The X-Man by Brian R. Lundin (100 best novels of all time .TXT) 📕

was talking loud. Cahill sat down and started playing, his first number was Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It on,” he followed it with Ray Charles, “Georgia On My Mind,” The crowd got quiet and listened as he played more Motown Hits, when he got up he got a round of applause and someone sent a round of drinks to our table.
“That was great, you should have been a piano player instead of a fed,” I said.
“My mother and father were musicians, I started playing the piano when I was five and graduated from Julliard, in college I played with the college jazz band and we did sets at some of the clubs, but it wasn’t enough action for me, I think that’s why I joined the Marines and the Marshal Service.”
I arrived at home about ten and flopped into my bed and for the first time in a long time I felt relaxed and finally got a good night sleep, maybe it was the drinks or just getting away from the case.

6 July 2012
It had been a couple of weeks since Esau’s last rape and murder in Ottawa and he was getting restless, plus his money was running out, he needed gas and more important he needed his drugs. Most of the small towns he passed through the drug of choice were methamphetamine, not crack and definitely not the prescription drugs. He didn’t care for the side effects of methamphetamine; dizziness, blurred vision and always made him feel tired, he liked the rush he got from crack and the pills, he turned around on I-80 and headed east. The following morning I awoke with a slight headache. It had been a long since I had that much to drink and I was paying for it. I downed a couple of aspirins and two cups of strong coffee and headed for the office. The task force was assembled and Evetta handed me cup of espresso.

EVETTA
Good for the morning after

She was right the bitter, strong coffee chased away the groggy feeling and I felt better as I joined the group. SAC Roth came into the room and read from a teletype, “Just got a teletype from the Kankakee Police Department, mom and pop gas station held up by a little man with a knife, couple tied up and the older woman fondled, but no one hurt, offender filled up his car with gas, took three hundred dollars from register and was driving a black Cadillac Escapade, we only got three numbers of the plates but it matched our guy.

RINGO
I think he’s on his way back to Chicago!

It was after ten when Esau pulled into what was left of the Robert Taylor Housing Projects. Most of the high rises had been demolished and the few remaining was controlled by the Bulls gang, 43rd Street Hustlers he looked around at the hooded figures standing in the shadows but he didn‘t know any of them and he knew they wouldn‘t sell him anything. He drove to 43rd street, parked and entered the dark alley under the CTA elevator and saw Moe a dealer he had done business with before. Moe came out the shadows and approached.

MOE
My man, where you been, long time?

ESAU
Traveling, you holding?

MOE
What you need?

ESAU
Three rocks got any scrips?

MOE
Just some Ativan

ESAU
Okay, give me a dozen

Moe disappeared and in a moment returned with the drugs. Esau gave Moe five twenty dollars bills and left the alley. The following morning Evetta got a call from William “Bull” Jones.

BULL
Mama, I think your little guy is back, just made a buy with one of my guys on 43rd Street

EVETTA
What did he cop?

BULL
Three rocks and some Ativan

EVETTA
How long you take that will last him?

BULL
Two, three days at the most

EVETTA
Thanks, I owe you

BULL
Like I told you before, you owe me zip

Evetta called me and we went outside the building.

EVETTA
Just got a call from Bull, you was right he is back, just copped some drugs from Bull‘s guy

RINGO (EXCITED)
Where?

EVETTA
43rd Street

RINGO
Let’s keep this to ourselves, Okay?

Evetta looked at me and knew that I wanted him and knew what I planned to do.

EVETTA
You got it John

For the next two nights Evetta and I observed the alley at 43rd South Prairie Avenue, nothing, but on the third night a Black Cadillac Escalade slowly cruised down the deserted Street, it parked at 43rd South Calumet and a little man got out, looked around and slowly walked to the alley.
I told Evetta to go into the alley from 44th Street.

EVETTA
You know what you’re doing John?

RINGO
I’m sure, and I don’t want you involved

Evetta didn’t argue as she got out and beginning walking down Prairie Avenue, she turned looked at me and mouthed, “Be careful.”
I nodded as Esau entered the alley, waited a minute and followed; Esau was talking to a hooded figure in the alley when I approached.

RINGO
Remember me?

ESAU (SQUINTING HIS EYES)
Who you?

RINGO
Your worst nightmare

I saw Evetta as she entered the alley, weapon in her hand.

RINGO (LOOKING AT THE HOODED FIGURE
Split

HOODED FIGURE
I’m gone

ESAU
Who the fuck is you?

RINGO
You don’t remember me, huh. Do you remember the old lockup keeper you killed, do you remember all the young women you violated and killed, do you remember Reverend Wilson?

ESAU
You!

RINGO
Yep and this is the end of the line for your little ass

ESAU
OK arrest me, cop muthafuckas

Esau lunged at me, I side stepped him and delivered a hard right into his stomach, he howled in pain and doubled over, when he came up he popped open a switch-blade and smiled.

ESAU
I‘m going to carve your black ass up like I did those bitches and that fuckin’ preacher

He lunged again swinging the knife, he was quick as a cat and cut me on the sleeve, but as a former Navy Seal I was well trained in hand-to hand combat, I sidestepped again and stood facing him. He had a sardonic smile on his face as we circled each other.

EVETTA (SCREAMING)
Shoot the motherfucker

I didn‘t want to shoot him, that would be too quick, too easy, I wanted him to suffer, to feel pain. I saw the red light from Evetta Gluck centered on his chest

RINGO
No I yelled at her

Esau made another lunge with the knife I grabbed his arm twisted it and heard it snap as he dropped the knife and yell as the pain penetrated his drug induced brain. I flip him around and in a choke hold slowly squeezed, he twisted and tried to get free, but I had him. I continued squeezing and whispered in his ear.

RINGO
This is how they felt as you slowly choked the life out of them.

Esau continued struggling for a while and then became still. I applied more pressure and heard his neck snap. I let him go and he fell lifeless on the dirty ground

EVETTA
You ok?

RINGO
Yep, just a scratch

EVETTA
What we’re going to do with him?

I looked at the monster, his beautiful face had an angelic glow and his eyes were open. I grabbed his legs and pulled him behind some overflowing garbage cans.

RINGO
Let the rats have him

Two days later, garbage men found the body, partly eaten by the street animals. Later that day I purchased a Sun-Times Newspaper and in the bold black headlines on the front page read: “MAN FOUND IN ALLEY ON SOUTH 43RD STREET, PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATE MAN MAYBE ESAU SNEED KNOW AS THE X-MAN.”

The following morning Evetta and I met in Deputy Gult office with Captain Woods.

WOODS
What do you think happened in that alley?

RINGO (SHAKING HIS HEAD)
Probably a drug deal that went bad

The captain looked at me.

WOODS
Yeah, probably, by the way Deputy Gult is expected to be named Chief of Police later today and the deputy told me to tell you, you are the acting CO of the Bureau, congratulations

Evetta and I left the building.

RINGO
This calls for a celebration, where you want to go?

She put her arm undermines and said, “You’re coming to my house to see your godsons and my husband, I will fix you a home cook meal, you pop for the wine. “Deal,” I said.


END


Imprint

Publication Date: 06-07-2010

All Rights Reserved