"YES! Alright ladies, looks like my luck this morning is well- why don't a few of you come on over and help The Last Maenad get changed, eh? Heh heh heh."
Tony wraps an arm around each of the girls at the table and begins to leave Rico's, making his way for home as he hands one of the girls Wichita to play with.
Lucas stepped back seeming impressed by his store managers level of dedication. Hos anger started to fade as he looked down at the pathetic man in front of him. I could almost forgive him after that... but no! He's not the victim, he's the one letting ME go!
He gritted his teeth and walked over to the manager and picked him up by his shirt. "How can I forgive you?! You're firing me for nothing!"
So Tony, returns to his hovel/apartment to "Have a good time." (F!$@ing)
Then he falls asleep, as the girls take some money and then leave.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The manager, screams as Lucas, holds him by his shirt. "Look! there is nothing I can do. We just don't have enough money to pay you."
"Lucas!." Lucas, hears his dad shout from the store entrance. A tall man, with fair skin and dark brown hair, and currently a furrowed brow, in anger. "Let him go, Lucas! Then walk away and cool off! Your embarrassing me! And yourself!"
Lucas, is becoming more aware now of the people coming to see what the heck is going on. ("What the heck is going on?")
Lucas lets the Manager go when he hears his father. He suppressed his anger but it threatened to boil over if he didn't do something immediately. Without another word he turned and left the store.
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It is now 6:00pm. It is early fall and gets dark at about 7:30pm.
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Lucas, you wander for a time barely paying attention to where you are going. After a time you notice you are in a seedier part of the city. Liquor stores and crummy apartments abound. But the place that catches your attention most is a bar called Rico's. You see a fair few men going into the basement area. You hear one of them saying, "I Am going to be winning big money tonight! Baby!"
Lucas watched the men until they disappeared. Then he checked his pockets. He had some money on him, not too much, but it was probably enough to play a handful of rounds. Without a job he didn't have a steady source of income and that wasn't good.
He wasn't the best, but he had played a lot of games with others over the years, he was familiar with most and wouldn't come off as easy bait. Lucas knew he was good at games of chance. Usually due to his size and build he seemed older than he was. He probably wouldn't be carded.
Lucas Whitfield, professional gambler and winner of loose cash. Yeah, he liked the sound of that. Without another thought he put forward a confident smile and followed after the men.
Tony awakes to his small alarm going off. Scratching his belly and quickly changing his clothes he snags Wichita and a pack with his loose change and heads on out.
Let's see, here, Xander said he DJ'd somewhere... where the hell was that place... uuuh, OH! Equinox!
Remembering the name of the club, Tony attempts to flag down an officer, courteously, to get directions, wary and becoming less gleeful about total strangers guiding him somewhere instead. There had been talk of murders, after all. And though The Last Maenad could probably take 'em, he had no desire to do such a thing today.
Xander had stayed chatting with Tony for awhile at Ricos, before he headed off about his day. He had gone for breakfast first, nothing fancy just some food and some orange juice, something to steel him for the rest of the day. With that done, he had gone to bought some flowers and to apologize to his raging b#~++ of an ex. She wasn't all bad and he had loved her so he made the effort.
By the time evening was threatening, Xander was setting up on the main stage, his earphones on, running through a set list he had played a couple of months back and working on some replacements for out dated songs. He looked up from the booth at the cages above the stage, usually filled with neon draped Go-go girls, now empty and awaiting, and he smiled. Tonight was a pretty big night, it being the weekend, and the place would be packed. Already outside there were girls in bikinis selling tickets to lonely dudes and guys in hot pants handing out free drink tokens to attractive women. Equinox was the place to be, or at least it seemed to be at the moment. This town was such a fickle b@@%#, tomorrow night could make Ricos the next hotspot for the life and soul of the city.
"Hey Xan, can I get you something?"
He turned a smile on the petite redhead waitress, who bounced up to his booth. "Hey Tris, yeah, I'd love some water and some company for a smoke if you got the time?"
She smiled and nodded, "Sure. Give me a minute and I'll meet you out front. Roll me one will ya?"
He nodded, pulling his tobacco out of his pocket as he walked towards the entrance. In no time he had two perfectly rolled cigarettes and was stood off to the side, away from the door. "Damn it is a beautiful evening to be alive!"
Lucas, walked into the bar basement, and as he had figured was not carded.
He almost gagged at the high level of smoke that filled the room. He could hear and see grown men and women laughing as they sat at what Lucas figured was the second bar area for the gamblers in the basement, there must be another up top.
he could see four men and women of various ages playing a poker game at multiple tables. And a rowdy game of pool being played by some middle aged men.
