Midnight Rider
Warehouse
Paige had been kneeling in blood for a while now.
Some of it hers, but most of it belonged to the dead weight Italian at her feet. To be sure to not cause a scene he had dragged her into the men’s bathroom holding a gun to her head. She remember grabbing, pulling, pushing, whatever she could. She had found a heavy mechanical pencil in his pocket one that she quickly sent into his jugular. She repeated this motion several times and eventually she realized that her face was covered in his blood and his own hands were trying to stopper the bleeding from his throat. He fell to the floor and Paige had knelt down to make sure he was dead. And he was. But then she couldn't move.
She realized that she was just as stunned as Murphy was when they met each other there in the same bathroom. Murphy couldn’t help but check if the man was dead, when he was sure he stood, and made Paige stand back up with him.
“Wash up.” He said, pulling her over to the sink. She looked at him, then the mirror, his blood was everywhere. She turned on the hot tap water and splashed it all over her face, scrubbing and cleaning. Murphy realized that anyone could come in at any minute, and this man needed to be found dead, and with them long gone.
He started folding up her sleeves to conceal some of the blood there. She had stopped scrubbing at her hands while he folded up her other sleeve.
“Nails.” He told her.
Paige began to rewash her hands, scrubbing under her nails and again in every crevice. Murphy didn’t wait for her to dry her hands when he pulled off her jacket and turning it inside out before helping her put it back on. Her knees were still covered in blood and Murphy took a damp towel to wipe it away.
“How’d you find me?” she asked.
“Didn’t. Jus’ stopped in to use the’ phone.”
“Really?” she asked, not really believing his story.
“Yeah, your ma’s just down tha’ street. Dolly wanted to take you and her back ta town. Find ya somewhere safe.”
Her legs were easy to clean, as they were incredibly smooth. He carefully wiped at the other knee while she dried her hands. She was about to throw them away when Murphy stopped her. He placed the bloody towels in her hands, as well as the mechanical pencil he had pulled from the man’s neck.
Paige headed for the door, reaching out to grab the handle before Murphy’s hands were on her again.
“Out the window.”
“What?!”
“It always works in movies!”
She rolled her eyes and headed for the tiny window at the end of the bathroom. It wasn’t used to being opened, so Murphy had to use his shoulder before it creaked open. Paige fit through, and had to help Murphy contort and pull his body through.
He grabbed a discarded plastic bag and had Paige empty everything in her hands. Together they casually walked to the street keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious. Dolly’s car was waiting, and both of them climbed in the back seat.
“Duffy’s two blocks that way.” Dolly said.
“Okay.” Murphy said. “I’ll go meet him and try to look for that van.”
“Look be careful.” Paige said.
“Yeah, of course I will.” Murphy said opening the opposite door. He casually flipped up the collar on his black wool coat while he reached in his pocket to put on his sunglasses. Both Dolly and Paige watched to make sure no one followed him. Then Dolly drove Paige the next few blocks to her mothers home.
“Got a place they can stay?” Dolly asked her. “We can get them there.”
Paige thought for a moment, realizing her mother had one person she could ask for a favor. She nodded. “Further north, maybe fifty miles though.”
“Further is safer.” He told her. She nodded and stepped out the car. Dolly followed her in. She wished he hadn’t since the building was run down and far from impressive. But she knew that an argument would prove useless, if someone had already tried to kill her once, it could happen again.
Paige opened the door and went inside while Dolly waited in the doorway. Paige decided she liked him better than Duffy; he seemed nicer – calmer. Maybe she could put in a request to switch p.o.’s. Paige pulled a few bags from the closet before he mother started harping on her about the lack of groceries. She filled one bag with her mother’s clothes, and the other with her sisters, and in the end she through their toothbrushes on top of the pile.
Her mother had said many things, including a few profanity’s before she realized there was a guest in her front room. Then it was all: “who’s the suit?”
Paige ignored her and began to push her mother out the door. While picking up her even more confused sister.
“We’re going to see Aunt Selly.”
