A Black Day (Book 2, Part 1)

[Absolution Black]

ONCE AGAIN, COLLECTING ALL FOUR PARTS OF BOOK TWO IN ONE THREAD FOR EASE!!

Following on from the end of the first book, Black is Back!

Black awoke as he felt the girl sit up next to him. She sat holding the sheets against her, her naked back pale in the moonlight from the nearby window. He rested a hand on her shoulder and she grabbed his hand in hers and held tightly.

“What’s wrong?” He was alert now, but couldn’t sense any immediate danger.

“There was a horrible noise, outside. A long screeching and what sounded like the flapping of wings. There was a scream, and then it just went silent”.

She was shivering slightly, though Black was unsure whether it was from the cool night air, or from fear. He couldn’t blame her if it was the latter.

“Probably the spawn of the Nephilim whore, hunting the streets”. He pulled aside the material hanging over the window and peered outside. He could see nothing on the streets outside, except the rolling mist.

He pulled her back under the covers and kissed her forehead. She smiled weakly and turned over, her eyes closing. Within seconds her breathing changed as she drifted back into sleep. Black lay there awake for several more minutes, twisting the knife he held in his other hand, the weapon he had grabbed upon waking. Satisfied, he released the grip and descended into sleep himself.

There was a knock on the door, a series of raps followed by a solid thump. Black smiled, it was dawn now and Abernathy was back. He rolled out of bed, and pulled on his trousers. He grabbed a pistol off the drawers and stood to the side of the door. He pulled back the locks and opened it. Abernathy walked through the open doorway, carrying a bundle of clothes. He looked across at the pistol held at his head height and tutted.

“You really ought to trust people Absolution, If I was in trouble I’d have used the other signal”.

Black lowered the pistol and tucked it in his waistband. He smiled and ran his fingers through his long black hair. He shut the door behind Abernathy and locked it once more. The older man walked over to the bed where Lydia had sat up once more, yawning fiercely. He dropped the clothes on the bed.

“These are yours. Or so the blonde tells me” He smiled at the young woman, before turning to face Black.

“The meeting is set. The blonde will be at The Cross Swords at midday. She wasn’t happy with what you did, but I think she understands…now. I swear she was ready to slice me in two at one point”.

“Cassandra?” Lydia twisted in the bed, grabbing at her clothes. The sheets dropped away, leaving little to the imagination. Abernathy turned away out of decency. Black merely watched and smiled.

“That would be the one ma’am” Abernathy stuttered, flustered as she stood from the bed and pulled a tunic over her head. Then she pulled on a pair of leggings, and slipped her feet into her boots. She sat on the edge of the bed, excitement plain to see on her face.

“I must see her. She needs to know I’m alright.”

“She knows ma’am. I told her you were in the company of Mr Black here, and she has decided that to be acceptable.” He turned to face Black. “Appears your reputation does get around sir”.

“You’ll be coming anyway. I need to keep you in my sight at all times”. Black was pulling on a shirt and holstering two pistols around his waist. Then he selected two knives from a drawer and slipped them within his jacket. He caught Lydia smiling at him, and tossed her a short blade on the bed beside her too.

“Can never be too careful”.

He selected his hat from the table and placed it on. He grabbed his cane, folding it into a short length and slipped it into a sleeve. Then he grabbed some coins from the mantelpiece.

“Best not keep the lady waiting then. It’s a good hour walk to the Swords from here, and I want to avoid the main streets”.

The three of them left the room and Black locked the heavy door behind them.

The captain of the guard was not enjoying this one little bit. He stood in the offices of the Governor’s secretary. The man himself wasn’t present, but the lawyer that flitted around the room made him uneasy, the almost serpent like movements and noises he made were un-nerving to say the least.

“He left his card, you say?”

“Yes sir. On one of the bodies. Poor sods had obviously tried to mug him. It wasn’t pretty”.

He desperately wanted to have a cigarette at this moment, though he had promised himself he would quit.

“And the two in the station?”

“Undoubtedly his work too, sir. Though no card was left. I think the fact he was being shot at was a more pressing matter for him”.

He giggled slightly, but stopped when it was clear the Lawyer did not share the joke.

“And these two in the station, they were hired muscle?”

“Yes sir, Dometelli’s thugs. You know, the gang leader from Earthside. Black has made some serious enemies last night sir”.

“Quite. See to it you assist him when and where possible, though keep a low profile. The Governor would hate to lose an asset such as Black”.