Lucas, then saw on the far side against one of the white walls, was the noisiest bunch down here. Many people were huddled about, rolling dice or more of tossing them a few feet away, and yelling or groaning at the outcome of whatever was rolled.
You could see some younger guy counting a huge stack of...Were those 50' and 100's?
Lucas, decides to partake in the dice rolling.
After a little while Tony, manages to wave down a officer. They look a little suspicious, but give him directions none the less.
Tony, then makes his way over to a large red neon signed place called Equinox. He could see people staring to gathering inside, loud electronic music blaring from within.
As Tony, enters he sees Xander, absorbed in the music he was creating. The people around Tony, were full of energy and dancing and jumping like they were mad.
Many a drug could be seen being passed about. Tony also noticed a lounge area serving drinks.
Xander, You can feel the energy from the crowd as you perform. The high you are on is at its peak and you feel as if you one with everything around you. Like you are part of the dancing and frantic crowd, as if you are part of the ones getting shitfaced at the lounge, as if you are the music that flows from the speakers.
It is now Midnight.
Tony gives a nod and fist pump to Xander as he skips the drugs and is on his way to the lounge while looking for an area to gamble if its there.
Heh, helloooo, yes, I'll take three Irish Car Bombs and cheapest ale off tap. Thanks'm.
As Tony, has no luck finding a gambling spot. He still finds easy women none the less. With one of them saying at 3 in the morning "Wanna head to your place?"
Lucas's luck had been holding for now. He'd kept away from the alcohol so far and had more or less stayed even. He tossed the dice again.
"Come on! Need a pair of fives or higher!"
We, ermmmm, well I would heh heh LOVE to. Oh yeah. Let's uh- why don't we get a cab there? Wichita and I are a little... buuuhzd. But don't worry- we'll still be greeat fun heh heh.
Lucas, rolls pretty well into the night. but at 2 in the morning he is feeling pretty tired.
Tony, gets a cab and heads back to his apartment. Tony, does not give the clearest instructions being pretty drunk at this point, but gets the general area right. And not being able to remember his address currently. Just gets out a few blocks away. As Tony is walking with his one night stand, his arm over her shoulder laughing over stupid things.
A off street light, flickers on for a second, lighting a dark ally way the pair were passing and something inside catches Tony's, drunk eye. Even in his drunk state he is able to focus enough to stop and look down the ally way. "What, is it baby?" Tony's date, asks obnoxiously. Tony, ignores her for the moment, and gets a little closer to the ally way using Wichita, as support.
He gets out his zippo, flicks it on and sees... A young looking girl with her head hanging down. Her shoulder length black hair, covering her face. She was a few feet up and against the wall, in a in a T like shape. It took Tony, a little while to register what he was seeing.
Then, the street light came on in full and to Tony's horror, he saw large knives in the girls arms and legs, pinning her to the ally wall. Tony's date, started screaming when she saw this, and ran away only to fall over and start screaming for help, from where she sat on the sidewalk. The girl, was wearing a school uniform of beige and white, though Tony, didn't know which school.
It looked as though she had been stabbed repeatedly in the stomach and chest area. Tony, notices one more thing in his fearful state. A large 10, in blood next to the girls body.
There was never a moment that had sobered up The Last Maenad more than now.
He looked around to see if there was any sign of where the murderer had run off too
His grip flexed into Wichita as his muscles flexed in a way they hadn't in nearly three years- his heart raced and blood boiled as he mourned in anger for what he saw before him.
Through gritted teeth he took up Wichita in both hands as he searched I'll kill the f*%&er. I'll KILL THE F#$~ER WHO DID THIS!
Tony called out to the girl
Ditch your drugs if you've got 'em and hail a cop!
Let's see if that young cop is actually up to any real police work, eh, Wichita?
Tony finds no clues as to where the murderer went.
Tony's date gets up shakily then quickly walks to the nearest storm drain and drops the drugs down it. Then proceeds to pull out her cell hands shaking heavily and begins to dial 911. But before she can even finish, you both hear a siren nearby.
A patrol car soon arrives pulls up quickly and two policemen get out. One has short black hair and looks to be 40 or so while the other is bald and looks to 30 or so. They both walk towards Tony's location.
The street light has gone out again so the both pull out they're flashlights and begin inspecting the crime scene. As they study the gruesome murder. The bald one then says shakily, "Why the young people? What is his game?"
The one with short black hair then says in a stoic voice to is partner, "Calm it Will. Getting upset won't do anything to help catch this guy." He then seems to remember you are there and says firmly, "My name is officer Bently. Now what are you doing hanging out in an ally at almost 3:30 in the morning?"
