Dst – Chronicles of Malignant Mercies Pt 12 (3/8)

Dark Halloween – End Game

When he got there, he looked around, but couldn’t see JimJim’s light anywhere. Frowning crossly he leaned against one of the scaffolding’s supports, waiting for a few minutes before his patience ran thin. “Man, where he at?” The grumbled question given as he struck off toward where he last saw JimJim’s light.

Reggie only made it half way along before there was a metallic clank to his right. He flashed his light toward it, but saw nothing more than decrepit machinery and shadows. “That you JimJim? Stop fuckin’ around and get over here. I swear..” His words trailing off as he started to move toward the source of the sound.

But silence was the only answer as he moved through the narrow corridors between old machines. Flashing his light down some of the offshoots that cut between eight foot tall units and what looked like an automated sorting or packing doodad. “Man, I ain’t got time for this shit..”

Reggie turned back, only to feel his hear leapt into his throat when his light flashed over the unexpected sight of pale, fine features. He nearly dropped his flashlight, his other hand slid to his side, where he kept a pistol tucked into his belt. But reason returned when he noted that it as just some white girl. Well, not ‘just some’. She was a fine piece with smooth skin and moist, red lips. Normally he would have glanced down to get the full impact of a woman, but his eyes caught when they met hers. Frozen by the chill that motivated his hand the rest of the way to his tucked away pistol.

“What are you doin’ here chick? You lost or something?” Reggie watched the slight woman carefully, but when she approached him, he didn’t fall back any farther.

“You have something I want. Such a nice, big boy you are.” Her voice ringing out rich, but hushed.

Reggie’s mind clicked into the steady path of familiar territory and a grin broke out across his lips. “Oh, you’re after that, huh? Let me tell you, babe, the rumors are all true.” Despite the chill in the woman’s eyes, he let his hand slide from his pistol. Maybe she was high off something, though she certainly wasn’t dressed like an addict. “If you want to see it, it’s all yours.”

“Thank you.” A smile of anything but gratitude twisted her pale features as she drew within arms reach. Her right arm lifting from the folds of her cloak. The pale hand and its delicate fingers were slathered with blood, the cuff of her expensive dress dark and moist. Reggie’s eyes widened and he went for his gun again, but it was too late for him. With a low snarl the Pale Woman drove her hand forward and into his chest. His fingers tightened on the grip of his pistol, a shot fired off, clipping this own thigh as it was still tucked into his belt. But Reggie could find no breath to cry out as pain became his world.

*****

The shot was heard throughout the warehouse, despite the loud music that dominated the air.

“Man, who’s shooting off now?” Trey’s complaint as he hauled himself upright, looking back towards the source of the shots. The two couples barely registered the occurrence as they continued, wrapped in their own little worlds of sexual delight. Trey grimaced as he looked at his compatriots and rising from the couch with a grunt. “I swear, if JimJim is wasting more bullets I’m going to take it out of his mangy hide.” Getting an amused laugh from Rat.

A minute later, shouts came from where the bikes were stored. Then more gunfire, catching everyone’s attention this time. At least three guns were heard. Then two. Then one. The unrestrained scream of terror that capped the last gunshots silenced every one of the six listening in.

“What the.. Shit, get up and get armed, damn it!” Trey’s commanding bellow broke the rest out of their stupefied silence. The couples broke up, then guys pulling their sidearms as directed.

Rat slid behind one of the couches and peeked up toward the direction of the last fit of gunplay. “What do you think is out there Trey?”

“Shut up!” Trey bellowed in answer as he quickly ran over to the boom box and slapped his hand over the stop button. Silence descended over the whole of the warehouse as six pairs of eyes stared toward the last direction of danger.

Suddenly Rat cried out, all eyes flung toward him in time to see a swirl of dark cloth dip behind the couch he had been hiding behind. The scream ended in a wet gurgle, provoking the two thugs to open fire spontaneously on the couch, peppering it with a half dozen rounds each before Trey’s yelling got them to stop. Once that was done, Trey motioned the two to move around to the left while he went right. The two girls had long since abandoned the couches, crouched together near the ratty television.

Trey licked his dry lips as he slowly moved around the couch, giving it a good few meters of distance, gun trained, ready to fire in an instant. All they saw was the body of Rat, his throat slashed, blood pooling rapidly from the arterial cut.

“You’ll join your friend soon.” A soft voice at Trey’s ear before he felt the light touch of pale fingers and saw the flash of stainless steel as it cut a line of agony across his throat.

Gunfire erupted within the warehouse, roaming sporadically along with the sounds of yells and screams. Each source cut off one by one until silence reigned.

*****

“And so I told him that wasn’t going to fly. Next thing you know he strikes the match and sets himself on fire.. hey, you listening?”

Two police officers spoke to each other over the top of their patrol car, taking a short break from their patrol of the city’s outskirts. There had been an escalation of patrols blanketing the city for the past few days, since the killings had kicked back into high gear again. The questioned officer had looked away from his partner, head cocked slightly.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

“Hear what?”

The two were silent then, straining to listen over the hum of the city, the urban center never fully devoid of some sound or other.

There it was again.. gunfire.

“Sounds like it’s coming from out at the old storage warehouse.” The questioner looked at his partner, who met his gaze. Both knew what went on over there. “I’ll call back up in. Let’s get over there.”

Both officers got into their car and drove off toward the warehouse.

*****