by J W Kiefer
He gaped soundlessly as his friend’s head slipped off his torso and fell with a splat. With nothing left to keep it upright, the rest of Dante’s body toppled.
Pedro stammered; his mind unable to comprehend what had just happened. He looked back at the lone figure that they thought they’d trapped. The sword that had been sitting on his hip only seconds before was now unsheathed and casually resting across his shoulders. Pedro let loose a blood-curdling shriek.
The Musketeer cocked his head. “Ah, I see that your pathetic little brain has finally managed to catch up to the present.”
Pedro stumbled and fell in his attempt to flee, but with no arms to brace himself, he hit his face hard on the unrelenting pavement, breaking his nose and knocking himself unconscious.
The Musketeer sheathed his rapier and strolled over to where Dante lay. He knelt on one knee, picked up the decapitated head, and studied it.
“Can you see me, mon ami? Ah, I forget you cannot raise the dead, can you? Well, if any of your servants are lurking in the shadows observing, know that I am not here to bring you trouble. I am merely here on a small errand. Of course, if you feel the need to interfere with me, I will end you the way I just ended your, how you say, honkies. I assume that this word suffices, but if not, you will understand the message, nonetheless.”
He stood and tossed the head over his shoulder where it bounced a few times before halting in the dust. Brushing himself off, he sauntered over to where Pedro lay. Blood pooled from his arm stumps; red streams trickled into the street.
The Musketeer debated putting the man out of his misery, but given the fact that blood no longer spurted from his wounds, he surmised that the man was already dead. He dusted himself off quickly and then tiptoed around the corpse to avoid staining his boots as he left the grisly scene behind. Just before he turned the corner, he glanced back and winked into the shadows, acknowledging the thing that had been spying on him since he had first arrived.
As soon as the Musketeer was out of sight, a small shadow creature stirred in the alleyway. It moved out to where the two men lay dead and hovered over them. Two tiny red glowing orbs appeared out of the folds of shadow and stared down at the corpses.
The master will not be pleased that the Musketeer has come into his territory, it thought. It knew that it must return quickly in order to relay the message that he left, which was obviously for his master. With a shudder, it dissolved and faded away into the waiting darkness.
Twenty-Five
Dana and Jared sat talking together at the Starbucks in Times Square. The sun was partway below the horizon and the foot traffic of the city increased as the people of New York left their jobs for the day and headed home. The two watched quietly as crowds of people hustled by. Soon the streetlights blinked to life, signaling the coming of night.
Dana swallowed her last sip of coffee and took in a deep breath. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a cop here in the City?”
Jared shrugged. “Not really. At least not now, anyway. When I was a kid, it was all I could think about. Not only was it where all the action was, but it was where all the superheroes were, as well. I mean, what kid wouldn’t want to have the chance to fight crime alongside the heroes of New York?”
Dana chuckled. “Don’t lie. You still want to be a superhero.”
“What are you talking about? I am a superhero.” Jared winked as he downed his last sip of coffee.
He stood up and winked before taking Dana’s empty cup over to the wastebasket. “You ready to head over to Angels and Kings?”
Dana rose and pushed in her chair. “I guess. You know I am not much for clubs or bars, but since we have tomorrow off and your brother is playing there, I figure we might as well take advantage of the nightlife here in NYC.”
Jared turned and put out his arm for her. Unable to hide the blush and the girly smile, Dana accepted his arm. He smiled right back at her and then bent down and kissed her lips. They happily exited the outside seating for the coffee shop and headed out into the busy street.
“Honestly, I don’t drink, and if my parents knew I was going to a club, they would have my head, but I really do want to see Steve play. No one in my family has been very supportive of his music since it is in the secular world, and not the Church,” he said as they walked. “But since I’m here in the city for a change, I’d like to show him some support.”
Dana snuggled up closer to him as they turned down a side street. “You are such a good brother.”
Jared snorted. “Well, it isn’t because I think his band is any good, that’s for sure. It’s because the tickets are free and so are the drinks. How could I pass that up? A night like that in NYC would usually cost a fortune.”
She punched him on the shoulder but never let go of his arm as they continued down the street. They passed buildings of every kind as they walked. Skyscrapers that jutted so far into the stratosphere that you could not even see the tops from below, as well as brick apartment buildings huddled together.
It was so different from the rural farming communities they were used to. There were so many people and so many things to see and do. At this time of the day in Binghamton, even the small shops and restaurants would be getting ready to close. Here in the Big Apple, you had the feeling that everything was just getting started.
As the two turned down yet another side street, a tall man wearing what appeared to be a musketeer uniform slowly approached them. Upon seeing the man, Jared stepped in front of Dana protectively. The man was probably just an actor promoting his theater group, but Jared’s cop senses were going crazy. By the way Dana stiffened up behind him, he could tell she felt the same.
The man smiled warmly and bowed to them as he approached, his face overshadowed by a large plumed hat.
“Monsieur and madame, how are you on this fine evening? My name is Renault.”
