I found Jim's Pizzeria and The Popper's Emporium of Assorted Salts right next to it. The alley between them was like any other alley, garbage littering the ground, a dumpster leaning against a wall, and a long shadow cast over the ground.
Harrison sniffed the air, "I smell blood," He said.
"How recent?" I asked.
"About a day or so." He replied, sniffing again. "It'd probably be pretty easy to track"
"I should bring you along more often" I said, looking around the alley.
"That's what you always say," Harrison said, "then you ditch me on the next mission"
I didn't reply.
"Anyways," Harrison started, "one guy's scent stays here, so he's likely the fiancé and the other one goes deeper in"
We headed deeper into the alley, coming out on the other side.
"Turn left" Harrison said. We turned left, driving behind Jim's Pizzeria. We drove around for a while, Harrison directing me along. We got looks from several people. Apparently it wasn't normal for a man to ride a moped with a baby fox on his shoulder.
The scent grew stronger, according to Harrison, until it was only a few hours old.
"What's up with this part of town?" Harrison asked, looking around for the first time since we started following the scent.
"Looks kinda shady, eh?" I asked, looking around a bit more thoroughly as well. It looked like it was a town out of a horror movie. The buildings were ramshackle and poorly built. Windows were broken, signs hung above the doors waved eerily in the wind. The people were saggy-faced and covered in patches of facial hair, as if their shavers had stopped working while they shaved their faces at random. There were a lot of bald people, but even more with very long, unkempt hair. The few trees scattered around were short and dead, their branches keeling over, succumbing to the force of gravity and lack of health. In the distance an owl hooted.
"This is cliché," Harrison said, continuing to sniff and lead me.
"Too cliché" I whispered.
"So cliché that it's not even scary," Harrison added, "it's just boring"
"Aye" I said, turning down an alley. The alleys were the same as the ones in the nicer part of town, only with more garbage. The moped made its way through, but with some difficulty.
"We're almost there," Harrison said, "it smells very strongly here"
Through another street, around a building, and down an alleyway, the scent stopped.
Harrison's nose went to the dumpster. He sniffed curiously, "I still smell the thief's smell. It's vague among the garbage, buts it's there"
I got off the moped, looking behind the dumpster, then pushing it aside. There was no secret entrance behind it, or under it.
"What are you looking for?" Harrison asked as I pushed it back into its original place.
"This is a cliché part of town," I replied, "I wouldn't be surprised if there was a cliché entrance to a cliché secret base or something"
Harrison smiled, "I don't think so" He replied, jumping back to my moped and sitting on the seat.
I opened the dumpster and peered in. Nothing but trash, of course. But it was strange; the trash wasn't wet or dirty. The inside walls of the dumpster actually looked quite well cleaned. Digging through the trash to the bottom, it was quite clean too. The trash itself was just crumpled up paper and cardboard boxes.
"What is it?" Harrison asked me.
I hoisted myself up onto the dumpster, "This thing is suspicious," I said, "I'm going in" I dropped inside. It was as deep as any old dumpster. Searching through the clean garbage I searched for any sign of oddity.
I sighed, finding nothing resting my hand against the wall as I started to stand. I felt some scratches, which I almost ignored. It wasn't odd for a dumpster to be scratched, but not by one like this. I ducked down.
"Gazini?" Harrison asked me, leaping up onto the top of the dumpster wall. "What's going on?"
I traced my fingers over the scratches, and then stared hard at it. "Eleven o'clock," I said, reading the scratches, "two o'clock" Harrison stared down from his perch at me. Bringing up my wrist, I pulled my sleeve down my arm, revealing my watch. It was five minutes to two o'clock.
"Harrison," I said, "get in, and bring the moped"
Harrison sighed, "Look at me" He said, repeating the events of a few nights ago.
"Never mind." I said, standing to get the moped. The alley was empty, other than the trash. "Where'd it go?" I asked, looking back and forth. Where else could it have gone?
"It's a shady part of town," Harrison said, "Maybe some shady person stole it"
"I know," I started, "but how? Without us noticing?"
"Shadily without us knowing" Harrison replied.
"Alright," I said, "whatever, just get inside. Two o'clock is coming up, and I want to see what happens" I wasn't focused on what was happening, I was wondering what had happened to my moped, and whether or not I'd get it back.
I shut the dumpster door.
"It's pretty cozy in here" Harrison said, sitting in the trash and making himself comfortable. I checked my watch. It was two o'clock. A few minutes went by, and I heard a noise, just outside the dumpster. As I stood to peek out the dumpster was lifted. My head slammed against the top and I fell back into the trash, hitting my rear on the metal floor where I'd cleared out the garbage. I grabbed Harrison and braced us.
We fell out from the dumpster into more similar trash: boxes and paper. I was stuck under all the trash piled up over me. I pinched my fingers together, making sure that Harrison was still in my hand. He was, curled up in my palm.
I reached up with my other hand, finding a way out from the garbage. Pulling myself out, I sat down on top of the pile and looked around. There were a few other people sitting inside as well. They didn't appear to be together, as they all wore different clothing and not a uniform.
"You a new guy?" One of them asked me. His voice was high and his body was skinny.
"Yeah," I replied, lying. I had no idea where we were going.
"Lots of money involved in this," The man continued, "and some of the finest women you'd ever seen" He smiled creepily at me.
I gave him back a slight smile, then turned away, letting it fade. Harrison sat hidden next to me.
