Date - 03th December
Character Name - Detective Brady
Location - Promise City, NY
District - Bay District
Time - 0320 (0320 PM)
The rooftops across the city were covered in thick white snow, which fell like rain from the deep black sky. Skyscrapers, the shining jewels of the city stood firm as the sub zero winds battered the skyline covering everything not already covered in snow and ice. The bay of which the skyscrapers overlooked was frozen, cargo vessels were stranded, their crews helplessly chiselling their way out with helicopters surveying above. It was the holiday season, despite the heavy snowfall the residents of Promise City, the jewel of East America, went about their daily life dressed head to toe in winterproof clothes.
Parents climbed onto one another, filling the many stores, leaving empty husks that were the stores behind. Businessmen and women continued to work within their offices hoping to finish by Christmas Eve at least. Tourists swarmed the streets, converging around one of the city's main attractions; a colossal towering Christmas tree, decorated in multicoloured ornaments and at the tip a gold miniature statue of the Superhero Star-Patriot. Cars filled the frozen multi-coloured illuminated streets, most trapped in snow, buried in piles which lined the streets.
The Bay district itself was a market that followed the imperfect circular outline of the city's coastline. A market shielded from the cold wintery elements by a long green glass sunroom roof. It itself was also covered in thick snow. Walking along the coast was a detective draped in a brown trench coat and floppy hat, a fat cigar in his jaws. He looked out across the bay towards the stranded vessels. All he could think about was the case he chased. The mysterious and elusive Wedding - Ring Slayer a killer that had already claimed six victims in horrific slayings.
He was given a week to solve the case, an impossible task and he knew it. He was an older man, a grey fox, thin, lean and pale from the cold air. He tapped his brown leather shoes upon the concrete ground.
['Detective. Do you think he'll appear?'] His earpiece chimed.
'I hope so. He's our last hope. The captain will have my ass if I don't find a lead.'
['If the boss finds out our lead is a vigilante?']
'We'll probably lose our badges.'
['Well at least we're trying something. Right?']
'You are correct. We are trying something at least.']
The detective waited patiently, yet nothing happened and it was getting late. Soon a while had passed.
'He didn't appear.'
['What now?']
'We'll have to think of something else. I'm on my way bac-'
An alert broadcasted to all police radios rang aloud, partially drowned out by the noise of the bustling city.
['ALL UNITS! We've got a 10-65, needing backup. Any local units move to the old italian Terrasi Restaurant.']
'Guess something came up.' the detective sighed realising he isn't going home tonight.
The street to the restaurant was quiet, it was dark with the only light being emitted from the moon above and the sirens of the responding police cruisers that mounted the sidewalk.
A policeman dressed in a thermal furred blue coat stood outside restricting entry, beside him stood a crime scene investigator. Both smoked, barely awake nor interested, they waited for the detective.
'How long is he gonna take? I'm due to finish in an hour.'
'Not tonight you're not. Nancy's gonna be pissed off.'
'I told her y'know that I plan to walk from the job.'
'Oh yeah? What she say?'
'She'd fuck my brother, because y'know, hes a firefighter.'
The cop whistled as a blanket of awkwardness fell over the pair.
'One of those is she? Sheesh.. Sorry man.'
The pair peered towards a figure that emerged from the shadows.
'Detective.'
'Boys. So what have we got?'
'One female is gone. Her name is Evelyn Silva. Her mother filed a missing persons report. Her apartment is above the restaurant because she's due to marry the owner.'
'Domestic?' the detective asked lighting another cigar after rummaging in his pockets.
'We thought so, but the soon to be husband has an alibi, he's in Italy seeing family preparing for the wedding.'
The detective sighed, looking at the snow covered ground. He then stepped onto the sidewalk.
'Let's have a look shall we?'
The veteran detective entered the restaurant, his hands in his deep pockets, stamping excess snow on the ground before entering and squeezed the end of his cigar extinguishing its flame. Placing the end into his brown jacket pocket he's immediately greeted by the strong aroma of basil, garlic and yeast, the stone brick ovens were newly doubted. The restaurant was small with a square red table in each corner and lining each stone wall. In the centre was the counter for orders, with black boards detailing every pizza and other side dish. At the end of the pizzeria was the kitchen, with a wooden staircase leading to the basement and bathrooms. In the stone basement was the stock room full of wooden boxes, and another staircase, this time stone, leading to the apartments that sat directly above the restaurant.
