in his own misery to care.
Jared wandered the dim city streets, passing so many houses that they all began to look alike to him. His thoughts were bleak, his mood depressed, and he soon lost track of time.
Realizing it was getting late and he needed to get home, he checked the street sign of the road he was on. Falkirk Ave. Jared had no idea how long he’d been walking, but apparently it had been for quite some time.
I guess I’d better call someone for a ride. He reached into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone.
What? Damn. He fumbled around, feeling a quarter and some lint, but no cell phone. Panicking, he quickly patted every one of his pockets, but came up empty.
Then he remembered where he’d left it—back in his car on the seat. Jared growled in frustration, and decided to take his anger out on a telephone pole, nearly breaking his hand in the process.
Shaking his injured hand he took in a deep breath and exhaled forcefully in an attempt at calming himself down. He then scanned the area and located a payphone on the other side of the street, which was sitting like a relic in front of a gloomy convenience store.
Reaching for the phone with his good hand, he listened for a dial tone. As he had suspected, the payphone didn’t work. Nothing in Jared’s life seemed to be going right for him tonight, so why should this payphone be any different? He slammed the phone down and walked over to the road.
After a few minutes of sulking, he noticed a lone figure walking out of the shadows across the street. Something about the man gave Jared an uneasy feeling in his gut. The person seemed to be out of phase with the physical world as if he were a phantom instead of a physical being.
What the heck? He must be more tired than he thought. He rose to his feet, squinting as he did so, attempting to force his eyes to focus. If anything, the action made the effect worse.
“Hey!” Jared called as he cautiously approached the figure.
The man started when he saw him coming toward him and he fell into a defensive crouch. His hand quickly darted for the fold in his black leather coat.
Jared stopped and reflexively reached his own hand behind his back finding the handle of his duty weapon. “Whoa! I don’t want any trouble. So just keep your hands where I can see them.”
He still could not make out the man’s features when a sudden burst of vertigo washed over him.
What the heck is going on?
“Jared?” the man asked. “Is that you?
“Yeah,” he replied, shaking his head slightly.
The man relaxed. “Jesus, you scared the crap out of me, big brother,” he said with a sigh. “I thought you were a mugger or something.”
Before Jared could react, the man stepped out of the shadows and lifted him up in an immense bear hug. As soon as his brother grabbed him, the vertigo ceased, and his vision cleared.
“I gotta admit it’s good to see you, but what the heck are you doing so far away from home?”
“Me?” Jared said. “What in God’s name are you doing here? I thought you were still in the city.”
“I’m here visiting a friend.”
“Who?”
“Nobody you know. Just a friend,” Steve replied. “Hey, you never answered my question.”
“I went for a walk and lost track of time,” Jared said distractedly. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
“You are a long way from home, dude. That must have been some walk.” Steve put his arm on his brother’s shoulder. “What happened? You look like you lost your best friend.”
All of the emotions of the day finally got the best of Jared, and he slumped into his brother’s arms and wept uncontrollably. His brother held him close, and Jared buried his face in his chest, sobbing like a little kid.
Soon the whole story came out, of how things had been difficult between him and Jasmine. How he’d been late to the restaurant that night again. How he’d lost the love of his life. He told the story in between sobs, but his brother got the picture.
Jared let go of his brother and stood up straight. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve, forcing back more tears. “She dumped me for some other guy, Steve! How could this happen?”
“That’s rough, man,” Steve said as he ushered Jared in the direction of his car. “Why don’t I drive you home and you can fill me in on everything else that has been going on?”
“I don’t want to go home!” Jared responded.
“Okay,” Steve muttered. “We can’t stay out here all night. I’ll take you to Dad and Mom’s house, then.”
“No. I don’t want to go there, either.”
Steve sighed. “Then where the heck do you want to go?”
“Dana’s house.”
“What? You can’t be serious!”
Really, him too? Did everyone in his life think he had some secret flame for her?
Jared turned on Steve angrily. “What are you implying?”
“Nothing, it’s just that… Well, you know it’s kind of odd that you’d want to go see her of all people. I would think she would be the last person on your mind right now.”
“She is my fricking partner and my best friend,” Jared snapped back. “Why doesn’t anyone understand that? You’re starting to sound like Jasmine, too.”
“Now I understand,” his little brother said with that annoying, no-it-all look on his face.
