Reset

by Kirk Dougal

  I waved the gun. “This still doesn’t make me believe you’re not Raven.”

  Rose took another drink. Sweat flowed down his cheeks even faster and I watched drops fall off his chin.

  “I tried a few games but I felt the most comfortable in The City. I settled in, started making a name for myself and grabbed a little territory from Big C. Then one day, this man approached me. He told me he could help me get to the top but I needed to help him, too. He laid out this plan how we were going to run Big C out, kill off all the competition. But not in some big war where the fights might come back to bite us. He wanted to be precise about who he killed, picking and choosing certain people. In return, he said he would help me by giving me money on the outside, enough to sleep inside the game for the rest of my life. It sounded like the perfect set up.

  “But then on one of the few times I left the game, I realized Raven had been to my apartment in the real world. He visited when I had been immersed in the game. And he left me a message.”

  I watched Rose swallow. He stood there, his eyes closed tight, warding off a sight he did not want to see.

  “The bastard drew a Raven on my chest to let me know I was his to do with as he pleased. He let me know he could kill me whenever he wanted. So I had some people move me, hide me from everyone. But every day I wonder if this is the day Raven will find me again.” Rose stared me in the eye. “RJ, this guy isn’t right. He’s insane and he knows things, about me, about you, about everybody. He can get to us—inside or outside—whenever he wants to.”

  “If you want me to believe someone else is Raven, you better introduce him to me.”

  “I did that once before,” Rose said with a laugh. “A third guy tried to muscle in, take a little from me, take a little from Big C. Raven told me to call for a parley under a flag of truce. He said he wanted us to work together against Big C.

  “So I called for the meeting with Stick Marquitz. We’re talking, putting something together, and Raven shows up. Walked right up behind him and slit his throat. Not even so much as a ‘good evening.’ Found his old lady hiding in a church the next week and burned her alive with the candles. RJ, he does kills for fun. I mean, I know it’s only a game but Raven gets off on the blood and the killing. I was shocked he let you live when he had the guys jump you at the apartment. When I asked him about it, he said he needed you to be where he could keep tabs on you.”

  “What about Wheeler?” My tongue had gone dry.

  Rose crinkled his forehead. “Wheeler? The private dick? Yeah, Raven killed him, too. I discovered he had some grifter following me so I turned Raven on to him and within a week, poof, no more shamus. Same thing with Roberts; they were just getting too close to the truth.”

  “Wheeler was my partner.” I said the statement with the same force as if Jim had been the one cut down. “If what you’re saying is true, tell me how to find Raven, what he looks like.”

  Rose shook his head and his body swayed with the movement. “You don’t get it, he’s not like any other player. He knows everything about everyone. That’s not all. His face, it’s like it’s not quite there. You talk to him and look away for a second and the nose is a little different, the eyes have changed. He could be anybody inside the game and I sure as hell never want to meet him on the outside.” Rose laughed. “But if you really want to meet him, stick around. Raven will be here tonight at midnight.”

  The Bruno behind me groaned and I glanced back to make sure he was still on the floor. When I turned back to Rose, I cringed.

  A stack of papers flew toward me, a fluttering wall blocking my sight. Pain shot through my wrist and the .45 rattled to the floor. Out in the real world, when we were partners, the last thing Riley ever wanted to do was get physical. He tried to manipulate and dominate people but he beat them with his intellect. As Rose, the avatar’s upgrade to his face and build extended to his guts. He had some.

  Rose’s fist grazed my chin as I leaned back. My head turned but did not snap over like it would have if he caught me clean. The papers floated to the floor and I saw him now, winding up for another haymaker. He may have grown some guts, but he had no fighting experience. I stepped inside, burying quick left and right digs to his stomach, my ribs aching with every punch. Rose doubled over, his attack forgotten, and I brought my knee up to meet his face on the way down. Another groan behind me, this one louder, and I realized I needed to finish Rose now or I would soon be fighting two men at once, maybe more if the guard called out for help to the men on the second floor.

