Welcome To Central City

by Adam C Mitchell

  The phone went dead. Kim’s screams told Eddy two things. Firstly, they meant business. Secondly, they’d probably broken a few fingers or god forbid threatened to rape her, just to put the fear of the Almighty into her. Taking the Colt from his belt, Eddy spun the six bore chamber and reloaded. His mind went over the call so many times he could reel it off word for word. The minutes turned into hours and he made a plan of sorts. What he had planned was a total gamble, but he was going to check out the docks and hope to get lucky. Catch them on the hop or that was the plan. It was time to roll the dice and see where they landed.

  Five minutes later Eddy was out the door, hailing a cab. The cab ride darted down numerous roads and alleys, he felt as though it was taking forever. When they turned past a derelict dock building, the smell of the Clifton Docks and the Atlantic Ocean hit him.

  The tang of salt made his mouth dry. Pulling up a few meters away, Eddy paid the driver and made it look like he was waiting for a dock worker, or friend just to be safe. A minute later the cab had vanished in the darkness of the dock, and Eddy entered the shadows created by some nearby sheds he could hear the hustle of dock workers clocking out, thinking it best to stick to the shadows in case he was spotted. Making his way towards the small buildings and boat yard. Eddy hopped over a small chain-link fence, doing the best he could not to be seen. He caught his thigh on a lose piece of chain link and a shot of pain hit him he had reopened Kim’s patch up job. Bloody great He sighed. Looking around wasn’t easy especially without a torch, but he did the best he could, feeling his way around the areas when the light didn’t show. The docks’ dim and occasionally broken lighting didn’t aid his search at all. He couldn’t see a thing. The meet was meant to go down at 7:30, which meant Eddy had an hour to find Kim tops before whoever was pulling the strings realized something was up. He was wasting time.

  He jogged to the wharf, cutting through a small shed, doing his best to be as low and cautious as possible. The sea of buildings seemed to go on forever. He climbed on a small crate and ducked down. There was movement, nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual comings and goings of the shift changes. Eddy watched as a small parade of exhausted workers made for the exit. That’s when he noticed the phone booth and a nearby jetty close by. His Hail-Mary type, gamble had paid off! Now all he had to do was just had to find Kim, and get them both out alive, without either of them buying the farm, or worse taking a long trip to the sea bed.

  Apart from water lapping against the small boats moored up, the jetty was quiet. They had to be on one of them he walked towards the jetty’s empty gate house, grabbing a dock workers jacket as he did. Hopefully they would ignore a dock worker, more than a guy they are trying to negotiate a ransom from. “Come on, Eddy” he mumbled. He had no choice but to search each boat, she could be in any. Searching the first boat—The Darling—took a little while. Its two decks thankfully and both were empty. No one had sailed this old girl in a long time. Maybe after all this, I'll get myself an old boat and take a holiday. Eddy thought as he ambled down the boats little gantry, back to the jetty. Three more pointless searches made him wonder, if he was wrong. He was going to check one maybe two more, then if it turned up nothing go home and play ball.

  But as he walked towards the stern of the fifth. Eddy noticed a dim lantern behind a small raft, he saw shadows move and heard voices. This was it. He rechecked his gun, watching and trying to figure out his next move. He crouched down and moved as close as he dared. A loud over head crack lit the sky as the heavens opened. From behind a small tower of crab cages, Eddy made his move.

  His hunch was right. The Kelly Grace had a cabin of sorts, so making his way to the once grand boat by means of a small ladder, he peered on the deck. It was clear. Eddy crept up, pulling out his gun. The water splashing against the hull hid his footsteps on the wet deck. Ducking behind a barrel he paused, his heart was racing, taking a deep breath, he did his best to calm his racing heart, with little joy. Kim was all he could think about. After another minute searching the top deck he came to the last cabin. Through a porthole, he saw Kim tied up like a real damsel in distress from a Hal Roach Studio flick.

