Blood Haven
By Dante
Chapter Two
With my new neighbors safely tied to a streetlight and relieved of the few bucks they had in their wallets, I decided to continue on my way to the diner. After all, there's nothing an old soldier likes more than a good meal after some exercise, and I'd certainly had my fill of the latter for the evening.
The diner was nothing fancy, but it looked like it had been once. You know the sort of place. Looks like it might have once had that Norman Rockwell feel to it, the kind of place that they ate at in that painting... oh, I can't remember, but its the one where you're looking in at the diner from outside. Well, whatever it had been before, what it had become was something that, while not exactly cozey looking, still had the look of a place that could supply you with a grease filling for an empty stomach at a price that was easy on the wallet.
The place smelled of dried grease and sweat, but that was a smell that was entirely comfortable with, especially considering that I'd spent plenty of time eating in a lot less hospitable locales. Of all the details though, the one that really fascinated me was the waitress. She looked to be abotu my age, but her eyes looked a lot older than her face. They looked like the eyes I'd seen when I first got off the plane overseas for my first combat tour. Haunted, wary, ever-aware of the conditions around her, like a doe in woods heavily patrolled by hungry hunters. That being the case, I didn't really expect much in the way of conversation. I wasn't disappointed.
"Hi." She said.
"Hi."
"What'll it be?"
"Coffee and whatever's cheapest."
"Everything's cheap."
"I guess a burger then. Medium rare, if you can."
"Got it."
I settled onto a worn bar stool at the counter and inhaled the aroma of the coffee. Not the finest columbian beans, but it would keep my eyes open. The waitress brought my burger over a few minutes later and sat it down on the counter in front of me.
"That'll be a dollar twelve."
I laid out some coins and started to dig in. To my surprise, she sat down across from me and lit up a cigarette.
"I saw what happened outside. You should be more careful."
I looked up from my food and met her eyes. She immediately took on a defensive look, as if she expected an attack.
"You're probably right." I said. "But at least those guys got what was coming to them."
"You got lucky. He doesn't usually come down this way until later into the night."
"Who? That guy?"
"Yeah."
"Who is he?"
"Sort of our neighborhood watchman slash angel. But even he can't be everywhere. Like I said..."
"I was lucky."
"Yeah."
The rest of my meal passed in silence. I wiped my mouth and, for some reason, laid down a few more coins.
"Could I get another cup?"
"You should leave."
"Excuse me?"
"Its not safe here. They'll be coming soon."
"Who'll be coming?"
She now looked afraid, almost frantic, and the feeling was infectious. I suddenly felt like I was being watched from all sides, examined... hunted.
"You have to go. Now."
I left the coins and got up without a word. Something inside me said that the girl wasn't just blowing smoke. Something was going to go down and she didn't want me to get caught up in it. Outside, the punks were still tied to the streetlight, but I could hear sirens coming closer so I left them alone and hurried back to my apartment. Inside, I locked the door and the windows and tried to lay down for a few hours of shut-eye before I had to go my interview. I didn't have much luck.
When I woke up the next morning, the sun was coming up, but it was barely visible behind the ever-present smog and clouds. I pulled a small radio out of my duffel bag and plugged it in to listen to the news while I shaved, hoping to hear something about the guys that I had helped "him" take down last night. There was nothing about them, only news about several street punks found dead in an alley dumpster, apparently having bled to death.
That should have been my first hint to leave and I should have taken it, but nobody ever accused me of being the brightest bulb in the box. I wish they had.