  An open palm to Rose’s nose saved bruises on my knuckles and stood him up straight. I lunged forward, both arms out, and shoved him as hard as I could manage.

  Rose staggered backward, slamming the conference table on the way down. He fell to the floor, a limp doll collapsing in sections.

  I walked to the first man I put down. He had managed to make it back up on all fours and was trying to shake away the cobwebs. My foot caught him across the forehead and he went down again without a whimper. I stood there for a few seconds before I lashed out again, kicking him twice in the ribs, the second bringing a satisfying crunch. “I owed you that one, you bastard.”

  I stopped and listened but did not hear feet pounding the steps. The commotion had not caught the attention of the men downstairs. I picked up my gun on the way back to Rose and slid it into the holster under my arm. From this view I could already tell I would not need the weapon. Rose’s head lay at an odd angle, his neck snapping when he hit the edge of the table. The mob boss had died and there was nothing he or I could do about it inside The City. But I was not thinking about inside the game.

  I grabbed one of the pieces of paper from the floor and snagged a pencil from the desk before I knelt down beside the avatar that had once been Rose. My faith in my decision had been shaken by the talk with my old partner and I didn’t know if I still believed he was Raven or not. But Strick had been killed trying to find Riley Gardener’s body on the outside as he slept. I needed to make sure Gwen and Jim caught him now before he had a chance to move and reset. I yanked off the watch and a pale glow shined from the man’s wrist, a set of numbers set in the light. I copied them on the paper.

  A moment later I walked down the hidden stairs, wondering if someone would show at the meeting tonight or if I had just sent Raven back to the real world.

  Chapter 40

  I had plenty to do before I returned to Rose’s office to determine if he was Raven. My first stop was at the newsstand to talk to Card. The gray-haired man behind the counter told me the boy had already left for the day so I gave him a fin and left the note with Riley’s IP tag. He promised to give the paper to Card as soon as he showed and wrapped the message in a newspaper he placed under the counter.

  My next stop was at a shop down the street from my apartment. While I waited for my order to be completed, I went to the corner diner where I traded banter with the waitress and had a cup of coffee. A couple of Luckys and a few smiles later, I left and picked up my order from the store.

  No lights were on in the apartment when I stepped inside the foyer. I hesitated before continuing into the sitting area. “Voice?”

  He did not answer. I pulled my .45 and moved through the room, tossing the box in my hand onto the chair on the way by. A quick glance into the kitchen revealed only cupboards and an empty table so I turned my attention to the bedroom. The knob turned without a sound and I eased the door open.

  Voice sat motionless on the corner of the bed, the same as when I found him previously in the hotel, his eyes open but seeing nothing. He was outside the game.

  I stood in the doorway and stared at the avatar, jealousy stabbing my stomach. It was obvious Voice—more accurately the player who controlled Voice—had discovered a balance between his time inside the game and his real life. Now, thinking about the box in the sitting room, I wondered if I had brought him a gift or initiated him into a cursed world.

  I returned to the sitting room and poured myself a drink
before grabbing my cleaning kit from the desk. Minutes flew by as I disassembled the .45 and made sure everything was in working order. When I was done, I went back into the bedroom and stared at Voice again. I had several guns to choose from at the office but the 20-gauge in the closet and my .38 Colt were the only firepower in the apartment. There was no way I could sneak up on anybody carrying the shotgun and I had loaned the kid the Police Chief Special for his protection. Before the night was over, there was every chance he would need it, too. Faced with going by the office and risking a run-in with Gretchen, I went to my side of the bed and reached underneath the mattress for the sheathed hunting knife hidden there.

  I was lighting up my second Lucky and sitting in the dark by the window when I noticed a woman standing across the street. I stared at her for several minutes, her face deep in the shadows of her wide-brimmed hat. Finally, she tilted her head back and I caught a glimpse of familiar red lips and pert nose. It was Gretchen. Just as quickly a street cleaner drove by, brushes raising dust while inching its way down the street. When the equipment passed, she was gone.

