CHASING THE DRAGON
The title literally means to cook cocaine and heroine on aluminum foil and inhale the fumes through a straw. No mythical creatures involved here.
Commissioner Gordon sat alone at the kitchen table. He put out his cigarette and covered his face with both his hands. Crickets chirped lazily out side the back door.
"Jim?" He didn't take his face out of his hands. "What..."
"You've been out here for ever and it's a wonder you didn't set off the fire alarm with all this smoke. Whats eatin' ya hun?" Barbara came and stood next to him, rubbing the back of his neck. He was quiet for a while, silently searching for the right words.
"Its just... what the hell is all this coming to? I mean, not that Gotham was ever an upstanding place to live, I mean- it used to be, sort of...when the Waynes used to run a lot of it. But Bruce has been gone for a couple years, and now..."
"Jim, When or if Bruce comes back doesn't mean that this city will transform back into what it was twenty five years ago, if that's what your worried about."
"No..." He shook his head. "Mostly I've just been thinking how these murders will effect crime rate, its already through the roof. Honestly, two bosses in two days, both killed by whats believed to be the same man, this Jack Napier character, if that's in fact his real name, you never know any more. No one can find him, no traces, nothing. We've already heard about him in the past, one hell of a loose cannon. Double homicides, bank robberies, grand theft auto, drug dealing, hit man for one of our dead bosses, the list goes on. We've gotten police reports that people have seen him but nothings come out clean... Smart too, you never know what he'll do next, no job is too big for him."
The muffled sound of a crying baby came from upstairs and Barbara quietly turned to walk away but stopped and turned. "Come to bed Jim, really, nothings going to get better by you sitting here smoking and worrying your self to death." He glanced up for a second then returned his gaze to the table top. Barbara made her way back upstairs.
"What the hell are you going to do now?" the Commissioner thought to himself. "She's right, what am I going to do about it now... How is this going to help, its not... sleeping wont help either, sleep in not an option, what if there's a lead? That would be... great? No, not great, confusing as hell. Napier just seems to come and go as he pleases, right out in public, no one sees him and no one knows where he is, surprising really. He seems like a real character, someone you'd notice. We've gone from the upper west side to the slums, combing this city for him or anyone who's affiliated or knows where he might be. We already had one of our guys almost get killed... Ill start sending more under covers out, maybe, just maybe we can catch a glimpse of this ghost that runs rampant on the underbelly of this city." Jim slowly stood up and walked to the sink and splashed warm water on his face in an attempt to calm down find some scrap of drowsiness in his body. It was silent, except for a siren down in the city, it faded, then it was quiet again. His mind turned over again and again. The sound of crickets became deafening.
The street under Jack's feet seemed to be rotting away, potholes that looked like small explosions and cracks that had been slurried over so many times you could trip over the spider web of ridges that snaked through the street. Neon lights burned cheap and bright advertizing liquor, nude shows, adult theaters, video rentals and pawn shops. Every one had a hungry look in their eye. They had all come here to either score some dope, get laid, get shit faced or die, sometimes all four. The thunder of night clubs would vibrate the street in a steady pulse and hookers, with their six inch heel platforms would balance tantalizingly in the shadows of the buildings, the street lights sometimes catching the seductive curve of their hips or breasts in their tight, barely there, over worn, over used clothing.
Club Platinum stood smoky and muffled on the corner. This is a place for anyone who is looking for a good time at any cost. Along with being a trance/ night club Platinum is a well known brothel to the regulars, the back rooms filled with women ready to do anything and everything to feel money between their fingers.
Jack slid through the thick air while people danced and moved around him all in syncopation with the driving thud of the bass. Strobe lights would occasionally illuminate a face and colored search lights would sweep over the dancers and up into the air. Everything was packed, the dance floor, the bar, the upper level. The whole club seemed ready to burst at the seams; the smell of cigarette smoke, sweat and cheap perfume was almost stifling. A woman grabbed Jack's arm, making a lewd drunken comment, but he shook her off without making eye contact and continued to weave through the crowd. The crowd thinned out towards one of the back walls and a hulk of a man stood by a beaded curtain. "There's a hundred dollar entrance fee." Jack pulled a crumpled fist full of money out of a pocket on the inside of his coat and slapped it into the guards hand, and without saying anything walked through the bead curtain. The guard was about to stop him but upon looking closer realized that he was now holding about five one-hundred dollar bills.
Behind the bead curtain there was a hallway painted midnight blue with only black lights to light the way. He opened the door to find a room with about ten half naked women lounging on satin couches. The loud thud of the bass line bled through the walls, making the whole room pulsate. One got up and made her way seductively towards him. She had dark brown hair teased up into massive curls and she looked to be of some other ethnicity. She had brown skin with a ruby red belly button ring and stiletto boots to match.
