A Bump in the Road. Chapter Three.
A Bump in the Road Chapter Three By Roofles
Several Hours before...
It was a first. Marco had gotten up before me, made breakfast. I was getting out of the shower at the time and I could see he had actually set the table plating my food and everything. Something was up. All I could do was eye him suspiciously as I came back out a few minutes later fully dressed from my room, cloths already laid out for me to wear. A bad habit of mine. Fixing my collar I took a seat at the table, scooting in and never taking my eyes off the man.
Marco was, if possible, actually presentable. His side burns were trimmed, his rough stubble of a beard was shaved and even his hair was slick back. For what good it did however, stubble already regrowing, side burns poofing out and tangles of gel hair began to curl from where they laid. He was dressed in the nice shirt I had given him with actual ironed pants, I didn't even knew we owned an iron, and a tie. A tie! I've never seen the man in one. He didn't wear an over shirt to it which looked a bit off, unfinished really but I wasn't about to complain.
"What?" He finally asked looking at me as if I was the one who had gone crazy.
"Nothing." I just said looking back down at the meal. It was mostly bacon and sausage with some eggs on the side. It wasn't exactly a healthy breakfast but once more I wasn't going to complain. Don't look a gift horse in the face as they say. I picked at my eggs and took a drink of the coffee.
To be honest I've always loved the taste of coffee, black or not. This stuff on the other hand was almost like tar, thick and strong as if I were eating the beans raw in a sludge paste. I just choked it down however and added like fifteen spoons of sugar. Forcing a smile on my face as Marco walked over to join me. Go figure he could make bacon and sausage, even eggs! But not coffee. I'm not even sure how you can mess up with coffee. It was like the time he burned the instant Mac N' Cheese, heh.
I usually just have coffee in the morning anyways, reserving actual meals to rewarding Marco when he had a job interview or something. The man could be motivated by food let me tell ya'.
"What's on the agenda? I asked not trying to fish around but failing horribly at hiding my own desires too. It comes naturally! I swear. I don't mean to be a nosy Nancy. I worry is all...
"Got some stuff I gotta' do." He offered back chowing down on what I assume was his third plate. And of course that was the end of that. As if there were no further questions that would be asked after saying that. Marco was such a...guy in the end of things!
"What KIND of stuff?" I jabbed my fork at him, frowning as I glared crossed the table. Have to be so blunt with him it hurt.
He eyed the silverware in my hand with some kind of thoughts rolling around in his head. Afterwards he bowed his head as if admitting defeat and just grumbled a bit. "Work."
"Work?" I can't lie I perked up at that. Even able to handle another mouthful of that coffee. "Where? When? Do you need a ride?"
And for once I swear Marco blushed. Or at least seemed embarrassed by the offer. He scratched the back of his neck looking off to the side, mumbling a bit as he spoke. "Well I...I wasn't going to ask really. I just was gonna' take the..." He pointed out the window as if to indicate. "The bus."
"Well I can give you a lift." I made sure to offer if nothing more but for the support. Family should at least be able to do that if nothing else.
Marco just shook his head. "It's cool." He said and finished with. Just two words and now the conversation was dead once more. However there was at least some ease in his shoulders and posture and it just looked as if he were far healthier as if he had just gotten out of the hospital or something.
Filled with energy he kept getting up and just doing random things. Doing the dishes after he was done, cleaning up and just needed to move. And at one point I was sure he had gone into the bed room to do push ups but when he came out he didn't have a drop of sweat on him. His face was grinning though making me wonder if he had done something else.
"You sure your ok?" I asked warily. Marco better not be popping pills or snorting them or injecting something between his toes in my house. Or jerkin' it on my bad, seeing as how he had gone into my room. Dude just wasn't thinking straight.
"Just fired up." He said punching in the air. He growled, shaking his head and then laughed; a boming, bark of a laugh. "Ah! Just feel alive you know?" He said this only after grabbing my shoulders and looking me in the face, a little too close for comfort.
There was an amber hew in those eyes before they blinked and he moved away from me. "Looking forward to tonight." Marco added a shrug after this when I looked, hoping he'd give me any more info on the matter. Little did I know at the time that it was the full moon.
To be honest? He was handling it far better than most do.
Of course this soon took a rather awkward, bi-polar turn. As I was cleaning up my plate I ended up bumping into Marco who growled at me, actually growled and began pouting as if his favorite team just lost on the boob tube. Then again if it was a boob tube he'd probably be in a better mood.
There was a loud bang, and looking out of the kitchen I could see a fist sized dent in the wall and a very moody guy sitting on the couch, crossed legging, grinding his teeth and glaring venomously at the window. Or from the looks of it at the sunlight. Two minutes before he was on top of the world and now he was a broody goth fag.