"So what department are you in?" The man asked me.
I didn't know how to reply.
"Shut up, will you?" Another man said. He was bigger than the other man, but then again
anyone would be bigger than someone as small as him. "He's a new guy, he's probably under a
lot of pressure, so just chill, 'kay?"
The thin man stopped talking, sinking under the garbage again.
The truck stopped after a few minutes, and the back opened up. "Get outta there. Work's starting in five minutes!" The man opening the door yelled before leaving.
We got out and started walking.
"So what kind of work is this?" I asked the thin man.
"You don't know?" He asked.
"I don't believe so" I replied.
"Then why'd you sign up if you don't even know what you're getting into?" He asked.
I shrugged, "Good pay" I replied.
The thin man smiled, then rammed his shoulder into mine, "Good answer, my boy!" He laughed, "What kind of work you say?" He paused to think, "Generally we just gather as much money as possible. The boss has some big plans, and he needs lots and lots of funding"
"How do you obtain this money?" I asked.
"The boss says by any means necessary" He replied.
"Such as killing someone?" I asked.
"Sure," the man replied, "Like I said, anything to get a bit of dough"
"Good to know" I said, continuing to walk beside him. It was likely that this was where I'd find my guy, but I was curious about why 'the boss' needed so much funding.
"So do you even know what this heavily funded plan is?" I asked.
"Nah," the man replied, "the boss says that's its important, that it'll change the world for the better. I don't really care though; it's got great pay, as long as the dough keeps rolling in on your side"
I simply nodded and kept walking. Looking to my right I saw a door. A label was placed on the door, reading:
'Senior Staff Only'
Looking around quickly, I slowed my pace until I was behind the group, then ducked through the door.
Inside was a small room, with a single desk and filing cabinet set against the wall. The filing cabinet was right behind the desk.
I made my way past the desk to the cabinet and pulled open the top drawer. Empty. The next few were the same. The last one, however, was locked. Pulling out my knife, I stuck it inside the lock and picked it, sliding open the drawer.
Inside was a single file.
Pulling it out, I looked it over. The file cover was nothing special, but with a large red H stamped onto the front. Opening it, I realized that everything was written in code. I couldn't read any of it.
Just as I went to put it back the door opened. My eyes shot up. It was the thin man.
"Hey you!" He said, "You're not supposed to be in here! Did you not see the 'Senior Staff Only' sign on the front of the door?"
I stood up, "My apologies." I said, "I must have missed it"
"Wait a minute," The man looked at the file in my hand, "where'd you get that?" He asked.
"It's a file, and I'm standing in front of a filing cabinet. What do you think it is?" I asked.
He stared at me, "You liar!" He called, pulling out his gun. I was upon him before he even knew it. I caught his arm, pointing his gun away. Squeezing it, I eventually made him let go.
"Tell me," I started, "have you killed anyone recently?"
The man didn't reply.
"Have you?" I grabbed his throat, slamming him against the wall aggressively.
"Yes," he choked, "it's all part of the business, like I told you"
"Where did you kill him?" I asked.
"I-in an alley!" He replied, "That's where we always do it"
"Which alley?" I asked, pushing him harder against the wall.
"I-I don't know!" He replied, "It was some pizza place or something"
"Jim's Pizzeria?" I asked.
"Right, yeah!" He replied, 'That's the one"
"And The Popper's Emporium of Assorted Salts?" I asked.
"I think so" He replied.
I brought up my knife, stabbing him in the gut. He slid down the wall, leaving a blood streak as he did. I drew my knife, cleaning it off on his shirt, and then replacing it in its sheath. I held onto the file and left the room. Someone was just entering as I did so.
"Let me see your company ID sir" The man said, holding out his hand.
"Let me see yours" I replied.
He sighed, "I don't have time for games. Now show it to me"
I brought out my knife, stabbing him and letting him down to the floor slowly. Quickly wiping the blood off on his shirt as he went down, I continued walking, being as casual as possible.
"You didn't have to do that" Harrison said from within my jacket.
I pulled him out, "I'd forgotten that you were there" I said.
"That's because you never knew that I was inside," He pointed out, "I crawled in before you got out of the truck"
"Oh" I replied. He climbed up onto my shoulder and I quickly made my way back to the truck.
"What's that file?" Harrison asked.
"I don't know," I replied, "It's written in code"
"Then why'd you take it?" He asked.
"Forgot to put it back when I left that room earlier"
"Idiot"
"Shut up"
The dump truck was already gone, leaving a large closed garage door in its place. Lifting my sunglasses, I checked to see if there was a point in trying to open it. There was, but just barely before someone noticed and bullets started to fly.
Placing my sunglasses back on my nose I reached down, pulling the garage door.
"Hey, you there!" Someone called behind me.
"Crap!" I muttered, pulling harder.
"Don't move a frickin' muscle!" A man called. I heard a gun emerge from its holster.
The garage door was almost completely open. Screw it, I thought, throwing Harrison through and ducking under just as the guns were loaded.
"Damn you!" I heard voices call from the other side. I turned and started to run, swiping Harrison off the ground as I did so, only to find the dump truck right next to the garage door. Running to it, I found the driver inside, reading a magazine. I didn't stop to see what it was, but it didn't look appropriate. I pulled the guy out from the seat, took his keys, jumped into the truck, and drove off.
That's when the gunshots went off.