Page 31 of Hiding In the Dark (The Righteous 4)
He heard the subtle squeak of his cot moving under her weight, and he let the flap drop back into place. What was one more night sitting in a lawn chair? He’d spent months laying on dirt or hard floors, not to mention curled up in stacks of large boulders with his unit like it was the fucking Ritz.
Flopping down into the mesh chair, Kes placed the first spoonful of beans in his mouth and groaned a little. He ate them like a starving animal, shoving them into his face faster than he should, and then sighed as the ache in his belly subsided.
Kes pulled his coat firmer around his body and buried his head into the hood and high collar of the coat. He’d missed seeing Ashley tonight, and he kept wondering what she was doing and if she’d made it home safely from the church. He’d overheard Dennis talking on the phone about Salvation Place being shut down in a few weeks. He was looking for donations from someone, but it didn’t sound like the conversation had gone well.
He couldn’t let that happen. It was the one place he knew he could go to find Ashley without looking like a stalker. He’d make a couple of calls in the next day or two, but right now, all he wanted to think about was Slim Jim crying himself to sleep in a cage. The thought of the man naked and cold with only a small bucket to piss in as he sobbed pitifully was sinfully fun. He had made sure that the cage he built was too small for anyone over four feet to stand in or lie down in properly. By the time he saw the man again, he would be in excruciating pain, and yet it still wasn’t enough for all he’d done. He needed to make his death fitting for the crime.
All the people that they’d helped to steal and traffic were put in similar cages or chained to beds and walls to be used. He wanted to make sure that those he hunted realized what the girls and boys they treated like disposable garbage felt in their grasp. It was his own sweet little piece of justice before he took their life.
His eyes were heavy by the time his meal was consumed. He took a deep breath and let his eyes flutter closed. There were way so many possibilities to kill Slim Jim. He could fillet him like a fish, spend the time to gut and skin him, but he’d done that already. He could burn him alive, but he never knew when he’d be triggered by the sight of a flame. Besides, the smell was repulsive and it stuck to you for weeks. No, he needed something new. As his body slipped into sleep his mind played over all the possibilities of how to kill Slim Jim. Like a grand ballet, each one danced across his mind.
As soon as the sun started to crest the horizon, Kes was on the move. His first stop was to check in on Ashley. He’d woken up a couple times with her face in his mind, driving his protective streak over the edge. He scampered up the fire escape and decided that if he ever needed a new career, he was hitting upThe Titan Games. The Rock was one human he wouldn’t mind meeting, but the idea of his face plastered all over the world turned his stomach faster than a rotten cheese sandwich.
The apartment was quiet when he arrived. The coffee wasn’t on and the kitchen and hallway were still dark. A sinking feeling in his gut gripped him, and against his better judgement, he shimmied the window open and wiggled his way inside.
Dropping to the floor, he waited a heartbeat to listen for the sound of feet or the shower—or screaming, the back of his mind whispered in a panic. Kes was swift as he moved on to find Ashley. Another thought occurred to him, that she might’ve stayed at another house last night. More specifically, another man’s house. He ground his teeth together—he would be hard pressed not to kill the man that touched her now.
The bathroom was dark, the sink dry. The spare bedroom was likewise dark and still sparse. Kes stood outside her bedroom door and heard the soft sound of rustling. Daring to take a look, he peeked around the edge of the door frame. The drapes and blinds were pulled tight and it took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust enough to see her face in the dim light. Ashley was curled up on her side, the blankets pulled tightly around her body, her face pale. The blankets rustled again and he realized she’d shivered, and immediately he wanted to rush across the room and wrap her up in his arms.
He had to look away, and he forced himself to stop staring and stand outside her door. She was obviously not feeling well, and he rubbed at his eyes as he convinced himself to let her rest. The last thing she needed was him, and besides, he had other things he needed to do tonight and there were a few supplies he’d yet to pick up.
As he rounded the island in the kitchen to head for the window, he paused to stare at the bottle of pills on the counter. He picked them up and stared at the name he’d never heard before.
“What do you need these for?”
Biting his lip, he couldn’t hold back the urge and opened her purse. He craved to know everything about her. What made her laugh or smile, what made her sad or scared. There was a new prescription in her purse, the little white bag not telling him much more than another medication name he didn’t know. Was she in pain? Was she sick, maybe depressed? He hated the idea that she had something wrong and he didn’t know what. Putting the white bag back, his fingers brushed something else, and he pulled out a business card and stared at the name. ‘Daisy’s Support Group’ and a number were in a pretty gold and yellow across the card. He flipped it over in his hand, but it didn’t say any more.
Kes stared off towards the hallway and the bedroom with the sleeping woman down the hall. “What’s wrong, my Doll? Why do you need a support group?”
Every worst-case scenario raced through his mind like a runaway train, each possibility worse than the one before. His head jerked as the sound of shuffling reached his ears, he stuffed the items back in Ashley’s purse and squeezed out the window just as her shadow was cast across the open doorway.
Kes jumped for the opening in the fire escape and, using his hands and feet on the metal bars, slid down to the next level. He pressed himself against the wall, his heart beating fast as he stared up at where he’d just snuck out of. The window didn’t open, but the light didn’t turn on either. He was tempted to make his way back up, but gave his head a physical shake to stop himself from acting too crazy.
She was alive and alone and he could figure out the rest later. Kes used the same quick movement to make his way to the bottom and the alley below, dropping to the top of the dumpster. Next stop was the hardware store and the garden center.
“You know, you could just buy her flowers.”
Kes swore as he spun around. “Jesus-F-Mother-Fuck-Fucking-Christ.” He clutched at his chest as he stared into Zumi’s eyes. The kid burst out laughing and was doubled over clutching her stomach by the time she was through.
“Are you finished,” he drawled, annoyance setting in.
“Yes.” The rosy cheeks and shining eyes mixed with the constant biting of her lip told a different story.
“What the hell are you doing following me?”
She lifted her little shoulders and let them drop and then leaned against the dumpster. “I told you I’d figure out what you’re up to.” She glanced up at the fire escape. “But I’m guessing by the way you just dove out of there like your ass was on fire that she doesn’t know you are sneaking in all the time, so I’m giving you an alternative. Flowers—women love them, and I know a great garden where we can steal some.”
“Okay first, stop following me. Second, flowers are not going to win her over, trust me, and third, we are not stealing from someone.”
Zumi sighed, the sound vibrating her lips like a horse’s whinny. “So you think that sneaking into her apartment is the way to win her over? I have news for you, it screams scary-ass stalker.”
Kes opened his mouth and closed it again. “Whatever, I’m not arguing with a nine-year-old about this. Now I mean it, stop following me.”
He marched along the alley, his long strides eating up the ground. He hated that the kid was right. He had no more ice under him to skate on where Ashley was concerned. If she caught him going through her things or sitting at the end of the bed, she’d probably have him thrown in jail.
A small pebble scurried past his feet and he looked over his shoulder to see his pint-sized tail. “Zumi, for fuck’s sake, please go home. I have things I need to do that you can’t be a part of.”
“Why not? I’m so bored at the camp. There is no one for me to talk to other than Momma G and she hasn’t been around either, and I hate it when mom is all….” She paused to wave her hands around as she tried to think of a word. “Inebriated.” Zumi smiled wide. “I learned that word from a crossword.”