“Yes sir, I’ll get a couple of men to follow him….at a distance obviously”.

“You’ll do it yourself Captain. That way I can hold you responsible should anything, shall we say, go wrong”.

The captain gulped. He could feel sweat on his brow. How he needed that cigarette now.

“Dismissed”.

Captain Knoffler turned and walked out of there as quick as he could, trying not to run. His day had just got a whole lot more complicated. He was reaching for the packet before he had even stepped outside. Tomorrow, he thought, tomorrow I’ll quit……

Edited March 21, 2011 by Absolution Black

[Doctor Amos]

...a little pulpy, this time. ::watchful eye::

[Absolution Black]

Part 2

The meeting had gone well. Black stood just outside the doorway of the Inn, watching the streets outside carefully. Lydia was saying her goodbyes to Cassandra, hugging her tightly before moving to stand by Black’s side. It had been agreed that for the time being, until a plan could be formed, Lydia would be better off in the company of the specialist, rather than back at the Star. After all, the Dometelli family would know all about Lydia’s life in Malifaux, it was them who had passed on the information to Black when they had hired him to retrieve her. The decision to rescind that contract had resulted in the current unfortunate situation.

Abernathy followed Lydia out of the Inn and onto the street beside them. Black knew that his old friend was not equipped for the dangers that were almost surely on their way. But he also knew that his late father’s servant would never agree to keep out of it. Having decided to return to his lodgings, the trio set out from the Inn along the busy streets towards downtown. It gave Black a lot of time to think over his next move. The Dometelli clan was sure to send further force through the breach to recover their ‘property’, and he had no doubt they would be under orders to dispose of him too. The only way they would all be safe, and not have to spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders, was to strike first.

To do that, Black reasoned, he would have to travel back Earthside and take out the heads of the clan. Not an easy task. But that would mean leaving Lydia here in Malifaux with Abernathy, where he would not be able to protect her. He couldn’t send her back to the Star for obvious reasons, and he definitely couldn’t take her with him. He cursed silently as they walked, realising that this was a situation that even he had doubts of surviving. But suddenly, all his thoughts were irrelevant as he spied the large coach on the street opposite. He pushed the other two into a side alley and followed, peering cautiously around the corner.

Sure enough, his eyes hadn’t deceived him. Making their way from the nearby hotel, Black saw the bulbous figure of Lorenzo Dometelli hauling himself into the swaying coach. Following him was his slimy brother Marco, and three armed thugs. Turning back into the alley, he grabbed Lydia by the arms and shook her.

“Just what do you mean to these scum!” He hissed, “You must be worth a pretty penny to ensure Lorenzo Dometelli arrives to get you in person”.

Her eyes grew wide with shock and fear. He felt her tremble slightly in his grip and he relaxed the hold.

“They…They’re here?” She stammered, looking up at him. She began to cry, slumping so much that Black had to hold her up at first.

“Yes sweetheart, they are. The head of the family himself has ventured out. Now tell me why”.

“I’m his wife,” she sniffed. “And he wants me back”.

Now it was Black’s turn to feel shocked. He let go of Lydia’s arms and turned to the street again. The coach had gone. He rubbed his face as he thought of what he should do next. At least, he smiled, he didn’t have to return Earthside now. His problem had come directly to him. Checking the route was now clear, he motioned the others to begin moving again. He had to get them back to the room where they could discuss the next plan of action.

Two large black coaches stood outside the building where Black lived. Now he understood where the Dometellis had been going. Somehow they had found out where he lived, and were no doubt ransacking his room for clues of Lydia’s whereabouts, and lying in wait for his return. He called a small boy over from a nearby house, paid him some coins and gave him instructions. Five minutes later, the urchin returned.

“You was right mister, they is interested in your room alright. Turning it over good and proper. There were three of them. Two in the room, one outside the door. Gave me a right stare he did”.

“You’re sure there are only three?”

“As sure as my name is Albert, sir”.

Black smiled. He indicated that Abernathy should take Lydia a safe distance from here, indicating the old pump-house building several doors down. Then he checked his weapons and slipped across the street to the back of his building. Lydia watched him go, then as she walked away with Abernathy, she turned to the small boy, smiling.

“And is your name Albert?”

“No miss, It’s Thomas” He said before scampering off down the street.