“You don’t understand anything!” retorted Jared. “Just take me there and shut up about it. I’m not in the mood for a lecture right now!”
“This explains why you don’t want to go see Dad and Mom.”
“Just stop talking before I slug you.”
“Okay, okay! Stop being so dramatic.” Steve laughed. “It’s not the end of the world, you know.”
“I know, but it feels like it,” Jared muttered.
“Come on, Jar. My car is parked just down the road. You can tell me the rest of the sob story as we walk.”
They walked slowly down the empty street, Steve listening patiently as his brother continued to relate all of the events of the past few
months that had led up to this moment.
Steve put his arm around his brother as they walked. When the two of them stood side by side, the resemblance was so strong, one could almost mistake them for twins.
Both brothers were tall and handsome with bright blue eyes. Steve had long flowing black hair while Jared’s short dirty blond hair looked like straw. Jared, however, made up for his unruly hair by being slightly more muscular than Steve.
Jared loved his brother and he couldn’t help but smile slightly as they walked. The mere presence of his younger brother made everything seem better. He had always envied his ability to project absolute confidence. Charismatic and loved by almost everyone he met, Steve was everything Jared was not.
They talked as they walked, the way only brothers can, and before long they arrived at Steve’s car. It was a new black Jaguar. Jared’s jaw dropped in shock when he saw Steve pull out a set of keys and use the key fob to unlock the doors.
“When did you get this?” Jared asked. “I knew the band is doing better, but this must’ve cost a fortune.”
Steve smiled and opened up the driver’s side door. “I wasn’t going to tell you until after you were through with your mourning period, but I guess now is as good a time as any. We just signed a major record deal, and this was one of the perks.”
Not even registering the slight sarcastic jab, Jared stood in silent awe as Steve got in. The sports car started up immediately, the engine humming to life.
Steve rolled down the passenger side window. “Well, are you just going to stand out here all night, or are you going to get in?”
Jared took one last appreciative look at the car before getting in. “This is really yours?”
Steve winked. “Hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”
“I think I’m in the wrong profession,” Jared mused. “You guys wouldn’t be looking for a kazoo player by any chance, would you?”
Laughing, Steve threw the car into drive. The tires squealed as the car surged forward, leaving a long black rubber streak in its wake.
Nine
The night was dark and dismal. The Shogun made his way down the empty street, knowing that he was already too late. He cursed the sudden waves of emotion that had so incapacitated him earlier. The loss of yet another innocent to that maniac was more than his pride could bear. Once, he might have had the strength to deal with such horrors, but not anymore.
He bent to examine a small patch of overgrown weeds that inhabited an alley. The broken body of a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She appeared to have been dumped like a bag of garbage, her heavy winter coat tossed not far from her.
The Shogun solemnly picked up the woman’s coat and reverently placed it over her dead body. It covered her face and most of her torso but left her legs and arms exposed. It was not a perfect shroud, but it was all he had, so it would have to do. Maybe her family would appreciate the kindness.
A stream of crimson slowly flowed from the blades of grass to form a small pool of blood on the sidewalk. He sat there for what seemed like hours, quietly examining the pool before lifting himself up and away from the lifeblood of the young woman.
“This will not happen again!” he vowed as he walked away from the grisly scene.
The killer was on the move and traveling fast, but not fast enough. It would not take the Shogun long to reach him and reach him he would. The Stalker was now the stalked, and if he had known who it was that hunted him, he would have turned himself into the police long ago.
He had only taken a few steps when two shadows separated themselves from the darkness and drifted into the street, two pools of writhing blackness, with menacing red eyes.
The Shogun recognized them. Terrible beings usually found in nightmares, they emanated an aura of fear that would have caused even the bravest of men to flinch. The demons neared the Shogun.
“What do you want of me?” The Shogun drew his glowing blade from its scabbard. “My quarrel is not with you today.”
The spirits hissed at him, “We know you, Ma’at. You have hindered many of us in the past!”
“I know your kind as well and have no time for your games!” the Shogun snapped, the darkness in his eyes seeming to burn with a shadowy fire. “I will deal with you as I have dealt with the rest of your kind, if you do not step aside!”
The shadowy specters shivered and convulsed and howled in outrage. They began to twist and contort until each shadow took on an almost humanoid form with large bat-like wings protruding out of their backs. Each demonic specter held a large shadowy curved sword in both hands, and with a gust of brimstone, their weapons ignited with unholy fire.
