1 – ‘Come gentle night…’

Kemp crept wraithlike through the silent, rain washed streets, listening intently for any followers. He didn’t need this. Didn’t deserve it. All he’d wanted was to check the dumpster behind the bakery. Sometimes they tossed out the day-old breads and rolls, and if he was lucky he could beat the others to them. It wasn’t like he’d starve if he didn’t find something there. But he got tired of cheap burgers that were about all he could afford. That and soup kitchen slop. Almost every cent he made went to pay for the hole-in-the wall room at the cheap hotel. Day labor didn’t pay well, not when he didn’t get hired much. They’d take one look at him and figure he probably couldn’t even lift a shovel, much less use it correctly. So he got chosen when there was no one else, or when someone needed a flunky to do janitorial work. 

That’s why he did the dumpster-diving thing behind places where he knew he’d get something halfway edible to flesh out his meager diet. Like tonight. He’d been about to see what might have been in the bakery’s dumpster when he’d heard footsteps, several pairs. Pulling back into the corner between the dumpster and the wall he’d cautiously peeked over the top to see who was coming.

Two men came into sight, hauling a third one between them. When they were next to the dumpster one of the haulers had pulled out a knife. “You shoulda minded your own business,” he told the haulee, pressing the blade to his chest. The victim shook his head wildly, opening his mouth as if to yell for help. He didn’t get the chance as the knife entered his chest again and again, the rain washing the blood down to blend with the filth in the alley.

Kemp gasped. He couldn’t help it; he’d never seen a man killed before. Beat up, yeah. Hell that had happened to him a time or three. But murdered, never.

The two men dropped the body and turned towards him. Kemp took off running like the devil was after him, and as far as he was concerned it was. Two devils, their footsteps echoing down the alley behind him as he sped to the entrance. If he could make it to the street maybe he’d be okay. Maybe.

Skidding around the corner onto the sidewalk he gasped for breath. Ahead was a small all-night deli. He checked behind him for a second, saw the men a few yards away, and ran like hell, pulling the deli door open. It was almost empty. The lone waiter’s eyes followed him as he sped towards the rear of the deli. He’d been here before; he knew there were stairs at the back that led up to the roof. Not a safe place, but safer than here. Now.

“Open, open,” he panted as he pressed against the hatch. It fought him and then with a loud screech popped up. Climbing onto the roof he slammed the hatch shut again.

The rain beat down on him as he half ran, half stumbled to the roof’s edge. A rusty fire escape led back down to the alley. Hearing the sound of the hatch opening, he swung onto the fire escape and clambered down. As he got to the bottom he looked up, saw one man on the way down, the other looking over the edge of the roof at him. He dropped ungracefully into the alley and sped down it, taking only a quick, terrified glance at the body as he passed it.

He made his way through two more alleys, dodging in and out of shadows, checking behind him until he thought he’d finally lost the killers. Then he took to the streets again, slipping from shadow to shadow like a wraith as he made his way back to the hotel.