Vicious

“Please… don’t…”

In daylight, Shadow is a bug. A pale, wan exoskeleton of a man.

He’s fifty years old and he looks every bit of it. He’s as depraved as he is decrepit. His breath rattles through his cigarette ravaged throat. I should really quit smoking.

His ribs tent his skin as he takes panicked breaths, bound to an old wheel and cog system I found in the industrial district. It used to be used for crushing metal, now the cogs are poised to recycle him.

I gave this man fair warning. I let him know what would happen if he crossed me. He chose not to listen, and he forced my hand.

Last night I watched Kitty twitch awake time after time trying to avoid going to sleep, worrying about what would come for her. When she finally went down, I caught a few hours myself and I went out hunting. It didn’t take much to find Shadow. I always know where he is. The darkest, filthiest corner of the city hides him every time. I pulled him out of his hole and I’ve brought him into the light. Now he squirms below the sun’s unpleasant rays, as naked as the day he was spawned.

“I told you to leave her alone.”

“She has to die. She deserves to die,” he gibbers.

He’s panicking. He’s right to.

“Maybe she does. And maybe she doesn’t,” I say. “But I told you to stay away from her, and you sent a man to kill her. So we have a problem, old man. I won’t look over my shoulder every second of every day. I won’t have her be afraid to fucking sleep!” I clench my fist and punch the wall beside his head, emphasizing the last word. The flimsy iron booms and rattles and he shrieks with fear.

This warehouse has served me well over time, but this might be the most deserved use yet. I’ve opened up the skylights and the sun is beating down. That alone is punishment for a man so sensitive to light he never sets foot in it. Already, his skin is beginning to react to the rays, red blotches appearing across his chest, legs and crotch.

“It was going to be clean! Quick! Before you got more attached to her! She wouldn’t have ever known!”

I let out a low, humorless laugh. “That’s nice, Shadow, but it’s not my philosophy.” I put my hand to the lever which turns the cog which will drive the matching metal machinery into the spaces where he is tied. Feet first, of course. I lean over him and speak loud enough for him to hear me over the grinding of the metal. “When I kill people, they feel it.”

“Stop! Stop! Okay! Please! I won’t touch her! I promise!” Big wet tears start to run down his cheeks, over the paper thin skin wrinkled with age.

It’s no fun seeing an old man cry, and I don’t relish the idea of hurting Shadow. He’s a sick fucker, but I owe him a lot. Right now, I keep the pressure on. The pain hasn’t started yet, but I want him to know damn well that I will do this to him if he so much as sneezes in Kitty’s direction again. I have no trouble getting inventive. He knows that.

CLANG!

The gears disengage as I spare his little piggies from being crushed.

“You give me your word? You’ll leave her be?”

“Yes! God! Yes! I was trying to do you a favor!”

“I don’t need your favors right now, Shadow. I just need you to leave my girl alone.”

“I will!”

He sounds just about desperate enough to mean it. Looks like Shadow won’t be mincemeat today. Killing him is a last resort, but he has to know I’ll do it. He has to remember this for a very, very long time.

“I’m going to let your guys know where you are. They can come and get you. Enjoy the sunbathing until then.”

I leave his naked body stretched on the cog wheel and walk away. It’s a cold way to treat a friend, but we both know he’s getting off extremely lightly. No broken bones. No concussions. No missing pieces. I’m half worried he’s going to think I am losing my edge.

“Vicious!”

He calls out after me, his voice weak.

“Yeah?” I look back over my shoulder.

“One day, you will have to deal with her. When it’s time, you call me. I’ll do it.”

He has balls to think that, let alone say it.

“I can still come back and bring that lever down if you need it,” I say, casually.

“Do what you want with the lever. Just don’t let a woman bring you down,” he rasps. “They’re never worth it.”

I keep walking and don’t reply.

Kitty is worth it.