by J W Kiefer
Moreover, he had brushed them off when they had gone to the city to check into the investigation. At the time she had not thought anything of it, but now it all made sense. He had even minimized the importance of a body disappearing from the morgue as if dead bodies got up and walked away all the time. To his defense, he had warned her not to get involved, but it was too late for that now.
She drew her weapon and turned to Lee. “You got this?”
People were starting to congregate around them, but otherwise, they were keeping their distance. He looked around at the bystanders and then nodded. “Yeah, I can handle this. I will call for EMS and back up. Are you sure you’re going to be okay going off by yourself?”
She had to find out just what was going on and did not have time to wait for help to arrive.
“Yeah,” she said setting her jaw. “I hope anyway.”
She turned and quickly started off in the direction the two perpetrators had fled. Before she had gone far, however, Lee called out to her. “Detective!”
“Yeah?” she responded, impatiently turning around.
“Get that son of a bitch,” he said with a smile.
She smiled back at him and gave him a quick salute before she continued her pursuit.
Forty-Four
Jared finally came to a halt when he crashed into a huge oak tree just on the edge of the river’s waterline. Luckily, his body had come to a stop in a sitting position against the tree trunk. Leaves flitted down around him. Jared did not have time to enjoy them, as his brother came crashing through the tree line.
“Jared,” Tzedakah whispered. “Trust me.”
He gritted his teeth and shook his head. “No. Not if it means killing my brother,” he said.
“You must,” he pleaded. “We are almost out of time.”
Steve reached his brother and bent down so they were face-to-face. He leered at him, revealing a mouth full of teeth elongated into the shape of tiny daggers. His eyes were wild, demonic, and glowing blood-red. His fingernails had extended into vicious claws, which he raked against Jared’s chest.
“I must admit,” he said in a voice more guttural than before. “I was somewhat sad when I was forced to kill you back in New York. Sure, I hate Mom and Dad, but I never held any ill will toward you.”
Jared met his brother’s gaze and glared at him angrily. He wanted to kill him. He wanted Justice, not only for himself, but for all of Steve’s victims. Suddenly, as if he had turned on some kind of switch, he could hear the sentient sword’s voice clearly once again. He realized at that moment, that the more he desired justice for his brother’s victims, the stronger his connection with Tzedakah grew. Tzedakah hated injustice and his brother had become an avatar for everything he despised. By allowing himself to want justice, which required his brother’s death, he was bringing his desires in line with the longings of the sentient sword.
Even so, he could not bring himself to kill his younger brother, no matter how much he deserved it. Strangely, Tzedakah was silent. He could still feel the raw emotion of the sword through their mental link, but he was no longer demanding Steve’s death.
“Why?” Jared asked his brother.
His voice was hollow and ethereal and no longer resembled his former one. It didn’t seem to originate from Jared’s body either, but rose as if from some distant, invisible realm. Steve was confused when he heard it and backed away.
“I have to say, big brother,” he said warily, “this new you is quite frightening. I mean, I am literally becoming a demon from hell, but you—you are a whole new level of terrifying.”
Even though Jared could now hear Tzedakah clearly, he still did not trust him. He did not want to hurt his brother, despite the fact that he was a monster. Deep down in his heart, however, he knew that Tzedakah was right and that his brother had to die.
“You asked me why,” Steve said, lowering his guard and taking a step backward. “Well, I killed you because I was afraid you saw me murder the girl at the show. I knew that even if you wanted to, there was no way you could overlook that. I mean, when we were kids, you couldn’t handle having anything bad on your conscience. There was no way you’d be able to keep quiet about something like that.”
He shrugged and scratched his head with his long nails. “If you were hoping for something more profound, I am sorry. Sure, I was a bit jealous that you were able to move on from Hope’s death and I was not, but that wasn’t why I killed you. Really, it was just wrong place, wrong time.
“Now, if you are asking me why I kill people, well, that is a different matter entirely. Long story short, I hate God for not saving Hope while you all get to live. By killing people, I hurt Him and that makes me happy. Sure, hearing myself say that out loud now makes me realize that I have some pretty deep issues, but at this point, I really don’t care.”
It was at that moment that Dana emerged from the small tree line next to the river. It was nautical twilight so there was just enough light for her to make out that there were two people in front of her, but not enough to see any distinguishing features. She raised her duty weapon and pointed it in the direction of the two men.
“Binghamton police!” she shouted. “Put your hands on your heads and get down on the ground.”
Jared’s eyes went wide and Steve grinned mischievously, as they both recognized her voice. The two brothers stared at each other, neither moving as Dana shouted more commands.
Jared’s connection to Tzedakah was not yet whole, so he was not fast enough to stop his brother when he turned toward Dana. With frightening speed, Steve launched a thin shadow dagger at her while slamming his fist into Jared’s face.
The stream of shadow shot through Dana so quickly that it took her a moment to register that she had been impaled. Her eyes went wide with shock when she saw the long shadow blade sticking out of her stomach. She tried to scream but all that came out was a wet gurgle as her legs lost their strength and she toppled to the ground.