  Three men sat at a small table playing rummy, all three looked like they meant business, all three told Eddy that this wasn’t going to be easy.. All of them were big goons. All seemed the type to shoot first. Not good! He edged up to the porthole and hid behind a small lifeboat. Surprise was all he had, so he had to be quick. Gripping the gun in his right hand, he made his move. Eddy kicked the cabin door in as hard as he could. It swung loose and he entered with gun blazing. Kim was Eddy for a fleeting moment, then screamed loud as one of the goon’s in panic knocked her to the floor. It wasn’t a bad thing though less chance of hitting Kim, as her rescuer let off four shots. From what Kim could see of the scene Eddy looked like the hero of her and Ruddy’s favourite film The Eyes In The Night. Dropping the two and missing the third with one getting plugged twice in the chest, he moved on the last goon quick as quick as was possible. Darting over an upturned table he struck. Planting a knee to the groin and pistol whipping him out could with one getting plugged twice in the chest. The smell of gunpowder filled the small space. Eddy cut Kim loose with a pocketknife he pulled from one of the stiffs. The rescue took no less than a few minutes, and nobody was to badly hurt. Eddy escaping with a black eye and busted nose.

  Apart from a few broken fingers, she was unhurt. It explained the screams he’d heard on the phone. Eddy had to clean up this mess, and by that he meant torch it. The dock was quiet, but the shots and screams might have woken a sleeping watchman and Eddy didn’t want to explain his way out of this, or worse, kill an honest working stiff, to keep them safe. After wrapping his jacket around her, he told Kim to wait by the jetty, assuring her he wouldn’t be long. Kim was as white as a sheet, understandably so, those goons had snatched her while she was getting ready to bathe, all she had on was a slip. It had been a cold night. He went below deck, and returned minutes later with two gas cans. The boat needed to be a bonfire and quick. Pouring the kerosene over it was the easy bit; lighting the damp matches wasn’t. After a few failed attempts, it went up like the Fourth of July. Along with any evidence of them being there. Eddy hoped as he watched the boat burn, that along with it any more complications would be a thing of the past, he hoped now they could get away safe? But he doubted it. Trouble always came in three’s.

  He had done his best to cover their tracks for now. They ran away from the docks with the flames to their backs. Another hour or so later, they found themselves back outside the apartment by way of a chemist to get splints for poor Kim’s mangled hand. He was no doc, but he knew that whiskey and splints were there best medicine for her pain. Inside the apartment he poured her a stiff glass, and went about straightening each broken digit, the pain and sobs coming from Kim, got to Eddy after a while, but he did the best patch up job he could for her, Finishing with a long overdue embrace between the two. It had been a long night, But they both knew it wasn’t over yet.

  Kim with Eddy’s help, her telling him packing them, picked up a few essentials and then they headed down the staircase. An old man’s voice stopped them.

  “I can help you disappear if you want. Follow me, and if not, then good luck to you both.”

  The man had long gray unkempt hair, greased down to his flaky scalp like concrete. A thinning white beard added to the hobo look. His smart but old gym slacks were sweat-stained from years spent in the gym. He had a trusting face, like a grandparent figure, and they followed him into the apparently safe haven of the gym. They had no clue who he was, could they be walking into more hot water. They had to hold up and take stock, and Kim needed rest. So taking a leap of faith and a reloaded colt. The pair decided to trust him for now.

  He led them to a back room next to the training ring.

  It smelt of sweat and age-old dust and like its owner, it felt safe. Minutes later, they sat at the table, hot drinks in front of them. They were safe for now they witho
ut knowing had met him before, the apartment that was turned over was one of his, part of the same set up, he told them both how he heard the commotion, but was to late to help. He knew the pair would need help on returning so offered the olive branch. Upon hearing this the pair began to relax, but Eddy was still uneasy. The old guy ran his hands through his thinning hair then held out his right hand. “Paddy’s the name. Paddy O’Neal. This as you may have gathered is my place.”

  Eddy eyed him up and down. “Okay, old-timer, you said you could help us?”

  Paddy offered a toothless smile. “So you’ve got your doubts about me, laddie? Eddy Kovakx’s ya’ name, right?” Paddy’s broad Irish accent made it hard to understand but he kept listening.

  “Keep talking,” Eddy said, his patience frayed.

  “I run this gym, my lad, and I’ve a few hopefuls here, ya ‘see. We travel around the country on tours and the like and it just so happens we’ve a trip planned. I thought maybe you could pose as a boxer of sorts. We could slip you out of town unseen.”

  Eddy nodded. “What about Kim?”

  Paddy turned to her and took her hand. With a pot full of Irish charm and a whisper from the blarney, he kissed it. “You can pose as my daughter, ya sweet lil’ thing. So, what do you think?”

  Kim smiled, making Eddy relax a little. “Sounds good, Paddy, but what’s in it for you?”

  “Plenty of time to talk about that when we’re out of Chicago and you are safe. Sound fair?”