“The master has sent us to deal with you, Ma’at!” they growled in unison. “He has grown weary of your interfering in his work.”
“Who is your master?” inquired the Shogun. “And why does he protect the murderer?”
“Enough talk!” bellowed the demon on the left. “Let the battle commence. It has been long since I have seen combat!”
“You know full well that you have not the authority to slay me.”
“We may not have the power to destroy you, Ma’at, but we can hinder you,” hissed the demon on the right. “And that is all we were sent to do.”
“Then let it begin. But I can assure you that you will not hinder me much.”
Eager and impatient, the demon on the left attacked first, swinging his flaming blade hard at the Shogun’s head in an attempt. The Shogun deflected the blow easily but was forced slightly off balance by the strength of the strike. The second demon attacked then, stabbing at the Shogun’s midsection.
With supernatural agility, the Shogun managed to parry the strike while leaping away from his attacker. Before he could land, however, the first demon attacked again, thrusting his blade forward and up, attempting to skewer him in midair.
The Shogun deflected the attack with a spin. His sword whirling like a helicopter blade, he deflected yet another attack from the second demon. Before landing, the Shogun kicked the attacking demon’s face, but his foot passed through the shadowy figure.
The demons fell upon the Shogun as soon as his feet hit the ground. Red flames sparked from the clashing weapons as the battle continued. Strike after strike, counterstrike after counterstrike, neither side gained the advantage.
The Shogun could feel the Stalker getting farther and farther away, and he feared that this delay might prove more costly than he had anticipated. If he did not end this confrontation quickly, his chance of catching the murderer would slip away from him.
The Shogun gritted his teeth and kicked one of the demons, managing to hit its leg. The demon howled in pain and fury, and the Shogun turned on the other attacker.
Despite its strength and cunning, without its partner to complement it, the demon was at a severe disadvantage. It was no match for the full power of the Shogun, who attacked it mercilessly. The demon met the Shogun’s attack with an intensity of its own that caused it to surpass its usual skill, and it somehow managed to hold him at bay long enough for the other demon to reenter the conflict.
Outnumbered and once again on the defensive, the Shogun realized that he had underestimated these demons. Damn! He felt so weary. Perhaps it was not the demons but rather his own waning power that was the problem. Either way, if he did not finish this confrontation soon, the murderer would escape him yet again. With renewed determination, he gritted his teeth and continued fighting, each moment allowing the Stalker to slip farther and farther away.
Ten
Dana Campbell peered through the curtains into the dark of night. She thought she’d heard a car pull up, and the noise had awoken her instantly. The events of the previous day had disturbed her, and in response, she’d decided to keep her nine-millimeter pistol loaded and ready in her nightstand.
Holding her gun at arm’s length, she pulled the curtains back to get a better look. A black Jaguar was parked directly in front of her house where there had not been one earlier
. She tried to recall if she knew anyone who drove a Jag but came up empty.
A handsome man with long black hair popped out of the driver’s side. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. When the second man opened the passenger side door and practically fell out of the car, she knew instantly he was.
Jared. Her heart leaped in her chest. She closed the curtain so he would not see her, then dashed to her dresser to grab a brush. With a few quick swipes, she smoothed her tangled locks into a ponytail. She knew Jared probably wouldn’t notice her hair, he never did, but she wasn’t going to take the risk.
When she was finished, she examined her handy work in the mirror and scowled. Her hair was passable, but the dark circles under her brown eyes had to go. With a few quick dabs, she smoothed makeup over her classically beautiful face and flawless olive skin.
A beautiful young woman, Dana had a body most women would kill for. But even though she was beautiful, she never really dressed the part. Dana just wanted to fit in with the rest of the guys. Except, of course, when it came to Jared.
The doorbell rang and she fumbled with her mascara, dropping it to the ground. To her horror, it bounced twice and then rolled underneath her dresser and out of reach. She frantically dropped to the ground in a desperate attempt at catching it and slammed her head painfully into a slightly open drawer.
The doorbell rang again, and she instantly scrambled to her feet to examine her injured head. A large knot was already starting to form directly in the middle of her forehead and she almost cried when she saw it.
“Great, how do I explain this one?” she whined. “I look like some sort of deranged Hindu!”
The loud persistent knocking interrupted her sulking, and she dabbed more foundation on her mark. After a few more minutes of primping, she decided it was time to answer the door.
