This is it, again. It's like the killer wants me to see what he's doing. He shows me what he's about to do, and then covers the lens, as if to protect my eyes from what's to come. When he speaks, or if he does, the voice is raspy and rough, similar to my own I guess. But fuck, back to the subject at hand. This guy is like a damn ghost, every time I get close to him, he just vanishes. Clara has also had the same problem in the bunker, she pinpoints his exact position but then poof, he's gone and he has to be tracked again. Fucker's like a shadow. Fading into the dark. Anyhow, I know what I'll expect when I get to the guy, so I've thought of something this time around. Having a friendly chat.
"You there?" I see his feed on my phone; he's stopped in his tracks. He hears me.
"Yes." The voice is low as he doesn't want to scare the victim he's sneaking up on; some sleeping homeless guy. Good, I have his attention.
"You know, we should have a chat, you and I." My heart is racing. I'm so close, just a few more corners to turn.
"Is that so?" His feed is moving again. Closer to the homeless man.
"Come on, man, don't do this!" My voice is low and heaving as I'm trying my hardest to run to him.
"Aiden. You owe me a drink."
I turn the last corner. The blip goes off the grid and Clara confirms his signal has bounced again. At least the old guy was still asleep.
I'm confused how this guy moves. Maybe it's not just one guy. Possible. I just need to catch him. He's like me, a vigilante. He's killing people that do wrong, but this homeless guy. Really?
.
.
.
Upon scanning him, I guess our Shadow was doing well yet again. This guy is a registered child molester. Hmm. Still, this city aint big enough for the two of us. Unless I can get him on our side. Just, how did he know my name? And more so, should I get rid of this guy like he was going to do. Might as well, he was to die tonight anyway.
I get back to the bunker and see Clara slumped back in the chair with her eyes closed and breathing softly. She's in her own little world of dreams. We all gotta sleep some time. I walk over to table of wires and screens. A name is displayed along with the person's last location, the location I've just come from: Eric Bane.
Okay, so I have a name. A name that can wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, my gaze is scanning Clara. Her chest rises slowly as she breathes. She is displayed in a very crude manner and she'll wake with pains in the morning if I don't move her. I do what any good guy would do; I pick her up and carry her to the nearby bed. The servers flashing red and blue as I walk up the metallic steps. Clara's eyes open slightly.
"Aiden?" She stares up at me with a sleepy gaze. I smile down at her as I place her on the low bed. I motion for her to slide under the blanket, but she resists and a smile appears on her face. She slips her fingers into the sides of her jeans and wiggles out of them as she slides her boots off. I step back and go to turn away.
"No, look at me." My stare returns to her. She's getting onto her knees on the bed and pulls her leather jacket off, along with her DedSec T. My eyes scan her body, the lace black bra and matching underwear. Her teeth are barely on show as I approach the bed. She walks on her knees to me and puts her fingers into my own denims.
"Clara. That name." I try to distract myself but can't help it. I lean down and kiss her, her lips soft and sweet. She pushes into my mouth with her tongue. Now it's my turn to resist. I gently push back as I feel her teeth against my own tongue.
"Who is he Clara?" I breathe out. The smile stays on her face as she slides under the covers of the bed. She knows something about this guy. Or does she?
"I don't know. Though he knows you, Aiden." Her voice saying my name, almost in a whispered moan.
I wake up with a headache. My neck aches as it's pulled back on the wheeled chair. Clara is sitting next to me, already on the name that she kept on the screen overnight. I get up and pick my hat up as she stares at me from the corner of her eyes.
"Morning. Sleep well?" Her voice, still that teasing tone to it. Her head turns slightly as she waits for my answer. I walk up some more metallic steps to get coffee and notice the jug empty. I drop it in anger and walk onto the balcony overlooking the large screens and herself typing away.
"You know I would have slept better if I had coffee to wake me up." She's looking at the screen as she licks her lips seductively. Her eyes glide to look at me. Her smile appearing again and I know she'll say something smart. I put my hand up and stop her.
"It's fine. Anymore leads on this Eric?" I say, as I begin walking down to her and glaring at the screens, hoping for something good to show. She points to a section on the grid that is completely off the map. A black hole on the surveillance radar. That has to be him!
I turn to Clara and kiss her on the head. She smiles and grabs my wrist as I go to leave; she pulls me into her and embraces me again. My body reacts but my mind is elsewhere. She retreats and gets back to work, winking at me before she turns. Clearing my throat, I too turn and run up the stairs, making my way to this black hole.
When I get to the blacked out area, it really is a black hole. Though it's daytime, the area seems to be in darkness. Shadows cover the buildings and surrounding areas. The Profiler feels like my only light source here. Clara texts me, the guy is close. Very close.
"You there?" I yell out into the shadows. I hear a noise all around me, like the flapping of wings. The shadows begin to shift, like black smoke around me. I can feel a presence but I'm standing my ground. My gun is at the ready.
"Hello Aiden. Come for that drink?" The voice. It's him. He's all around me, possibly using a sound system to confuse me. The shadows move faster, the smoke is clearing slowly as the noise of wings grows louder.
"If you're buying. Come on out and we'll go get a few." Poor choice of words if I'm to entice him out. I hear a laugh and the noise is now so loud it's deafening my ears, I can't help but drop my gun and cover my ears.
