The Noir Evil

by Richard Paul Caird

  The shocked and terrified Gerber held on again for dear life and slunk back deeper into the slippery passenger seat, almost wanting to throw up as his relief had been quickly changed back into a pure fear of the finest quality. Ness could alarmingly see that the detectives Ford was quickly disappearing behind the many sheets of rain that enveloped the soaking streets ahead of them. They were still just visible in the distance and Ness determined that if he just keep them in sight, or even just within their sirens audible sound range, he would in turn still be able to keep the mob’s Chrysler within striking distance. The focused Ness then put his foot down on the accelerator and optimistically expected the battered and wounded automobile to go quicker but it now lacked the speed because of its terminal injuries.

  The sweating Gerber started to feel a sudden wave of relief flow over him again as he saw more smoke start to fill the wagon’s interior. This feeling however was then abruptly taken away again as the machine suddenly roared back into life and started to quickly gain in speed again, instantly destroying Gerber’s brief respite and diluting what little hope he had left. The thick smoke soon dissipated as its speed increased and the obsessed Ness screamed at the machine in a joyously elated manner “THERE’S LIFE IN THE OLD GIRL YET GERBER! COME ON! FASTER GOD DAMMIT! COME ON! COME ON! HAHAHA!”

  The elated Ness was impatiently pulling on the steering wheel as he bouncing up and down in agitation, wanting the smoking and bullet riddled machine to go quicker than it actually could. The scared Gerber looked at him through the corner of his eye and he reminded him of some madly spoilt child whom was annoyed at not being allowed to buy some of his favourite sweets or a bizarrely crazed jack-in-the-box that dementedly bounced up and down. Gerber now moved further away from the maddening Ness, realising that he should have jumped out of the wagon when it had been momentarily stationary and that he had now potentially missed his last ever opportunity to escape the clutches of death itself. He briefly speculated if this wagon would carry his own deceased body but then pushed these alarming ideas into the dark recesses of his troubled mind, fearing such morbid speculations about his own premature demise.

  He then had a good long look at the wide eyed Ness as he clutched his trusty Gladstone bag closely to his trembling body, offering him a comforting familiarity within this real life nightmare that was currently unfolding before him. He secretly reprimanded himself at being so naive as to give him so much opium without even checking his medical records but he was so eager to escape his own mundane existence that his own judgement became misguided. He had slight misgivings about Ness’s conditional reasons for joining him here tonight but he had naively trusted his sincerity and his steely resolve which is why he had not even questioned his peculiar terms. He suspected that he had been blinded by his respect for his authoritarian rule within the office and somewhat by his fame as well, although he did not want to admit it.

  Poppy had told him a while ago that he had a slight issue with the opioid drug but he had simply pushed such divisive thoughts to the back of his mind because he was so desperate to escape his static world of macabrely gruesome corpses that seemed to now invade every aspect of his life. He felt as though he had betrayed her trust and their valued friendship but if she only knew how his grim job was consciously affecting him then she would understand his plight. She would come to understand the complex nature of his never ending quest to find the truth within every homicide corpse that he performed an autopsy on and she would understand that his job affected him immensely on a subconscious level as well.

  His self-apologetic thoughts where then overridden as he thankfully felt the battered wagon slowing down as the observant Ness was preparing to take another sharp turn right at the next intersection in order to follow the chasing detectives. The conflicted Gerber’s mind raced with possibly scenarios as he thought that this might be his only opportunity to jump out of the slowing motorised death machine and flee for his life. He was not prepared to sacrifice his life for a madman whom was obviously high on opium and had no sense of safety due to the fearless effects of the famed drug, eliminating all the usual safeguards that should naturally be present within any human being.

