It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for- once he’d reached the district of Bettenhurst just before 1:00 AM. The sidewalks all along the length of Banning Street, seemed to be bristling with activity even at such an odd hour, all night liquor stores were still open, there were three 24 hour pawn merchants still open, and street walkers and hustlers of every type imaginable were out in force plying their trade. Along with John’s, marks and all of the innocent bystanders who just happened to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. And the endless sea of Taxi cabs roaming the early morning blvd, each looking for their own brand of prey. All completely oblivious to what roamed and watched from the rooftops that towered above them. Banning street was alive and well with the commerce of possessed people from every walk of life, but there was one possessed individual in particular that brought Chapel here. He sat perched at the corner of the building that overlooked where Banning Street intersected with Dawn Avenue. And as he made his way down to ground level he knew that he had found what he was looking for. He stepped towards the mouth of the alley still standing enough in the shadows to not be seen before he was ready. Then he heard the unmistakable sounds of someone singing, and Chapel knew that he’d come to the right place.
Tall, thin, greasy, shoulder length blond hair. Torn blue jeans with an old red hooded sweat shirt. Standing on the corner of Dawn, a tin cup on a wooden box in front of him, his eyes closed tightly, fingers twitching at his sides as his head bobbed and swayed with the song that he was singing.
“Lord.. I know you love meeee… in spite of my wretched ways.. My soul has been torn and scattered.. And I have lost my way”
Chapel walked directly into his line of sight and stared at him from across the street. Almost instinctively, Pipes opened his eyes to find his menacing stare tearing right through him. He tried to close his eyes and started singing again, only seconds later he reopened them to see that Chapel had disappeared. He slowly leaned forward and looked both ways up and down the sidewalk before gathering up the few coins that had been dropped into the tin can and put them into his pocket. He turned and headed east along Banning Street finally stopping at an alley beside of Elgin’s pawn broker’s shop. He ducked inside of the mouth of the alley and slowly poked his head out to look down the sidewalk. The large menacing fellow with the long black hair was nowhere to be seen. He pressed his back to the brick wall slowly breathing a sigh of relief. Just as something jerked him off of his feet and began pulling him up the side of the wall with amazing speed. He found himself flying through the air finally landing with a thud on the cold tar roof top. He rolled over onto his side trying to catch his breath, and he saw Chapel walking slowly towards him.
His feet pulled up under him as he tried to crawl away, Chapel dead on his heels grabbed his ankle and drug him along behind him to the edge of the building. Pipes tried to kick at him to break free, but had little or no effect. Finally he found himself cowering at the corner of the rooftop. If he was to escape he would have to jump, and being all of 15 floors up that wasn’t an option that he cared to consider. Chapel was kneeling in front of him now.
“Relax Pipes.. I just have a few questions for you.. Answer them truthfully and you won’t be harmed.”
His fingers began to shake uncontrollably as he looked up at him. Slowly he nodded to the affirmative, he would cooperate, tell Chapel anything that he thought that he might want to hear. Anything to avoid being dropped from 15 stories up to the pavement below.
“I want Theo Cousin’s enforcers. The men in the black sedan.. The ones that you gave Emma up to. Tell me where to find them. Tell me and you live and breathe to sing your songs another day.”
He silently considered Chapel’s generous offer.
“I.. I’m supposed to meet them soon, to tell them where Emma is hiding.” He told him.
“Where?”
“The corner.. Of Seventh and Avenue C.”
“What time?”
“Two o’clock this morning.”
He lightened his grip on him and turned to leave just as Pipe’s quivering voice offer him a question.
“Hey man.”
Chapel stopped and turned to face him.
“What would’ve happened if I didn’t tell you?”
Chapel stared at him coldly.
“Can you fly?”
He tried to look away blinking nervously as the Vampire turned and walked back towards him.
“Pipes.. If they aren’t where you’re telling me they will be.. You’d best start growing feathers. Do you get my meaning?”
He nodded.
“I will come looking and I will find you.”
Again he nodded.
“There will be no place for you to hide from me.. Got it?”
He rose to a standing position and turned towards the edge of the building, leaving Pipes to ponder his fate. He raised both arms almost frantically.
“Wait!”
Chapel turned to face him.
“I think you should know that they do have guns. They may try to- shoot you.”
He stared straight ahead.
“I’m Counting on it.”
