In Desperation and the Darkside
This is a flash fiction written for the SpinMax Forum Flash Fiction Contest. http://z3.
"I need to tell you something." Spinelli and Maxie both gasped those words into their cell phones before the other could get a word out, "It's important!" again their words coming out simultaneously.
Now:
Spinelli sighed and with a flourish, sat down at a table at Kelly's and waited tapping his fingers on the box that Stan had, the box that for some strange reason had very little but so much inside it. His fingers itched and recoiled from the box wanting to dive in again, but in the same breath wanting nothing to do with it.
"The Wounded Blonde One said she would meet the jackal here over an hour ago…" Spinelli let out another sigh to no one in particular.
Spinelli puffed out his cheeks waiting, getting more and more nervous with each tick of the clock, his heart drifting to darker thoughts, thoughts about what things could have happened. He did not want to wait any longer….
Before:
Maxie tossed the phone on her bed as she went through her rack of scarves, "I can't believe I told him that his inner stoner would appreciate the irony of what I had found out."
Chuckling to her self Maxie picked at and discarded scarf after scarf trying to find the perfect one, after the tenth one, she paused and wondered just exactly what she was doing. Her hands still clinging to the fabric of the green scarf she realized she was primping. Taking time to get ready to see Spinelli, "Gah! I am not making myself pretty for nerd boy!" but her words didn't have any conviction in them.
Maxie wrapped the scarf around her neck feeling it's soft fuzz against her throat, "Well he isn't exactly ugly maybe if he got a hair cut… NO" Shaking her head Maxie dismissed the thought. I can't be into Spinelli, I know my type they have to have some kind of edge. I need someone with a little danger, and there is simply nothing controversial about Spinelli. He even makes the mob feel like a good thing. I could never see him as anything more…"
Turning away from her closet and heading for the door Maxie was finally ready to go but as she turned the knob she felt only an instant of pressure from the other side.
KRACROOOOM!!!
The door busted open slamming into her head, and from the door way the only thing Maxie could register was that same sweet smell as she fell backwards on to her bed her mind fading to black as she slinked into unconsciousness.
"Poor little whittle Maxie, gone and bumped your head, so soon you will be dead. But not yet bitch I like the struggle and you are going to get a treat because I know you've been hunting meee…." The killer slung her body over his shoulder as he exited the house…
THUD
Spinelli whacked into the blonde one Lulu on his way out the door his mind spinning at miles per hour never heard of on this planet. His heart racing he barely even registered the thud or Lulu's face of shock looking up at him from the floor.
Lulu's shocked offended face twisted and turned as words formed but were rejected her face a blender of emotional content, "Spinelli!!! What the heck is wrong with you? Help me up!"
Spinelli gripped the blonde one's wrist yanking with more strength than Lulu would have considered possible from his wiry frame, "I have to go" were the only words blurted out of Spinelli's mouth.
Even greater shock registered on Lulu's face and more than a little anger, "Go GO!" she screeched at him, " No way! I was coming to see you, you knocked me down and now you leave! What kind of friend are you?"
Spinelli paused holding his breath for a second, "The kind that knows when there is greater need, and better friends."
And with that Spinelli dashed past Lulu, and out of Kelly's, right into Jason Morgan. Spinelli, stopped just in time not to bash into Stone Cold but continuing to move past Jason without saying a word. Jason started to say something about needing to research something about Trevor but seeing the near panic on Spinelli's face stopped himself. Jason almost asked if Spinelli needed help but before he could his friend was already on the move and around the corner.
Huffing and puffing Spinelli reached Maxie's house just as Commissioner Scorpio was arriving home. Spinelli gasped out, "Have you…. Seeen….. Maxie???"
Mac looked at the winded terrified mob boy and said, "No, I just got here. What is going on?"
Spinelli caching his breath, "We were supposed to meet, she said she had something important, something my inner… stoner would appreciate the irony of. But she didn't show up."
Mac sighed and opened the door figuring that Maxie had simply blown Spinelli off, Mac knew his daughter couldn't be interested in Spinelli, he just wasn't her type so she probably was just playing a game with him. Mac figured it was obvious what was going on but just incase he shouted so that the whole house would hear, " Maxie!!!!! Can you get down here???"