Will, then walks over to question Tony's date. Though he still looks quite shaken.
I gotz a little bit of.... of alcohol in me. So I got a cab, was on my way home, eh. You uh, you know? Heh heh, cause I can't drive!
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...Interesting... Well whatever we're going to need to take you down town boy'o." He then grabs your arm and marches you to the squad car placing you inside.
Take me down? What for? I dn't do nothin'! If I'm not under arrest, I ain't goin'!
"We just need to take you down for questioning. If you are not guilty then you have nothing to worry about." And with that he somewhat forcefully puts Tony, in the squad car along with Tony's date, and then they proceed to drive Tony, down town.
Lucas, you feel incredibly tired so you decide to head home. It is now past three in the morning.
Xander, your session is over now what will you do?
Xander takes a break during the night and spends some time talking to Tony, before returning to the decks. He takes in the atmosphere, reveling in the energy from the crowd and the room. When his set is complete, he moves over to the bar, to find Tris, hoping to find someone to go for some late night food with. Both of their shifts would almost be done and he was lonely and bored. Tony had head off already and was probably asleep, not at Rico's.
Lucas made his way through the streets. He had stayed out way, way too late. Fortunately tomorrow was his day off. His reactions were a little slower than usual from being so tired.
Still the gambling crowd had been something I'd needed after today. Good thing tomorrow is my day off from school so I can just sleep in and then I can...
Then it suddenly dawned on him...
"Oh no! I completely forgot about Gary's party!"
He slammed a fist on the side of a building he'd been walking by.
"Stupid, Gaaah!" he would have like to have seen Mio there, like Gary had said.
He let out an irritated sigh and put his hands into his jacket pocket and found the money that he'd managed to win. It actually managed to calm him down somewhat, he even cracked a smile.
Oh well, it's not like I would have come away with more than I had if I'd gone to Gary's party. Whatever, tonight wasn't so bad.
It is now 6:30AM.
Xander, wakes up. After having a dream of shadows once more. He is in Tris' apartment, in her queen sized bed. You can hear the shower running in the bathroom, it's door slightly ajar. Steam can be seen inside.
You can hear the radio playing on the dresser, next to the bed.
Xander, was pretty fuzzy when he first awoke but now he was clear enough to catch, "...Making this the fourth murder victim, in the Countdown Killers vicious murders. We strongly encourage anyone who may have any information on whoever is behind all of this to come forward immediately. I am John Marcer, and this is the Spire City morning news. Tune in through out the day as we will post updates as they come in."
The radio then goes to some generic rock song, about being alone.
Tony, After having the same dream as the night before, wakes up in the drunk tank where you have been asleep for the past few hours.
You are now sober and have one major headache. You hear the loud footsteps of shoes on the concrete floor and you cell door being opened.
You see the short black haired policemen who brought you in stand before you."Ok, Mr. Antonio, lets see if your fit to talk now."
He then grips your upper left arm and marches you out.
You walk past a number of other policemen and then through a door with a small rectangular window. And into a room with a long rectangular metal table and two steel chairs. He sit you at one and then takes a seat across from you in the other.
He then says in a gravily voice,"Now, that you are sober. You want to tell me what happened last night? Why, we found you in a dark ally with a dead teenage girl?"
Lucas, after leaving the bar wandered home or at least he meant to. Being tired a he was could not remember the way back. So he slept on a park bench. After a couple hours he awoke and managed to find his way home. He expected everyone to still be asleep. But to his surprise his father was sitting on the front porch staring at the ground.
As Lucas, got closer his father looked up and he noticed that his fathers eyes were bloodshot.
Tony's head spun a little bit- partly from the need for alcohol first thing in the morning and of course, partly because of the image he'd seen last night-
Not too mention the dream. Again.
Eh, listen- I went to Equinox. Went to the bar, waved high to the DJ there, I forget his name-
I get a few drinks, couple Irish Car Bombs, hit up the date I was with- er, is she ok? She is probably not too happy with me....
Regardless, we got out of the cab and started to make our way to my house, I think. Or maybe hers, I don't really remember that part. Alcohol, eh? But I saw the girl, couldn't believe it, told my lady to hail a cop car and then I started looking for whoever the bastard was that did this.
Xander sits up at the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair and sighing slightly. The dreams were getting worse and the City was falling apart around him. The killings were going to start making the City panic and pretty soon people would start staying home, ruining his career and maybe causing him his job, if it got bad enough. Not that that was the important thing, no the death toll was. He pulled out a cigarette, pre rolled from his pack, and lit it, before standing up and crossing the room to the bathroom door. He pushed it open and glanced in, leaning his shoulder up against the door.