Steve clapped his hands and laughed maniacally at his good fortune. “Well now, big brother, look who has come to the rescue! I knew it was only a matter of time before I would have to kill dear Dana, but who would’ve thought I’d get to kill her in front of you the way I killed you in front of her. I’ve gotta say, the man downstairs is far more helpful than the one upstairs. You chose the wrong side, brother.”
Jared tried to rise, but he felt sluggish and slow like he was moving through liquid. He had to get to Dana, but his body would not respond fast enough. He could feel Tzedakah just at the edge of his consciousness, but he could not connect with it. Even now when Dana was in mortal danger, he still could not bring himself to kill his brother. He did not trust Tzedakah because it wanted him to kill his brother; hence, the disconnect between him and the sentient sword.
Steve slugged him again, sending him back to the ground. He then reached down and grabbed him by the hair, jerked him up, and making him face Dana’s prone body.
He breathed in his brother’s ear. “Do you think she is still alive? If she is, how long do you think she has? An hour? Ten minutes? It really is a crapshoot, isn’t it? I mean, I’m not exactly precise with my aim, so I may have hit her kidney or some other vital organ. Or I may have missed everything entirely. You never know, really.”
He let go of his brother’s hair and his head dropped back to the ground. Jared lay on his stomach. Dana’s moans had stopped, and she wasn’t moving. All he could do was watch her helplessly as his brother stood over him.
“I think I’ll do this the old-fashioned way,” Steve said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a medium-sized hunting knife. “There’s no need to rush, so I might as well take my time and enjoy myself.”
A soon as he turned toward Dana, a shot rang out. Steve looked down at his chest in surprise as a large red stain formed in the center of his shirt. He looked up to see Dana on her knees with her pistol trained directly on him, holding her stomach with her other hand. Their eyes met and he saw not only re
cognition in them, but death. He smirked, and she unloaded her clip in his torso.
Steve stumbled back, jerking violently as the bullets ripped through his body. Click, click, click—Dana’s clip was empty. She was still dry firing when her strength finally failed, and she slumped in the grass.
The sun crested the horizon, bathing the scene in light just as Steve’s legs gave out and he toppled face-first into the river. The last thought he had before his consciousness faded away was that he hoped he’d have the chance to tell God off before he went to Hell.
Dana turned painfully onto her back. Her vision was hazy, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before she passed out. The man Steve had been assaulting gingerly rose to his feet and stumbled toward her. The lightness she felt in her head increased and she fought to stay awake as the figure approached.
She knew she should be frightened as the man reached down and lifted her head into his lap, but she didn’t have the strength. He stroked her hair and spoke something to her that she couldn’t make out. His voice not only sounded odd to her ears but a thousand miles away. Strangely, it was soothing to her. She felt that she should know it somehow.
Dana could feel herself slipping away, but she needed to know who this person was. So, with all her remaining strength, she willed herself back to consciousness. For just a moment, her vision cleared. The face that appeared before her eyes made her heart skip a beat.
As the darkness overtook her, she smiled and breathed, “I love you, Jared.”
Forty-Five
Jared watched anxiously from the tree line as Officer Lee worked to save Dana’s life. Thankfully, the officer who had found her had the hands of a surgeon and the skills of an emergency room doctor, so it did not take him long to stop the bleeding and stabilize her. Nevertheless, if she did not get to a hospital soon, she wouldn’t make it.
Tzedakah glowed brilliantly and a faint blue aura appeared around Dana’s body. She relaxed and her breathing grew steady.
“I have done what I can for her,” he said tentatively. “Now her fate is in God’s hands.”
Jared nodded. It took everything in him not to rush to her side. He desperately wanted to be with her, to be the first thing she saw when she woke up. If she woke up. The thought of her dying both infuriated him and broke his heart at the same time. Oh, how he wished he had been strong enough to kill his brother when he had had the chance. It was a regret he knew he would carry for the rest of his life, however long that would be. He silently prayed that it would not be long since the thought of living without her for even a moment was unbearable.
Both of them watched, hidden from view, as a helicopter appeared overhead. Lee leaned over Dana, shielding her from the debris kicked up by the helicopter’s rotors.
As soon as the helicopter landed, a big man wearing a brown suit and a Boston Red Sox cap jumped out and headed over to Dana and Lee. He crouched down and shared a few words with the officer before signaling to the chopper. Two more men wearing EMS uniforms and carrying a stretcher exited the side door and ran to retrieve Dana.
Jared watched helplessly as the men returned to the aircraft with Dana in tow and lifted her up into the open door. The big man and the medic followed suit closing the door just as the aircraft lifted off the ground. The helicopter rose into the air hovering for a few seconds before moving forward and passing over the horizon and out of sight.
As soon as the aircraft was gone, a squad of police officers arrived. They moved slowly and methodically, canvassing the area for any signs of the two perpetrators who had been reported to still be in the area. Not wanting to be discovered, Jared disappeared in a flash of blue light.