  Eddy nodded. “Okay, we’re in your hands.” he played the part, telling him what he knew Paddy, wanted to hear. But Eddy didn’t trust him, not one bit. Trust was earned, and he hadn’t earned his trust, not yet. Kim was different to her trust was given freely, her relief was evident. Paddy opened a cupboard and took out some blankets and pillows, then pulled out two camp beds from under the old squared circle. They were probably as old as Paddy.

  “You’ll need these tonight. It gets cold in here, friend.”

  Eddy passed Kim a blanket. “So when can we leave?”

  “Tomorrow night, after the show.”

  Eddy looked up. “What show?”

  Paddy laughed. “I’m holding a local fight here tomorrow, last one before we head west to Liberty City, Coast City, Northon then after a brief stop cap back to New York, then the plan is to city hop all the way to San Francisco, my old home town.” Paddy’s eyes settled on the trace of red on Eddy’s clothes. “Let’s have a look at that leg. I can help patch it up.”

  After Paddy left to confirm a few last minute arrangements for the show and their hopeful departure, Kim said,

  “Do you trust him, Eddy?”

  He took her in his tired arms and nodded, trying to convince both Kim and himself that they’d both be okay. Then Eddy planted a firm kiss on her luscious pink lips and for those few seconds, nothing else mattered.

  “I do too. He seems nice,” she said.

  Eddy woke after a few hours’ sleep’ leaving the slip wearing Kim to sleep on even if he wanted to see what lay underneath. He covered up her ample but pert breasts and watched over her a few more minutes.

  He’d thought about saying screw it and giving the money back. Meeting Kim felt like he’d already got the best prize. Did he really need more? Yet he had made a promise to give her more.

  The sweet girl he had met in the hut was innocent, scared and naive. But like most innocent young things in this blasted city, she had a dark side. Kim had been seductively dynamite, making him forget about the cold and damp in the gym. She’d shown him things that he could have only imagined. Made him experience sensations he couldn’t have dreamed off. He looked at her, and remembered what they had done that night, in the middle of the gym’s boxing ring. Glad she was still fast asleep, so she couldn’t see the broad grin that had grew upon his mug. He’d thought about saying screw it and giving the money back. Meeting Kim felt like he’d already got the best prize.

  Did he really need more?

  Yet he had made a promise to give her more.

  A flood of questions filled Eddy’s mind, questions like, What if she hadn’t stopped him?

  What if sweet, innocent Kim had let his hands roam her curves without letting that sadness, that dark cloud he’d seen reflected in her eyes — overwhelm her?

  Eddy drew the edge of the blanket up Kim’s bare arm. The gym wasn’t cold enough for the air to be chill, but he felt protective of this tiny woman. And she did look so small, so fragile, curled upon the hard bunk. Kim stirred at his touch, twisting onto her back. Her hand lifted, draping over Eddy’s wrist. The touch weighed on him more than her small hand should have. She trusted him to protect her. Would she trust him not to hurt her? She murmured something unintelligible, her fingers tightening briefly over his before her hand slipped to the bed. Her slip clung to her as tenuously as the last vestiges of her innocence. And dear God, how badly Eddy wanted to take them both from her. “Kim doll, are you sure?” Kim just held his hand guiding it up to her shoulder as he slid a finger under the satin strap of her slip. Shifting it an inch to the side, his eyes fixed on the slender curve of her collarbone. Such pale skin. He touched the tip of his finger, tracing the curve of that thin protrusion to just under the hollow of her throat. Her heartbeat brought a steady tremor to that shadowed skin. He rested his thumb, feeling a ghost of a pulse beneath.

  Kim shifted under him. Eddy tore his eyes away from the fluttering of her life, starting when their eyes locked. She watched his eyes wide and unnervingly intent on his mind. He’d woken her. But when? Her lips parted, but whether to open in protest or invitation, he couldn’t tell. “I… I should let you sleep,” Eddy said. “You must—”

  “Be tired?” Kim blinked up at him, her eyes darting away before returning, less intense than before. “I am. You are, too — I can tell.”

  Eddy nodded, turning to leave. But Kim’s hand darted out, snatching at his jacket. He was frowning when he turned back to her. With her free hand, Kim slid a finger under her slip’s strap. She shifted it aside and drew her shoulders up and in. In seconds, she’d manoeuvred her elbows through the straps. Releasing him, Kim sank down onto the bunk, the hand pressed to her breastbone the only thing still keeping her decent.