  The determined Gerber then put his head tentatively above the bonnet of the smoking wagon to see that the intersection was quickly coming up and for a brief moment, just a blindingly small fraction of a second, he hesitated which gifting the initiative back to the elated Ness. The defeated Gerber then slunk back down deeper into his previous position and grasped desperately at his Gladstone bag with his sweaty palms, resigned to the fact that his life was now in the hands of the fearless drug addict. He was now resolute on staying within the deadly smoking machine of anxiety because, unlike his fearless driving companion, he was completely consumed by the dreaded primal emotion of unrelenting fear. The more he held his bag reassuringly tightly and remained alive, the more he determined that staying within this bullet riddled machine was probably the safest option that he had. There were no good options within his current predicament and if he did jump from the speeding machine, knowing his pessimistic luck, he would probably have ended up killing himself and so simply closed his eyes tightly and held on for dear life.

  The determined Ness then turned the corner sharply which caused two of the wheels to lift off the tarmac for a brief second before then returning them back to the roads surface moments later, causing a screeching sound to develop on the far other side of the struggling wagon. Ness’s successful turn soon rewarded him with a clearer and unobstructed view of the soaking wet road that lay ahead of them. The larger surrounding buildings of the inner city where mercifully obstructing the relentless waves of persistent wind and rain that was constantly attacking them from all sides.

  After a few moments of steady speed, no turns and distant gunfire, the slightly less frightened Gerber then slowly raised his head up above the bonnet again and saw that they were now a lot closer to the two fighting automobiles up ahead. The occasional flashes of light lit up the surrounding dark streets in a surprising array of colours whilst snaps of gunfire echoed all around them. The distinctive sound of ripping metal tore throughout the night air as both automobiles mercilessly impacted upon each other in a hail of sparks, causing the pair to slow before then ramming each other again and again on a number of separate occasions.

  Meanwhile in the smoking and bullet-riddled Ford, the driving Zalewski shouted after a break in the frantic gunfire “I feel like The Shadow!” to which a preoccupied Merlyo shouted in reply “What!?” whilst he aimed and fired his revolver at the fleeing Chrysler. This was soon followed by a few more flashes of frantic return gunfire which caused both detectives cowered behind the shield like dashboard before the excited Zalewski shouted back “You know, Orson Welles! The Shadow!”

  A preoccupied Merlyo then aimed and fired again at the mobsters through the broken window before then sticking his head back inside the Ford to reload and speak “Jesus! There’s so much smoke and rain I can’t see!” Zalewski then shouted back at him “Take the wheel! I want to give them some of my special ‘silver heat’!” Merlyo nodded as he hastily finished loading his revolver before grabbing the steering wheel as the determined Zalewski then took out his two silver pistols from his double shoulder holster.

  He then started to fire a blaze of bullets at the smoking nearby Chrysler which instantly caused the mobsters within to take cover from the deadly new onslaught that now besieged them. The impressive light that the twin silver guns effortlessly emitted from there barrelheads was blinding within the darkened street and had the desired effect of startling the Mayfield Road Mob goons whom instantly veered away from the blazing fury of Zalewski. This overwhelming firepower caused the shocked mobsters to loose momentary control and dramatically smash into a line of well-placed trash can’s that lined the road in quick succession.

  A vast array of garbage instantaneously covered the mobster’s bonnet and window which in turn caused the unseen driver to veer off the ro
ad and over a small grassy embankment, violently tearing up soil within its chaotic wake. The satisfied Zalewski then hastily grabbed the steering wheel again as he dropped his weapons and shouted at his partner “Did you see that!? Just like the Shadow!” to which a smiling Merlyo shouted his reply as he fired at the struggling Chrysler whilst it hastily veered back onto the solid tarmac road “You Zalewski! Are one crazy son of a bitch!”

  The accelerating mob’s Chrysler then overtook the Ford slightly in a desperate attempt to escape the determined detectives but it lost control and veered right before it then veered sharply to the left, causing the unprepared Zalewski to touch its rear bumper and spin it. As the Chrysler spun to face the oncoming Ford and both pairs of drivers then all silently looked at each other for a brief moment of curious inspection, all expressing a vacant look within their expectant eyes before the detectives battered Ford sped straight on.

