Page 21 of When Darkness Calls

I watched him for weeks before we got any kind of set times we could hit.

Now, he’s none the wiser. Moving around his house, windows open, curtains open, watching a football game with his volume maxed out.

I’d guess he was probably drunk, might have even dabbled a bit in his stash with the way he’s frantically yelling at his television.

My camera is perched on the window of my car on the other side of the street, a few houses down. The lens gave me all the views I could ever need.

Jerry’s kids had already left for their Friday away from this hell house. I’m glad too because I couldn’t bare another night of watching him use his son like a fucking punching bag. I think Cade’s report said he was thirteen. His girl is eleven.

I was beginning to worry we would move on. The reports had a few misconduct accusations from moms at his last school. A middle school outside Carver Ridge in the next county. I don’t even want to think of the shit he’d do to her soon.

As the sun creeps over the mountain range, a warm orange glow settles on the rundown street. There’s trash strewn across lawns, cars broken down, and into, sitting in driveways, glass covering the road. No amount of beauty from nature could bring light to this place.

Then again, all of East End is beginning to look this way. It started around six years ago, the drug problem. When it began, it seemed like this strange occurrence. No one had ever really heard of anyone overdosing here before. Of course, accidents happen, or the occasional suicide, but within months of the first report, there were dozens.

An epidemic, the papers say. And it’s true. It spread like an infection–the darkness, the tragedies, the crime, the deaths. Once the drugs trickled in, so did everything else. So many people were affected, so many families struggling to help their loved ones and keep themselves safe. East End–Shadow Grove–hasn’t been the same since. Cade’s business skyrocketed in the higher income neighborhoods. Keegan has had to Narcan so many fucking people I doubt he could even estimate a number.

We’d all talked about the changes in our town all those years ago. We were Juniors and Seniors in college, talking about ways we could make this place better, help it heal.

The last straw was Cade’s mom. Marlene was like a mother to all of us, but to me especially. I don’t remember mine much, but I remember everything with her. How she would make us cookies and tuck us into bed when we were kids. She would also rustle my hair and complain about needing a haircut, but then she’d kiss my forehead and give me a bright smile.

She helped me fill out college applications and send in portfolios. And tied my tie for graduation weeks after what happened to my sister.

The night she died, I’ll never forget it. Or the promises I made to Dani. All the work we’re doing it’s for each of us needing answers. It’s for Marlene. Finding out the truth of that night and keeping our promises to protect her little girl. And I’ll be damned if I let anything happen again.

The vibration of my phone on the dash catches my attention.

Sire calling…

An exasperated sigh leaves me, and with an eye roll I answer the call.

Can’t keep letting Alex use my phone.

“What’s up, Cay? Any news?”

“No. We’re all set. Keegan said he’ll be there in about thirty minutes. Is that good?” His voice is that same eerie self-restraining calm that he puts on when we’re on missions.

I glance back into my camera lens, seeing the heavy set, middle-aged man sprawled out on his sofa in his boxers, beer can in hand. I move the lens slightly to the right, towards his TV. The timer at the bottom says there’s forty-five seconds left of the third quarter.

“Yeah. That’ll work. Tell’m I’m parked at the corner of Cooks and Grant. There’s an old auto shop down the street. He won’t miss it.”

“Good. You got everything?”

I hum my assurance glancing down at my mask, rope, and the glint of my brass knuckles in the duffel bag sitting in the passenger seat.

“I’m ready. He won’t see us coming.”

He grunts on the line; it sounds far off. “Keep it that way.” And the line is dead.

Alex’s truck pulls up beside me just as the streetlights come on. My brow furrows in confusion before I see Nick in the driver seat.

He throws me a wave. Keegan hops out, feet shuffling across the pavement as Nick drives off, heading to the Fest to wait. I’d almost forgotten the plan for Alex and Nick to switch vehicles.

“Ready?” He asks as he grabs my bag slumping into the passenger seat.

“I wish everyone would stop asking me that, and we can just go beat the shit out of the fucker.”

He quirks a grin at me.