“No we are not!” her mother started. “Is this one of the bad guys you’ve been hanging out with?”
“No he’s a cop.” Paige said.
“Don’t look like a cop.” She said.
“I’m a detective.” Dolly said.
“Yes mother, a detective, Dolly this is my mother Melissa.” Paige said.
Then her mother figured it was about the jail time that Paige had done. “Is this about the unpaid tickets and the few nights in jail? Because we paid all those fines it’s taken care of!” Her mother was trying to defend her, but Paige had never told her it had actually been for prostitution.
“Tickets huh?” Dolly said.
“Yes tickets. Now let’s go!” Paige said.
___________________________________________________________
Murphy and Duffy had watched a white van with the plates: ZKL 535 pull out of the city and head back to Boston. They kept their distance, and nearly lost the van a few times, but out of pure luck they had found it again. And sure enough it pulled into one of the very buildings that Paige had labeled on Murphy’s map.
Duffy convinced Murphy to wait for Dolly to return. Duffy radioed their position and told Murphy that if he wanted to get out, they would only scout out the building, looking for entrances, exits, and any sign of Connor. It was only a small warehouse near the business district. It was somewhere plain, somewhere simple. It looked abandoned from the front. But the back had signs of constant traffic. But the lights were dim, they assumed that the men driving the van would’ve given them an illuminated path of windows, but everything stayed dark.
Murphy and Duffy got back in the car to warm up while they watched, at waited. And before they knew it they saw Dolly a block behind them. He flashed his headlights twice.
___________________________________________________________
Dolly realized that the car ride was very awkward and silent after Paige and her mother had an argument about staying at Selly’s for no reason. Paige claimed she had a perfect reason – but would never tell her what, only that it was safer.
Selly was family, but she was only related to Paige and Genie by blood. She was the sister of their drunken dad, she had always tried to warn them to leave him, to be stronger than they were. But they were always just phone calls. Time and time again Selly had said that her home was there home but they had never taken her up on the offer, and now they would. At least Genie and Melissa would be.
Paige had other plans.
Some of it hers, but most of it belonged to the dead weight Italian at her feet. To be sure to not cause a scene he had dragged her into the men’s bathroom holding a gun to her head. She remember grabbing, pulling, pushing, whatever she could. She had found a heavy mechanical pencil in his pocket one that she quickly sent into his jugular. She repeated this motion several times and eventually she realized that her face was covered in his blood and his own hands were trying to stopper the bleeding from his throat. He fell to the floor and Paige had knelt down to make sure he was dead. And he was. But then she couldn't move.
She realized that she was just as stunned as Murphy was when they met each other there in the same bathroom. Murphy couldn’t help but check if the man was dead, when he was sure he stood, and made Paige stand back up with him.
“Wash up.” He said, pulling her over to the sink. She looked at him, then the mirror, his blood was everywhere. She turned on the hot tap water and splashed it all over her face, scrubbing and cleaning. Murphy realized that anyone could come in at any minute, and this man needed to be found dead, and with them long gone.
He started folding up her sleeves to conceal some of the blood there. She had stopped scrubbing at her hands while he folded up her other sleeve.
“Nails.” He told her.
Paige began to rewash her hands, scrubbing under her nails and again in every crevice. Murphy didn’t wait for her to dry her hands when he pulled off her jacket and turning it inside out before helping her put it back on. Her knees were still covered in blood and Murphy took a damp towel to wipe it away.
“How’d you find me?” she asked.
“Didn’t. Jus’ stopped in to use the’ phone.”
“Really?” she asked, not really believing his story.
“Yeah, your ma’s just down tha’ street. Dolly wanted to take you and her back ta town. Find ya somewhere safe.”
Her legs were easy to clean, as they were incredibly smooth. He carefully wiped at the other knee while she dried her hands. She was about to throw them away when Murphy stopped her. He placed the bloody towels in her hands, as well as the mechanical pencil he had pulled from the man’s neck.
Paige headed for the door, reaching out to grab the handle before Murphy’s hands were on her again.