  As the Chrysler uncontrollably spun behind them, both detectives suddenly felt something give way within their wounded automobiles unseen mechanical body. The panicked Zalewski desperately pressed on the brake pedal to stop but there was no pressure under his foot and so he then frantically grabbed the clutch and pulled it up but it surprisingly broke off in his hand. They both then looked at each other in alarm whilst he held the broken clutch within his hand before the observant Merlyo then noticed something quickly coming up ahead of them and instinctively shouted at his confused partner “BREAK! BREAK!” The equally panicked Zalewski shouted back his hasty reply as his foot pounded the loose brake pedal with no effect “I CAN’T! I CAN’T!”

  Both terrified detectives then both screamed in an unholy unison as the uncontrolled, hulking mass of motorised metal sped straight on, up and over a large garbage collection which rolled them onto their left side. The momentum of the impact upon its left side continued to roll the smoking frame of the fatally wounded automobile as it rolled on its roof before they were then buried deep within a massive pile of stinking garbage. They finally slid to a steady stop under the mountain of smelly waste as a shocked, unhurt and upside down Merlyo and Zalewski were both still replaying there sudden change of fortunes that had just occurred only a few seconds ago.

  Both detectives had vacant looks upon there confused faces as they were suspended upside down deep within the putrid mound of soaking wet rubbish. Merlyo groaned with discomfort as the smoking, battered and bruised husk of the bullet riddled Ford moaned in dying pain whilst the overwhelming smell of rotten food and waste invaded its unnaturally aerated interior. After a few silent moments of listening to the dying breaths of their faltering machine, he finally spoke to his motionless partner in a shaken voice “Shit! You ok?” A smiling and preoccupied Zalewski then replied whilst his hands where still both firmly gripping the steering wheel and his eyes where transfixed upon the garbage ahead “Just like The Shadow!” to which a confused Merlyo looked at him in bemusement whilst they both remained uncomfortably suspended upside down.

  Meanwhile a determined Ness had seen what had just happened to the unfortunate detectives and had started to increase his speed to terminate the still spinning Chrysler once and for all by ramming it. He menacingly grinned to himself as he accelerated towards the struggling Chrysler whilst imagining the immense impact that his wounded wagon would have upon the defenceless mobsters. His triumphant thoughts where then dashed when he suddenly noticed that two other Chrysler’s appeared on either side of his ailing automobile, similar to the target one with the exception that they both looked brand new.

  Then another two Chrysler’s appeared from behind him and started to move ahead of his smoking wagon in an attempt to perform a predictable pincer movement on him and so he reluctantly started to slow down, knowing when he was bested and heavily outnumbered. Ness then desperately looked at the shadowy occupants of the mystery flanking Chryslers but could only see a confusing mass of shadows as there interior lights were out. After a while he could determine that each flanking Chrysler contained a company four shadowy men wearing fedora hats and menacingly brandishing tommy guns, which sparkled as the little light that there was illuminated there sleek but deadly metal frames. The two Chrysler’s on either side of him moved in closer and forcibly slowed him down by hitting either side of the ailing wagon, which was in no shape to put up any form of futile resistance against such fantastic odd’s.

  Ness started to slow down more as the twin flanking Chryslers squeezed him until they all came to a gradual stop just meters away from the now motionless defeated Chrysler, which now stood silently within the rain as the two shadowy men confusingly staggered from its smoking interior. The desperately worried Gerber then slowly raised his head up and surveyed the alarmingly developing scene before him before he then looked at Ness in distress, now experiencing a massive wave of renewed panic as he realised that his very life was now in peril.

  The two other Chrysler’s then speeded ahead of the four stationary automobiles and then quickly turned around and pulled-up directly in front of the sandwiched morgue wagon. Their beaming headlights blinded both Ness and Gerber in equal measure, forcing them to close their eyes and slowly put their hands in front of their faces to shield themselves from these hurtful visual rays. Ness knew very well what was going on here as the long coat wearing shadowy men all then got out of their separate gleaming Chryslers and lifted-up there tommy guns, menacingly brandished them towards his general location. Ness then spoke quietly to a now petrified Gerber, cautious to keep his voice down and not making any sudden moves “Hold your hands up very slowly and don’t make any sudden moves!”