Jared could not put his finger on why this man bothered him so much. It was obvious he was just another street performer, but dread ran its cold fingers up his spine. For some strange reason, his hand went to the locket, which had grown inexplicably warm.
“Is there something I can do for you?” he asked.
The man put a finger to his lips in thought. “Hmm... Well, I am not sure. It is possible that you might be able to help me with some amusement. However, now is not the time for such, how you say, enjoyment.”
“Excuse me?” Jared frowned at the odd man. “I’m not really sure what you are talking about, and while I don’t mean to be rude, we have to be going.”
“Ah, you are not rude, mon ami. I only wished to introduce myself at this present time and to see you for myself. I have now done that, and I will be moving on to other endeavors.”
Neither of them relaxed until they were a good way farther down the street. Dana turned to look back at the man, but when she did, he had vanished.
Odd, she thought. How could he have turned the corner so quickly?
Jared was still frowning as they hurried away.
“You okay?” she asked him.
“Yeah, I’m fine. For some reason, that crazy Shakespeare guy put me on edge. I’m sure he was just some guy trying to promote some play, but something about him just took me as… off. Oh well, I guess that’s the city for you. The crazy people where we’re from are just of a different caliber.”
They both shared a laugh as they continued walking down the busy street, neither one noticing the dark shadow that followed.
Dana slipped her arm around Jared’s. She couldn’t believe this was happening. It was still so surreal to her, and she was afraid of messing it up somehow. A little voice warned her that this was all a dream, and when she woke up, everything between her and Jared would go back to the way it used to be. She pulled his arm closer to her chest.
Jared, feeling the renewed pressure on his arm, looked down and smiled at her. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“Yeah, I was just thinking, is all.”
“About what?”
he asked, scanning the road ahead of them.
“Nothing really. Can I ask you a question?” Her voice was small.
“Of course. Anything.”
“I have pretty much known you and your family my entire life. Heck, your parents are more like an aunt and uncle then just family friends. But, in all the years I have known you, I have never really understood why there is such a disconnect between Steve and your parents. I mean, your parents are two of the greatest people I’ve ever met. In fact, there were times when I was a kid that I wished they were my parents. They always seemed so perfect.”
Jared mulled that over. “My parents are... complicated. And they’d be the first to tell you they’re far from perfect. Don’t get me wrong, I love them to death, and I could not have asked for better parents, but just like all people, they make mistakes.”
Dana frowned. “Well, all parents make mistakes, but I never saw any evidence that your parents did anything that would warrant such outright hatred from your brother.”
Jared shook his head. “Don’t judge Steve too harshly. Things happened when we were both very young that we have never really talked about. It happened before our sister was born, and I am not sure if she even knows about it. The incident scarred Steve so bad that he was never able to move past it. I think he blames God for what happened more than he blames my parents, and that makes the divide between them even larger.”
“What in the world are you talking about? What incident? I have known you since I was ten, and I don’t remember anything like that ever being mentioned about your family.”
“It was before we moved to Greene,” he said, looking away painfully.
She could tell that thinking about it was difficult for him. She wanted to know what he was talking about, but she hated to see him so distraught. “It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it right now.”
“No, it’s okay. I haven’t thought about it in such a long time. My family never talks about it for fear of my sister finding out. That, and I think on some level, neither of my parents have truly forgiven themselves for what happened.”
“They are ministers. Surely they know God has forgiven them.”
“Of course. But it is one thing to accept the forgiveness of God, and another matter entirely to be able to forgive yourself.”
Dana bit her lip. “What could possibly have happened that was so horrible that the ramifications of it are still affecting you all today?”
Jared’s eyes looked haunted. “When my parents were still young pastors, my Dad was very... intense about his duty to the house of the Lord. He didn’t ignore us or neglect us, but at times, he would be gone for what seemed like days. When Steve and I were about five and seven, my mother became pregnant. Since the church was still very young, it required a tremendous amount of work and faith to keep it going. My dad was there all the time, working and dealing with everything that’s required for starting a new church, and he did not have a lot of time to help my mother with Steve and me. Since we had moved three hours to the south, we didn’t really know anyone yet. Sure, there were a few families that had started following my dad on the radio that joined up right away, but overall, all of my mother’s close friends and family still lived up near Syracuse.
“Soon the baby came, and it was a little girl. My parents named her Hope. She was adorable and Steve took to her almost immediately. Honestly, I was surprised since he’d always been such a brat to me. I figured he would fight hard against being replaced as the baby. But Steve loved her so much that all he wanted to do was be around her and help Mom.”
“I didn’t know you had another sister,” Dana said softly. Her heart sank in her chest as she imagined what must have happened to this sister she’d never met.
“There was a crisis at the church right after Hope was born. Dad was gone all the time. My mother did her best to take care of us all, but, though we didn’t know it at the time, she was suffering from severe postpartum depression. We didn’t understand what was going on, just that Mommy was acting strange and being very mean at times. I think my mom tried to talk to my dad about it, but at that time, postpartum depression wasn’t a thing.”