"You hear any of that Tris? They found another body today. Pretty f%**ed up huh?" He took a drag from the cigarette, tapping the ash off in to an ashtray he had grabbed from the bedside table. "Pretty soon no one will be able to walk these goddamn streets alone. Pretty scary stuff!"
Lucas looked at his father with concern and came over to him. "Dad, what's wrong? You look like you haven't slept at all. Did I get you in trouble at work?"
Tony
Bently, then ask sharply, "Did you see anyone else there? Or hear anything?"
Xander, Tris does not respond...
Lucas, your father seems to struggle to find the words. You can see his eyes are closed as he tries to think...
After a few moments of this he says finally. "Mia... She... She's gone..." He then puts his face in his hands and begins to sob uncontrollably. Lucas has never seen his father cry before...
He watched his father in silence for a moment. He was so stunned by his father crying that that his words didn't register until a moment later.
Gone..? a chill went down his spine.
Lucas could barely speak. His voice seemed to not want to work properly as he looked at his father.
What do you mean, gone?" a part of him knew he didn't want the answer. Another hoped he was wrong.
Xander frowns, before pushing open the door more with his shoulder, and stepping inside, in to the bathroom. "Hey Tris, are you okay? You in here?"
Lucas' father looks up at him and says pleadingly, "Please don't make me say it...Please." He put his face back into his hands and shook with quiet cries.
Lucas then sees his mother at the door. Her expression stony. She looks down at her husband, still wearing that stoic face. Then back up at you. "Come inside Lucas. We need to talk." Lucas then steps around his still weeping father and into the house. It was both warm and cold at the same time.
Lucas's mother led him to the kitchen. His siblings were no were to be seen. Lucas' mother then gestured for him to sit at the oak kitchen table. He complied.
She to sat opposite of him. She studied his face for a few seconds before saying, "Your sister was murdered by the Countdown Killer." She said this in a rather expressionless voice, cold even. She then continued,
"The police say they found some people at the scene of the crime and took them in for questioning. Though the police doubt they were involved but they may have seen something that could give a lead." She said all of this in a way that almost made it seem as though she were a stranger giving the facts to a passerby.
Mood setting music
Xander Walked to the bathroom, steam filled the room making it hard to see, but as Xander, got closer to the white stain glassed shower box. He realized, Tris was not inside. He then noticed that she had a sliding glass door in her bathroom that led to a small back yard.
Curious, Xander decided to check outside. As he walked out the steam gushed out as if hurrying to escape.
Xander, saw it was a very foggy day, to the point he could see about as well as when he was among the steam. He looked left then right but the fog only let him see a few feet ahead. He then walked towards the five foot high wood fence. He then decided to head back into the house when the fog cleared enough for him to see it... Something of a nightmare.
About six feet or so left of the sliding glass door, against the baby blue wood wall was Tris. But at the same time it wasn't Tris. For this Tris, had large knives pinned in her arms and legs holding her against the wall in a T shape a foot or so off the ground.
She was naked and cover in blood and her stomach and chest had deep puncture wounds like that inflicted by a large blade. Her head hung forward and her shoulder length red hair covered her face. Next to the already horrific sight was a large 9 painted in blood next to her...
No... No god no... Tris? F+&@... Tris what the f&+& happened? How did... I was asleep right the f~@& in there... TRIS?!" He dashed over to her and just stood there, looking at her, not quite believing his eyes. "What the f~!+ Tris, what happened?"
He made to take her down, but stopped himself, pulling back, running his hands through his hair and gripping his head tightly as he screamed in anger and sadness. He turned and dashed in to the house, grabbing his jeans off of the floor and pulling them on, as he rifled in his pocket for his phone. He dialed 911 and clamped the phone between his shoulder and cheek, as he tied back his hair and moved back outside, back to the horror that awaited him out there.
"F&*& Tris don't be dead... I know you are but just... just f@~%ing don't be!"
"ANSWER THE F%##ING CALL!" He screamed down the phone.
Xander, then heard the operator say, "Hello, this is 911 what is your emergency?"
"I need an ambulance like right f*##ing now... She is dead, she has to be, no one could live through that... I... I need an ambulance and the Police, please, now... I am..." He ran inside the house and over by the front door, rifling through the mail till he found an addressed envelope and read it off to he operator. "Please... please be quick. Maybe you can save her... she can't be dead. I was just in here asleep..."