  Gerber silently nodded as he continued to survey the alarming scene around him before he reluctantly relaxed his grip on his calming bag, realizing that Ness’s experienced words where wise given the developing surrounding mafia situation. Both could then hear another automobile joining there already overly congested group but this one sounded different as it came into view from the rain’s haze. Both could just make out that it was a stunningly shiny black 1935 LaSalle and as the impressive automobile slowly pulled up next to the facing Chryslers, its blinding head lights added to theirs which almost made it appear like daytime now within the darkened city street.

  The only distinctive thing that Ness noticed which stood out from the shadowy automobile was the large bonnet ornament of a sparkling silver owl that gleamed within the brilliant light that was now upon them. Then one of the shadowy goons quickly rushed up to the back of the static LaSalle and hastily opened the door before standing back, letting a mystery man leisurely get out before he was soon surrounded by tommy gun welding silhouettes. The same unseen goon whom opened the door then closed it before rushing up to the mystery man and hastily opening up an umbrella to protect his master from the relentless rain.

  Both the struggling Ness and Gerber squinted their eyes and could just see that the mystery man appeared to be slowly be taking off his gloves as he walked closer towards the smoking wagon, followed only by his loyal accompanying attendant whom was determined to not let his boss get wet. After a silent moment whereby the mystery individual appeared to inspect the smoking wrecks of both defeated automobiles, he finally spoke in his rich New York accent “Ness! This is Alfred Polizzi! Get the fuck out here you government cock-sucker! Let’s just get this over and done with because I got places to go, things to do! And don’t you make me wait on you or I’ll have my men make you some new ventilation holes Capiche!”

  The adrenalin and opium saturated Ness then confidently but slowly stepped out of the wagon with both his hands raised along with the petrified and hesitant Gerber, whom now religiously followed the experience lawman’s lead. Upon his exit of the dying automobile the frantically calculating Gerber looked all around him within the lit up rain and, upon seeing that he was completely surrounded by death, he finally gave into the relentless assault of his traumatised mind and fainted.

  As he uncontrollably fell onto the wet tarmac road all the tommy guns momentarily came to life an
d aimed at the unconscious coroner whilst a concerned looking Ness also looked towards his fallen colleague’s location. Polizzi and his men then all chuckled in the shadows at this unexpectedly humorous scene and after a few more seconds of chuckling, the shadowy figure of Polizzi then spoke again “Haha! Fuck me Ness! With chicken-shit pussy men like this in your ‘new and improved police force’ you don’t need enemies! I take it that he’s one of your dreaded ‘Unknowns’ also? Hahaha! Now come closer to me so as I can finally see you!”

  After a moments more concern of looking at the breathing Gerber a reluctant and soaking wet Ness then slowly and carefully shuffled further into the full glare of the unforgiving headlights and soon found himself surrounded by many silhouettes of faceless men brandishing tommy guns. The shadowy and violent don of Mayfield Road Mob then finally stepped forwards and spoke in an authoritatively brutish tone whilst he faced him, still infuriatingly unseen by Ness’s blinded vision “Well! Well! Well! You got some balls waiting at my The Harvard Club with only four guys, right boys!?” The amused Polizzi then looked around and instantly heard a gaggle of agreeing laughs from his loyal men that where now surrounding the lonesome Ness. Ness was still high on his opium but was thinking relatively clearly, albeit with less of the primal fear that would have ordinarily affected a normal person and so he replied in as calm manner because he did not want to show his fear to the new Italian mob boss “Who told you I’d be here tonight?”

  The facing, unseen shadowy figure of Polizzi laughed as he replied “Hahaha! Shit Ness! I’m the one fucking asking the questions here ok!? Jesus! Haha! Are you stupid or something!?, can’t you see the army of guns around you? Your either one stupid asshole or you got nuts kid! But you know what? I’ll just say that a ‘little birdy told me’ Hahaha!” Ness could just make out Polizzi knowingly tapping his noise with his finger in the shadows as he chuckled to himself and he was soon followed in his amusement by the other loyal members of the surrounding mob.