DEATH (The Justice Cycle Book 1) by J Kiefer (best novels in english TXT) 📕

He gaped soundlessly as his friend’s head slipped off his torso and fell with a splat. With nothing left to keep it upright, the rest of Dante’s body toppled.

Pedro stammered; his mind unable to comprehend what had just happened. He looked back at the lone figure that they thought they’d trapped. The sword that had been sitting on his hip only seconds before was now unsheathed and casually resting across his shoulders. Pedro let loose a blood-curdling shriek.

The Musketeer cocked his head. “Ah, I see that your pathetic little brain has finally managed to catch up to the present.”

Pedro stumbled and fell in his attempt to flee, but with no arms to brace himself, he hit his face hard on the unrelenting pavement, breaking his nose and knocking himself unconscious.

The Musketeer sheathed his rapier and strolled over to where Dante lay. He knelt on one knee, picked up the decapitated head, and studied it.

“Can you see me, mon ami? Ah, I forget you cannot raise the dead, can you? Well, if any of your servants are lurking in the shadows observing, know that I am not here to bring you trouble. I am merely here on a small errand. Of course, if you feel the need to interfere with me, I will end you the way I just ended your, how you say, honkies. I assume that this word suffices, but if not, you will understand the message, nonetheless.”

He stood and tossed the head over his shoulder where it bounced a few times before halting in the dust. Brushing himself off, he sauntered over to where Pedro lay. Blood pooled from his arm stumps; red streams trickled into the street.

The Musketeer debated putting the man out of his misery, but given the fact that blood no longer spurted from his wounds, he surmised that the man was already dead. He dusted himself off quickly and then tiptoed around the corpse to avoid staining his boots as he left the grisly scene behind. Just before he turned the corner, he glanced back and winked into the shadows, acknowledging the thing that had been spying on him since he had first arrived.

As soon as the Musketeer was out of sight, a small shadow creature stirred in the alleyway. It moved out to where the two men lay dead and hovered over them. Two tiny red glowing orbs appeared out of the folds of shadow and stared down at the corpses.

The master will not be pleased that the Musketeer has come into his territory, it thought. It knew that it must return quickly in order to relay the message that he left, which was obviously for his master. With a shudder, it dissolved and faded away into the waiting darkness.

Twenty-Five

Dana and Jared sat talking together at the Starbucks in Times Square. The sun was partway below the horizon and the foot traffic of the city increased as the people of New York left their jobs for the day and headed home. The two watched quietly as crowds of people hustled by. Soon the streetlights blinked to life, signaling the coming of night.

Dana swallowed her last sip of coffee and took in a deep breath. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a cop here in the City?”

Jared shrugged. “Not really. At least not now, anyway. When I was a kid, it was all I could think about. Not only was it where all the action was, but it was where all the superheroes were, as well. I mean, what kid wouldn’t want to have the chance to fight crime alongside the heroes of New York?”

Dana chuckled. “Don’t lie. You still want to be a superhero.”

“What are you talking about? I am a superhero.” Jared winked as he downed his last sip of coffee.

He stood up and winked before taking Dana’s empty cup over to the wastebasket. “You ready to head over to Angels and Kings?”

Dana rose and pushed in her chair. “I guess. You know I am not much for clubs or bars, but since we have tomorrow off and your brother is playing there, I figure we might as well take advantage of the nightlife here in NYC.”

Jared turned and put out his arm for her. Unable to hide the blush and the girly smile, Dana accepted his arm. He smiled right back at her and then bent down and kissed her lips. They happily exited the outside seating for the coffee shop and headed out into the busy street.

“Honestly, I don’t drink, and if my parents knew I was going to a club, they would have my head, but I really do want to see Steve play. No one in my family has been very supportive of his music since it is in the secular world, and not the Church,” he said as they walked. “But since I’m here in the city for a change, I’d like to show him some support.”

Dana snuggled up closer to him as they turned down a side street. “You are such a good brother.”

Jared snorted. “Well, it isn’t because I think his band is any good, that’s for sure. It’s because the tickets are free and so are the drinks. How could I pass that up? A night like that in NYC would usually cost a fortune.”

She punched him on the shoulder but never let go of his arm as they continued down the street. They passed buildings of every kind as they walked. Skyscrapers that jutted so far into the stratosphere that you could not even see the tops from below, as well as brick apartment buildings huddled together.

It was so different from the rural farming communities they were used to. There were so many people and so many things to see and do. At this time of the day in Binghamton, even the small shops and restaurants would be getting ready to close.