[Absolution Black]

Part 3

The old shed groaned under Black’s weight as he pulled himself onto the rickety structure. He could see the open hall window that would give him access to the building but getting there would be tricky, even for a resourceful man like himself. He weighed up his chances of hauling himself onto the roof that sloped just under the window. It would take all his strength to lift himself up, and the slates didn’t look like they offered a safe handhold. But it was the only way.

He reached up, and then jumped the last few inches to grab the edge of the roof. With a huge effort he pulled himself up onto the slippy roof, hugging flat against the wall as he caught his breath. With a wry smile, he joked to himself that he was already getting too old for this lifestyle, yet he was only in his thirties. Satisfied he had recovered fully he slipped a knife from his inside pocket and crept to peer over the sill of the window. Sure enough, A thug stood outside his open doorway, looking nonchalantly down over the bannister. He could see his door was now ripped from its hinges and he cursed. Fingering the blade and testing the weight he slowly raised himself up. With a quick thrust of his wrist, the knife flew through the open window and hit the thug in the throat, embedding itself deeply.

As the thug struggled, clutching at his neck, the blood poured from the split jugular. Black was already moving, landing softly on the hall floor and hugging the wall. He heard voices from inside the room. Miraculously the occupants hadn’t heard the struggles of the man outside. Black smiled at his good fortune, watching as the man silently slipped down the wall and collapsed dead in a heap on the floor. Un-holstering his pistols he side-stepped along the hallway until he reached the wrecked doorway. Breathing deeply, allowing his mind and body to get in the zone, Black raised the guns and on the count of three, spun around into the doorway to shoot his targets. There were five of them.

Loosing two shots from his revolvers whilst swearing and cursing street urchins the world over, Black flung himself across the doorway, deftly avoiding the corpse of the first thug. He knew he had connected with the two shots, he had heard the cries and besides he hardly ever missed. He just hoped they were fatal hits. Split seconds after he had moved, a fusillade of bullets screamed from the open doorway, hitting the wall opposite, sending plaster sprinkling down to the entrance hall. Then holes appeared in the wall next to him as the thugs began to pepper the corridor from within his room, attempting to get lucky and catch Black where he stood. He moved quickly, diving to the far end of the corridor, as dust and parts of wall flew around him.

Realising he only had seconds before the thugs became brave enough to venture out of the room to confirm their kill, Black made a split second decision. He jumped up, placed one hand on the barrier and leapt over the railing, landing heavily on the staircase below. The noise obviously alerted the gunmen, as a shot pinged from the painting above his head. Moving into the room off the entrance hall, an old unused room cluttered with junk, Black found what cover he could and waited. He heard footsteps on the corridor above him: he counted three men. He smiled, maybe he had been successful with his shots. The heavy treads began the cautious descent down the staircase. Black wouldn’t be able to get a clear shot until they were almost right inside the room with him.

He watched as the first of the thugs brandishing a wicked shotgun slunk into view through the doorway. Urging him closer, Black raised his revolver to eye-level and aimed for the head. Closer, he thought, just a little bit closer. He could see the other two thugs coming into view behind the first, revolvers at the ready. This was going to be close, thought Black. Too close. He was beginning to wish he had just turned away and gone somewhere else instead of being so hot headed. But he knew this was his best chance so far of actually removing the Dometelli threat once and for all with minimum fuss. He lifted his other revolver, knowing that any shot with that gun was going to be a miracle if it hit something, in the time he had.

As the large bulk of the thug filled the doorway, Black opened fire. The bullet smashed into the skull of the man, blowing the top of his head clean off. As the body fell, Black shot the second revolver, grazing the arm of a second thug as he raised his own gun to retaliate. That lucky shot bought him a couple of precious seconds and he leapt from his hiding place, diving behind an old oak table that had handily been stored on its side. He heard the soft thud as the first body hit the floor, and the cries of the second man as he fought to stop the bleeding from his damaged arm. As he readied his guns again, a hail of bullets sprayed the room in the place where he had just been sitting. He waited until he heard the thug frantically reloading the pistol and jumped from behind the table. Running across the room he fired one of his revolvers, the bullet passing through the throat of the reloading thug.

As he stepped into the corridor he turned to see the wounded man lying on the stairs, his face contorted in pain. The man looked up into the muzzle of Black’s pistol.

“Please” he begged, “Please don’t…….”

Black pulled the trigger, shielding his face as he did so. A spray of blood coated his sleeve as the man’s head simply disappeared.

