The Phoenix

It was time for round two.

Detective James Sullivan picked up the phone in front of him once again and dialed Fallon’s cell phone number. Immediately his team members set up the equipment so that they would begin recording once someone had answered the phone.

“Hello,” a gruff voice answered and Jimmy realized that Jack didn’t let Fallon answer this time. He was momentarily saddened at the fact because he had hoped to hear her voice again. He didn’t know why but he felt protective towards Fallon. She had lost her family and she didn’t have much to live for. He hoped she didn’t give up too easily.

“Hello Mr. Tallis,” Jimmy started, “This is Detective Sullivan again.”

“I figured it was you calling again,” Jack sneered. “Are you still trying to help me?”

“Well that’s up to you Jack,” Jimmy stated wondering why he had such reservations about people helping him. Jimmy knew he was hiding something.

“I don’t need your help,” Jack informed smugly. “I think I’m doing rather well thank you and you couldn't help me even if you tried anyways.”

”Okay," Jimmy answered, “nothing beats a try right?"

“You can’t help me,” Jack stated matter-of-factly.

“Well I was just calling to find out if you needed anything,” Jimmy continued, “you know food, water or a first aid kit?”

“As I said, I’m doing rather well,” Jack boasted.

“Okay,” Jimmy repeated. “You know the weather report says that it’s going to get really cold tonight, maybe even some rain too.”

“Why are you talking to me about the weather?” Jack asked clearly confused. “Is this your idea of making small talk?”

“No, no it’s not that,” Jimmy started, “I was just telling you since I’m having your electricity cut off.”

There was silence on the other end as Jack processed what was going on. How could he do that?

“Jack, are you still there?” Jimmy asked knowing very well that he was in fact still there.

“Yea,” Jack answered his confidence clearly fading.

“I mean. If it were up to me you’d have some coffee and a hot meal right now,” Jimmy teased, “but you know them people and the stupid policies.”

“Yea,” Jack muttered. No one said anything for a while then Jimmy finally spoke up.

“You sure you don’t need anything now?” Jimmy asked again knowing that he was winning.

“I’ll think about it,” Jack said then he hung up.

Jimmy looked around the room seeing the smiles of the members of his team. They had made a breakthrough. All he needed to do now was to find a way of getting Jack to surrender peacefully.

In the beginning he thought it would have been an easy case and they would have been done in an hour but Jack was proving to be much tougher than they thought. If they couldn’t get him to surrender then they would have to resort to Plan B and no one liked the prospect of it. Plan B almost always lead to casualties. The idea of Fallon Blackmore dead didn’t sit too well with him.

Drip drip drip drip

Jack sat there listening to the sound of the rain hitting the roof and trickling down the sides of the windows. It had started drizzling half an hour ago and the downpour had steadily gained momentum and was now coming down in sheets. Just like that detective had said it would.

He sat there not knowing what to do. He felt that all he was doing now was stalling the inevitable.

He had raped six girls. He, Jack Tallis, was a rapist. A rapist and a paedophile.

“Guys I need help here,” Jack mumbled.

He thought of his two boys back home. They would forever have to grow up bearing the burden of their rapist father. What names would Lisa and Mary-Ann call him now? Faggot and queer were already regular ones. Would they now call him a child molester?

He sunk even lower into the chair and hung his head. He was ashamed of what he had done. They had always gotten him into trouble; the voices. Ever since he started hearing them in his senior year of high school they just never left him alone. He even had names for them; Phoenix and Worm. You ever see those cartoons where a character has a devil and an angel on his shoulder trying to tell him what to do? That’s how it felt having Phoenix and Worm in your head all the time.

Phoenix was the evil, murderous, sadistic voice while Worm was the quiet, charming, slightly gay one. Phoenix was the leader and he always got what he wanted. He knew the right buttons to push to get Jack to do his bidding. It was always Phoenix who got him in the worst trouble. Worm wasn’t all that innocent either but he was still much more bearable than Phoenix.

He tried and tried to get rid of them but they always seemed to come back. He had resolved a long time ago that they were just a part of him and he was going to die with him. They were going to be the death of him.

That’s why there was nothing that detective could do to help him.

Then all the lights went out.

Jack sighed. He knew this would have happened sooner or later. At least now they had enough time to adjust to the darkness.

“You guys need I need you,” Jack whispered knowing that they never answered when he wanted them to, only when they wanted to.

By now the rain had stopped and the sky began to clear up a bit and the last remaining rays of light slowly inched through the curtains. It would be night soon. He needed to be prepared.

It was always worse at night.