He stopped talking and did not look at her as he choked down his grief. Dana’s heart broke for him. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to know what came next. When he spoke again, his voice cracked.
“One night my mother was giving Hope a bath. Steve and I were playing in the living room while watching cartoons on television. I remember thinking that it was suddenly so very quiet. You know how kids get when everything goes quiet? Steve and I felt restless. Before long we were fighting, and Steve ran off to tell Mom about something I’d done. Honestly, I think it was just an excuse to go find Mommy, not really because he was all that mad at me.
“It was then that I heard the most horrible shriek I’ve ever heard in my life. I ran into the other room to investigate and found Steve soaked to the bone and holding something in his arms. He was crying and screaming, and I was afraid that maybe he’d hurt himself. I was so shocked that my mom had not come running as soon as the shouting began. It was then that I noticed what was in his arms. It was Hope. She was soaking wet and very blue.”
Dana gasped. “Oh my God.”
“Yeah. Once the shock finally wore off, I went in search of Mom. I found her unconscious on the bed. She had taken some pills to help her relax and they had knocked her out instead. The effects hit her when she’d gone into the other room to get Hope some fresh clothes. She’d only meant to lie on the bed for a minute but fell asleep. I tried to wake her, but I couldn’t.
“Since this was before cell phones, we had no way of contacting Dad. All we could do was sit there and pray. Steve prayed so hard for God to bring Hope back to life, while I cried. I have no idea how long it was before Dad finally came home. To us, it felt like a lifetime. My brother was never the same after that night.”
Dana was speechless. She thought she knew everything about Jared and his family, but this revelation was far beyond anything she could have ever imagined. It did, however, shed some light on the underlining strain in relationships she sensed whenever she visited the Caddrets. It was so sad that this tragedy had torn them all apart.
They rounded a corner and the club came into view. Jared forced a smile and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “Well, anyway, here we are. Are you ready to have some fun? I sure am. I think I might even let down my hair a bit and try a beer.”
“What?” Dana said incredulously. “I’m pretty sure you will hate it.”
“You think so? I have always wondered what all the hubbub was about. I mean, it smells like piss, but a lot of people seem to like it.”
Dana crinkled her nose in disgust. “Well, trust me, it tastes like it smells. I took a sip of my dad’s once when I was a kid and I nearly threw up. As soon as it touched my tongue, I spit it out onto the living room carpet. I thought for sure he was going to yell at me, but all he did was laugh and ask me if I wanted another sip. I’ve never had a desire for it again.”
They continued talking as they approached the club’s entrance. The building was painted all black including the windows, giving the club a grimy appearance. Posters plastered the wall around the small ticket window next to the door. A large neon sign prominently displayed Steve’s band, along with two other names Jared and Dana didn’t recognize. To their surprise, the front of the building was packed with people waiting to get in.
Jared pushed through the crowd toward the ticket window, Dana gripping his arm as they made their way through the throng. The line was not too large, so it didn’t take them long to get the tickets and passes Steve had left, and muscle their way through the doors. Inside, the club was painted black, the rooms lit only with an eerie purple glow. Before they even entered the main auditorium, Dana could hear the loud thumping of drums reverberating. The beat moved through her in pulsing waves of energy that rattled her bones and exaggerated the muffled music coming from within. As soon as they opened t
he main door, the music burst through the opening like a living thing that had been struggling to break free.
Jared winced at the sudden assault of noise as the two of them made their way into the crowded auditorium. The concert seemed to already be well underway and Jared feared they may have already missed Steve’s set. The space was much more expansive than it appeared on the outside. It was crowded but not so crowded that they could not move around freely. They found their way through the throng to a table.
As soon as they took a seat, a pretty redheaded waitress wearing short black shorts and a low-cut black T-shirt came over and placed a napkin in front of each of them. She smiled at them and pointed to the menu on the table. Jared smiled back and pointed to the picture of a glass of soda. The women nodded and turned to Dana who pointed to the word water. The music was so loud that small talk was nearly impossible, so the waitress did not stick around after taking their orders.
Jared’s fears were proven to be unfounded as the band currently playing ended their set and cleared the stage for the next act. A burly African American man covered head to toe in tattoos with dreadlocks that hung below his waist strolled out onto the stage.
He flashed a wild smile as he grabbed one of the microphones that had been left on the stage. “Let’s give a good round of applause to Killing Lincoln!”
The crowd went wild in either appreciation or drunkenness, Jared couldn’t tell which. Either way, the atmosphere was both electrifying and terrifying. Maybe it was his cop senses acting up, but to him, it seemed that just underneath the excitement was a sense that the crowd could erupt into something more dangerous. He looked over at Dana and saw her tensing up. He smiled—you could take the girl out of the precinct, but you couldn’t take the police officer out of the girl.
Back on the stage, the curtain had been closed, leaving only the slick-suited emcee hyping up the crowd. Then he held up his hands. “Okay, everyone, give it up for… Richard Cranium!”