Lowering his guns, Black breathed out deeply. Now to deal with the Dometellis sitting in the coaches outside. It would be broad daylight with plenty of witnesses but it couldn’t be helped. He turned to unlatch the door, opening it to the street outside. Then he heard the click of a gun being readied. He cursed to himself, chastising himself for being hot headed again and not checking he actually had killed the two goons upstairs. He turned slowly to see the leering face of the wounded thug, the gun levelled with Black’s head. He knew he wouldn’t have time to raise his guns to shoot before the other man pulled his trigger. He closed his eyes, ready for the final shot as he heard the man laugh. There was a loud bang of gunfire. Black opened his eyes, watching the man opposite him slumping to the staircase.

He turned slowly, wondering what further trouble he could possibly get into. Standing in the doorway, lowering a smoking pistol was the lean figure of a Guild captain. The Officer reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it in his mouth.

“Afternoon Absolution” He looked over Black’s shoulder, “ Been busy, have we?”

“Captain Knoffler”, Black growled, “I guess I should say thanks”.

[Absolution Black]

Part 4

“Let me past, Knoffler” growled Black as he made his way to the door. “I have business to attend to”.

“You mean those coaches rapidly disappearing down the street? You may be fast Absolution, but not that fast”.

Captain Knoffler stood aside to let Black through onto the street outside. Sure enough, the coaches had disappeared and with it, the immediate chance to solve the problem once and for all. Black could feel the rage building inside him and leant against the wall, taking deep breaths and feeling the anger subside. All the while the Captain poked around at the body on the stairs, looking in the pockets and slipping anything valuable he found into his own trench coat.

“I see you still have no respect for the dead then Knoffler”.

“The way I see it, is these poor souls have no need for these trinkets now, so why not take them to a good home”. Knoffler pocketed a gold watch on a chain from one of the jackets.

“Such as the Pawn shop eh?” Black couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The exertion of the past few minutes had caught up with him, and he could feel sweat form on his brow.

The captain surveyed the seen as he made his way further inside, his fingers touching the bullet holes on the wall. Black watched the Guild officer as he made notes in a tattered book retrieved from the long grey coat. Turning his attention back to the street, he noticed a large crowd had gathered across from his house, no doubt attracted by the gunshots and the heavy Guild presence. Several guardsmen were cordoning off the street around the building. He noticed Lydia and Abernathy lurking out of plain sight in an alley opposite and acknowledged them with a slight wave.

Knoffler stepped out of the house and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, striking the match on the wall and lighting it.

“So, just the five bodies this time?” He coughed, “You’re slipping”.

“I guess you have to call this one in?” Black suddenly realised he was still clutching his revolvers and holstered them quickly.

“Luckily for you, you have friends in high places. This will all be handled……discretely”.

Knoffler watched as a large wagon pulled by four horses pulled into the kerb alongside the door. Two Guild officers climbed off and moved through the open doorway, nodding to Knoffler as they passed. A couple of minutes later they reappeared carrying one of the bodies wrapped in a dark cloth between them. It was unceremoniously dumped into the back of the wagon, no doubt to be disposed of in the morgue, as if they had never existed.

Knoffler turned to face Black again, puffing plumes of grey smoke into the air.

“I’m not going to ask what this is about Absolution, but one things for sure, you can’t stay here for a while. Not that I’m concerned of course, but perhaps you should lie low for a while, leave the city maybe”.

“Thanks for your concern Captain, but until this business is finished, I’m not going anywhere”.

Black strode passed the guardsman and headed across the street towards the alley where his colleagues waited. As he watched him go, Knoffler called after him.

“So, I guess I can expect more clean-up calls then!”.

Black watched the Hotel lobby from outside, keeping his hat brim low to hide his face. He didn’t expect the Dometellis to be so stupid as to return here now they knew he was after them. Pulling his jacket tight around him, he motioned to Lydia across the doorway, who acknowledged with a nod. She pulled her hair down and ruffled it, straightening her tunic before walking briskly into the lobby. It was a big risk having her so exposed, Black realised, but she was the best option if this plan was to work. He watched as she swayed up to the desk, already capturing the attention of the young clerk behind it. She leaned on one elbow on the high counter, the other hand resting on her hip seductively as she began to talk. Black watched as Lydia did her ‘thing’, amazed at how natural it all came to her. No wonder the owner of the Star wanted her back so much, with her skills she would be bringing in the money all night. She could sell a drink to a priest.