  Eddy’s pulse flickered and sprang into a hard throb in his throat.

  “We’ll sleep after honey,” she whispered. “And better for it.” Eddy ducked his head. Despite the thoughts suddenly raging in his head the money, the shoot out, Rudy everything that led to this point, there was nothing he wanted — needed — more than this. Than her.

  Than the things she could show him.

  His lips touched against that hollow in her throat. He couldn’t feel her pulse, not with his own as demanding as it was, but he could smell her — that precious femininity — and the scent of it made him unbelievably hard for her.

  Kim’s fingers twined into his hair. She let out a sigh, arching her shoulders from the bunk as his lips glided through the valley of her cleavage, as he nestled between her satiny breasts.

  “Eddy about before, Ruddy and, I don’t—”“Hush,” Eddy murmured. He tugged her wrist away. The slip came with it, baring her to him. He jerked the soft fabric down until it pooled around her waist in champagne-coloured folds that perfectly complimented her ivory skin.

  What a treasure she would have made, Ruddy was once a lucky man.. He felt like a thief, stealing her from the man, his partner. But was it really theft if he wasn’t around to claim her any more? The words of a song came to mind as he looked at Kim in all her beauty. He wasn’t a sentimental man, not really but as he looked at her whispered the words softly into her ear.

  If I had it in my power

  I’d arrange for every girl to have your charms

  Then every minute, every hour

  Everybody would find what I found in your arms….

  Kim moaned at this, not really grasping the words, but more the feeling they both now shared and bucked her hips. Eddy’s gaze slid up her body, settling on the diam
onds in her eyes. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Eddy drew back his shoulder, shrugging out of his battered jacket. Not once taking his eyes from Kim’s sweet, expectant face as the thick leather dropped to the bunk beside them. He rose onto his knee, kicking off his shoes as his hand went to his buckle. There was a tremor, the slightest flinch of Kim’s lips, when his buckle came free.

  He paused, wetting his lips.

  She gave her head a small shake, and reached for him. Her hands tugged open the button of his jeans, and then slid behind his shirt. Eddy shuddered at that touch. Kim’s lips dipped into a smile, and she raked her nails down his stomach, hard enough to draw an involuntary breath from him. He watched her for a moment, hand frozen on his belt, lips still parted from that unexpected touch.

  “I’m not made of crystal, Eddy,” Kim whispered up to him.

  “I won’t break if you touch me.”

  Eddy tore free his belt, tossing it to the floor. This time, Kim didn’t flinch at the sound.

  “Sure about that, Sugar],” he asked, his voice rough.

  It was killing him, the (not knowing what she wanted). He wanted her, but not if it was going to destroy whatever tentative grip she had on her sanity. What had happened to Ruddy was a bitter pill to chew, and definitely a bad hand had been dealt to sweet Kim but, That’s Central City though more misery than joy, but more importantly who was he to determine she was ready to move on?

  Unless this was what she needed. Catharsis. Release. Mind-numbing distraction. “Why don’t you come find out, Eddy?” She lifted her knees, tugging the blanket where he’d trapped it under her knee. She spread her legs, and the blanket fell between them, revealing a slim, naked leg. Eddy ripped his shirt free with a violent tug. Kim made a small, soft noise in the back of her throat as he grabbed her leg and shoved it onto the bunk. He slid a knee between her legs, the second joining it an instant later. She pushed herself up to her elbows, watching him with hungry anticipation; lips parted, eyes shining, skin flushed. Eddy grabbed the band of satin spanning her waist and wrapped it in his fist. Kim exhaled loudly, her eyes fluttering as the fabric chafed her skin. He used that grip to hold her down; he didn’t want her to move, to wriggle away from him like she had the night before. This time, there would be backing out what she’d started. No teasing. No unfulfilled promises. Kim lifted her hips, bucking against him. She wore nothing except that twisted band of satin; her she was ready for all of him, sliding over his lower stomach in lascivious promise of what waited for him in those hot, silken depths. Eddy groaned, the hand clutching that satiny fabric quivering. He shoved his thumb behind the waistband of his pants and tugged them down. They were both waiting, both wanting, both suffering that uneasy urge to wait for a cue, a sign. And there was only one way to put an end to that perverse suffering…Eddy took the lead, hoisting up Kim’s wide hips with his grip on her slip. Her thighs gripped his waist, her ankles locking at the small of his back, urging him closer. Her mouth parted, her breasts rising and falling faster as her breath sped up. Beckoning him.