Mood swings much? God. He was worse than my last girlfriend. Hormonal bitch as she was.
I need to get laid. With that thought I gave a shrug and ignored my hormonal bitchy brother and went about my way.
We parted ways without even a goodbye and I just headed towards the office and he to where ever the hell he goes during the day. One time I snuck home early hoping to catch the bastard sitting around on the couch like a fat potatoe but sure enough he was no where to be found. I never really wondered about it. I mean, most the time, he just kept to himself. Mostly. No friends, no calls, nothin'. To be honest he did go out a lot. I mean who knows what kind of pack he's running with these days.
Just so long as he doesn't get into a gang fight. Again...
I just shook that thought from my mind, not wanting to jinx it. And this morning had been going so damn well too. Damn.
I worked in an office building on the Corner of 5th and West. An older down town building with the red chipping off the bricks. The only thing new about it was the lock installed after the fifth break in. The street lights outside never worked properly and like most the ones on the block always flickered on and off casting little more than a dim glow of orange on the pavement below. It had a very Baker Street vibe to it and to be Frank? I loved it.
Thankfully I had managed to sneak inside before the clouds above began rumbling like a fat man in an all you can eat buffet. Massive large clouds began to crackle and spark with energy and a sheet of thick rain fell onto the ground below as if a giant water bed in the sky had finally burst.
Thunder roared above as I stared outside my office window, another glass of coffee in hand. "Lovely." I muttered but smiled hopefully. There was a funny thing about the rain. It could increase the rate of crime in the city sure but the homocides always seemed to go down. I had enough cheating husbands and stealing wives to last me until the end of time if the need ever arose.
I was just hoping Mr. Wolfman wouldn't show himself this raining day. Already had enough on my plate to deal with as it was. Let alone if that fucker came poking around. Just a single night under the moonlight would be nice, I groaned at the thought knowing that wouldn't be the case. We never got such lucky breaks.
We? As in me and my partner. I use the term loosely mind you. The cut throat weasel, that's all Itachi really was in the end. A very damn good detective don't get me wrong! Hell I wish I could be that sneaky and cold hearted! Hah...damn that I have a conscious though. Stupid thing.
He looked far younger than he was. Short black hair and black eyes, clean shaven as usual with a soft tan to his skin. Not sure where he got it from. It was always cloudy here. His mother was born in Japan, stays there with his relatives. His dad on the other hand comes over seas to do business and soon enough Itachi ended up tagging along (some kind of home dispute not sure about what, didn't ask). And before they knew it the two were "stuck" here as he had put it.
Itachi jumped up onto my desk, spinning around and folding his legs neatly and looking at me as if I were the one who had done the act. "The hell are you doing?" Not my words but his.
"Working?" I offered though I had been planning on maybe...not doing anything for the first few hours, private contractor. Was awesome.
And the next second I had a newspaper thrown in my face. "This!" He said though he laughed and I knew I was going to regret looking at it.
I'm not sure how but there I was. A picture of me in this morning's paper at the scene of the second crime. And sure enough the article read "...shortly after the brutal murder of the Mazur family, two children and the parents" of course SHE would mention that, "horrible dismembered before each limb was put back as if it were a sick puzzle." I can't believe they could get away with this. "Shortly after we were able to get an interview with one of the detectives on the case."
That lieing little bitch told me that was off the record!
Turn to page 5D... Yadda yadda, no leads. No perps. No nothing. No wonder why the mayor was having a field day over this these tabloids made it look as if we were just jerking off with our thumbs up our asses. Couldn't blame 'em. We really did have no leads and zero perps. "Blah, blah, blah... In conclusion Detective Isaac suggests that everyone should remain in doors, lock their windows and pray to whatever gods they worship for a swift and painless" and then I put the paper down.
It might've been a side paper full of crack pots and hippies, druggies and crazies but it was still listened to by some. And in these times people were looking for any kind of information they could get on these kind of matters. She of course would have her own picture in the paper next to her column. Ace reporter? My fat hairy balls.
Damn though if she didn't look fine in that dress. Really brings out the whole cold heartless bitch look. Don't ever be friends with your ex. Friends was a strong word however. A very strong word indeed as there was a wrap on the door and the devil herself walked in.
In that smoking hot red dress, chest out with slender curved hips you could trace with your tongue... In her high knee rise leather boots and diamond earings I'm sure she stole from a corpse, the man gobbler herself Jenny Locksley strode into my office
Each hip moved perfectly guiding her strutting step inside not even seeming to move her legs as she did it. "Hello darling," she purred with that venomous tongue that could put a viper to shame...and also tie a cherry stem in your own mouth. "I see you've read my article."