He could see the clerk shaking his head and closing the thick book on the desk in front of him. Maybe this wasn’t going as well as hoped. Lydia changed tack and leant in close, whispering something into the young man’s ear. He watched as the clerk fiddled nervously with his collar and tie and then went into the room behind the counter. Lydia turned to smile at Black and winked, before returning to watch the clerk. Black just smiled to himself and marvelled at her talents. She could be a useful person to have around. He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. He had always worked alone, ever since….. He dismissed that memory from his thoughts and returned to the here and now.

Lydia was making her way back to the open doorway, smiling like the cat that has got the cream. She walked past Black and he broke into a slow stroll alongside her as they made their way down the cobbled street.

“They have been back already, and cleared their rooms. The clerk thinks they are still in Malifaux though as they were asking for recommendations of other establishments. He didn’t know where they have gone, but he is sure they will be at the opera tonight. They had tickets delivered yesterday.”

“That’s good news. Should I even ask what you said that convinced him to spill the beans?”

“I told him I’d put on a special show for him when he next visited the Star”. She smiled and tied her hair back into the ponytail.

Black allowed the crease of a grin to spread across his face.

“I guess I should get prepared then”.

Black watched the Black coach pull up outside the Opera house and sure enough the Dometelli brothers stepped out and made their way up the steps into the building. As the coach pulled away Black ran silently alongside it and gripping tightly onto the rail, swung himself up onto it. He pulled open the door and slipped inside to wait. However long that took.

Three hours later he heard the driver return and with a shudder the coach was moving swiftly through the streets. His plan hinged on the fact that this was the coach the Dometelli’s would use to return to their hotel. As the coach pulled to a halt, he peered over the edge of the tiny window and saw the Opera house illuminated nearby. He sighed. Well, at least he was in the right place.

Time seemed to slow and although it was probably only a few minutes since they had stopped, it seemed like hours. Black could feel the anger that had always plagued him begin to stir once more, and he made every effort to contain it. At least for now. He heard voices and the door opened. A large rotund man climbed in, followed by a thinner more greasy looking gentleman. The brothers Dometelli, Black grinned. As they sat opposite him, he raised his revolvers. That was the first time either of the men had realised he was even there.

“One noise from either of you and its goodnight” He growled. “Tell your driver to return to the hotel as if it’s just an ordinary night”.

He could see the beads of sweat forming on the brow of Lorenzo as Marco leant out of the window and instructed the driver to move. The coach rumbled into motion and Black sat forward out of the shadows.

“You worthless rat” Lorenzo spat, “You betray us and your honour with your actions”.

“I hardly think you gentlemen are able to speak of honour, but that’s another matter. As you know, we have had a difference of opinion over Lydia. I am here to ensure that difference ends tonight”.

Lorenzo laughed. A wheezy, sickly chuckle. “She is mine Black, and always will be. That Bitch is my property, and by the end of tonight she will be back with me, and you will be……..let’s just say, not a problem to me anymore”.

Black watched both men carefully, knowing their reputation for trickery. He knew he should have just pulled the triggers there and then but he wanted to know why Lydia was so important to them. After all, these thugs could get a girl from anywhere.

“Why all this trouble Lorenzo? Why is Lydia so important to you. After all, she is only a saloon girl”.

He saw Lorenzo laugh deeply as he leant forward.

“Just a saloon girl. Oh my dear boy, you have no idea. That girl is worth a lot of money to the right people, she has a gift. A gift that is both profitable and deadly”.

Black was curious to hear more, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Marco reach for his weapon. In the space of a few seconds the night took a nasty twist. Almost in slow motion Black pulled both triggers, the first bullet smashing into Marco’s chest, flinging him back against the seat, pools of blood forming on his crisp white shirt. The second bullet caught Lorenzo straight between the eyes, leaving a gaping hole that pored blood and brain matter onto the seat. As Black prepared to jump from the coach, the swaying leg of Lorenzo caught his arm as the body slumped. This caused the trigger to be pulled and the bullet shot out, through the ceiling of the coach.

Suddenly the carriage swerved hard and Black realised the stray bullet must have hit the driver. Opening the door he watched as the body of the coachman fell to the cobbles, crushed by the wheels of the coach. The reins snapped free from the horses, and with a sickening crunch the wagon broke free, twisting dangerously.

“That’s not good” cursed Black and he grabbed the doorframe ready to leap out.

A sudden bump in the road made the coach flip into the air and Black felt his head crash against the frame, and his world went dark.

Then the coach crashed over the side of the bridge and tumbled into the water below.

END OF BOOK TWO.