That's when it happens; I'm pushed back by an invisible force. Suddenly a grip is on my throat as I finally see him. His hood covering his eyes but I can see his mouth. The teeth. The sharp teeth protruding over his lower lip.
"Time for that drink Aiden." I pull out my baton, and smash his hand with it. Thankfully he drops me and I catch a few breaths. He goes for me again and kicks me in the ribs. The force knocks the wind out of me. He pulls me to my feet again and pulls his hood down. His eyes glowing a dark crimson and his sharpened teeth fully on show. I realise my baton has been kicked away and he's waiting for me to make my next move, me, holding my stomach and gasping slightly.
"Well? Finish me, do your little ritual." I say as I feel the blood drip down my head from the impact of hitting a stone wall at a swift speed. He comes closer to me and raises my head to look at him.
"I've no reason to kill you Aiden. You're mission isn't finished yet. Either is mine for that matter. So...Shall we have that chat now?" He says, giving me his shoulder for support.
I tell him the story of my sister, nephew and the death of my niece. A death I am so keen to avenge. My hatred begins to swell, I'm thinking of how Damien is selling us out, selling me out. It's his fault. His entire fault that I'm in this mess. My fists clench and my teeth grind, I'm still aware of the pain pulsing in my head and the blood running down my head.
"Calm down Aiden. I understand how you feel. And I may be able to help. But I also need your help in return." He looks at me, his eyes are now a clear non-glowing red and those weird teeth are gone. I relax myself. He knows, does he?
"Okay, so what's your deal?" I say, finally putting my hand to my head and slightly easing the pain of the cut. His eyes follow my hand as I take it down, his gaze on the blood.
"I know you've been following me for some time. And I want to make it clear that I am doing well in the process, but understand this. I am not a hacker or an associate of Blume or DedSec. I'm not an agent of any kind nor am I of the police force." His hand goes for mine and he traces his finger through the blood, I'm staring in curiosity as his finger glides across his own tongue and he licks the blood from it. I watch as his eyes glow and teeth grow.
Okay. I get it. He's made his point.
When I get back to the bunker with Eric, Clara is still awake, though barely as she's typing frantically. I hear words of worry as well as her whispering my name. Finally she hears a ping and looks immediately to the closest screen, then stands straight up. Turning she sees me and runs to me. Her arms around me and her warm breath on my neck, once again my body reacts but my mind is on other things. She retreats and sees Eric looking at her with a small smile on his face.
"You're Eric?" She says as she backs away from him. Meanwhile I'm recovering from my building lust for Clara, she's teasing me on purpose and she knows the effect she has on me. I'll eventually give in.
He walks toward her as she's retreating and I feel she deserves what he's doing, scaring her with his silent ways. I smile as I place my hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Yeah Clara, this is him. He's got quite the story for you." She stops and so does he, her interest is caught as she shows that sly smile.
For the next hour, we exchange our stories; what Eric is, why he's here, how Clara got here and why we're all in this mess and why we're in it together. Once everything is cleared up, Eric goes to leave unannounced.
"Where are you going? We need you, like, now." Clara says as she rises to approach him. He turns, smiles and shows her his lengthened teeth and glowing eyes. She gasps and backs off.
"Clara, if I stayed, the wrong people would get hurt. Aiden knows I'm better off out on the streets. I'll be back soon. I will meet Aiden at Jordy's." I look at Eric with shock, he knows Jordy? He senses my confusion.
"Yes Aiden I know him, who else knows a better way to rid bodies than Jordy?" A rhetorical question no doubt. I nod and turn to the flashing screens. Our binary world awaits us.
I keep a tab on Eric, he's told us how to track his quick movements and I know firsthand how quick he is. The signal jumps from one place to another but it's in a traceable fashion. If we have trouble with him, we call. Easy as that.
I see Clara in the corner of my eye, yawning. She's probably exhausted from the night she's had, from worrying about me to the new revelation of Eric and his kind. I see her shake her head and turn to me, telling me she's hitting the hay. I nod and follow her, watching her stroll up the stairway. I take this as my chance to show her what she's done to me.
"Clara." She turns and her eyes are drowsy. But I don't care. I grab her by the shoulders and push her against the wall. Her eyes wide with shock and my own stare obscured in darkness from the rim of my cap. I lower my head and lean to kiss her but she turns her head in defiance. My mouth gets lower and brushes her ear.
"We both know you want this." I spread her legs with one of my own legs and run a hand down her neck, then her chest and finally between her legs. She moans as I lean in to her, pressing my hand to her sensitive little nub. She gives in a tilts her head to kiss me. Her tongue probes my mouth as I fight to continue to tease her. Finally her hand moves to the rim of my jeans and she pulls me toward the little bedroom. As we approach the bed she pushes me away and goes to undress, to tease me yet again. I deny her the pleasure and grab her wrist, picking her up with her legs around my waist; I drop her onto the bed and begin to tear her clothes off. The jacket, t-shirt, jeans, boots. My lust builds as well as my member; it throbs as I'm teasing myself.
"Hurry Aiden. I need you. I need you in me." Clara moans for me. With my cap still on, eyes out of sight, I smile to her.
"But of course."