There was almost a blush in those olive high rised cheek bones of her. "Your such a sweety." She covered her mouth as if ashamed I had, fluttering those long eye lashes at me.
"The fuck you want Jen?" Not exactly subtle but whatever got her outside sooner the better.
I was sure it was raining outside but not a drop of water glistened on that supple flesh that moved over to take a seat on my desk. Apparently my desk was just one big ass chair these days. Her fingers were done as if she had just gotten a manicure. I only noticed this as a finger traced up my chin, making me swallow as if a knife had just run acrossed my throat.
"Your brother." She said the word enticingly, sweetly but with that glean in her eyes. That look she gets when she had a lead on something. I never questioned where she got her information from.
I didn't realized I had stood up or I had slammed my hands onto the desk until a few seconds after I had done it. "What. For?" I hissed glaring at her. "Do you want with my brother?"
"Don't be like that." She pushed against my chest as if the action had scared her. But when you eat live mice for dinner not much can scare you. "I just have a few questions for the dear." She batted her eyes at me, leaning forward and curling her lips as if to blow me...a kiss.
"Not happening foul demon spawn from hell." I hissd. Plus it'd be really wierd, and disturbing, if we both had dated the same chick. Plus she'd tear poor Marco apart. Eat him alive. Couldn't let that happen to my own flesh and blood. Just wasn't right.
She giggiled. "Oh, you flatter me." This was her reaction to being called a hell spawn. She just shrugged however giving up a little too easily. The folder, I hadn't even seen her come in with, dropped onto my desk papers spilling every where. "Oopsie." Jenny just giggiled once more leaning over as she collected each paper so slowly I would swear she was in a bad porno flick. I ended up staring, watching the whole time waiting for her to strike like the cobra she was.
"I'll just be going then." She waved her fingers at me. "Toodles. We still on for Saturday?"
I didn't reply. Give me a break. Horny and single isn't a good combination. So shut up, don't judge me that I'd take a bite of the forbidden fruit.
"Be a dear and let me know if Marco comes by." She blew me a kiss before the door shut behind her seemingly on it's own accord as if the room itself was glad she was gone.
I shuddered as if a cold draft had blown as I looked over my paper work. And with it there was an extra piece of paper. An old news clipping of a building down town and the "strange bizarre incident" that happened there. Several workers had disappeared as if into thin air the article read showing off an old warehouse building. They closed off the area telling no one to go there.
That not so subtle bitch had her uses. And I wasn't just talking about in the sack either.
I was downtown a couple of minutes before Three. The rain hadn't let up and the storm made me weary to drive. Rain slammed against the window, the wipers barely able to keep up as the wind picked up and I couldn't even see ten feet in front of my car. The industrial district was at the edge of town, away from the main scene of things. Smoke churned from the countless pipes jutting out of the roof tops like giant trees. Their gray ashen leaves billowing up into the clouds above.
I picked up the old news paper clipping looking it over before looking up at the building numbers. It took some time to find the warehouse in question but as I pulled up, turning my lights off I knew for a fact I had the right place.
For instance the shadows moving in the supposably abandoned warehouse was sign enough.
A part of me honestly hoped it was just a trick of the light and I was seeing things. I still had my gun in hand as I got out, the cold rain pouring down from above. Another was strapped to my ankle and the last one, the one I wish I didn't think I'd need, was tucked into the back of my pants. Old Bessy. .50 revolver that I pulled out, flipped open just to make sure it was loaded. It was missing a bullet however.
I moved inside, slipping through the broken locked gate and headed inside hoping to find something. I wasn't really sure what. A part of me wished I'd have the nerves to call the cops. If I thought they'd come I would've. They were stretched as it was and couldn't go on some, illegal, goose chase. Reason why I was hired in most cases anyways.
This part of the warehouse section was used for storage mostly. Half of the buildings were condemned and even the old one I was heading into had a sign stamped to the front of it. Yellowing warnings signs were plastered everywhere, stamped into the ground and posted on the walls. The good old do not enter, my favorite tune. The red and white warning sticker however did get me worried. Legal mumbo jumbo I could read with my flashlight, condemned. Meaning it could fall apart any second basically.
However, much like the other ones, something had come up and the due date was pushed back more and more never to be bulldozed down. Whoever was supposed to be hired to do the grave deed would end up "mysteriously" disappeared that old faded news paper had read. The print on it was already smearing, fading from view and the edges turning yellow betraying its age. A couple of months ago didn't seem right for it. Even the black and white photo of the building was brand new and this one clearly wasn't. At least it was the right number.