He reappeared down by the river where his brother had fallen. There was no sign of Steve’s body, but the current was moving swiftly, so it most likely had been swept downstream. Even after all he had done, Jared found it impossible to hate him. Steve was his younger brother and he would always love him unconditionally in spite of what he had chosen to become. He hoped that in death his brother had found some measure of peace. Sadly, however, the blood of the people he had murdered still cried out for justice. Even in death, he could not escape judgment.
He felt the presence of someone watching him from behind but did not turn around. “Late again, I see.”
The angel walked up and stood next to him and stared down at the river, as well. “So it seems.”
“Where is Jeremy?”
The angel looked up into the heavens. “At the hospital, but don’t worry, he will live. We were attacked shortly after you left, and he was injured severely. Thankfully, he will recover with no lasting complications. I have known him for a long time, and he has seen worse.”
Jared nodded but said nothing. Neither of them spoke as the river carried on its never-ending course. Was life like this river, Jared wondered, a continuously flowing stream always rushing toward a predetermined end? Did his brother truly choose his path, or, like Jared, was his path chosen for him?
He raised Tzedakah up and examined the softly glowing blade. He wanted to hate the sentient sword but found that he could not. In truth, it was only doing what it was designed to do. To hate it was the same as hating a lion for hunting or a storm for blowing. Still, he could not help but feel that he had been trapped by it somehow.
“I did not choose this,” he said softly.
“I know,” Sanctuary replied. “The ways of God are mysterious. Even we angels do not always understand them. Sometimes the road He asks us to walk is a hard one.”
Jared nodded and glanced over at the rushing water. “And sometimes,” he said, finishing Sanctuary’s thoughts, “someone has to be the one who sacrifices so others can live.”
Sanctuary looked at Jared with sad eyes. “It is the way of things,” he said. “But I am sorry that this burden has fallen on you.”
“It didn’t,” Jared said. “It fell on her.”
Neither of them spoke again as they stood on the riverbank and continued to watch the water flow by.
Epilogue
The Musketeer materialized somewhere in the woods at the top of a steep ravine. He hated the forest and much preferred the hustle and bustle of the big city to the dull quiet of nature. Cities were filled with people and people brought chaos; he loved chaos. What he was seeking, however, had come to rest somewhere deep at the bottom of this ravine.
With a sigh, he leapt from the edge into thin air. Wind rushed past as he dropped, nearly snatching away his precious hat. He grabbed it just before a particularly strong gust stole it from him.
The rapier on his hip flashed violet, and his momentum slowed to a crawl. He landed on his feet, as soft as a feather, patted his trusty weapon, and scanned the area. It did not take him long to spot what he was looking for. About two meters away, next to two large rocks, lay the broken body of a man.
With a slight skip in his step, he sauntered over to the mossy boulders. He had to watch his footing because the stones were covered in algae and extremely slippery. He hated getting his boots wet.
He grabbed a large stick to shove the body onto its back, so he could examine it better. Steve’s battered and bloodied face looked up at the Musketeer who tsked thoughtfully. Was the boy dead? Alas, no; there was the subtle rise and fall of his chest.
Steve’s eyes flicked open.
“Well done,” the Musketeer said. “You are still alive. That is a truly fortunate thing, mon ami, because there is still much that needs doing. I am not finished with you just yet.”
* * *
Acknowledgement
So now that you have read this book of mine, (at least I hope you did and did not simply jump to the back in order to read my overlong, “please get of the stage, Oscar winning” speech) I would like to take the time to acknowledge a few people. Well, a few people is most likely a gross understatement, as the folks who know me will attest.
First off, I want to thank you the readers for deciding to pick up my book. I know you have a gazillion ot
her options to choose from, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for taking a chance on my little novel. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.
No good author worth his salt could write his first acknowledgment page without mentioning the two people who brought them into the world. Unless of course you were born in a test tube, cloned from someone else’s DNA or are an AI. If this is the case, then you will either despise me for having wonderful and supporting parents, or simply be confused. Since I am none of those things and have saints for parents, (they actually are saints by the way. They have the hallows to prove it.) I want to thank them for always believing in me even when I did not believe in myself. Without your love and encouragement I never would have finished the race. Well, without you I would not have been here to start the race, so…thanks for that as well.
Next, I would like to thank my kids Emma and Connor. From the moment you first opened your wee lil eyes, my heart was yours. My greatest delight in this life is being your dad. No matter how many mighty deeds I accomplish and how many titles I am bestowed, none of them will ever compare to being called your dad. It has been, and will continue to be, my greatest responsibility, honor, and joy. You are my happiness.
The next people on my hit list are all of the wonderful friends I have made along the writers way. I could not have asked for a more supportive and inspiring community. You are all mad and you talk to imaginary people, but hey, all the best ones do. From all of the people who have created, hosted or guest starred on “The Dead Robots Society” podcast to JR Handley, Tim C Taylor and Walt Robilard who have been my valued companions on this journey, I thank you. In truth, thanking you seems like too small a sentiment for how much of an impact you have had on me, but it will have to do.