“Out the window.”
“What?!”
“It always works in movies!”
She rolled her eyes and headed for the tiny window at the end of the bathroom. It wasn’t used to being opened, so Murphy had to use his shoulder before it creaked open. Paige fit through, and had to help Murphy contort and pull his body through.
He grabbed a discarded plastic bag and had Paige empty everything in her hands. Together they casually walked to the street keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious. Dolly’s car was waiting, and both of them climbed in the back seat.
“Duffy’s two blocks that way.” Dolly said.
“Okay.” Murphy said. “I’ll go meet him and try to look for that van.”
“Look be careful.” Paige said.
“Yeah, of course I will.” Murphy said opening the opposite door. He casually flipped up the collar on his black wool coat while he reached in his pocket to put on his sunglasses. Both Dolly and Paige watched to make sure no one followed him. Then Dolly drove Paige the next few blocks to her mothers home.
“Got a place they can stay?” Dolly asked her. “We can get them there.”
Paige thought for a moment, realizing her mother had one person she could ask for a favor. She nodded. “Further north, maybe fifty miles though.”
“Further is safer.” He told her. She nodded and stepped out the car. Dolly followed her in. She wished he hadn’t since the building was run down and far from impressive. But she knew that an argument would prove useless, if someone had already tried to kill her once, it could happen again.
Paige opened the door and went inside while Dolly waited in the doorway. Paige decided she liked him better than Duffy; he seemed nicer – calmer. Maybe she could put in a request to switch p.o.’s. Paige pulled a few bags from the closet before he mother started harping on her about the lack of groceries. She filled one bag with her mother’s clothes, and the other with her sisters, and in the end she through their toothbrushes on top of the pile.
Her mother had said many things, including a few profanity’s before she realized there was a guest in her front room. Then it was all: “who’s the suit?”
Paige ignored her and began to push her mother out the door. While picking up her even more confused sister.
“We’re going to see Aunt Selly.”
“No we are not!” her mother started. “Is this one of the bad guys you’ve been hanging out with?”
“No he’s a cop.” Paige said.
“Don’t look like a cop.” She said.
“I’m a detective.” Dolly said.
“Yes mother, a detective, Dolly this is my mother Melissa.” Paige said.
Then her mother figured it was about the jail time that Paige had done. “Is this about the unpaid tickets and the few nights in jail? Because we paid all those fines it’s taken care of!” Her mother was trying to defend her, but Paige had never told her it had actually been for prostitution.
“Tickets huh?” Dolly said.
“Yes tickets. Now let’s go!” Paige said.
___________________________________________________________
Murphy and Duffy had watched a white van with the plates: ZKL 535 pull out of the city and head back to Boston. They kept their distance, and nearly lost the van a few times, but out of pure luck they had found it again. And sure enough it pulled into one of the very buildings that Paige had labeled on Murphy’s map.
Duffy convinced Murphy to wait for Dolly to return. Duffy radioed their position and told Murphy that if he wanted to get out, they would only scout out the building, looking for entrances, exits, and any sign of Connor. It was only a small warehouse near the business district. It was somewhere plain, somewhere simple. It looked abandoned from the front. But the back had signs of constant traffic. But the lights were dim, they assumed that the men driving the van would’ve given them an illuminated path of windows, but everything stayed dark.
Murphy and Duffy got back in the car to warm up while they watched, at waited. And before they knew it they saw Dolly a block behind them. He flashed his headlights twice.
___________________________________________________________
Dolly realized that the car ride was very awkward and silent after Paige and her mother had an argument about staying at Selly’s for no reason. Paige claimed she had a perfect reason – but would never tell her what, only that it was safer.
Selly was family, but she was only related to Paige and Genie by blood. She was the sister of their drunken dad, she had always tried to warn them to leave him, to be stronger than they were. But they were always just phone calls. Time and time again Selly had said that her home was there home but they had never taken her up on the offer, and now they would. At least Genie and Melissa would be.
Paige had other plans.