'Smells nice. Ah $5.00 for a meal deal. Large pizza with a drink and chicken strips… should come here for my break one day.'
The detective made his way to the stone staircase to ascend to the apartments above.
At the top of the stairs were the apartments, three in total with the end apartment being cordoned off by yellow police tape. Next to the cordoned wooden door was a cracked window.
'Could've fixed this before the winter..'
He shivered, his mouth exhaling the cold frozen air. His attention was snatched away by a lone graffiti covered phone box that sat under a lit lamp post. He pushed the door open with his foot. Immediately he was greeted by a mess. The room itself was small and dingy. There was mould in one of the corners on the ceiling. The painted walls were white, but quickly faded by time, stained by damp. The room's window itself was almost frozen, icicles hung from its window ledge. There was little to no furniture, only the messy bed with white and blue sheets and a wooden cupboard.
A pile of clothes waist high. And an open suitcase decorated in bright pink flamingos.
'Going on holiday?...no running away?'
He clicked his tongue, spinning around in place he found out he wasn't alone in the apartment.
Behind him stood a blue robed, hooded figure, a black balaclava hiding his identity, and a sheathed katana latched upon his broad back.
'Detective.' The vigilante said calmly.
'So you…what?. Didn't want to show up?'
'I was tied up. Had other priorities.' The hooded man calmly shrugged.
'Any leads on the Wedding Ring - Slayer case?'
'Yeah. This one.' The vigilante answered, surveying the room. He walked over to the window.
'That phone box, the kidnapper would've called her, perhaps intimidated her? She packed in a hurry, hoping to escape, but unfortunately for her she couldn't… because the killer was already inside by then…' the mysterious man muttered pointing towards the phone box opposite the window.
The detective also peered outside the window.
'How do you know this?'
'Guessing…. And the window outside this apartment is already open.'
It then clicked, the detective dismissed the window earlier than he should have.
'The killer was in here the whole time. Someone else called from the phonebox..'
'Not the whole time detective, but definitely was in here. Our perp doesn't seem to be alone, and seems to always leave a calling card. One of these.'
The hooded man held up a simulated diamond ring. It was small, it looked like a diamond and to the naked eye it was as shiny as one.
'It's a white sapphire.'
'How much?'
'From the cut perhaps one hundred to one fifty.' The vigilantes' blue eyes glowed from the gleam of the gemstone.
'I've collected six of these, this is the seventh. I will hand them over to you along with all the other evidence I have.'
'Fine, put them where I usually pick up your deliveries.' The detective sighed, putting his hands in his pockets.
'It's only just occurred to me, we've been working together quietly for a month now. And I still don't know what to call you.' The detective smiled as the vigilante scanned the room for clues or leads.
'Near. And you? Your name?'
'Detective Hardy. Ethan Hardy.'
'Well, Hardy, we've got a lead.'
Near pressed one of his black gauntlets many buttons and when he did a slideshow appeared on the apartment's four walls.
'These ladies are victims one to six. Each married. Each committed infidelity. But the latest, the seventh victim, wasn't married. Her wedding was due to be next May.'
Detective Hardy grabbed a small picture of the victim and her soon to be husband, a strong brawny man of Italian descent. Taken in a quaint vineyard. The victim, Evelyn, is a beautiful woman with cream skin, curled long black hair, green eyes, cherry lips, slim frame, her chest small, pointed and narrow, and as a whole well proportioned.
Near looked towards Hardy who amusingly was quite a bit shorter than the detective.
'Our victim while still a victim has her own dirty little secret.'
'Go on.'
'The Wedding - Ring Slayer only targets married women who've cheated-'
'Meaning she has a lover, we just need to find out who it is.'
Near switched the slideshow to a profile page. Of which a handsome man appeared, he had bronze skin and dreadlocks.
'Way ahead of you, his name is Darrell Cannon. He lives in Promise City's Bay District.'
