survey the area around me again and still see nothing out of the ordinary. Just a dark street and a sprinkling of houses. No one has followed me. I’m certain I’m alone.
Bucky comes up the sidewalk and cuts a right onto the trail.
Silently I climb from my Jeep, and as I follow behind, I lower my mask over my head.
This section of the trail is skinny and bordered by woods on both sides. It’s perfect for what I have in store.
Bucky’s phone rings, and while he answers, I tune in to mysurroundings one last time. Cold night. The scent of a fireplace in the air. A dog barking way in the distance. Nobody out. Except me and Bucky.
My lips curve. I’ve got this guy all to myself.
One must control animal instincts, not stimulate them. I don’t suppose my aikido sensei would agree with what I’m about to do.
I don’t pull my Taser out. I want hand-to-hand with this guy. I need it. “Bucky,” I whisper.
He turns.
I go right at it, slamming the heel of my hand into his nose, just like I did Aisha. Blood spurts and I smile.
“What the . . . ?” He stumbles back.
I grab the front of his jacket and knee him in the balls.
He goes down coughing and hacking.
I rear back and kick him in the ribs.
He coughs some more and throws a missed punch in my direction.
I nail him in the eye.
On his butt, he scoots away, blood and saliva driveling from his mouth.
I don’t give him a second to retaliate as I whack the blade of my hand into the side of his neck.
He gurgles. “Fuck . . .”
I grab his head and slam it into the ground. “I hate that word.”
Bucky holds his hands up. “Stop!”
I look into his eyes. Really look. And see fear there. That is the exact look I’m waiting for. I grab a handful of dirt and rub it into his face, and while he spurts, I yank a zip tie around his wrists and take a step back.
Breathing heavily, I look down at his pathetic body and remember him shoving me up against my Jeep. Dickweed. I also remember the first couple of people I took down and the mistakes I made. Look at me now, standing here unharmed. It’s too awesome. I raise my Taser.
“Don’t!” he screams, and my blood thumps. “God! What do you want? My wallet’s in my back pocket.”
I lower my voice and ask, “Are you JDL?”
“What? Shit. What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Who did the prostitute and the homeless boy? Who did Jacks?”
“What?” He tries to scoot away again. “I didn’t do anything to anybody.”
I kneel down and shove the Taser right in his face.
“Wait,” he pleads. “What do you want? I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“Did Aisha do them?”
“Aisha?” He coughs. “She’s in jail!”
I know that, you idiot. “What do you know about the Masked Savior?”
He starts to cry. Unbelievable. Not so tough now.
“I’ve been on the site,” he blubbers. “I’ve posted a few things. But I promise I haven’t done anything wrong. I promise.”
“Have you been following me?”
“No,” he whimpers.
The smell of urine permeates the air, and I don’t even glance down to verify he’s peed himself. This guy doesn’t know anything. He’s scared shitless. Or rather, pissless.
“You will stop everything you are doing,” I tell him. “Masked Savior website, drugs to kids.” His eyes widen, and I think of how scared Justin was to tell me about this guy. I grab his throat and squeeze, and he sucks in a raspy breath. “Oh, yeah, I know all about the drugs.”
I release him and stand back up. “We clear?”
“Yes! Please, just don’t hurt me anymore.”
“If I hear your name again, I will find you and I will do so much more.” I turn away from him and disappear back down the trail. Sure, I left him zip-tied, but he can still get up and walk home. Or crawl for all I care.
After tonight Justin won’t have to be scared again. Because I meant what I said. If I hear Bucky’s name one more time, I will do so much more to that asswipe.
When I get
Bucky comes up the sidewalk and cuts a right onto the trail.
Silently I climb from my Jeep, and as I follow behind, I lower my mask over my head.
This section of the trail is skinny and bordered by woods on both sides. It’s perfect for what I have in store.
Bucky’s phone rings, and while he answers, I tune in to mysurroundings one last time. Cold night. The scent of a fireplace in the air. A dog barking way in the distance. Nobody out. Except me and Bucky.
My lips curve. I’ve got this guy all to myself.
One must control animal instincts, not stimulate them. I don’t suppose my aikido sensei would agree with what I’m about to do.
I don’t pull my Taser out. I want hand-to-hand with this guy. I need it. “Bucky,” I whisper.
He turns.
I go right at it, slamming the heel of my hand into his nose, just like I did Aisha. Blood spurts and I smile.
“What the . . . ?” He stumbles back.
I grab the front of his jacket and knee him in the balls.
He goes down coughing and hacking.
I rear back and kick him in the ribs.
He coughs some more and throws a missed punch in my direction.
I nail him in the eye.
On his butt, he scoots away, blood and saliva driveling from his mouth.
I don’t give him a second to retaliate as I whack the blade of my hand into the side of his neck.
He gurgles. “Fuck . . .”
I grab his head and slam it into the ground. “I hate that word.”
Bucky holds his hands up. “Stop!”
I look into his eyes. Really look. And see fear there. That is the exact look I’m waiting for. I grab a handful of dirt and rub it into his face, and while he spurts, I yank a zip tie around his wrists and take a step back.
Breathing heavily, I look down at his pathetic body and remember him shoving me up against my Jeep. Dickweed. I also remember the first couple of people I took down and the mistakes I made. Look at me now, standing here unharmed. It’s too awesome. I raise my Taser.
“Don’t!” he screams, and my blood thumps. “God! What do you want? My wallet’s in my back pocket.”
I lower my voice and ask, “Are you JDL?”
“What? Shit. What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Who did the prostitute and the homeless boy? Who did Jacks?”
“What?” He tries to scoot away again. “I didn’t do anything to anybody.”
I kneel down and shove the Taser right in his face.
“Wait,” he pleads. “What do you want? I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“Did Aisha do them?”
“Aisha?” He coughs. “She’s in jail!”
I know that, you idiot. “What do you know about the Masked Savior?”
He starts to cry. Unbelievable. Not so tough now.
“I’ve been on the site,” he blubbers. “I’ve posted a few things. But I promise I haven’t done anything wrong. I promise.”
“Have you been following me?”
“No,” he whimpers.
The smell of urine permeates the air, and I don’t even glance down to verify he’s peed himself. This guy doesn’t know anything. He’s scared shitless. Or rather, pissless.
“You will stop everything you are doing,” I tell him. “Masked Savior website, drugs to kids.” His eyes widen, and I think of how scared Justin was to tell me about this guy. I grab his throat and squeeze, and he sucks in a raspy breath. “Oh, yeah, I know all about the drugs.”
I release him and stand back up. “We clear?”
“Yes! Please, just don’t hurt me anymore.”
“If I hear your name again, I will find you and I will do so much more.” I turn away from him and disappear back down the trail. Sure, I left him zip-tied, but he can still get up and walk home. Or crawl for all I care.
After tonight Justin won’t have to be scared again. Because I meant what I said. If I hear Bucky’s name one more time, I will do so much more to that asswipe.
When I get
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