  I heard rustling at the bedroom door and turned away from the window.

  “RJ?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.” I pulled the curtains shut. “You can turn on the light.”

  I heard switch turn and the light popped on, revealing Voice with the .38 in his hand. When he noticed me staring at the gun, red climbed in his cheeks and he lay it down on the side table. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “I’ve been here a while. You were outside when I looked in on you.”

  The color left Voice’s face when I made the reference to the game but he did not mention my breaking the player rule. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

  “I know you took Big C’s money out of the apartment.” I held up my hand to cut off his protest. “It was the right call. We almost got caught with it here. But can you get to it when you need to?”

  “Yes. It’s here in the building.”

  “Good. Go get it.” I smoked most of the cigarette before he returned and handed me the bag that started all his troubles. I reached inside, pulled out around ten thousand dollars, and handed the stack to him.

  “It looks like you’re working up a real Chinese angle on this, RJ,” he said as he stared down at the money. “What’re you going to do?”

  I laughed. The kid had no idea how sideways this night could go. “Yeah, probably so. I’m going to call Big C and tell him you’re at Roberts’ house with the money. Then I’m going to call Dutch and tell him to come running with the cavalry. If I time it right, the blues and Big C will be there at the same time.”

  Voice whistled. “That’s taking a chance.”

  “You’ve got long odds on this one, too, kid. If everything goes Jake and Big C takes the fall, then you’ll have the money in your hand to stay here and start over. If not, then you’ll have enough to get away. Either way, keep that bean-shooter I gave you, just in case.”

  He poured himself another drink while his face paled. “Where are you going to be when this happens?”

  “I’ve got a date with a different fish. We’ll both be rolling the dice tonight.” I hesitated for a second and then pointed at the chair. “I brought something for you.”

  Voice picked up the box and opened it. He stared at the business cards for a few seconds before he glanced up at me again. “Timothy Shafer, Titan Detective Agency. Okay, what gives, RJ?”

  “That’s the new you,” I said and offered him a smoke, wondering what Ghost would think of me using his real name. “It’s a name that belonged to a friend. That’s the best I can do for you, kid. Get somebody to cut your hair, maybe grow a mustache—you can stay right here in the city and work at the agency. I’ll clear it with the home office.”

  “Gee, I mean, how do I rate?”

  “You’re no daisy, Voice. You messed up but you stood your ground and faced the world of shit rolling at you. A guy can leave something important to someone like that. I think you can handle it.” I pulled on the cigarette. “But it’s up to you. After I leave, high tail it out and find a place to hole up for a few days until it’s safe. You've got friends on the street. You’ll know when the talk dies down on the street.”

  He stared at me for a three-count. “You’re lousy with glum tonight,” he said. “I know the opener to a sting when I hear it. You’re getting ready to drift.” He hesitated. “Or you don’t think you’re going to make it.”

  I stood up and we shook hands. “Like I said, Voice, you’re no daisy. Now, I’ve got to get going if I’m going to make all my appointments tonight.”

  I strapped the knife to my calf and pulled the trouser leg down, the cloth hanging loose enough to hide the weapon. Next was the .45. It slid easily into the shoulder holster and I stuck two extra magazines into my jacket pockets. I grabbed my hat and glanced over at the kid watching every move I made. “Voice, save yourself a world of trouble and give Gretchen the gate.” He nodded and I walked into the foyer to leave.

  For the first time, I realized my nerves. My hand came away wet when I wiped it across my chin. Part of me still believed Gardener had been acting as Raven but now with his avatar, Rose, dead, I had given Gonzalez and Jim a chance to catch him on the outside. If I was right, then this would be an uneventful night.

  But doubt nagged me. On the off chance Rose had been telling the truth, the real Raven waited somewhere out in The City for me. The memories of kicking him around inside The Kindred still remained but what had he learned over all these years? What tricks of the game did he know that I had forgotten or never learned?”