'I will call in a squad car-'
'No. I will visit Darrell Cannon myself.'
Hardy walked over to the apartment's frozen window where he watched the vigilante vanish into the Promise City skyline, climbing the buildings via their drain pipe.
'Detective, how is the case?' one of the policemen asked, knocking on the apartment's front door.
'We're done here. We've got what we need.' Hardy nodded leaving the scene.
'I want employees questioned, be firm but patient.'
'Understood Sir.'
Somewhere Else in Promise City
Somewhere deep in the metropolis known as Promise City, nestled in the underbelly of the city a hellscape the criminals call 'the stretch' a four mile stretch of tunnel that winds around the entire city leading into every district. And in a lot of cases responsible for its many woes. A hotbed for escaped inmates, gangsters, prostitution, and other troubled members of society. Down its dark graffiti ridden corridors, dimly lit by lanterns, tightly packed homes for lucky ones in this hellhole line the tunnel walls. Most of these homes were crudely made, pieced together by scrap metal, steel beams and other pieces of discarded metal. Which of course would also have their own smaller tunnels that stretch for miles, mostly used for escape and evasion from the larger predators in the underworld, and not the authorities. It's within one of these damp, freezing cold hovels a killer hides. His home base to commit his crimes.
A man within the shadows inside his own hovel carefully placed small rings along a line on a wooden shelf he haphazardly mounted. His hands were relatively clean, and fingernails maintained. Whistling away he cleaned each individually, placing them down with great care.
'Please…' a female voice whined.
'Shush…keep your energy to stay warm ... .energy bills are MURDER right now! hohoho!' he condescendingly reassured chuckling as he placed the final ring.
'Oh I almost forgot! Your ring! I need to add it to my collection.' Everlyn was chained to the wall by her bare bruised feet and hands. She was bruised head to toe, purple bruising marked where her ribs were turning the fair skin around it pale from blood loss, blood trickled down her cherry lips. Her black hair is a mess, knotted, dirty, and bloody.
'Your fiancé put effort into your ring.. Oh boy when I tell him what you've done!'
'N-no! Please!...' Everlyn sobbed.
'So, he doesn't know about Mr Cannon?... Is he what? Like a buddy of his or…acquaintance?'
'N-no..no… just a friend…'
The man leaned forward out of the shadows. He was a big man, gruff and hairy. He wore a grey tank top stained by oil and blood. But his face was covered by a brown paper bag with two eye slits.
He held up the ring, it was a diamond ring with a golden band, it shone in the dim light his cobweb covered lamp emitted.
'10k?..20k?...30K?!….yeah right not like some filthy subhuman trash would be worth that.' The killer scoffed while walking away. Placing the real engagement ring with the rest of his collection.
'Your number seven congratulations. So naturally I'm taking another trophy…'
'Trophy?!' She exclaimed in panic trying to break free of the iron chains, writhing like a helpless worm.
'I'll carve number seven into your stomach…. I will steal your bra… add it to the collection and then well…. Here's the thing… I want to kill you now, but I think I will wait until tomorrow…'
'n-no..no.. pleas-...want me to suck your dick… I'll do it!... you can do whatever you want but please don't hurt me!' She screamed flailing around in even more of a panic.
'Shhh' the killer whispered before injecting a tranquilizer into the panicking Eveyln's cream neck.
'You have to save that strength…'
Date - 03th December
Hero Name - Near
Location - Promise City, NY
District - On top of the Promise Shard
Time - 0604 (0604 AM)
Near stood atop the Promise Shard, a sharp spiral tower made of glass, the tallest structure in the entire city, as the sun slowly appeared from behind the dark wintery cold sky, the hero's face was blessed by the sweet kiss of the morning sun. He peered below to the frozen streets where the city awoke to begin its daily life.
BEEP BEEP
'Eh…'
It was his alarm.
Near looked below, taking his phone out of his pocket.
'Oh shit I'm late for work!'
The hero went to sleep as the boy went to work. Don't ask me how he functions on no sleep, he just does!
The End of the Chapter… See you next time for Chapter Two of the Black Angel Near!