I'm not a fuckin' soldier though, why the hell was I doing this? I'm an investigator. The joe schmoe that can ask whatever he likes, get his answers and be forgotten the next minute. That's who I was. Not this...Rambo wannabe sneaking into an old abandoned warehouse.
Still I wrapped my knuckles on the door before pulling the heavy metal thing open. It creaked, protesting against the action and pulled at my shoulders in painfully as I wrenched it open. If only just enough to slip inside and away from the chill rain coming down from above.
Thunder crackled behind me illuminating the room before me. Shadows of boxes and crates were stacked towards the beams high above. Metal poles and bars were neatly piled in the corners and several old loading machines were still here, half way through their job before being left to rot and rust in the dark. Those who had driven them were gone, never to be seen again. Spirited away. And here I was snooping around like a fuckin' snitch.
Snitches get stitches.
I shivered at the thought keeping my gun up, flashlight just behind it to look around scoping the scene out. Just to make sure I wasn't going to be bum rushed by some drug crazed bum. Even before I could get a good look there was a loud thump against the metal door behind me. Soon followed by voices lost in the storm.
Cursing under my breath, I turned the light off and quickly took some cover before the door was wrenched open and slammed into the side of the building. It shook and quivered as if it'd break any second. The rest of the building remained firmly planted onto the ground thankfully. The granite walls didn't even shake making me wonder about the signs out front.
There was a loud gruff hurumph and whoever opened the door stomped their way in on heavy feet just as I managed to jump behind some boxes. I could almost feel those eyes staring at my general direction but soon it was followed by a loud sneeze and then they shook their body from the soaking rain.
More growling and some crude words were soon exchange at whoever was with them and they were soon tossed inside, the door slamming shut behind them. I only dared take a look once my eyes adjusted to the light.
"Take your sweet time." The first growled. He was a larger fellow much bigger than the other. It was the...queerest of things. I could only make out his outline and sure he looked larger than any man I've seen but on his head were a pair of ears. And he was sporting a tail. What the fuck kind of criminals dress up? Must've missed halloween.
The other was similar with a big poofy tail, that I'd swear was moving. He stood up rubbing his head. "Head to take the back way." He growled back, far softer though than the first and roughly half the size as the other. "Can't let nobody see me."
"There was a human snooping around. Lost him in the rain though." The first spoke. Human? The hell did he mean by that. What a freak. "You sure you weren't followed?"
"Not unless they could jump from roof top to roof top." The first said smarmily, bragging about it. This achievement seemed to be lost on the first who just (sniffed?) around before shaking himself dry once more. "Watch it!" The shorter said, those ears folding back on his head? And there was another snapping growl.
The first just ignored the smaller man and moved deeper inside. The second followed. And a few seconds later I did too.
It was easier than I thought. All I had to do was keep my distance and follow the smell of...wet dog. The two bickered amongst each other like school children at one point the bigger guy just smacked the small one right upside the head. So focus with each other I was able to move in their wake, taking advantage of the boxes they moved and the things they bumped into to keep myself hidden.
It was only when the room was flooded with a bright light that I actually needed to hide once more. As soon as the light appeared it was gone. It wasn't the overhead light but as massive source as if they had turned a spotlight on me from where they were.
Blinking several times I moved over once I made sure the coast was clear. Sneaking over I just snooped around for anything but their wet (paw?) steps vanished into the floor itself.
Only boxes and crates were around. An old machine and nothing that my light showed me was any help. "Lovely." I muttered bending down to feel at the ground itself. There was a smooth ridge outline in the cement itself. A trapdoor? I couldn't be but I moved around it several times before finally giving it a good stomp.
Nothing.
Great. It wouldn't be as easy as saying "open sesame". The ground itself split beneath my feet making me move back and with it the ground began to rise in front of me silently. "You have got to be shitting me." Seriously. That's like the stupidest password ever.
Light poured out of the tunnel making me blink several times. "Well shit my bricks." I looked down the semi steep pathway. This was getting a whole new kind of freaky. I skidded down inside even if my brain was shouting at me to turn around, retire and become a nice decent farmer somewhere.
Two torches were just at the bottom of the semi hill walk way. The next set lit up as I reached the first and likewise with the next set and the second pair. My exit began to seal shut just as silently as it had open. Some kind of mechanism or mechanic? Motion sensative torches? I was in a bad production of fucking harry potter.
There was a single wooden door at the end of the hallway. A metal brass handle was attatched to it. I was in fucking harry potter.
Pulling out my cellphone, I instantly regretted checking. I had no service. If I headed inside I wasn't about to get any help if something happened.
Swallowing my fears and growing some balls I reached for the door handle and opened it.