  The buzzer sounded as I stood beside the door. I blinked in surprise when I opened it and Evelyn stared back at me.

  “Are you going to stand there with your mouth open or are you going to invite me in?” she asked.

  “I can’t, doll. I’m on my way out.”

  “You made yourself at home in my hotel room so I think I’ll do the same.” She stepped inside. “This will only take a minute.”

  I closed the door and sighed. “Look, Evelyn, I really do need to…”

  “I went to Rose’s office today. I don’t know what I was going to say—I’m leaving, I’m staying… Rick thinks you’re a killer and he’s coming after you. I don’t know.” She whirled away from me. “You mixed everything up.” She waved her hand over her head. “This was supposed to be simple and now it’s just so complicated. Everything here is complicated now.”

  “I’m sorry. Making things complicated is what I’m good at.”

  Evelyn turned back to me and smiled. “I know.” The grin faded. “I sat in my car in front of Rose’s office for a long time, trying to decide what to do. But then I noticed no one else was around. His guards were gone; the front door to the shop was locked. It was as if the place had been deserted.”

  “Rose is dead.”

  The words hung between us before she dropped her gaze to the floor. “I don’t want to know.”

  I grabbed her by the arms and she looked up. “You’re going to know, Evelyn, whether you want to or not. I killed him. I didn’t go there to do it but he tried to kill me so I got to him first. Now I’m going back to meet Raven, if there is such a person as Raven. But I really believe all I’m going to find is Rose’s body.” I wondered if I was trying to convince her or myself.

  Evelyn’s lip quivered and tears formed in her eyes. “No, Rick. For me, don’t go back. Rose wasn’t afraid of anyone, not even Big C, but he was afraid of Raven. I tell you, he’s real.”

  I leaned forward and kissed her. The touch started gentle but soon we gripped each other tight, fighting off breaking away. She finally pulled back and rested her head on my chest.

  “Come away with me, Rick. We’ll explore everything this world can show us. Remember your promise.”

  I knew what she asked. But she wanted more than I could give her. I broke her grip on me and stepped away. “If Raven gets me tonight, get out of the game and don’t c
ome back.”

  I glanced up and noticed Voice standing in the foyer opening. He nodded but remained silent. Evelyn’s sobbing followed me out the door as I left, Big C’s satchel of money in my hand.

  *****

  I pulled out a piece of paper and dialed the number. “Get Big C,” I said after a rough voice rasped through the receiver. “It’s Dowland.”

  The telephone hummed over the crackle on the line. While I waited, I stared at Roberts’ avatar, the one he had used to get back into the game before he was killed on the outside. After a couple of minutes, another voice answered.

  “What do you want, Dowland?”

  “Hello, Color. Where’s your boss?”

  “Too busy to talk to the likes of you. You got something for him or did you call to bump gums?”

  I smiled. I had figured all along that Big C would never get his own hands dirty. Color was the man who would handle this situation for him. And I had noticed the watch on the man’s wrist when he held the gun on me in the apartment. “The package you’ve been looking for is at 1222 Oak Street. The lettuce is in a bag in the bedroom.”

  “Is that all?”

  “This won’t be eggs in your coffee, Color. I’d better meet you down there and help you out.” I smiled, knowing how the insult would hurt the man.

  “I can handle it, gumshoe. You peddle your wares somewhere else.”

  The line went dead. I was still grinning when I dialed Dutch.

  “Hanlon.”

  “I got a live one for you, Dutch.”

  “I hope so, RJ, because everything I’ve got around here is stinking like yesterday’s catch.”

  “The man behind the deli bomb is going to be at 1222 Oak Street in about a half an hour. He’s going to pick up a dope run and close to two hundred large in cash.”

  “Jesus and Mary. That is live.”

  “Yeah, but hold on. It’s Big C’s right hand man, Jimmy Color.”

  I heard Dutch let out a long breath. “That’s shooting some high pillow. Just Color?”