"Hey there..." She said running her hands over Jack's shoulders and chest. "What are ya, lookin' for, sweet thing..." She licked her lips seductively and walked around him, pulling teasingly at his trench coat. He caught her by the wrist and pulled her around to face him, a broad grin on his face. "Got anything to drink?" She almost looked disappointed, she was obviously expecting another answer. "Uh, sure, what do you like?" She said gently pulling him by the arm towards another hall lined with rooms. "Anythings good." They walked by a group of three girls entertaining a fat man in a business suit and she called on one of them. "Anastasia, get a scotch on the rocks, bring it to my room." As she led him into a room she introduced herself. "By the way, Im Raven." She said smiling slightly. Jack grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in roughly. "Raven, hmm? Like the bird. Its nice, I like it, but maybe you should aim for something that doesn't invoke the image of a greasy black bird, not with this pretty face of yours." He smiled again. She hit his chest with both hands, trying to pull away from him, the look on her face changing from seductive to angry, but her held her tight. "A little fight in ya, I like that." Her face softened slightly when she heard the playful tone in his voice.
"Starting the fun with out me?" A voice came from the door. Anastasia sauntered in holding the scotch in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She was scantily clad in a powder blue rhinestone net and a black thong. She had long platinum blond hair in loose curls with flawless milk white skin. She handed Jack the drink looking him up and down. "Who do we have here?" She said taking a step closer. "You look familiar..."
Knowing how high profile he had become in the past week, he quickly changed the subject. He caught Anastasia by one of her long curls and gently pulled her in, now holding both girls.
"Tell ya what, my little sex bombs, lets shut the door and I assure you, you'll get to know me in no time." Raven went to shut the door as Anastasia took long drag off her cigarette.
"You shouldn't be doing that, my dear." He said plucking the cigarette from between her fingers, and taking a drag off of it himself. "Believe me, you'll want to keep that face as long as you can." She watched as he casually put the cigarette out on his tongue and flicked the butt in the corner.
"But trust me, I have something I think we'll all agree is much better."
Raven held the lighter under the tin foil, inhaling the fumes as they rose lazily into the air.
She fell back on the mound of richly colored pillows, her eyes rolling back into her head and letting a long moan of contentment escape her full lips.
"Your right, baby..." Anastasia said dreamily running her hand across his chest and down into the waist of his pants. "This is so much better... I cant remember the last time I got a hit like that... almost better than sex..." She crawled on top of him straddling his waist. "But not quite." Jack started to weave his fingers through the rhinestone net she was wearing. Soon it lay on the floor, her full breasts rubbing seductively against him. She started to undo the front of his pants. "You want me to suck your cock, baby? She said while she worked her way down the front of his body. Suddenly the door opened and a man stood looking thoroughly surprised. Jack jumped up knocking Anastasia back onto the floor. The two men stood facing each other for a few moments, there was something vaguely familiar about the intruder...
"Aw, shit man, Im- Im sorry, Im sorry man." With out saying anything Jack pulled a hand gun from the inside of his coat and pointed it at him, the drugs had raised his paranoia to a boiling point. The man disappeared from sight. Jack walked to the door but he was gone. He tuned and slammed the door with a thunderous crash, jarring Raven from her drug induced sleep. He threw all the drugs and aluminum out the window and turned to face the two girls. Anastasia got up shakily from the floor.
"Why don't you come back to bed, forget about him... he's just jealous." she said running her hands over her bare figure. Jack grabbed her by the throat. "And why don't you shut the fuck up, you little two bit bitch." He threw her back onto the floor. Raven stumbled off the bed and started to spit obscenities at him. He cocked the gun and pointed it at her. "You stay there, or Ill paint the walls with your brains."
He turned back to Anastasia who was still cowering on the floor. He crouched down and shoved the barrel between her lips working its way into her mouth. "Why don't you suck on that, hmm?" He cackled at her terrified expression. She started to say something but it was muffled by the barrel. He took it out of her mouth. "I didn't quite catch that, what now dearie?" His voice had a menacing edge to it. Her eyes flickered to one side and he turned just in time to see Raven pointing a gun at him, she had gotten it out of one of the night stand drawers. Without hesitating he aimed and fired one well aimed shot right between her eyes. Anastasia screamed as he turned towards her again. "Congratulations, you just helped me kill your friend."
"I hope you die!! Die you mother fu-!!" He grabbed her by the hair silencing her curses.
"You want me to kill you, don't you?" Anastasia stared into his eyes, they were dark and soulless. He stared back at her putting on his most charming smile.
"No, no, no, no, Im going to leave now, because its just not that easy. I would rather think of you sitting here with Miss brain spatter of the year, and thinking about how lucky you are to not be in her position, because lets face it, that sucks now doesn't it?" he said forcing her to look at the bloody corpse laying against the wall. Anastasia shut her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks taking copious amounts of mascara with them.
Soon she was alone in the stinking bloody nightmare of a room. Jack had left through the window and down the fore escape.
The "intruder" had been standing down in the street after he had made a break for it back through the club.
"Yeah...yeah, I walked right in on him." he told Harrison on the other end. Yeah, Im down at Platinum and I thought I saw him in there so I followed, and sure enough, I opened that door and there he was, two girls and all."
"Did you get a good look at him, your sure its him..." Harrison asked.
"Yes, Im sure, looked right into the bastard's eyes, and by the way he just came out of the fire escape, I can see him now."
"Alright, trail him, keep us in touch, Ill be sending some of the guys down. We already have a plan in motion."