He’d reached the corner of Seventh and Avenue C just before 2:00 AM. The cloud cover had all but engulfed the moon and it was beginning to rain, softly at first. He perched himself on the ledge of the ten story red brick building that housed Havington’s Pharmacy. His eyes slowly began scanning the empty streets below searching for the black town car as seconds later- a lone pair of headlights appeared at the end of Seventh and slowly made their way towards Avenue C. He moved silently along the edge of the rooftop, his eyes never leaving the vehicle as it rolled to a stop in front of Havington’s, inside he could hear the sounds of muffled voice arguing in the vehicle, trying to decide who would have to get out in the rain to look for Pipes. The drivers side door swung open as a tall blonde fellow stepped from the vehicle. He turned his collar up at the slight breeze that began blowing through the rain, his head turning back and forth searching for the kid known as Pipes.
“If I gotta go looking for this little mutt, I’m gonna kick his ass!” He muttered under his breath.
He took three steps into the street before something moving through the air above him caught his attention, and as he turned his head skyward, Chapel had swooped down on him like a hungry bird of prey, carrying him off into the alleyway across the empty street. The other two, emerged from the vehicle with weapons drawn.
“Holy fuck Max! what they hell was that?”
The smaller older fellow shook his head frantically.
“I dunno Clark! But it got Sammy!”
The name had barely crossed his lips when the body came flying towards them from across the street and went crashing head first through the windshield of the black town car.
Chapel appeared in the mouth of the alley and began to move towards them when the one called Max began to open fire on him to no effect. The second gunman had thrown his weapon aside and had beaten a hasty retreat in the opposite direction. Max bravely and yet foolishly tried to stand his ground. he was a bit shorter than Chapel but figured he would make up for the size difference by attacking his body. being a ex boxer- a full out body assault seemed the likeliest plan of attack to him. He squared his shoulders and balled up both fists. as the vampire slowly approached.
“Mister you may be bulletproof, but you’d better be pain proof as well, I’m about to throw you a beating.”
He swung a tight overhand right. which Chapel caught in his palm. stepping into his body he bent Max’s arm backwards at the elbow snapping it into, and as his painful screams began to echo down the empty street he stepped in even closer raising both hands one to his chin and one to the back of his head, and with ease began to raise Max off of his feet and held him there up in the air, the screams began to choke off and became gurgling sounds deep in his throat. In one swift movement, he silenced him with a simple snapping of his neck. Staring down the street at the third man who had tripped and fallen, he released Max’s limp dead body as it fell to the ground making a wet thumping sound. Panic stricken Clark had tried to regain his footing, but within seconds Chapel was on him sweeping him off of his feet, moving swiftly into the alley with Clark in tow kicking and screaming behind him. it seemed as though he did all of his best work on the rooftops but in the instance- in the interest of time, he would just this once make an exception. he slammed Clark hard against the wall and raised him off of his feet.
He watched him flailing harmlessly as he held him by the throat, Clark began to make his own gurgling sounds, clawing and making ineffective punching motions trying to break Chapel’s icy grip. a white foam began to build up on his lips as his panic filled eyes stared into Chapel’s.
“Stop struggling.. if I wanted you to be dead then you would be dead already. I’m not interested in you Clark, It’s Theo Cousins that I want. tell me where he is and I will let you live.”
“M… M.. Morgan Heights?”
“Where in Morgan Heights?”
The breath began to choke up in his throat.
“Teflan Blvd… 318 Teflan Blvd.”
Chapel loosened his grip on him. Clark produced a knife and buried it into Chapels side. he stared at him unmoved and emotionless. slowly he removed the knife from his side and stared into Clarks eyes. who looked down at the knifes clean blade. and then in shocked disbelief slowly looked back up at Chapel.
“No… Blood?.. what the fuck are you man?”
The vampire slowly leaned forward and whispered into his ear.
“I am the monster that walks in your worst nightmares.”
He raised his hand back to his throat, and slowly lifted Clark into the air.
“I am afraid that little stunt changes things, and now I must break our previous arrangement. Too bad Clark, I was going to let you live.”
The tears began to roll down his face as he began to make whimpering sounds.
“There now.. there.. Die with a little dignity.”
~Scratch A.B.T Copyright © 2010 ~
Vampire or not, I love me some Chapel.
ReplyDelete