No answer.
Mac paused and then took out his cell phone and speed dialed Maxie's phone… it rang but no answer.
Mac turned to Spinelli and grabbed him by the shirt, "What do you know?? Where is she???" The ferocity of his voice normally would have scared Spinelli witless but from some inner resolve Spinelli pushed Mac's hands away and said, " I don't know, the jackal said that already."
Mac looked at Spinelli with cold fury thinking of how Spinelli had been the one who found Georgie's body, " I swear if you did anything to hurt her I'm going to rip you and your mob buddies into shreds."
Mac stormed off to his car headed for the PCPD, to start the search for Maxie. But Spinelli knew that before Mac could even get an APB out it might already be too late. Spinelli needed to figure out where Maxie was and get to her NOW.
Spinelli whipped out his laptop, and booted it up. He knew he had little time so he wasn't subtle. Not caring to cover his tracks Spinelli ripped through firewall protections and accessed servers with impunity. He had to get to Maxie.
Twenty minutes later Spinelli found himself on top of the hospital roof staring at an old helicopter maintenance shed. Forcing the door open by smashing his shoulder into it Spinelli was able to stumble into the rickety old shed. Looking into what could only be the liar of the Text Message Killer, Spinelli saw the dingy walls fallen supports and assorted ropes, those horrible pictures of all his victims including dear Georgie with her face slashed by red marker in a crude X.
Scanning the room Spinelli found Maxie out cold in the far corner of the room. Rushing over to her, he kneeled down holding her hand breathing a sigh of relief in time to her own breath, "She's alive."
"Not for long…"
Turning around quickly Spinelli saw the killer standing in the doorway, " You fiend!!!" Spinelli's rage boiled as he rushed the killer, only to get the back of a gloved fist to his face crumpling to the ground.
The killer picked up the stunned Spinelli and tossed him against the wall with all the pictures, "What were you thinking little man?"
A glass bottle shattered next to the killer's head causing him to whip his head around seeing Maxie awake screaming, "Leave him alone you Son of a BITCH!" Maxie still prone and groggy defending Spinelli with all the fire she could muster.
The killer casually walked over and kicked her in the ribs, "I'll get to you in due time, and we will see who the bitch really is." Turning back to Spinelli the killer smirked, " Really who do you think you are Spinelli? Some great savior? A hero? You are no hero; you are not a great man. My work will go down in history, a little thing like you will never, could never stop me."
From some place dark and cold Spinelli rose to his feet, his hair out of his eyes he stared at the killer without saying a word. The moment held between them, with Maxie witnessing it all.
Spinelli slowly moved forward, "Who am I? Not a great man, you are right. I'm no hero; I'm not of the blood of heroes. What I am is born of monsters. I just found out, I'm the grandson of someone who rained down death and destruction on this town like none before or since. I am Damien Smith Junior, grandson to Frank Smith, and I'm going to kill you."
The killer stood there dumbfounded, the coldness in Spinelli's eyes edging on madness seeped into him transfixed he laughed nervously, "You are just a rambling fool, a joke."
In an instant Spinelli moved forward faster than the killer could react jumping on top of him. The killer tried to bat Spinelli away but he couldn't force the smaller man away no matter how hard he hit. They slammed into walls bashing each other with every last ounce of strength. They fell to the ground Spinelli still holding on to his fury punched down missing the killer's head jabbing his fist into a large shard of glass. Cutting and embedding itself into the knuckles Spinelli didn't even notice as he punched down again into the killer's throat, stabbing him.
Realizing slowly as he felt the killer struggle less and less what he had done, Spinelli let loose a cry, his shoulders shaking. Maxie pulled him away from the body, "How did you find me?"
Spinelli managed to mutter something about GPS cell phone and being high but it barely came out. Really he couldn't believe what he had just done, he really was the monster he described, "What am I?" Anguished he asked.
Maxie held his bleeding hand wrapped in her green scarf, " If not for you I would be dead." She shushed him as he tried to say something mumbled about seeing his dark side. She held on tighter and said, " You are my friend, now and always, till the end. My Spinelli"
Maybe More…