He Who Walks Among Roses

Evalin pictured herself having a daughter. She wanted to dress her like a ballerina and watch her every season dance on stage. She’d have the cunning wit of her father, and the grace from her mother. She thought about how her child would be raised to be brave; Boy or Girl. She dreamt of having a little boy – she knew he’d turn out to be a mini copy of his father, someone she loved. How did she fall in love so fast? Was if because she was in pain for so long? She didn’t know, but she cold picture marrying Murphy, not with some wedding, but just a piece of paper so she could take his name. She thought about cooking him is favorite meal, giving him praise whenever he did something well. She tried not to picture making love to him too often, it made her sad that 90% of her sex life has been forced and brutal. She was surprised that being with him even pleased her. He really did love her, and she really loved him. It was simple how his touch didn’t make her wince, or repulse. It was just beautiful to her senses. Evalin had spent her life fearful of the men who ran Boston. She wasn’t going to be any longer. She would do what she needed to protect her child.

The men here were stupid – even if she hadn’t had a period for a month they wouldn’t notice until her belly would start to grow. She had thought of a plan that would trick them into thinking she wasn’t pregnant, by faking. If she was almost a month pregnant now then she figured she had maybe two more months at the most before she starting to show. That was hopefully enough time for Murphy to find her.
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Murphy thought he was stupid. Of course she loved him, and he made that mistake of doubting it. He never would again. He had to find her, and fast. She may even be dead already. But he shook that from his mind. She had to be alive. That girl doesn’t deserve death and God knew that. He prayed for her life the entire plane ride. Connor and Romeo sat quietly hoping Murphy hadn’t lost his sanity. Murphy hadn’t slept for 48 hours. Connor knew that, so Murphy pretended to sleep to ease his brothers mind. Bloom and Smecker wouldn’t know where they were till they got back in Boston. While he shut his eyes he thought of a plan. He knew Cash was probably behind it and the Yakavettas. So uptown was where he’d be. He’d have to search – find out what’s being going on and where she was taken. And then he’d kill whoever did it. He didn’t exactly plan on sending them to God, maybe just hell.
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A man wearing a blue ball cap and black polo found his way to Cash’s “business” he had been there before only to be displeased. And this time he had found himself a pretty brunette. She was rarely drugged and reacted well with customers. She was off limits because she was the bosses girl – but this time Cash had made an exception. He found her naked body intoxicating. Small bumps and bruises riddled her flesh but he found them admirable – like war wounds. She had an ugly tattoo across her ribs. He hated tattoos. He touched her and he could tell that she was fighting every ounce of herself not to fight back.
“I guess your lucky bein’ the bosses girl n’ all.” He said. Evalin looked away to stare at the bed next to hers. She hadn’t seen the girl until today. She was only thirteen. It was Ralph’s daughter Sarah. Evalin got sick thinking about her being there, she was thirteen! How could someone so young be mixed up in this? The man hit her face –
“Look at me.” He said. Evalin’s eyes met his and he could see the hate she let flood out of her pupils. Her lips trembled. She had to deal with very few men since she’d been here, compared to some of the other girls. There were many who had nightly visitors. She now thought her assumptions about twenty girls being here was wrong. She could hear screams through her wall sometimes. She kept all her energy focused on not throwing up on this man. Her baby, she prayed it was safe.

The man made touched her everywhere – he felt that because he was getting to access merchandise that was a higher price that somehow he was fancier. He didn’t see why she was better than the other girls but it didn’t matter he was hers. He explored her mouth with his tongue and bit her lip till he could taste blood. She still made no sound. This man spent his hour with torture in mind – he wanted this girl to scream, he wanted her to feel fear. So he smacked her.

He smacked her again, and then he let himself enter her, she still didn’t scream This girl was well behaved. So he decided to enter her from the back – he was told that wasn’t allowed but since this room was just occupied by him at the moment he didn’t see why not. He took his time, and he felt her holding her breath, holding in screams. He had to tare hair from her head to get her to yelp. She was crying – loudly.
“Somebody help me please!” she said. Hoping somehow someone would try – but no one did. She was losing hope. Maybe Murphy thought she’d left him and he wanted nothing to do with her. Maybe Doc thought she was safe and sound. Her baby… her poor baby.
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With their plane landing at ten o’clock at night the boys felt it necessary to start work immediately. The dark of the night would conceal their faces. They loaded their guns – silencers intact. They walked among the street crowd listening to stories, and looking for any tips. They walked around until two am until they decided to rendezvous back at McGinty’s.
“Doc – any news?” Murphy asked.
“No I’ve been talking to the guys that come in tha bar – and they think FUCK – PISS – ASS! I’m crazy.” Doc’s Tourettes was getting worse with nerves. The bar had been nearly empty because of it. Murphy walked into Evalin’s room to look for anything helpful, he pulled back a sheet from the floor and found her luggage underneath. His eyes welled with tears. Somewhere the only woman he ever loved was alone, with bad people, and with his baby. A baby – he thought. If Evalin had told him the next day he would’ve felt sick. He hadn’t wanted another part of himself in this world – another killer. But if it was a piece of Evalin too, then he wanted it, he would protect it, and he couldn’t help but love it. Murphy walked back downstairs.
“Think.” He stated.
“Doc’s lookin’ for the note Evalin wrote before she left.” Romeo said.
“Call Duffy – get him to find out who’s touched it.” Connor said. Doc had already called Detective Duffy to inform him of the mess, and he said once his shirt was over – he’d stop by.

They waited another hour before he showed. And he had brought his kit from the car. He lifted three finger prints that appeared different. And took them back to analyze them. They wouldn’t know until tomorrow morning.
“Do you know where that Cash gang is out of?” Murphy asked Duffy.
“Its uptown is all I know, they work under the Yakavettas – extra dirty work.” He said.
“Can you find out where this man lives?” Connor asked.
“Yes, I’ll let you know in the morning as well, for now rest because I’d give you any other leads if I had any.” Duffy said. Murphy hadn’t touched a bottle since he found out Evalin’s situation. He wanted to be alert – to find her. Connor had told him to sleep and that if he did – the sooner they’d have information from Duffy.
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When Murphy lay in Evalin’s bed he just let tears flow from his cheeks. He wasn’t an emotional man, but at the moment he was blaming himself for not being here sooner. He had promised to keep her safe, and he had failed her.

That night he dreamt that she was still alive. She had called them and told them that she was in a basement somewhere. He broke into every basement in Boston looking for her, and when he found her she was okay, she had been reading a book and waiting for him.

She was waiting for him. How long until she gave up?